PIPER

PIPER REALLY WAS FED UP OF GETTING KIDNAPPED. It just so happened that the only time they did not have someone on guard of the Argo II was the exact moment a minor goddess decided it was her time to strike. Thus, the Seven found themselves trapped in a dimly-lit cave held by her 'minions'. On your average day it wouldn't have seemed like much, just a couple dozen wind spirits, though everyone was greatly weakened from their trip to the House of Hades the previous week - especially Percy and Annabeth.

When they had first seen them exit that lift, they looked horrendous, and that was putting it kindly. Deep cuts decorated their stomachs and broken bones stuck out in random places. Their skin was littered with red scratches and blue bruises, their clothes were stained and their eyes had a haunted look in them. However, this was all to be expected after spending time in the darkest pits of Hell.

Throughout the week, they had gotten better, though the mental scars were obviously still intact. They had lost the majority of wounds they had received in Tartarus (gods, even the name of that place made Piper shiver) and had even managed to gain the weight they lost with the help of ambrosia and nectar. For the first day or two, they locked themselves in Percy's room and hardly acknowledged anyone else, though they had seemed to realise that the rest of the people on Argo II were merely trying to help them. Thankfully, Percy seemed to be back to normal, though once in a while Piper would walk onto the deck and notice him staring out at sea, a broken look in his ocean eyes.

If anyone didn't deserve that, it was Percy.

He had been through so much and he was only a year older than Piper. To think she had thought her life had been hard. Retrieving Zeus' lightning bolt . . . traveling through the Sea of Monsters . . . baring the weight of the sky . . . travelling through the labyrinth . . . battling (and beating) Kronos when he was only sixteen . . . being torn away from his family, his girlfriend, his life and being kept asleep for months on end . . . .

Piper was sixteen and she couldn't imagine fighting the King of the Titans now and probably ever.

Whenever she had come across the son of Poseidon in such a state, she would not hesitate to give him a much-needed hug. He would wrap his muscular, scarred arms around her and she would rest her head on his chest, feeling his heart beating steadily (he was much too tall for her to even think about placing her head on his shoulder). They hadn't known each other all that long, but he was already like a brother to her. Words weren't necessary in times like these, and Piper knew that her mere presence would say everything she could want to get across. She was here for them, they all were.

Yet, as Piper shot Percy a glance, she noticed that despite the worrying situation they were in, he still managed to be a radiate defiance and act as a source of hope. She was standing to his left, with Jason to her left, who had Leo to his left. To Percy's right, he had (of course) Annabeth, with Hazel to her right, with Frank to her right, making Percy in the middle of the semi-circle they formed. Wind spirits were surrounding them, their icy glares almost daring them to move, hands gripping the demigods' wrists behind them, preventing any movement.

A beautifully hazy voice filled the space, words dripping with guile. "Hello, demigods," A woman, who was obviously a minor goddess judging by her aura and demeanour, greeted. "Please don't try to fight against us. I have taken your weapons, and you won't be getting them back anytime soon."

Piper studied the woman, trying to work out who she was when Annabeth piped up.

"You're Selene," Annabeth said. "Goddess of the moonlight."

How Annabeth knew that, Piper had no idea. It seemed as if that girl knew everything. However, Selene looked impressed and perhaps even flattered, and it was only as the goddess turned to face them did Piper notice the admittedly pretty, silver shade of her eyes. The colour of the moon.

"Correct, daughter of Athena." she praised. "Most people refer to me as a goddess of the moon. That is incorrect. I am the moonlight." To prove her point, she faded into a shimmering mist that resembled the light yellow colour of the moon. She regained her physical form as she spoke once again. "Of course, this angers me. Gaea has promised me full recognition, and I will finally become the proper goddess of the Moon, when she finally gets rid of that pesky maiden goddess. I mean, who would want to swear off boys for good? That's ridiculous, they're all so handsome . . . gods, how I would enjoy torturing that Artemis myself. How she became an Olympian over me, I can't ever be sure. Probably just because of her father who-"

Percy growled, the inhumane sound surprising everyone, causing all heads to turn to him. Piper vaguely recalled being told how Artemis was one of the only Olympians who was actually kind to him. She figured he had the right to be angry.

Selene seemed startled at the interruption for a second, but quickly regained her composure and fluttery facade as she turned to face the fuming demigod.

"Ah, Percy Jackson!" She gave him a once over, eyes trailing down his body as she licked her lips. "Yes, I see you've inherited your father's good looks." Her flirty eyes met his and she took a step forward, coming face to face with him (or in her case, face to chest, Piper noted. Percy really was too tall for his own good).

Piper didn't really blame her; as a daughter of Aphrodite, even in the loosest of terms, she had a distinct appreciation of beauty. Percy was definitely in possession of a lot of it. She had never really come across someone quite as attractive as him. Don't get her wrong, she loved Jason to pieces and with the life they live, she wouldn't dare to even think about being with anyone else. With his outstanding courage, military cut blond hair, striking blue eyes and the amount of adoration they held whenever he so much as glanced at her, she couldn't think of someone better. But there was something about Percy that just grabbed everyone's attention. She knew from the whispers around camp and the quick glances at the photo of him by Annabeth's bed that he was good looking. What, with that toned body from all the years of training and risking his life, his strong, tan arms, defined jawline, those plump lips, the perfect angle of his nose, his beautiful black-as-ebony hair that seemed to be as wild as the sea, and the crashing waves that he called eyes, how could anyone not be attracted to him?

Besides the physicalities, Percy was just so good. His heart was purer than the driven snow. No matter the situation, no matter the consequences for himself, or the state he was in, Percy managed to lead them all through hell and back. He had been facing monster after monster in life-or-death situations for close to seven years, knowing that he had to be strong for everyone else. Power radiated off of him more than anyone she had ever met; to be honest, she wouldn't be surprised if he came up to them one day and told them that he had actually taken up the offer of Godhood himself (which, by the way, Piper was still baffled by). The constant acts of bravery he displayed in spite of how much he had suffered never ceased to amaze her, and she admired him to no end. He was constantly battered and bruised, traumatised by everything that life threw at him, yet he always managed to crack a joke and smile as if he had no care in the world. A smile that Piper personally thought could stop a raging war.

But he was Annabeth's, and Piper had never seen two people share so much love in her life.

Speaking of Annabeth, she looked as if she wanted to strangle the goddess, though the wind spirits held her back. Percy merely looked uncomfortable with the supposed compliments, his jaw still set angrily with his veins straining against his tan skin, as if trying to restrain himself from setting off an earthquake and blowing up a lake, something Piper had heard he had unintentionally done before - or was it a volcano? Everyone else was flicking their eyes between the two, not really knowing what to do or daring to speak up.

"Gods, your jaw looks amazing when you do that," she purred, running a finger down his arm. "Why don't you ditch these demigods and join me in my quest to become the lady of the moon, hm?"

Piper wanted to roll her eyes, but at the same time, she was determined not to die today. Using charmspeak, she tried to convince the goddess to release them. "Please, milady of the moonlight, could you please just let us free? We won't cause you any trouble in the future."

Selene merely laughed, as if Piper was a form of amusement to her. "You thought your silly charmspeak would work on me? How sweet. I see that along with her beauty, you've also inherited your mother's idiocy. What a shame."

Being looked down upon for being a daughter of Aphrodite was truly getting tiring to Piper. She was proud to be one and was honestly deeply offended. She felt Jason tense beside her, but he knew better than to open his mouth when there were wind spirits (who hated his father) holding him. Piper appreciated his protectiveness all the same.

Percy, however, didn't hold back yet another snark. "Don't talk about Piper like that!"

Piper's heart felt as if it were the size of a balloon. A rush of affection directed at the son of Poseidon surged through her. They really hadn't known each other very long, but Percy protected her like they had grown up together. His loyalty was genuinely incomparable to anyone else's she had seen.

"One day, Percy Jackson, you're going to be my immortal partner. And in a couple millennia, I'm going to turn to you in our palace and say 'I told you so.'"

If it wasn't for the frankly dire situation they were in, the goddess' pure delusion would have made Piper laugh. Percy's face adapted one of disgust while next to him, Annabeth bit back insults to the moonlight goddess. Selene, seemingly oblivious to this, carried on speaking. "And you're going to forget all about your little demigod friends." Her eyes skimmed over everyone once again, dismissing their attempts to escape. "I don't see why you're all struggling. You're going to die anyway, might as well relax in your last few minutes."

The room went quiet for a second as Selene turned around to speak to a couple of wind spirits, perhaps directing them to hijack another demigod-filled-ship. Percy made a show of making eye contact with every demigod in the room. His eyes stared into Piper's, and she immediately recognised his "I've got this" face. He was asking her to trust him, and to be honest, he didn't really need to ask. She would follow him to the end of the Earth if he thought it was the right thing to do, so Piper nodded at him, showing him she understood.

Piper followed Percy's eyes as he shared the same quick yet intense look with the rest of their friends. Finally, Percy had convinced everyone to remain quiet and let him take this one. "You're right," he said out of the blue as the goddess looked up in surprise. "You're completely right."

Selene snapped her fingers and the wind spirits holding him disappeared in an instant. She genuinely was desperate.

Percy took a step forward, his shoulders back and his arms by his side. "We could be together forever," he spoke softly yet his voice oozed confidence. He was right up close to her by now, only about half a foot away from her. "You'd be my beautiful wife,"

He smirked the smirk that Piper's half-sisters just never shut up about. The corner of his mouth was turned up and his ever-so-slightly-crooked teeth were barely visible from behind the curve of his soft, pink lips. Gently, Percy placed one hand on Selene's waist and the other on her cheek. The goddess seemed lost for words as he bit his bottom lip slowly in a way that made Piper's heart hurt.

It seemed as if Selene couldn't handle it anymore because she grabbed him by the small of his back and pulled him towards her, pressing her petite body against his. Nobody could take their eyes off the scene. She didn't know what he was doing or where in the world this was going, but Piper's faith remained intact. She saw him shared one last look with Annabeth, a look that Piper would have missed if she wasn't staring so avidly at him, and the blonde relaxed a little bit more.

Percy leaned in and began kissing Selene's neck, making her gasp in anticipated pleasure.

"Our palace," Percy whispered between kisses in a low, husky tone, letting his voice drop an octave, so quiet that Piper had to strain her ears to hear it. "Just the two of us."

Selene sighed as Percy caressed her waist, his thumbs rubbing circles into her bare skin. The goddess tugged on his hair, causing Percy let out a little groan that made Piper's heart skip a beat and her breath to get caught in her throat. She could have sworn she saw Selene's knees wobble.

Just as Selene ran her hand through his messy, messy hair, Percy swiftly dragged his lips upwards and began kissing her jawline. The goddess gasped and let her other hand slip under his shirt, tracing over his love handles and toned abs whilst she hitched it up. Piper caught a brief look at his tanned, stomach and prominent V line before the shirt fell once again.

Percy let his forearm slide onto Selene's hips, extending his hand so that they looked as if they were gripping a weapon. Everybody watched in amazement as the water particles in the air formed a tall, solid trident just behind Selene. As Percy kept her thoughts clouded with lust for him (Piper could only imagine what was going off in her mind), Selene did not suspect a thing. Percy kissed her lower jaw one more time, careful to avoid her mouth as he could never do that to Annabeth, and plunged the trident deep into her back. The goddess let out a sharp gasp of surprise before disappearing in seconds.

Once the wind spirits caught sight of their lady's plan failing, they surged forward in an attempt to attack Percy. However, he summoned a wave of water to sweep through them, forcing them out the door. Water was their enemy, as spirits of the sky. The domain they avoided most.

Twirling the ichor-covered trident in his hands, Percy coughed. "Well, that was awkward,"

Piper noticed Hazel fanning her face in an old-fashioned manner, not believing what she had seen, with Frank's large cheeks holding a very light shade of red. It must have been very awkward for him to see his best friend, big brother and role model in such a light, she thought. Piper, on the other hand, didn't really mind the show.

"I swear to gods, Percy, if you ever do that again I will personally slap you into Hades!" Annabeth had strolled up to Percy and punched his arm, though she had this sort of dazed look in her eyes as if she was in awe of him. Piper nodded; she felt exactly the same way.

Percy just rolled his gorgeous eyes, let the trident dissolve back into the air before leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"Nah, she could never compare to you, Wise Girl." he whispered quietly before he gave Annabeth a slow, soft kiss making Piper's Aphrodite heart sing. She looked away to give them privacy and felt someone move up next to her. She felt someone stand next to her and before even glancing at who it was, she knew it was Jason. He grabbed her hand with his rough, calloused one and gave her a slight smile. She loved Jason. More than he would ever know, however as she looked at Percy with his trademark trouble-maker smile, soft black hair and stunning ocean eyes, she sighed to herself.

A girl can dream.

(Many months later, after Gaea had been defeated, the Aphrodite cabin held their annual "most beautiful camper of the year" poll. Piper, who had not taken part in it the previous year, was about to slot her vote for Jason on a piece of paper into the box. However, as she looked out the window and saw a shirtless Percy Jackson, she paused. He was fake-sparring (well, fake on his behalf) with a new six-year-old son of Hermes and letting the boy win. She watched as Percy let the boy knock his practice sword out of his hand and stand over him, his much-too-big-for-him sword pointed at the older camper's chest. Percy held his hands up in defeat, smiling at the young boy and congratulating him, feeding the growing joy on the son of Hermes' face. Piper, making sure no one in her cabin was watching her, made a spur of the moment decision and crossed Jason's name out, scribbling Percy's down instead.

And, when the results came out a week later, she pretended to be surprised when the son of Poseidon won for the supposed fourth year in a row.

"Don't worry, Pipes," one of her sisters reassured her. "Jason was in second place."

Piper just smiled at her and continued to eat her dinner, not so subtly staring right at Percy Jackson. He was a 6'2", ridiculously handsome young man who had defeated countless gods and titans, yet, right now was making a little daughter of Demeter laugh from across the Dining Pavillion on the Poseidon table by contorting his proud features into funny faces. Yeah, he was definitely the most beautiful camper, Piper decided. In much more than just the artificial sense of the word.)

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Re-edited on the 9th of January 2020.

My second one shot on this site, I hope you enjoyed it! Percy is honestly 100% my favourite character of all time. He's so pure and good and just beautiful, I could genuinely talk about him all day. Anyway, I really wanted a little Piper-appreciating-Percy fanfic, so here you go! I'd really love to see more of their friendship so I'm currently on the hunt to find some more of those fics out there lol

I got a load of feels writing this I'm not going to lie to you hahaha

Let me know if you have any thoughts on new ideas for one-shots that I could write. Thank you so much for reading!