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The Sun and the Sea.
That had always been used to describe Perseus and Apollo.
The two of them were best of friends.
Perseus had always been right by Apollo’s side. Every time the sun god fell in love, every time the god got his heart broken, Perseus had always been there. He had been the wingman. The shoulder to cry on. He had helped curse the mortals who had taken advantage of the god’s kindness. He had also helped to curb the god’s anger, knowing that Apollo would feel even worse afterwards. The two of them knew everything about each other.
Well, nearly everything.
Perseus had been in love with Apollo since the moment he first set his eyes upon the god.
Being born in the depths of the ocean, Perseus’s first introduction to the surface world was seeing the brilliant sun god pulling his chariot across the sky, illuminating the surface world.
The two of them had met by coincidence when Apollo had rested upon the sandy shores of a nearby island while Perseus was exploring more of the surface. Apollo, the ever youthful god, had taken it upon himself to introduce the younger god to the world above. Ever since then, the two had been inseparable.
Perseus had heard the rumors, had witnessed them firsthand. He knew that Apollo was fickle in his love and had left a slew of broken hearts and bodies behind. He knew that behind the youthful and kind exterior was a god like any other.
But by then, it had been too late.
He had already fallen, deeply and irrevocably in love with the god.
He had tried to broach the subject once. But once was enough to let him know that Apollo did not and would not ever think of him in the same way.
***
Percy watched the mortals walk by the cafe window, their steps hurried as they tried to maximize their day. Mortals’ lives were so short that they had to cram hundreds of years worth of happiness and sorrow into a measly few decades.
But that’s what he enjoyed about the mortals.
They had such a short time to love, they loved fully and fiercely.
“Percy, are you paying attention?” Annabeth, a mortal daughter of Athena turned minor goddess, called out to him as she sipped her abomination of a drink. A sleek looking laptop lay on the table in front of her. The two of them had met a few centuries back, around the time of the industrial revolution if he recalled. Back then, Annabeth had been a demigod, but her outstanding talents and innovative designs had granted her the status of a minor goddess. She had hated him at first, their parents' old rivalry rearing its head. He could admit that had not been too kind to her. But when they had put aside their parents’ issues, the two had gotten along swimmingly. Aside from Apollo, she was one of his best friends.
Percy rolled his eyes fondly, “Yeah, yeah. I heard you. The new green energy and clean-water project is set to start next week. We’ve contacted the local nature spirits in the area and Rachel, our little consultant on all things mortal, has said the mortal businesses are ready to start rolling out the technology soon.”
Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him. She placed her cup of coffee down and glared at him over her silver rimmed glasses (totally unnecessary if you had asked him). That, combined with the sleek gray pantsuit, made her seem all the more intimidating. “Okay, what’s wrong?” she asked, both in exasperation and in willingness to throw down with whatever had hurt him.
“Nothing!” Percy denied as he adjusted the cuffs on his sea green button up. He immediately regretted it when Annabeth zeroed in on his tell.
She sighed, “It’s Apollo again, isn’t it?”
“No!” Annabeth’s eyes, if at all possible, narrowed even further. Percy sighed in defeat, “Yes.”
“Who did he fall in love with this time?” Annabeth asked.
“An up and coming musician.”
“Who will either have their heart broken or break his heart.” The daughter of Athena rolled her eyes, all too used to the same old dance. “And you’ll be there for Apollo. Again.”
“He’s my best friend, Annabeth.” Percy explained, unsure if he was trying to convince her or himself. “I have to be there for him.”
“You don’t have to do shit!” The blonde snarled, a strand of her escaping from her styled bun. “You’ve been there for him for centuries, millenia, even. You’ve done plenty.”
Percy sighed and snapped his fingers. In less than a blink of an eye, the two found themselves in Percy’s apartment in the mortal world. He settled down on his couch and turned on the TV, only to be met with the sight of the “up and coming musician” nestled in Apollo’s arms. Percy furrowed his brows, but it was Annabeth who turned the TV off.
“She’s pretty,” Annabeth remarked, her tone dry. “Don’t know what else she has going for her, but I can see why Apollo’s attracted to her.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder, somehow having changed into a more comfortable set of clothing without him noticing.
Percy laughed. “Come on, you know Apollo’s not that shallow. She must have some talent in order to catch his eye.”
Annabeth snorted but said nothing, only conjuring a tub of ice cream and two spoons. “Why don’t you confess? I mean what can it hurt?”
He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound, “I don’t want to ruin what I have for something that is an impossibility. I’m content just being by his side.” Percy buried his face into a pillow, “I tried, you know. Once, a long time ago. He made it clear I was a ‘good friend’ and that he hoped it never changed.” The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes before Percy looked up to stare at Annabeth, “The truth is, he’ll never see me as more than a friend. I’ve known that all along and accepted the fact right away. But still, the fool in me grasps at what little hope there is. It’s that fool in me that makes me stay by his side. Hoping that one day he will turn and see that I’ve been by him all this time.”
Annabeth said nothing, only drawing her old friend into a comforting hug.
***
A few months later, Apollo once again ran to Percy, devastated at the fact that his new lover had cheated on him with another man, someone from her band. Percy opened his arms and hugged the god. But, for the first time, he felt tired.
He realized Annabeth was right.
He couldn’t do this anymore.
Percy drew away first, feeling cold.
Apollo blinked in confusion, not knowing what was wrong, but feeling that something was different. Percy smiled, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Apollo, I’ve to go do something with Annabeth. But we’ll talk and hang later, okay? He flashed away before the sun god could answer him.
Percy cried that night, knowing that something was going to change and afraid that he would lose something forever.
***
Apollo hadn’t seen Percy in a while. The son of Poseidon always seemed to be busy. He never realized how much Percy was by his side, how much he relied on Percy until there was a large empty space beside him. When the rumors started, Apollo paid no attention to them at first, until he realized they were about Percy. There were rumors that he was dating a minor architecture goddess, a daughter of Athena if he recalled.
Apollo should have been happy for Percy.
Olympus knows how many times he’s tried to convince the sea god to find a lover or to enjoy some pleasure. Percy had always refused, telling him that he would do so when he found the right one.
Apollo should have been happy for Percy.
But he only felt cold and scared.
Apollo should have been happy for Percy.
But he only felt an ugly squirming in his chest.
***
When he saw them, leaning against each other, a movie’s end credits scrolling on the TV in front of them, Apollo knew why he wasn’t happy.
He knew why all of his romantic ventures never worked out.
He knew why he always ran to Percy.
He knew.
He knew.
He knew that he was in love with Percy, and had been in love for a long time.
Annabeth opened her eyes first, her gray eyes glaring at him. She smirked at him and drew Percy closer. Apollo reared back, first in shock, then in anger. Percy, sensing the rising tension in the room, stirred awake. He looked shocked at seeing Apollo in the room but still stood up for a hug. Once Percy’s head was tucked in, Apollo glared at the daughter of Athena, mouthing the words, “He was mine first.”
Annabeth smirked.
Victory.
***
A few months back…
“Hey Percy…you said that Apollo only views you as a friend, right?” Annabeth asked, her mind running a hundred miles an hour.
“You know what I said, why ask it again?”
“Oh nothing…” Annabeth sang innocently before turning her too wide eyes back at him, “Wanna help me test a hypothesis?”