Canis Lupus -Apollo/Percy –Based on Little Red Riding Hood
The wolf shall also dwell with the lamb…
It didn’t seem quite fair that everyone got to have their happy endings, did it. And of him? What did he get? Lovers that died, turned into flowers. Unrequited love that ran from him, more often than not turning into trees or plants.
Eros was a little bastard and Aphrodite was a bitch.
Daphne, his little laurel who never loved him. Leucothea, his beloved princess who died at the cause of her sister’s envy. Marpessa, who chose another. Catalia, who ran into the waters to escape him. Cyrene, he loved and who died, as all mortals do –not before having an affair with Ares and bearing a son to the war god as she bore him two. Hecuba, Queen of Troy, who would always love Priam and only took to Apollo for the sake of a son from a prophecy that foretold their possible salvation. Cassandra, who forsook him and his offer of the Sight, and who he cursed in anger. Coronis, the traitorous whore. He loved her, let her be with his son, only for her to go to another man. Artemis had offered to kill her, but it was by Apollo’s hand that she met her death. Creusa, who abandoned their child to die in the wilderness. Acantha whose death had him transform her into a sun-loving herb.
Then there were his male lovers. Hyacinthus, his beloved Spartan prince. Killed by a jealous fool, leaving Apollo to grieve and use his lover’s blood to create a flower named after him. Cyprissus, who was filled with sorrow at the death of the tame deer Apollo had given him as a companion, and turned into a Cypress tree for his tears to fall forever.
…A glint of the ocean below caught his eye as he drove over it, the sun blazing behind him.
Sea-green eyes flashed into his mind and he tilted his head in contemplation.
And now Percy Jackson was another to his list of unrequited loves.
He didn’t know when it happened, but who really knows when they fall in love? Nevertheless, it had happened and that was how things are. Percy, with gravity-defying hair and beautiful sea-green eyes, had captured his heart in a way none other before him had.
But of course, he and that Annabeth girl were going steady.
His lip curled in disdain and his hands clenched around the wheel of his car tightly briefly. It was a shame and actually irritated the sun god quite a bit. More than an irritation, it had turned to frustration and at times he became angry about it.
He always did get angry easily. And irritation was a plague. Perhaps it was an Olympian thing. His family was victims of the same things.
Percy, Percy, Percy.
Boyfriend to Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena.
Favorite toy of Aphrodite, who he’d seen quietly seethe secretly at the relationship –even though she’d helped bring it about.
Ares’ eternal annoyance, though somewhat of something else was going on on the god’s side. Ares wasn’t teaching Percy how to drive better or how to ride a motorcycle for nothing. Apollo supposed that Percy wasn’t just an annoyance after all.
Athena was another odd one. She disapproved of the relationship between Percy and her daughter, but he thinks she protests too much. Perhaps there was more to her disapproval than mere supposed dislike for Poseidon’s favorite son.
Not to mention the countless others, including his own sister. If he hadn’t been sure how unwavering Artemis was to her vows, he would think his sister actually liked Percy in that way. At the very least, she had a soft spot for him.
And then there was that something unexplainable between him and the passed Luke Castellan, Son of Hermes.
Speaking of Hermes…
That god, Apollo was aggravated and yet relieved to know, knew exactly how he felt. The unreciprocated desire and burning love that seared into their body, their mind, their heart, and their soul. All for a boy who would never love them back.
Not if Annabeth, the dear, had anything to say about it.
He slammed on the gas pedal and sped across the sky. Today, the mortals would not see the sun for very long, if his mood was any indication.
A grin crossed his lips as an idea lit up in his head. It was perfect.
And this time he would not come out from the bottom.
Some hours later, seven at night and already dark, Camp Half-Blood was his destination. Specifically, Thalia’s cabin. In there, he saw the girl sitting on her bed, face screwed up in concentration. He didn’t bother knocking. He just strode in.
“Thalia, baby,” he didn’t even flinch from the disgusting endearment, particularly since it was directed at someone else other than who he wanted.
Zeus’ daughter looked up and rolled her eyes when she saw him.
“What are you doing here?”
Apollo put a strut to his walk purposely, moving deliberately close and sitting next to her. He saw her bristle, but he ignored it and leaned close.
“So I hear that my dear sister is giving you time to decide if you want to stay a Huntress or leave. That’s a very rare offer. Artemis never lets a girl back in once they’ve left, and that she’s offering for you to experience the other side first before deciding whether or not you want to be a Huntress or just an ordinary demigod maiden is unheard of. There’s so many things you can…try,” he blew softly into her ear and she flinched, staring at him in shock and confusion. “So much knowledge to learn before you have to make that decision.”
Thalia huffed, but he could easily see how he’d caught her off guard. Good.
“Lord Apollo, I suggest you get the hell out of my room,” she said acidly and he just laughed.
“Thalia, Thalia, Thalia. You know, there was once a rumor that I’d fathered the Corybantes on the Muse that you share the namesake of,” he purred. “Perhaps then, I can create a truth out of it right now.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” she sneered, sliding off her bed and standing above his lazy position, trying to be intimidating. Silly mortal. When will any of them learn that gods do not always have a nice streak?
But Apollo merely put on a silly grin on his face and pouted childishly.
“Fine, fine. So tell me who would you like to help you make this…decision?”
She hesitated, so he gave a final push, even though he already knew the answer.
“Come on, Thalia. You can tell me. Maybe I can help?” he widened his silly grin and looked as sincere as possible, given the situation.
He was the God of Truths, but that did not mean he was bound to honesty.
He was one hell of a lie detector though.
Thalia sighed miserably, “I…don’t tell Annabeth, but I kind of wanted Percy to…I wanted Percy.”
Bingo.
Apollo nodded in sympathy, putting on a compassionate smile.
“I think I might be able to help after all. Listen, Thalia. If you can find a way to get Percy to spend a day with me, I might be able to win him over.”
He didn’t specifically say he’d win Percy over to her.
“You’d really do this?” Thalia muttered.
“Yup,” he drew out, avoiding the natural wince that came with speaking that way.
“…Okay.”
And the plan was set.
So later that night, he watched invisibly as Thalia moved over to the Poseidon cabin for the movie (courtesy of Hephaestus TV and Hermes’ invention) she was going to watch with Annabeth and Percy, Grover at a secret meeting and explaining his absence.
He watched impatiently as all three of them watched some horror flick or whatever, though his blood boiled when he saw Athena’s daughter cuddle up to Percy. Still, he noted with interest how Percy seemed to tense slightly.
When the movie was over, Annabeth apologized and said she had to go back to her cabin, as her siblings needed her for something. That left Thalia with Percy, and he watched with anticipation, eagerly waiting to see her –his –plan start to come to fruition.
“So, um, good movie?” Percy asked awkwardly, a little uncomfortable at being alone with the Daughter of Zeus.
Thalia nodded jerkily.
But then Percy gave a breathtaking smile, that stopped his heart and he knew the same had happened to Thalia, as her face showed.
“Ah, come on! This is ridiculous, Thalia. We’ve been friends for a couple years, straightened out most of our problems with each other, and Artemis gave you that deal so you’re not a Hunter right now. Eh, not that we’re being, um, intimate or whatever. I’m just saying…we shouldn’t be so awkward with each other. Right?” and then Percy’s smile turned a little silly, much more sincere and genuine than Apollo’s silly grins, and the god nearly melted on the spot. And who knows about the girl’s reaction, mortal that she was.
And then Apollo snarled at the next moment, when Thalia moved forward and landed an inexperience kiss on Percy’s lips. Percy lurched back and stared at her in shock and horror.
“Thalia, I mean, you’re really pretty and all, um, Annabeth, and uh –I thought you liked Luke!” he blurted out the last part.
Her face grew red and stony.
“Not as much as I’m sure you did!”
Then they froze and stared at each other, stunned at what she’d said and had implied.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that,” Thalia muttered.
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
Apollo’s lips twisted up briefly in malice.
“I didn’t mean to bring up Luke,” Percy muttered in turn.
They both gave uneasy smiles at each other and tried to laugh it off.
But then Thalia straightened up in determination.
“So, um, what are you doing tomorrow?” Thalia started off hesitantly.
“Nothing really. I guess I was just going to spend the day with Annabeth,” Percy said, though he didn’t seem enthusiastic.
Like Apollo, Thalia immediately caught onto that.
“Oh…well, I dare you to get Apollo to let you ride his car tomorrow…and even let you carry the sun out across the sky!” Thalia had a forced grin that started turning into eagerness as she started and finished the dare.
Percy echoed her enthusiasm.
“A dare, huh? Sounds like fun! I haven’t been able to do anything lately,” Percy didn’t even realize what valuable information he’d inadvertently revealed to both parties. “But I don’t know. Carry the sun? That’s a big responsibility. And I don’t know if he’d let me do that part.”
“Psh! Come on, Seaweed Brain! You can do it. And Apollo can be suckered into it, I bet.”
“Shut up, Pinecone Face,” but a smile was playing across his lips.
They laughed again together, though it was much more at ease.
“Curfew time, I think,” Thalia noted reluctantly. “I guess I have to go to my cabin.”
She hesitated and looked at him questioningly and hopefully. He faltered and looked uncertainly at her, before fidgeting and giving a small nod. She leaned over and brushed her lips lightly against his before flitting off and leaving.
Apollo stayed and continued gazing at Percy, who leaned unhappily against his bed and thumped his head harshly against the wood.
“Damn. I don’t want to hurt Thalia’s feelings, but I love…Annabeth.”
There was no conviction in Percy’s voice as he stated that last part.
Apollo smiled in triumph, and with one last look at the boy he loved, he turned and left. He had to make himself available tomorrow.
The next morning, before it was time for the sun to rise, Apollo reappeared again in Percy’s room. He checked himself in the mirror and frowned. He wasn’t really into the whole looking like a teen thing, being that when he went after his conquests he didn’t want to like a kid as did so. And he didn’t go after cougars, thank you very much. So he aged himself a few years until he looked more like 25 and then lightly plopped himself down next to Percy, lying on his side and propping his head on his hand.
Feeling a genuine grin cross his face, Apollo started to sing.
“Sugar pie, honey bunch; you know that I love you! I can’t help myself. I love you and nobody else.”
And that did the trick as Percy bolted upright, nearly hitting Apollo in his panic, and instead thrashed around until he crashed onto the floor on the other side, still tangled in sheets.
“Good mornin’ to you too, sugar pie,” Apollo snickered.
Percy’s disheveled hair was what he first saw and then the rest of the boy moved up.
“Lord Apollo? What are you doing here?”
Apollo smoothly sat up, “Well, I hear from a little birdie you’re finally taking me up on my offer to drive my car. And if you can handle it, you can take on the sun too.”
Percy gaped before turning a bright red, “Uh, really?”
“Really,” the god drawled. “So hurry up and get ready. Time’s a-a-a’wastin’.”
Percy nodded hurriedly and rushed around his cabin to get himself ready, tossing on a deep red shirt on and some jeans after a wash, and finished quickly. Pretty soon, they were headed out and Apollo only semi-warily handed Percy his keys. He still remembered Thalia driving…what a horror…
He needn’t have worried because after an awkward start, mostly because Percy didn’t know how to get the Maserati into the air, Percy began driving smoothly and the sun was burning brightly behind them.
“Not bad, not bad,” Apollo said nonchalantly, though he felt the fire in him scream to be let out and burn the boy next to him. Patience, he told himself. There’s time.
And then Apollo turned on the radio, which continued the cheesy song that he had been singing from earlier, and in his voice. But Percy just cracked a smile and chuckled lightly, so the god took that as a good sign.
“In and out my life, you come and you go,” Apollo sung along, watching Percy closely. “Leaving just your picture behind, and I kissed it a thousand times.”
The song continued and Apollo kept singing, voice turning from melodious and teasing to beautiful and serious. He could see the red flush creeping onto Percy’s face, who stared ahead and pretended Apollo wasn’t staring at him and seemingly singing to him.
Apollo mentally told himself to slow down.
He flicked onto another station and instead of romantic songs playing, Iron Man by Black Sabbath started performing and Percy relaxed into the song and started singing along, and the two of them spent the rest of the time joshing around, telling stories and jokes, and occasionally singing together on a song Apollo made sure wasn’t romantic so things didn’t go awkward or fast.
“Hey, Apollo! There’s a swan that looks like it’s hurt in the middle of that lake over there,” Percy said worriedly, the job of the sun almost over in a couple of minutes.
Apollo’s hand discreetly trailed to the back of the car and to the floor, lightly touching the most important piece to his plan.
“Really?” the god inwardly smiled at Percy’s caring nature. “We should go check it out. The mortals won’t notice the sun decided to skip out on a couple of minutes earlier than usual.”
Percy tossed a grin at him at that and slowly maneuvered the car over to the area, just as Apollo put the sun away. After a bumpy landing, Percy easily slid into a parked position.
“We really need to work on your liftoffs and your landings,” Apollo smirked, shaking his head as he got out.
“Does that mean I can do that again?” Percy asked with a cheeky grin back.
“Sure you can.”
They moved out towards the direction where they thought the swan was and Percy frowned when he saw the limp bird just floating in the middle of the lake, and the area around them was eerily quiet.
“I’ll go get it,” Percy immediately started forward and began wading through the semi-shallow water towards the swan.
Apollo smiled grimly, and snapped his fingers, a bow and arrow appearing in his hands from the car.
“You know, Percy…swans are sacred animals to me,” Apollo’s voice rang out in the meadow.
Percy reached the swan and Apollo let loose his arrow, striking Percy exactly where he’d intended.
In his heart.
The swan had died for a very good cause…one that Apollo will honor its death for.
“Then again, Percy…wolves are sacred to myself as well,” the god murmured, snapping his fingers and making the bow disappear. That arrow was his only one –well, the only one he’d needed. He’d stolen it from Eros after all, and he needed to have perfect aim or else everything would be messed up and he wouldn’t get a second chance.
He waved his hand and Percy was suddenly in his arms, limp and almost dead if he didn’t feel the strong heartbeat against the tips of his fingers. His other hand caressed the scarlet shirt in fixation.
“Good color on you. Red like blood, how fitting to wear it now. And so the Big Bad Wolf bares his fangs and finally takes Little Red Riding Hood and no Huntsman is there to save you, Percy.”
Apollo licked his lips.
“My, what big teeth you have!”
“Better to eat you with!”
Apollo chuckled and walked off with Percy in his arms, cheerily singing.
“When you snap your finger or wink your eye, I come a’runnin’ to you! I’m tied to your apron strings, and there’s nothing I can do. Can’t help myself. No, I can’t help myself,” he started whistling the rest of the song, gently depositing the boy onto the back seat and then moving to the driver’s seat to drive off.
Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
He’d taken Percy immediately to his home on Mount Olympus, unsure why Percy was still out. But it gave him another idea.
He was known for bringing about plagues, though not as much as he was known to be a healer.
So he whispered into the boy’s ear and then the boy gasped aloud in his sleep, sweat springing to the surface of his skin, and his skin burning up. Just a small fever, for Apollo to play doctor for. He wasn’t above another minor manipulation, and he knew that some of Eros’ arrows had a delay in reaction so Percy may not love him right away and this would only help the transition into love.
Gently laying him on his bed, Apollo went about finding new clothes, a basin to fill water in, and a cloth to wet and use for Percy. Undressing Percy eagerly, he let the demigod have that last shred of privacy in the form of his underwear and resolved that that will change in the nearby future. Putting a thin robe around Percy, red because he loved that color on him, he then folded the cloth and dipped it into the water. He started to wipe down Percy’s sweat before ringing it out and then rewetting it and folding it again to put it on Percy’s forehead.
Percy blearily opened his eyes.
“Wha…what’s wrong with me?”
Apollo gave a sympathetic smile, inwardly feeling triumph.
“You have a fever, Percy. I don’t know how you got it, but don’t worry. I’ll make it better,” he soothed, and by the recognition on Percy’s face he knew that the boy remembered that he was also the god of medicine.
“…But don’t you cause plagues and illness too?” Percy muttered dazedly, but a slight sliver of suspicion crept into his confusion.
Apollo stiffened, his soft smile freezing. He hadn’t expect this, or for Percy to remember that little tidbit about the sun god.
“Yes, Percy. But I will never hurt you.”
Little white lies. Apollo would never hurt Percy, that was true, but he knew Percy’s silent question was did the god do this to him. But since he never asked it aloud, technically Apollo wasn’t lying.
“Things will be okay, Percy. I’ll take care of you,” Apollo pressed his lips against Percy’s forehead tenderly.
Percy sighed, eyes clenching. Apollo laid his hand against Percy’s forehead, over where he’d kissed it, and Percy whimpered, pressing his head closer into his touch.
“Feels good?” Apollo murmured.
Percy nodded, trying to get even closer and Apollo smiled.
“I feel so hot. It’s so hot!” Percy cried out, starting to writhe in pain on the bed a little.
‘I’ll burn you alive.’
Apollo kissed Percy’s forehead again. Then his cheeks, then his nose, and then he pressed his lips against Percy’s confidently. Percy gasped and his glazed eyes fluttered open, staring at the god in confusion.
“What…why?”
“Because I need you to love me,” Apollo hissed, and then he started landing open-mouthed kisses down Percy’s jaw and down his neck, hands feverishly pawing at the boy’s skin and then practically tearing the red robe off of Percy like an animal.
Like a wolf.
At first, Percy struggled weakly, feeble protests tumbling nearly silent off his lips. But then Percy gave up and couldn’t help arching into Apollo’s touch, hands winding around the god in a vice-like grip as he clutched and clawed at Apollo desperately for some sort of relief.
Apollo noted the change and smiled in satisfaction. Percy himself hadn’t given in yet, but his body had already accepted Eros’ spell.
And then he was entering Percy, as his love cried in pain.
“I love you, Percy,” he breathed out.
Percy just whimpered in response, so Apollo slammed his lips against Percy’s and bit slightly, tasting blood and lapping it up eagerly.
“I love you, Percy,” Apollo repeated, with a slightly darker emphasis.
“I love you, Apollo,” Percy sobbed out.
Apollo tenderly wiped the tears away with his thumbs, thrusting one last time and reaching his peak at the same time as Percy. His body shuddered and he nearly collapsed on top of him, keeping himself steady by keeping his weight on his elbows.
Kissing Percy softly, he gathered the boy into his arms and cradled him close.
“I’m never going to let you go.”
He won’t lose this one like the others. This one will be his for eternity.
Apollo reached for the vial he’d placed nearby and uncapped it, tilting Percy’s head back and pouring the contents down the exhausted boy’s throat.
He’d poured it down too suddenly and too fast, causing Percy to choke a little and then instinctively start to throw it up, but Apollo grabbed Percy’s mouth and held it close, pinching Percy’s nose after so that his new and hopefully only lover would be forced to swallow it.
In success, Apollo laid them both onto the bed and kept close.
Not too long, Apollo was sure the water from the River Lethe would wipe out all of Percy’s memories, exempting that he loved Apollo with everything.
“You’ll be mine always.”
The wolf and the lamb…
Apollo didn’t waste any time in introducing his new love to the other gods, a red light robe on Percy with the hood up so that it hid the boy’s entire face to everyone. He went immediately to Hera (the bitch, tried to kill his mother and he hated her, but he needed her right now), plastering a smile on his face and keeping his hold on Percy by his side.
“Hera, dudette,” he cringed inwardly just as Hera grimaced at the name, “Serious, can you do me a huge, huge favor. Please marry me and my sweetheart.” The sweetheart was a bit cheesy and he didn’t really care for it, but he didn’t mind using it on Percy. Besides, it’s the type of name the others would think he’d use.
“Marry you? Am I following all this correctly?” Hera raised an eyebrow, a hint of condescension creeping into her tone.
Apollo’s smile tightened, but he didn’t falter. By then, everyone’s attention had been drawn to him and the mysterious figure by his side. He knew his sister’s eyes were boring into him curiously.
“Yes, marry. Please, Hera. I would like to be married…to him,” by then there was a near silent collective gasp going around the room. Certain gods were known to have affairs with men, but none yet had actually married one. “I swear on the River Styx I will be loyal to him and love him forever.”
That got Hera’s attention. If there was anything that would make her agreeable to marrying him and would please her, as the goddess of marriage and loyalty of it, hearing that would definitely make her happy and even delighted to marry he and Percy.
Apollo inwardly smirked.
Strings in his hands, pieces on a board. All the same.
So Hera started a traditional Greek ceremony, cutting Apollo’s hand and then Percy’s, pressing the wounds together and unknowingly letting Ichor and mortal blood mix together and sealing the wedding.
He kissed his love’s hidden lips tenderly in the quiet, pleased and satisfied at last.
“Brother, I’m curious who your new bride-groom is. You’ve never mentioned him to me before and you’ve yet to reveal him even now,” Artemis slowly walked up behind him.
Apollo turned halfway to face her, pulling Percy close and smiling in a way unlike him to the others. It was a slightly pitiless smile.
Then he pulled down Percy’s hood, revealing him to everyone.
It was silent. And then Poseidon roared and shot up from his seat, tossing himself at Apollo and forgetting his Trident, only to be caught by an apprehensive and disappointed Zeus. Hera stood stunned by her husband’s side, with everyone else in various states of shock. Aphrodite looked completely out of her element, though her face slightly screwed up as if Apollo had ruined all her plans. Which he probably did, knowing of the goddess of love’s plans to mess with Percy’s love life until he’d died.
The shock amused him. They forgot how he used to really be.
He avoided looking at his sister and caught a look at Ares. The god’s face was blank, but surprisingly not shocked. So someone hasn’t forgotten the Apollo of old.
He saw Hermes and mentally huffed. The messenger god was staring at him with narrowed eyes and curled lips. He hadn’t forgotten either.
But that’s okay because it’s all too late. Percy was his now and will stay his.
“Percy, I’m your father. You have to come here and get away from him,” Poseidon spat out. “Everything will be okay, Hera will revoke the marriage, and I can take you back to camp and to your friends and…” the god of the sea grimaced but forced it out, “your girlfriend Annabeth.”
Apollo cut in, scoffing, “Oh please. It’s too late. Hera won’t because she’s always believed in loyalty in marriage, and once married always married. Right, step mother dearest?” he lightly sneered. “She’d be a hypocrite otherwise, if she chose to make an exception now.”
He turned his unwavering stare to Athena, his sneer becoming darker.
“Annabeth is a…sweet dear, Athena, but there’s no way in Tartarus I’ll give Percy back to her. Percy is my husband now. Like it or now, he’s mine.”
Apollo tugged the oddly silent Percy away and started to make their exit when Artemis stepped in the way, smiling gently at Percy and ignoring her brother.
“Percy, come with me, sweetheart,” Apollo bristled at the endearment. No one but him was allowed to call Percy any endearment. “Apollo is just being stupid and delusional again.”
“I’m sorry,” Percy whispered, looking down and speaking for the first time since the whole thing had begun. “I don’t know you. I don’t know that man who called himself my father. I only know Apollo…I love him.”
For the second time, complete and utter silence reigned.
“The River Lethe has its uses, you know,” Apollo stated nonchalantly. “And I’ll have to apologize to your son, Aphrodite. I mocked his little bow and arrows before. But I can see its uses now.”
The implications weren’t all that veiled, not that he really meant to.
He placed a secure arm around Percy and started walking away from the group.
“You think it’s a shame
But it’s my greatest triumph
And your greatest loss.”
His voice was as melodious as always, but the mockery was clear in the tone and words. Outside the door, Apollo gave them one final wolfish grin.
“Proper form and everything, eh? Not bad a haiku, if I say so myself.”
The door closed behind the two with a resounding sound.
“Funny how they forget some things, Percy,” Apollo landed a tender kiss onto his head. “I mean, honestly. Is all that shock necessary? You wouldn’t think so if they remembered pass the mask and everything. I did kill the Cyclopes that made Zeus’ lightning bolt, caused a plague in the Greek camp during the Trojan War, and really –Paris wasn’t truly the one to kill Achilles. If it weren’t for me, that arrow would never have hit Achilles’ heel. Bastard deserved it though, murdering my son,” the god muttered.
“And then Niobe, I killed her sons for her boasting. And her husband while we’re at it. I bet your friend Grover’s precious Pan remembers me. I gave his faithful follower Midas donkey ears. And another Satyr, I’d flayed him alive in a cave and nailed his skin to a nearby pine tree. Midas dared to question my music’s superiority to Pan’s, and that idiot Satyr dared to challenge a god. Is it really so hard to believe I wouldn’t go this far to keep you with me, Percy?” Apollo rolled his eyes.
They finally reached their home –their home –and Apollo sat down on a chair, pulling Percy onto his lap. Surprising but pleasing Apollo, Percy nuzzled his neck blissfully.
“Of course not, milord. But I would know you better than they.”
Apollo froze.
‘Milord?’
Percy wasn’t this submissive and he’d never called Apollo that. In fact, Percy would rather bite his tongue than to go so far as to be that obedient to any god.
But Apollo pushed those thoughts away and focused on Percy. And he’d tried to stay like that in the weeks following, ignoring any callers or visitors, and anyone else demanding entry into his home.
Then he had enough and forced himself to visit Eros.
The boy he had in his home wasn’t Percy, and he had to find out what was wrong.
“I had a feeling you would visit me soon,” Eros murmured, softly touching his bow and looking sadly at it.
Apollo frowned, “Did you now? Well, I did need to apologize for mocking your bow and arrows long ago. Daphne was one thing, but this time they worked wonderfully. Maybe a little too much.”
“The arrow you took was an experimental one. All of them, except certain ones like the one that caused Daphne to hate you, all of them are instant but real love. The arrow you stole…was asked to be fashioned to make the person subservient and full of love. The difference between this arrow and the ones I usually use is that this one makes the one hit completely compliant and docile. It makes them more like a servant,” Eros said miserably.
“Your arrows are supposed create love! Percy does love me!” Apollo hissed.
Eros stayed quiet, only looking up at him dolefully.
Unable to stand it, Apollo turned on his heel sharply and strode away. His lip curled when he saw his sister in his home, sitting demurely and holding Percy’s head on her lap as the boy started to be lulled to sleep by Artemis’ humming.
“I see my sister’s deigned to visit me finally. Tired of the hunt?” Apollo drawled.
Artemis looked at him with a blank face, but her eyes were sad.
“I really don’t get all this disappointment and shock,” Apollo sighed mockingly. “You, most of all. You’re my sister, my twin. You should know me better than anyone. Did you actually forget who I used to be?”
By the slight hidden grimace, that was a yes. His sister actually did forget.
“Shame. Percy, come here.”
Obediently, causing a frown to come to both twins’ faces, Percy walked over and hid slightly behind the sun god. Reassuring himself, Apollo pulled Percy closer and held him to his side.
“I wonder how you could forget? Does the name Orion ring a bell?”
Artemis snarled, quickly moving to her feet with her eyes blazing.
“Ah, ah, ah! You’ll frighten my dear husband.”
“Percy needs to go home,” Artemis forced calm into her voice, telling him firmly.
Apollo huffed, “He is home. With me.”
“Stop –”
“I’m surprised how at home you looked with Percy on your lap. Careful, sister. Your vows.”
Artemis’ face flushed red, but she pursed her lips and looked defiantly at her brother.
“My vows say I must forsake the company of men. By way, that means the intimacy. There is nothing that says I cannot enjoy Percy’s company as a friend. He is your husband after all,” she threw back his words. “That makes him my brother-in-law.”
“That’s right. He’s my husband,” Apollo said in amusement. “And falling in love is also forbidden to you. Just like Orion, you’re not allowed to be with my Percy.”
“I don’t –!”
“Save it, darling. Unlike you with me, I know you. And frankly, I know a lot of people. Then again, I could always be paranoid. I’ve always been very prone to paranoia. Maybe you and…everyone else surrounding us…do care about Percy. Platonically. And you all just want what’s best for him. Or I could be right and all of you just want to fuck me over so you can have Percy all to yourselves,” Apollo ended cheerfully.
“Apollo, don’t be like this,” Artemis pleaded. “I know you have your cruel and selfish streaks, but don’t do this. Not to Percy. The us back then, I know how cruel all of us could be. Zeus with Ganymedes. Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, and you in Troy. Even myself. We’ve all had that time, but now we’re trying to learn from the mortals –to be kinder, more compassionate and understanding. We’re all trying to be less distant from the mortals, and not be how we were, believing ourselves superior, believing we can do what we want, believing we can rule over them unfeelingly.”
“How dare you?!” Apollo roared, making Percy jump slightly away from him. “I do not rule over Percy and don’t imply it! I love him!”
“Like you loved Daphne? That arrow took away all your choice, it made you fall in love with her. Would you really want Percy to suffer the same fate you had?”
Apollo scoffed, “The difference between then and now is that Daphne didn’t love me back. Percy will be happy because I do.”
“Just look at the principle of the situation!” Artemis shouted in frustration. “The fact was, you didn’t choose to be in love with her. And now you’re taking away Percy’s choice to love who he wants!”
Apollo refused to answer.
“This is how you get away with everything and manipulate everyone. Your little white lies, your truths that you twist to make it to your advantage, lies you get away with because people expect you to tell the truth but you don’t actually have to. You’re the God of Truths, but you can easily be just as well the God of Lies,” his sister accused vehemently.
Apollo started grinning, confusing Artemis.
“You acknowledged I’m the God of Truths, sister dearest. Would that come to mean that I was right about…you and everyone else?” he asked slyly.
She screamed in frustration and stomped out, causing Apollo’s grin to widen.
“Finally. I thought she would never leave. I’m getting rusty if it’s taking that long to push her buttons,” he took Percy’s hand and led him away from the living room.
“Is that why you choose to use that idiot face all the time?” Percy asked, lips twitching upward.
“Why yes. It’s more fun to annoy everyone. I mean, hello? I am the God of Poetry. If I suck at it, then it’s because I want to.”
But Apollo was pleased. That question was brilliant coming from Percy. Because it showed that somewhere in there was the Percy he knew.
A couple days later, Apollo forewent his lyre for a guitar and had Percy sit on his lap as he strummed it. He was actually warming up to this cheesy song…
“Sugar pie, honey bunch, I’m weaker than a man should be! I can’t help myself. I’m a fool in love, you see.”
“Nice, Apollo, real nice,” a sneering voice cut in and both he and Percy looked up at the same time to see Hermes leaning broodingly against the wall.
“Is there something I can help you with? Or you can just tell me how you actually got in here?” Apollo blanked his face, pulling Percy closer.
Hermes caught the move, ignoring it and instead letting his eyes be drawn to the boy on Apollo’s lap. A genuine smile spread across his face.
“Hello, Percy. How are you doing?”
Percy shyly smiled at him, “I’m fine, sir. Milord is taking very good care of me.”
“That’s Lord Hermes, Percy,” Apollo reluctantly introduced, but he made sure the title was thrown in to make sure things stayed formal between the two. He sneered back at Hermes, “I have to remind him of all the names. Doesn’t remember anyone but me, and that’s because of Eros’ arrow. Didn’t even know his own name.”
Hermes ignored the jabs, “Milord?”
Apollo stiffened up, “I’m working on that. Side effect, apparently.”
Artemis burst in, dragging a stoic Ares behind her, and looking as angry as she was when she had left that day.
“Athena couldn’t be found, but I found Ares. And if you do not return Percy, then both he and I will force you to return him,” Artemis hissed, and his dangerous little spitfire of a sister looked like she’d finally decided she’d had enough of him and was going to take matters into her own hands.
Apollo laughed and looked at the stoic God of War. Strange emotion on that god’s face. But Ares neither confirmed nor denied what Artemis had said. He’d guess that Ares probably was dragged here without an explanation, but now that he was here and knew why he would help out.
“Funny. So, Hermes…I was asking why you were here?” Apollo ignored the two and turned his attention back to a Hermes that looked like he was thinking about attempting to help the two.
“Package,” Hermes answered dryly, tossing over a thin box over to him.
Apollo caught it and raised an eyebrow at him, but started tearing it apart, opening it to find a silver arrow.
“From who?” Apollo said in a monotone.
Hermes scowled, “Eros.”
Apollo tensed and tossed the arrow back at their feet.
“Don’t want it, don’t need it,” he hissed, surprising the others.
“I think you would,” Eros cut in, appearing behind the three blocking the entrance. He slipped in between them and stood in quiet confidence in front of Apollo.
“Eros,” Ares frowned and stepped closer to his son.
“Father,” Eros nodded back at him, but turned his attention to Apollo. “I told you that you stole my experimental arrow and that it would make Percy practically a slave to you. You weren’t happy about that.”
The reactions around them were a mix of outrage and anger, but Eros and Apollo ignored that while Percy just stayed quiet.
“That arrow was ordered from Hades and his family. For the same person you apparently wanted to use the arrow on. You just beat the Dark Family to it,” Eros said dryly, shaking his head. “But I didn’t get to tell you everything. They didn’t want a servant; they wanted Percy. Like you are adamant on. The problem, however, was that they didn’t want to use my usual arrows because though those arrows granted true love, it gave no choice to the person the arrow hits. I created the arrow you stole instead. I had a delay on it, so that the person would feel like they’re falling in love naturally –though you seemed to have countered that and forced a quick fall for Percy,” Eros noted unhappily.
“And then Percy would quickly become the docile boy there on your lap. I created that specific effect so that the Dark Family would feel guilty and ask for something to reverse the arrow’s spell. This arrow I have now? It’s the antidote that you need. Percy will be back to himself, though minus the memories since you’ve seen fit to add Lethe water into this mess, and he would be free to choose. The love he had for you is real and he experienced it. He will remember that. And so Percy will have a choice, like the Dark Family had originally wanted the new arrow to do, and he will have the experience of your love to make that choice.”
The room was quiet until Apollo’s soft footsteps echoed and he reached Eros. He stayed away from the close Ares, who looked like he was twitching and ready to just reach out and grab him, and took the arrow from Eros and the bow the god had brought along for Apollo to use. Notching it, he aimed at Percy who started to tremble in slight fear and confusion.
“Milord?” Percy’s eyes darted around.
Apollo licked his lips nervously, “You trust me, don’t you Percy?”
Hermes snorted, but the sun god ignored him.
“Y-yes.”
“Then stay there and don’t move. Just please. Trust what I’m doing.”
And then he fired.
It struck Percy in the same area Apollo had hit last time, and Percy staggered back, coughing up a storm. Then he’d stopped and swayed on his feet. Apollo cautiously walked forward, touching Percy’s shoulder lightly. The boy looked up at him with dazed eyes.
“Sing to me,” he muttered.
Apollo blinked, “Pardon?”
“I said sing to me,” Percy said a little more impatiently.
Apollo, not sure if the arrow had worked after all, started singing.
“‘Cause sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that I’m weak for you. Can’t help myself; I love you and nobody else,” Apollo’s voice ended on an unsteady note, and he had the urge to bite his lip in worry.
Percy visibly swallowed, breathing heavily.
“Sugar pie, honey bunch, do anything you ask me to! Can’t help myself; I want you and nobody else,” Percy sung shakily. He grasped onto Apollo’s arms to steady himself and pull the god closer, inhaling his scent.
Apollo stayed stunned, his emotions warring in him.
“And if you ask me to sing to you again, I’ll beat the utter crap out of you,” Percy mumbled. “Once was enough. I’ll leave the singing to you thank you very much.”
Overjoyed, Apollo grasped onto Percy and held him tightly.
Hesitantly, Percy reached out again and wrapped his arms around the god once more.
“I can’t remember anything. But maybe I don’t really care to. Because I remember loving you…so make me fall in love again, you idiot god,” Percy mumbled into sun kiss hair.
Apollo just smothered his face closer.
Eros nodded in satisfaction, his job done, and turned to leave, grabbing his unhappy father on the way out. A discontented Hermes disappeared without another word, refusing to stay put and witness any more of the scene.
Artemis was the only one left.
Apollo pulled back to look at his sister hopefully.
“Percy, I want to reintroduce my sister to you,” Apollo hesitantly looked towards Artemis.
The Huntress, resigned, gave a small reluctant smile to Percy.
“Hello, Percy. You must be my new brother-in-law.”
Oh, things were still a mess and he was pretty sure everyone else was angry and horrified at him. But his sister was resigned and wouldn’t fight back anymore, and he had Percy.
For a second, he thought either Ares or Hermes would’ve been the Huntsman. As it turned out, he got to be the Wolf and the Huntsman of the story.