Mystery Iris Messenger

Eleven

"You?" Percy asked, feeling his eyes fill with tears. "No, this has to be some kind of joke. The world is cruel. Get out."

"Wait, Percy," Apollo shouted as the door was shut in his face. "I swear, this isn't some kind of cruel joke. I'm actually Lester."

Percy sat by the door, his arms wrapped around his knees. Tears were now streaming down his face. There was no way Apollo was Lester. Lester was calm and relaxing, Apollo didn't shut up if his life depended on it. There was no way those two were the same people.

Stupid, Percy scolded himself for believing there was someone like Lester. All the Gods are the same, they just want Percy to go on pointless quests for them. He couldn't believe they would stoop so low as to actually get to know him before coming by to send him to his fate.

But what if Apollo was telling the truth? He never did show his face through the Iris Messages. So Percy didn't know who it was.

"Percy, please let me explain," Apollo's voice brought him from his thoughts. "I know this is all confusing, but I would never lie to you. Just let me in and I'll explain everything." He didn't know what to do, so Percy turned the sound barrier on. Apollo sensed it and left.

Apollo was walking through camp when he ran into Will. "Dad?" Will asked, confused because there hadn't been anyone severely injured. "What are you doing here?"

"You know what," Apollo said, his posture straightening as he admitted the thought he hadn't wanted to ever say out loud, "I'm here because I love Percy Jackson. I'm here because a mortal took my heart. And now he won't even talk to me."

Will was looking at him with wide eyes, but then a grin spread across his face. "Well then let's go make him talk to you."

They went back to the Poseidon cabin. Apollo tried to resist, knowing that Percy could potentially go to his dad on him. That wasn't something Apollo wanted to face; an angry Poseidon. He couldn't even begin to fathom the potential outcomes.

Will knocked on the door. The barrier had been taken down. Percy didn't answer, though. Instead, he was sitting by his fountain throwing drachma after drachma in trying to talk to Lester.

"Why couldn't he just be a normal human?" Percy sobbed, throwing in another coin. "Why did he have to be a God?" He hadn't noticed the two that had walked in. "I can't believe I have feelings for a God. They're throw me into Tartarus for the rest of eternity."

"No one's going to throw you into Tartarus, Percy," Apollo spoke up. Percy gasped and ran up to them, trying to push them out. But Apollo just gently sat Percy on the bed. "You remember during the first war when I told you that I would give you archery lessons?" Percy nodded. "You remember all those poems sent to you over Valentine's Day?" Percy nodded again. "And do you remember how I told you I cared when I told you I was Lester?"

"You werent lying?" Percy muttered. Apollo shook his head.

"I would never lie to you Percy."

Percy looked up to Apollo. Without thinking he leaned up to press his lips to his. They were warm. He didn't expect anything less. The kiss ended as soon quick as it started.

"I'm sorry," Percy mumbled.

"Don't be sorry," Apollo wiped some stray tears off of Percy's face.

"Does my dad know?" Percy asked, his fears returning.

"I'm sure he has a bit of an idea," Apollo chuckled at the memory. "And don't worry, Percy, he's fine with it."

"But we can't," Percy sighed.

"Why not?"