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huntingrays · 22 days

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(For the Valgrace post) number 12, like my cabin👹🫶

12 - S-Class by Stray Kids

Honestly, for so long, I didn’t pay attention much to the lyrics whenever I watched the mv (which wasn’t often in my defense) so I thought this song was about skz just singing about now cool they are, to which I just thought “hell yeah, slay kings”. Then I read through the lyrics again and looked them up and, from what I read, it’s more like skz talking about how they always strive to be the best they can and also telling others they should be themselves and not what society wants them to be? Something like that, at least. So, I tried to include that while also having some of the vibes of the MV. Originally, I planned for this to be like a spy/secret agent au, which is why it has those vibes

CW: nothing much besides some making out happens, but there are some suggestive jokes + flirting

Original post

“Be the one to shine instead of chasing after what’s shiny”

The last few weeks had been so hectic, not only for Jason but for all of the demigods that had been involved. Nearly three years after the war, they had been enjoying the peace. They had the occasional monsters and quests to deal with, but nothing big. This mission was the most dangerous thing they’ve dealt with since the war.

As Jason stepped out onto the balcony, he took a deep breath. He slipped off the mask he had been wearing, letting out a heavy sigh as he undid the top few buttons on his shirt. He needed a quick break from the party. It had gotten far too stuffy and overwhelming. Jason and his ‘date’ had done their job at mingling, causing a necessary distraction, and getting all the useful information they needed, so they were free to do whatever until Percy called them to fight.

Jason moved a hand to his face, to take off his glasses, before recalling he didn’t have them on. It was hard to wear a masquerade mask and glasses, so he was wearing contacts for the first - and hopefully last - time. They weren’t uncomfortable, but it took him twenty minutes to put them in since the thought of touching his eyes unsettled him. Leo had teased him for being a big three kid who was scared of contacts.

The night air was cool on his face. As a child of Zeus, he always enjoyed a pleasant breeze. Just like how the sea healed Percy, the wind helped Jason feel revitalized. He felt the noise in his brain slowly fade and his weariness wash away. He took a few deep breaths in and out and felt himself calm down. Parties were not his thing, not on this scale at least. He could do a small get-together with close friends, but a whole masquerade full of strangers? No, thank you. He didn’t want to do this again.

The only sounds surrounding Jason were the serenity of the garden below and the muffled noises of the party back inside. So, when Jason heard the sound of the balcony door opening and closing, he tensed. He mentally prepared himself, whether it would be an awkward encounter with a stranger or a fight with a monster.

“Out here all by yourself, handsome?” A familiar voice asked. Jason had recognized the voice by the first word and relaxed instantly. He looked over to see Leo grinning, walking over to him. Leo observed Jason as he leaned against the railing of the balcony, his gaze lingering a few beats too long on the skin of his chest that showed from where he’d unbuttoned his shirt. Leo took off his mask as well - his was red and themed around a phoenix - as he placed his glass aside. Leo had tried to convince Frank - who was undercover as a waiter - to give them champagne. Frank had refused, since they were underage, and gave them sparkling cider instead. Leo had pouted and complained to the others about it through their in-ears - special ones Leo had invented for the quest that looked invisible to everyone that wasn’t a demigod, thanks to mist and magic - but he drank it everyone since he wouldn’t refuse free food or drinks.

“Just needed some fresh air,” Jason explained. Leo nodded in understanding.

“Do you want to be alone?” Leo asked. Despite only being friends for a few years, Jason felt like Leo knew him better than anyone else, and vice versa. Leo claimed that he was bad with people - that he struggled with things that weren’t simple like machines - but he seemed to be able to read Jason well. He knew that sometimes, Jason got overwhelmed and just needed some time alone to cool off.

Jason shook his head. “No. I always like your presence. It’s comforting.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the shy, genuine smile on his face as he looked away from Jason, attempting to hide it.

Ever since Jason’s revival, they’d been dancing around each other, avoiding the very obvious thing that was forming between them. Both of them were aware that their bond was becoming stronger and straying from platonic, but neither had been confident enough to make the first move, to explore these new feelings. Jason knew Leo liked him and Jason was pretty sure Leo knew Jason liked him - he wasn’t subtle about his favoritism nor overprotectiveness regarding Leo - but neither were brave enough to disrupt their current relationship. He knew it was frustrating to all their friends - he knew about a bet they had going on about when they’d get their shit together and do something about their feelings - but they had to take things at their own pace. Sure, their pace was slow as fuck, but it was their pace, okay?

Leo hadn’t changed much since they first met. Jason had liked that about Leo; he was something constant, he was always Leo. Leo hadn’t grown since his teen years and had given up hope of a late growth spurt once Piper had surpassed him in height. However, he wasn’t so scrawny anymore. He wasn't buff by any means - Jason could beat him in any fight easily - but he’d gained some muscle after so much time spent in the forges. His body was more filled out, now that he was a young man instead of a teen boy. His hair had also grown out a bit and he had gotten his ears pierced the day after he turned eighteen. Jason never wanted piercings himself, but he liked how they looked on Leo. He had a standard lobe piercing and double helix piercings (Jason only knew the terms because of how much Piper and Leo discussed what to get, and what would work for Leo’s ears). Leo usually wore silver ear jewelry. Leo seemed to like it best and Jason thought it suited him. However, tonight Leo was dawned in golden earrings. It didn’t look bad - Jason thought Leo looked good in anything - but silver suited Leo best.

Leo’s personality had a slight change but for the better. Leo was more certain of himself these days. There were days when he struggled with insecurity, but he was more certain of himself and his abilities. If an invention of his went wrong, he saw it as an opportunity to learn rather than a failure on his part. He was also more himself than he was before. He was less obsessed with being a performance of himself that he thought would make people like him more. Now, he was unapologetically Leo wherever he went. Jason loved to see it. Leo was a lot like how he was before, a funny guy who loved to crack jokes and was a genius inventor, but he was so much more than that. He saw, over the years, as their friends got used to who Leo was, as they finally saw him as Jason and Piper had seen him for years. He liked how so many people saw him as Jason always had, as a sweet guy who was incredibly compassionate, believed the best of his friends, was fascinated by the unknown in the world, loved whenever someone listened to his rambles about his interests, had plans that were odd but loads of fun and somehow worked, loved all his inventions as if they were his children, and would always be there for someone he loved. He was all that, and so much more.

Leo was so easy to love. Whenever he thought about this, he wondered why Calypso hadn’t felt this way. Their relationship hadn’t lasted long. It had been wild to hear, once he was back from the dead, that Leo had dated Calypso but hadn’t been together since Jason had died. He knew why things didn’t work out on Leo’s end, Leo’s whole ‘flirting with any pretty girl’ thing had been part of his performance, some performative heterosexuality. Now, Leo embraced his gay identity and left his flirting behind him. Well, no, that was a lie. Leo still flirted, but it was a joking thing reserved for friends. So, it made sense for the relationship not to work out from Leo’s perspective, but Jason still couldn’t wrap his head around why it hadn’t worked out on Calypso’s end. Leo had explained that the breakup had been mutual, both of them had been unhappy with the relationship, and Jason didn’t know why someone would be unhappy dating Leo Valdez. Jason had never met Calypso - he didn’t even know where she was or what she was doing - and he had no intention of meeting her. A part of him was dying to know what she didn’t see in Leo, but a larger part didn’t care. He loved Leo and didn’t need to hear why anyone wouldn’t love him. She was gone and he hoped they never heard from her again.

Jason’s and Piper’s feelings about Calypso weren’t the most friendly. They both thought Leo deserved so much better and they hoped Leo’s ex never showed her face around them again. Leo told them the breakup was mutual and they were on friendly turns, but over time he’d let things slip about their relationship, like how mean Calypso was to him, and they hated her more with every little detail Leo let slip that he thought was harmless at the time. Leo might have been cool with her, but that didn’t mean Jason and Piper had to like her. They were Leo’s best friends, they could hate her as much as they pleased.

Jason hadn’t changed much either. He let his hair grow out, but he kept it on the short end since it bugged him whenever it got into his eyes when he was trying to fight or work. Leo seemed to like the new length, judging by how much he ran his hands through his hair. The scar on his lip was now a lot larger and more jagged. A vicious fight with a monster had gone wrong and he’d gotten slashed in the mouth, right over his little lip scar. Now, he had a bigger scar that was hard to miss. Jason had felt insecure about it but Leo assured him how cool and hot it made him. Jason didn’t get why people found scars attractive but he was sure Leo was right.

While Leo’s height stayed stagnant, Jason had grown a little and had gotten bigger. Leo had complained about it when he noticed, but Jason knew he was quite happy about it judging by the several times Jason had caught him checking him out. If Jason tended to show off more when he noticed Leo was around, well, nobody needed to know that.

Jason wasn’t sure if he changed much, personality-wise. It was hard to tell, since he went from being a classic Camp Jupiter Roman, to having no memories, to having some memories, having all his memories, to dying, and finally to coming back to life and getting used to their new normal. Leo told him once that he was still the same old ‘boring old fart that never let his friends have any fun’ (Jason never let Leo and Piper do dangerous, illegal activities) but he said that Jason seemed a lot happier. Jason felt happier. Life was going good, he had two amazing best friends, he spent a lot of time together with his crush/best friend, and he got to hang out with his other friends like Nico and Percy and occasionally Reyna, he and Thalia now had an actual, real sibling bond, he got to honor the minor gods with temples, and he felt like he finally knew who he was. His self-discovery mission had been a pain, but it was worth it. Leo had found it very amusing to see Jason debate if he was Greek or Roman then deciding he was both, to wondering if he liked girls or guys before realizing he was bisexual. After that, he forced Jason to watch The Muppets movie with him, just for the Man or Muppet song. Leo had gleefully told Jason he’d relate to it and he hated how correct he was. Jason was a Greek of a Roman and a bisexual disaster.

“What’s going on in that pretty, little head of yours?” Leo asked him.

Jason glanced at Leo, taking a moment to admire and take in his features, before turning his gaze to the garden. He thought that Leo was prettier than the perfectly kept garden. He smiled as he thought of Piper’s reaction if he heard him say that. He imagined her eyes would roll so hard you could hear it miles away then she’d pretend to gag. Out of all their friends, she was the most fed up with their endless dancing around each other. It was infuriating for her since she was not only their best friend but also a daughter of Aphrodite. He was certain they’d get an earful whenever they eventually got together.

There was no ‘if’ in Jason’s mind around them getting together. It felt like something inevitable, like the seasons changing or Frank getting a stomach ache if he had dairy. It was bound to happen, they had to wait for one of them to make the first move.

Jason didn’t know the details of the bet, but he hoped Hazel won it. Out of all their friends, she was the least annoying about the whole ‘Jason & Leo situation’. While most of his friends told Jason to ‘get his shit together and confess to Leo’ (in their own words), Hazel tended to lend an ear to Jason whenever he wanted to rant about whatever endearing thing Leo had done that day. He knew she was also done with their endless pining, but she was less obvious about it, which Jason liked. She also told Jason he should confess, but she worded it the nicest, so Jason considered it more when it was from her.

Piper would probably feel betrayed if she knew he was rooting for Hazel and not her.

“Just thinking about the plan. We’ve been planning this for weeks, months even. I’m glad Percy is the leader and not me, but I’m still stressed about how involved I was in making this whole plan. I don’t know what to do if it goes wrong,” Jason explained. He then decided to throw in something more lighthearted. “Also, if things go wrong, there will be a fight in this garden. I’m wondering whether Percy will utilize the pond or the fountain. The fountain is bigger, but the pond is more natural, closer to seawater than fountain water is.”

Leo tilted his head back and let out a laugh. “This is Percy Jackson we’re talking about. You know he’s going to use both. If you present a dog with two sticks, it’s going to want both of them.” Leo was right. He was always right. Well, some of their friends would argue he was often wrong, but to Jason, he was always right.

Leo placed a hand on his arm, squeezing it. Jason turned his gaze over to Leo. Leo smiled warmly at him, the smile that always made Jason’s stomach do flips. “The plan is amazing. We all agree that it couldn’t be better. If something goes wrong, it’s none of our fault. Instead, it’s the fault of the monsters for ruining something so fun and straight out of a movie. Everything is- well, I shouldn’t jinx it since we have terrible luck, but I feel like no matter what, everything is going to be fine.”

This plan has been in the works for months. The basic situation was that monster activity recently had become startlingly planned, so strategized that it was hard to believe there wasn’t someone behind all of it. So, they tracked all the leads they had gotten, and they all led to here. There were many monsters in disguise amongst the humans and demigods at the party. So, all of the seven, plus a few other demigods, teamed up to gain information and take down this entire organization. Once Percy had suggested that two of them should go disguised as partygoers, Leo had excitedly volunteered himself and Jason. Jason wasn’t good with socializing with strangers, so he hadn’t been keen on this job, but Leo had brought out the puppy dog eyes and Jason hadn’t been able to say no to him.

Leo and Jason hadn’t needed to come up with fake names, it seemed Percy and Annabeth were the only names monsters recognized upon first listen, so they used their names but needed fake backstories. Leo had taken that in stride and had come up with a silly backstory for them that he seemed to enjoy.

According to the backstory Leo had made up, Jason was the son of a rich man. His relationship with his father had been rocky for years. Last year, Jason discovered that his father had chosen his younger brother to take on the family business after his father stepped down. Jason was the best choice to take on the business after his father - he was the most qualified and talented - but his father had gone with his feelings over logic. In retaliation, Jason started a relationship with Leo, the son of his father’s biggest rival. The two had been flaunting their relationship ever since, to get back at his father.

Jason thought it was a silly backstory, like something from a novel, but he went along with it since it made Leo happy. Also, the partygoers they met had seemed to believe it.

Also, Jason would never admit it, but he liked the pretend dating between him and Leo. He’d enjoyed having Leo hanging off his arm, his body pressed close against Jason’s. Leo had thrown many compliments and flirty comments towards him and gave him many kisses on his cheek. He knew they were fake, but they still made his heart flutter.

He couldn’t imagine they’d ever go undercover again, but if they did, he wouldn’t mind if he got to pretend to be together with Leo.

“It’s just hard to shake my anxiety about it,” Jason said. “I feel like… I always have to be perfect. I always want to be the best version of myself and to do the best that I can. I know I can’t always be perfect, but I want to be. I don’t know how I’ll cope if I’m not. All my life, I always had to be the perfect soldier, the perfect Roman. Even without that expectation, I always have high expectations for myself. I’ll take it to heart if this all goes wrong.”

Leo pressed his body against Jason’s, his hand moving to rub Jason’s back. In the breeze of the night, after cooling down from the party, the heat against his side was pleasant. Leo seemed to always be warm, like a human heater. Occasionally, when it was cold out, he’d increase his body temperature and cuddle up against one of their friends, warming them with his natural heat.

“This conversation is giving me some serious deja vu. It’s almost like someone I know had a worry that wasn’t this but had its similarities. This friend of mine, who is incredibly sexy and cool, was worried about his insecurities, he was worried that he would never be enough, that he would always feel like he was never enough. Then, a friend of his, who was also hot but not as hot as him, gave him some reassuring words. He told him that his mistakes don’t define him, that his worth wasn’t defined by what he could or couldn’t do but by what kind of person he was, and the choices he made. He said nobody was perfect, so he shouldn’t hold himself to accomplishing an impossible goal. He also said that his friends loved him dearly and that they’d be upset if they heard him talking bad about himself.”

Jason knew what he was talking about. Around a year ago, Jason had spoken to Leo about his insecurities, and he’d told him just that. Now, Leo was bringing up his words, telling him to follow his own advice.

Jason let out a sigh, locking his gaze with Leo’s. Leo beamed at him and Jason gave a weary smile back. “Throwing my words back at me, huh?”

Leo gasped, placing a hand on his chest, acting offended. “What?! I would never! I’m just quoting a wise man’s words, a man who has no relation to you. You wouldn’t know him, he goes to a different camp.”

Jason chuckled, shaking his head at Leo’s antics. “Ah, how silly of me. It’s a shame I’ve never met this guy. Would he have any other wise words for me?”

Leo hummed, stroking his chin before shrugging. “It is a shame, especially since you two are so much alike. You both look alike, both being very hot. I’m not sure what other words he may have for you… but I have a few. I think I’d hate you if you were perfect.”

Jason blinked in surprise, not expecting such an answer from his friend. Leo went on before he could get a word in.

“I like you just fine the way you are, we all do. If you were truly perfect… it’d be awful. You would have all your good qualities, but you’d also lose all your flaws that make you Jason Grace. I don’t want to be friends with some perfect Ken doll, I want my best buddy Jason, who is flawed but is a noble hero who does everything he can for those he loves. You’d be so annoying if you were some perfect being. I'd have nothing to tease you about! Can you imagine such a horrible world, free of teasing from yours truly?”

Jason let out a soft laugh, grinning as he shook his head again at Leo’s comments. “You’re so ridiculous… but I understand what you’re trying to say. Perfection… I understand it’s something I truly can never reach. Still, is it so bad to try and become the best version of myself?”

“I don’t know. It sounds exhausting, though, trying to be better all the time.” Leo shifted away from his side, leaning against the railing, facing Jason. Jason took a step back from the balcony, shifting to face Leo better. “I don’t disapprove of you striving to better yourself, but you can just let yourself be you sometimes. Also, this plan doesn’t hinge on you and only you. It involves all of us, with all of our strengths and weaknesses. I know you have faith in all of us, so have faith in yourself.”

Leo reached a hand up, running it through his hair. Jason sighed as he closed his eyes, enjoying the affection.

“When did you get so wise, Valdez?” Jason asked, his voice amused with a twinge of affection.

Leo laughed. “I’ve always been wise, young padawan, you’re just seeing it for the first time.”

Jason opened his eyes to see Leo grinning at him, his typical cheeky grin on his face. Despite the smile, his eyes were full of nothing but love. Jason felt grateful for all of his self-restraint. Jason felt if he didn’t have it, he would have kissed Leo right then and there.

“I still want to better myself, to be the best version I can be, but I understand what you’re saying. I need to calm down and trust you all. I just- I’m not sure how to relax.”

Leo crossed his arms over his chest, wearing a confident look. “You’re lucky you’re best friends with me. If there’s anything I’m good at, it’s distractions.”

Leo grabbed his mask, slipping it back onto his face. He strode over to the doors and stopped when he reached them. He looked over at Jason, holding a hand out to him.

Jason only stopped to put his mask back on - a mix of white and gold - before accepting Leo’s hand.

He would follow Leo whenever he led Jason, whether it be to a sweet distraction or their doom. He was a moth and Leo was a light so alluring Jason couldn’t ignore it even if he tried.

____

“We shouldn’t be here.”

“Don’t be such a buzzkill!”

“Do you even know whose room this is?”

“Nope!”

Leo giggled as he locked the door of the room behind them. It turned out Leo’s idea of a distraction was getting them into potential trouble.

The room they were in was one of the several in the manor. It looked less like a room and more like a small apartment, with the room they were in looking like a living room, while a door off it led to the bedroom.

Leo grabbed Jason’s hand - he had dropped it when he turned to lock the door and took off their masks, tossing them onto the couch - and led him to the bedroom.

Jason felt his face filling with heat.

“Wait, Leo, by a distraction I didn’t mean-”

Leo looked back at him, his brows furrowing before he realized what he was implying. When it dawned upon him, he burst out laughing.

“Oh my Gods! Jason, get your mind out of the gutter! I’m an innocent flower, I would never. I just wanted a place for us to lay down,” he flashes Jason a suggestive grin, winking at him. “I hope you’re not disappointed.”

Jason groaned, running a hand down his face, urging the color in his cheeks to go away.

“Innocent flower my ass,” he muttered, just loud enough for Leo to hear.

Leo cackled and jumped onto the bed, not bothering to take off his shoes since it wasn’t his bed. Also, they needed to be ready to run at a moment's notice.

He rolled onto his stomach, patting the spot next to him. Jason climbed into bed next to him, laying on his back with his hands on his stomach.

Leo had his arms folded under his head, resting his head on them as he looked over at Jason.

Jason looked back at him.

“Have any plans this weekend?”

“Seriously? You’re going to distract me by asking about my weekend plans?”

“Just answer the damn question!”

Jason didn’t have to think back to know if he had plans or not.

“No. We’ve been so busy with this plan that I haven’t had the time to plan a Sunday brunch. Why did you want to know? Want me to watch Festus while you go out on a hot date?”

Leo snorted. “Obviously not. I would only have a hot date if it were you. After laying eyes on you, I haven’t been able to swoon over anyone else.”

“So why were you asking me about my plans?”

“I don’t know. Small talk, I suppose. Hey, maybe we can go out this weekend, just the two of us. With all this planning, it’s been a while since we’ve had time alone.”

That was true. When they realized what was going on, when they got their first clues those months ago, they had been investigating and planning. Though Jason spent a lot of time with his friends, which he enjoyed, he hadn’t any time with him and Leo, just the two of them alone. Jason had missed spending time with him.

“Sure, it would be fun to spend time together again.”

Leo’s expression faltered for a second before changing to how it was before. Jason wondered what it meant. Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps the stressful day was making him see things.

Leo sat up, resting on his knees. He moved closer, so he was right beside Jason. He seemed to mull over something for a few beats before giving his head a small shake. He moved a hand to Jason’s shirt, fingering the open portion of the fabric, his fingers skimming along his chest as he did so. Jason felt heat filling his face at the feeling.

“I don’t get why you don’t wear suits more. You’re so handsome and pretty when you dress up,” Leo gave him his classic, flirty smile. He leaned down, his lips mere inches away from Jason’s. “You’re making it so hard not to kiss you.”

It wasn’t common for Jason to experience any kind of gay panic, but he felt it right now, not knowing what to say or how Leo expected him to react. How could he make such a comment and not expect Jason to want to kiss the ever-loving shit out of him?

He couldn’t stop his gaze from flitting down to Leo’s lips before going back to his eyes. He noticed a glint in his eyes after that, one he couldn’t identify the meaning behind.

Jason wasn’t sure how to reply, so he just went for a typical joking response. “You only want to kiss me now, when I’m all dolled up? Here I thought I was winning you over my personality.”

Leo didn’t laugh like Jason expected him to. Instead, he just rolled his eyes, letting out a huff as he leaned away. He gazed intently at Jason for a few seconds before, suddenly, swinging a leg over Jason, settling down right onto his lap. Jason was certain he was blushing now, with how hot his face felt. He used his elbows to push himself up. He felt his hands twitch, itching to hold Leo’s hips.

“What is your deal?” Leo asked. Jason blinked in confusion, his brain struggling to catch up with this conversation. “One moment, I start thinking you might like me back and the next you’re just acting like your friendly, joking self. It’s driving me insane. Just tell me whether you like me back or if I need to move on.”

As Jason processed his words, he realized that the whole ‘dancing around each other’ perspective he had on their relationship might have just been from his point of view. He hadn’t stopped to consider how it might look from Leo’s perspective, how he might see their bond. He couldn’t chalk it up to miscommunication, since they never communicated about it. A misunderstanding seemed to describe what had happened.

Jason sat up fully, bringing their bodies closer and causing Leo to shift slightly on his lap. Jason let out a long exhale, taking in Leo. “Gods, you haven’t seen how crazy you make me?”

He watched every little change on Leo’s face, from the slight widening of his eyes to how they flitted between Jason’s eyes, trying to find any hint that he was lying.

Jason let his urges take over, placing one hand on his waist while the other grabbed one of Leo’s hands, bringing it to his own chest, right over his heart. “You haven’t heard or felt how it goes crazy whenever you’re around?”

Leo was silent, which Jason knew was because he was shocked by all this information, trying to process it. He saw a spark ignite in Leo’s eyes, the same kind he got when he had a theory he wanted to test out. He wasn’t prepared for Leo staring at him intently as his hand moved to Jason’s shirt, fingers moving to one of the buttons that were still done. He had a question in his eyes. When Jason didn’t move his hands away to stop him, he unbuttoned the rest of the ones that remained before moving his hand to his chest, sliding it right under the fabric over his heart. He felt Leo’s fingers twitch as he felt how much faster his heartbeat had picked up just from Leo’s actions, as he felt what Leo did to him.

Jason huffed out a laugh, looking at him in amusement. “I don’t think unbuttoning my shirt was necessary, Valdez. You had enough access to my heart from the top few buttons I had undone earlier.”

Leo kept his hand where it was as he grinned at him. “I know. I just wanted an excuse to see more of your chest.”

Jason laughed and shook his head, looking at Leo in amusement. The fondness blooming in his chest must have shown in his eyes since he saw Leo’s amusement replaced by shock.

Jason decided enough was enough, that he needed to plainly state how he was feeling. He had been fine with it when he thought they were both on the same page, both dancing around their feeling for each other. However, now that he realized that Leo had been agonizing over their relationship, unsure of Jason’s feelings, he was ready to put all his feelings out into the open, not wanting Leo to stress over whether Jason liked him or not.

“I thought you were aware of my feelings for you. I’m not exactly subtle about it. Haven’t our friends said something to you about possibly confessing your feelings? It’s because we both weren’t subtle about them. They have a whole bet going on, you know.”

Leo blinked a few times in shock before he huffed, glaring at Jason with no heat behind it. “So, you had feelings for me, and knew I had feelings for you, but didn’t say anything? Why? I have been agonizing about this for years and you knew the whole time?”

Leo looked like he wanted to be upset with Jason. Jason didn’t want Leo to be upset with him, so he moved his free hand to his cheek, gently stroking his cheek. Leo’s expression faltered before going back to his stubborn, upset expression. Jason could tell his resolve was crumbling, though. Leo loved affection, especially if it was from Piper or Jason. He could tell, as he kept running his thumb over his cheek, that he couldn’t stay upset with him. Even now, his expression went from upset to just pouting.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that’s how you felt about it. I assumed we were both aware of each other’s feelings, just that neither of us was ready to do anything about it. I swear, if I knew how much you were agonizing over this, I would’ve gotten up the nerve to confess to you.” Jason leaned it, leaving a gentle kiss on Leo’s nose, causing him to smile. “Upsetting you is the last thing I wanted to do.”

Leo sighed, letting the pout slip from his face. “Ugh, you’re so cheesy,” he muttered with a smile. Then, he went completely off-topic. “Who would make a bet against Annabeth? That sounds like you’re setting yourself up for failure. Maybe it wouldn’t be against Piper, since she’s a child of Aphrodite, but she’s biased due to her exhaustion with us. Personally, I would never bet against Annabeth.”

“That’s what you got out of this whole conversation?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Well, it’s the only thing that really needed clarifying. Well, I don’t get why you like me, but… I’m very glad that you do,” Leo moved his hand from his chest to rest his arms on Jason’s shoulders. Jason rested both of his hands on Leo’s hips, pulling him closer.

“I’m not sure if I can vocalize it well. I didn’t even realize I loved you until it was too late, when you sacrificed yourself to defeat Gaea. I hadn’t even realized that I’d slowly been falling for you. Then, it was suddenly too late, and I’d lost you. I thought, when I learned that I would die, that our reunion would have to wait until death, for us to reunite in Elysium. Then, suddenly, I was brought back, and you were there. You were there and I didn’t even care that I got a chance at life again, I was just happy you were back. I didn’t want a life that you weren’t in.

“I think you being so you is what drew me to you in the first place. Growing up, I was so focused on being the perfect Roman, on being the perfect soldier. My whole life, I was focused on who I should be and not who I wanted to be. However, you weren’t like that. Sure, you tried to get people to like you, but you never molded yourself to be what people expected of you, of what people wanted. You were unapologetically Leo. After growing up in Camp Jupiter, it was startling to meet someone who was so… so Greek. You were everything Camp Jupiter wasn’t, everything they frowned upon. I never gave much thought to those qualities, but I realized when I saw them in you, that they weren’t bad, how they made you shine.

“That’s what first drew me to you. Perhaps it was natural for me to be drawn to you, to feel fascinated by someone who went against what I’d been taught to be. However, it was so much more that made me fall for you. I felt like you were one of the first people who saw me as Jason Grace. You didn’t see a son of Jupiter, a Praetor, or any of that. Instead, you just saw me as the fun police who was your best friend. Though I had people I loved and cared for at Camp Jupiter, I sometimes wondered if our bonds would have even formed if I wasn’t who I was, if I wasn’t a son of Jupiter or hadn’t become Praetor or had any of my other accomplishments at camp. You genuinely didn’t care about any of that. You didn’t care about my father, my past, my powers, any of it. Instead, you saw through all that, and you cared about him, about Jason. That… meant everything to me. You knew me and saw me, even back when I didn’t know who I was.

“Of course, that’s not the only reason I fell for you. You’re… Gods, you’re everything I ever wanted. You’re funny, kind, thoughtful, heroic, incredibly smart, an absolute joy to be around, absolutely handsome and gorgeous, and so much more. In such a short amount of time, you went from some guy I thought was weird to one of the most important people in the world to me. It took me way too long to realize I loved you, but now that I know I’m certain I’ll never be able to forget it.”

During Jason’s whole speech, Leo had started to cry. Jason hadn’t wanted to lose his train of thought, so he’d gone up but had moved a hand to wipe away his tears before cupping his cheek.

“Why’d you have to be so sappy? You tell me you can’t vocalize it and then you proceed to tell the most romantic thing anyone’s ever told me.”

“You better get used to it, Valdez. If you agree to be in a relationship with me, then you’ll have to listen to me tell you why I love you so often that you’ll get tired of it,” Jason told him with a grin.

Jason felt Leo’s cheek heat up under his hand. He wasn’t sure if it was just due to Leo blushing or if his fire powers were kicking in from him being flustered.

Jason felt like he’d get addicted to making Leo flustered. He was so cute. It baffled Jason that Leo could get so flustered by Jason just speaking his mind.

“So, this isn’t just a casual, flirting thing? You want to like… date me?” Leo asked, a hopeful note in his voice.

Jason scoffed. “Obviously I want to date you. I’m crazy about you, Leo. Give me a chance and I promise I’ll make you happy.”

“You already make me happy, you dork,” Leo murmured, his voice full of affection. Jason could feel his smile widen at his words.

Jason opened his mouth to say something, but Leo spoke up before he could. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

Jason did just that.

____

Jason and Leo got a bit carried away.

Jason wasn’t sure how long they were there, just making out a stranger’s bed, but it was quickly cut off when they heard Percy’s voice in their ear.

“Code Blue! We have a situation in the pool room. Calling for all available backup. Let’s beat this monster then get out of here,” Percy said through the in-ears.

The moment Jason heard Percy’s voice, he jolted away from Leo’s neck, startled until he realized that Percy was calling for backup, not that they were caught messing around when they should have been waiting.

Jason looked down at Leo, who’d gone from Jason’s lap to laying under him. He was panting but had an excited glint in his eyes. Jason knew why. Leo wasn’t much of a fighter, so he had been thinking of ways to help in fights. His idea had been to make inventions that could give his friends the advantage in a fight, whether it adhered to their powers or helped incapacitate their enemy. He had so many that hadn’t been properly tested out and he was itching to see them in action.

Jason pushed himself off the bed and held out his hand to Leo. Leo took it and Jason pulled Leo off the bed. Leo beamed at him, radiating excitement. “C‘mon, let’s go get my bag then beat up some monsters!”

Leo led him out of the room to where he had hidden the bag of his inventions. After he grabbed it, they rushed to the pool room.

The main problem was the huge sea monster that was in the pool, but there were also a few monsters, several of the party guests, that were involved in the fight. Jason glanced at Leo before rushing off, going to help Percy with the sea monster.

Percy glanced at him when Jason rushed over, then did a double take, raising an eyebrow. Before Jason could even ask about the look, Percy shook his head. “We can address… this later. Let’s focus on kicking this monster’s ass right now.”

“Does it even have an ass to kick?”

“Shut up and fight!”

Jason did just that. Percy and he dealt with the monster while their other companions dealt with the other monsters. Jason had to refrain from using his lighting powers since he didn’t want to accidentally hurt Percy who was jumping into and out of the pool every other second.

It took them a while, but they were able to defeat the sea monster. By the time they were done, the other monsters had been taken down as well.

Jason looked over at Percy, who was looking at him intensely. “Did you get all the information you needed?”

Percy waved his question off. “That’s not important! Can we talk about this?” He asked, gesturing to Jason. Jason looked down at himself, flushing when he realized what he meant.

Jason had forgotten he’d been making out with Leo before arriving and that it would show. Not only was Jason’s shirt completely unbuttoned - which he was guessing would give the wrong impression - but he was also guessing that his hair was messed up and Gods knew what other signs there were.

“Ah, yes… that,” Jason said awkwardly, quickly buttoning up his shirt. He wasn’t sure what else to say. Jason and Leo had gotten together not even an hour ago. He didn’t know if Leo wanted the others to know about their relationship.

“So? Who was so important that you had to do them in the middle of our mission?” Percy asked.

Jason felt his face heat up. “I didn’t do anyone! We just… made out a bit.”

Jason was sure Percy would have spoken again if it weren’t for Piper’s gasp.

“Oh my Gods! Leo! Who’s the biter you’ve been getting busy with?” She asked.

Jason looked over at where Leo was, with Piper looking shocked, Nico amused, and Hazel shocked. Ah, the bite marks. Jason had forgotten about all the times he’d bitten his neck. During the moment, Leo hadn’t seemed to mind and had just made a joke about Jason being so dog-like. Jason hadn’t realized that, obviously, biting tends to leave marks, and Leo had a few bite marks on his neck. Leo didn’t appear to mind the marks but mainly minded all the attention on him.

Jason glanced over at Percy, waiting for him to connect the dots. It only took a few beats before it dawned on Percy and he let out a loud gasp, causing the other demigods in the room to look over at them.

“Oh Gods! You and Leo? You and Leo in the middle of our mission? You two couldn’t have waited until we were done to fool around?”

Jason hid his red face in his hands. He heard what sounded like Nico laughing and Piper gasping again. “Oh my Gods! Jason is the biter? Jason?! Wow. I’m glad you two got together, though. Although, I am disappointed I didn’t win the bet.”

“Didn’t you bet they wouldn’t get together until Percy and Annabeth’s wedding?” Frank asked. “They’re not even engaged. They don’t even plan to get engaged anytime soon. I don’t think you can be disappointed when you had such little faith in them.”

Leo gasped, looking at Piper, betrayal on his face. “Seriously?! You’re our best friend! You should have more faith in us than that!”

“I had such little faith because I’m your best friend. I know firsthand how painfully stubborn you two are,” Piper explained before glaring at Frank. “You’re one to talk. You said it would take them until Percy and Annabeth’s first kid was born for them to get together.”

Frank shrugged. “But I was honest about having zero faith in them to get together. I was so sure it was going to take years of pining. I’m not surprised that Annabeth won the bet.”

“Shouldn’t she be disqualified for cheating?” Nico asked. “Before this mission, I heard her telling Leo that he should confess how he feels. Shouldn’t she be disqualified for that?”

“Well, to be fair, we all told them to confess their feelings,” Hazel said.

Annabeth nodded. “Exactly. Also, it’s not my fault he listened to me and not the rest of you.”

“Can we stop discussing me and Leo and talk about the mission so we can get out of here?” Jason asked. He wanted to return to his cabin and cuddle with his new boyfriend.

Percy nodded and went into an explanation about the information they found. The gist was that they found out who was behind this operation and now they just needed to track down this person and take them down. During Percy’s explanation, Leo wandered over to Jason’s side. Leo gave him a tired smile before leaning into his side. Jason could understand why he was tired, they went through quite a few emotions today.

Finally, their quick meeting was adjourned and they all went to leave the manor, to find their chariots outside that would take them back to the camp. As Jason left the pool room with Leo, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked back and saw Leo pouting at him.

“Yes?”

“I’m tired,” Leo complained.

“What do you want me to do about that?” Jason asked, confused.

“Carry me,” Leo demanded.

“No way. You can walk.”

“But Jason!”

“No.”

“You’re my boyfriend now! You can carry me a little way

“And you’re fully capable of walking that distance.”

“Oh come on! Percy would carry Annabeth if she asked,” Leo protested.

Jason sighed, looking over at Leo, who gave him his best puppy dog eyes. He knew him too well, using his little playful rivalry with Percy against him.

Jason sighed and crouched down. “Fine.”

Leo laughed happily and climbed onto his back. “You’re the best!”

Once Leo was on, Jason straightened up and kept walking. He saw Percy glance over at them and mouth something that looked like ‘whipped’ but Jason ignored him. He might have been whipped but he didn’t care. It was more than worth it when he felt a kiss against his cheek and heard Leo murmur ‘I love you’ into his ear.

#pjo #hoo #heroes of olympus #toa spoilers #leo valdez #jason grace #valgrace #percy jackson #piper mclean #they’re more minor but have more than one line/mention #idk why it’s so long……#but yeee I love this song sm #became a fav the moment I heard it #no clue what my chb cabin would be tho….#oh also the next oneshot will be angsty so :) prepare for that :)))

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idksmtms · 4 months

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You Are Not One Of Us (Poseidon x Norse Goddess!reader) - Part 2

Full Request

AN: You know shit’s serious when you have to hand-write the outline for a fic in a notebook… My hands actually hurt from how furiously I typed this. I hope you enjoy it because what was the pain for???

Summary: The god of the sea and the goddess of love and war are falling in love, but betrayal is afoot.

Word count: 9,713 - holy shit this is sm longer than I planned

Trigger Warnings: she/her pronouns, AFAB reader, profanity, innuendo, age gap (even tho they both thousands of years old), god racism?? Idk they act like “foreigner gods” is a bad thing, lusting, p in v s*x, fingering, noncon voyeurism, liking the fact that he looks older (is this a warning???), (please let me know if I missed any)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I do not claim to own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I do not own any pictures used nor do I claim to do so.

Always appreciate comments, likes, and reblogs :)

You followed Hermes around the entire flower display, oohing and aahing at the different little flowers that you wouldn’t have even noticed had he not pointed them out to you. You could feel the eyes on you again, a weight on the back of your neck but you ignored them until you had made a full turn of the flower display. You glanced in the direction of his throne, the way he sat with his right ankle over his left knee, spread wide and domineering, leaning back as if he was the picture of ‘unbothered’. But his eyes continued to follow you, and as you looked at his face, you met his gaze and time himself must have stopped the world for both of you.

You felt like you had never taken a breath before this moment, as if this was the first time you had felt what it was like to truly feel air enter your lungs. It wasn’t just his eyes itself that did it, though the dark blue was the most beautiful colour you had ever witnessed (and knew you would ever witness). It was the way he looked at you, as if he, a god, couldn’t quite believe you existed. It made everything inside you seize up, as if each muscle had been tightened then locked and the key was to… you didn’t know what exactly. Have him hold you? Have him… have him kiss you? Gosh you had never desired a kiss so much in your life thus far.

You slipped your arm from Hermes’ while he spoke to someone else that had come to join both of you and walked off almost in a trance. You knew exactly where you were headed though, and with careful steps made your way to stand directly in front of the god of the sea. His face did not change, but his eyes did not leave you. He looked up at you from his seat, waiting for you to speak first.

You had once found it so easy to smile, so easy to speak and chat and spread joy with your mere presence. Standing in front of him now, you seemed to have forgotten everything you were once able to do. How does one smile? How does one speak? How does one even breathe anymore? Then, slowly, you forced yourself to gain a hold of your own mind, to banish these ludicrous thoughts to its very depths, and allowed your face to relax, the corners of your lips turning up and your eyes squinting just so. You folded your hands in front of you and bowed your head a tad in greeting.

“Hello, I hope watching me all evening has been entertaining,” your smile turned cheeky and Poseidon raised an eyebrow as he noted the sparkle in your eye. Then he smiled, rather gently for such an imposing man, and dipped his head in a nod.

“Forgive me, if I have made you uncomfortable.”

“Oh not at all, who doesn’t enjoy being the centre of attention for a handsome god?” You replied, shrugging your shoulders and grinning at him. Poseidon’s brow raised again, but this time his lips quirked up in a smirk of his own. He shifted in his seat, sitting up just a tad bit straighter.

“A handsome god? Hm, I might prefer that title more than god of the seas,” he joked, and a giggle fell from your lips before you could stop it. His smile widened at the sound, at the way it seemed to sort of fall with your breaths. “And it has been, entertaining I mean, you are rather… interesting.” You pouted jokingly at his words, stepping closer to his throne so your dress brushed his knees.

“Just interesting? After I called you handsome?” You teased, and now it was Poseidon’s turn to chuckle, a deep sound that seemed to rumble out of his chest and made your stomach feel warm.

“I think my true thoughts about you may not be appropriate for a first meeting,” he finally said, voice deep and more hushed than before. He looked up at you through his lashes and your entire body felt like it was sizzling. Every cell was suddenly vibrating and you thought you might pop out of existence.

“Why would they not be appropriate?” You whispered, leaning forward even more, as if you couldn’t help but want to be closer to him. One side of his mouth pulled up in a smile and he sighed, as if it was tiring to even think of the reason.

“I would like you to come back to Olympus, who knows how you would feel about what I am thinking.” You shivered, at the way his voice seemed to vibrate down your spine, at the darkness that began to cloud his eyes, at the desperate and sudden need to clamber onto his lap and press your lips to his that now filled your body.

“I can guarantee you,” you began, licking your lips and leaning forward until both hands were on the armrests of his throne. “That whatever you say will have me running back even quicker.”

Poseidon swallowed, lips parting as he sucked in a breath. Your faces were so close now, noses almost touching, and he could feel the warmth of your skin gently touch his cheeks. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from him. Now that you were so close, you could see the smallest flecks of gold interspersed in the dark blue of his irises, could see the grey beginning to touch the hairs on his temples. Your mouth opened, as if you were going to say more, as if you were going to kiss him-

“Little goddess!” Loki called, and you popped up quickly, turning away in a whirl of fabric.

You walked off to where his voice had sounded from as he beckoned you to come chat with him and Hermes once more. Poseidon watched you skip away, as if you hadn’t just been a hair’s breadth from his face. He stared at the fluttering fabric following behind you, at the glimpse of your smooth leg and the blue hair that billowed around your head, and he let out a deep breath. He looked away from the direction you had gone, only to meet eyes with Hestia and Hephaestus in the corner, smirking so teasingly that he felt his entire body begin to burn.

You were luckier than he, for Loki and Hermes had not noticed the way you had almost fallen victim to your own innate desires and whims. Your cheeks were flushed and you pressed a cold hand to each, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath before smiling up at the two. They began speaking at you about something or other and you glanced back from the direction you had come. You met eyes with Poseidon and snapped your gaze away, cheeks starting to burn once more.

After a performance by a few of the muses, gorging yourselves on ambrosia and the polishing off of many jugs of wine, Odin decided it was time for everyone to return to Asgard. He offered an invitation in return to Zeus and the Greek gods, that they would be welcomed to Valhalla if they ever decided to visit Asgard, and while they offered words of praise and assent and reassurance, everyone knew there would be no reciprocal visit.

You danced the rest of the night away after your moment with the sea god, switching between the arms of Hermes, Loki, Thor and even Baldr. Poseidon had mingled with some of his nieces and nephews, but had largely remained on his throne from where he could watch you best. You were a vision, a whirl of colour, and watching you dance and laugh and just be merry seemed to soothe something in his heart. He wanted to provide it for you for the rest of eternity.

“I hope to see you again soon,” you told Hermes as you all gathered near the bridge to say your goodbyes. “I had a wonderful time.”

“Yes, we must meet again, perhaps you could return to Olympus for another performance of the muses?” Hermes sounded so hopeful, and you smiled and nodded jovially, excited to see another beautiful piece. It was rather unfortunate that you had such different ideas of how it would go in your heads, such different ideas of each other, in your heads.

You waved him goodbye and began to turn away before someone cleared their throat next to you. You turned your head to see who it was, though you already had a feeling you knew. His presence could not be missed, even if one didn’t lay eyes on him. You could feel it hovering over your shoulder, the power of the seas gently brushing against your elbow as you turned to look at him.

“It was lovely to meet you, Y/n,” his voice was quiet and you had to clench your hands together to stop your entire body from shaking like you were in a hurricane.

“Likewise,” you answered breathily. If you even tried to continue speaking you were sure your voice would crack and you would spill words that hadn’t even been in your mind before they started coming out of your mouth.

“I would like to offer you an invitation,” he began, looking straight into your eyes. If you didn’t know any better you might think he was actually nervous to ask this of you. Poseidon knew that if he didn’t face you head on, didn’t force it out of himself, he may never gather the courage to ask you. “A visit to one of my favoured spots on Earth, a beach that is-”

“Yes. I would love to.” Your cheeks turned pink as you realised you hadn’t waited for him to finish his sentence but he only smiled, eyes twinkling and creased, lips thinned out. You bowed your head to try and hide your face but he just chuckled and ran a finger down your arm. As if you weren’t already filled with a fire that couldn’t be put out… You gulped, pressing your thighs together for a moment before whispering a garbled goodbye and walking away. Poseidon clenched his hand into a fist at his side.

You had taken to strolling along the cliffs of the fjords now that you had returned from Olympus. The sound of the water far below reminded you of Poseidon, the crashing of the waves against stone on a particularly stormy day helped you think of his face, his voice. You didn’t know when he would finally set a date for the invitation, how he would get you to this favoured beach. Your anticipation was beginning to claw at you from the inside, like talons digging into the lining of your stomach when you thought of each day that had passed with no word from him. You hoped that he would find you here, so close to the sea, and you hoped he would do it quickly. It had been a week now, and you were slowly starting to lose hope.

You walked to the very edge of the cliff and stared straight down into the water. It was almost black, capped with pure white foam as it swished against the rocky cliffs. The sound of it almost had you missing the crushing of hooves on grass behind you. You turned to find a beautiful white stallion gently trotting up to you. His coat was so pure and shiny it was almost silver. Wings sprouted from his back, beautiful and feathered that he flapped once before folding them back against his body. You stared, mouth agape, as the pegasus trotted up to you, stopping just in front of where you stood and gently snuffling his nose against your cheek. You leaned back, careful of the cliff edge, giggled at the ticklish feeling of his lips against your cheek, his hot huffed breaths fanning over your face. The stallion stepped back so you could come forward and away from the sharp drop before gently stamping his two front feet into the grass, lowering his head and the wing closest to you. You stared for a moment, hoping against hope that this was finally the fruition of the invitation, but the stallion was impatient and huffed loudly, stamping his feet harder and gesturing to his own back with a shake of his head.

“Alright, alright,” you breathed, caressing his head and mane with a soft hand before using the edge of his wing to step up and swing yourself onto his bare back. The stallion waited until you were settled before turning away from the cliff edge and trotting back a few paces. Then he turned to it once more and began galloping right for the edge, wings unfurling and flapping into the air as the breeze picked him up and sped both of you into the sky.

The feeling of being on the back of a pegasus as you flew through the sky was one you would not forget until the end of your days. The rush of cold air as it blew your hair behind you, the feeling of his warm coat under your legs, the sound of nothing but the flap of his wings and the howling of wind in your ears. For the first few minutes you gripped his mane but eventually you leaned back and threw your arms up into the air with a scream of joy, clinging to him only with your legs so you wouldn’t fall off.

You weren’t sure how long you flew, eventually bending at the waist and fully laying on his back so you could watch the clear sky above you pass away in an endless screen of blue. You felt him spread his wings out and slowly begin to tip downward into a descent. You began sliding forward slightly so you sat up and you caught sight of the ocean spreading out below you, as endless as the sky. The dark lines of waves rippling just below the surface dotted the entire area, some capped with foam like it had been painted on. You could see where it ended, where the water began to lap at sand and your heart seemed to flutter with the wind. As you began to drop even closer to the ground, stomach swooping with each dip lower, you noticed a solitary figure sitting at the edge of the water, just in reach of it so it lapped at the figure’s feet. Your heart began to thunder.

Pegasus trotted onto the beach with a thud so soft you barely felt it. Sand kicked up under his hooves and you felt the grit against the skin of your feet and legs. You felt giddy, clenching your legs tighter around the stallion as you approached the figure, happy that your dress had enough fabric to still cover your legs though you rode the winged horse. He stood as you approached, brushing off his linen pants. You could see that the hems were drenched in water and it made a tingle of warmth settle in your heart.

Poseidon smiled as Pegasus stopped just in front of him, bowing his head to the king of the seas and unfolding one of his wings so you could use it to step down. You swung your leg over, using one delicate foot on the edge of his wing to hop down in a flurry of fabric. You were barefoot already, and you instantly began spreading your toes into the warm sand, sighing at the feeling of it between your toes. He waited until the horse had trotted away to find its own entertainment before stepping closer and reaching out to hold your hand.

He had been desperate to feel your skin, to know if your hands were soft or you had callouses on the tips of your fingers from your sword fighting. Even just the hint he had gotten from touching your arm on Olympus had been enough to drive him wild. He wanted to know the warmth of your skin like he knew his own.

You smiled shyly, dropping your head to stare at the sand, but threaded your fingers through his, as if the thought of letting go was simply impossible. His hands were rough, but not unpleasantly so, and you thought they would feel amazing on your skin in other places. You stepped closer to him, so that if you moved any closer your bodies would be pressed together, and looked up into his eyes. He smelled like a fresh ocean breeze, like the salt of the sea and something so intoxicating that you wanted to press your nose into his neck and inhale.

Poseidon loved the feeling of your little hand in his own, your fingers (which he discovered were soft despite your skill with a sword) fit perfectly between his own, your palm pressed right to his, your pulse points brushing together. With his other hand, he reached up and dug his fingers into your hair, moving it back so it draped over your shoulder, so he could slip his fingers through the strands and feel each one caress his hand. You closed your eyes, leaning into the feeling of his hand and sighed happily.

“I’m glad you came,” he told you quietly, caressing your cheek with his thumb.

“I’m glad you invited me,” you replied, voice hushed as you turned your head to kiss the tip of his thumb gently before tipping your head back to stare into his eyes once more. He was mesmerised, drunk on your presence, lost to you.

You giggled then, a small girlish thing that made a smile break out on his lips and made him feel giddy. He had not felt giddy in aeons. You turned to the ocean and tugged on his hand, beginning to walk along the beach, your feet splashing in the surf.

“Did you know that the ocean is my favourite place in all the realms?” You told him, quirking up your brow teasingly as you kicked some of the water into the air, watching the droplets sparkle in the sunlight. Poseidon just watched you, watched every movement, hoping he wouldn’t miss a single thing you did. He saw your dress ride up your leg, expose the smooth skin, and he wanted to push it up even further, to tear it off of you completely and see you bare. “Even before we met, they were my favourite. I often go swimming in the water of the fjords, it is the perfect temperature in the summer months. You should join me,” you shrugged, smirking as you walked slightly away from him, stretching your arms out so you could still hold his hand while you waded further into the water until the hem of your dress was soaked and the waves lapped halfway up your calves.

“I would be delighted,” he breathed out in that deep voice of his that had your insides turning to mush. You wanted to feel his voice. Was that even possible? You wanted to feel it inside you, through you, to merge it into your skin. Maybe you were cursed…

Both of you continued walking along the shoreline, occasionally wading deeper or shallower but always touching the water. You talked of home, of Valhalla and the fjords, of your brothers and parents, of Loki and his stories. You told him all you could about yourself and then some, whispering words you had never dared to admit to yourself. In return he listened, offered stories of his own realm in the sea, of the histories of the gods of his own pantheon, of Greece itself. He told you of the existential dread he had begun to feel before you had fluttered into his life, how everything had felt just bearable before you. He would speak forever if it meant you looked at him the way you did, eyes wide, lips just slightly parted, drinking in everything he had to say.

You walked until the sun began to set and your voices began to drip away because of how much you had spoken. You stared at the darkening edges of the sky and knew you would need to return home so as not to worry Odin and Frigg. You stopped in the water, the waves lapping at your knees and your toes digging into the soft sand under the water. You turned to face him, reaching to hold his other hand as well and smiling up at him.

“You have given me the best day I have ever experienced in a thousand years of existence,” you told him, biting your lip as you caressed the backs of his hands with your thumbs. “I hope to see you again soon.”

“Of course,” he gripped your hands tighter, pulling you in close until your chests pressed together. He leant down so your noses brushed together and your lips parted as you sucked in a breath.

“Are your thoughts about me still too inappropriate to tell?” You whispered, and you could feel his lips brush yours with every word.

“Even more so,” he breathed out, his voice fanning over your lips.

“I would gamble that mine are worse,” your voice was becoming breathy and raspy, throat suddenly dry as you gulped.

“I would doubt that very much,” he replied, pressing his body impossibly closer. You could feel him crowding you, the way he seemed to surround you with his broad shoulders and thick arms and you shivered, stomach muscles pulsing.

“Tell me one, the most appropriate, I suppose,” you joked, a slight glint in your eyes.

“I could not live without you. If you were to be taken from me, I would not need the humans to die out for my existence to cease,” and as you gasped, he brought his lips to meet yours.

You tasted sweet, like the freshest pomegranate, or the softest date in the bowl. He pressed his mouth more firmly against yours, kissing you like it was impossible not to continue after he had done it once. His beard rubbed against your cheeks, soft yet coarse, tickling your skin. You gasped into his mouth, reaching up to grasp the back of his neck and pull yourself up a little. His lips felt like softened butter, and you opened your mouth to allow his tongue to plunge in. You moaned, a sound you had never made before, and pressed yourself to his body like a cat to its owner's leg. He huffed against your mouth, groaning and grunting as if he couldn’t control the animal inside of him.

You kissed again, and again, and again, until your lungs were burning, until your cheeks were rubbed raw and your thighs hurt from clenching them together. You pulled away from his lips, eyes still closed, and were hit with a wave of water up to your face. You squealed and opened your eyes, not realising that the water had begun to rush around the both of you, waves pushing and pulling the shore so harshly that foam was left behind on the sand. The skirt of your dress was soaked and heavy, hanging like a weight from your shoulders. Your feet had succumbed to the sand and it took some strength to pull them out. You stared at the god of the seas, and he had the decency to look sheepish as he dried your dress and led you back to Pegasus. All you could do was laugh and laugh until your stomach hurt.

Ever since you had kissed the god of the seas, you had thought of nothing else. Every crevice of your mind was filled with him, the sight of him, the smell of him, the sound of him. You heard his grunts as you tried to sleep, saw his face as you tried to wash. You seemed to be a goddess of curses too, because if this was love, then it was a curse upon anyone who experienced it. How was anyone supposed to live when all they thought of was the person they loved?

But today would be better. Today would be better because Hermes had invited you to watch a theatre piece by the muses, which would mean a trip to Olympus. Which would mean seeing your beloved. You had talked Odin and Frigg’s ears off the night before about how much you had loved Olympus, how glad you were to go again, and they had smiled at you like amused parents.

As you entered Olympus, you felt a bit nervous. You hadn’t been alone the last time, and now as you walked across the bridge and into the gardens between the palaces, you felt all the eyes on you. People stared as you walked in, looking for Hermes or even Poseidon. Wind spirits whispered, minor gods chuckled behind their hands, and you felt your cheeks begin to burn before you caught sight of your friend.

“Hello, hello!” He called, waving as he made his way around a group of cloud spirits carrying dinner plates. You giggled and waved back, hopping the few steps to meet him.

“Thank you for inviting me! I really enjoyed myself before,” you told him, and he smiled brightly, brushing it off with a wave of his hand.

“I enjoyed your company, I am glad to have you back,” he told you, a pink tinge to his cheeks, but you just laughed and slapped him on the arm.

“Where do we need to go?” You asked as you began to look around, not so secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of your sea god.

“Just this way,” and Hermes began leading you toward the large lawn they used for performances by the muses.

You seemed to watch Olympus with such wide eyes, gasping and squealing at every little thing that was unfamiliar to you, and Hermes felt like his heart was no longer his own. He wanted to cut it out of his chest and offer it to you on a silver platter if it would make you happy.

He led you to where seats had been set up for anyone to come and watch the muses perform. It was one of many they did, so people would most likely come and go, with a few who had more time on their hands bothering to stay the entire time. You chose seats right near the front and were settling in just as the performance began. Hermes mentioned that it had been written by Thalia and Melpomene together, so it was bound to be both funny and tragic. You nodded happily, then pressed a hand to his mouth to shush him as the muses made their way onto the stage and began to speak. You were enraptured the entire time, and by the end of the piece you had laughed and cried so many times that your cheeks were red and your eyes were puffy. Your face hurt from smiling and your eyes hurt from crying but you would not have traded that time for anything.

“So I assume that you enjoyed it?” Hermes asked hopefully. You nodded vigorously, going off on a tangent about the different pieces of dialogue and the setting and the way you had cried when Melpomene had lay down to die.

“HERMES!” A voice boomed, and he let out such a weary sigh that you almost began to cry for him. His face had dropped and he looked at you in sorrow, shaking his head before mumbling a few curse words to himself.

“I’m so sorry, dearest, but I must run off for a few moments. Duty calls,” and with a flap of his shoes, he was off to go find out what message his father had for him to deliver now. You stared after him for a moment before laughing quietly to yourself and turning on your heel to see if you could find your sea god up here or you would have to throw yourself into the ocean for his company.

It seemed to be that if you thought of him, he appeared, because it was right then that your sea god appeared in your vision, walking up to you with a subdued smile on his face. You would never stop being thankful for the fact that you were the only one who got to see the smiles that took up his whole face.

“Well hello stranger,” you singsonged, trying to suppress your smirk but your mouth still twisting just so to the side.

“What is a norse goddess doing on Olympus?” He asked teasingly, leaning in close to you and gently running a finger down the bare skin of your arm. You shivered, shoulders shaking, and he chuckled. “I want to show you something, join me?” And you said yes without an ounce of hesitation, Hermes forgotten.

When Hermes returned from being yelled at by his father about sending a message to some hero who was beginning to get too big for britches, he couldn’t find you. He searched around the stage area and through some of the nearby gardens to no avail. Then, just as he had finally convinced himself that you had returned to Asgard, he spotted the end of your dress disappearing in the distance. He began to call out to you but just as the sound began to come out, it died in his throat as he noticed the hand you placed on his uncle’s arm, the smile you shot up at him as both of you walked away. What could you possibly have to do with Poseidon? Hermes began to follow.

You allowed Poseidon to lead you wherever it is he wanted to, just happy to be in his company. You chattered his ear off about the play, explaining every detail that had mesmerised you, and he just listened with a growing smile. To have you here, by his side, just speaking to him was better than he could have imagined. He understood now why the humans valued their marriages so much. He wanted all of that with you.

You crossed through a patch of trees and found cliffs facing you, rising so sharply that the only way to get up them would be to fly. Poseidon led you to a little crack in the imposing wall, covered by long hanging vines that crawled up the cliffs. It would be extremely difficult to spot the little entrance, to note the difference in those vines compared to those on the cliffs, but it was the only place where they hung off of the cliff rather than clinging onto it. He pushed through the wall of leaves and stems, holding it open for you. He held your hand as you walked through the little cave entrance and you clenched it tightly when you saw what was at the other end.

A beautiful lake, not too large but not too small, with crystalline waters as still as a statue. It was bordered by large boulders that would be easy to clamber onto and rest on to bathe in the sun. Beyond the boulders there were trees completely surrounding it, enclosing the space. You stared into the lake’s waters, and realised you could see all the way to the bottom. There were rocks, smooth and huge like the boulders, all along the bottom. Little water plants sprouted between them and in the cracks and the little buds made you smile and laugh breathily. You turned back to your lover, staring at him with such reverence that he had to look away. It was the most beautiful place you had ever seen. And now it was your place, just for the two of you, together.

You walked to him until your chests pressed together and you kissed him sweetly, the sound of your lips sticking together fluttering into the quiet air. He smiled into it, opening his mouth and delving his tongue into yours, the feeling of his beard against your cheeks and upper lip almost tickling. He slipped his hands down your back, grasping your behind, but you giggled and pulled away before he could properly get his hands on it. He groaned, low and deep and annoyed but you just continued laughing before stepping away from him and near a low rock. You stared into his eyes, face serious, as you began to untie the straps that held your dress over your shoulders. Your cheeks were flushed, and nerves made your hands shake, but you continued until one strap was untied. It slipped down your back and your chest, stopping just on top of your breast. You reached for the other, untying it but not letting it go, bringing it down with your hand and allowing the dress to slowly slip down your body. It exposed your chest first, goosebumps popping up on your breasts before your nipples tightened and began to pebble. Poseidon’s eyes were locked on you, his breath shallow and his entire body tightening. He could feel the blood rushing in his veins, could feel the heat suddenly clinging to his skin, and he gulped, clenching his hands as he watched you lower the dress further, expose your stomach, your pussy, then drop it to the floor. Both of you let out shaky breaths as he stared at you, at the ravenous look in his eyes. It almost hurt to breathe, to move, but you forced yourself to walk into the water, looking back over your shoulder as you stepped into the water. He stared at your back, at the muscles in your legs as you walked, at the round backside that tempted him like nothing else.

You immersed yourself in the water until only your head was above it, your arms and legs swishing slowly to keep you up. You stared at him like a siren, eyelids fluttered low and eyes hazy, lustful. You licked your lips, those precious lips that tasted better than ambrosia, and he lifted the shirt over his head, slipping his thumbs into the hem of his pants and pushing it down. You traced your eyes over the defined muscles of his abdomen, at the thick flesh that formed his arms, strong and fierce and so so perfect. His thighs were wide, strong, defined with muscle, and you had never desired to sit on a person before this moment. He was truly a god.

His skin was slightly bronzey with pinkish undertones, and you wanted to run your hands over every inch of it. You stared at him, at his cock, and you clenched your thighs together so hard at the pangs of pure lust that hit you that you almost went under. He was… he was what desire looked like. He was thick, and long, and a red colour that made it look almost painful. You wanted to soothe that ache.

You continued treading water, waiting for him to follow after you, and he did, splashing into the water with a lot less care than you had. You would have giggled, but he was on you so quickly, wrapping his arms around you and caging you against his body. He was warm, even in the water, and his muscles were firm. You reached up to kiss him, to let him lave his tongue inside your mouth to his heart’s content as you pressed one hand to his cheek and felt his beard beneath your fingers. Your arms came up to wrap around his neck, pressing you as close as physically possible to him. You would jump into his skin if you could. You wrapped your legs around his waist and gasped when his member pressed to the sensitive skin of your core.

You had felt the slickness even before you had entered the lake, the way it made your lips slide against each other and made walking a chore. You had felt the squish of it against your inner thighs, warm and wet and so desperate for Poseidon to ease the ache it ebbed from. He brought his hand down to the apex of your thighs as he moved away from your lips, kissing over your cheek and down to your neck. He pressed it with kisses, laved it with licks, and you quivered in his arms as he began gently touching you between your legs.

His fingers were hesitant at first, softly prodding at your lips before slipping between them and pressing the little nub right at the top. You jolted, moaning into the air at the electric feeling. You had never felt like this before, had never felt pleasure so deep. He rubbed it, pressing and releasing, pressing and releasing. You quivered in his arms, shook and whimpered as your thighs and arms clenched tighter around him. Poseidon breathed heavily into your neck, licking your shoulder and biting it softly as he pressed a finger into you, pushing past the initial tension of your entrance to press another of his fingers inside and against your walls.

You were so warm. Hotter than the waters of phlegethon, and his movements hurried. He wanted to be inside you, to sink himself to the very hilt and lavish in the heat and wetness you provided. His fingers pumped in and out of you so quickly that the water around you began to slosh and splash. The way his hands rubbed your insides felt like little fires had been started inside your body and the only way to survive was to let them burn everything to ash. It built and built, your breaths getting heavier, moans getting louder, hands clenching tighter. Then you were cresting the pleasure, reaching its peak, shaking and forcing your body onto his hand as much as you could, relishing the press of his knuckles against your entrance, his thumb against the little nub at the top.

You panted into his neck, laying your head down on his shoulder as all your muscles released and you felt like you were made of cloud mist, held together only by his grip on you. But Poseidon didn’t slow down, just pulled his fingers out of you and spread your thighs a little wider. You groaned, shifting your body, but he just quietly shushed you, rubbing your back and allowing you to settle in his arms again before pressing his cock to your entrance. You gulped, pressing yourself down so he would finally be inside you, so you would finally know what it was like to be joined as one. He groaned, loud and monstrous as he pressed fully into you. You gripped him so tightly that he forgot how to breathe, knowing nothing but the heat surrounding his cock and the whimpers you breathed against his ear. Your nails dug into his shoulders and he bit down onto your neck, a little harder this time. You keened, moving your hips, hoping for something, anything. He shifted his hips, and the drag of his veins against your walls made a high-pitched moan wail from your lips. It was like being shot through with electricity, like every limb was paralysed and forced to feel the sudden shocks that emanated from your core.

Poseidon began to move in rhythm, pushing and pulling his hips, addicted to the rub of your walls. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear past the rushing in his ears. All he knew was you, pressed against his body, your walls clamped around him, your thighs shaking as you tried to hold on.

Again and again and again. His thrusts became harder and harder, erratic, his pelvis squishing your nub every time he came back inside you. One of his feet dug into the sand and the other pressed against the rock that followed the sand. He used it to keep his balance, wrapping his arms around you and lifting you up and down his member. You lay close to limp in his arms, letting the pleasure rock over you, through you.

He was close, so close. Electricity ran up his spine, down to his toes. He could feel it building, his stomach tightening. His cock felt too hard, too ready to explode, and with one more push inside you, he was there, bursting. He roared into the air, mouthing at your neck as sparks shot through him and his hips rutted into you without control. You could feel it twitching inside you, spurting inside you, the sudden warmth that flowed down your walls and disappeared into the water. You pulled back from his shoulder and kissed him fiercely, mouth open and cheeks hurting against his beard. Somewhere on earth, an earthquake shook a city.

Hermes had trailed a little too far when following you, and couldn’t figure out how both of you had disappeared through the rockface. He had heard your voices, had heard the quiet way they dissipated as if you had been walking away. He pressed on the cliffs in all sorts of places, contemplating if both of you had actually dared attempt to climb the menacing cliffs, when he heard a splash. He followed it to the vines, to the entrance to the lake, and snuck through. He walked until the edge of the cave-like passageway, sticking close to the walls. He peeked through, and saw the clothes on the floor, your dress in a heap near the edge of a boulder. Something thick and sticky filled his stomach and began to climb toward his throat. He dropped close to the floor and crawled into the sanctuary, hiding behind the boulders until he could view the lake from behind one of them.

The sight of you clinging to his uncle, wet arms wrapped around his neck as you kissed him like you were desperate, droplets of water on your face as it contorted in pleasure even while you pressed your mouth to Poseidon’s, made Hermes close his eyes and sit back against the boulder. He had seen Poseidon’s hands below the water, gripping your waist, pressing it to his own. He had heard the gasps you let out between kisses, the little moans in reply to Poseidon’s grunts. He wanted to gag. He pressed a hand to his mouth, clenched his eyes shut and pressed his head between his knees. This couldn’t be real. What he was seeing, what he was still hearing, couldn’t be real. A black anger, venomous and seething, like something he had never felt before, filled his belly. It was vicious, eating through his flesh, whispering hatred in his ears. He wanted to scream, to jump into the water and rip his uncle to shreds, to throw you off the side of Olympus. His hands began to shake and he pressed them to his ears to drown out the sounds of your coupling. His fingers dug into his hair and he pulled it until it felt like it was on the verge of being ripped out. He needed vindication. He deserved vindication.

Hermes sat there until his breath was closer to normal, then crawled back out the way he came. He stood outside the entrance to the lake and whispered curses at the both of you. His entire body felt red hot and he trembled with his anger. He stomped back toward the palace, scheming and trying to fit pieces together in his mind of what would hurt the both of you most. He wanted you dead. He wanted you gone. You were the reason this awful thing sat in his heart, this parasite that was eating him alive. The only way to do that was to get Zeus to kill you. It was the only answer.

Hermes’s walk began to slow as he approached the main courtyard, as he saw the paths that wound around the main palace and noticed the side door that allowed the cloud spirits in and out. It all fell together in his head. A small smile of relief made its way onto his lips. Yes, yes, it was all falling into place. It would be easy, too easy. And what would make Zeus angrier than his lightning bolt going missing?

As you began to walk back from the lake, the only hint of your adventure being the wet tips of your hair and the slightest limp in your walk, you could hear the sound of rushing and yelling and thunder. Instantly you were on guard, body seizing up and eyes turning serious. Poseidon walked a little faster, staying just ahead of you as you entered the main courtyard of Olympus and headed into the castle where the commotion seemed to be coming from.

“WHO HAS STOLEN IT?! ANSWER ME. WHICH ONE OF YOU DARE STEAL FROM YOUR KING?” You could hear Zeus clear as day even before you entered the throne room, staring at the morose pantheon as you walked in behind Poseidon. When Zeus noticed the new entries, he whirled on his brother and shoved a finger in his face. “Was it you? Jealous of my power, my position?”

“What has happened?” Poseidon asked, though an anger suddenly seethed in his stomach at the fire in his brother’s eyes and the finger pointed at his face.

“MY LIGHTNING BOLT HAS BEEN STOLEN!” Zeus screamed into the air, pacing in the middle of the gods as they all stood just in front of their thrones.

Hades turned to look at the both of you, Persephone clutched tight under his arm, and he shook his head as if to tell you to stay silent. Hephaestus and Hestia stood next to each other, arms brushing together and eyeing Zeus critically, as if this madness could only have been brought on by his own doing. You pursed your lips and shifted to stand hidden behind your lover.

“Confess. Right now. Who has stolen it?” Zeus spat, eyeing each of the gods who only looked away from his piercing gaze.

Poseidon noted the way Hermes glanced toward you, at the edges of your hair dripping onto your dress and leaving watermarks on your shoulders and back. His eyes were hard like onyx, and something akin to cruelty seemed to hide behind his face, the set of his mouth, but he passed it off as annoyance at his father. Ares noted you standing beside his uncle, and a frown overtook his face.

“She is not of Olympus, is it a coincidence that she is here and the lightning bolt has been stolen?” He voiced, pointing at you. Everyone turned to stare at you and your heart jumped into your throat. You began to shake your head, holding your hands up in surrender.

“No, this has nothing to do with me, I was nowhere near the palace,” you began desperately, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing to try and figure out how to appease them.

“She was with me, and we were far from here. She did not do this,” Poseidon’s voice was like a crack of lightning, truly a competition for his brother.

“You could’ve had someone else help you,” Zeus thundered, ignoring his brother and continuing to glare daggers at you now that the seed of doubt had been planted. “Return it at once.” “But I don’t have it! How am I supposed to return something I have not stolen?!” You cried desperately, tears now threatening your eyes.

“You refuse? Fine. You will be seized until the lightning bolt has been returned to its rightful place,” and before anyone could even take a breath, a glowing circle surrounded the floor around you and you disappeared in a flash of lightning, transported to something akin to a jail cell on the far side of Mount Olympus.

As you cried in the room of pure white, no door to leave through, the walls impenetrable to even your magic, the gods in Asgard received a message of the accusation lodged against you. Odin, though fuming, worried more for your safety, and sent an envoy of ravens to tell of their incoming arrival on Olympus to discuss these events. All the norse gods begged to accompany him, to aid in avenging their princess, but he only enlisted the help of Loki, knowing of your friendship with the Jotunn and that the trickster would be good help in getting out of a sticky situation.

On Olympus, Hermes watched you curl up in a corner of the room, cheeks stained with tears and eyes red, and guilt began to fill his heart. He had felt angry, vindictive, when he saw you kiss the god of the seas. But knowing that he had hurt you felt so much worse than any of that. He hated that you had chosen Poseidon, that you refused to love him back, but he hated this burning in his heart, this venomous, evil blackness that seemed to tinge his very insides as he listened to your quiet sobs. He didn’t want to hurt you, not like this. Though it felt too late to have this realisation, he knew he could do at least one thing to begin making it right.

Zeus sat on his throne, fuming. Lightning crackled in the sky, winds blew so fiercely that the humans had boarded themselves into their houses or sat at the altars of his temple, praying for his forgiveness. He would kill you. He would kill you and retrieve the bolt and send your divine corpse back to Odin and his people as a lesson.

Poseidon had been lost as to what to do next, he had already yelled at his brother, threatened war, interrogated almost all his nephews and nieces to no avail. He had even gotten on his knees in front of Zeus’s throne, swallowed his pride and begged his brother to believe him, to believe that you were innocent. Nothing. He had eventually fallen onto his throne, glaring daggers at his brother as his nieces and nephews whispered among themselves around the throne room, looking between him and Zeus. Hades, finally having let go of Persephone and ushering her to find her mother and a safe garden to stay in until he came and got her, made his way to stand behind Poseidon. He didn’t say a word, knowing his brother didn’t need to hear anything right now, and just placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Poseidon did not move.

The doors to the throne room burst open for the second time that day and Hermes ran in, the wings on his shoes still fluttering. He skidded to a stop just in front of Zeus’s throne, huffing out “father!” as he bent at the waist to catch his breath. All the gods turned to stare, Zeus raising an eyebrow as he stared contemptuously down at his son. Poseidon sat forward.

“I found the lightning bolt!” Hermes huffed, holding out the bolt to his father. A gasp floated around the room as they all stared at the buzzing lightning bolt in his hand. Zeus leaned over and snatched it out of Hermes’ hands, holding onto it so tightly that if it had been anything else it would have been crushed into dust.

“Where did you find it, son?” Zeus asked, eyes still on the lightning bolt.

“On Earth, father, thrown into the mountains of Rhodope,” he sighed, eyes flitting around to the other gods. They began to murmur, frowns marring their faces as they wondered how in the world the lightning bolt had ended up in the Rhodope mountains.

Zeus stared at his son, his gaze like stone, until the younger god looked away. Then he sighed and snapped his fingers so the bolt returned to its place and clapped his hands, a smile now on his face.

“Dionysus! This is now a celebration! Bring wine, the lightning bolt has returned,” and he began bellowing with laughter. Some of the gods joined in, tittering awkwardly, and Hera sighed so heavily and with such annoyance that even Zeus shifted away from the side which bordered her throne.

Poseidon stared at all that had just happened, at the relieved smile on Hermes’ face and the way Zeus was already back to joking with Ares. Anger, hot and boiling, seethed inside of him and he stood abruptly from his throne, glaring at his brother then heading for the door. He couldn’t be in here any longer while his love was trapped in some prison surely made to torture her very soul. Just as he reached the doors, they burst open once more and Odin stormed in, cloak billowing behind him as he marched up to Zeus’s throne.

“Where is my daughter?” He demanded, mouth set in an angry line.

“In my prison, she is accused of stealing my lightning bolt,” Zeus answered in an equally thunderous voice, standing and looking down at the man.

“Release her at once, she did no such thing.”

“How do you know? She appears in Olympus, the only outsider, and then my lightning bolt goes missing. This does not seem like a coincidence to me,” Zeus raised an eyebrow as he stared at Odin, daring the god to rebuke him. Odin opened his mouth as if he was about to argue but closed it and sighed, taking a deep breath in to gather his words.

“Release my daughter. Please,” he gritted out. “My people will never interact with yours again, will never step foot near Olympus again as long as you release her.” Zeus and Poseidon stared at Odin, one contemplating, the other heartbroken. Zeus nodded, standing from his throne and holding out his hand to Odin.

“It is agreed. Neither of our peoples will step foot in the other’s lands, will interact with the other, for the safety of our people,” Zeus’s voice was stoic, and he waited until Odin had nodded in return and slipped his hand into his own. They shook twice and Zeus snapped his fingers, turning his back on Odin to return to his throne.

“My daughter? Where is she?” Odin snapped, glaring daggers into Zeus’s back.

“Oh, you will find her outside with your trickster,” Zeus waved his hand in the air, voice unbothered, and Odin disappeared with a flash.

Poseidon fell back into his throne, all the air gone from his lungs. He stared at the spot where Odin had stood, where reality seemed to have collapsed, and a choked sound left his mouth. The promise still rang in his ears, the promise of separation, the promise of never seeing his love again until the day he was forgotten and disappeared into the dust. He clenched the arm so harshly that it broke off, and the other gods in the room turned to stare at him. He threw it onto the floor, cracking the marble, and disappeared, leaving only the scent of the sea in his wake.

At the base of Mount Olympus, Loki waited for something to happen, whether it be Odin returning with you or a call to fight. He paced in the dirt, murmuring threats of violence to himself, all the things he would do if you weren’t returned in an instant. And then, in a flash of light, there you were, kneeling in the dirt, dress torn, hair damp, and tears tracking down your cheeks. You stared around yourself as if you couldn’t truly believe you were no longer surrounded with nothingness. You pressed your hands into the dirt, feeling the mud squelch under your fingers and took a deep breath in, beginning to laugh happily. Being a goddess, you were so quick to take freedom for granted, you realised.

You stared up at Loki, a wide smile on your face when Odin appeared beside him in a flash of light. There was relief in his eyes, but something else too. Something akin to worry.

“Father! I promise, I promise, I did not steal that lightning bolt,” you began, pressing your hands together as your face fell.

“I know, little goddess, I know,” he soothed, patting the top of your head as you began to weep with relief. “But whoever has done this has caused consequences far beyond your imprisonment. From henceforth, we are not to speak with, to be near any of the gods of that pantheon,” he told you, smiling sympathetically down at you as your face fell.

“What?”

“I know you enjoyed Olympus, you had made friends with those gods, but it is the only solution, the best agreement,” and with another pat to your head he disappeared back to Valhalla.

You sat there, staring up at the sky where the clouds gathered to hide Olympus, as your head filled with… everything. You wanted to scream, to march up there and demand they let you in, let you see your lover. How could they do this? Accuse you of this, then rip him away from you? Your entire body began to quiver and you let out a scream from deep inside you. It was shrill and so loud that even the gods in the throne room paused at a distant sound of pain that reached their ears.

Loki walked over and knelt down in the dirt next to you, gently caressing your hair as you wailed into the air. It was the sound of an animal hurt, of a baby crying for its mother, of a lover separated. He whispered gently into your ear, promises of an eternity to recover, of lands yet to explore, of anything he could think of that may calm your screaming. Slowly, you stopped screaming and began sniffling, hiccuping with remnant sobs, and saying “no, no, no,” over and over again.

“They cannot take him from me. They will not.”

“Remember the story I told you, little goddess?” Loki asked, a frown marring his face as he looked down at you.

“I will not be like them,” you whimpered, lips quivering in anger and frustration, “I do not intend to lose.” And you stood from the dusty ground, dress ripped and torn, hair in disarray, mud splatters on your face, and pointed a finger toward Mount Olympus, a vow whispered on your lips.

Taglist: @thicficbich1, @zeeader, @josxkl1m

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