𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐑, 𝐏𝐉

𝟎𝟎𝟑.𝟒

𝟎𝟎𝟑.𝟒

I'm not Achilles

Sweat poured down his body, arms aching and the grip on his spear slightly loose as he thrust it forward into the dummy. There was only one thought in Augustus's head as he jabbed and thrust.

I'm not Achilles

He knew Juliet and the fellow campers believed that he was. The only way he had been to make a place for himself and adjust in the camp had been because everybody believed he was Achilles, everyone thought he was some war god hero here to save the day.

People loved him, they wanted to talk to him. Not because he was Augustus but because he was Achilles.

But You're not Achilles

The words echoed in his head. He knew he wasn't Achilles right when Juliet had claimed him so, he wasn't, he just knew he wasn't. But then a certain goddess making an encounter with him made him realise that he really wasn't Achilles. He was just being used to help create entertainment for the love goddess.

Augustus wasn't sure if he really liked Aphrodite.

He'd been roaming around the strawberry fields at night after entering the camp, needing some time alone to gather his thoughts and come to terms with his reality when the love goddess had visited him.

Her words had been quite straightforward, you're not Achilles but you need to act like it for the course of love.

He knew what she meant by course of love now, it wasn't really hard to see who Achilles actually was, Percy Jackson looked at him as if given chance he would love to stab Augustus in the jugular. It didn't take alot to know about his Achilles nature, maybe it was just Augustus but even the way Percy walked and moved gave a slight regal warrior look.

I'm not Achilles and I'm conning everyone.

Everyone except her.

His eyes found the blonde hair daughter of Athena across the field near the canoe lake. Annabeth Chase was sharp, sharper than a fucking blade because it didn't take her more than 24 hours to approach him and call him out on his bullshit.

"You're not Achilles." Straight up, no hello and we need to talk. She'd straight up told him that and when he'd asked why her answer had been simple, "Achilles wouldn't want to just remain friends with Patroclus."

Something that he'd asked out of Juliet because even if he was supposed to lie, he couldn't lie to such huge extent. Because she's his friend, just friend. He thought Juliet more as sibling than a girlfriend, they shared the same sense of humour and knack for trouble. They'd been playfully flirting knowing it was all a joke, but ever since the news of him being Achilles had been out Juliet hadn't even looked him in the eye.

He wanted his friend back, but did he even have the right to call her a friend when he was lying?

He stopped practicing his spear work, watching as Juliet trudged towards the Canoe lake where now Percy, Annabeth and Percy's half brother were sitting at. As soon as Percy saw her coming his entire body could be visually seen getting alert, his eyes clearly stuck on Juliet who brushed back her short hair before offering her friends a smile and plopped down next to, of course, Percy.

He wasn't the only one noticing this all, Annabeth was gazing at the two, her eyes assessing before as if sensing Augustus snapping towards him. Fuck, she was really sharp.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows as if asking him what she'd asked him that night.

"Are you going to let the gods do whatever they want? Or are you going to be loyal to your friends?"

Annabeth didn't like him, she was skeptical of him. But for some fucking reason Augustus liked getting on her nerves, irritating her and instigating her as long as her attention was on him.

He just shook his head before going back to practice. He needed to clear his head, and he'd found spear practising helped alot.

On the other end of the camp, Annabeth watched the son of Hermes get back to practice, she knew he was lying, she'd pretty much found out after he had asked for grace period to adjust to the whole soulmate thing. Completely not like Achilles.

He was just Augustus Hespaestion, son of Hermes. Nothing else.

"What's this "other way"?' Percy's voice interrupted her thoughts, she snapped her gaze back to her friends. "The thing Clarisse mentioned?"

Juliet picked up a stone and skipped it across the lake, a small victorious smile on her face as it skipped though Annabeth knew it had something to do with Percy staring at the lake a little too intently, "Something Clarisse scouted out. Me and Juliet helped her a little this spring. But it would be dangerous. Especially for Grover.'

"Goat boy scares me," Tyson murmured.

Percy stared at him and Juliet snorted before slamming her hand on her mouth. Tyson had faced down fire-breathing bulls and sea monsters and cannibal giants. "Why would you be scared of Grover?"

"Hooves and horns," Tyson muttered nervously. "And goat fur makes my nose itchy."

"Aww poor baby," Juliet cooed her smile amused, one of the few real ones Annabeth had seen since she came back to camp.

"Stop it," Percy spoke extremely gently but there was no mistaking the flash of jealousy in his eyes.

Annabeth had to hold back her laugh at how easily he got worked up. And that pretty much ended their Grover conversation.

"Julie!" They looked up, eyes connecting with an aggrieved Silena as she trudged towards them with mismatched heels and a not really good dress.

"Who destroyed you?" Juliet gasped sitting up and pointing at Silena with a horrified look.

"I have a date! And I-I got nervous!"

"Do kids of Aphrodite get nervous on their dates too," Percy questioned making Juliet roll her eyes and hold up a hand in stop gesture, "Not now, honey," Percy's ears turned red at that, Juliet gestured to Silena as if a wet bedsheet, "We need to fix this."

"That's why I came to you! You have experience with dates!" Silena whined and quite literally Percy and Juliet froze.

He slowly turned towards her, a single eyebrow raised, "Experience?"

"No experience! Nothing! Let's go Silena, we have a lot to fix. See you at dinner!" She spluttered while rushing with Silena muttering about keeping her mouth shut.

Percy turned to Annabeth and asked, "What experience?"

She decided to play with him, making a fake thinking expression, "I think it was Mark from Ares cabin or maybe Jamie from Hephaestus, You know she likes the bikers."

"The bikers."

"Yeah, Mark was learning how to ride a bike at that time and Jamie was making a bike."

"A bike." Percy mumbled as if thinking something to himself. Annabeth stood up with a smirk, dusting her pants before walking, "Nevermind, I think it was Ruth from Demeter cabin,"

"Ruth's a girl!" Percy yelled back in confusion, Annabeth turned over her shoulder and gave him a wide mischievous grin, "And your point, Percy?"