Not even gods are guaranteed a happy ending.

From cheating spouses to kidnapped children, no Olympian has truly had a happy ever after. But still, there was some part deep inside of me that wished I could have had it. I had been separated from my mother, had been betrayed by Orion, and had to deal with an annoying brother for all eternity.

However, I did have stuff that I was proud of. For example, my virgin oath. At first I took it to prevent my father Zeus to marry me off to a male pig. Over time, my oath became a symbol of female empowerment. It was a choice I had made to live happily alone for all eternity. And I did live happily alone for over four millennia. My choice had never come to bite me in the ass.

But everything changes over time.

After the Second Giant War, the seven demigods who saved us from Gaia were given immortality. Amongst them was a boy called Perseus Jackson, or Percy for short. He, unlike the other six demigods, was granted the honor of being an Olympian. I still remember that day as if it was yesterday, the day where my heart and values began their eternal warfare.

Us twelve Olympians sat on the Throne Room, watching as the mortals received their rewards. At first the Romans received their rewards, and then the Greek demigods came forward to do the same. One by one the heroes were rewarded, until there was only one left. Now, before that instance, the son of Poseidon had previously denied godhood after the Second Titan War, which surprisingly had taken place not two years before the Second Giant War. Because of this, we gods were very wary of giving the young demigod another chance at godhood.

Much was our surprise when he accepted the proposition. Of course, the daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase, had also accepted godhood, so that might've been the reason for his acceptance.

Even the Fates came to grant him his domains.

Tides, Sea Creatures, Loyalty, Mortal Affairs, and Fishing.

When the fates declared his domains I felt like I was in a fever dream. The tides are affected by the moon. Fishing is basically hunting but in the water. Two out of his four domains were directly related to me. And just like me, his domains were contradictory. He was the god of Sea Creatures while also being a fishing god, same as me being the goddess of the wilderness but at the same time being the goddess of hunting.

From that moment on I knew that Perseus Jackson was going to become a great part of my life. Wether or not it was going to be a good part or a part filled with pain, that was something I would learn over time.

After a pathetic attempt of Roman Emperor Gods uprising, which only seemed to be there so my brother could suffer during his mortal punishment, Olympus found itself at peace for a whole millennia. One thousand years of us living life as peacefully as we could considering all the intrigues gods have with one another. Even I, a fairly antisocial goddess, has many intrigues. Some other gods like my brother, or Aphrodite, or Ares, have unaccountable numbers of intrigues.

During those thousand years, I became very close to the hero of Olympus, Percy Jackson. We met every night to discuss the patterns the moon should take on the tides. These meeting began as something completely profesional, but over time, they became part of our friendship. It was the only moment we could meet without people being suspicious of something that wasn't there. After five years, both him and I began to open up about our past and our feelings.

We became each other's therapists. I would tell him certain problems I had been having while running the hunt, and he told me how he felt watching his mortal family age while he just stayed the same. He also began to tell me about his relationship with Annabeth Chase, the problems they were having and asking advice on how to fix them. Although I was not the love expert, I was always open to help him with his relationship. After all, his relationship with the Athena spawn made him happy, and that was all that mattered.

The day he broke up with Annabeth Chase was the day Percy Jackson changed completely. His once carefree and humorous persona turned into a black aura that brought dread wherever it landed.

"She broke me." That was the first thing Percy told me after his break up. It wasn't a "she broke up with me" or a "it's over". No, his words were "she broke me".

To the normal viewer or listener this would've sounded like a very extreme way to express a break up. A way to exagerate a teenage relationship. But I knew better. I saw how his aura began to turn darker, how his smile almost never came, how his eyes turned dull. In all senses except for a physical one, Annabeth Chase broke the Hero of Olympus.

I have to say, it wasn't her fault. Annabeth had simply broken a relationship in which she no longer felt attached to, which is the responsible thing to do. If you don't love someone, it is best for everyone to let them go and pursure other loves. And that's what she did.

What not many people knew, however, is that for Prcy, that relationship was his whole world. Once his relationship with the daughter of Athena disappeared, the young god did not know what to do with his life. He continued on with his duties of godhood, but he did them without sincere care. The mortal world was affected by this, with many far-right and far-left governments being established. The world fell into an economic depression, one that they couldn't come out of.

It took ten years for us to pull Percy from such an extreme state into a much more functional one. He didn't hold the mirth he did once upon a time, but at least the mortal world wasn't being so severely affected. He slowly began to smile more during our meetings, until out of nowehere he began to joke again.

With each meeting, dull and deppressed Percy began to turn to old and funny Percy. He began to be more cooperative with me, as the tides slowly began to be pulled by the moon with even more force than before, making fishermen able to fish their daily income. It made me so happy to see my best friend happy again. As long as he was happy, I was too; as long as I was happy, he was too. It was the same relationship our domains had. The tides and the moon.

Every day my admiration for the young god began to grow. I had always respected him. Ever since he retrieved my father's Master Bolt and stopped a civil war between the gods, I knew that Percy Jackson was a special boy, a boy worthy of being called a man. As we got even closer, the mentality of the son of Poseidon simply amazed me. Even after going through hell, he still maintained his sanity and was still able to joke around. He never went around to sleep with random bimbos, and he never broke a girls heart.

Over the years, I began to grow wary of the fact that Percy had not dated many girls over the course of time. I knew it was not a matter of looks, as he looked very handsome. His green eyes shone even under the night sky, and his unruly hair fit his face perfectly. His body was also what any woman would want on a man. This all meant that the reason why he hadn't dated more girls, or why he hadn't ad a long-term girlfriend was because of him. My mind obviously jumped to a very sane conclusion: he was still hung over Annabeth.

Even after all that time, Percy was still the same young boy in love with his crush. That crush that would never go away. That crush that no matter what happens in your life, you can only imagine yourself with him.

As Percy's best friend, it was my job to make him happy however I could.

"Percy, do you want to watch Sharknado 32?" I asked him one day after seeing him somewhat sad.

He turned to me with a smile. "Sure! I'll pay for the tickets."

"Don't worry. I invite you, so I'll pay. It's my treat." I smiled right back

That was the start of our weekly movie theater adventures. It started as a way to make him lighten up, but with each outing, I felt myself enjoying myself more and more. Being next to him while watching a mediocre movie was one of the best feelings in the world. Sharing the same pop-corn, throwing that pop-corn at people talking loudly, judging the couples making out right next to us, it was all part of what made that friendship so special. Every week I found myself being more and more excited for the next movie...but I wan't looking forward to the movie. I was looking forward to spending even more time with Percy.

"Can I ask you something? And please don't get offended." Percy asked me one day while we were working with the tides and moon

"Sure, what is it?" I asked him

"Are you a lesbian?"

His face was serious, and so I laughed at his question. "No, and why would I get offended by that?"

"Goddesses tend to get offended by very small things."

"That's true with other goddesses, not me. Why do you ask?"

Percy scratched the back of his head. "I was just wondering because I've never heard you mention anything about you liking anybody, so I just assumed..."

"Right...well I'm not. I'm as straight as they come, even if I hang out with an all female group in the middle of the woods."

Percy managed to smile. "So you've never been curious?"

I blushed a little. "I mean, for a moment I thought I might've been, you know, but after something happened I quickly realized that I was not."

"Wait wait." Percy did a T sign with his hands. "Are you not a kiss virgin?"

"Nope, I kissed a girl but I didn't like it. Can we stop talking about this now?"

"One last question please."

"Fine, shoot." I said rolling my eyes

"Have you ever kissed a guy?"

I blushed even more. "Technically, no."

"Then how do you know if you're straight?"

"Because I feel straight, stupid."

Percy put his hands up. "I'm sorry, but I recall you saying that you thought you were a lesbian until you kissed a girl and realized you weren't. What happens if you kiss a guy and you don't like it?"

"I would have to kiss a guy in order to find out then, and trust me when I say there's no way in H-" I was cut off by Percy placing his lips on mine. His lips started to move on mine, and instinctively I moved mine in sync. His lips tasted like sea-salt, not overpowering but enough to make you melt with him.

The kiss must've lasted around five seconds, but it kept repeating on my head for the rest of the night.

"Now you aren't a guy-kiss virgin. So, are you straight?" Percy asked smirking

I quickly came back to my senses and hit him on the head. "I must be asexual."

I wasn't going to tell him at the moment, but I felt something in that kiss. I don't know what you would call it. Maybe attraction? Whatever it was, I just knew that I had to make Percy happy however I could. His wellbeing was my wellbeing. No matter how much it would hurt me, his happiness and well-being was my priority.

Every moment I spent with Percy, my mouth could do nothing but smile. It was like being in a trance. If we went to see a horror movie, I smiled at his reactions. If we went to a walk around Chicago, I also smiled. Even while we were working on important Olympian business, I smiled.

I taught him how to use a bow and arrow, which took him around a whole decade to finally be able to use it, and he taught me how to fish. I introduced him formally to the hunt, and they immediately liked him. Must've been because they knew who he was because of the past wars, or simply because Thalia glared at anyone who made a comment against him. Whichever the reason, Percy became like an honorary member of the hunt. He joined us whenever he had time, helping us with new recruits and with just common hunts.

It was like a family. Me, the hunters, and Percy, a fearsome force. With this time, Percy and I became even closer (if that was possible). I told him about my mother who was imprisoned on an island because of Hera, and I consoled him when he told me about his deseased mortal family. I really felt, at that time, like we were family. Perhaps even closer than family, something which words cannot even describe.

"Arty, why'd you take your vow?" he asked me one day when we were fishing. It was only the two of us on a boat, which by definition was supposed to be very boring, but Percy somehow made it entertaining. However, at that moment, he just made it awkward.

"To prevent my father marrying me off to a vile man." I answered looking straight into the horizon

"But, what if a good man wants to ask you to marry?"

"Even if a good man wants to marry me, which I doubt, it will still be very hard to do. In exchange for my vow, I was able to form the hunt. If I were to break it, then my father would disbband the hunt and all my hunters will end up without a home. I cannot be so selfish as to do that to my hunters just so I can please a man."

"But what if-"

"There is no what if." I cut him off, turning my head towards him. "I will never break my vow. Even if the perfect guy is out there waiting for me, I cannot do it. I swore to live my life in solitude, so I must abide by my words. Yes, it may hurt me and him a lot, but it is what the world is. The Fates want it to be this way, so it will be as they wish."

"Screw the fates!" Percy yelled. "You should be able to do whatever you want."

"Actions have consequences Percy. Even actions from millennia ago have repercussions that affect my life today. I cannot break my vow, and that is final."

Not long after that, Percy went back with the daughter of Athena. Whenever I asked him why he went back to her after she broke him, he always replied with the same answer.

"She'll give me happiness."

Who was I to deny him that? After telling myself that I would do whatever it was to make Percy happy, it turned out that it wasn't going to be easy. For some reason, every time he talked about her, a stab in my heart was felt. Every time I saw them together on Olympus, my throat closed and I quickly turned away from them. I was happy for Percy, I really was, but for some reason, his happiness didn't give me happiness.

After she had broken him, I was the one who helped him get back on his feet. I was the one by his side during those tough times caused by her, yet here she was acting as if everything was normal.

But Percy was happy. She made him happy, and I just had to live with that.

Annabeth was his love, and I was the best friend. Even after opening myself during the course of centuries, I was simply just a secondary character in their love story. I was the one who helped Percy get together with her, that essencial character in the story that nobody pays attention to. That was me, my cruel reality.

The day of the wedding was a clear May day, with the birds chirping, the temperature around 60º and everyone enjoying themselves. Well, everyone except me.

That day I woke up at five in the morning and flashed to Virginia Beach. The tide wasn't high and the moon was not in the sky. A new moon, as the mortals would call it. I stayed there for twenty minutes in solitude, breathing the salt in the air through my nostrils, remembering the taste of that kiss. A soft hand on my shoulders shook me out my thoughts, as I turned around and faced the same man who was getting married. His face was calm, yet it held some sort of hidden solemn expression.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him

He faced the water. "Why? Can't I be in the beach?"

I didn't laugh. For the first time in a long time, I couldn't laugh with him.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked me

"Nothing, I'm completely fine." I lied

"You don't look fine."

"I am, don't worry."

"If you say so.." Percy sighed. "Are you coming to the wedding?"

There, again, that stab on my heart returned.

"Yeah, I'm going with Apollo"

Percy nodded. "Why isn't he going with a date?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Something about bridesmaids."

"Typical Apollo." Percy laughed. He turned his head to face me. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Are you?" I instead asked

Percy was silent for a few moments, staring into the horizon. The breeze swept his hair, making his face almost unreadable.

"I'm just nervous. Deep down I always thought I was going to be marrying Annabeth, but I don't know if it will make me happy in the end. I feel like I've made myself believe that she's the best I can have, even if there's someone more compatible with me out there." he said the last part looking at me.

I looked away from him. "Percy, Annabeth is going to make you happy. Trust me, if Aphrodite makes that much Percabeth merchandise, it's because of something. You'll have a family, children of your own. That's what you always wanted."

"I'll have a family of my own." Percy repeated.

Again, the stab on my heart. Why couldn't I be happy for him.

"Yes, you'll have a good family. A loving wife and wonderful children, and it'll start today."

Percy nodded and hugged me. I stiffened from the contact, but quickly brough my arms to return the hug.

I didn't know it back then, but that would be the last time I would be able to hug him like that. On the morning as the sun rose, just the moon and the tides being together.

The wedding was the event of the century. Every Greek being, wether demigod, partial-immortal, or god, was present on the ceremony. I was able to recognize some of Percy's groomsmen. Nico DiAngelo, Jason Grace, Hermes, Frank Zhang, and Leo Valdez. Apollo had been mad at Percy not choosing him as a groomsman, although I understand why he did it. Apollo hadn't been that close to Percy, he was just there. The others had been his quest mates all those centuries back, and Hermes had been a big friend of Percy as soon as he gained godhood.

Ceremonies up on Olympus are long, but this one felt excruciatingly long. I felt every word as a pang to my heart. When they said their vows, my heart wanted to decompose. But he was happy, and that meant that I should've been happy. But I wasn't. I couldn't be.

"Do you, Annabeth Chase, take Perseus Jackson to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Hera asked

"I do."

"And do you, Perseus Jackson, take Annabeth Chase, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

It really felt like hours between that question and the innevitable answer. Percy was looking straight at Annabeth, fully aware of the beauty he was marrying Meanwhile I was sitting on the second row of the guests with trembling hands. Apollo had to take them so that I would stop myself from crying the tears that had to wait for the ceremony to finish.

In just one moment, Percy looked directly at me and gave a small smile.

"I do."

Every day, I have to listen to Percy talking about his family, always wondering if those could've been my children. My happiness didn't come from Percy's happiness, but it was still much better than seeing him dwell on a girl. He truly was happily married with the girl from his childhood. In the end, I was just another side character of a bigger love story.

That vow I had taken when I was merely four days old had stopped me from getting a happily ever after. How I wish I had never taken that vow, but alas, we cannot change the past, we can only learn from it.

Hope you guys like this one-shot! Please review if you can. I enjoyed writting this story, especially because I love writing sad endings. This is my take on a more realistic "Pertemis", one in whic they both like each other but ultimately can't be together.

I don't know what else to say...THANKS FOR READING!