Percy Jackson - Returned Affection

Chapter 1

Percy lay in his tent in the woods. Thinking about his situation, he should consider himself the luckiest man alive. After all, he had managed to wiggle his way into the heart of the famously cold hearted and off limits goddess herself. He wasn't sure how he swayed Artemis, but he knew he had managed it and he knew that he was happy and loved the goddess. Hell, Zeus even seemed to approve of it and had offered immortality to Percy should the two ever decide to wed.

However, dating the eternal maiden wasn't easy. Over the last year that they dated, Percy found that much out. Artemis didn't know much about how to be in a relationship, and she wasn't too keen on pretty much any level of intimacy or experimenting with boundaries either. Sure, he didn't need sex or to feel each other up to be happy, but he still enjoyed at least a little bit of intimacy and he definitely enjoyed showing affection. Artemis, on the other hand, only tolerated holding hands and hugging. Even then both were barely tolerated and rarely done. Anything more intimate or romantic was off limits. It bummed Percy out to have to be so reserved, but nevertheless he was happy to have her. He did have to admit though, there were times when we wondered if it would be better if they weren't dating.

Deciding it was time for a walk, especially hoping to avoid his doubts, Percy hopped off his cot and left the safety of his tent. The forest opened up in front of him, and when he looked to his left he saw the rest of the hunt's camp about a couple hundred yards away. Percy lived practically full time with the hunt, per Artemis's wishes and his own desire to be close to his girlfriend. This, of course, meant there were plenty of rules he had to follow. Among these were bathing at a lake further away from camp, his tent being a minimum of a 100 yards from the nearest other tent, and him not being allowed to eat in the dining tent with the huntresses or attend the campfire unless there was an important announcement.

The rules originally frustrated Percy, but after several months he had gotten used to the routine. He'd even gotten used to the pranks and tactics of the hunt. Now it all seemed like a minor inconvenience, something he could deal with.

Speaking of the hunt, Percy was sure some of the huntresses were starting to like him. More of them willingingly talked to him, the pranks became less harsh, and he wasn't being shot with as many blunt arrows. Hell, even the "Percy Exclusion Zone" had shrunk dramatically. It was basically how far away the huntresses would place their tents, forcing Percy to stay further away from the rest of the hunt than necessary. Originally, he would have to walk almost a half mile to get to the center of camp, near Artemis's tent, because the huntresses would place empty tents further away than needed. That was even with Percy placing his tent as close to 100 yards as possible. Now, though, Percy only had to walk around 250 yards to get to the center of the camp, almost a quarter the distance. The "PEZ" shrinking was proof enough to the demigod that he was getting on the hunt's goodside.

Percy started walking out into the woods. Ever since he had started staying with Artemis he'd gained a new appreciation of nature and the wilderness. Of course he still preferred the ocean and water in general, but he couldn't deny how beautiful the forest was.

As he walked, he felt someone's presence approaching. But when he looked he saw nothing. Someone was stalking him, and that almost certainly meant a prank was coming. True to his expectations, he soon found his foot caught in a snare and himself being pulled up into the air. He made a noise in surprise, before quickly pulling out a knife and cutting the rope, freeing himself. The girls would likely try and accuse Percy of breaking their traps and letting their prey escape, but Artemis seemed to know it was him escaping a prank and would always let it slide.

Today, however, the girls seemed to decide on something extra for this prank. Almost as soon as he landed, he heard the twang of a bow. Before he knew it, a rope was wrapped around his legs, tying them together. With his feet bound and his balance thrown off he quickly fell over.