Chapter Text
Warrior Of The Mind.
Chapter 1.
Apollo was sleeping peacefully beside his lover, when all of a sudden, he heard moans coming from his boyfriend, and not the good moans either; the moans that signified a very bad nightmare. The God abruptly woke up, and turned to his boyfriend. Percy Jackson, his boyfriend of two years, was lying on his back, closed eyes rapidly moving, mouth open slightly and scared moans occasionally coming out of it. Every so often the demigod’s body would thrash slightly, as if he was fighting off an unseen enemy.
The Sun God watched his boyfriend for another moment. But the young man’s movements became even more violent, and his scared moaning got louder, sounding more terrified.
“No.” Percy muttered, head moving from side to side. “No, please!” Apollo frowned in concern. He had a feeling he knew what his boyfriend was dreaming about: Tartarus. He reached out and gently shook his lover’s shoulder.
“Percy?” He said quietly, not wanting to startle the demigod. “Percy? Wake up, Seashell.” Percy didn’t hear him, and thrashed in his sleep even more. “Perseus? Please, wake up!” The God shook the boy harder.
“NO!” The son of Poseidon yelled, arms flailing to ward off an attacker, narrowly missing Apollo’s head. “NO, GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!”
“PERCY!” The God yelled, and shook his boyfriend even harder. He saw the most beautiful sea green eyes fly open, for a split second before his love attacked him. “PERCY! PERCY! IT’S ME! IT’S APOLLO! WAKE UP!” The demigod still fought him, so he made himself glow, slowly getting brighter with each second, until the boy’s eyes focused on Apollo and the God knew his boyfriend was awake this time.
“’Pollo?” He croaked. Despite the situation, the God of Light smiled slightly.
“Hi, baby.” He dimmed his light until it was just enough to see by. He summoned a glass of water and helped his boyfriend into a sitting position before handing the glass to him. The demigod drank the water gratefully. He instantly felt better. The God saw the sheen of sweat on Percy’s face. He looked at the rest of the demigod’s naked body that wasn’t covered by the blankets, and saw the sweat on his chest and arms too. That nightmare must’ve been really bad.
“Wanna talk about it?” The God asked, taking the empty glass and setting it on the nightstand behind him. Percy shook his head, and took several deep breaths.
“I dreamed about him.” The son of Poseidon eventually confessed. Obviously, he did want to talk about it.
“The Primordial?” Apollo asked, not wanting to say his name. Percy nodded. “You actually saw the Protogenos of the Pit?” That was something his boyfriend had never told him. Percy nodded again. Apollo’s golden eyebrows rose so high they almost got lost in his long golden hair. “Fuck! No wonder why your nightmare was bad.”
“Yeah.” Percy said, leaning against his boyfriend’s chest. The God wrapped his arms around him tightly. Eventually, Apollo felt water trickling down his bare chest. Before he could say anything, Percy’s body started to shake, ever so slightly at first, then harder. The Sun God held his lover tighter. He kissed inky black curls, and rocked them both from side to side. He said nothing and just let the demigod cry.
“Talk to me.” He said, gently pulling the demigod away from him so he could see him better. Percy just shook his head and kept crying. Apollo sighed, and pulled his love back to him. He wished he could take those memories from his boyfriend, even for just a moment. He could do it, but he wouldn’t, especially since his stepmother had completely erased the demigod’s memories for months a few years previously.
Eventually, the son of Poseidon’s sobbing slowed, before stopping completely. Apollo’s bare chest was covered in tears and snot, but he didn’t care.
“I hate this!” Percy said, pulling away from his boyfriend and furiously wiping his tears away. Apollo summoned a box of tissues and offered him one. The demigod took it, and wiped his nose and blew his nose. The God took the opportunity to will all the tears of snot from his chest. “The nightmares are just as bad as though I was there again, and I can’t even sleep in the dark anymore!” He sniffled and blew his nose again. Apollo smiled slightly.
“My kids can’t sleep in the dark either.” He said. “I think it might be because I’m the God of the Sun and also the God of Light. But they’ve all slept with a nightlight, or an oil lamp, or a candle. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to sleep in the dark.”
“But I like sleeping in the dark.” Percy lamented. He sighed. It was stupid, making a fuss over not being able to sleep in the dark anymore.
“Maybe you should sleep with a nightlight, just until you’re able to sleep in the dark again?” Percy was reluctant, but he knew he’d never get to sleep otherwise. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was actually dreading when it was time to sleep. He couldn’t help it though, especially when Apollo had spent a good couple of hours fucking him into the mattress. The demigod nodded, making his divine lover smile. The God summoned a nightlight in the shape of an open oyster. The oyster even had a yellow pearl in the middle. Percy looked closer and realised the yellow pearl was actually a small sun. He couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at his boyfriend’s antics. Apollo grinned, taking the chuckle as a victory.
The God of Light plugged the nightlight in, which filled the room with a soft blue glow. The whole oyster was blue, but the sun shaped pearl gave off a yellow light. Apollo waved his hand towards the ceiling, making patterns of water across it, then he snapped his fingers and the room was filled with the sound of waves. The demigod lay back down again, and snuggled against his boyfriend.
“You should really talk to Dionysus, you know.” The God spoke up several minutes later. Percy, who was just dozing off, jumped at the sound of his boyfriend’s voice. It took him a few seconds to figure out what Apollo had just suggested.
“No.” He said.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to relive it.” The demigod said curtly. Apollo sighed.
“Dionysus will be able to help.” Percy raised his head from Apollo’s chest and glared at the God.
“No.” He said more firmly.
“But-“
“I said no.” The demigod said again. Apollo went to open his mouth, but Percy cut him off again. “Enough, I said no, okay?” The God sighed. So stubborn, just like his father.
“Okay.” The son of Poseidon narrowed his eyes. “I’m not pushing.” The God protested.
“Okay.” Percy lay his head back down on his boyfriend’s chest again, and felt him carding his long fingers through his hair. Eventually the God started singing quietly, making the demigod relax. Soon the young man fell back to sleep again and Apollo kissed his beloved’s head. He really wished his boyfriend would talk to someone, preferably Dionysus.
Before the son of Poseidon could start dreaming, the Sun God talked quietly to another God.
“Phobetor, I swear, if you don’t stay away from Percy Jackson tonight, I’ll burn you alive.” He muttered threateningly in the dim blue light of the room. He felt the God of Nightmares bristle in annoyance. The Golden God chuckled quietly. “You can’t take me on in a fight, so back off, and leave my boyfriend alone, or you won’t live long enough to regret it.” He let the minor God feel a little of his power, then felt the other God blanch and leave the room. Apollo smiled wickedly. It was great being able to scare minor Gods. Needless to say, Percy didn’t have any more nightmares that night.
The Sun God snuggled down even more in bed, and soon followed his beloved in sleep.
The next day, Apollo surprised Percy by telling him he was hosting a dinner, and inviting a few Gods. Percy wasn’t too happy because it meant he had to cook for several people.
“You remember I’m a God right, my love?” The Sun God said with an amused smile on his face. “I can just summon food.” The demigod shook his head.
“No, I don’t want you to just summon dinner.” He said. “Food must be made, and it must be made with love.” Apollo went to protest, but Percy shut him down. In the end, the God agreed to let his boyfriend make the dinner. The son of Poseidon ended up making a lasagne, with a side of salad. Apollo had invited a few Gods to this dinner.
At six o’clock that evening, the doorbell rang. Apollo left his beloved in the kitchen to make the dinner, after the demigod repeatedly chased him out of the kitchen for trying to distract him, and went to answer the door. The first of the Gods Apollo had invited had shown up.
“’Polly!” Aphrodite exclaimed, coming into the hallway and kissing the Sun God’s cheeks.
“Hi, ‘Dite.” He said, kissing her cheeks too. The Goddess of Love was followed by an annoyed Ares.
“Don’t expect any kisses from me, punk.” He scowled to his older brother. There wasn’t a huge age gap between Apollo and Ares; Hera was heavily pregnant with Ares when the twins were born.
“You wound me, little brother.” Apollo said, dramatically grabbing his chest. Aphrodite giggled. The Sun God lead them into the living room where Ares plonked his ass down on the couch and turned the TV on to the History channel, which was showing a programme about the First World War. The Goddess of Beauty rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, but sat down beside him, after she handed over a bottle of red wine to Apollo.
“Hello, Perseus!” She called into the open planned kitchen, watching the demigod checking on the food, which smelled absolutely delicious. The son of Poseidon looked up when he heard his name being called.
“Hello, Lady Aphrodite.” He said politely. The Goddess gave a tinkling laugh.
“No need to call me ‘Lady’, Perseus.” She said, fluttering her eyelashes at him, making Apollo frown. The demigod ignored her flirting, but nodded. The Goddess frowned slightly, she never could get his attention, and it was worse when he started dating the God of Music. Apollo smiled at Percy ignoring Aphrodite’s flirting. He loved that his boyfriend was fiercely loyal.
“What are we having for dinner, punk?” Ares called into the kitchen, not taking his eyes off the TV.
“Lasagne with salad as a side.” Percy called back, chopping up lettuce and putting it into his salad bowl. Ares frowned at the mention of salad, but he had to admit that the lasagne smelled good. “It’ll be ready in about ten minutes, maybe less.” The God of War nodded.
“That’s good.” He said, pulling his girlfriend into his side. “I’m starving!” Before Percy could say anything, the doorbell rang again. Apollo set the bottle of wine on the counter then answered the door.
“Little sister!” He exclaimed happily. Artemis frowned and smacked her dumbass twin on the arm.
“I’m older than you, as you very well know!”
“I know, but I’m taller than you.” He said, smiling down at her, and rubbing his arm. “Therefore, you are my little sister.” The God of Healing used his hand to emphasise their height difference. Artemis said nothing, but smacked him on the thigh. “Ow!” He went to wallop her back, but she ducked around him and headed into the kitchen, where she helped Percy with the salad. Apollo smiled at the sight of his twin and boyfriend getting along. The Goddess of the Hunt had gotten along with the son of Poseidon even more when he started dating her twin.
About two minutes later the doorbell rang again, and the God of Healing answered it. There was the most important God Apollo had invited standing in the doorway, looking completely bored.
“Dio.” Apollo said quietly. Percy had no idea that he had invited the God of Madness to dinner. He had made up this dinner as an excuse to get Dionysus here to talk to his boyfriend. His baby brother had been reluctant at first, until Apollo had reminded him that Percy had saved his son, Pollux’s, life. And so, he had agreed. Apollo had even gotten their father to allow Dionysus to have wine, but only for tonight.
“Well, let’s get this over with.” The God of Theatre said, stepping into the apartment. The older God was about to close the door, when a blur streaked past him into the apartment. Apollo’s eyes started to glow gold, and he whirled around, ready to smite whomever, or whatever, had just entered the apartment. He backed down when he saw the familiar elfin features of his other younger brother and best friend.
“Hermes!” He said. “You made it!” The younger God beamed happily.
“Couldn’t very well miss Percy’s cooking, now, could I?” The Trickster said, mischievous grin on his face. Apollo smiled and shook his head. He lead the other two Gods into the apartment. The son of Poseidon frowned when he saw Dionysus. He glared at his boyfriend, who just smiled innocently back.
“Dinner’s ready!” Percy called from the kitchen. The others got up and walked to the table, and Apollo snapped his fingers, setting the table, then walked to the kitchen to help his boyfriend carry the dishes in. “I’m going to kill you later.” The demigod whispered to his sneaky lover. Apollo just grinned again.
The God took the hot lasagne dish with his bare hands, and set it down in the middle of the table, while Percy brought out the salad and a basket of bread. Dionysus grabbed the bottle of wine Aphrodite had brought, approved of the vintage, and opened it. He let it breathe for a few minutes, while everyone served themselves. Once the wine had been poured out, dinner was interrupted by the smell of sea salt. Poseidon popped into the apartment, just as the others were about to dig into their dinner.
“Apologies for being late.” The Sea God said. He had on one of his loud as fuck Hawaiian shirts, Bermuda shorts and a blue pair of flip-flops. He had a bowl of white fruit the size of a fist in his hands. He handed the bowl over to his son, before taking his seat. “Amphitrite and Triton send their apologies too. There was an emergency meeting that required them being in the sea. But Amphitrite told me to bring you some thalassiná froúta.” Percy was a little disappointed that his eldest brother and his stepmother couldn’t be there for dinner, but he happily accepted the bowl of fruit. He loved this stuff. He set the bowl in the middle of the table beside the lasagne. They all dug into their dinner. The conversation flowed freely, as did the wine. Dionysus made the most of being allowed to drink, and summoned more and more bottles.
Eventually the Gods started to leave, with Hermes and Artemis leaving first. Aphrodite and Ares left about thirty minutes afterwards, leaving Percy with his father, boyfriend and Dionysus. Eventually though, Poseidon stood up.
“I’m afraid I must leave.” He said, pulling his son into a tight hug. “You and Apollo will come to dinner on Friday, yes?” Percy nodded into his father’s chest.
“Of course, uncle.” Apollo said cheerily. Poseidon nodded and pulled back from the hug. He titled his head to the side, as though listening for something.
“Oh!” He exclaimed; eyes wide.
“What is it?” Percy asked.
“It is Thetis.” His father replied. He turned to his nephew. “You must come with me to Atlantis, nephew. Galatea has been injured, and Thetis needs you to help my healers.” Apollo stood up, and gave Percy a kiss.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.” The demigod whispered to his boyfriend, who just looked confused. Before the God could say anything, Poseidon said his goodbyes and took Apollo by the shoulder. The two left in a sea breeze. Percy slumped down in his seat. A wine glass entered his vision, and the demigod took it, gulping down the wine.
“Not so fast, Petunia!” Dionysus chided, making the son of Poseidon jump.
“Sorry, Daisy.” The God of Wine harrumphed, but Percy saw the corners of his lips twitch in amusement.
“So.” The God started, taking a sip of his own wine. “My annoying older brother has told me that you’ve been having nightmares about the Pit.” Percy snorted in annoyance. He knew it! He knew his boyfriend had invited the God of Religious Ecstasy over for dinner to talk. He made a mental note to stop giving his boyfriend head for a fortnight as punishment.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He said curtly. Dionysus raised an eyebrow, and handed him over another glass of wine.
“Sip this one.” He ordered. Percy rolled his eyes, but did as the God said. Percy noticed the extra fruity taste of this glass of wine.
“I like this one.” He absentmindedly said, taking another sip. Dionysus smirked. Percy did not notice that the wine had a slightly stronger taste than his previous glasses. Two glasses of the fruity wine later saw Percy lying down on his couch, pouring out everything about his trip to Tartarus, while Dionysus sat on the armchair beside him, sipping another glass of wine and listening to the demigod. The God had already talked to both Nico and Annabeth about their trip to Tartarus, but Percy had been avoiding it.
Three hours later, and Percy had just finished telling the God everything. Apollo still hadn’t come back yet, but had been told by Dionysus that they were still talking and not to interrupt them yet.
“There’s a lot to work through, Patrick.” The God of Revelry commented, swirling his wine. “So, I would highly recommend that you see me twice a week and we can work through this.” Percy shook his head, making Dionysus frown.
“I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You are not a burden, Penelope!” The God scolded. The demigod was shocked. Of all the Gods to say something like that, he thought Dionysus would be one of the last ones. “As I said, you will come to see me twice a week. You will come to the Big House at three thirty, Wednesday afternoon.”
“Okay, Dolores.” Percy replied. Dionysus snorted at the name, but nodded. He sent a message to his older brother, whose anxiety he could feel, that he was done, and had gotten Percy to agree to bi-weekly therapy sessions. He could feel Apollo’s relief. Five minutes later, the older God popped back into the apartment. Dionysus took his leave then.
“You’re a sneaky bastard, you know that?” Percy commented to his boyfriend, when the God went to lift him up to take him to bed. Apollo just smirked and said nothing. He slid his arms under the son of Poseidon’s back and legs and easily lifted him off the couch.
He carried his beloved into their bedroom and gently set him on the bed. He stripped them both naked with a spare thought and coaxed his lover under the blankets, before sliding in beside him. Apollo snapped his fingers, and Percy’s new nightlight turned on. He waved his hand at the ceiling again, the room filled with the quiet sound of the waves, and the ceiling had water patterns on it again. It didn’t take Percy long to fall asleep, and, after threatening Phobetor again, the God of Light fell asleep too.