I Can't Do Without You

 

Percy fell asleep soon after and Hermes held him closer, wrapping his younger lover in a warm embrace. He blankly watched him, feeling his even breathing, the steady rise and fall of his chest against Hermes.

 

He’d…said those words.

 

Hermes knew he’d said those words before, and he’d always been sincere about them…but there was some strange closeness, a different kind of intimacy to it this time. And it was very early in their relationship to be proclaiming such things, and yet he couldn’t take it back and the words weren’t any less true.

 

He smiled in resignation and squeezed Percy tighter.

 

“What are you doing to me?” he wondered aloud. “What am I going to do with you?”

 

But there was no answer and he didn’t expect one. So he closed his eyes and fell asleep beside him. The next morning, he had business to do, so he gently woke up Percy.

 

“Hey,” he kissed the boy softly and smiled when he saw Percy reluctantly wake up. “Get up right now.”

 

He slowly slid out of the bed, straightening himself up in the meantime as Percy got up. He was stared at hesitantly, but Hermes offered no explanation, brusquely getting ready and frowning to himself.

 

“Go take a shower, Percy. I’ll be back in a little bit, I just have something to do before we go out,” Hermes said shortly.

 

Percy fidgeted in bed, glancing at him warily.

 

“Are you…upset with me?”

 

Hermes blinked, not sure where Percy was getting that from. Then he realized that right then he was acting curt with the wrong person. He gave a grimace and sidled onto the bed, one leg hanging off while he bent and sat on the other one, leaning close to Percy.

 

“Sorry,” he apologized. “It’s not you I’m upset with. I’m just still irritated about yesterday. I’m sorry your day got ruined, and I promise today will be better.”

 

He tugged Percy gently closer and kissed him, and after a moment Percy started to kiss him back.

 

“Even…even after what happened, I still enjoyed yesterday. So don’t be too upset about it, because I’m not,” Percy reassured him, though Hermes was sure part of that wasn’t true.

 

What had happened had hurt Percy a lot and Hermes wouldn’t stand for it. Still, he was glad that the day hadn’t been too ruined after all, and that Percy had had a good time, despite the incident near the end of their day.

 

“I’m glad you aren’t too upset about yesterday. I promise I’ll be back quickly, so go take the shower, huh?” Hermes ruffled his bed head.

 

Percy scowled at him, scrunching up his face in annoyance. Hermes laughed and left before Percy could retaliate. His jovial face morphed into an angry one once he was out of view, walking out of the suite and then teleporting away.

 

He said that the next time someone pissed him off, he wouldn’t back down.

 

Hermes gritted his teeth and slipped further into the dark lair, seeking out the one person who would be perfect to help him out. Well, it wasn’t a person per se…

 

“Arachne,” he called out stoically.

 

Movement in the darkness shimmered before a huge something crawled out of it. A monstrous spider clicked its teeth at him, coming closer before coming to a stop in front of him.

 

“What does a god want with me?” she laughed wickedly, all of her eyes zeroing on him.

 

He smiled cruelly, “Well…I’m not exactly the god you hate, am I?’

 

She chittered rapidly, examining him.

 

“Athena,” she hissed. “Snake of a woman!”

 

“She’s more of an owl person,” he drawled. “Then again, she did turn Medusa into a snake hybrid.”

 

“What is it?” Arachne came threateningly closer. “What do you want?”

 

Hermes closed his eyes and smiled innocently, tilting his head.

 

“I want one of her daughters to suffer.”

 

Arachne started chittering again, louder and faster this time.

 

“I can tell you where the little chit is and I want to make sure you torment her for a long time,” Hermes coldly ordered.

 

It didn’t take much to convince her, especially since it was an Athena brat.

 

“With pleasure,” she purred.

 

Hermes shared a frigid smile with her.

 

“I want Annabeth Chase to pay, and I want her to regret even being born.”

 

And as Hermes was speaking with Arachne, Percy was finishing up his shower. He got out, toweling himself dry, and then started getting dressed, noticing that Hermes still wasn’t back. He spotted the stuff Hermes bought for him yesterday, and he involuntarily blushed when he remembered last night. He tentatively reached out and grabbed the ring and put it back on, more easily getting his cord necklace and watch and wearing them afterwards. His thumb idly traced the ring on his finger, remembering the way Hermes’ mouth had wrapped over it and had drawn it off of his finger…

 

He turned bright red and shook his head.

 

And those words…Hermes probably thought he hadn’t been as coherent as he was, but he’d heard Hermes say those words to him. It brought back another heated flush and he wondered if Hermes meant it. Did he love the god back?

 

It was such a heavy question with a loaded answer. He wasn’t quite sure if he could answer it right then, but he knew he didn’t want to. Maybe when he was sure of the way things were, he’d be able to feel more comfortable thinking about it and trying to answer it, but for now he would push it away and just enjoy things as they were.

 

“Hey, you here?” Hermes’ voice rang out and he shouted back his location.

 

The god appeared next to him in no time, just as he looked at the time and his eyes bugged out.

 

“Hermes! It’s only 5:15! In the morning! Why are we up so early?”

 

“I wanted you to sleep in, but the place we’re going to is best experienced at high-tide –5:30 am. Sorry to wake you up so early,” the messenger god apologized, leaning over and kissing his forehead.

 

In embarrassment and half-hearted irritation, Percy batted him away while hiding his pout.

 

“Yeah, yeah. So where are we going?”

 

In the next instance, Hermes had teleported them straight to Wave Organ, picnic basket suddenly in hand.

 

“You see those? Those are a system of PVC pipes that are suppose to harness the power of the ocean to create music. We’re going to have breakfast here and just enjoy the morning, alright?” and then Hermes was leading him to this unique space at the end of a spit of land.

 

It turned out to be the best place to just sit and enjoy the sounds, and the view he was getting was fantastic. Everything was just beautiful and he was easily becoming relaxed, especially with the view and sounds of the sea spotlighting the trip.

 

“I thought we’d take it easy today,” the god beside him murmured. “After such a…eventful day yesterday, I thought something more slower and relaxing would work for us. We could go visit Francisco again some other time, and visit all the other places. What do you say?”

 

While Percy had wanted to sightsee a lot more and he also didn’t want Hermes to still dwell about yesterday, he kind of agreed and wanted a slower pace for the day. So he approved and asked about what they were going to do that day then.

 

“We could go visit the yacht clubs nearby, just to check them out,” Hermes suggested, knowing that Percy had a fondness for all types of boats. “Then walk around Fisherman’s Wharf for most of the day. We’ll visit Chinatown for a little bit after, before we head back to the hotel.”

 

They had a peaceful breakfast and stayed there a little while, just enjoying the peace and quiet along with the scenery. Soon enough, Percy had fallen back to sleep and instead of waking him up, Hermes let him continue to sleep. It was nearly eight when Hermes woke Percy up and then they gathered up their stuff, a mere moment later disappearing.

 

The two of them went and saw the yacht clubs briefly, and Percy admitted he preferred the plainer Golden Gate Yacht Club over the more upscale St. Francis Yacht Club simply because it seemed a little homier.

 

After that, Hermes had headed them straight to Fisherman’s Wharf, where they picked up two bread bowls of clam chowder to go, along with an assortment of seafood they could snack on as they traversed Pier 39. Percy personally stuck to the calamari for the most part, though most of his attention went to the bread bowl that he consumed rapidly.

 

They finished the food as they observed the street performers, seeing a bunch of different acts on display. There were comedians, jugglers, clowns, mimes, and even some magicians showcasing themselves to many a crowd as entertainment. He saw some painted people, a lot of them pretending to be statues before moving and surprising the people around them by revealing they were real people –vaguely amused and recalling his friend Rachel and a similar portrayal she had done.

 

They then spent an hour or two at the Aquarium of the Bay, where Percy delightedly got to act like a kid and enjoy the water-filled shows. He enjoyed the ponds where they were allowed to touch live marine animals, but his favorite had been the underwater tunnel where he’d gotten to walk through and gaze at the fish swimming above and around him.

 

Hermes was very satisfied with the way the day was turning out and Percy’s enjoyment.

 

They walked around for a little while, window shopping at the outside shops around them, buying some trinkets every once and awhile, enjoying the live entertainment that was being performed as they walked around, and had briefly debated about watching something at the theater before deciding against it.

 

They decided to come back to Pier 39 for dinner later, choosing to keep walking around. They’d ended up finding the Wax Museum, where they got to check out all more than 270 wax portraits of entertainers, heroes, villains, and every other famous or infamous character/person known.

 

The next stop was something similar, with the two going to the Ripley’s Believe or Not! Museum. They took their time there, looking around at all the displays and going to all the floors. Hermes had also wondered if he should take Percy to Ghirardelli Square, but decided not to as he could probably bring Percy there another time for something special.

 

As it was getting late, they headed back to Pier 39 and found a nice restaurant to eat in, led to be seated on the top floor and next to the wide window that showcased the Pier. At Bistro Boudin, Percy decided that he had to bring back some of the sourdough bread back home for his mother to enjoy.

 

He quietly huddled closer to Hermes’ side, staring solemnly out of the window. Then he just turned to the god and leaned on him, burying his face into the man’s shoulder.

 

“Percy?”

 

The demigod winced and sat up, removing his arms from Hermes’, slightly stiffening up in a silent response. Now that had the god question him in even more worry than at first.

 

“Sorry. I probably shouldn’t be hanging all over you, especially in public,” Percy muttered, turning away and looking back out the window with slightly dull eyes.

 

Hermes winced, inwardly feeling that burning anger again. The incident with Athena’s brat probably troubled Percy more than he’d let on, and he was definitely not feeling any sorry for the deal he’d made with the arachnid monster.

 

Her children could eat Annabeth alive for all he cared.

 

He glanced at Percy, resolving to keep that matter quiet though. Even if Percy was hurt by the girl, he was sure his lover wouldn’t appreciate the tactic or the cruelty of it. He would definitely be angry at Hermes for going to the length he did, or at the least disappointed in the god.

 

“It’s fine, Percy. The Mist is covering us, and even if it didn’t, I wouldn’t care. I’m happy with you and don’t care what anyone else would say. It wouldn’t bother me at all if we’re seen together,” Hermes reassured him.

 

Still, he could see the doubt and indecision still in Percy’s eyes, but the demigod merely nodded and hesitantly leaned closer again, seeking comfort silently. He knew Percy agreed and felt the same way, but that didn’t stop him from feeling the way he did at times, or stop himself from wondering what the others would think. Especially his other friends and the other campers…

 

And that bothered Hermes more than anything –Percy being so troubled. He couldn’t help cursing the blonde girl even more.

 

The dinner went through quickly and painfully quiet, and Hermes had half a mind to skip Chinatown and just bring Percy back to the hotel and lay with him on the bed, whispering whatever reassurances, quiet murmurings, and sweet comfort he could.

 

He was glad he didn’t.

 

After an awkward start, Hermes continuously coaxed Percy out of his shell, doing silly things like dorkily ́juggling the shumai they’d bought to snack on, making stupid jokes every once in awhile that had Percy’s lips twitching at the bad humor, and sneaking in quick kisses that brought on that lovable flush of red on the younger male. The quiet that had been so oppressive before gradually started to become the usual comfort that they enjoyed with each other, walking the streets of San Francisco in the night with soft smiles, joined hands, and the wind gently brushing through their hair as they occasionally brushed against each other and leaned ever so much against the other’s pliant body.

 

It was a night not spent in comfort but quiet contentedness.

 

Tomorrow came and the two woke up in their suite in the early morning, sighing at the inevitable return to civilization and having to spend time with other people other than themselves. They checked out at six, after getting ready for their day, and then Hermes teleported them back, landing in the alley right next to a nice little coffee shop a block from school. Scrunching up his eyebrows at the area and at the fact he’d had to leave Hermes so soon, Percy leaned up and gave a quick peck to the god, rewarded with a beaming smile.

 

He left first and a moment later, Hermes followed. They took different directions, ending up at school at the same time anyways and yet at the opposite sides of the campus. Hermes dejectedly headed to the teacher’s lounge, inwardly groaning at the sight of a frowning Paul –‘What’s he doing here early anyway?’ –and Percy hurriedly heading to his locker, with doubts and worry filling him again.

 

On the way to his locker, he kept imagining the others were staring at him, whispering and talking to each other and somehow knowing he was gay –Wait, was he? –that he was with Hermes, that he wasn’t normal –

 

“Hey there, partner. You look like you’re about to have a panic attack,” a familiar and not yet sure if it was welcomed voice spoke.

 

He gulped and turned to face Maria fully, inwardly still wondering if they all knew, if she knew –

 

“So, I was thinking…I know we’re not together and obviously you didn’t end up liking me like that…but we were good friends, right? So…is it alright if we remained friends?” Maria asked, voice hesitant.

 

Would Hermes mind? Would the god be bothered if he still was near Maria sometimes? Because he really needed a friend right now, even if he wanted to lie and pretend and not admit that–

 

He cut himself off once again, giving a strained smile to the girl.

 

“S-sure. I guess we can try to be friends, and just hope it’s not too awkward, huh?” he tried to push away his worries and anxiety, forcing a more realistic smile. He hoped it was at least.

 

She gave him a bright smile in return, not at all noticing his odd and stressed behavior. She waited for him patiently as he gathered his books, and the two of them quietly walked the hallway, somewhat unmindful of the stares and whispers that followed them.

 

In class, Hermes froze as he saw them come in together. But he saw the slightly tense figure of Percy and winced as he realized that the younger male had probably been like that through the whole day, even if to the normal eye Percy just seemed fine. His lover was becoming a little too good at lying to people…

 

He thanked Zeus though, that he could always see right through him. And right now, Percy wasn’t just worried about his reaction to him being with Maria, but he was still troubled about the words Annabeth had said, if not what had happened itself. Percy’s eyes kept darting to people, as if trying to see something he was looking for, his body would tense up even worse when it looked like he found whatever it was, and then he would almost try to shuffle behind Maria –as if to hide behind the small slip of a girl, before then realizing what he was doing and stop. Only for the process to repeat itself.

 

When Percy looked up hesitantly at him, he gave a reassuring smile and was rewarded with a warm smile in return. He could visibly see Percy relax somewhat, but he was still more tense than the god would like. The class pass by quickly, and the two teens seem to quietly work together to finish the work, serious and focused. Even if he didn’t like her, Percy needed a friend right now and he could deal with it. He wasn’t going to begrudge him a friend, but that still didn’t mean he was going to go back to being buddy-buddy with the girl. Still, Percy seemed to need Maria’s presence right now and he wasn’t going to make him feel bad about it.

 

After class, Percy dallied and told Maria to go on ahead and Hermes waited patiently for everyone to leave and for Percy to come to him. Once in front of him, Hermes gave a roguish grin that had Percy’s lips twitching upwards in amusement, and less anxious about whatever he seemed to be worrying over. So Hermes took hold of his ‘student’s’ collar and teasingly tugged him forward, kissing him soundly. The kissing immediately became heated and Percy quickly forgot they were still in school, while Hermes just didn’t care.

 

Hermes led Percy to his desk, laying him down on it even as he grasped the bottom of the boy’s shirt and thrust it over his head. He was pleased to note Percy had unraveled his tie and was already working on the buttons on his button-up shirt.

 

“Hey, Percy, I was wonder –”

 

Hermes twitched. Percy blushed (thankfully, not horrified like Hermes expected his reaction to be because of late). And Maria squealed.

 

The god didn’t bother to find out if it was a happy squeal, embarrassed squeal, or disgusted squeal. He subtly made a hand gesture and the door closed in her face and locked by itself.

 

He, truthfully, hadn’t had actual sex with Percy since the first time, and that hadn’t been such a good start to their relationship. After that, it was just multiple sexual encounters and missed (read: interrupted) opportunities, and he was getting just the slightest sick of it. He was sick of the interruptions and he was sick of being cockblocked.

 

He hadn’t realized he hadn’t had sex with Percy for a long time now. Therefore, he was so not going to stop now or let anyone interrupt them (after all, how much more could he take of everyone interrupting every time they’re about to have sex?).

 

There was the added bonus that he was finally going to do it with Percy on his desk.

 

He smugly tugged off Percy’s pants and boxers quickly, settling him back onto the desk as he resumed his activities.