AN: Okay I had an idea for this one shot for a very long time and I'm happy that I finally wrote it. I hope you like it. Read and Review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Greek myths.
Pairings: Fem!Percy Jackson/ Hermes
Hermes wasn't one of the guys that fell inlove easily, like his brothers. But when he did, it wasn't just a fling. He could love devotedly and fully, passionately and deeply, truly and honestly. That's why he was careful not to fall in love, because his lover wasn't the only one who was hurt in the end.
That was until he met her. Percy Jackson, Poseidon's dear daughter. He had heard about her much time before he actually saw her. Like everyone he had heard about her adventures and the return of his father's Master Bolt, and he couldn't help but feel impressed. Twelve years old girl had faced Medusa, Hydra, Echidna and Chimera and hadn't just survived but beat them all.
That's why found himself looking for a reason to meet her. And he founded in the face of his son, Luke. Don't get me wrong, he cared about his son a lot, but still he was excited about the meeting.
He found her where he had thought she would be. Sitting on the beach, thankfully alone. She was looking at the stars, he saw, and lifted his own gaze up towards the night sky.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" He asked, startling the girl and making her turn towards him. She was pretty, although still a child he could see the beautiful woman she was going to be. He features soft under the moon light, with sea green eyes that reminded him of the ocean and long black hair falling in untidy waves.
Her eyes were now watching him curiously, surprise written on her face. She didn't know who he was, clearly. "May I join you?" He found himself asking. "I haven't sat down in ages."
Hermes expected her to be suspicious. To attack him. But she just offered a tired smile, waving towards the place next to her. "Sure"
He smiled in return. So she wasn't pretty only on the outside. "Your hospitality does you credit. Oh and Coca-cola. May I?" She nodded, but her cheeks reddened a bit and for a moment she looked lost in thought.
The Olympian sat at the other end of the blanket, popped a soda and took a sip. "Ah ... that hits the spot. Peace and quiet at-" His phone started buzzing in his pocket. Holding back a growl he took it out and glanced at the LCD display. He cursed when he saw the name written there. Apologizing to Percy he picked up, hurrying up to finish the stupid conversation so he could return to the adorable daughter of Poseidon.
"Sorry." He said again after hanging up, probably getting some important people angry but he couldn't care less right now. "The overnight express business is just booming. Now, as I was saying-"
"You have snakes on your phone." He heard her state in a quiet voice, interrupting his thought. So she still hadn't caught on exactly who he was. Or maybe she was just afraid of snakes.
"What? Oh, they don't bite. Say hello, George and Martha." He said, rolling his eyes as the snakes started bickering again, like an old married couple. Well they were, in a way. Anyway… "Now, where were we ... Ah, yes. Peace and quiet." He crossed his ankles pretending to look at the sky but stealing glances of the girl next to him here and there. "Been a long time since I've gotten to relax. Ever since the telegraph-rush, rush, rush. Do you have a favorite constellation, Percy?" He asked, suddenly wanting to learn more about her personality. He watched as she bit her lip obviously thinking about the answer. "I don't know. Andromeda, maybe." "Why?" he asked, thinking that he knew the answer. After all what girl wouldn't like to be like the beautiful princess of Ethiopia.
"Well, because she had really bad luck, you know. Getting chained up to a rock and all. It's good to know that someone has worse luck than mine." She grinned. "Now that I think about it I like Hercules, too."
Hermes was impressed. He certainly didn't expect an answer like that and was quiet glad to hear it. "Not because she was beautiful?"
"No." The girl answered with a small frown. "Look where her beauty got her."
"You are an interesting young woman." He stated before returning to his current task. "So what now?" He asked knowing that she would understand the meaning of the simple question.
He watched as her eyes grew darker and her frown deepened.
As the god waited for an answer, he heard Martha's voice: I have Demeter on line two.
"Not now," He growled, angry with the many interruptions. "Tell her to leave a message."
She's not going to like that. The last time you put her off, all the flowers in the floral delivery
division wilted.
Damn work!
"Just tell her I'm in a meeting!" He rolled his eyes. "Sorry again, Percy. You were
saying ..."
"Um ... who are you, exactly?" She asked softly, a slightly confused look on her face.
"Haven't you guessed by now, a smart girl like you?"
Show him! Martha pleaded. I haven't been full-size for months.
Don't listen to her! George said. She just wants to show off!
"Original form, please." Hermes said, taking out his phone and watching it grow back to its usual size. A look of recognition passed through the demigoddess eyes.
"You are Hermes." She said eyes wide. "Luke's father."
His heart twisted painfully at the mention of his son, but did his best to ignore it, pursing his lips. "'Luke's father.' Normally, that's not the first way people introduce me. God of thieves, yes. God of messengers and travelers, if they wish to be kind."
His snakes started fighting again until he threatened to put them on vibration. "Now, Percy, you still haven't answered my question. What do you intend to do about the quest?"
"I-I don't have permission to go." She stuttered out, clearly nervous. That girl really needed to learn to break the rules. And he would definitely love to teach her. But not know anyway. Maybe when she grew up a little bit…
"No, indeed. Will that stop you?"
"I want to go. I have to save Grover." Now that was the spirit. Maybe if he just set an example…
Hermes smiled. "I knew a boy once ... oh, younger than you by far. A mere baby, really. One night, when this boy's mother wasn't watching, he sneaked out of their cave and stole some cattle that belonged to Apollo."
"Did he get blasted to tiny pieces?" Percy asked titling her head to the side.
"Hmm ... no. Actually, everything turned out quite well. To make up for his theft, the boy
gave Apollo an instrument he'd invented-a lyre. Apollo was so enchanted with the music
that he forgot all about being angry." He finished his tale with a smile, remembering the whole thing.
"So what's the moral?" Poseidon's daughter snapped him out of his thought, making him frown.
"The moral?" He repeated. "It's a true story, not a fable. Does it need a moral?" She didn't say anything but the look on her face said enough. "Alright, how about this: stealing is not always bad?" At least coming out of the mouth of the god of thieves, he added silently.
She chuckled slightly. "I don't think my mom would like that moral."
Hermes strained his mind thinking about another, more suiting version. "I've got it," He said finally. "Young people don't always do what they're told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment. How's that?"
"You ask me to go even without permission." Ah, clever girl. He was liking her more and more now. Perhaps it was time for the presents.
He then gave her the two gifts he had brought here for her. They were valuable and he really hoped they would get her out of trouble. He really didn't want her to die because he had convinced her to go to the quest.
"Thank you very much." She said. "But Lord Hermes why are you helping me?"
Because I like you. He thought but didn't say it aloud. He couldn't.
"Maybe because I think you can help more people on your quest, not just Grover." He answered knowing that she would understand him.
"You talk about Luke." Her voice cracked slightly as she said it and she gulped before continuing in a steadier voice. "He can't be saved. He wants to destroy Olympus and the gods. He hates you." Her words hurt him but he was good in hiding it. He looked up at the sky again so she wouldn't read the emotions in his eyes. "My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inventing the Internet-"
"You invented the Internet?" She interrupted.
"Yes, but that's not the point. Percy do you understand what I'm saying about the family?"
"I don't think so." She said, looking a bit embarrassed. But there is no need to be. She was just thirteen, too young to know something he had found out after hundreds of years of experience. He gave her and her friends a few more gifts before wishing her good luck and leaving.
During the whole quest he found himself watching her, taking care of her when she needed without her knowing. He did his best to protect her, which wasn't as much as he wanted, considering his busy schedule. He waited for another chance to meet her and she had just finished her quest when it came.
This time she was in the stables taking care of the horses before the chariot race tomorrow. He watched her for awhile not really sure how to start a conversation. "Fine animals, horses. Wish I'd thought of them first." She spun around staring at him wide eyed. She didn't seem to recognize him at first but then she stammered. "Hermes?"
"Hello, Percy. Didn't recognize me without my jogging clothes?" She give a small bow, obviously at lost of words.
"Lord Hermes, about Luke-" Her gaze was glued to the ground and she shifted uneasily from one foot to another. "We met him but-" The girl was struggling with words, probably fearing his wrath. A fear that was senseless because Hermes couldn't get angry even if he wanted, at an adorable creature like her.
"You weren't able to talk sense into him?" He guessed trying to help her a little bit.
"Actually we tried to kill each other in a duel to death." He knew. Of course he knew, he had seen it but he wasn't able to do anything about it. "I see. You tried the diplomatic approach."
"I'm really sorry. I mean, you gave us those awesome gifts and everything. And I know you
wanted Luke to come back. But ... he's turned bad. Really bad. He said he feels like you
abandoned him." The demigoddess flinched back as if expecting a blow or something but Hermes just bowed his head slightly, his heart beating painfully.
"Do you ever feel your father abandoned you, Percy?" He asked, eyes searching for hers. He met them finding a look of deep sadness and loneliness there. She was silent but he could hear the answer in her silence and read it in the slight wetness of her eyes. He felt bad about it. Only if she knew how much her father cared about her.
"Percy, the hardest part about being a god is that you must often act indirectly, especially when it comes to your own children. If we were
to intervene every time our children had a problem ... well, that would only create more
problems and more resentment. But I believe if you give it some thought, you will see that
Poseidon has been paying attention to you. He has answered your prayers. I can only hope
that some day, Luke may realize the same about me. Whether you feel like you succeeded or
not, you reminded Luke who he was. You spoke to him."
The girl shook her head. "I tried to kill him."
"Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the
best we can do is to remind each other that we're related, for better or worse ... and try to
keep the maiming and killing to a minimum." Hermes explained with a shrug. He watched her eyes drop a little and he knew she was tired. But he had one more thing to do. "I have a delivery for you." He said softly knowing that she would be excited if she knew who the letter was from, but also knowing the content. It broke his heart as he imagined the excited and happy Percy opening and reading the letter. What was Poseidon thinking? This was only going to make her feel worse.
When Hermes left that night he went to his uncle. As god of messenger usually he wasn't one to mess into the other's business but this time he had to. Poseidon was leaning against his throne, deep in thought. "She's going to be miserable, you know." Hermes said quietly, making the other Olympian sigh sadly. "I know."
He continued to watch her in secret after that. He helped her again during her next quest although she still didn't know. But he visited her in her dreams and they chatted for hours; about the quest, about her hobbies, about her dreams, about her childhood. They had become friends and Hermes was proud to say that he knew her better that everyone else. He really saw her again soon, less than a year after their last meeting face to face.
When she walked in the throne room at the Winter Solstice Hermes had to admit she looked terrible. Her clothes were torn and dirty, splattered with blood on a few places from the minor cuts she was covered with. Her hair was a tangled mess but her eyes shone as bright as Hestia's fire. She looked for him as she entered smiling slightly when her gaze met his. He just winked in return, careful that the other gods didn't notice the interaction.
"I got to say," Apollo spoke up, "That these kids did okay." He started reciting something that probably he had written, so Hermes hurried up to interrupt him, anxious to find out Percy's fate. "Um, yes, first class. All in favor of not disintegrating them?" Silently he prayed for more votes but just a few tentative hands went up.
Ares proposed to destroy Percy and Thalia so they could escape danger, making Hermes growl under his breath. Thankfully Poseidon spoke up before him in the demigods' defence.
He listened silently at the rest of the conversation, not showing his emotions. Bessie? She had called one of the most powerful creatures Bessie? He shook with silent laughter. Only Percy was capable of that.
Later during the party he talked to her barely but his job got in the way as always and he had to pick up his phone. When he finished his conversation he made it to return to her but found her speaking with her father. He didn't interrupted them, knowing that this was a conversation that both of them needed. So he just stood in the distance his eyes following her every move.
He visited her afterwards when she felt lonely or sad. He was the one that guided her towards Calypso's island although it was against the rules. His step mother had taken all the credits but actually he was the one that guided her arrow in the labyrinth. And in her battle against Antaeus, he had been there with her, although invisible, whispering ideas in her ear. He did his best to help her in the battle protecting her from the enemies' weapons. It was his shoulder she cried on after the battle, mourning the campers and friends that had died. She fell a sleep this way, wrapped in his hands, her head on his chest. Her eyes were reed and puffy, her hair tangled and her cheeks wet with tears, but for Hermes she was beautiful. He carried her off to her bed, placing a kiss on her cheek as he tugged her in. He could feel the warm touch of her skin on his lips for hours afterwards.
He visited her on her fifteenth birthday too, just after her father. He had brought her a beautiful sea green stone with a sea star shape, hanging by a chain made of white gold. When she asked about the sea motif, he just answered that it reminded him of her. She hadn't taken the necklace off since.
Sadly when the battle began he had less and less time to visit her, even in her dreams. He found himself missing her terribly often pausing to think about her smile or her eyes.
He remembered when he actually thought about that. About love. Wes he in love with Poseidon's beautiful daughter. Yes he was, and there was nothing he could do about it.
He lied to himself that he had forgotten her, that he hadn't been thinking about her but it was all a lie. He was angry at himself for not having the courage to go to her and tell her about his feelings. Eventually he got to meet her again. She had wanted to talk to Zeus but he had send Hermes to do the job as always.
When he appeared he was in foul mood and it was probably showing on his face.
"Hello, Percy" He greeted coldly, feeling annoyed with himself, not the girl before him. She looked at him with those big green eyes that held so many questions before bowing lightly.
"Lord Hermes," She greeted, surprising the god with her familiarity. "We need to talk to Zeus about something important." His fury returned and even the pair of beautiful eyes before him couldn't stop it. "I'm his messenger. May I take a message?" She looked taken aback and hurt by his harshness. She turned around and asked the others, expect Annabeth to leave them alone.
"My lord," Annabeth said. "Kronos is going to attack New York. You must suspect that. My mother must have foreseen it."
"Your mother," Hermes grumbled. He scratched his back with his
caduceus, and George and Martha muttered Ow, ow, ow. "Don't get me started on your mother, young lady. She's the reason I'm here at all. Zeus didn't want any of us to leave the front line. But your mother kept pestering him nonstop, 'It's a trap, it's a diversion, blah,
blah, blah.' She wanted to come back herself, but Zeus was not going to let his number one strategist leave his side while we're battling Typhon. And so naturally he sent me to talk to you."
"But it is a trap!" Annabeth insisted. "Is Zeus blind?"
A thunder sounded. "I'd watch the comments girl." He warned. "Do you think Zeus had left Olympus undefended? Olympus has strong magical wards. Besides, Aeolus, the King of the Winds, has sent his most powerful minions to guard the citadel. No one save the gods can approach Olympus from the air. They would be knocked out of the sky"
"Messages," he muttered. "'It'll be a great job,' they told me. 'Not much work. Lots of worshippers.' Hmph. Nobody cares what I have to say. It's always about other people's messages." Percy looked like she wanted to say something but then she glanced at the other demigoddess in the room and stayed quiet, although her hand reached up and instinctively gripped the necklace he had given her.
"Bah," Hermes said looking away. "Your mother said to warn you that you are on
your own. You must hold Manhattan without the help of the gods. As if I didn't know that. Why they pay her to be the wisdom goddess, I'm not sure."
"Anything else?" Annabeth asked.
"She said you should try plan twenty-three. She said you would
know what that meant."
Annabeth's face paled. Obviously she knew what it meant, and she
didn't like it. "Go on."
"Last thing." Hermes looked at me. "She said to tell Percy:
'Remember the rivers.'"
"Thank you, Hermes," Annabeth said. "And I . . . I wanted to say . . .I'm sorry about Luke." There she hit the sore spot. Hermes felt fury bubble inside his chest. "You should have left that subject alone."
"Sorry?" The daughter of Athena offered taking a step backwards.
"SORRY doesn't cut it!" He exploded. "You should've saved him when you had the chance. You're the only one who could have." He watched as Percy stepped between him and the girl.
"It's not Annabeth's fault!" The other girl defended making him even angrier.
"Don't defend her Jackson!"
"Maybe you should blame yourself!" The green eyed girl snapped. "If you hadn't abandoned Luke and his mom!" And that did it.
Hermes was furious. He felt himself growing back to his original look, raising his caduseus to strike. But then Martha whispered a few words making him realize what he was going to do. Without saying anything he disappeared from the throne room, away from Annabeth, away from Percy and away from his shame. Because he was ashamed, yes. He had almost zapped the woman he loved, blinded by his anger towards himself. He almost chocked with tears at the thought of what would happen if he had killed her.
He sneaked a peak of her sometimes later. The battle still hadn't start so Percy was alone in one of the rooms in Empire State Building. She was sitting on the floor and crying. Angrily she ripped the necklace of her neck and threw it towards the other end of the room where it fell on the floor. A minute later she stood up and picked it up, clasping it back where it belonged.
Hermes bit his lip in sadness watching the scene. It was his fault. If he hadn't acted like a jurk…
Their battle with Thyphon was hard but hopeless. He could see that now. They were getting closer and closer to Olympus and soon it would be too late. But there was one thing Hermes wanted to do while he still had a chance. So he slipped away from the battle, reappearing in Empire State Building. He found Percy in one of the bedrooms, staring out of the window. He entered without knocking on the door, closing it quietly behind himself. But she felt him.
"What are you doing here?" She asked emotionlessly making his heart beat painfully.
"I came to see you," He struggled with words, not knowing what to say. "And to apologize." She didn't say anything and he took a few steps forward until he was standing behind her. "Forgive me Percy, for what I said and what I nearly did. I was more angry with myself than anyone else. " The girl stayed silent still. "Percy I love you, and if this is my last night, I want to spend it with you."
She turned around then and kissed him. Their lips moved together slowly, sweetly, tenderly. His hands found their way up and wrapped around her face, gently caressing it with his thumbs. Her arms, in return, were at his collar, pulling him even closer. She started walking backwards towards the huge double bed, pulling him with her. They both fell onto the soft covers, with him on top.
Hermes' more skilled hands quickly pulled at the hem of her shirt taking it off. She gripped the zipper of his military pilot's flight suit, pulling it down and helping him take it of fully.
He was burning with desire. All he could see, all he could hear, all he could feel was this girl before him. The taste of her lips was addicting making him want more and more of them. She was driving him mad like a narcotic. His personal kind of drug.
Some time later they were lying together on the bed. Actually Percy was laying mostly a top of him but it wasn't like he minded. He needed to hold her close at least for a while, before it was time to leave. He was afraid to leave her, he admitted to himself. Afraid that this was the last time he would see her, the first and the last time would hold her this way.
"What is going to happen now?" She asked quietly, as if afraid to break the silence. "We are going to lose, aren't we?"
He sighed heavily. At first he thought about lying at her, telling that everything was going to be okay. But he couldn't. She deserved to know. "We can't stop Typhon." He said. "He's getting closer and closer and we're too weak to beat him." He didn't need to continue. She understood.
Hermes returned to the battle with more ferocity than before. He had a reason to fight for, now. But there was a fear in his heart. A fear for Percy and her well being. He tried to convince himself that she was going to be alright but the damn prophecy replayed in his head over and over again.
And after they won the first thing he did was to sprint up towards Olympus. He found her there, alive, his dead son lying across her lap. "I'm sorry." She whispered towards him, her eyes saying more than thousand words. And he knew that she meant it. So he crossed the room and kissed her, in front of everyone. He could hear the gasps of surprise but he didn't care. Everything was finally alright.
When the Fates came to take his son she was there, standing by his sight as his only support. He hugged her afterwards, drawing her closer, needing to feel that she was still there, that she was still alive.
When Poseidon called her name, Hermes heart skipped a beat. He watched as Percy stepped forward bowing to Zeus and kneeling at her father's throne.
"A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon said. "Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?" No arm rose. No voice spoke up.
"The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."
She hesitated. "Any gift?"
Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseas Jackson-if you wish it-you shall be made a goddess. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time." By know Hermes' heart was thundering loudly in his chest. He could see Aphrodite smirking in his direction from across the room but he ignored her, eyes fixed to the woman he loved.
"Um . . . a goddess?" She repeated stunned.
Zeus rolled his eyes. "A dimwitted goddess, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever."
"Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash her to a pulp as often as I want, and she'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."
"I approve as well," Aphrodite giggled, "After all I don't my newest love story to end tragically." She glanced between Hermes and Percy, making the girl blush brightly.
The messenger god was looking at her intensely trying to find out her decision before she had voiced it.
"Yes." It took him a moment to realize what she had said. Yes, she was going to be immortal. He would be able to love her forever.
Because Hermes wasn't one of the guys that fell inlove easily. But when he did, it wasn't just a fling. He could love devotedly and fully, passionately and deeply, truly and honestly. For the eternity/