Poseidon

Poseidon's POV

It was dreadful to wait for her to reach out! I just had to know if she wanted this, or if this was a no-go. I was pacing the room, until someone globed me.

I reached for it. "What?" I barked into it.

Pallas Athena came into form, and she was, next to Zeus, the last person I wanted to talk to right now.

"Rumor has it you've found a girl with my name," she said, her hazel eyes boring into mine, daring me to contradict her.

"Rumor has it?" I asked her. "Persephone?"

"Yes," she said. "Dared me to call, or she'll zap that girl here."

"Please don't do that," I muttered. "But yes, her name is Athena. It's a pain in the ass."

Pallas Athena sent me a rare, crooked smile. "Good luck."

"Thanks," I grunted. This one I might win over her... on the other hand, she had zero interest in men, mortals or love, so there was that.

We globed off, and I went back to pacing.

Okay, no, fuck it.

I changed into swimming trunks, went to the pool, even if it wasn't half as good as the ocean, I jumped in and began swimming laps.

This, at least, took my mind off of things.

I'd texted her I was home all day she could just drop by. So I was hoping she'd come.

My skin doesn't get pruny from being in the water too long. That was the perk of being me, really, and I only glanced to the door, expecting to find Peter or Josh – the real Josh, not Zeus – looking at me, and nearly forgot I was about to go under when I tried to breathe in.

Athena stood there, in jeans and a t-shirt, her auburn hair in a ponytail, and she looked adorable and fuckable rolled into one.

"Hi," I said and was out of that pool in zero point two seconds. Approximately.

"Hi," she said softly and looked up at me when I stood before her. "You're wet."

"Also just went swimming, so," I said.

She smiled. "Yeah," she said and worried her lower lip with her teeth.

"So?" I asked her.

She took a step closer to me, eyed me up and down – basically, she just made me more nervous. With Amphitrite, the only other woman I'd loved, hadn't ever made me this nervous because I knew where she stood.

Athena placed her palm on my chest, and then, out of nowhere, she leaned into me and softly kissed my lips.

"Is that a goodbye?" I asked her, not wanting to admit my voice cracked.

She smiled. "No," she said. "For spring break, you have to meet my family."

Spring break. Family.

"Wait," I said slowly as the words dawned on me. "For real?" I asked her and yes, I was wet, and fuck it! I swooped her into a bear hug and crushed her to me, and she giggled in my ear, her arms around my neck.

We had that date, that actual date, where we went out, and, as predicted, we spent the entire time bickering. But that was what I loved about her. She didn't take no for an answer until she understood why, and as long as I could pin her down in bed, I was up for the fight.

Maybe I should bury the hatchet with Pallas Athena. Have a talk, bury it, and let that be it?

When I pushed into Athena, my Athena, after that date, and heard her moan, I knew now wasn't the time to deliberate what to do about Pallas Athena.