Name: AlEmily360

Cabin: Apollo

Team: Red

Prompt: Fourth of July- Write about being wistful for summer

Additional Prompts used: [Genre] Family, [dialogue] "I have a solution!" "Thank goodness." "It involves fire." "Absolutely not!", [Word] Unfamiliar

Summary: Percy and Artemis were sent out on the same quest by different people. Of course, they meet and an argument broke out. Without noticing it, they got stuck in the middle of the storm and were forced to spend a night in the cave. With each other.

Word Count: 2,370

A Stormy Night

The wind howled loudly in the middle of December. Pale, white snow falls freely and covered the ground in white paint. All of the leaves succumbed to their cold as the tree was left bare in the freezing weather.

The snow was knee deep and Percy Jackson stumbled through the snow, cruising Khione is his brain. The stupid goddess who controlled snow. The snow is only making his task harder. Somehow, a deadly snow monster was set loose by some of the remaining giants after the war with Gaea. Guess what, they decided Percy is the best person for the job.

Not that he was complaining. Annabeth, his best friend said he should do it. It would take his mind off the war. But seriously, how does tracking a snow monster get his mind off the war he has no idea.

"Stupid Khione, do you just have to create the season winter?" Percy mumbled under his breath as he continued forward around the forest aimlessly. An icy blast of wind blew across his face and Percy wants nothing more than to slap the goddess in the face. Maybe with a fire stick and punch her to the next decade.

"Where would the monster be anyways?" Percy groaned as he continued walking forward in his dark blue sweat pants and sea-green sweater. It was a give from his mom and he wears it everywhere. Another jacket covered his sweater, providing him from freezing to death in the middle of the forest.

Suddenly, a roar was heard from the distance and Percy mumbled to himself. "Just kill the monster and I could get out of here."

Oh, he couldn't be more wrong.

Artemis walked elegantly around the snow, how steps soft, never once did her feet sink under the snow. She wore her silver hunting parka underneath her fur cloak that covered most of her body. Her hood was on as her hand clutched around the bow in her hand.

Her father, Zeus, decided that she would be the perfect person to track down a snow monster before a snowstorm arrive. Artemis is usually up for the job, but not in the middle of the forest cover in snow and an icy blast of wind blowing against her.

She wished that it's summer instead of winter, or even better, she could bring her hunters. She mumbled greek cruses under her breath when snow fell from a branch onto her hood, again!

"What's the point of being here, father?" Artemis asked as she looked up toward the sky with a slight glare, waiting for an answer. "Why can't I do this monster hunt during the summer?"

Thunder rumbled overhead and Artemis rolled her eyes before she continued marching forward. Suddenly, a roar was heard from a distance and her eyes light up as she ran forward lightly, a smile on her face. Finally, she thought. Finally find that monster!

Unfortunately for her, someone else was there as well, namely a male named Perseus Jackson. Someone how saved her from under the sky, without him, she would still be stuck there. Also someone how has saved Olympus twice from evil. Guess he was given this job as well.

But why would father sent a male, Artemis thought, anger clouding her mind, distracting her. She could to this perfectly fine alone.

Percy knew he was in trouble the second he sees Artemis, storming over to him, an arrow pointed toward his head. He back up slowly, the thought of killing the monster and going home was instantly gone from his mind. The only thought right now is to survive the enraged goddess.

"What are you doing here, boy," Artemis snarled at him, marching closer and closer. Percy started backing up.

"I'm looking for the snow monster-" Percy started but Artemis cut him off.

"I don't need any help from you-" She growled. "I could do this perfectly fine, alone."

"But-" Percy started, raising his hand as if he was in school. "Ch-"

"No but," Artemis growled. "I am hunting alone. Is. That. Understood?"

"Yes, milady," Percy replied slowly before quickly running back toward the way he came from. Artemis sighed before she turned around, only to find the monster staring at her. She glared back before she released the arrow she was previously pointing at Perseus and now pointed at the monster.

Somehow, the monster didn't disappear when Artemis hit it. Its eyes turned red and he charged toward the moon goddess.

Artemis continued shooting arrow after arrow. Each hitting the target but doing no danger. A groaned escape Artemis' lips when the monster only comes closer and closer toward her. There is nothing she could do when her arrows were useless against it.

The monster descends on her and she had her hunting knifes out in an instant. It does nothing against the monster as it continued walked toward Artemis with a growled. Soon, Artemis has her back against a tree and nowhere to run.

I wonder if this is how I will fade away, Artemis thought to herself, fear visible in her eyes for once. She let out a loud scream when the monster suddenly strikes without warning, biting her heard on the leg.

A loud scream echoes around the forest and it reaches Percy's ears. Artemis, he thought before he started running toward the direction of the scream.

Within a few minutes, Percy saw the monster, and Artemis was there, barely conscious. Her leg had a big gash on it and ichor was pooling out, making a pool of ichor beside her. He gave Artemis a look and their eyes met for a minute.

Artemis felt something unfamiliar in the pit of her guts when Percy gave her a soft and caring look. She smiled softly at him before she gasped in pain again. Percy charged toward the monster without thinking the same time Artemis lined up her aim with the hunting knife at the monster.

Riptide crashed into the monster at the same time Artemis' hunting knife found its target. Within seconds, the monster vanished into thin air and monster dust was all that's left. Percy ran toward Artemis.

He ripped his inner shirt off and used one on Artemis' leg, putting pressure on it to stop the blood flow. Right now, he doesn't even care if he got turned into a jackalope afterward for touching her, he is trying to save her life. "You okay?"

"Fine," Artemis groaned. "Just a little cold."

"Well," Percy started. "Part of your pants did fell off."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "You think I don't know that?"

"And I think a snowstorm is approaching," Percy added, looking at the sky. Artemis mentally facepalm for being so stupid. Her father had warned her of the storm and she didn't even remember it.

"Can you teleport us out of here," Percy asked with hope in his eyes. Artemis nodded before she put her hand on top of Percy's with a slight blush making its way toward her cheek as Percy closed his eyes and Artemis tried to flash them away.

Keyword, tried. "Did it work?" Percy asked, opening one of his eyes and let out a disappointed sighed when he saw that he was still in the same place. "Why didn't it work?"

"I don't think I have enough power," Artemis admitted. The wind continued howling loudly and the storm only seems to be getting closer. Artemis started shivering slightly under the freezing wind and when Percy noticed this, he removed his jacket and put it around him, even though he is cold.

"We should find somewhere to stay for the night," Percy decided before he stood up, holding out a hand for Artemis to take. Artemis gratefully accepts it but they soon found out she can not walk.

After the fifth attempt to do it, Percy made a suggestion. "I could carry you."

"No," Artemis replied instantly. "You've done enough."

And I already owed you, Artemis wanted to add but didn't say a thing after that. Percy seems to be having a mental debate with himself before without permission, he carried up Artemis bridal styled and he ran toward a cave he saw on his way here.

"You're so dead, Perseus," Artemis growled at the boy in front of her when they arrived at the cave. Both Percy and Artemis were shivering.

"If I don't die from the cold first," Percy replied, gritting his teeth and that's when Artemis realized that she is still wearing his jacket. She quickly took it off and wrapped it around Percy.

"You didn't have to give me your jacket," Artemis said softly. "You could've freeze to death."

"It's fine," Percy replied before an idea came to mind. An idea that might not make them freeze to death. "I have a situation!"

"Thank goodness," Artemis replied with a smile before she gesture for Percy to continue.

"It involves fire," Percy replied with a mischievous grin. Artemis shook her head quickly.

"Absolutely not," she replied. "You might set the whole mountain on fire, Perseus."

"I won't," Percy replied with a grin. "Because that's what I was going to do."

Artemis groaned. "You are making no sense."

They fell into silence again before the wind started blowing into the cave they were in. Percy makes a sound of displeasure. "Why isn't this cave doing its job? It has one job, and is to block the wind."

Artemis chuckled softly. She, for the first time, agrees with Percy though. Without realizing it, Artemis moved a little closer to Percy, wanting more warmth.

"Tell me about your family," Artemis suddenly said. "Sometimes talking makes you forget about the cold."

"Well," Percy started with a chuckle. "You already know my godly side of the family, probably more than I know."

Artemis smirked. "Yeah, I definitely know more."

"Well, my mom, Sally Jackson is probably the best mom I could ever ask for," Percy said. "She will do anything for me and I love her so much. Plus, I love her blue cookies. And then there's my step father, Paul. He's an English teacher at my school, Good High. And yeah…"

"How are the demigods holding up after the war?" Artemis suddenly asked. Percy's smiled faded a bit.

"Well, a lot of them are shaken up and we are all glad that we won and the peace that we have right now. How about your hunters?" Percy asked, changing the topic.

"Well," Artemis started. "My hunters are all doing well but I lost a lot of them during both wars-" A tear slid down her cheek when she talked about them. They are her family and they all died because of a war. Percy couldn't help it but brushed a tear away from her face. He hugged her softly.

"Hey, it's okay," Percy said softly. "You don't have to talk about them if you don't want to."

"Thanks," Artemis replied before noticing how close they were standing. Heat rushed to her cheek and they moved apart. Artemis sighed. Why is she feeling like this? Percy quickly pulled his hand away and Artemis immediately miss his warmth.

"I think we should call it a night," Percy decided before he curled up into a ball in his jacket and lay there.

Artemis didn't say anything and curled up in a ball where she is as well, her cape around her. It acted as a blanket but still not warm enough. She looked up toward where Percy was already asleep. She sighed before she closed her eyes, hoping sleep will take her.

Artemis woked up in the middle of the night, shivering as the weather dropped even more at night. She looked toward Percy and made a decision. She stood up and walked toward him before sitting down next to him.

Surprisingly, he was awake as well. "Too cold?"

"Yeah," Artemis replied shyly. "Can I join you?"

"Of course," Percy said as Artemis lay down beside him, the first time she had ever sleep next to a man. Well, you can't count the time she spent with Apollo in their mother's womb because it doesn't count.

Percy wrapped an arm around Artemis and she gladly snuggled up into the warmth, glad she's not freezing over or turning blue. "Thank you."

"Of course," Percy replied, a smile on his face. "I am always here to help."

Somehow their precision changed during the night. They both sleep better though. Artemis had her head on Percy's chest and Percy's arm is still wrapped protectively around Artemis. Artemis was the first to wake up.

She opened her eyes and blushed when she realized her precision. She tried to wiggle her way out of Percy's hug but he had a strong grip. She turned and looked at his face before she poked him on the stomach.

He didn't let go of her, only holding her tighter. Artemis groaned before she slapped him across the face as best as she could in her position. No movement from Percy. She pinched him on the nose, no reaction. She tried everything in her min but the last option. She even shouted in his ears.

"Wake up!" Artemis yelled. Still no movement. Artemis sighed before she gently plants a kiss on his forehead. For some unknown reason, that wakes him up.

When Percy saw who he was hugging, he quickly let go of her. "Sorry," he mumbled an apology.

"It's fine," Artemis said with a soft smile before she told him the good news. "I can teleport us now."

"Really?" Percy asked, hope laced in his voice.

"Really," Artemis agreed before Percy closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was so glad that he landed on half-blood hill.

"So," Percy started. "I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess," Artemis agreed before she smiled softly and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thanks for helping me back there. I'll never have made it without you. Goodbye."

"Bye," Percy said as he closed his eyes. When he opened them, Artemis was gone. He touched his chin, where Artemis kissed him and a smile made their way to his lips. Maybe the quest was actually worth it.