Mildly AU. Annabeth and Percy were never together, instead their relationship is more sibling-oriented. Post PJatO, no HoO.

FYI-I haven't given up on my other stories. Just don't have a lot of writing time. This has been hanging out on my computer for a while, half-finished, so I decided to post it.

Prelude

The first time Apollo had seen Percy Jackson, it was on a 'television' screen on Olympus, the twelve-year-old demigod son of Poseidon using his incredible power to save himself and a daughter of Athena.

The second time, the boy was thirteen, managing somehow to gain his male-despising sister's respect.

He'd seen Percy Jackson several more times after that, most notably when the then sixteen-year-old demigod turned down godhood in favor of having them make an oath that could prevent another uprising from Kronos, provided they kept that oath.

Apollo started keeping a discreet eye on Poseidon's son. He was curious at first, then interested… then that interest turned into infatuation, then something he hadn't felt in millennia. The emotion was so foreign to him that it took his sister's pointed hints to figure it out.

"Who is it, Apollo?" Artemis asked after appearing in the garden one evening, idly twirling a silver arrow between her fingers. She'd gotten much less irritable with the male deities—well, some of the male deities—since Poseidon's son had managed to prove that not all men were self-centered jerks, but the sudden appearance of his sister and the rather pointed question still caught the Sun God off guard.

He tore his gaze away from the moonless night sky, "Who is who?"

The apparent twelve-year-old rolled her eyes, "You're pining."

He opened his mouth to refute that when it struck him that he really kind of was. He closed his mouth again.

"Seriously, brother, I haven't seen you act like this in over three thousand years. She must be something special."

Apollo coughed, "He," he corrected, a little sheepishly. Homosexual relationships were far from unheard-of by the Greeks, but he hadn't really paid much attention to men in that way for a few hundred years.

Artemis raised an eyebrow, prompting without words.

Apollo shifted, "Percy Jackson."

Artemis stared for several seconds, then shook her head. "… at least you picked someone tolerable."

Apollo shook his head, "Don't you get it? I can't—I can't do this to him! He's been through enough already!"

Artemis hesitated. Apollo—this was not the infatuation she had suspected, though she was pretty sure it had started out as such. He brother had not fallen in love in a long, long time—his flings with mortals were just that; the godly equivalent of one-night stands. Though he did watch over his children, moreso now that he was allowed more contact, their mothers had never truly captured his heart. The fact that Apollo was putting the demigod's needs above his own desires spoke volumes.

She took a breath, "Is he involved in a relationship?"

Apollo looked at her oddly, "No, but—"

"You should try."

"What?"

Artemis thought about how to phrase what she wanted to say, "Apollo, he'd a demigod. He already knows who you are and the risks involved. And… you could make him happy. I know how you are when you really care. You won't abandon him."

"No, but…" Apollo shook his head in frustration, "He's had enough godly interference in his life."

"Has he said that?"

The Sun God looked away, clearly unconvinced.

"Besides, you're worrying all of us with your behavior. Hermes is trying to think of ways to cheer you up and Father has mentioned making you talk to him."

Apollo grimaced at that thought.

"Brother… give him a chance. It should be his choice to make."

Finally he gave a half-shrug—the closest he'd get to agreement at this point.

Artemis sighed and left.

xxxx

The next morning, Apollo caught up with Poseidon in the hall outside the throne room. If he was going to do this… well, he didn't want it to hurt Percy's relationship with his father.

Poseidon turned to face him, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

Apollo took a deep breath and steeled his resolve. "Lord Poseidon," he began formally, prompting a sudden change in the Sea God's expression.

"Apollo," Poseidon returned, knowing that a formal Sun God was a serious Sun God.

"I would like your permission to court your son, Percy."

Something flashed in the Sea God's eyes and the floating island that was Olympus trembled for a moment before stilling.

Poseidon's first impulse was to deny such, vehemently and violently, but he reigned in his temper to go over the words again.

It had been over thirty-five hundred years since Apollo had loved someone. His broken heart upon his lover's death had led to decades of near-solitude and millennia of not letting himself get close to anyone but the gods. Apollo had been both formal and specific—courting was not dating. It implied something far more dedicated, an intent to discover if two people were compatible for a permanent relationship.

Coming from the Sun God… it was a promise.

Poseidon decided, then let the silence drag on another minute to examine the younger god.

Apollo was waiting quietly, not fidgeting as he usually would, though it was easy to see the apprehension in his eyes.

"Very well," Poseidon waited a beat for the reply to sink in, as Apollo's first expression was something between confusion and disbelief. "But, Apollo, if you hurt my son…"

The threat hung in the air between them, and Apollo nodded before smiling, "Thank you, Lord Poseidon."

Poseidon paused, eyes going briefly distant. "Percy is at Long Island Beach, not far from Camp Half-Blood."

Apollo's expression was pure disbelief before he grinned, vanishing in a flash of gold.

xxxx