A/N: warning for dub-con

It wasn't everyday a god popped up in your kitchen. Then again, Percy's life was hardly a prime example of 'normal', so he wasn't too surprised. Percy just set his butter knife down, finished slathering his toast, and licked a stray glob of jam off his thumb.

"Hey Hermes."

"Welcome back, hero," Hermes grinned. His appearance changed everytime Percy saw him. Today, he was missing the uniform, but still had a mail satchel slung over his shoulder, his dark curls springing around his cheeks. His jeans were fashionably faded and his long-sleeved shirt clung to the lean muscles in his arms. Pretty much, he looked divine.

We're glad you made it through okay, a female voice hissed. We knew you would.

Just not in one piece, a male voice snickered.

"Thanks Martha," Percy replied. "Good to see you, George. It's been—what? Nine months I think."

Hermes leaned heavily on his full-sized caduceus, like a crutch, while George and Martha slithered around it. The snakes seemed drowsier than usual. Less chatty.

"The world doesn't know how lucky it is to have you back," Hermes said. "But I do. And even though the other gods won't admit it, so do they."

Percy scoffed as dropped the knife in the sink. "Come on, don't you think I've had enough people fawning over me already? I thought you were better than that. " Percy hopped up on the counter stool, picking up a piece of toast. "Besides, it's the other seven that did all the work. Piper and Jason and especially Leo."

"Don't worry, Percy. Leo has been rewarded for his bravery."

"Rewarded..." Percy went glassy-eyed. "You don't mean…he's alive?"

Hermes licked his lips, apprehensive. "It's not exactly my place to say. All I can tell you is that Leo is happier than he has been in years." The god flicked his caduceus, changing it into cellphone mode, and smoothly pocketed it. Then he pulled up a stool for himself, sitting just on Percy's right. "May I?"

Hermes was eyeing the second piece of toast. Percy shrugged, hiding a smile at the plain weirdness. "Go for it."

The god pinched the toast off the plate and bit off a healthy-sized chunk. Even while he was chewing, Hermes maintained the same unearthly elegance. Percy's eyes were drawn to his jaw, the way the muscles subtly flexed and rippled under his cheek. Hermes' prominent adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed and Percy looked away.

"Why are you here?" Percy asked, shoulders tense.

"You're expecting me to give you an errand," Hermes guessed, flicking crumbs off his fingers. "But you couldn't be farther from the truth. I wanted to check up on you, Percy. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Sure," Percy said with a frown. "But, uh. Where were you when Hera abducted me?"

Hermes gazed at him with those ancient blue eyes, out of place in the face of a young man. "Percy, I think you know by now. Hera's plan was vital to winning the Giant war, and if Zeus hadn't locked up Olympus, I swear I would've been by your side. Fighting the giants with you."

"Okay, fine, I get it."

Percy felt a familiar swell of annoyance towards Zeus. The King of Gods had been screwing up since Percy was twelve years old, and secretly, Percy couldn't wait until the next generation overthrew him. Artemis, or even Hermes, would make much better rulers.

"Yes, well," Hermes turned his full body to face him. "As I was saying. The war's been over for awhile, and the only hero who's been unfairly compensated, I believe, is you."

"Me?" Percy choked on his toast. He promptly cleared his throat and felt his cheeks grow hot.

"Annabeth—,"

"Don't," Percy interrupted. "Even start on her."

Hermes huffed lightly through his nose. "Regarding your other friends, Hazel has been made centaurion at Camp Jupiter, and having a praetor as a boyfriend is no chore. Nico has fallen skull over heels for that son of Apollo, while Jason and Piper are practically vacationing in Greece."

"So?" It sounded harsher than Percy meant it to. "I'm alive. I'm with my family. After all I've been through, that's more than enough."

"Of course it is," Hermes said, lowly. "But you deserve more."

Percy shoved his plate away, scraping the porcelain, and planted his elbows on the counter so he could bury his face in his hands. It wasn't normal for him to get so emotional. Yet suddenly, everything he'd been bottling up over the last few weeks had been uncorked. Leo's death, his mom's miscarriage, and his bad-breakup: all came gushing out like champagne.

It had to have something to do with the god, patiently sitting beside him. Hermes' softly glowing aura was seeping into Percy's pores, getting under his skin and into his head.

"Yes, Percy, I know you've been so lonely." Hermes' long fingers threaded through his hair, gently untangling the snares. His voice was almost unrecognizable—heavy and husky, even more alluring than Piper's charmspeak. "That's why I've come Percy, so you won't have to be alone anymore. Just ask, Percy. You can have anyone you want, I'll deliver them to you."

Percy lifted his head. Before he could reply, he was smothered by Hermes' mouth, and the fingers in his hair tightened into a strangling grip, holding him in place.

It didn't matter anyway. Hermes' name would've been magically pried from Percy's lips.

After a brief reel of emotions—shock, confusion, betrayal—Percy felt himself closing his eyes, willingly leaning into the kiss and the harmless glow of godly aura. At last, a cure to his loneliness.