What They Said About Contact

Chapter 5: The Felling of his Hands

Jason POV

After Aphrodite had answered our prayers and accepted our offerings, I dreaded falling asleep I just knew he would dream of the goddess. And dream of her I did. Blast it, I thought as I leaned against the wall, watching as the goddess went from one rack full of glamorous clothes to the other.

When the goddess of love made no move to acknowledge me, I cleared his throat and said, "Is there something you want from me, Lady Aphrodite?"

Aphrodite looked up, a look of surprise on her face as if she'd just noticed I was there. Then she giggled. "Oh, there you are son of Jupiter." She wriggled her eyebrows. "How thing's going on with your girlfriend?"

I choked on my own spit. "Percy's not my girlfriend!"

"I never said it was her." Aphrodite muttered as she turned her attention away from me and back to the racks of clothes. Oh wait, racks of shoes. What kind of place is this? I wondered. I walked around and noticed that the place was rather magical—I expected no less from a dream world—for the shelves and racks were constantly changing it's contents.

"Then who did you meant?" I asked, idly inspecting what was in the jewelry rack. A pair gorgeous silver plate rose stud earrings drew my attention but I  balked when I saw the price. That was way too much, I didn't have that much money—mortal money; I only had drachma.

"Isn't there another girl at your camp?" For a moment, as I stared at Aphrodite, her form seemed to flicker. But her face remained unchanging, which made me wonder why she looked so much like someone with her dark brown hair, emerald eyes and tan skin... almost like Percy. A much older person than Percy—maybe Percy would look like that when she grew out of her teens and into a mature woman?

I coughed awkwardly when he realized I had been staring for too long. "She's just a colleague." And it was true. Sure, as a kid I had a crush on Reyna but no longer did I abhor such feelings for my fellow praetor.

"Who did I look like?"

Can the goddess read minds? But seeing as she was a goddess, I wouldn't put it past her. "What do you mean?" I asked. Play dumb, I thought to himself.

"Don't lie," Aphrodite chided gently as she walked towards me. "I know that I looked different to everyone. Especially to men, I looked like the woman they loved the most."

"Are you implying I like Per—err, someone?"

Aphrodite shrugged. "Take a female heroine for example, Percy." She winked meaningfully at me when she said the daughter of Poseidon's name, something which I pointedly ignore. "She saw her mother when she looked at me. That's the woman she loved most. So yes, you love whoever you saw in me—or perhaps... you have a crush on the girl."

I shall be generous and not throttle the lady beside him. "Do you want that?" Aphrodite asked, gesturing to the earrings I was eyeing. "I didn't know you liked feminine jewelry."

"I just thought it would suit Percy," I bit out, irritated. "What is your purpose for summoning me here, Lady Aphrodite?" I  added the tittle so as to not sound so rude—I had no wish to be anything other than mortal.

Aphrodite smiled and clapped her hands together. "That's right!" She chortled. "You remember what you've offered me?"

"An apple?"

"No!" Aphrodite protested, pouting. "A love story like no other, you said. And for that, I've lighten up your curse: you can Percy must still be in contact 24/7, but no longer must it be through the hands. You can also separate for a few seconds, any longer and you two will fade—a compromise for my son."

"You must've heard wrong," I argued feebly. Wake up now, I ordered himself. I didn't want to continue this conversation. I'd heard enough; the only good thing out of this conversation was that the curse was slightly lifted—Percy didn't need to shred my clothes again!

"With who? Percy? Reyna?" Aphrodite probed. "Can you honestly say you have no interest in both girls?"

I thought I had no answer to that, but Aphrodite's—currently—mint eyes drew an answer right out of my mouth, "Percy is quite.... hot." And I immediately felt like punching myself when Aphrodite squealed.

"I would very much love to make it hard for both of you—"

"You don't have to trouble yourself " I  grumbled. "We're making it hard enough for one another as it is." Our last argument had lasted for hours. There was a reason why I was cursed with her in the first place: the least likely person you can fall in love with, remember?

"Hmm, true." Aphrodite agreed; she still looked disturbingly like Percy and her eyes constantly flicker between Percy's and Reyna's eye color. "But you see, what I meant to say is that both your paths would be much harder." Her eyes held sympathy in them. "The future and the new threats arising... and not to mention: you and Percy are from different camps. Different aspects; you're Roman, she's Greek. Things will be hard."

I crossed his arms, "She can always come to the legion with me." Then froze, I did not just make that offer.

Aphrodite giggled, she scooped the earrings of their original perch and shove it into his hands. "Have fun. No matter how short it is, just treasure your time together."

And my vision tunneled. I stumbled and fell...

...off the sofa.

I groaned loudly. "What's wrong with you?" I demanded of Percy when I realized she was the only one in the living room and therefore, the only one who could move me.

Percy's cheeks were flushed red. "What are you doing cuddling up to me?" And I infact was holding her waist and our legs were intertwined, so that I was pressed against her.

My cheeks felt hot now that she mention it. I didn't remember falling sleep on the sofa. I can practically hear Aphrodite's hysterical laughter; and just knew she'd been the one to meddle with their sleeping positions. I untangled myself from her.

"I..." I paused when I noticed that I was starting to see through my own palm. He yelped in alarm.

"What—" Percy's eyes widened in concern as she reached out to clasp his hand, trying to inspect what's happening to it. "Your hand!" She choked. "It's fading one moment and then... when I touched your hand... it came back..."

"Right," I agreed numbly. The feeling of feeling your own essence fade was terrifying; I was petrified when I felt my life force sucked out. My hand unconsciously clasped hers in a death grip.

Percy frowned in concern. "Our hands are no longer stuck but... there's a price right?"

So she was as stupid as she acted after all, I mused silently. I nodded and started telling Percy about my conversation with Aphrodite, excluding inappropriate things concerning my feelings—that I still couldn't figure out—for Percy.

Percy sighed and muttered, "I knew it." Then she frowned. "What's this in your hands, Jason?" She held out the earrings I had been eyeing earlier in his dream, the one Aphrodite shoved into his hands. Did she want me to give it to Percy?

"Do you want it?" I asked.

"Why would I want it?" She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It's pretty, yes. But if you're planning on giving it to someone..."

Percy POV

I trailed off when Jason's hand reached out to clasped the earrings on my ears. Once more, heat rushed rapidly to my cheeks—the second time this morning, all because of Jason.

I also noticed something just now. The feeling of his hands... were warm. Comfortably so—almost like my mother's comforting touch but different as well.

A smile unconsciously formed on my lips.