Pandemonium

Percy couldn't stop from nodding when his father silently asked for permission to enter his room.

Seeing as there was no way but to face the situation, Percy looked with practiced detachment as his father walked into the room and sat at the other end of the bed near Percy's feet.

Percy was tired sure, but not tired enough to forgive his father.

"Poseidon." He said, giving a curt nod as a greeting.

"Son." His father looked older than ever. His hands seemed to want to hold onto Percy's but he was unsure if he'd be welcome to do so. "I'm sorry."

Percy kept quiet.

He wanted to know if Poseidon understood. If his father had any inkling of what Percy had been put through.

"But you must understand."

There you go.

"When we decided on the marriage,-"

Percy clenched his fists at his sides.

"I had already seen the way the two of you looked at each other."

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It was obvious that you and Apollo cared for each other."

"Get out."

"Percy pl-"

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

-

Percy didn't open his eyes until he felt warm arms wrap around him.

He leaned into Apollo's embrace and felt his head rest on strong shoulders.

"You should sleep. Get some rest."

Percy knew it was true. That interaction with his father had taken a lot out of him. Something felt wrong. He had felt entirely drained, like there was no energy left in him.

But there were bigger issues to deal with. Like the new and improved rebellion his grandfather was spearheading.

And apparently, he had a 'condition' he was yet to be told about.

"Hey, 'pollo?"

"Hmm?" Rumbled the chest he was being held against.

"There's no chance I'm pregnant right?"

That got him a reaction.

He was shoved roughly by the shoulders and held at arms length as bright glowing eyes ran over his body, pausing for a few extra seconds at his abdomen.

"Have you had penetrative sex anytime in the last two months?"

Huh?

"Obviously not, Phoebus Apollon. That was a hypothetical question. But I'm actually curious now. Can I get pregnant?"

And ofcourse he gets ignored.

"But what made you ask if you were pregnant? Are you nauseus? Do you wanna puke? Is your abdomen feeling weird or someth-"

He looked so genuinely concerned, eyes wide and welcoming, supple lips moving to form words that Percy couldn't make out.

"-ven listening? Seriously Percy, I'm trying to help here." Apollo's eyes seemed to follow his. "Ok, Wow. Your hormones are running wild for sure."

And Apollo's voice had gotten so soft and husky by then that all Percy wanted to do was jump him right then and there.

Because Apollo was right there, holding Percy in his arms and clearly looking at his lips.

So Percy did what he was best known for. He did the impulsive thing and grabbed Apollo by his soft yellow jumper and yanked him forward to catch his lips with Percy's own.

Percy froze for a second and pulled back, looking into Apollo's eyes, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. What he did wasn't right. He should've asked for Apollo's permission.

But Apollo just grabbed him by the neck and kissed him again, making him forget all about himself and everything around him. Everything but Apollo.

Percy's hands found themselves in his husband's soft blonde hair and tugged at the strands as they moved their lips against each others. Not too little, not too much.

What they had was delicate, and they would treat it just so.

Slowly moving closer and closer to each other, Percy let himself drift in the wide and deep ocean of bliss as he felt Apollo's hands tracing his jaws and cheekbones, then running through his hair to hold him against the nape of his neck. His hands then slowly trailed down to rest on Percy's waist.

Somehow, they had both moved to lie on his bed, with Percy under Apollo's strong frame.

As they parted, Percy felt gentle hands move strands of his hair away from his face and a whisper like kiss on his forehead.

He remembered tugging Apollo by the wrist and cuddling up to him, silently asking him to stay.

And then, all was dark as he drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

-

When Percy woke up again, Apollo had Percy's head on his lap and was reading a book.

He remembered what had happened right before he fell asleep 'again', and blushed.

It was a start, but there were more important things to be discussed.

Apollo must've realised he was awake because he put his book away and started by checking Percy's pulse first, and went on to just make sure he was alright.

"I'm fine." He said, trying to reassure Apollo.

"Then why'd you ask if you're pregnant?"

"Please don't tell me you're still hung up on that."

"No, Percy. Please understand." Apollo grabbed both of Percy's hands in his. "I care about you. A lot. And you must understand that you're a god now. If you wished even for a moment that you wanted to be pregnant there's a very real possibility that you might be. So please tell me the truth, ok?"

"Uh....."

Percy had only intended to mention it as a joke but knowing that he is capable of being pregnant was a whole other thing he did not want to think about right now.

"I mean, I can only get pregnant if I had sex with someone right? So there's nothing to worry about because I haven't had sex in years."

For some reason, admitting it brought a flush to his cheeks.

Apollo looked surprised and a bit curious.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"That's a lie."

Admitting the truth would be worse, Percy knew. He had thought of taking a lover, once or twice, and he's ashamed to admit it. But one of the things that held him back? He didn't know if he should tell Apollo. It wouldn't be fair.

"Well," Apollo said clapping his hands in a gesture very unlike himself, "Lets talk about more pleasant stuff."

It was clear that Apollo wanted to continue the conversation, but he made a conscious effort to change the topic and Percy was instantly feeling better, physically and mentally.

That reminded him of what had started the whole conversation in the first place.

"So........." Percy began. Not knowing how to ask without landing Wade in deep trouble. "I might have wrung out of Wade that I have some 'condition' I'm yet to be alerted of?"

"Oh."

"Yeahhhh." Percy said, while subtly noting Apollo's reaction. His shoulders tensed slightly and his back straightened. It was definitely something of significance if it had to ellicit such a reaction from him.

Percy waited patiently for Apollo to spill the beans.

As the seconds ticked away, Percy's mind had wandered to entertain ideas he had never ever considered in his whole life.

Could gods get cancer? AIDS? But he'd always used protection! Or was it something like a dying appendage? Or maybe he was fading? Could that happen? Last he checked, he still had a whole lot of worshippers and you couldn't fade if you were being actively worshipped on that scale. Maybe the rules had changed with time?

Or maybe it was something else entirely. But what could it be? He had no idea and Apollo was taking too long.

He turned to glare at Apollo and found the other god already looking at him with a fond smile.

"What?" He asked the now smirking sun god.

"Nothing." He shrugged playfully and tugged at a loose strand of Percy's hair. "You just have that face on, when you're thinking too much and getting yourself confused."

The strand was carefully tucked behind his ear, the hand slowly trailing down his jaw to rest on his neck like a blanket of warmth that he did not want to let go of.

So Percy did exactly that and held onto that hand, slowly tracing a thumb over Apollo's knuckles.

"Don't try to distract me again, Apollo." Percy smirked at him. "I know all your tricks, remember. Now spill."

Apollo sighed, and waved a hand in the air.

The next thing he knew, Percy was drenched in salt water and an empty bucket was hanging over his head.

-

After Apollo quite literally spilled on him, Percy had retaliated with a pillow to Apollo's face. Apollo had ofcourse, not backed down one bit.

Minutes later, lying side by side, panting, Apollo couldn't get enough of his husband.

That smile on his face, those perfect little dimples that he loved to see, those wide and wonderous sea green eyes with pupils blown so wide. Apollo could drown himself for the mere sight of Percy Jackson.

So, he propped himself on one elbow and held out a hand towards Percy's face, silently asking for permission to touch. His husband leaned in, cheek softly resting against his palm and closed his eyes, humming contently.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked.

Yes, they had kissed before. Just some time ago. But Apollo still found it hard to believe that Percy had initiated it. He had been the one so against the very idea of their marriage. Apollo had figured that maybe Percy had never seen him as anything more than just a friend.

But then, Percy had kissed him and Apollo had thrown all caution to the wind.

This time, when Apollo asked Percy, his husband gave a soft smile and a nod in return.

So Apollo leaned in and grazed Percy's lips with his own, a hand moving down to rest on Percy's waist and giving it a squeeze.

Percy surged up to kiss Apollo, this time a lot rougher than the last. One of his arms came to squeeze at Apollo's shoulder while the other clutched at his hair.

After about a minute of some rough and lazy kissing, Apollo bit at his lower lip, making Percy gasp and slipping his tongue inside. Percy moaned and Apollo relished the raw emotion emanating from his voice.

Hands got grabbier and tongues fought for dominance as the two gods seemed to try to make up for lost time.

That was until Apollo stopped abruptly and started apologising profusely. "I'm so sorry Percy," he said. "You're not fully recovered yet and you shouldn't be straining yourself."

"Oh come on, Apollo!" Percy's face was flushed and lips were swollen red. "Did I look like I was straining myself?"

"That's not it Percy. You need to understand. That was too long and too strenuous. You aren't to be allowed any physical activities for 24 hours."

"Is this about that 'condition' again? Because don't think for a second that I've forgotten about it."

"No, Percy. I'll tell you." Apollo knew that keeping it from him would be unfair and would only complicate things. "It's just that I don't know how to tell you without making everything worse."

"Oh."

They lay there again, staring into each others eyes.

Apollo took Percy's hand in his and intertwined their fingers.

"Hear me out, okay? Listen to the whole thing first." Apollo told him, not wanting him to overthink and spiral.

Percy nodded eagerly, and Apollo had to hold in a small smile.

But the mood soured within seconds.

"Percy, Kronos is trying to take over your body."