Title: Eyes On Fire

Rating: M

Warnings: Smut (Graphic sex scenes), Coarse Language, Violence, Mature Themes.

Summary: Fem!Percy/Apollo. "I'd rather be in Tartarus with you than in Elysium without you." Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn't the Oracle of Delphi. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to stay a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy, since the time they met, was throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole in those rules.

Genre: Romance / Drama.

Author's Note: On my profile, you can find the links leading to the story's cover and banner, and the polyvore site where I create Percy's outfits, what she's wearing and so on. Have fun reading, guys! Please let me know what you think about it, okay? Reviews feed my muse and inspiration, so updates could happen ever faster. Also, I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes, but English just isn't my native language!

Again, I want to thank all of you for leaving behind reviews, follows, and favorites. I've reached over 100 reviews with only five chapters, and that's thanks to you all!

When I started writing this story, I didn't expect that it would receive such response, but I'm so fucking flattered. Thank you, really. Writing about Apollo and Percy has become my favorite pastime, and I just have soooo fucking much on my mind what those two will be going through. I'm so excited to write about them, even though my private life has become pretty demanding of me lately, but nevertheless I won't ever abandon this story. Ever. It just means too much to me.

And because I want to show you guys my gratitude for all your support and feedback, I'm now going to response to each of your questions at the end of each chapter. So if you want to know something particular involving this story or me or just what I have faintly in mind, drop a question! :) It doesn't matter if it's 'When will the smut start?' or 'What's your favorite color?' or 'Is the Heroes of Olympus series going to play a role in this?'. Just ask whatever you want or let me know if you want something particular to happen in the following chapters.

Also, just to let you know, I have gone over the past chapters, correcting some mistakes in them while also adding some new things and a new scene at the beginning of the first chapter, kind of an intro. It's okay if you don't read it, it's nothing bad, but I thought I'd let you know. :)

EYES ON FIRE

CHAPTER SIX

green eyes

Why do I let you cross the line every time?

Why do I stay if I know you're not mine?

Ride on your skin, I know that love used to glow

How can I let you go if I know I'm so close?

– Maybe, by Alina Baraz & Galimatias

It was the delicious smell of tea and toast that woke Percy this morning. She rolled onto her back and blinked lazily, shifting slightly beneath her blankets as she brought her hands to her eyes to rub the sleep away. The curtains were drawn over the windows, but she was still able to feel the sunrays, warm and gentle, trying to reach her, trying to stroke her skin. Percy momentarily froze as the thought of Apollo trying to reach her through the sun crossed her mind, and she wondered immediately if he was watching her from afar in his sun chariot. The thought send a shiver down her spine, causing her lips to stretch into a smile.

After a while of just lying in bed and thinking about Apollo, thinking about everything and nothing, Percy climbed out of her warm bed and threw a quick glance at the alarm clock standing on her nightstand. It was ten in the morning, still a bit too early for her liking. It was one of her habits, one of her many quirks that some people could regard as being bad, but ultimately they were just her.

She could handle her fair share of booze.

She had three drawers of makeup in the bathroom.

She knew that she could get quite the mouth when feeling angered or provoked.

She ate lots of candy, especially chocolate; a bar of it never survived longer than five minutes with her.

And she liked to sleep long and good.

Throwing on her short, light blue night robe made of a material similar to silk, Percy left her room and went into the kitchen where she could already hear the radio playing. "Morning, mom," she said, raising her palm to her mouth to hide her small yawn. Her mother smiled at her as Percy stood on her tiptoes, reaching for a cup on the higher shelves. Sometimes, it frustrated her that she was as short as she was, because with her at only five foot two she just wasn't able to reach anything on the top shelves at the supermarket or somewhere else.

"Any plans for today, honey?" Sally asked with a smile, bringing her own cup of coffee to her mouth.

Percy put a teabag into her cup and furrowed her brow in thought. "Hmm, not really. Annabeth's still at Camp, so I'm pretty free today. Why are you asking? Do you have anything planned?"

"I thought we could go to the mall today if you'd like to, do some shopping."

"Oh, yes, please." Percy's eyes lighted up. Pouring water into her cup, she sat down at the table and grabbed a croissant that her mother had arranged on a plate, while dragging the teabag around in the cup. She'd never liked coffee. Earl Grey was her drink to go in the mornings. "Mall sounds awesome, and I wanna check out the new shop they've opened there. So, when are we going?"

Her mom shook her head in amusement upon hearing the excited tone in her daughter's voice. "I guess we can leave after finishing breakfast, honey. You sound strangely eager."

Percy grinned cheekily at her. "I just like spending time with my mother, what's so wrong about that?"

She was a girl. She liked shopping, clothes, makeup, and shoes. When she was younger, around thirteen or fourteen, she didn't understand what other girls found so super exciting about fashion, but as she got older she developed the same liking for those things. A big part of that had been influenced by Silena Beauregard, her former friend. Silena had introduced her to the world of fashion, showing her the art of applying makeup the right way, of dressing to accentuate her body shape.

Exhaling deeply, Percy rubbed her chest, trying to lessen the sudden pain. Yes, Silena had been a good friend of her and her betrayal had stung hard. But in the end, Percy had forgiven her. She had forgiven Luke and Ethan and all the other demigods, because she did understand their motives.

Her mother's voice was what distracted her from her depressing thoughts, bringing her back to reality. Percy finished her breakfast quickly, placing the dirty dishes into the sink before she went back to her room.

As she stood in front of her wardrobe, pondering about what to wear, her mind went back to thinking about a certain God with golden hair and golden eyes. She wondered subconsciously what he was doing right now. Riding in his sun chariot maybe. Or doing other business on Olympus. Perhaps he was even in the company of a woman and … her lips curled in distaste. Just thinking about Apollo with other women made Percy sick, her chest stinging in ugly pain. Knowing that she was about to enter dangerous thoughts, she shook her head, trying to clear her mind from him, and his cocky smirk, and those smoldering eyes of his.

Finally, she was dressed in light skinny jeans, a pastel-colored top with spaghetti straps, and comfortable, black boots. She wouldn't get cold considering the fact that it was fairly warm outside. After applying mascara and sweeping some lip gloss over her lips, Percy scanned herself quickly in the mirror hanging above her desk that sometimes also worked as a part-time vanity table.

She had good hair. Right now, it was falling in its natural loose curls and soft waves over her back. Even the daughters of Aphrodite said they wished they had her hair and their hair was amazing. Percy also had a lot of it. It was thick and long, past her bra strap at the back, and it was shiny even when she didn't use those shine-inducing products. A deep, rich, glossy dark color that was something between dark-brown and black with some hues of auburn and golden-browns that only appeared when the sun hit her hair the right way.

She had also lucked out in the skin department. When she was younger, around that time of month, she might get a blemish or two but this stopped when she had turned seventeen. Her skin was creamy and pale in a smooth way, though she could tan relatively easy in the summer. She had a petite nose that was well set in her face along with plump, pink lips the shape of petals. Her eyes, an exotic mix of oceanic blue and sea green with a thin dark ring at the edge of the iris, were the most prominent feature on her face, and along with her thick, long lashes and her dark, delicately arched brows she had to admit that they were quite striking. And even though she was small and petite, her body had developed quite well over the time. Years of training at Camp left her toned and firm but she had still managed to maintain her womanly softness. Her breasts were not overly large and not too small, filling a B-cup quite decently. She had a tiny waist leading into shapely hips, a pert ass, and lean, slender legs. All the candy Percy ate on the regular usually set down on her thighs and her butt but she didn't really have a problem with that as it filled out both of those body parts quite nicely. She had some stretch marks on the inside of her thighs that wouldn't go away, no matter how much she exercised at Camp, and she couldn't decide whether she liked the moles dusting along her chest or not.

Her looks was something she thanked her parents for seeing as they had given her the good genes. After all, her mother was a beautiful woman and her father was … well, he was a Greek God; that pretty much said it all.

Other than that, looking at her reflection and knowing it by heart in her mind's eyes, she was beginning to see herself differently as she became aware that this was what Apollo saw.

But … did he like it?

Percy wasn't ignorant to things, she knew that a beautiful woman was a great weakness of the Gods, but did Apollo think of her in those terms? She sometimes noticed that men were ogling her, at times some of them felt so daring that they cat-called at her, though usually Percy ignored it. She didn't want to know what was in their minds when they did that, but now she wondered … she wanted to know what Apollo was seeing when he looked at her.

Hearing her mother call her name, Percy turned her back on her reflection, dismissing her thoughts, and walked out of her bedroom as she threw on a droopy, loose-woven black cardigan. She saw her mother waiting for her at the door, wearing black pants and a light green blouse, her brown hair pulled back into a tight knot.

If there was someone Percy really admired, then it was her mother. Her mom had been her hero since her childhood. She had raised Percy all on her own, making sure that she got into a decent school, and grew up to become a confident, independent woman.

Even though they never had much money, never being able to afford something big and luxurious, Percy had never had the feeling that something was missing in her childhood. Friends at school, maybe. A father figure, most definitely. But Sally Jackson had proved that a woman didn't need a man to be happy. She took care of herself. She was on her feet a lot, so she got exercise, and she'd always taken care of her skin. She ate a helluva lot better than Percy. She gave a shit about how she looked, took care of her hair, dressed good. She had spent almost all her life waitressing, but she was good at that, even though she always wanted to be a writer. She was currently working on her first book, and Percy knew that if someone had success in the writing world, it would be her mom.

"You ready, honey?" Sally raised her brows.

Percy grabbed her purse and tucked her shades into the collar of her top before grinning at her mom. "All ready and set now, mother."

They took a cab to get to the city. As they maundered along the Fifth Avenue, admiring all the pretty Designer boutiques and tall buildings, Percy enjoyed just being with her mother, feeling the warm sun on her skin and seeing all the wild traffic of her hometown. It felt good to see New York so alive and full of people. She had never appreciated the loudness and the blinking lights of the city, but after the Battle of Manhattan, when everything had been asleep and eerily quiet, she learned to do just that.

As they went past the Designer stores, they didn't enter one of them even once. They just couldn't afford that. Percy always purchased her clothes from designer second-hand shops or outlet stores. Nothing she possessed was overly expensive or even labeled, and her makeup was drugstore, Walmart, or Target purchased. And she was fine with that. She chose selectively, liked what she chose and they suited her.

When they entered a small store located at the street corner, they were almost immediately greeted with sparkling colors and, especially, glitter. Glitter was almost everywhere. But it just fit the store, didn't seem weird or oddly out of place. There were almost no visitors at all, just two teenage girls still in their school uniform, trying on some strappy heels. As soon as the door closed behind them, Percy and her mom stepping further into the store, a short woman rushed out of the storage room at the back of the store. Her face lighted up upon seeing the two of them.

"Sally!" She called out in a cheery voice. "Percy! Wonderful to see you again, wonderful."

Percy smiled at her. "Hi, Maggie."

Maggie Cunningham was the store's owner and she was also a good friend of her mother. They had gone to the same school together and, as far as Percy knew, she was the only one of her old friends her mother still had contact to. The store sold mostly second-hand clothes, shoes, and accessories, but most of them were of really good quality and material. No silk or satin, of course, but still good. As Maggie engaged her mom in conversation, Percy looked around the room, her fingers absently stroking over the various clothes.

As she piled up some clothes onto her arm, wanting to, at least, try them on, her neck started to prickle as though she was being watched. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she let her gaze drift around the store, finally stopping at the two girls who were eyeing her like she was some fresh piece of meat. Percy's stomach tightened in anticipation, her heart starting to thunder inside her chest.

Monsters.

She saw that immediately. Empousi, to be exact.

As she threw a quick glance at her mother, Percy saw that she hadn't noticed yet, seemingly too engrossed in conversation with her old friend.

Percy gave the monsters in disguise a bright smile while carefully putting the clothes onto a chair next to her as she started toward the storage room, pretending to be deeply fascinated by the clothes. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed with satisfaction that the girls begun to follow her. She pressed the palm of her left hand against the pocket of her jeans, ensuring that she had Riptide with her. As soon as she entered the storage room, she threw a quick glance over her shoulder, seeing that the monsters were close on her heels. Though, she was still able to see her mother and Maggie, so she went further into the room until she was sure that they wouldn't see what she was about to do.

"Sorry," she said with a confused furrow of her brow as she turned around to the Empousi who had started hissing quietly at her. "Is there a problem or something? Or why are following me?"

"You're one of them," the empousa with blonde, long hair hissed. "You're a godling."

"I suppose I am." Percy sighed, fishing out the pen from the pocket of her jeans, twirling it casually around her fingers as she eyed the monsters carefully. Empousi were creatures she probably would have problems to defeat if she was fourteen again, inexperienced and naïve, but after the things she had seen and send to Tartarus those two in front of her were something she was able to wipe out in mere seconds. Four years of training, experience, and knowledge had left their mark. "You really wanna do this now, girls? Right here, in the middle of the day?"

The Empousi stared at her in confusion, surprised that she didn't show any sign of fear like all the previous godlings they had feast upon.

"Listen," Percy continued with a sigh. "I came here to buy some new clothes and spend time with my mom. I'd let you two run if I knew that you'd harm no other people, but we know that's not the case with you. So why don't you just attack me, so I can turn you to dust and continue with my shopping?"

After saying this, Percy uncapped her pen, causing it to transform into her long sword of Celestial Bronze. The Empousi hissed loudly, taking a few steps back as the light gleaming on the sharp blade reflected in their eyes. As the first one flung herself at her with a lethal hiss, Percy swiveled her sword above her head, her body reacting instantly, before she brought the blade down, beheading the monster successfully. It immediately exploded into yellow dust.

Percy lowered her sword, staring silently at the other Empousa who in turn stared at her in uncertainty.

The demi-goddess in front of her was older and more experienced than the godlings she and her sister usually found on the streets of New York. As the monster took a step back, it asked, "Who are you?"

Percy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You don't know who I am?"

The Empousa shook her head, causing Percy to furrow her brow. That was a new one. Most times, monsters sought her out because they wanted to crown themselves with the fact that they had managed to kill Poseidon's daughter, but they never succeeded in that. At other times, those bastards simply attacked her because she smelled like the most delicious food to them that they had ever laid eyes on. But they always knew who she was. They always knew whose daughter she was, always knew about her part in the war against the Titans.

Before Percy had time to say or do something, the Empousa hissed loudly, narrowing her eyes before preparing herself to attack. However, she never got the chance to do so, because Percy saw it already coming and sliced the sword through her chest, making the monster dissolve into mere dust.

"I'm Percy Jackson," she said with a quiet sigh. "Daughter of Poseidon."

She re-transformed Riptide back into its pen-form before brushing the dust from her jeans and leaving the storage room. Picking up the pile of clothes she had set aside earlier, she walked over to her mother and Maggie who both turned to her as soon as they heard her coming closer.

"Oh, where did the two girls go?" Maggie asked as she looked around in confusion.

Percy shrugged, giving her mom a slight nod upon seeing her skeptical look. "They left a while ago. You two were just too busy talking to notice it."

"That's a shame. I thought they'd buy those shoes over there, but well, nevermind." She smiled broadly at Percy. "Did you find something, my dear?"

"Uh-huh." Percy indicated at the pile of clothes in her arms. "I think I'll try these on."

.

.

.

The moment Apollo appeared in his temple on Olympus, he immediately wanted to disappear again. His sister, all clad in her silver and forest green hunter clothes, was sitting on the large couch, clearly waiting for him. Her auburn hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her childlike face was as serious and cold as usual.

"Artemis!" He called out cheerfully. "To what do I owe the pleasure of my little sister visiting me?"

She shot daggers at him with her eyes while gritting her teeth. "Do not call me that, Apollo! We both know that I'm older than you."

"Yeah, well, but where's the fun in that?" Apollo rolled his eyes in amusement as he went over to the table, pouring himself some nectar into a golden goblet.

As he leaned against the table's edge, savoring the taste of the nectar and waiting for his sister to start talking about why she was here, he let his gaze wander across the room. It was what could be called a living room, although there were no electrical devices of some sort. The room was huge, with high ceilings and tall windows, the floor consisting of shiny marble. Golden pillars adorned the room, along with a huge couch made of golden leather that had a large fur rug in front of it, a fireplace consisting of white stone and stainless steel, and a big round table where he had all his recent paintings and his brushes and pencils placed.

Artemis lowered her gaze before she exhaled loudly to calm herself. "I came here, Apollo, to ask how visiting our mother went. How is she?"

As soon as the question was spoken aloud, Apollo faltered in his doings, his eyes hardening. He clenched his jaw. "Why, Artemis, don't you ask mother yourself? See for yourself how she is?"

"I don't have time for that, brother!" Artemis protested sharply. "I'm too –"

"You're what?" Apollo raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You're too fucking busy? But still got enough fucking time to come here and ask me how she is? Well, Artemis, let me tell you that – you haven't visited her for about ten years, and each time I have to come up with an excuse for you, so mother won't be too disappointed. If you're clearly so worried about her, you'd get your ass to Delos and speak to her."

He knew that she got his innuendo seeing as how her eyes widened in anger. "What the Tartarus, Apollo? Are you trying to say that I don't care about her?"

"I'm not tryin' to say fuckin' anything, sister." Apollo's eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm just sayin' that's what our mother probably thinks."

He had always known that the relationship between his mother and his sister was strained, but most of the times Apollo tried not to get himself too involved in that. He didn't want to put more strain on it, but right now his sister was really pushing it, though he knew that she wouldn't listen to him and visit Leto. She was too proud, a trait they both shared, but sometimes she was even more so than him.

"I see." Artemis snorted angrily, glaring at him with cold silvery eyes. "Me visiting you was in vain."

Apollo narrowed his eyes at his sister as she got to her feet, giving him one last angry look before disappearing in a blinding, silver light. Putting the goblet down loudly, Apollo ran a hand through his hair and walked toward the table where all his paintings were. The anger was still lingering inside him, even as he started humming a soft melody because music always managed to calm him, but then his eyes fell to a parchment sheet that had a beautiful, familiar face sketched on it. Apollo knew that he had drawn it a few years ago, after his first encounter with her.

He stared at the drawing for a while before he gently put it down. Not knowing why, he closed his eyes, concentrating on her essence as he disappeared as well, leaving his temple all empty and deserted.

.

.

.

"Okay, here we are," Percy sighed loudly as she placed the grocery bags on the kitchen table. Her mother came behind her, her arms occupied with bags as well which she placed beside the other ones. After having left the clothing store, they had done some grocery shopping at the small supermarket not far away from where they lived. Percy now had some new sweaters and tops, two pairs of jeans, and a new dress. Honestly, she didn't know why exactly she had bought that dress. It wasn't something she could go around just so but she looked good on it, and after her mother had convinced her to buy it, she did.

Sitting down with a satisfied smile on her lips, Percy took off the shades she had pushed up to her hair earlier, putting them down on the table. "Well, that's what I call successful shopping." She grinned at her mom who was busy filling two glasses with water. Her eyes wandered to the bag that had the new dress in it. "Though, I still don't know what to do with the dress."

"Just put it somewhere into your wardrobe," Sally said with a laugh, passing her daughter the water. "You never know when such a dress could become useful, believe me, honey."

"I guess, you're right," Percy sighed, downing the water in one go before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She took her cardigan off, putting it over the back of the chair before getting to her feet. "But nevermind, let's just sort this stuff here out." She started doing so, passing her mother the groceries, so that she could put them into the refrigerator. "And after that we can maybe watch a movie or something. How's that sound, mom?"

"Sounds good to me, honey," Sally laughed as she opened the door of the cupboards, momentarily freezing upon seeing that they had forgotten something. "Oh no."

Percy raised her head in alarm, her gaze becoming worried. "What is it?"

"We forgot to buy bread, honey."

"Oh," Percy said with a frown, pausing in her doings. "Well, I can go to the bakeshop and get some of it if you want me to. It's no problem at all."

"No, it's okay, Percy." Her mother shook her head with a smile while grabbing the keys. "I'll do it myself, you just sort the groceries."

After her mother had left, Percy grabbed her bags and went to her room where she put her new clothes into the wardrobe, folding them neatly while doing so. When she got to the dress, she stopped briefly, just staring at it for a moment. She let her fingers run along the soft material before she stepped in front of the mirror, holding the dress to her body. It was short and backless, stopping mid-thigh, with long lace sleeves; the whole dress was a strangely beautiful blend of white and light blue, the color no doubt contrasting uniquely against her pale skin and dark hair. It was adorned with small, sparkling stones all over it and had a faint Ice Queen touch to it.

Turning away, Percy put the dress into her wardrobe before she went back into the kitchen, continuing with sorting away the groceries. Just as she finished the first bag, the door-bell ringed. Furrowing her brow, she went toward the door, expecting it to be her mom but as she opened it she had to restrain herself from dropping her jaw in surprise.

"Hello, Percy," Apollo said, smiling slightly upon seeing her surprised expression.

"Uh … hi, Lord Apollo." She blinked at him, not really trusting her eyes, because that couldn't be really Apollo before her, could it? Her body seemed to recognize him in an instant, though, as it started to go haywire – her heart practically flying, her stomach tightening with nervousness, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment as she realized how she must look, all dumbfounded and perplexed.

His smile became even broader. "Don't you want to invite me in, sweetheart?"

"Uh, yeah … sure, come in," she said in nervousness, wiping her sweating hands on her jeans as she stepped aside to let him in. She caught a whiff of his delicious cologne and had to hold on to the door handle to keep herself standing straight. Closing the door after him, Percy led him into the kitchen, more than aware of his intense gaze resting on her.

She threw a quick glance at him over her shoulder, noticing that his eyes snapped up immediately as she did so. Her heart pounded hard. Had she just caught him looking at her ass?

Gods, she needed to find her wits again.

"Do you want something to drink, Lord Apollo? Though, I have to tell you that we only have water," she asked, proud of herself that she'd found her voice again. She watched from the corner of her eyes as he leaned against the table, right in front of the grocery bags.

Oh, damn, the groceries. Mom's going to kill me if I don't finish it.

"Nah, I'm fine, sweetheart," Apollo smiled, giving her a once-over that had her cheeks turning even redder. "But you've got to finally drop the Lord-thing. Just call me Apollo."

He had to hide his smirk upon seeing her eyes widen as she brought her hand up to pull a strand of hair behind her ear. Apollo had never seen her with her hair loose, and shit on a stick, she looked breathtaking. He had to fight the overwhelming urge to just dig his hands into her curls, to test the weight of them and whether it really was as soft as it looked. His eyes dropped down further, eyeing the pastel-colored top with thin straps that left her shoulders, throat, and collarbones bare, her creamy skin harmonizing beautifully with the soft color. The jeans she was wearing was formfitting, hugging her curves deliciously.

Fuck.

Apollo crossed his arms in front of his chest to keep himself from running his hands over the curve of her hips and the tantalizing swell of her ass.

Damn, the girl could really rock a pair of jeans.

"So, uh … Apollo, how come that you're here?" Percy asked, her eyes dropping to the floor.

She'd said his name before but now, without the Lord coming before it, it felt somehow more intimate, rolling easily off her tongue, flooding her damn panties with moisture.

Just seeing him leaning casually against the table, looking all cool, arrogant, and handsome was making her weak not only in her knees but her entire body. He was dressed in a tight white Henley shirt, faded jeans, and black boots. His Aviator shades were tucked into the collar of his shirt, his powerful arms folded in front of his chest. His long legs were crossed at the ankles, and his large body wasn't suited for a kitchen that small.

He was breathtaking, there was no denying that.

"Honestly?" He said with a small frown on his chiseled face. "I don't have a fucking clue."

Actually, he did. The anger he had felt from his argument with Artemis had subsided slightly when he saw that picture he had drawn of Percy. Something about her just always seemed to calm him, and in that moment he'd wanted to have that calmness once again. And standing in front of her now, staring at her beautiful, confused face, he felt his anger lessen even more, his smile starting to become a little more honest. Hearing his name falling of sweetly from the tip of her tongue set his chest ablaze with desire, but staring into her mesmerizing eyes just … it soothed him.

"Oh," Percy said with an adorable frown on her beautiful features as she lifted her gaze back to Apollo. His golden, golden eyes stared at her with an unreadable expression as the air between them became thinner. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he remained silent, seemingly waiting for something. She had the strange thought that he would wait forever.

Apollo wanted to say something, he really did, however, he found himself tongue-tied.

It was ridiculous.

He always knew what to say when he was with a woman but with Percy it was hard to find something coherent in his mind to say. One part of him wanted to bend her over the table and fuck her from behind so hard they both wouldn't be able to think straight, but another part wanted to sit down with her and unbury all her secrets. He watched as she averted his gaze from him as though she was feeling uncomfortable with the situation, but instead she stepped toward him. He had the strange thought that she wanted to come even closer.

"Uh, could you maybe step aside?" She asked with a small smile, wringing her hands nervously as she awaited his reaction. "I just need to sort out the groceries before my mom comes home, and you're … well, you're kinda standing right in front of the bags, Apollo."

She just couldn't get enough of saying his name.

"Sure," he replied softly, taking a step to the left. She now could reach the bags, but he was still standing so close to them that she couldn't avoid brushing her arm against his. The contact had both her and Apollo catching their breath, and while she continued her previous doing, he just watched her move around the kitchen, her long, dark hair cascading down her back in soft waves.

He cleared his throat, catching her attention. "So, Percy, how's it going being the Oracle? Recited any prophecies lately?"

"No, I didn't," she said with a small grin that had his own fighting to come forward. "And it's going fine. I mean, I don't feel any different, so … that's good, right?"

Apollo nodded, his eyes following each of her movements. As she gave him a little smile, he couldn't help but stare at her plump lips, imagining how they would feel against his own. "Yeah, that's good, sweetheart."

As Percy went on taking the groceries out of the back, she sensed that something was off. Well, he was still Apollo, but she noticed that he wasn't his usual good-natured, cheerful self that always had to say something. "What is it?" She asked softly after a while of silence. It was weird that, when being with him, silence didn't feel uncomfortable.

"What?" His eyes snapped to hers, drinking in the soft expression she was staring at him with; seeing her look at him that way bathed Apollo's soul with warmth, his own eyes becoming gentle.

"I don't know," Percy said as she tilted her head to the side. "Something just seems off. You're not really in a good mood, are you?"

He wanted to ask how. How she managed to pull those feelings from his body. How she managed to make him so completely unguarded and at a loss of what to do with her. "It's nothing, sweetheart," he smiled. "I just had a small fight with my sister, that's all. 's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, okay." The frown on her beautiful face smoothed out, and she put the last groceries away before setting the bags aside. "If you want to … you know." Her cheeks started to burn as she fiddled with the hem of her top, not even knowing why she was telling him that in the first place. It was none of her business, after all. "If you wanna talk about it or something, then just … I mean, I'm a good listener."

As Apollo processed her words in his mind, he felt his lungs gave a squeeze. He'd never had someone offer him that kind of comfort. Comfort that was good, and genuine, and well-meant. She smiled at him with one corner of her mouth lifted and he knew, once again, that he was in trouble. He gave her a mere nod, showing her that he had understood, that he did appreciate it. Deep down, he was fucking astounded that she apparently cared enough to offer him a friendly ear. He had been with a lot of women – and men – but none of them had ever cared about him in such a simple sympathetic way.

Watching Percy stand on her tiptoes, reaching for a glass on the shelves while giving him an amazing view of her backside, Apollo suddenly knew just what he wanted to say. "I guess I just wanted to see you again, sweetheart," he muttured, lost in thoughts as he eyed her pale back and her delicate shoulder blades.

She faltered in her movements, her breath hitching for a second. He couldn't see her smile but he heard it in her voice as she asked, "Really?"

"Yeah." Apollo's own smile appeared on his face. "Really."

With her heart pounding like drums, Percy drained the glass she'd filled with water, still smiling, before putting it down into the sink. Turning around, she saw that Apollo had stepped away from his place at the table, running a hand through his tousled hair that she, just once, wanted to bury her fingers in, letting them glide through the thick golden strands. His strong biceps flexed as he lowered his arm and Percy had to brace her hands against the kitchen counter behind her to keep herself from falling. Her knees felt too fucking weak.

"Your mother's probably going to come back soon," he stated, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. With his come-and-get-me dimples flashing, he smiled at her and tilted his head to one side, giving her a delicious view on his square, perfectly cut jaw. Those strong, chiseled facial features of his were made of stone and hard edges, Percy was pretty sure of that. "I'd better get going."

Don't. Please stay.

She smiled mildly, "Yeah, you probably should."

But neither of them moved.

As they continued to simply look at each other, Percy was once again reminded of the pull to him, the connection that existed between them. It was just … something about Apollo – his charisma, his magnetism, his mettle – that drew her. Sparked her intrigue; made her want to get closer to the fire, to feel the burn. Because she knew, without the shadow of a doubt in her mind, that he could make her burn in a way she wouldn't ever be able to erase from neither her skin nor her heart. He wasn't the Sun God for nothing.

"We going to keep standing here?" She joked with a small, embarrassed laugh.

"I don't know," Apollo chuckled softly. "Are we?"

Instead of answering, Percy's smile just became broader as she tilted her head toward the door, indicating that she would walk with him to it. Just as he was about to leave, Percy pulled her lower lip in between her teeth, having no idea what'd gotten into her as she said, "Hey, Apollo."

He turned around, looking at her quizzically. "Yeah?"

"If you, uh, wanna …" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, rocking back and forth on her heels in embarrassment. "If you want to see me again, you can. That'd be fine by me." She turned around for a brief moment to take a pen and a sheet of paper from the little side table next to the door. "So, do you maybe have a phone?"

Apollo simply stared at her for a while before his lips curled into dashing smile, showing his perfect teeth as he fetched a sleek, black smartphone from the pocket of his jeans. "I actually do. Not all of us Gods are stuck in the old times, ya know. Some of us like to keep up with the newest technology you mortals come up with."

Percy breathed a sigh of relief before she scribbled down some numbers on the sheet of paper, then handing it to Apollo who stared at it with raised eyebrows. "It's my phone number," she started babbling nervously. "I thought that … I don't know … I think it'd good if we can reach each other easily. Just in case some creepy oracle-y stuff happens to me. And, gods, it's a stupid idea, isn't it?"

"It's not," Apollo said with a chuckle as he took her number, seeing it scribbled down messily on the small sheet of paper. He felt stunned, if not deeply surprised, by that sudden action but damn if he wasn't happy about it. "It's actually very thoughtful of you." He stared down at the number with a grin appearing on his face. "I'll definitely keep that in mind, green eyes."

"Green eyes?" Percy furrowed her brow in confusion, yet feeling beyond relieved that she hadn't made a fool of herself in front of her. She'd never been that forward with a guy, but she knew that with Apollo there wouldn't be a lot of second chances and opportunities.

"Well," he said softly, his gaze falling briefly to the pucker in the center of her upper lip. He wanted to kiss that pucker, suck on it. Then he lifted his eyes back to hers. "Your eyes are green, aren't they? They've got blue in 'em as well, but the green stands out a little bit more. So you're green eyes to me."

Percy smiled softly. She'd had nothing against him calling her sweetheart, she never did, but she had to admit that she liked hearing him call her green eyes. She liked it a lot. And she also couldn't deny that she liked the fact that he obviously paid special attention to her eyes.

"See you eventually, Apollo," she said with a lopsided smile, leaning against the door frame.

He winked at her. "See ya eventually, green eyes."

With one last look at him, she finally closed the door, knowing that he'd disappear in his usual blinding golden light that always left the surroundings feeling warm and light. Sighing, she leaned against the door, her palms pressed flat against the solid wood. Percy was still able to feel him ghosting all around her, his powerful presence, and his aura. She knew that she shouldn't be feeling all those things for him, because for Olympus's sake, he was a freaking Olympian, the Sun God, and the two of them weren't supposed to be involved in some way.

But good gods, she had never felt this before. Never felt this overwhelming lust, this consuming level of attraction … that raw and insatiable need to be with a man. It was dangerous. It was haunting. It shouldn't be. And although it was so wrong, it felt so perfectly right.

.

.

.

When Apollo left her apartment, he practically flew the stairs down. He was very aware of the fact that he was probably grinning like some damn junkie on drugs but he just couldn't fucking help it. The anger he'd felt a while ago had disappeared, instead leaving him with some sort of ecstasy coursing through his ichor. Percy just had that effect on him and he wasn't minding that at all. Seeing her for only a short time had calmed him, but his need was even bigger now, because every encounter with her left him wanting more, needing more.

She was all fire, and sass, and a touch of insanity, he was pretty sure. But she did something to him, made him see the world again.

As he opened the door leading outside, he almost collided with a middle-aged woman who also had been about to open the door. The lady was dressed in black pants and a green blouse, and she had light brown hair. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you," she apologized but Apollo stopped her with a wave of her hand.

"No need for that, ma'am," he called out exuberantly, positioning his shades on his face, and brushed past her, his legs bringing him toward the dark-red Maserati sports car he'd let appear with his mind's power a few minutes ago. The car looked to be oddly misplaced in such a foul neighborhood, and the passing people stared at it with widened eyes.

The woman he'd almost crashed into followed him with her eyes, seeming to be a little dumbfounded.

Getting into his car, he looked at the number Percy had given him before he took out his phone, saving her under green eyes. Then he took off, the engine of his car purring to life as he drove toward the main street, toward the club that belong to him and his brothers. Upon arriving there, Apollo let the staff take care of his car, knowing they would park it into the garage that stored all his other cars. He'd had dozens of them - Bugattis, Mercedes, Aston Martins, a few Range Rovers, and many more.

Strolling toward the elevators, he took his shades off, tucking them into his collar. As soon as he arrived at the main floor of the building – where the club was located – he saw Ares and Hermes sitting at the bar. Hermes was flirting with the Muse that worked behind the bar this day, Ares had placed his feet on the counter while playing with one of his knives. It was still too early for the club to be crammed with people.

"What's up, you lazy fuckers?" Apollo's voice boomed through the room. "You got no business to do or what?"

Good day, Lord Apollo, Martha and George, Hermes's snakes, hissed.

Said god send him a dark look. "I actually got business." He nodded toward the mails he was sorting through on the counter before him.

"What's up with you?" Ares replied with a snort. "What's got you grinning so big, sunny boy?"

"Well," Apollo answered with a snicker as he sat down next do his brothers, "A girl gave me her number. What's not to be happy about that?"

Hermes raised an eyebrow at him. "And you took it?"

When Apollo answered with a nod, Ares lowered his knife to stare at him. "Geez," he muttured, "That pussy been good, eh?"

"I wouldn't know," Apollo replied stiffly, restraining himself from leashing out at the War God. Hearing him call Percy that way stirred his anger, demanding his temper to come out, and he didn't care that his brother didn't know it was Percy they were talking about. "Didn't have her yet."

This time, not only Ares looked at him strangely but Hermes as well. The both of them exchanged weird looks before turning back to Apollo who raised his hand, running it through his hair.

"You sick, bro?" Ares asked with a deep frown, stretching his hand out to put it on Apollo's forehead. The Sun God slapped it away with an angry snort. "You got a fever or something?"

Hermes was also staring at him with weird fascination. "Seriously, you're telling us that you didn't tap that girl whose number you've taken? What's gotten into you, Apollo?"

"Nothing's gotten into me," Apollo said with a disgruntled groan as he got to his feet, slapping his brothers across their heads. "And besides, you fuckers, it's none of your damn business if I'm keeping my dick in my pants or not."

As he made his way toward the elevators to get to his apartment, he heard Ares mumbling to Hermes, "I'm telling ya, bro, he's gone fucking mad."

Apollo rolled his eyes, leaning against the elevator walls as he took out his phone. The doors glided closed while he stared silently at the mobile's screen. He didn't know why but he went to his contact list, ignoring all the names of his connections in the mortal – and also godly – world before pausing at green eyes. Hesitation lasted only a few seconds before his fingers started moving, typing the words he hadn't been able to speak out in her kitchen.

Thanks for your offer. You know … the one you made regarding me talking to you if something's off.

The elevator doors opened with a quiet pling. As Apollo made his way toward the circular stairs leading to his bedroom, his phone vibrated in his hand, telling him he'd gotten a new message. When he looked down, reading the words Percy had send him, it felt as though all the air left his lungs.

That goes without saying.