It had been a week since Percy had kissed Apollo, and he couldn't stop thinking about him. He had been spending more and more time with the god, trying to figure out where their relationship was going.
But things were starting to get complicated. Annabeth had noticed the change in Percy's behavior, and she was starting to ask questions.
"Percy, is everything okay?" she asked one day, as they were walking through the park. "You've been acting...different, lately."
Percy hesitated, knowing that he couldn't lie to her. "I...I don't know, Annabeth. There's just a lot going on right now."
Annabeth looked at him with concern, but before she could say anything, they were interrupted by a loud crash.
They turned to see a group of monsters, led by a giant Cyclops, rampaging through the park.
Percy drew his sword, ready to fight, but before he could make a move, Apollo appeared, his bow at the ready.
"Stand back, children," he said, his voice calm and steady. "I'll take care of this."
He unleashed a volley of arrows, taking down the monsters one by one. The Cyclops roared in anger, and charged at Apollo.
But the god was too quick for him, dodging his blows and shooting arrows into his eyes.
The Cyclops stumbled back, blinded, and Apollo seized the opportunity to strike him down with his sword.
The battle was over in a matter of minutes, but the aftermath was devastating. The park was in ruins, and there were injured mortals lying all around.
Percy and Annabeth rushed to help, using their powers to heal the wounded and comfort the scared.
As they were finishing up, Apollo approached them, a serious expression on his face.
"We need to talk," he said, his voice low.
Percy's heart sank. He knew that this was it, the reckoning that he had been dreading.
They walked to a nearby bench, and Apollo sat down, motioning for Percy and Annabeth to do the same.
"Percy," he said, his voice gentle. "We need to talk about us."
Percy felt his stomach knotting up. He knew what was coming, but he didn't want to hear it.
"What...what about us?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Apollo looked at him, his eyes full of sadness. "I care about you, Percy. More than you know. But...I can't keep doing this. I can't keep pretending that everything is okay when it's not."
Percy felt his heart breaking. He had known deep down that this was coming, but he had hoped that he was wrong.
"What are you saying, Apollo?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"I'm saying that we can't be together, Percy," Apollo said, his voice firm but gentle. "I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but it's the truth. We come from different worlds, different backgrounds. It's just not meant to be."
Percy felt a hot tear rolling down his cheek. He knew that Apollo was right, but it didn't make it any easier to hear.
"I...I understand," he said, his voice choking on the words.
Apollo looked at him, his expression pained. "I'm sorry, Percy. I truly am. But...we have to move on. We have to try and be friends, for the sake of our relationship."
Percy nodded, knowing that Apollo was right. He couldn't lose the god's friendship, no matter how much
it hurt to let go of his romantic feelings.
