Trot To The Wolf As A Doting Puppy

by robindrake93

Summary:

Percy Jackson is taken prisoner upon The Princess Andromeda by his old friend - now enemy - Luke. Luke is dangerous and he seems to have taken a special interest in Percy. Separated from his friends, Annabeth and Tyson, Percy has to try to rescue them and escape. Except the longer Percy stays Luke’s prisoner, the more unsure he is of whether he really wants to leave.

Notes:

I still crave the highs and lows of Taming The Sea but I can’t write it twice…or so you’d think! Ha! If you liked that one, you’ll like this one even more. At least if you’re into puppy play. And who among us is not? That’s rhetorical.

The title comes from the song Fear & Delight by The Correspondents, although I changed “sheep” to “puppy.” Give it a listen if you haven’t. You’ll like it.

If you don't like the font color, click "hide creator's style" at the top.

Don't reupload/repost my fics. My fics are not for use in ai.

Chapter 1: It Wasn’t Cotton Candy

Summary:

Percy is captured.

Luke reclined on the couch, arms resting on the back and knees apart, as casual as breathing. Between his embossed suit and the scar cutting a river down his face, Luke looked like a mob boss. His smile was lopsided, the scar not allowing for a full range of facial movements. "I'm so happy that you've decided to join me," Luke said. It sounded like he genuinely meant it.

     Percy Jackson's chest rose and fell with fast, deep breaths. His hands shook uncontrollably and his right palm ached where an asterisk scar lay. There were two bear giants in the room with big weapons but Percy couldn't take his eyes off of Luke. Over the winter and spring, he had imagined all of the things he would say to Luke but now that he was facing Luke, Percy couldn't find his voice.

     "We haven't joined you, traitor," Annabeth snarled from beside Percy. She elbowed him in the ribs. "Right, Percy?"

     Numbly, Percy nodded. His heart beat so fast he thought it was going to burst from his chest. In his sneakers, Percy curled his toes. He thought he could handle seeing Luke again; even with the nightmares, even with his bleeding heart caught like a bird beneath his ribs. He'd looked forward to it, to how he was going to hurt Luke as much as Luke had hurt him last summer. Now Percy thought he might faint.

     Luke's eyes were the pale blue of lightning, which was to say that they were unusual and eerie. Those eyes were trained on Percy, didn't even flick over to Annabeth. The way he observed Percy felt like a knife cutting away the layers of Percy's defenses until he got to the soft, quivering part of himself that Percy kept guarded and hidden. "Traitor is such a relative term," Luke replied, suddenly sounding bored. "If you're abandoned and sent to die, does finding something better really make you a traitor?"

     "Yes," Annabeth hissed. "Dying for our parents is an honor." She took a step toward Luke.

     The bear guards growled and pointed their weapons at her, intent to show her just how much honor her death would bring Athena.

     Annabeth's answer seemed to disappoint Luke.

     It surprised Percy, who was not at all willing to die for his father and didn't think being slaughtered was an honor he wanted. He stepped in front of Annabeth, between her and the bear giants, between her and Luke.

     Luke sighed.

     Percy's hackles rose.

     "I was hoping that you would see sense on your own," Luke said. He lifted a hand, suddenly holding a gas mask. The eyes were reflective and shifted from purple to green. "It looks like I was mistaken." Luke put the gas mask on. Somehow, he still looked like a model. "I'll just have to help you along," Luke said, the mask making his voice strange.

     Pink gas filled the room, billowing out from the vents. It had a sickly sweet taste and smell, like cotton candy but stronger by a hundred.

     Percy held his breath.

     Behind him, Annabeth coughed and grabbed Percy's shirt. She fell, suddenly, knocking Percy forward.

     Percy gasped in surprise and got his first breath of the pink gas. The gas coated his tongue, filled his lungs. It began working almost immediately, making Percy's limbs heavy as lead. Suddenly it was hard to stand. He dropped to his hands and knees.

     Luke got to his feet. He moved like a predator as he closed the distance between himself and Percy. Luke knelt.

     Pins and needles ran across Percy's back and down his arms. He struggled to get up but his body was getting heavier by the second and he couldn't even lift his head. His arms were going to give out at any moment.

     Luke held Percy's chin in his hand, lifted his face. He said something that Percy couldn't understand and then, clearer came the words, "Look at how strong you are, puppy."

     Percy felt a lurch in his heart and a tingle in his abdomen. He couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. As his eyelids slid closed, Percy's arms gave out.

     Luke's hand holding his chin was the only thing that kept Percy from face planting onto Luke's lap. His grip was strong, unforgiving in the way he held Percy up.

     Percy's neck hurt. Never in his life had he been as vulnerable as he was in this moment. And with Luke of all people. Percy hoped that when Luke killed him, it wouldn't hurt too much. He heard himself whine.

     Luke laid Percy's head down with surprising gentleness, right onto his lap. His thigh was warm against Percy's cheek. "I can't wait to watch you grow up. You're going to be magnificent." He ran a hand through Percy's hair.

Notes:

Percy actually was gassed by a real gas but, uh, it’s been so long since I wrote this that I can’t remember what the gas was. Oops.

Chapter 2: A Return To Puppyhood

Summary:

Percy and Luke waste no time getting reacquainted…but not before some blood is shed.

When Percy woke up, he was laying on something soft. He sat bolt upright. Sharp pain shot through his skull like lightning. Percy yelped, clutched his head with both hands. "Ow, ow, ow!" Percy stayed like that until the pain faded to sparklers behind his eyes. Slowly, he lifted his face from his hands and opened his eyes.

     Percy saw nothing.

     Percy blinked.

     Nothing.

     All he saw was darkness. A perfect, awful darkness. Percy touched his eyelids. He felt his eyeballs beneath them. So he still had eyes and eyelids. Did the gas Luke used on them blind him? Where was Annabeth? "Annabeth!" Percy hissed, trying not to alert anyone that he was awake even though they would have heard him yelp.

     There was no answer.

     If Percy couldn't hear his own voice he would have wondered if Luke had deafened him too. "Tyson!" Percy whispered. Tyson's hearing was so good he should be able to hear Percy from a distance…but Percy wasn't really holding out any hope that Tyson would save him. Luke had sent Tyson to the drakon in the engine room the moment that their group was caught. Percy didn't think his little brother could take on a drakon and win.

     Tyson didn't come to the rescue.

     Percy hugged his knees to his chest. Where was he? What was Luke going to do with him? He kept trying to look around but his vision didn't improve with time and he was still in the dark.

     After a long while of nothing happening, Percy decided he should explore a little. He didn't even know where he was. What he was sitting on was soft. Percy put his hands down. It felt like a bed. There was a light blanket over his legs. Hesitantly, Percy chose a direction at random and began inching that way, trying to find the edge of the bed. The bed was bigger than a twin and Percy moved with exaggerated slowness so that he didn't fall off.

     When he reached the edge, Percy slid a leg off the edge, felt relief when the floor was where he expected it to be. He realized suddenly that his shoes were gone. The floor was plush and furry. Percy waited a moment, checking to make sure that it wasn't going to start breathing and reveal itself to be a monster, then slid his other leg over and stood up. As soon as he stood up, Percy realized that he risked walking into something if he just started wandering around. He sat back down on the bed, turned his head, and cursed his lack of sight.

     Percy scooted sideways until he found the corner of the bed. He had no sense of how big the room was or what obstacles lay ahead of him. The only thing that Percy knew for sure was that he was still on the ocean. Percy inched his way along the edge of the bed. The furry rug seemed to go all the way around.

     Percy got to the opposite side of the bed and suddenly put his hand down on something firm. He froze. His shoulders rose up to his ears, spine stiffening with tension.

     There was someone else in bed.

     Percy was touching their foot through the blanket.

     Annabeth?

     He couldn't make himself speak, voice trapped behind his teeth.

     The person wasn't moving. They were too close to this edge of the bed for Percy to keep scooting.

     If this was Annabeth, Percy needed to wake her up and make sure she was okay. If it wasn't Annabeth… Percy couldn't leave without making sure that it wasn't Annabeth. He couldn't live with himself if he left her in Luke's clutches.

     Percy skimmed his fingers over the person's ankle. How could he be sure it was her? His hands were shaking again, chest tingling with the beginning of panic. What if it wasn't Annabeth? Who was he touching if it wasn't Annabeth? Percy shifted onto his hands and knees so that he could follow the length of their shin to their knee and then up to their thighs. There was a marked shift in temperature, their skin warming through the sheet the higher Percy got.

     Percy's face warmed like the space between their thighs. He didn't mean to touch there, skimmed his fingers along the seam of their leg and to their hip. Percy inched his way to the head of the bed, fingers running over ribs and a flat chest. His face burned. If this was Annabeth, she would have killed him already. Percy still hoped that when he got to their face, it would be Annabeth's face beneath his fingertips.

     Percy ran his fingers up the curve of a neck and along the sharp line of a jawbone. Not Annabeth. This person had stubble, shaved close but still noticeable. Percy wanted to cry even before he found Luke's scar. He willed himself not to let the building tears fall. Quick as a snake, Percy drew back his hand and punched Luke in the face.

     His aim was off, Luke's teeth cut his knuckles.

     Percy yelped.

     Luke growled.

     That growl made Percy realize how absolutely stupid he'd been. He couldn't see. He didn't know where he was. Luke had every advantage and Percy punched him. He tried to scramble away, reached the other side of the bed.

     Luke closed his hand around Percy's ankle and dragged him across the bed. He grabbed Percy by the hips.

     Percy's whole body jerked with surprise. He clawed at the bed, twisted, struggled to get away from Luke. Adrenaline pulled the heat from Percy's hands and feet, made them cold and numb. His only thought was escape.

     Luke pinned Percy to the bed, putting all of his weight on Percy's hips. He was heavy enough to make it hard for Percy to draw breath. He grabbed both of Percy's wrists with one hand, pinning those too. "You're getting blood everywhere," Luke hissed in Percy's ear. His breath smelled like blood. Did Percy split his lip? Maybe he even knocked loose a tooth.

     "L-let me go," Percy squeaked. He whipped his head to the side and cracked his skull against Luke's. Spots of painful color burst in the darkness. He gave a thin groan of pain.

     Something in Luke's face crunched. Something hot and wet splattered onto Percy's shirt, making it stick to his skin. The smell of blood grew stronger.

     Percy's heart raced rabbit fast in his chest. He was going to die. He was going to die. Luke was going to beat him to death like Gabe threatened to when Percy tried to fight back. Percy yanked one hand free, elbowed Luke beneath his chin, and then sank his nails into Luke's cheek and tried to push him away.

     Luke gave an outraged growl. He snapped his teeth closed over Percy's fingers.

     There was pain and Percy expected Luke to bite his fingers off. "Let me go, Luke," Percy said, voice wet, and now the tears overflowed from his eyes. Humiliation burned in his chest but it was a small feeling compared to the fear of what Luke was going to do to him.

     Luke applied slightly more pressure and growled deep in his throat.

     Percy felt the vibrations of that growl on the sensitive pads of his fingers. Percy couldn't see Luke but he closed his eyes reflexively. He whimpered and whined like a puppy and he couldn't help it. Percy never felt so helpless in his life. No one scared him like Luke did because he never believed Luke would hurt him, and Luke shattered that belief exquisitely.

     Luke pulled off of Percy's fingers slowly, dragging his tongue along Percy's skin. His breathing was labored. "Calm…down," Luke panted. He slotted his fingers between Percy's wet ones. He put his forehead between Percy's shoulder blades. Blood dripped and soaked into Percy's shirt.

     Percy waited for whatever awful thing Luke had planned for him. He raked his nails over the back of Luke's hand but Luke didn't even loosen his grip.

     Luke ran his free hand down Percy's flank. "You're alright, Percy."

     That was the dumbest thing Percy has ever heard. "I can't see!" Percy snapped.

     Luke put his hand over Percy's eyes.

     Percy could suddenly see slants of light filtering between Luke's fingers. He blinked. He shook his head, trying to get away from Luke's hand and see where the heck they were.

     Luke pulled his hand back.

     They were in a large bedroom. There was a bed, a wardrobe, and a lounge area with a couch and a TV. The windows were all round and filled with the blue of a clear sky. The bed Luke and Percy laid on had white sheets and a white comforter. They were splattered and smeared with blood.

     Percy didn't know what he expected. This genuinely wasn't it. What should he do? Go for the door? There was so much blood. Was all of this Luke's? Percy couldn't see his cut knuckles because of Luke's hand over his but he didn't think it was bad enough that there would be this much blood. He laid there and breathed and felt Luke breathing above him. Fighting wasn't going to get him out of this. Percy had no hope against Luke, as this squirmish just proved.

     "Are you going to be good?" Luke asked after a while, breaking the silence.

     Percy sensed an opportunity. He nodded.

     Luke let Percy have his hands back.

     Percy tucked his arms in close to his sides, hands clasped under his chin. He was still waiting for Luke to hit him.

     Luke didn't seem inclined to say or do anything now that Percy wasn't fighting him. He just sat on Percy, watching him.

     Percy didn't know what to do. His heart didn't stop racing, even though they weren't fighting anymore. Was his heart ever going to slow down? After another long silence, Percy said, "I want to roll over."

     Luke lifted up onto his knees.

     Percy rolled over onto his back.

     Luke sat on him again. His face looked awful; bloodied and bruised, scratched and swollen. His lip was split. Blood covered the lower half of his face and had dripped onto his chest. He looked a mess.

     Percy felt strangely proud to have messed up Luke's face. He kept his hands tucked against his neck, well within Luke's line of sight.

     They stared at each other.

     Belatedly Percy realized that Luke wasn't wearing anything except for the sheet around his waist. His whole body went hot with a gooey warmth. He pressed his thighs together. Percy swallowed.

     Luke lifted a hand.

     Percy flinched.

     Luke caressed his cheek.

     Percy couldn't bear to close his eyes and go back to darkness again, but he shied away from Luke's touch.

     Luke made a crooning noise under his breath as he ran his knuckles along Percy's cheek. His touch was gentle.

     It wasn't what Percy expected. Percy wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't know how to get out of this situation.

     Blood dripped from Luke's broken nose and onto Percy's chest.

     Percy pushed himself into the bed. Pins and needles shot through his hands in a burst of adrenaline.

     "You're awfully jumpy for someone who punched a sleeping guy," Luke observed.

     "You took my sight," Percy whispered. It occurred to him that Luke could take it again and Percy began to shake.

     "Only temporarily," Luke protested, sounding like taking someone's sight at all was completely reasonable. Luke frowned down at Percy. "I thought you would be more excited to see me."

     Percy felt untethered. He would rather be beaten than have this conversation.

     Last summer, Percy bonded hard to Luke. He didn't quite understand how it had happened, except that he met Luke and suddenly he wanted to spend all of his time with Luke. As the summer progressed, Percy found the urge to get physically close to Luke only increased until it was a physical ache he felt when they were apart. Luke had made a joke about Percy being his puppy and in an insane burst of courage, Percy had begged Luke to be his puppy for real, not just as a joke. Percy still didn't know what had possessed him, except he knew he wanted to be close to Luke and he knew what happened to wives and being a puppy seemed like the safest way to make Luke love him.

     Luke had treated it as a fun joke until it went on long enough that he realized Percy was serious. Something changed, after that, in a way Percy couldn't pin down, but it wasn't a bad change.

     Then, on the last day of summer, Luke summoned the pit scorpion to kill Percy. The incident broke Percy. He'd been trying to fix himself since then, with little success.

     Now they were here and Percy didn't understand how Luke could be so nonchalant. How he could act like the last day of summer never happened. It confused and unsettled Percy. He didn't know what to say.

     Luke cocked his head. "Aren't you the one who begged to be my puppy? The one who begged to be pet, begged to sit in my lap, the one who spread himself over my legs and begged me to rub his belly?"

     The way that Percy's stomach still clenched at the reminder that Luke had given him belly rubs, of the reminder of how it had made Percy feel hot, how it had drawn whines of pleasure from his throat. Percy had known, when he asked, that it was different from being pet on the head and even from sitting on Luke's lap. He hadn't known what he wanted from Luke but knew that this was edging closer to it. He also knew - instinctively - that it was something they had to do when they were alone, that it wasn't for anyone else to witness.

     Luke's expression said he expected an answer.

     "You tried to kill me," Percy whispered. There was a time he thought he would shout those words at Luke, fling then back in his face.

     Luke cocked his head the other way. With blood all over his face, Luke looked more like a predator than ever. "What are you talking about?"

     Shock jolted through Percy. "The pit scorpion," he said.

     "Oh. I wasn't trying to kill you. It was just pretend so that Kronos would get off my back about how you're an unstable weapon." Luke rolled his eyes like this was an annoyance. "I knew you weren't going to die."

     Percy was more confused than ever. "How?"

     Luke gave Percy a patient look. "I told the nymphs to get Chiron. When I threw the soda can into the water. Whenever someone litters, they tell Chiron. They might have anyway because two campers aren't allowed to be alone together and the nymphs are snitches."

     "But the pit scorpion sting kills in sixty seconds," Percy protested. Why was he trying to stay mad at Luke? Why was he arguing that Luke tried to murder him when Luke was saying he wasn't?

     "Percy, did you know that when you're a titan, sixty seconds and sixty minutes feels like the same amount of time?"

     Percy blinked. He knew Kronos was the god of time. He also knew that Kronos was very old and that eternity stretched before him. There were plenty of times when time felt warped; when he sat down to do something in daylight and looked up to see it was night, or thought that hours had passed but the clock said it had only been a few minutes. The idea that Kronos - who would never run out of time - even cared about the difference between sixty seconds and sixty minutes was laughable.

     "I lied," Luke said. "I lied to you and I tricked you so that I wouldn't have to kill you for real." He sat back on his haunches, stared down at Percy with a furrowed brow and frown turning his mouth down. "Do you really think that any of the steps to making demigod lives better and longer involves killing demigods? That's literally the opposite of what I'm trying to do."

     Percy was going to have to chew on that for a little while but the idea made his head ache.

     Luke looked into Percy's eyes. His shoulders sagged and his expression shifted into a hopeless sorrow. "But I guess every story has to have a Boogeyman and for most demigods, our parents are intangible." Luke didn't roll off of Percy so much as crumple into a ball beside him. There was no finesse. He curled into himself like a dying spider.

     Before Percy could move to escape, Luke snapped his fingers, and everything went black. "Sorry," Luke whispered. "I can't let you leave."

     Percy rolled away from Luke, onto his hands and knees. The blood on the bed was beginning to dry. He touched his eyes but there was really nothing there that he could feel, nothing physically blocking his vision. What did Luke do to him?

     Somehow he didn't think promising not to run away would make Luke give Percy his vision back.

     Percy sat and thought about what to do. There were two doors, both of them closed so he wasn't sure where they went. He would only have one shot at lunging for a door before Luke caught him and if it was the door to the bathroom, Percy was royally screwed. Even if he got into the hallway, what then? Percy didn't know where he was on the yacht and he didn't know how many monsters there were. How would he find Annabeth? How would he get them both out of there? If they got to the ocean, Percy thought he could get them to safety, but that was a huge if.

     Percy was going to have to appeal to Luke's better nature. As he'd shown with the pit scorpion, Luke wasn't above hurting Percy. That was fine. Percy could take a little pain. He wasn't quite sure that he believed Luke when he said that that hadn't been a murder attempt…even though it made sense when Luke explained his reasoning. Mostly. Teaming up with Kronos didn't make sense.

     "Luke?" Percy asked softly. He didn't know if Luke was still in the room with him because for all he knew Luke had teleported out somehow. He hadn't known Luke could steal his eyesight and suddenly it felt like Luke could do anything.

     Luke gave a rumble of acknowledgement. He sounded about the same spot he was before.

     Percy inched closer. He reached out, felt flesh, and flinched. He forced himself closer, forced himself to put his hand on Luke's side. Percy slotted his fingers into the grooves of Luke's ribs because he wasn't sure where to go from here. "Are you going to hurt me again?"

     Luke didn't answer right away. His ribs rose and fell with every breath. "There's a good chance that I'll hurt you again."

     Percy's shoulders dropped with disappointment. Part of him still hoped that Luke wasn't completely evil. He missed his Luke.

     "But if I do, it won't be on purpose," Luke finished.

     Well, that was better than nothing and probably the best Percy was going to get. He tried not to tap his fingers as he considered what to do next.

     Luke needed to let his guard down. Luke needed to trust him. And Luke wanted his puppy back. He'd said so, multiple times.

     It was easier to get into the puppy mindset when he could see Luke. Luke was tall and strong and he made Percy feel delicate and petite. Luke was confident but not arrogant, he made being cool look easy. Percy always found it easy to look up at Luke with stars in his eyes and butterflies in his belly. Trotting after Luke was a favorite activity last summer. Moving slowly so that Luke didn't notice, Percy pulled off his shirt. He set it aside. He remembered how it felt when Luke ruffled his hair, when Luke ran his hand over and over Percy's belly. A bolt of lightning rolled in his abdomen, strong and hot. "Luke," Percy said, and heard the change in his voice, a breathy whine.

     Luke's breath caught. He rolled over slowly.

     Percy let his palm slide along Luke's ribs. He felt a change in skin texture as his hands ran over the five drakon scars that ran along the length of his torso. His hand rested in the center of Luke's ribs. Luke's heart pulsed strongly against his palm.

     "Yeah, puppy?" Luke asked. His knuckles brushed Percy's cheek.

     Percy flinched in surprise at the touch even as heat bloomed between his legs. He liked it when Luke called him puppy. Percy settled down, arms and legs beneath himself, chin lifted to Luke's hand. His heart raced. "Did you mean it when you said you weren't really trying to kill me? It was pretend?" Percy still didn't entirely believe it…but he wanted to.

     "It was pretend, Percy," Luke said. His voice was suddenly smooth and rich as caramel. He ran his hand down Percy's cheek, to his neck.

     Percy whined. He let his eyes slide closed. It made no difference. Percy rolled onto his side. He planted his feet on the bed, knees apart, and tucked his hands up by his neck. Just in case Luke decided to try and strangle him, Percy would have some defense. "Rub my belly, please, Luke?"

     If anyone ever saw Percy like this, it would be humiliating for Percy. They'd never respect him again. Annabeth would skin Percy alive if she knew what Percy did with her crush. Luke was Percy's best kept secret.

     Luke moved on the bed, getting closer to Percy, the bed dipping under his weight. He ran his hand over Percy's chest, fingers brushing over Percy's nipples.

     Percy whined faintly as a flash of pleasure went through his chest. Heat blossomed beneath Percy's skin in the wake of Luke's hand.

     Luke reached Percy's soft belly. He rubbed a slow circle.

     Percy's stomach fluttered under Luke's touch. He couldn't help the way that he sank back into the bed.

     Luke's hand was big enough that he brushed Percy's nipples every time the circle brought him high, and skimmed over his hips every time the circle brought him low. The friction generated heat, but there was a heat building beneath Percy's skin too.

     Percy turned his head to the side. His stomach tensed and relaxed as Luke touched him. His body no longer sank but Percy's consciousness did, his mind dropping away. He panted as Luke touched him, breaths coming in fast and rapid. It felt good. Better than anything else in the world even though it made Percy feel wild.

     "All good, puppy?" Luke asked. He reversed direction, going counter-clockwise now. His touch was firmer.

     When Luke spoke, Percy's eyes flicked to the direction. Percy made a noise in the affirmative.

     With his other hand, Luke gripped Percy's chin. "Watching you drop never ceases to amaze me," Luke said, reverence in his voice. "Look at you."

     Percy couldn't look at anything. He didn't understand what was so amazing about how belly-rubs affected Percy but Luke has always liked it and that had made it easier to intentionally sink into what Luke called a drop. Percy liked the drops. At least he did, when he still trusted Luke. Now he went into this one with an uneasy feeling prickling along the back of his neck.

     The bed dipped as Luke shifted closer again. His knees pressed to Percy's ribs. He made his touch light as he rubbed circles, barely touching Percy's skin anymore.

     Percy arched up, trying to get more pressure.

     Luke moved his hand up the same time Percy arched up, keeping his touch light, and chuckled.

     Percy, realizing he wasn't going to get what he wanted, sank back down. He curled his hands into fists and fixed his eyes on the spot that he thought Luke was, waiting.

     Luke danced his fingers over Percy's ribs. Briefly he pinched one nipple and then the other, going back to circling Percy's stomach almost before Percy processed what had happened.

     The pinches made Percy's breath catch and his nipples stiffen. That was new. He curled his toes and pressed his thighs together, anxious and eager and waiting all at the same time. Trapping his cock between his thighs felt good enough to draw a soft, nearly inaudible whine from his own throat.

     Luke slid a hand beneath Percy's thigh, squeezed it between his thighs, curling his arm around Percy's leg in a sort of hug. He stroked the top of Percy's thigh from hip to knee, over and over, moving in time with the hand on Percy's belly. Luke made a crooning noise again, then murmured, "You're okay, little puppy. Getting hot, aren't you?"

     "Not little," Percy mumbled in protest. It surprised him to hear his own voice. He was getting hot though. Percy felt like there was fire under his skin, burning him up with a fever that fogged his mind. His arms began to shake and he couldn't make them stop.

     The same time that Luke's palm slid over Percy's hip bone, wrist tucked firmly in the heat between Percy's legs, Luke's other hand pinched Percy's nipples again. "I guess we'll find out," Luke replied.

     Percy's legs shook. He shifted his butt just a little, felt a burst of pleasure as Luke's wrist rubbed against his cock, and did it again. They didn't do this before, those times they snuck into the forest for some quality alone time. Luke didn't touch him like this, stroking his thigh or pinching Percy's nipples. It felt good, so good that Percy felt more of his thoughts slipping away, leaving behind pure animal want.

     "Do you like this?" Luke asked, rolling Percy's nipple between his fingers, pinching and tugging gently.

     Percy nodded. Even with his doubts about Luke, even with the maybe-betrayal still bitter in his heart, Percy liked Luke's hands on him. He wanted to be touched more. He wanted Luke to pinch and tease his cock like Luke was his nipples. The words came out as whimpers and whines and desperate moans.

     "It was really nice of you to wear the clothes I stole for you." Luke slid his hand up to Percy's knee. His palm was suddenly touching bare skin.

     Percy could feel the calluses toughening up Luke's skin. He felt the heat of Luke's palm. When Luke's hand went back to squeeze Percy's hip and his wrist settled against Percy's cock again, it was skin against skin. Percy's heart skipped a beat. His legs shook, knees knocking together.

     Luke caressed Percy's cheek, cupped his face in one hand. "You're so cute," Luke said, affection making his voice warm and golden like honey. "Sit up for me, Percy."

     Percy wanted to sit up for Luke even though his body felt heavy. With a bit of effort, Percy pushed himself into a sitting position. His arms shook as they held him up. He wished he could see Luke.

     Luke took Percy by the hips, moved him onto his knees. "Just like that, puppy. You're being so good."

     Percy liked being good at something. He shivered, his whole body trembling, as he waited to see what was going to come next.

     Luke slid one of his legs between Percy's legs. Still guiding him by the hips, Luke urged Percy to settle on his thigh. "There we go, just like that."

     Percy balked, but only for a second, as he came in contact with Luke's skin. It was different, it was so different sitting on Luke's lap like this and without clothes on. He didn't remember taking off his pants and underwear, but his balls were definitely touching Luke's bare thigh. Percy's hips canted forward, the friction of his cock against Luke's firm thigh making him moan. He reached for Luke's shoulders to steady himself.

     "I bet you've wanted to do that for a long time, huh?" Luke said. He ran his thumbs over the thin skin stretched over Percy's hips.

     Doing this never crossed Percy's mind before. Now it was all he could think of. He humped Luke's leg, chasing the pleasure each thrust brought. His nails sank into Luke's shoulders, clawing at his back as Percy tried to control the rising feelings within him.

     "Gods, look at you," Luke breathed. He didn't seem to notice that Percy was tearing up his back, except in the way that Luke started shaking. "You're such a good boy, Percy. Such a good puppy." His hands slid down to rest on Percy's thighs.

     Precum dripped from Percy's cock like a faucet. It smeared across Luke's thigh and made the rough, tight pleasure into something smooth and slick. Luke's words made him so wet, so hot, that Percy couldn't stand it. Pleasure rose within Percy, building in his abdomen and tightening his balls. He wrapped his arms around Luke's neck, dropped his head onto Luke's shoulder, and let pure desire take over.

     Luke whimpered. The whimper turned into a whine. It was the first noise of pleasure that Luke had made so far. His chest rose and fell with uneven panting breaths. He held them up with one hand behind him, but the other stayed on Percy like he needed to keep his hands on Percy.

     For the first time it occurred to Percy that Luke was getting pleasure from Percy being his puppy. A pleasure that went beyond just the happiness of being close to someone you liked. He didn't know how to feel about that and so he didn't even try to feel anything about it. Right now, Percy just wanted to keep humping Luke.

     Luke rubbed circles on Percy's back, making soft sounds of encouragement. They weren't real words, like somehow his words had gotten stuck behind his teeth too, but they conveyed what Luke wanted them to. He bent his leg at the knee, made Percy slide forward until they were chest to chest, belly to belly. Luke's cock was a hard, hot pressure against Percy's abdomen. It twitched and throbbed as Percy rubbed up against it.

     Percy, not expecting the slide, sank his nails so deeply into Luke's back that he felt the skin gather and tear beneath them. He clung hard to Luke's strong and sturdy frame, trusting Luke not to let him fall. And he kept humping. Percy couldn't stop the way his hips thrust forward and he didn't want to. The hot ache within him was building, rising to something that Percy very much wanted.

     Luke moaned when Percy scratched him. For the first time he thrust his hips, humping up against Percy's soft belly.

     His cock felt huge. It threw Percy off his groove for a moment, the way that Luke was humping him back. In his mind, humping was for puppies. And Luke… Percy wasn't sure what Luke was supposed to be doing, aside from rubbing his hands all over Percy's body. He wanted to be pet and stroked. It made him feel safe and loved. Floundering, Percy gave an uncertain whine.

     Luke noticed immediately. He always noticed everything about Percy, even when Percy didn't talk with words. His hands cupped Percy's face. "Did that upset you?" Luke crooned. "I'm sorry, puppy. Do you want to keep humping me?"

     The question sent pleasure like lightning through Percy's abdomen. He stuck his tongue between his teeth and nodded. His panting came out as a faint whistle with every exhale.

     "Alright, puppy, alright." Luke kissed Percy's nose. "I'll take care of you, Percy. Alright? I've got what you need." Luke's lips brushed Percy's lips. He tasted like blood, he smelled so much like blood that Percy couldn't find the usual hot candle wax scent of Luke's heritage. It marked him as a son of Hermes but right now, Luke belonged to no one.

     No one, that is, except Percy.

     And Percy, who had never kissed anybody before, bit Luke's bottom lip. The scab on Luke's split lip broke and blood filled Percy's mouth, hot and salty. Percy choked, coughing once, surprised. He swallowed Luke's blood. It settled hot in his belly.

     Luke hissed when Percy reopened his split lip but he didn't draw back. This kind of wound was nothing to him. His nose was still broken but he kissed Percy anyway, moving his lips until Percy mimicked the motion and then they were kissing. Kissing for real this time.

     Percy liked kissing. He didn't know why. He just liked the feeling of Luke's mouth against his, the wet of blood and saliva, the way Luke's tongue ran over Percy's bottom lip. His lips parted, opening to allow Luke's tongue inside his mouth. Percy took harsh breaths through his nose. He rubbed his tongue against Luke's tongue, tasting him. Luke tasted entirely of blood. This didn't come as a big surprise, as he was still bleeding and Percy's teeth worrying into Luke's lip as they kissed sloppily was not helping in that regard.

     Luke wrapped both arms around Percy and held him so close. His heart beat hard enough that Percy could feel it more than he could feel his own. Every so often, Luke's hips twitched like he wanted to thrust against Percy but wouldn't allow himself to. He moaned, though, as he kissed Percy.

     Percy felt the vibrations of it in his mouth. He chased Luke's tongue with his as Luke retracted his tongue. His lips were wet and so was the skin around them. Percy pushed his tongue between Luke's parted lips and was shocked to find that Luke's mouth was soft and wet and hot. He didn't know why this surprised him. Percy even loved to feel Luke's teeth on his tongue. He hadn't known kissing would be like this.

     Percy was just tracing the scar inside Luke's cheek with his tongue when Luke pulled back with a gasp. He sucked in a deep breath of air as though he'd been underwater for a long time. "Oh, fuck," Luke cursed. "Hang on, hang on. Can't breathe through my nose right now cause someone broke it."

     Percy didn't know what any of those words meant but he was sure it had nothing to do with him. He leaned forward, mouth open, trying to find Luke's mouth to kiss him again. He wasn't done kissing.

     Luke leaned back…and back…and back. Until there was nowhere to go because the bed was pressed against his back. He still panted, trying to catch his breath. "Percy."

     That was Percy's name. He leaned down, laid with his chest to Luke's chest. His nipples were sensitive and the touch made him sigh in pleasure, eyes sliding half closed. Percy grinded his hips in circles on Luke's thigh, chasing his pleasure again.

     "You look like the perfect size," Luke muttered. "And you're wet enough I think it'll work." Luke lifted Percy up by the hips and settled Percy between his spread wide legs.

     Percy humped the air a few times before he stilled, utterly confused. What was happening? His cock ached so badly. He just wanted to satisfy that growing pressure. Percy let out a long, high, needy whine.

     A ghost of ticklish pleasure tingled in Percy's cock as Luke brushed a finger along the underside.

     Percy moaned, desperate, and thrust forward. He was met with air again. Percy scooted forward. His knees were getting in the way, and wouldn't let him get any closer to Luke.

     "Come on, puppy," Luke coaxed. He teased Percy with another too-soft, ticklish touch along the length of his cock. "Spread your legs. That's right," Luke said as Percy did what he was told. He took Percy's cock between his fingers and stroked.

     It was pure pleasure. With Luke guiding him, Percy pressed forward until he felt Luke's legs around his waist. Trapped, he balked instinctively. But then Luke was stroking his cock again and Percy didn't care that Luke's legs were heavy around his waist because his cock had never felt so good.

     The space between Luke's thighs radiated heat. He urged Percy forward until Percy's cock was pressed against his skin. Where exactly that was, Percy wasn't sure. He had some idea that maybe his cock was rubbing against Luke's taint.

     Luke guided Percy lower, until the head of his cock pressed against skin that had a different texture. He was the hottest here. Luke rubbed circles on his skin with the head of Percy's cock, soaking himself with Percy's precum.

     What was Percy supposed to be doing here? It felt good, very good, but he didn't understand. Quivering with pleasure and anticipation, Percy waited to find out what Luke wanted from him.

     Luke gave a needy whine. His hand shook. He stroked Percy, urging him closer and closer. One hand went to Percy's hip, drawing him in. His legs wrapped around Percy's waist kept Percy from retreating. "Come on, puppy, come on," Luke chanted under his breath.

     The head of Percy's cock was still against that wrinkled bit of skin. He gave a shallow thrust, was met with resistance, and let out a thin whine of confusion. What did Luke want?

     Luke's moan held a note of disappointment at the end. He repositioned Percy's cock in that same spot. "It's okay, Percy. Try again." Luke gave Percy's hip an encouraging squeeze.

     Try what again? Humping Luke? Percy pushed his hips forward. He was met with the same resistance but this time Luke tightened his legs and suddenly Percy's cock was surrounded by heat and softness and pressure. Percy moaned even as he began to rock his hips. He buried his cock in Luke, and he didn't ever want to come out again. Luke's body was tight and hot and so, so soft.

     When Percy entered Luke, Luke made the sluttiest sound Percy had heard in or out of a porno. His body clenched around Percy. Luke took Percy by the hips again and tried to push him out.

     Percy sank his nails into Luke's hips to keep himself exactly where he was, a noise of protest in his throat.

     "You gotta move, Percy. Just like when you were humping my thigh, alright?" Luke said, voice breathy. He applied more pressure. His hips were shaking. Luke whimpered.

     Percy didn't move. It was too new, too good. He needed a moment. Percy panted through his open mouth.

     "Percy, Percy, puppy," Luke said. He arched his back, moaning again. His whole body quivered. "You gotta move. I need you to move. Please, Percy." Luke's voice broke as he begged.

     Percy realized all at once that he was making Luke upset by holding still. He was being a bad puppy. Percy pulled his hips back. His cock slid slowly out of Luke. Not entirely out, Percy needed to stay in the heat between Luke's legs, but nearly. He pushed back in. He suddenly understood what Luke was on about. Moving felt even better, the friction between them a hot pleasure.

     Luke moaned and clenched around Percy. He shivered again as Percy bottomed out. "G-good boy," Luke managed.

     Now that he knew what he was missing out on, Percy adjusted his position to get a good angle, then began to rock his hips. Humping Luke wasn't at all like humping his pillow, and Percy took it slow while he got used to the unfamiliarity of it all.

     Luke's hands were on him again, running over Percy's chest and shoulders and back like he couldn't stop petting Percy. His sighs and moans were all of the encouragement that Percy needed, because Luke had never sounded so content as he did right now.

     Percy carefully placed his elbows on the bed on either side of Luke, keeping up the steady rocking of his hips. The slide in and out of Luke felt amazing. Percy's never felt this good in his whole life. It built and built, pleasure and heat, until Percy was dizzy and feverish with it. He pressed his face into the crook of Luke's neck, panting open-mouthed against Luke's pulse.

     Luke turned his face and caught Percy's lips in a sloppy, bloody kiss. Their kisses were less kisses and more breathing each other's air. He ran both hands down Percy's back and squeezed his butt. Luke kneaded Percy's butt like he couldn't resist, and coaxed Percy into pistoning his hips faster.

     Percy could barely focus on one thing, let alone two of them, and he was getting tired. It wasn't often that Percy humped his pillow and this was already an exhausting day. His muscles weren't used to the strain of using them like this. He pushed himself up on his hands but otherwise himself go boneless. He would let Luke move him, let Luke decide the speed at which they came together.

     "Tired?" Luke asked, breathless. Both his hands were on Percy's hips again, making Percy hump him. Every time Percy bottomed out, Luke moaned and whimpered and squeezed his thighs around Percy's waist.

     Percy managed a nod of agreement. The sounds of pleasure Luke made were almost better than feeling Luke's body around him. Each one stoked Percy's pleasure. He liked hearing Luke moan and wished that he could see the look on Luke's face. When Luke rubbed his belly, Percy liked looking up and seeing Luke looking back down at him.

     Luke slid his hand up from Percy's hip to his chest. He pinched one of Percy's nipples between his fingers, tugging gently and alternating pressures. "You've done so good, puppy." Luke rolled his hips up, met Percy's downward thrust with an upward one.

     They both moaned.

     Percy was immediately thrown off his rhythm but Luke got him back on track. He was doing good at humping. It felt good to be good at something. It felt good to be buried in Luke's body and to have Luke's hands on him. Percy didn't realize his nipples were so sensitive or that it would feel like this when Luke played with them. His pleasure crested suddenly, and Percy came inside of Luke with a whimper of pleasure.

     Luke cupped Percy's face with both hands, drawing him down for another kiss. "Good boy," he breathed against Percy's lips. Luke slid one hand between their bodies and stroked his cock with fast movements. "You're such a good boy, Percy." Luke said between kisses. "I'm so proud of you."

     Percy's whole body tingled with residual pleasure. Luke still felt good around Percy's cock but it was quickly becoming too much. Percy felt like a raw nerve in every way. Luke kissing him and telling him he was good and Luke was proud of him was a little too much. Tears rolled hot down Percy's cheeks. He tried to pull out of and away from Luke.

     Both of Luke's hands were suddenly on Percy's hips. Luke held Percy close, stopped him from being able to go far enough to pull out. "Hang on, puppy. Just another minute, okay? I'm almost there. You feel so good inside of me." He shifted so that he could hold Percy in place with his legs, leaving his hands free to touch his cock again.

     Percy was too tired to put up a fight, even though his whole body was shaking with exhaustion and overstimulation. He wanted to curl up and sleep and wake up to find that everything was a dream.

     Luke came as quickly as he promised. His body went tense and tight as he came. He throbbed around Percy's softening cock in a rhythmic pulse. Luke's legs dropped back to the bed. Gently he pushed Percy backward by the hips.

     Percy hissed as his sensitive cock rubbed against Luke. He could barely keep his eyes open - not that it did any good, he still didn't have his vision back - and fought only until he realized there was no need. Luke would do what he wanted with Percy and Percy couldn't do anything about it whether he was awake or asleep. Almost before he knew it, Percy was on his side, the comforter soft against his cheek, and sleep taking over.

Chapter 3: Spoons & Socks

Summary:

Percy proves he can't be trusted with spoons.

Percy woke up sore. The first thing he did was stretch his sore muscles. It only helped a little. He opened his eyes and was shocked to be able to see. He looked in the direction he remembered seeing the doors. Shock like pins and needles went through Percy's hands and feet.

     The doors were gone, with no sign they'd ever been there.

     Luke sat on the couch, back in his suit. He looked pristine, no broken nose or bloody face. In front of him on the coffee table was a chessboard. Luke was in the middle of a game.

     Percy half wondered if all that really happened or if it was a weird fever dream. Maybe the gas made him hallucinate. How could it be a fantasy when Percy was still naked and hurting? He pulled the sheet up to his chest.

     "I was beginning to think I'd have to call Hypnos and plead for your release from sleep," Luke said. He looked up from his chess game. His lightning pale gaze was hot.

     Percy's heart raced. Ghost pleasure ran over his skin like phantom hands. It was true…Percy had mounted Luke like a dog. His face went hot and his chest hollow. But it worked, right? Percy had his sight back. Considering that there were no doors, this didn't feel like the victory Percy expected it to be.

     Luke watched him for a few long moments. By the time he dropped his eyes back down to the chessboard, Luke looked disappointed.

     Fuck, Percy thought and then felt guilty about it. Mom didn't like it when he cursed. Before Percy could decide what to do, his stomach growled. Loudly.

     Luke's eyes snapped back to Percy like he was just looking for an excuse to look at him again. "Hungry?"

     Percy nodded.

     Luke stood up.

     Percy's vision suddenly went black. He whined, disoriented.

     "Sorry," Luke said. "But I really can't have you running off. Now sit there and be good, and I'll be back with food." Luke's footsteps made no noise when he walked but Percy heard the door open and close.

     Percy crawled to the edge of the bed, feeling his way. He swung his legs over the side and stood on the furry carpet. He took slow, cautious steps towards the wall he remembered seeing the doors and from which the door sounds had come. Percy made it there without tripping on anything, though it surprised him when the floor changed from insanely furry rug to rough, short carpet like what you'd find in a school. He felt along the wall, palms flat against the surface, searching for anything that seemed even remotely door-like. Percy walked the length of the wall several times, repositioning his hands to different heights to find something he'd missed.

     There was nothing. Not even the suggestion of a door. The wall was smooth and seamless.

     Percy's bottom lip quivered. He bit it. His eyes filled with tears. Percy fumbled his way back to the bed and sat down. Then he curled up on his side. The tears ran hot across his skin and soaked into the sheets. Percy drew the blanket over himself, hiding his tears in case Luke came back before he stopped crying. He didn't want Luke to think he was a baby.

     As Percy's tears dried, Luke returned. The door creaked open from the direction Percy had been searching for it in. Luke brought with him something that smelled really, really good.

     Percy's stomach cramped with hunger. He sat up, head swiveling in Luke's direction.

     Only to hear the sound of dishes being put down in a different direction.

     Goosebumps broke out over Percy's skin and the hair on his arms raised. He didn't like not being able to see where Luke was.

     The bed dipped under Luke's weight. "You have one chance, Percy. If you don't behave when I give you silverware, then you don't get to eat with silverware again. Do you understand?" Luke's voice was calm and reasonable and serious. He meant it.

     Percy leaned back, surprised by just how in his face Luke was. "Alright," Percy said, wondering if he could stab Luke and make a run for it. Oh, but those dang doors. Maybe he should try anyway. "Can I have my eyes back?"

     "You still have your eyes," Luke replied. But he put his hand over Percy's eyes and when he took it away, Percy could see again.

     Percy's breath caught with how close Luke was to him. He leaned backward and used the motion as an excuse to turn his head to see the doors…

     The doors were there!

     They were on the same wall and looked identical but they were still there.

     Percy could have cried with relief. He glanced at Luke, then away again, because he felt like Luke could see Percy's plans in his eyes.

     Luke stood, held out a hand to help Percy to his feet.

     Percy ignored Luke's hand. He gathered the sheet around him and stood. His first step, Percy's foot got tangled in the sheet and he fell forward.

     Luke caught Percy, put him back on his feet. He busied himself with tugging at the sheet, trying to detangle it.

     "Shut up," Percy mumbled. His face and chest went hot with embarrassment. He didn't know why he always tripped around Luke but it was humiliating. At this rate Luke was going to think that Percy couldn't walk on his own.

     Luke shot an amused look up at Percy.

     With the sheet detangled, Percy made his way to the couch. A bowl of soup sat on the coffee table. Luke had given Percy a spoon and nothing else. Could Percy stab Luke with a spoon? He felt like he could if he tried hard enough. Maybe the handle would be easier than the spoon edge to stab Luke with. But first, Percy was starving. He sat down and began to eat.

     Luke sat down beside him. He reclined, arms over the back of the couch.

     Percy ignored him. The soup was so good. Percy couldn't remember the last time he ate. This was the best thing he'd ever tasted. He wondered if nectar and ambrosia were going to taste like this soup from now on. As he neared the bottom of the bowl, Percy's heart began to race. The time was drawing near. Percy had his sight, the doors were there, and Percy had a weapon to at least stall Luke. He'd run around Kronos's ship to find Annabeth and jump butt naked into the ocean if he had to.

     "I wanted to talk to you about something, Percy," Luke began.

     Percy drank the rest of the broth and set the bowl down. He was still holding the spoon. He twisted it in his hand so that the handle was facing down. Then Percy stabbed Luke in the thigh.

     Luke snarled.

     Percy clambered over the coffee table, past the bed. He was almost to the doors. Which one to choose?

     A snap.

     Darkness dropped over Percy's eyes like a curtain. He was only disoriented for a few seconds before he kept running and made it to the doors.

     No doors.

     Percy clawed at the wall but he couldn't find the doors that had been right there. Fear was a stake through his chest. Percy felt the paint gather under his nails. He still couldn't find a door. This was where they were. How could they be gone? A scream tore itself from Percy's throat.

     Luke was going to kill him.

     Percy knew it. He'd tried to escape too early and wasted his chance and even if Luke didn't kill him, he was never going to trust Percy again. Frustration tears rolled down Percy's cheeks. He spun around, back to the wall, because he wanted Luke to face him when he murdered him. Even if Percy couldn't see him.

     Percy heard the clatter of a spoon. His heart stuttered.

     Pain burst over Percy's scalp as Luke grabbed a fistful of his hair. Luke yanked, hard, making Percy stumble forward.

     Percy yipped in pain. He swung, trying to hit Luke, but missed. The sheet fell around his ankles. Percy clawed at Luke's hand, trying to get him to let go.

     Luke let out a constant growl as he dragged Percy deeper into the room. He did not let up his grip on Percy's hair at all. Luke sat down on the couch and pulled Percy down on his lap.

     Percy struggled to free himself. He felt Luke's blood hot and wet against his belly. "Let go, let go," Percy begged. His head hurt so much. Fear made his hands and feet go cold.

     Luke didn't let go of Percy's hair even when they sat down. Instead, Luke smacked Percy's bare butt…hard.

     Percy jumped in surprise. He hissed as he pulled his own hair. The sound of the smack startled him just as much as the sting.

     Luke smacked Percy's butt again in the same spot.

     Percy whimpered. Once the sting faded, heat bloomed beneath his skin. He squirmed, trying to get free, but only wound up hurting his own head as Luke pulled his hair. Percy was stuck.

     The third time that Luke smacked him it smarted and Percy thought, I'm being spanked like a little kid. Humiliation burned in his chest even as his butt felt like it was on fire. Why was the spanking making him hard? Percy whined.

     Luke spanked Percy four more times. Each time his palm made contact with Percy's skin, it burned more and stung more.

     Percy was panting by the time he realized Luke was done. His hands were curled into fists. He felt strangely tired. Not like he wanted to sleep but like Percy had just done a lot of exercise. His cock was hard and aching, trapped between Luke's thighs. Luke's blood was slick and hot and Percy tried not to think that it felt good but it felt good.

     Luke released Percy's hair and rolled Percy onto his back. He snorted. "You are definitely something."

     Percy was suddenly glad that he couldn't see the expression on Luke's face as he stared at Percy.

     Luke took one of Percy's hands.

     Percy was too tired to fight him. He felt…strange. Almost like a drop, but Luke hadn't rubbed his belly.

     Luke rolled something onto Percy's hand. It felt like fabric. He unrolled it all the way to Percy's bicep, nearly to his shoulder. "You're so little."

     Percy made a noise of disagreement. His fingers were pressed together in the tube of fabric. Wait. Was this a sock? It felt like a sock.

     Luke took Percy's other hand and did the same thing to it.

     Percy put his hands on his face. Yeah, he knew this feeling. "Socks?" he managed. His voice sounded weird. Just slightly off from normal.

     "Yup," Luke agreed. His palm rested on Percy's abdomen. "I told you to behave."

     Percy's brow furrowed. He couldn't quite hold onto his argument that Luke was keeping him here against his will, his thoughts too slippery to hold onto. They kept sliding into how Luke was touching his belly and that excited him so much he didn't even have room to realize he probably shouldn't be excited. "I'm not bad," Percy finally said.

     "I didn't say you were," Luke said easily. "I said you misbehaved." His hand made a slow circle around Percy's abdomen, again rising up to his ribs and down to his hips with each pass.

     Percy wasn't sure that those were different things: being bad and misbehaving. He rubbed his face and head with his stocking hands and made an unhappy noise when he touched his scalp. It still hurt. Percy tried to ignore Luke's hand rubbing his belly but it was so much nicer than thinking about how his butt felt like it was on fire and his scalp still hurt. "You hurt me," Percy said.

     "You hurt me," Luke echoed. His hand was hot against Percy's skin. Apparently the spanking made his hand burn too. Good.

     Percy hated it when Luke was right. He said nothing, averting his eyes so that he wouldn't be looking at Luke in case Luke gave him his vision back. Slowly, as Luke rubbed Percy's belly, Percy felt the tension leave him. Luke already punished him - surely the hair pulling and spanking was enough - and this was familiar territory. Percy's eyelids slowly slid closed. He forced them open again.

     "Good boy," Luke murmured. He sounded like he really meant it. Maybe there was a difference between being bad and misbehaving. On the next upward arc, Luke skimmed his fingers against Percy's nipples.

     Pleasure sparked at the touch. Percy's breath caught. The second time Luke brushed Percy's nipples, Percy moaned.

     Luke's hand moved back down to Percy's hips. He was so close to touching Percy's cock but he didn't. His palm left warmth, slow and building, nothing like the fire of being spanked. "No stabbing," Luke said.

     Percy gave a noncommittal hum. He still couldn't believe Luke didn't kill him. Since he was alive, Percy could stab Luke again. But not right now. Right now he was getting his belly rubbed and wishing that Luke would call him a good boy again. Percy very much wanted to be a good boy but no one ever thought he was. Abruptly, Percy burst into tears again.

     Luke cupped Percy's cheek with his free hand. "Ah, you're okay, puppy," Luke said soothingly. He pinched first one and then the other of Percy's nipples between his fingers, then his hand was dipping down so that his finger brushed the base of Percy's cock.

     Pleasure like melted gold made Percy moan. His cock twitched, precum dripping from the head. There was nothing except for air to hump and Percy didn't like that. He wondered if Luke would let Percy between his legs again. Percy's muscles still ached but he wanted to do that again.

     Luke kissed Percy's forehead. He rolled one of Percy's nipples between his fingers, teasing.

     Another wash of arousal settled between Percy's hips. Percy moaned again. He wanted to hold onto something but the socks made it impossible to do anything except curl his hands into fists.

     Luke kissed the tip of Percy's nose. His hand brushed against Percy's cock again.

     Percy tipped his head back. He was so hot his whole body burned when Luke touched him.

     Luke kissed Percy's lips.

     Percy panted into Luke's mouth. What was he supposed to do here again? He couldn't remember. He just wanted Luke to touch him forever and ever. Percy arched his back even more.

     Luke didn't seem to mind that Percy wasn't kissing him back. He slid his tongue across Percy's bottom lip, tasting him. He gave a satisfactory hum of approval. Luke tugged gently on Percy's other nipple.

     "Ahh!" Percy moaned. Electric pleasure shot through his chest. It felt so good. He thrust his hips up, was met with only air still, and a fresh wave of tears fell.

     Luke used the opportunity to slip his tongue into Percy's open mouth. It was big and wet and Luke rubbed his tongue against Percy's tongue.

     Percy moved his tongue against Luke's, not quite getting what he was supposed to be doing. But he liked how Luke tasted and he liked how Luke's tongue felt in his mouth. Percy took harsh breaths through his nose. He wrapped his arms around Luke's neck, trying to hold onto him because Luke was the only thing in the world right now.

     Luke moaned as he kissed Percy. His cock, still trapped in his slacks, was hot and hard as it throbbed against Percy's back. His tongue was long and Luke seemed intent on trying to get it as deep into Percy's throat as he could.

     Percy relaxed his throat. He didn't gag. It felt weird to have something reach all the way back to his throat but not really in a bad way and it didn't hurt. If it hurt Percy would bite Luke even though only bad boys bit and Luke would spank him again. A thrilling zing went through Percy and he thought maybe he wanted Luke to spank him again even though his butt was so sore.

     Luke's hand slid over the bumps of Percy's ribs and the dip of his belly, making a straight line for Percy's cock. He loosely wrapped his fingers around it, not stroking Percy, just holding him.

     Percy whined. He thrust his hips up again, humping Luke's hand. It was better than the air but Luke wasn't holding him tight enough. Percy whined again and gave a huff of frustration. All he wanted was Luke's approval, Luke touching him and taking care of Percy. Wasn't that Luke's job? He was a counselor. He had to take care of Percy. Percy was Luke's puppy, he needed to be taken care of.

     Luke pulled back from the kiss. His breaths came in fast. He planted open-mouthed kisses all over Percy's face. Every time that Percy thrust his hips up, Luke moaned low in his throat. "Mm-mm," Luke said, voice warm with approval even though he was telling Percy no. "You were naughty, Percy." Luke shifted to rub his wound against Percy's skin, an unsubtle reminder that Percy stabbed him. His thigh was hot and sticky with blood through the slacks. "I don't know if you deserve to cum."

     Come where? Where was Luke going? Percy blinked. If he could see Luke's face maybe he'd understand. He wasn't sure that he wasn't being punished, and Percy tucked his hands in close to his chest, making himself small in case Luke got angry.

     Luke suddenly picked Percy up, one arm under his neck and the other under his knees. He stood, turned, and set Percy on the couch. The spot he'd vacated was warm.

     Percy's heart raced. What was happening? He rubbed his thighs together and moaned with pleasure. Ah, it felt really good. So good his toes curled and splayed with it.

     He heard Luke getting undressed, the rustle of fabric against skin and the sound of it being dropped onto the floor. If Luke was taking his clothes off then he probably wasn't too upset with Percy.

     Percy hoped.

     "Are you going to come when I tell you to or do I have to move you myself?" Luke asked.

     Come where? Why were they going somewhere? Was Percy going to go home? Luke could lay in his bed with him. It was a small bed so they'd have to be close.

     "Sit up, Percy," Luke ordered.

     Percy pushed himself up. His fingers were still pressed together and made holding his weight with his hands awkward. He wished he could see Luke. Percy reached out, felt Luke's firm arm. He couldn’t quite grip Luke’s bicep like he wanted to. It left him feeling unstable.

     Luke maneuvered Percy between his open legs. He took Percy's cock in his hand again, guided it into his body. As Percy slid inside of Luke, Luke moaned. He gripped Percy's hips and pulled him forward, until Percy's balls were flush to his butt. "Good boy, puppy," Luke muttered.

     The praise made Percy's stomach flutter. He thought that if Luke was letting him do this - engulfing Percy's cock with his hot, throbbing tightness - then Luke probably forgave him for the stabbing.

     Luke gripped Percy's hips and pushed them back, careful to make sure they were still touching.

     Percy shivered as the pleasure within him rose.

     Luke yanked Percy's hips forward, making Percy's cock slam into him, and moaned. He tightened around Percy, gave a soft noise of pleasure, and then eased Percy back out. Gentle then rough, building speed as Luke found a rhythm that he liked. Every panted breath danced over Percy's throat.

     Instinctively, Percy tried to claw at Luke but found that the socks wouldn't let him. He pawed uselessly at Luke's chest, whimpering in pleasure as Luke rocked him forward and back, in and out. All Percy wanted was to sink his nails into Luke's flesh and hold on for the ride. How was it Luke could make him feel so good?

     Even his momma didn't make Percy feel so good with her kind words and warm hugs and her scent like liquorish. Momma's back rubs never made Percy drop away from his thoughts and the whole world. She called Percy her good boy, sometimes, but it didn't feel the same as when Luke said it and Momma never called Percy her puppy. Percy wasn't her puppy; for Momma, Percy was an attack dog. He would shove himself between her and the world, teeth bared in a snarl that told the world he would bite to keep her safe.

     Percy bared his teeth now, a silent snarl. Saliva pooled in his mouth and dripped down his chin, falling somewhere onto Luke.

     Luke cooed. "Well aren't you fierce, pup."

     The growl that had been building silently in Percy's chest rumbled loose.

     Luke's laugh morphed into a moan as he slammed Percy into him again. His knees pressed into Percy's sides.

     Percy let the growl die as he forgot the reason for his growling. The world once again narrowed to Percy between Luke's legs and guided by Luke's hands. Pleasure filled Percy like water filling a well. It rose within him from his toes to his head and drew a shivering moan from his throat.

     Luke hooked a leg behind Percy, keeping him in place. His legs shook and his moans died down to gasping pants. He took one hand from Percy's hip and Percy heard the soft sift of skin against skin.

     Percy was tired again. He wanted to lay down but every time he tried to lower himself, Luke's knuckles rubbed against his belly and Percy was forced to raise himself up again. His arms trembled with the effort of holding himself up. He was so sleepy.

     Luke's next moan was at a slightly higher pitch and his body throbbed hotly around Percy's cock in earnest. He tensed, then relaxed completely. Finally, he let Percy lay down on him.

     There was something warm and wet on Luke's stomach. It felt like slime between them. Percy wasn't so sure he liked it, kind of wanted a bath, but his eyelids were so heavy and his thoughts faded away like the final notes of a song.

Chapter 4: Something Wrong

Summary:

Something's wrong with Percy.

Even without his sight, Percy knew that he was back on the bed. He lay on his back, eyes staring at nothing, listening for the sound of Luke's breathing. His head pounded too loudly to hear anything other than his heartbeat drumming in his ears. Percy's butt hurt just as much as his head, but more like he was putting pressure on a massive bruise.

     Remembering the way that Luke bent Percy over his knee and spanked him sent twin jolts of humiliation and pleasure through him. Breath catching, Percy hugged himself. The socks were still on his hands, rolled almost up to his armpits. He debated whether or not to try to take them off - really, he was trying to decide if the risk of punishment was worth it - but never came to a conclusion because suddenly Percy really needed to pee.

     Percy moved to the edge of the bed and put his feet down. It was a relief to find the furry rug still there. Without bothering to bring the sheet, Percy got to his feet and shuffled to the wall where the doors had once been. He held his hands out in front of him but it was still a shock to touch the wall. Percy felt for the door, touching every spot he could reach to look for the door, and then wound up in a corner. Percy went back the way he came until he ran into the other corner. Normally Percy wasn't much of a crier but the tears came again, pouring hot down his cheeks. "Luke, I have to go to the bathroom. Put the doors back." Percy hated the whine in his voice.

     The bed springs creaked as Luke got up. Until that moment, Percy wasn't actually sure that Luke was in the room with him. Luke's hands over his eyes came as a shock, because Percy hadn't heard his footsteps. "I should make you piss on the floor like a real puppy," Luke said in Percy's ear, voice low and deadpanned.

     Percy's stomach flipped. He blinked and suddenly there was light filtering around the edges of Luke's hands. His sight was back! Percy tried to pry Luke's hands away from his eyes but the socks made it impossible to get a good grip. "Please don't," Percy said, still struggling to wiggle out of Luke's grasp.

     Luke resisted for a moment longer, then he released Percy.

     Seeing again was disorienting. Colors looked bright and everything was fuzzy around the edges. But there was a door, a rectangle that didn't match the walls. Percy lunged for the door even as his mind told him something was wrong. The bathroom was small; consisting of a sink, a toilet, and a shower. The bare essentials. Only after he peed, did Percy's brain finally have room for other thoughts. He stared at the open door.

     The thing that was wrong? It was that there was only one door.

     Percy's skin crawled and he shivered. What kind of magic was Luke doing? Could even the gods do this kind of magic? Percy wasn't entirely sure what the gods were capable of because they rarely showed off their magic. Normally he counted that as a good thing but now Percy was curious about just how strong Luke was. His head began to pound as the stress of war and the gods and his awful life hit him like a hammer.

     Percy squeezed his eyes shut but not before he glimpsed himself in the mirror and saw the red around his mouth. He waited a few moments for the worst of the pain to flow out like the tide - because the pain of stress headaches always came in waves - before cracking his eyes open again. There was blood around his mouth, smeared pink and thin. There were drops of blood on his face and his chest and more blood on Percy's thighs that looked like fruit punch staining his skin. Some white substance - cum - flaked off Percy's abdomen.

     "You're kind of a mess," Luke observed, leaning against the door frame. He was naked and it was impossible for Percy to say if he'd been naked the whole time or if this was a recent development. The only thing Luke wore was an abalone shell outlined in celestial bronze with a chain made of the same glowing metal hanging around his neck.

     Percy cast a longing look at the shower.

     Luke took a step deeper into the bathroom. "I'll let you shower, Percy. The only question is, do I need to drop you first?"

     Percy didn't have an answer. He really, really wanted that shower. And what if he went bald because Luke kept pulling on his hair until it all came out? His scalp tingled and Percy flinched at the imagined sensation. "Why would you drop me first?"

     "Because I'm showering with you and I'm tired of you making me bleed," Luke said levelly. He shifted his weight and it somehow brought him closer to Percy. His lightning pale blue eyes made Percy's head spin. "Are you going to behave?"

     Percy rubbed his socked hands together. He worried his lip between his teeth. What was he supposed to say? It wasn't like Percy was going to willingly stay here with Luke. He had…so much to do that thinking about it made Percy's temples throb with sharp pain. Percy rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I don't know," he admitted when he realized that Luke was full of endless patience and intended to stand there until he got an answer.

     Luke tilted his head as he considered this. "Well, at least you're honest about it," he said finally. Luke closed the door behind them, shutting them into the small bathroom together, and the door disappeared.

     Seeing it happen before his eyes did not make it make sense to Percy's brain. How on earth did Luke do that? For the first time he wished he knew more about the children of Hermes. But there just hadn't been time at Camp Half-Blood and, well, there was only one child of Hermes that Percy liked. The problem was that Percy and Luke both were too distracted with each other to display the powers their parents had given them. The realization that they had spent the whole rest of the summer playing and talking and making Percy drop made Percy's face go so hot that he felt feverish. He leaned against the wall so that he didn't fall down.

     "I'm going to take the socks off," Luke informed Percy.

     Percy stayed still while Luke rolled the socks down. When his left hand was free, Percy splayed his fingers and then cracked them one at a time. When his right hand was free of the sock, Percy yanked it away from Luke. He stretched his fingers behind his back.

     A look of hurt crossed Luke's face as though he had any reason to be hurt by Percy's actions.

     Percy turned his face away, balling his right hand into a fist. As far as he knew, Luke didn't know about the scar and Percy didn't want to show Luke how much he'd hurt Percy.

     Luke sighed through his nose. He turned the shower water on.

     A few minutes later, steam began to rise from the hot water and fog the mirror above the sink.

     "If you fight me, I'm taking your sight again," Luke warned, voice soft like he was talking to a much younger child.

     Percy blinked. "I want to get clean," he said because he had priorities. A shower and after he was clean, Percy might drown Luke. The idea was equally appealing and revulsive. It was really dumb of Luke to let Percy into the shower with him.

     Luke tugged Percy closer by his left wrist and then slid an arm around Percy's waist, palm lying hot against the small of Percy's back.

     As he was ushered into the shower, goosebumps broke out over Percy's skin. It wasn't from the sudden change of temperature. The goosebumps were followed by a sensation like pins and needles running down his arms and legs as adrenaline coursed through his system. He couldn't help the way he shivered violently enough to knock his knees together.

     "You're alright," Luke said, voice still soft and knowing.

     Percy reached for the water, trying to manipulate it. After doing it accidentally two times, manipulating the water became easier for Percy. But right now, absolutely nothing was happening. For the first time it occurred to Percy that he hadn't used his powers since setting foot on the Princess Andromeda. Was there something about the yacht that dampened demigod powers? Or maybe it was the pink gas that knocked them out?

     Luke guided Percy beneath the water.

     Percy sputtered. He shook his head, tried to blink the water out of his eyes. It no longer felt like a comfortable embrace. Was this how everyone else felt in the water?

     Luke looked at him pityingly. "Doing okay, Percy?"

     "I don't know," Percy bit back. Anger was easier than fear. It was easier to snap his teeth than admit something was terribly wrong. "Am I?" The shower was too small for him to go anywhere and for lack of better options, Percy backed himself into the corner as far away from Luke as he could get. Pain throbbed behind his eyes as his headache only got worse. He squinted against the world, reluctant to give away his vision voluntarily even when his eyes hurt so badly.

     "Yes," Luke lied confidently. "You are." He washed himself then, cropped hair first and then his scarred body.

     Percy stayed huddled in the corner, only his shins getting direct spray from the showerhead.

     He wondered what kind of torture Annabeth was going through right now. How did you dampen the powers of Athena's demigod children? Make them…dumb? Could wisdom be taken away? But there were other demigods on this ship, the ones who left Camp Half-Blood for Kronos' side. Were they walking around like mortals, unable to use their powers at all?

     Percy couldn't see how that would help Kronos rise and defeat the Olympians. It must have just been him and Annabeth…and whoever else was being held prisoner on the Princess Andromeda. If Annabeth didn't have her smarts, then Percy was going to have to rescue her somehow. He just didn't know how. Percy's never felt so stupid and so trapped in his life and he had to deal with Smelly Gabe for six years. His head began to hurt in earnest.

     Percy found himself missing the times that Luke dropped him and the sweet, mind-numbing bliss that came with a drop. He couldn't make himself ask for it, though, pride keeping his words trapped behind his teeth.

     Luke's fingertips brushed Percy's collarbone.

     Percy almost screamed. Instead, he flinched so hard that he hit the back of his head against the shower wall. Tears blurred his vision as stars of pain danced in his skull.

     Luke crooned under his breath, hand sliding up to cup the back of Percy's head. "Easy there," Luke muttered. Luke urged Percy back under the water, letting it wash away the mess he'd left on Percy's skin. He rubbed circles on Percy's belly, wiping away the cum that clung stubbornly to his skin.

     The gesture was familiar - minus the cum because they'd never done anything like that at Camp Half-Blood - and Percy felt himself instinctively beginning to relax. He didn't fight it, wanted to be out of his own head so badly he didn't care how it happened.

     Then Luke took his hand away.

     The world came crashing down around Percy and he felt a sharp burst of pain in his temple. He made a noise in his throat, all his feelings wrapped into one wordless sound, and closed his eyes because at least then he’d have the comfort of darkness.

     Luke snapped his fingers.

     Percy suddenly knew that if he opened his eyes, he wouldn't see anything. There were differences in the depths of the darkness behind his eyelids when he was with and without sight. Percy’s chest was tight. He took short, fast breaths. This was so childish. He couldn’t be that weak. “I-I’m sorry. Can I have my eyes back?”

     “No, I don’t think I’m going to give them back,” Luke said. His voice was not cruel, only matter-of-fact. He turned the water off. Then his hands were on the backs of Percy’s thighs. “Legs up.”

     Percy wrapped his legs around Luke’s waist. His arms went around Luke’s neck. He held on tightly, afraid that they would fall or Luke would drop him in a bad way. The abalone necklace that Luke wore pressed uncomfortably between their chests. Percy wished Luke would take it off but he didn’t have to worry about it being pressed into his breastbone for much longer because Luke was setting him down.

     With the bed beneath him, Percy fell back and pulled his legs from Luke’s waist. He lay there, panting and dripping wet.

     Luke dried Percy's hands and arms with the towel and then rolled the socks back onto them.

     This did not please Percy.

     “I want to talk to you,” Luke said. He took Percy’s shins in his hands, opening and closing Percy’s legs over and over again. “A serious talk,” he added. If he wanted to be serious he should stop playing with Percy’s legs like he was a, well, a puppy.

     “What if I say no?” Percy asked, tucking his hands under his chin again for lack of anything better to do with them. “What if I won’t listen to what you’re saying?”

     Luke opened Percy’s legs, putting his weight on them, and then he leaned between them until his face was only inches from Percy’s. “Bad puppies don’t get dropped,” he said very softly.

     Percy’s stomach dropped like he was free-falling. He swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. His hips and thighs ached, not used to bending in half like this. “I’m not bad,” he rasped.

     “Then listen to me,” Luke said. He straightened and closed Percy’s legs.

     Percy’s hips felt loose in their sockets. “Okay,” he whispered.

     “If you agree to staying out of the war, Kronos will agree to let you live,” Luke said.

     The pain in Percy’s skull seemed to roll down the back of his neck and into his shoulders. He’s never felt the effects of stress so immediately before. Kronos would spare Percy if he didn’t fight for the Olympians. He wasn’t even asking for Percy to join him? The deal seemed so, so sweet. All Percy wanted was to live a normal life like a mortal. He didn’t want what they made him do or what he was. Percy didn’t want to be a half-blood.

     “The catch is that you have to stay with me until the war is over.” Luke paused and then added, “Or until I die, I guess. Whichever comes first.”

     “Do I need to decide now?” Percy asked, thinking of how nice it would be to make no decisions at all.

     Luke didn’t answer right away. "We'll be at the coordinates you gave in three days' time. You have until then."

     "Do I have to wait three days for you to rub my belly?" Percy asked, dreading the answer, dreading what he would agree to if only he could be out of his mind for a little while. When he was dropped, Luke took care of everything. Percy didn't have to do anything except lay back and relax and Luke would make him feel like he was flying. He liked that.

     Luke gave a snort of amusement. He ran his hands along Percy's thighs and lightly squeezed his hips. Then his hands were on Percy's belly, both of them, moving in wide circles.

     Percy couldn't hide his sigh of relief. He relaxed, trying to clear his mind to make the drop happen faster. This was easier said than done. The pressures of life weighed heavily upon his mind and his heart.

     Luke began to hum, a tune that Percy didn’t recognize. His hands moved around and around, warming Percy’s skin. He reached up occasionally, cupping Percy's cheek. “You feel warm,” Luke murmured after the fifth time this happened.

     Although Luke was doing everything right, Percy wasn't dropping so much as falling asleep. He didn't feel warm, in fact he was quite cold. They'd never dried off so he was still damp upon the bed and something was wrong. Percy shivered again. This time the shivering was accompanied by aching muscles, as though Percy's body couldn't take the abuse and stress of…of however long he'd been in Luke's custody. “I…I don't feel…” Percy's teeth chattered too much to finish the rest of the sentence.

     Something fabric touched him, the texture of a towel. In the back of Percy's mind, he thought it was wrong for Luke to towel-dry him. Percy should have been able to dry himself. It was one of the tricks he'd learned and it took relatively little effort.

     Luke dried Percy from head to toes and when he was done, he put his arms around Percy and picked him up.

     Percy tried to take his own weight but he was strangely exhausted. It was all he could do to cling with his arms and legs around Luke's neck and waist.

     Luke's erection was hot between them, a hard line of silky heat against Percy's hip. At Percy's wordless protest, Luke said, “Just ignore it.” He didn't carry Percy far before laying him down again. Still on the bed but in a dry spot. Luke tucked Percy into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and making sure they formed a warm cocoon around Percy.

     As Percy was tucked in, he realized that Luke didn't intend to join him. Which meant that Luke wasn't going to drop him. Percy whined another protest. He reached out, meaning to grab Luke's arm, but instead his fingers curled around Luke's cock. He was too tired to care about his mistake. Don't leave me, Percy thought but the words slipped from his mind before he could even attempt to voice them. Why did he feel so bad?

     Luke made a sharp noise of surprise when Percy grabbed him. He took an instinctive half step back even as his cock throbbed in Percy's hand. For a few seconds, Luke stayed frozen in place and all that Percy could hear was the sound of him breathing fast. Carefully Luke pried Percy's fingers from his cock, trading his hand to be squeezed instead. Since Percy wouldn't let go of his hand, Luke had to climb over him and into bed still holding onto Percy.

     His skin was too cold, sending another round of goosebumps over Percy's body. Luke's cock had been warm and his hands too, but the rest of him felt like ice. Percy's nipples stiffened with cold and he curled up tight, finally releasing Luke's hand and drawing his arms and legs in close.

     Luke fit perfectly against the curve of Percy's back. He draped an arm over Percy, palm coming to rest against Percy's belly. His cock slid between Percy's thighs, still hard and pleasantly hot.

     It felt big. Percy wrapped his fingers around Luke's cock again, this time on purpose. He wanted that warmth.

     Behind him, Luke took a slow and deep breath.

Notes:

Luke accidentally Pavloved himself. Whoops. Better luck next time. 😂

Chapter 5: One Sick Puppy

Summary:

Percy is sick...or cursed. He's not sure. Either way, he feels like shit.

Notes:

The song that Luke sings in this chapter is No One Else on Earth by Wynonna Judd.

When I tell you this chapter has been a rollercoaster to write. 😂 There was one point in which I actually said, "you know, I think I write Luke a little too hinged." 🤣 The self-doubt is over though this man is insane. He just doesn't know it.

Even though Percy was so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open - not that it mattered; thanks for that Luke - his sleep wasn't restful. He couldn't seem to get comfortable, his muscles and joints aching too much to settle in one position for long. Percy's head throbbed like someone was trying to hammer a stake into his skull behind his eyes. And to make everything worse, Percy’s body temperature kept fluctuating so that one minute he'd be burning up and the next so cold it was like he'd never be warm again.

     Percy thought that Luke would get mad at him for interrupting his sleep, but Luke didn't. When he got tired of Percy moving around, Luke got up and slept on the couch.

     A couple of times, Percy thought that Luke left the room but he couldn't see and he never heard Luke's footsteps. It was just that one of the doors opened and closed several times and sometimes when Percy called Luke's name, he didn't answer. Then there was a clattering of things against the coffee table. “I think you're sick,” Luke said, his hand on Percy’s forehead. He shifted his hand down to briefly cover Percy's eyes, giving Percy his sight back.

     Percy blinked up at Luke. His eyesight was fuzzy. It took a few moments for Luke's face to sharpen into focus. “I've never been sick in my life,” Percy protested. His mouth was dry, his throat sore.

     “Yeah,” Luke sighed. “I know.” He sat on the edge of the bed, back in his suit. In one hand was a thermometer.

     “How do you know?” Percy asked suspiciously. There was no way that Luke was following Percy around his whole life, right? Luke was a kid when Percy was born.

     “Demigods don't get sick. The ichor in our veins doesn't let us,” Luke explained. He looked very uneasy. “Now open your mouth. This has to go under your tongue.”

     Percy swatted Luke's hand away. If he hadn’t still had the socks on, Percy would have drawn blood. “Have I been cursed?”

     Luke shook his head. “Open up.” He tried again to put the thermometer into Percy's mouth.

     Percy smacked Luke's hand again. It scared him how much energy that took. “Did you curse me, Luke?”

     The look Luke shot him was a complete deadpan. “Oh absolutely. You're the one demigod I'm not trying to save.” His tone of voice was heavily sarcastic. Luke rolled his eyes. When he locked eyes with Percy again, his pale blue eyes were full of determination. “Now be a good boy and let me take your temperature. Unless you want me to take your temperature the way they take puppies' temperatures?” This was said with a raised eyebrow.

     Percy was already hot and sweaty but his face positively burned at what Luke implied. He pressed his thighs together. And he didn't open his mouth. Percy wasn't sick; he didn't need his temperature taken.

     They stared at each other, each waiting for the other to give in. The seconds dragged into minutes.

     Luke stood up and ripped the blanket away from Percy. He dropped it onto the floor and pounced, hovering over Percy's naked body. The look he gave Percy said, last chance.

     Percy knew Luke was crazy, but he wasn't that crazy. Luke had to be bluffing. He'd give this whole thing up and confess that Percy was actually cursed. Maybe Luke wasn't even the one to curse him and was just mad that Percy accused him. It wasn't like Percy didn't have other enemies. There was no way Luke was serious.

     Luke knelt between Percy's legs. He gripped Percy by the hips and pulled Percy's butt onto his thighs. His gaze moved to settle between Percy's legs. When he pressed the bulb end of the thermometer to Percy's hole, it slid in without resistance. Luke stopped it from going in more than an inch. “Don't move, Percy.”

     Percy felt his eyes go wide, felt the surprise on his face. A wave of heat that had nothing to do with the fever washed over Percy. There was something inside of him and Luke's fingers were brushing Percy's skin as he held the thermometer in place. Part of Percy wanted to deny that this was really happening. Not because it hurt - it didn't - just because it was so…so…humiliating. Luke was really taking his temperature like Percy was a sick puppy. If anyone saw him, if anyone even heard about this, Percy would never live it down. They might even think less of Percy for this than for letting Luke drop him and spank him.

     Then Luke was stroking the skin between Percy's hole and his balls with his thumb while he held the thermometer in place.

     His touch ignited pleasure, making Percy squirm. Squirming made Percy very aware of the thermometer's presence inside him and how it was almost pleasant. Percy felt the sweet swell of arousal hardening his cock and wanted to die on the spot. He wasn't even dropped. Luke wasn't even trying to make Percy feel sexy and it was happening anyway. Percy's face burned with a blush so hot it felt like fire.

     It was worse because Percy could see Luke watch him get hard. Could see the exact second that it registered to Luke that Percy was getting sexy feelings from this. Luke did not stop his stroking of Percy's taint. When he spoke his voice was warm honey, “You're doing so good, puppy. Just a little bit longer.”

     How long was this supposed to go on for? It felt like forever had passed already. Percy thought about pleading for Luke to take it out of him, but Percy wasn't going to give Luke the satisfaction. His heart beat frantically in his chest.

     “Five…four…three…two…one…” Luke muttered and he pulled the thermometer out of Percy as easily as he'd slid it into him. He checked the reading and announced, “One hundred and four degrees. You are sick.” Then Luke got up and went to the coffee table.

     Percy's butt thumped onto the bed. He wanted to hide, to cover himself, but the blanket was still on the floor and Percy barely had the energy to roll over, let alone pick it up. He curled on his side and buried his face in the pillow, half hoping he smothered himself.

     “How much do you weigh?” Luke asked.

     Percy told him and then burrowed back into the pillow.

     “Oh so you can open your mouth when you want to,” Luke said, sounding far too amused. He returned to Percy with a tiny medicine cup held between two fingers. Inside was a green liquid. “Drink this and you'll feel better.”

     Percy shook his head.

     “It's just NyQuil,” Luke said. “There is no alternative to this one, Percy. You might as well take it willingly and save us both the effort.”

     After weighing his options, Percy didn't see a better alternative. Besides, he wanted to feel better. And if it killed him, well, hopefully no one would ever find out what went on in this room. Percy lifted himself onto his elbows.

     Luke held the cup to Percy's parted lips and tipped it back.

     The medicine tasted foul. Percy almost spit it back out but swallowed hard at the last moment. He gasped, laying back down and panting. His eyes slid closed as he tried to gain some energy back. Every time mortals said that medicine was disgusting, Percy thought they were probably exaggerating. They weren’t. The NyQuil was sweet but in the most vile way possible.

     Luke got up again only to return with a bottle of water. He cracked it open and held it to Percy's lips.

     Percy drank greedily. Maybe the problem was that he needed more water…except his throat was still sore and his body still ached. The water should have healed him. When his belly was full, Percy laid his head against the pillow and waited for a miracle.

     All he got was Luke picking up the blanket and spreading it over Percy again. He tucked it in around Percy and kissed Percy's forehead. “Rest up, Percy.”

     Percy did. As he slept, he dreamed of running through the hallways of the Princess Andromeda as he tried to find Annabeth. He ran and ran and when he found her, Annabeth curled her lip up at him. “Like I'd go anywhere with you,” the Annabeth in his dreams said.

     “Please,” Percy begged. “Please.”

     “Please what, puppy?” Luke asked and when Percy whipped around he was standing there. The dream Luke held a leash in his hands, a dangling collar clipped to the end. “What are you begging for in that dream of yours?”

     Percy woke abruptly. He scrambled into a sitting position, panting like he'd really done all of that running. His body still ached like a bruise but his headache had dulled to a manageable throb. “Luke?” Percy called. His vision was black on black on black. Luke had taken it again.

     Luke didn't answer. Was he gone? Percy had no real idea how much time had passed since he was taken prisoner but he imagined that Luke had duties other than taking care of Percy and so far it seemed like Luke spent all of his time with Percy.

     “Luke?” Percy asked again, but his voice was smaller. He crawled from one end of the bed to the other but Luke wasn't there. Percy yawned and his ears popped and he suddenly heard the sound of water.

     Over the sound of the shower, Percy heard Luke singing. “I've been a rock and I've got my fences / I never let them down / When it comes to love, I keep my senses / I don't get kicked around.”

     Percy got out of bed. He stood still for a few seconds to make sure he wasn't going to fall. His body felt so strange, like his energy was being sucked out of him. This was some curse. Slowly Percy walked, keeping his hands out so that he didn't run into anything.

     Luke was actually pretty good at singing. “I shivered once you broke into my soul / The damage is done now / I'm outta control / How did you get to me?”

     Percy was surprised to find the bathroom door was not only there, but also open. He slipped into the bathroom. It was humid. The sound of running water grew louder and so did Luke’s voice.

     “No one else on earth / Could ever hurt me / Break my heart the way you do / No one else on earth Was ever worth it / No one could love me like / No one could love me like - oh fuck, Percy! You scared me. Are you feeling better?”

     “Can I have my eyes back?”

     “Stay there,” Luke said. A few moments later, his wet hand was over Percy's eyes.

     Percy could see again.

     Luke's hand slid up to his forehead. “You don't feel as feverish.” Having just been in the shower, Luke was quite naked. Except for the necklace. Water dropped off him, forming a puddle at his feet.

     “I'm fine,” Percy lied. Just standing up was beginning to drain his energy. What happened to him to make him so weak? He moved away from Luke, back towards the door. Maybe Luke forgot to take away the other one and Percy would be able to escape.

     Luke walked back into the shower. “You must be hungry. You've barely eaten since you got here.”

     Percy thought about food and his stomach twisted. He inched towards the door.

     “When I'm done, I'll get you something light. Soup and crackers. Do you have a favorite kind of soup?” Luke continued talking. He ran his hands through his short hair. The muscles of his back were mesmerizing.

     Percy blanked, suddenly unable to remember a single kind of soup. This was a question that required an answer. “I…I don't have a favorite,” he said and took a bigger step. This put him in the doorframe. Percy glanced at Luke and then leaned back and took a quick look back into the bedroom. The other door was still gone. Percy felt his hopes crashing down. He couldn't help the disappointment. His shoulders drooped.

     “Really?” Luke asked without turning around. No wonder he wasn't afraid to keep his back to Percy. There was nowhere for Percy to go except back into the bedroom. “My favorite is chicken noodle.”

     Percy didn't answer. He put his hands to his face. Percy was suddenly extremely annoyed by the presence of the socks. The socks rolled up to his biceps so Percy lifted his arm and caught the hem of one with his teeth. He tugged it down a couple inches.

     “If you want to take a shower, all you have to do is ask,” Luke said. He was watching Percy now, lightning blue eyes sharp with knowing. “Come here.” He beckoned with a finger.

     Percy froze at the sound of Luke's voice, shooting him a worried look. He didn't trust that Luke wouldn't start spanking him again. Or worse. Then again, Luke said it was okay to shower. Percy hesitated.

     “Come on, puppy,” Luke cooed.

     For the first time in his life, Percy wasn't so sure he wanted to be wet. But if he disobeyed Luke now, then Luke would be upset. And Luke had already proven himself to be crazy so Percy would tread carefully. He shuffled to the shower, stood just outside it because he didn't really like wet socks no matter where they were on his body.

     Reaching out of the shower, Luke rolled down the sock on Percy's left arm and then the one on his right. He tossed them behind Percy, then tugged Percy into the shower by his wrist. The water was still hot.

     Percy mentally reached for the water but he felt nothing of his former powers. It was as unknown to him as ever. He swayed on his feet, weakness flooding his veins like poison and warning him that he wasn’t going to be standing for much longer. His heart beat like it was trying to burst from his chest. Percy didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to escape or find Annabeth. Tears rolled down his cheeks again, hidden by the water running down his face. “I want to go home.”

     Luke didn't respond for so long that Percy thought he didn't hear. He finished washing himself, ran his hand down the scars on his torso absent-mindedly. He did not look at Percy. After a long while, Luke sighed. “I know,” he said. “But it's not safe.”

     Percy leaned against the shower wall. Out of the direct spray, he was cold. He hugged himself, shoving his hands in his armpits. He’s always been slender but his ribs stuck out grotesquely now. Percy could remember his last meal - mostly because of what happened after - but he couldn’t remember when he last ate before that. ”My dad is going to be so mad at you.”

     An expression too complicated for Percy to read crossed Luke’s face. He didn’t look scared even when he bit his knuckle. “I’m willing to take that risk,” Luke replied. How could be willing to risk Poseidon’s wrath? Who was that stupid? “I don’t really want to pressure you, but we’re going to be at the coordinates you gave us in a few hours. Have you thought about what I told you?”

     To be perfectly honest, Percy hadn’t given it a single thought since they last spoke about it. He’d actually completely forgotten. ”When will I get to go home?”

     “When the war is over.”

     “How long will that take?” Percy snapped.

     Luke shook his head. “However long it takes.” He had the audacity to shrug.

     “So I might never get to leave?” Percy asked, his voice cracking. He was too upset to be embarrassed about it; and quite frankly too many embarrassing things had happened to him lately for him to care about his voice. “I’m stuck with you forever?”

     Luke recoiled like he’d been hit.

     Which was completely unfair of him to do because he knew Percy didn’t want to be here.

     The tears fell again, rolling hot down Percy’s cheeks. His face was beginning to feel raw from all the crying he was doing. Percy’s face screwed up as his vision blurred with tears. He sank down into a squat, too tired to keep standing upright. “I’m…crying…again…because of you, Luke,” Percy sobbed and was horrified to find himself having a complete breakdown.

     Luke looked completely shocked. Which he shouldn’t have been. He chewed on his knuckle again, watching Percy’s breakdown…and getting hard. Luke was only semi-hard but still.

     “Are you serious right now?” Percy said incredulously. The disrespect. Could a guy not have a breakdown in peace?

     “Sorry,” Luke rasped, looking away.

     At least Luke didn’t seem inclined to make Percy do anything about his stupid dick. What was Percy’s life? Why did everything have to happen to him? He just wanted to go home and see mom again. Percy buried his face in his hands.

     Luke let Percy cry in peace.

     By the time the water turned cold, Percy’s tears ran out and his fever was back. This was a fever, yes, but not the same as before. He was so thirsty. Percy licked the water off his lips. He needed a drink. He was so thirsty and hot…too hot… As he crouched in the corner of the shower, Percy’s vision wavered in the most peculiar way. “Something’s wrong with me,” Percy said. His voice sounded strange. He leaned his head against the shower wall and closed his eyes and drifted away from consciousness.

Notes:

Luke: oh no, it's hot when he cries

Chapter 6: Luke Intermission pt 1: How It Started

Summary:

Flashback to the day Percy became Luke's puppy.

Notes:

I thought a brief intermission into the past would be fun.

The thing that stood out to Luke most in the memory of his nineteenth summer was the butterflies. There were so many, drawn to Camp Half-Blood because of the acres of untamed wilderness and because it was the only place in the country that year with absolutely perfect weather. The mortals named them after Aphrodite herself and their wings were flickering orange like tiny flames all around.

     Luke Castellan wanted to smoke more than he wanted to breathe. His craving was especially bad because he didn’t smoke in front of the kids - that was not a habit any of them needed, the nymphs barely tolerated Luke’s smoking as it was - and one kid in particular was glued to his side every waking moment.

     Percy Jackson was the hero of their lifetimes. He was young and attractive and the scent of the Underworld still clung to his skin. All of this added up to the other campers avoiding Percy whenever possible.

     Luke liked the kid so Luke tried to gently hint that he needed some space. Unsuccessfully. If the way Luke's hands trembled and his stomach knotted were any indication, he was beginning to go into withdrawal. His patience was wearing thin. “The way you follow me around, it's like you're my puppy dog,” Luke had said, not entirely kindly.

     His words were enough to freeze Percy in place and finally Luke was able to walk away. Except that Luke didn't get very far before he sensed Percy's presence behind him.

     Luke turned heel and stared at Percy. It took an enormous effort to not say something he couldn't take back. Knowing that his feelings of irritation weren't really warranted, were just his nicotine addiction talking, Luke bit his tongue until he tasted blood.

     “I…I could be your puppy, Luke,” Percy stammered. His face was red with a blush and Luke could see his pulse fluttering in the hollow of his throat. He wore an expression of guarded hope.

     Percy's words sent a jolt of pleasure through Luke's abdomen that settled between his legs like sweet honey. Luke's heart skipped a beat and then pounded in overtime. His palms sweated. For a moment, Luke felt so sexy that he forgot how badly he wanted a cigarette. He closed the small distance between himself and Percy.

     Percy stood his ground but he was tensed; for a blow or to flee, Luke wasn't sure but he didn't take it personally.

     Luke ruffled Percy's curly black hair. “You're already my puppy, aren't you?” Luke teased. He couldn't believe how steady his voice was.

     Percy visibly relaxed when he realized Luke wasn't going to hurt him.

     One day Luke would ask Percy about who hurt Percy to make him so skittish, but today wasn't that day.

     Percy leaned toward Luke, looking up at Luke with adoring sea glass green eyes. “I meant for real,” he said. “I'll be your puppy for real.”

     Luke gestured for Percy to follow him into the woods. “For real, huh?” he echoed. The idea made him strangely giddy, filled Luke with a longing so strong it shocked him. He didn't know he was into that. “I guess I'll have to train you,” Luke said. He's never had a pet but Luke knew a thing or two about dogs.

     Percy trotted at Luke's heels obediently. At Luke's words, he snorted. “You already do,” he pointed out. Their sword fighting lessons had resumed after Percy's quest.

     Luke considered this. He did already train Percy. Sword fighting wasn't what he had in mind, although if he was honest with himself Luke didn't actually have anything in particular in mind. Mostly he wanted to know how far he could push Percy, how much Percy was willing to commit to this puppy thing. “Fair enough,” he said. “What else do you do with puppies? Let's see… I could take you for a walk.”

     Percy blinked up at him. “We're on a walk.”

     They were walking away from the main activity spots, heading into the deep woods where only the nymphs and Luke liked to go. The trees were big and old, sunlight filtering through their wide canopies in beams of gold. Orange Aphrodite butterflies danced in the air around them. To their right was a small stream bubbling along the forest floor.

     “Sounds like we're off to a good start,” Luke said, flashing a smile at Percy. His puppy. Luke rolled this idea around in his mind, let it settle in his heart. The more he thought about it, the more he liked it.

     Percy smiled back.

     When they came to Luke's smoking spot, they stopped. It was just a clearing where the stream ran a little wider and a little deeper. There was a boulder that Luke liked to sit on.

     Luke faced his puppy and put his hands on Percy's shoulders. “Stay here,” he said. Slowly he raised his hands and backed away.

     After a couple of feet, it became clear that Percy wanted to follow Luke. He fidgeted and shuffled around but he didn't move forward. His eyes never left Luke.

     Halfway to the boulder, Luke turned his back on Percy. This was partly to test Percy and mostly to tuck his cock into the waistband of his shorts. He was so hard it was stupid. This was just a game, though, and Luke didn't want to scare Percy off. Luke sat on the boulder in the usual spot.

     Facing Percy again, Luke saw that Percy was still where he'd left him except now he was squatting near the ground. Percy’s fingers were buried in the sand, kneading it. His vibrant eyes were locked on Luke and he didn't even try to hide his desire to be close to Luke.

     They locked eyes.

     The tension between them rose and rose the longer that Luke made Percy wait.

     Percy half rose several times before sinking back down, making himself wait. Finally Percy barked out, “Luke!”

     Luke tossed his head back and laughed. “Alright! Come here, puppy.” He patted his thigh.

     Percy launched himself at Luke, closing the distance between them in seconds. He barely caught himself before slamming into Luke, scraping his palms on the boulder on either side of Luke in his effort to stop. Percy panted through his open mouth. “Did I do good?” he asked, bouncing on his toes in his eagerness.

     Luke was still laughing, for the sheer joy of Percy being his puppy. He raised both hands and ran his fingers through Percy's hair, petting him and scratching lightly behind his ears. “Yes! You're such a good puppy, Percy.”

     And that was how it started.

Chapter 7: How It's Going

Summary:

Luke finally gets some food into Percy.

When Percy opened his eyes again, the shower was off and Luke knelt in front of him. Luke held a towel in both hands. It was so much like how mom used to get Percy out of the bath when he was little that Percy felt a pang in his chest because of how much he missed her. He always missed his mom, though, even when they were together because he knew that soon they would be separated again. It felt like a waste to miss someone who was right in front of you, like borrowing grief.

     “Hey, Percy,” Luke said in a calm tone of voice that radiated falsity. His lightning pale eyes held a glimmer of panic. “Glad to see your eyes open again. Let’s get you out of the shower, alright?” Without waiting for a reply, Luke wrapped the towel around Percy’s shoulders and scooped him up with hands under Percy’s butt.

     Percy automatically wrapped his arms and legs around Luke. He tucked his face against Luke’s neck. Luke was very warm and solid and his skin was soft against Percy’s. Even the drakon scars weren’t that bad. The necklace, though, that abalone shell? Super annoying. It dug into Percy’s collarbone.

     Luke took Percy not to the bed but to the couch. He set Percy down on one end.

     Percy curled up on his side, leaning against the armrest. He didn’t like how the towel felt but couldn’t find the energy to take it off. His body was so stiff and tender. Percy’s never actually been run over by a car, but he imagined that this was how it would feel.

     Luke had turned the coffee table into a makeshift care station. There was a massive first aid kit open, bottles of prescription pills, towels, a folded set of clothes, soup in a bowl and a glass of some dark liquid. To Percy's dismay, the thermometer was on the coffee table too and he wondered distantly if he could hide it somewhere.

     Percy struggled to keep his eyes open. Every time he closed them, he fell back into a doze. Except it felt like he was actually falling and Percy jerked awake. This happened over and over, dozing and falling feeling and waking. The last time it happened, Percy blinked and looked up at Luke. Percy was on his back, one leg tossed over the back of the couch and the other leg balancing on Luke’s thigh. He didn’t remember laying down like that. He didn’t remember Luke moving him. And the socks were back on his arms.

     Luke caressed Percy’s face with one hand. “Stay still,” he said. Then he slid the thermometer into Percy’s hole. He held it in place with one hand, still caressing Percy’s cheek with the other. “I just want to see where your temperature’s at. After that, you can eat, alright?”

     This time Percy didn’t get hard but he suspected that was only because he felt so awful.

     This time Luke didn’t read his temperature out loud. He just frowned at the reading and set the thermometer aside. Luke propped Percy up against the arm of the couch, moving Percy’s limp body with ease.

     If Percy had the energy to be scared, he might have worried about how Luke manhandled him without even breaking a sweat. But Percy was too focused on sitting upright and keeping his eyes open.

     Luke picked up the glass. He held it to Percy’s lips.

     Before opening his mouth Percy sniffed the contents. It smelled like cranberry juice. Since he had nothing against cranberry juice, Percy parted his lips and took a tiny sip. The tart flavor burst over his tongue. He swallowed and the juice settled heavily in his stomach. Normally going a day or two without eating was mildly unpleasant but now that something was actually in his stomach, Percy felt like he’d gone too long without eating. When did the soup even happen? Percy wasn’t sure how long had passed. Maybe it happened this morning and maybe it happened last week.

     Percy drank a quarter of the juice before turning his face away. He felt full and empty at the same time.

     ”Are you up for eating?” Luke asked. There was a furrow between his brows that Percy wanted to smooth away. He was going to get wrinkles if he kept worrying.

     Percy's shoulder twitched. He thought he should be ravenous but he didn't feel all that hungry.

     “Just a few bites, then,” Luke decided. He moved the bowl of soup to his lap and dunked his fingers in it, fishing out a chunk of chicken. Apparently Luke was very committed to his promise not to let Percy use silverware. He held the meat to Percy's lips, broth dripping from his fingers and onto Percy's chin. “Come on. Open up for me, pup,” Luke coaxed as he rubbed the chicken against Percy's lips.

     Too tired to fight Luke, Percy opened his mouth.

     Luke slipped his fingers and the chicken into Percy's mouth and onto his tongue. “Good boy,” he murmured. His relief was audible.

     The chicken was soft enough that Percy didn't have to chew more than a couple times before he swallowed it. It felt like swallowing a stone. It must have been longer than Percy thought since he last ate.

     Luke dipped his fingers back into the soup and this time he came back up with a spiral noodle. He fed it to Percy, fingers in Percy's mouth.

     It was soft enough that Percy just swallowed it whole. His mouth briefly closed around Luke's fingers as he swallowed. He liked how Luke's fingers tasted of broth. Luke was right; this was good soup. Percy glanced up at Luke.

     Luke looked back at Percy, an intense expression on his handsome face. His pupils were dilated so that the blue of his irises was just a thin ring. When he pulled his fingers from Percy's mouth they were shiny with saliva. “Think you can manage more?” Luke asked, his voice low.

     “Not right now,” Percy said truthfully. One piece of chicken, a single noodle, and Percy was full already. This was some curse.

     “How about some clothes? You haven't been dressed in a while,” Luke asked, setting the bowl back on the coffee table.

     Clothes were probably a good option and Percy wasn't sure if Luke would offer them again, but he thought he'd die if he had to wear something. The very idea of clothes against his skin made Percy unhappy. He shook his head.

     The furrow between Luke's brows deepened as he frowned. “Really? I thought…” he trailed off and chewed on his knuckle while he collected his thoughts. Abruptly Luke became a flurry of motion, searching the bottles for the NyQuil and measuring out a dose. “Well, it's time to take your medicine.”

     Percy made a face.

     “I know it's gross but it'll help,” Luke insisted. He put the tiny cup of medicine to Percy's lips.

     Reluctantly, Percy drank it. He couldn't help but wrinkle his nose and stick out his tongue in disgust. Mortal medicine was awful. Why was Luke giving him this stuff anyway? Shouldn't he be giving Percy nectar?

     Before Percy could ask, Luke said, “Are you ready to go back to bed?”

     Exhausted, Percy nodded.

     Luke picked him up and carried him back to bed. As he laid Percy down, the necklace he wore swung forward and hit Percy's nose.

     Percy made a noise of protest and offense. He turned his face away.

     “Sorry,” Luke said as he leaned back.

     “What is it?” Percy asked.

     “Just a trinket,” Luke replied.

     Percy reached out, brushed his sock-encased fingers against the abalone shell. Even though it was encased in celestial bronze trim, it didn't particularly feel like a magical item. It was pretty, though. “Where'd you get it?”

     “I stole it,” Luke whispered. His hand twitched like he wanted to stop Percy from touching his necklace.

     “Why am I not surprised,” Percy deadpanned. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. “It looks good on you.”

     Luke swallowed. He took Percy's hand in his and kissed his knuckles. “Yeah, it sure does,” he agreed quietly.

     Percy stared up at Luke. “You're being weird. Did someone curse you too?”

     This startled a laugh from Luke. “Yeah, probably.” He squeezed Percy's hand. “Now get some rest, Percy. I miss playing with my ill-behaved puppy.”

     “I am not ill-behaved,” Percy protested.

     Luke just laughed.

Chapter 8: Sleep It Off

Summary:

Percy fucks up exponentially.

Notes:

This chapter contains a teeny tiny bit of accidental cannibalism.

Percy spent as much time as physically possible asleep. His dreams were confusing and mildly upsetting but that was better than being awake and hurting. Time slipped by without much awareness on Percy's part. The only window in the suite was one tiny port and Percy couldn't rely on it to tell him what time it was or how many days had passed when sometimes the lighting didn’t change at all.

     Sometimes Luke left but he was usually with Percy when Percy woke. When he wasn't playing chess against himself or pacing a hole in the carpet, Luke was typically stretched out beside Percy. He liked to pet Percy, stroking his hair and twirling Percy's curls around his finger.

     Percy liked the attention. He liked how gentle Luke was with him. And if a tiny part of Percy liked knowing that Luke could snap and have his way with Percy? Well that part of him was quiet and he smothered it every time it crossed Percy's mind. When he was feeling better, Percy asked Luke a pressing question. “Aren't you supposed to be leading the army?”

     This was one of those times Luke was lying beside Percy and playing with his hair. He’d traded his suit for an undershirt and a pair of boxers. “Hmm. Yeah,” Luke said, sounding far too nonchalant. “I suppose I am. Kinda busy lately though.”

     Percy snorted. “Laying in bed all day?”

     “Taking care of you,” Luke corrected.

     “I feel very cared for,” Percy said sarcastically.

     Luke didn't seem to pick up on it because all he said was, “Good.”

     Percy reached up and pushed Luke's hand away. “You're the worst, Luke.” He rolled over.

     “What? No I'm not,” Luke pushed himself into a half sitting position, leaning over Percy to look at his expression.

     Percy curled his lip up in disgust. He pushed at Luke's chest, felt that stupid necklace dig into his palm. “Yes you are! After everything you did, you're not even taking this ‘revolution’ seriously. Is everything a game to you?”

     Luke looked bewildered. He did not budge when Percy shoved him. “Did you switch sides when I wasn't looking?”

     “No! I don't want Kronos to rise anymore than I want the Olympians to fall,” Percy said. He waited a beat for Luke to tell him names have power or the temperature to drop but neither happened. “If you hadn't stolen the bolt, I could have been home right now.”

     Luke took a deep breath to speak and then slowly let it out. “Maybe, maybe not. Grover had already found you and was watching you.”

     Percy wanted to argue and stopped, thinking about it. Grover did show up at the beginning of the school year and he did immediately try to make friends with Percy. Later he'd told Percy that it was because he needed to find out what Percy knew and how powerful he was. Chiron, though, didn't show up until December. After Luke stole the bolt. After he realized he needed a sacrificial lamb. Percy's chest went tight.

     Luke laid down on Percy's side so they were ribs to ribs. An elbow on the bed and his cheek in his hand kept him propped up. “I know you hate this and waiting sucks but you've gotta wait a while longer. I'll get you home as soon as I can, Percy.”

     Percy wanted to break Luke's nose again. With great effort, he resisted the temptation. “How much time do I have left?” At Luke's blank look, Percy elaborated, “You said I had until we got to the coordinates to decide.”

     “Oh!” Luke said. He stroked his chin. “We arrived a while ago.”

     “But the deadline -”

     “You were sick.” Luke put a hand on Percy's cheek, moved it to his forehead, taking his temperature. “I wanted to give you time to actually think about it. Have you?”

     Percy really hadn't thought about it at all. He ignored the question and asked one of his own, “What happens if I say no?”

     Luke heaved a great sigh. “You'll still be a prisoner on board the Princess Andromeda.”

     Luke had to be playing some kind of game but for the life of him, Percy couldn't figure out what it was. If Luke wasn't going to let him go or kill him then what was the point of making Percy choose imprisonment? Percy clenched his fists. Sure he was wearing socks but it would still hurt if he punched Luke. “That’s not a choice. Why ask me at all?”

     “Because your answer is going to determine your quality of life,” Luke replied. “You can be my puppy or I can throw you in with the mo- ” He caught himself, swallowing the word before he could finish it. Luke pushed himself off of Percy.

     Percy rolled onto his hands and knees. “With the monsters?” he demanded. “If I don't stay with you, you're going to kill me?”

     Luke didn't say anything. He wouldn't look at Percy, face turned away.

     “Luke!” Percy barked.

     Luke ignored him.

     He didn't get to ignore Percy like that. Not after everything Luke's done. Percy didn't think, he just lunged. His teeth closed around Luke's ear, puncturing the cartilage. He tasted blood.

     Luke yelped like he was the puppy and jerked away, lashing out to catch Percy across the chest at the same time.

     The cartilage between Percy’s teeth shredded and something came loose. It sat on Percy's tongue; small and foreign and tasting of blood. At first he didn't quite know what it was and the pain in his chest was so distracting that Percy could barely breathe. But as he was wheezing, Percy got a glimpse of Luke's bloodied ear and saw that a chunk of flesh had been taken out of the top. Which meant… Oh. Oh.

     Aside from the initial yelp, Luke was handling the pain of it well. He panted and hissed through his open mouth and his face was screwed up in pain but other than that you'd never know that Percy just…that he…

     Luke leapt out of bed and hurried into the bathroom.

     Percy stayed frozen on the bed, petrified with fear. Luke was going to kill him. He knew it.

     “FUCK!” Luke shouted. He must have noticed.

     Percy swallowed reflexively and down went the bit of cartilage. Oh no, he thought. Was it too late to throw it back up? Percy began to tremble with nerves. He scanned the room but there was nowhere to hide. There wasn't even a space beneath the bed or a closet.

     The sink turned on. Luke spoke loudly to be heard, “What did you think the options were, Percy? This is war and you're on the Olympian’s side.”

     “I don't want to be part of their war!” Percy cried. He got up, backing away from the bathroom door. The more space he put between himself and Luke the better. Percy looked around frantically and finally settled on the couch. He squeezed behind it, curling into as tight a ball as possible, and waited for the inevitable.

     “Then don't!” Luke snapped back. The water shut off abruptly. Luke let out a tiny gasp of pain. When he spoke again, his voice was closer. He was in the bedroom again. “Did you even listen to my - ”

     The silence screamed.

     Percy held his breath even though he knew Luke would find him. He clamped a hand over his mouth and prayed to the gods for salvation.

     Luke snapped his fingers and Percy’s sight was gone.

     Tears rolled down Percy’s cheeks. He pressed his hand harder against his mouth to muffle the whine building in his throat.

     Luke grabbed a fistful of Percy's hair and yanked him up over the back of the couch.

     It hurt so bad that Percy didn't even think of resisting. He clambered over the couch, yelping and whining all the while. When he was on the cushions he tried to curl back into himself, make himself as small of a target as possible, but Luke was having none of it.

     Luke forced Percy to unfurl, his grip so tight that Percy felt the bruises forming. He touched Percy everywhere, gestures sharp and impatient. Then, with a single decisive kick to Percy's ribs, he shoved Percy off the couch.

     Percy fell onto the floor between the couch and the coffee table. His ribs hurt with every breath he took. He wiggled underneath the coffee table. If Luke wanted him, Luke was going to have to drag Percy out.

     Luke was not coming in for another round of punishment. He seemed occupied with the couch, if the sounds were anything to go by. Percy heard it creak as it was lifted and felt the thud as it was dropped back onto the floor. Abruptly Percy heard sounds from the bed side of the room.

     What was Luke doing?

     A few minutes later, Luke said, “Percy Jackson did you fucking eat my ear?” His voice was tight with anger.

     Oh no, Percy thought and promptly fainted.

Notes:

We'll get back to the porn shortly. I just really wanted to make Luke bleed some more.

Chapter 9: Dog Bowl

Summary:

Percy finds out what his punishment is.

Notes:

The song that Luke hums at the end is Always by Erasure. It's currently my favorite song so I wanted to work it into this fic.

In the time it took Percy to faint and wake up again, things had gone quiet. He strained his ears for any sign of Luke but heard nothing except a faint internal ringing. “Luke?” Percy whispered. “Are you here?”

     Nothing. Not even the sound of the shower running. It did occur to Percy that Luke might be hiding, waiting to ambush him the second that Percy crawled out from beneath the coffee table. Except that if Luke wanted Percy out from underneath the coffee table, Luke was more than capable of doing it himself.

     Percy dragged himself out from beneath the coffee table. Again, he paused to listen. When he heard nothing, Percy rose to his feet. His ribs hurt. His head hurt. Even his chest hurt. Once again his whole body felt like a bruise. As if that wasn't bad enough, Percy's stomach growled and his mouth was dry. He felt along the coffee table, hoping that Luke left him something to eat.

     There was nothing on the coffee table. Not even Luke's chessboard.

     Percy edged his way around the coffee table to the couch side. He ran his hands over the couch cushions…just to make sure that Luke wasn't there.

     He wasn't.

     Percy crawled to the bed on his hands and knees. He hauled himself onto it and searched for Luke.

     Again, Luke wasn't there.

     The last place Percy could think to look was the bathroom but when he shuffled over to the wall, there was no door. He hunched over, breathing shallowly, moving along the wall from one corner to the next until he’d covered all four walls.

     No doors.

     Percy's ribs hurt. He leaned against the wall and tried to figure out what to do now. Luke wouldn't be able to fix his ear without the piece Percy bit off and that was bound to leave him in a foul mood. Percy didn't want to be here when Luke got back.

     There had to be a way out of this room. Percy found the single porthole and pounded on the glass with his fist. The glass held strong and the movement on made Percy's ribs hurt more. He hit the window until his hand hurt too badly to continue.

     Slowly Percy sank to the floor, curling up as tight as he could. He put his head on his knees. “Hermes,” Percy whispered. “You sent me on this quest and now Luke is going to kill me. Please help me escape.”

     If Hermes was listening - and it was a pretty big if - he didn't reply to Percy's plea for help.

     Time passed.

     Percy's thirst became hard to ignore. He tried swallowing his spit but his mouth was drying out. His tongue kept sticking to the roof of his mouth and his lips chapped. Around the time that his hunger grew fangs, Percy began to wonder if this was his punishment. Maybe Luke was going to let Percy die of neglect.

     More time passed.

     Percy was daydreaming about hamburgers and pizza and blue candy when a door opened. Adrenaline flooded his body so swiftly Percy's heart skipped a painful beat.

     Luke moved too quietly for Percy to hear, which was the biggest giveaway that it was him. He passed by close enough that Percy felt the shift in the air. There was a soft clatter as Luke set something down nearby and the smell of chicken noodle soup. “Lift your head, Percy,” Luke ordered.

     Percy lifted his head.

     Luke's hand covered his eyes briefly and Percy could see again.

     Percy blinked in the light, trying to make his eyes adjust faster and his vision refocus.

     Luke was a blur of blond hair and dove gray suit. He made his way to the couch and collapsed onto it like he was exhausted.

     Percy didn't move. The details of the room slowly sharpened. He looked down at what Luke had dropped off.

     There were two silver dog bowls on the floor. One held water and the other held chicken noodle soup.

     No, Percy thought, I’d rather starve. His growling, cramping stomach disagreed. The bowls' sides were angled in such a way that even if Percy could pick it up with his socks, he'd wind up spilling most of it when he tipped it. Looking at the bowls, Percy's throat tightened with emotion. He didn't want to eat out of a dog bowl on the floor. No matter how hungry he was.

     “If you let it get cold, it'll turn slimy,” Luke said from the couch.

     Percy twisted his neck to look over his shoulder.

     Luke was watching him. For all that he looked relaxed there was something about the look on Luke's face that said that his patience was worn very, very thin.

     Percy decided to test it anyway. “Can I have a spoon?”

     Luke drummed his fingers against the back of the couch. “No. You lost silverware privileges, remember?”

     Right. So Luke was serious about that. Percy looked at the dog bowls. Very serious about it. Soup was like water, right? Percy focused on the liquid and tried to make it rise out of the bowl. He focused so hard that he squeaked.

     Absolutely nothing happened.

     Percy glanced at Luke again.

     Luke was still watching Percy and showed no signs of looking away.

     It wouldn't be so bad if Luke wasn't looking; if Percy couldn't feel Luke's eyes hot on his back. But Luke watching only made it more humiliating.

     Luke clicked his tongue.

     Percy's head snapped around to look at him again. His face went hot.

     Luke tapped the couch. “Come here.” Percy hesitated long enough for Luke to click his tongue again. “C’mon, Percy.”

     Maybe Luke changed his mind about the dog bowls. Percy unfurled slowly, his joints stiff and muscles sore. He tried to stand but the pain in his ribs flared sharply and Percy eased back down. He grit his teeth and looked at the impossible distance between himself and Luke.

     A flash of sympathy flitted across Luke's face. His voice was soft, coaxing when he said, “Come here, puppy. You can do it.”

     If Luke was calling Percy his puppy and talking in that tone then he couldn't be too mad at Percy. Percy crawled to Luke on his hands and knees. His face was so hot with embarrassment that he couldn't lift his head, eyes glued to the floor. When he got the couch, Percy waited with his head bowed.

     A finger under his chin lifted his face so that they were looking into each other's eyes. “Good boy, Percy,” Luke said. He patted the couch beside him. “Come up here.”

     Percy climbed onto the couch. His stomach growled audibly. He tucked his hands between his legs and let his eyes unfocus. If Luke was going to punish him, Percy didn't want to see it.

     “Relax, Percy. I'm not going to hurt you,” Luke said. He reached for Percy, dragged Percy onto his lap.

     Percy didn't resist, sitting sideways on Luke's lap. Sitting this close to Luke, Percy could see the damage he'd done. The tip of Luke's ear was gone, healed and scarred over. It gave him the appearance of a stray tomcat. “Aren't you mad?”

     “Fucking livid,” Luke confirmed. He wrapped one arm around Percy to hold him in place and poked his fingers against Percy's ribs with the other.

     “Ow!”

     “But you're going to feel that a lot longer than I felt this,” Luke continued. He brushed his fingers against the ragged edge of his ear, delicately like he thought it was still going to hurt.

     Percy rubbed the spot Luke poked. There was a bruise there.

     Luke kissed Percy's cheek. “Relax. I'm over it.” He smoothed his hand against Percy's ribs.

     Percy wasn't so sure about that but he wasn't going to argue. If Luke wanted to put it behind them, he was more than willing to do the same.

     When Luke put his hand on Percy's abdomen his fingers brushed Percy’s ribs.

     Pain shot through Percy. He couldn't help but flinch. Anxiously he curled his toes, waiting for Luke to get angry. Luke didn't like it when Percy flinched.

     Luke adjusted how his hand rested on Percy's abdomen. Then he began to move his hand in slow, tight circles.

     He…wasn’t going to get angry. Alright. Percy tucked his face against Luke’s neck, being careful to make sure his mouth wasn’t near Luke’s flesh. He didn’t want Luke to think that Percy was going to bite him again. If Percy tore out Luke’s throat, he doubted that Luke would be willing to let it go.

     Needless to say, it took a long time for Percy to turn off his thoughts and relax. He focused on Luke’s hand rubbing his belly, the familiarity and comfort of the action. With his eyes closed, Percy could almost pretend they were back at Camp Half-Blood and everything was alright again.

     Luke pressed his lips to Percy's hair, breathed in through his nose like he couldn't get enough of Percy's scent. He planted little kisses in Percy’s hair.

     The chain of Luke's necklace pressed into Percy's cheek and finally Percy got annoyed enough to take it into his mouth. He sucked on the metal and rubbed the fine chain between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. It had a kind of crunchy texture good for biting.

     Percy's belly was warm where Luke rubbed it, friction heating up his skin. He sank further into his body, dropping down and down until all he knew was Luke's hands on him. The touches felt good and hiding within himself, Percy was safe. Luke would take care of everything.

     Time stretched and squeezed and marched on indifferent to how oblivious Percy was of its passing.

     After a time, Luke picked Percy up and got to his feet. They made no sound as they moved, Percy only aware of movement in the vibrations of Luke's feet hitting the ground traveling through him as he hung limp in Luke's arms. Luke poured Percy into a kneeling mold on the floor.

     Percy was sad when he no longer had Luke's necklace to chew on. His mouth was empty in a way he didn't like. The carpet was rough on Percy's knees. He didn't like that either. His body was heavy and liquid at the same time; it was difficult to move but easy to stay still. Distantly he realized that he couldn't see anything and Percy sadly noted that he didn't really care that Luke had taken his sight again.

     Luke threaded his fingers through Percy's hair, getting a good grip. He pushed Percy's head down.

     Percy's nose touched something wet but he didn't care enough to try and pull away. The wet thing smelled good, stoked Percy's hunger until it felt like fangs grew inside him. He licked his lips and his tongue touched the wetness too. It tasted good.

     “There's a good boy,” Luke said, his voice low and pleased. He pushed Percy down just enough that now his lips were touching the delicious wet too. “I knew you'd like it.”

     Percy lapped at the savory wetness against his mouth. The first few flicks of his tongue only made him more ravenous, eager for a full stomach. He crouched on his hands, knees tucked under him, and plunged the lower half of his face into the bowl. Drinking in big mouthfuls Percy discovered that there were more textures, things for his tongue to explore and things that filled his belly faster.

     Then Percy got too eager and choked and it all went down very hard. Tears streamed down his face and his skin went hot with a blush.

     Luke lifted Percy's head by the hair. “Easy there, puppy,” he warned. “We don't want to have to put death by soup on your obituary.”

     Luke said a lot of words but the only two Percy really heard clearly were puppy and soup. Soup. That's what was dripping down Percy's chin and neck, splashing onto his hands. Still hungry, he made a wanting noise in the back of his throat.

     “Alright. But take it easy,” Luke said as he eased Percy's head back down.

     Percy got back to eating. He did not slow down but he also didn't choke again.

     “Do you choke every time you eat?” Luke said some nonsense above him, his tone contemplative in a way Percy decided he didn't have to worry about. “Let me see your face.” Luke lifted Percy's head.

     Percy whined. Broth dripped off his face and back into the bowl. He licked his lips.

     “Oh no. This is really doing it for me,” Luke said and lowered Percy's head back down.

     Percy devoured more soup. He wished Luke would stop interrupting Percy's meal. Didn't Luke understand that he was hungry?

     Luke pulled on Percy's hair but didn't actually manage to lift his head so Percy did not stop eating. Luke was moving, doing something that Percy couldn't see and didn't care about.

     At least Percy didn't care until his face was pulled out of the bowl and he couldn't eat anymore. He gave an indignant puppy whine and stuck his tongue out to try and lap up the broth. He knew he was still close to the bowl because he could taste it with every gasping breath. There was broth on his chin and dripping down to his neck and chest.

     “You are so perfect,” Luke said, voice breathy. He was suddenly closer, knees touching Percy's hands. His thighs brushed Percy's ears. The bowl was between Luke's legs. Luke lowered Percy's head just enough that Percy's tongue got wet.

     Percy lapped at the broth and swiped his tongue against something hard. Hard and long with a faintly salty taste. Percy lapped up more soup, tongue dragging along the length of the hard thing because Luke was pulling his head up more times than necessary. This was not the ideal way to eat soup, as Percy seemed to be losing most of it before it really got to his mouth.

     There was nothing Percy could do about it, though, because Luke was moving Percy’s head up and down, rubbing Percy’s tongue against it. “Good boy. Good boy,” Luke said under his breath.

     Luke's hand tightened even more in Percy's hair, sending a ripple of pain through Percy's scalp. A wave of heat followed the pain, licking down the back of Percy's neck. He opened his eyes, couldn't see anything, and let his eyelids slide closed again. It was easier to let Luke finish whatever he was doing with Percy's mouth and hope he'd be able to eat normally afterward so that's exactly what Percy did.

     Luke panted and moaned above Percy. His thighs began to tremble. He pressed Percy's tongue more firmly to the hard thing with every pass.

     It was hot against Percy's tongue. He felt it twitch and heard Luke whimper. The soup tasted salty now and had a sort of slimy texture. Percy kind of liked it.

     Luke loosened his grip on Percy's hair, stopped making him lick, and just held Percy's head in place while Percy drank the soup. He whispered under his breath but Percy couldn't be bothered to listen to the words.

     At least not until he reached the bottom of the bowl. Percy's belly was so full. Even though he'd been sleeping a lot lately, Percy was so tired. He tried to curl up on the floor but wound up flipping the water bowl over and getting his socks wet. Percy struggled up but his wet socks went with him and clung coldly to his hands. An indignant whine left his throat. Why were his paws wet? He was a puppy. He wasn't supposed to have wet paws and he couldn't shake it off.

     “Oh you poor thing,” Luke said. Luke scooped Percy up and deposited him on the bed. He pulled the socks off of Percy's paws and held one paw in his hand. Luke spread Percy's fingers, massaged his palm. “I’d like to trust you, but given recent events that we aren't talking about, I can't. Stay put while I get you clean socks. Understand, Percy?”

     Percy wrinkled his nose and wrapped his arms around himself in a delicate manner. He was way too full, felt like he was going to burst, and the pressure of his arms laying across his abdomen was too much. Shifting his arms up to his ribs hurt too much too and Percy groaned in pain. Why was everything bad? Things weren't supposed to be bad when he was a puppy. Where was Luke? Percy groaned again.

     When he returned Luke rolled the socks up Percy's arms one at a time.

     They were dry but Percy wished he didn’t have to wear them at all. He tucked his paws in close to his body and wished he was dead.

     Luke licked Percy's cheek. He did this again and again, tongue dragging over Percy's mouth and chin, down to his throat.

     It felt nice, almost ticklish as Luke licked Percy’s neck. Percy found himself making soft noises of pleasure, the pitch of which got higher with the rise of pressure. He felt the familiar pleasurable swell of an erection.

     Luke ran his tongue over Percy's nipple with varying pressure, with the flat of his tongue and the very tip of his tongue. As Percy's nipples stiffened with arousal, Luke sucked on it.

     Percy moaned in pure pleasure. Luke's mouth felt so good on him and his other nipple ached for the same treatment. Instinctively he tried to arch his back but pain shot through Percy's ribs and he groaned, sinking back down against the mattress.

     “Stay still, puppy,” Luke said before latching onto Percy's other nipple and sucking.

     Pleasure made Percy want to move but he tried to stay still because it hurt to move. Why was he hurting so badly? He focused so hard on not bucking into Luke's mouth that Percy's whole body quivered with tension. This did not help the pressure on his ribs.

     Luke kissed and licked Percy's nipples until they were stiff and aching. He planted kisses on Percy's ribs, each one sending a brief spark of pain through Percy, and made his way down Percy's abdomen. Luke kissed just above Percy's navel and then both of Percy's hips. He rubbed his hand in a circle on Percy's belly, the motion familiar and soothing.

     Percy relaxed, sinking even further into himself where pain barely touched him. The more Luke rubbed his belly the easier it was for Percy to turn off his mind and act purely on instinct.

     Despite rubbing Percy's belly, Luke couldn't seem to take his mouth off Percy's skin. He gnawed on Percy's hip bones, teeth scraping across the thin skin as often as his lips and tongue planted kisses. “There we go. Good boy. Just relax, puppy. I'll take care of you,” Luke murmured between kisses and bites. He rubbed Percy’s belly for a while longer before his hand stilled.

     Luke's hand lay heavy on Percy's belly as he licked his way between Percy's hips. His tongue dragged along the length of Percy's cock from base to tip.

     Hot pleasure curled through Percy. It felt so good Percy's breath caught. He wanted Luke to do it again and was rewarded with Luke's tongue licking another stripe up his skin.

     “Good boy,” Luke muttered again. He gave Percy's cock another few licks, alternating the pressure between using the flat of his tongue and the very tip of it. Luke kissed the head of Percy’s cock, flicked his tongue over it.

     Percy moaned. His cock twitched, throbbing with pleasure, but he didn't try to hump Luke. His body felt heavy and a little too distant. He didn't even thrust up when Luke took Percy's whole cock in his mouth. Percy let the pleasure wash through him instead of chasing it.

     Luke sucked Percy's cock, tongue moving along the underside as he did. If Percy's lack of participation bothered him, Luke gave no sign of it. He hummed a few notes and then seemed to find a song he liked and kept humming.

     The song sounded familiar but Percy couldn't place it. Something that made him think of rainbows.

     The vibrations of Luke's humming, the way his mouth was hot and wet, the friction as he bobbed his head and moved his tongue - it all added up to Percy's pleasure rising and rising and finally cresting.

     Luke swallowed Percy's cum. He pulled off slowly, crawled back up the length of Percy's body, and planted a salty, wet kiss on Percy’s lips.

     As Percy came down, the words to the song Luke was humming finally came to him: “Always, I wanna be with you // And make believe with you // And live in harmony, harmony, oh love.”

Notes:

Yes. If it wasn't crystal clear, Luke put his dick in the soup.

Chapter 10: Who Wants To Go For Walkies?

Summary:

Percy finally gets to leave the bedroom but it isn't what he expected.

The first thing Luke did was put the chessboard back on the coffee table. He sat on the couch, playing a game against himself.

     Percy couldn’t tell if he was losing or not. Raj Mandali from school tried to teach Percy how to play but Percy was typically more interested in playing with the horse pieces and stealing pieces off the board while Corey Bailer distracted Raj. A pang went through Percy’s chest at the thought of his friends. Merriweather Prep wasn’t the worst school Percy went to - until the giants attacked - and Percy liked Corey and Raj. It wasn’t fair that being a demigod took everything away from Percy.

     Percy sniffled as tears ran into his ears. He didn’t bother to wipe them away.

     Luke glanced up, studied Percy for a few moments, and then made his move.

     Percy stared at the ceiling.

     “Something on your mind?” Luke asked. His eyes were back on the chessboard, a furrow between his brows as he decided his next move.

     Percy shook his head.

     Luke hummed.

     A shiver went down Percy’s spine.

     “Are you bored?”

     “Wha -” Percy propped himself up on his elbows. “Duh! Of course I’m bored!”

     “What do you want to do?” Luke asked. There was a warning in his blue eyes that said Percy had better not ask to do anything reasonable like leave or go home.

     Percy considered his options. If he was smart about it, he might be able to escape. Annabeth crossed Percy’s mind and he guiltily shoved her away. Somehow he needed to get out of this room. “I want to go swimming,” Percy said. His heart raced, waiting to see what Luke would say to that.

     A strange look crossed Luke’s face, an emotion he quickly masked. He sighed deeply, leaned back, and stroked his chin. Finally he sighed and said, “Swimming is a lot of work. Could I tempt you with a walk instead?”

     Percy frowned. “Why is swimming a lot of work?”

     Luke bit his lip, briefly looking away before meeting Percy’s eyes again. “Because no one knows you’re here and I'd like to keep it that way.”

     Percy did not understand. “That doesn’t make sense. How can no one know I’m here? The ship is full of monsters.”

     “As far as everyone on this ship is concerned, Percy Jackson is not on board,” Luke said, a hard edge to his voice.

     Percy cocked his head so far his cheek touched his shoulder. He didn’t see how that could be possible. Even with Smelly Gabe to cover up his scent, monsters have still tracked down Percy to ruin his life. Why would that change now? Did it have something to do with Percy’s powers not working? But if he could go out into the hallways, shouldn’t Percy be able to use the pool?

     Luke’s shoulders relaxed when Percy stopped fighting him. “You’re still weak from being sick -”

     “Cursed,” Percy muttered. He twisted his foot back and forth so that he didn’t have to look at Luke.

     “- and I don’t want to have to rescue you from drowning. We’ll work up to swimming, alright?” Luke continued as though Percy hadn’t interrupted.

     Percy growled so that Luke would know he wasn’t happy about this even though it would get him out of this room “Fine! We’ll go on a stupid walk.”

     “Perfect!” Luke said and jumped to his feet. He moved to the bed.

     “I can’t drown, by the way,” Percy said, unable to hide his annoyance. Then, because he thought it would hurt Luke, Percy added, “I’ve tried.”

     Luke veered off from the bed before reaching it and suddenly a wardrobe appeared.

     I forgot about the wardrobe, Percy thought. His heart galloped in his chest.

     Luke’s shoulders were tense again. “Well, better not to risk it.” He opened the wardrobe to reveal that it was fully shelved and stocked with clothes. Luke grabbed a stack of clothes at seemingly random and closed the wardrobe behind him. “Sit up.”

     “I can dress myself,” Percy protested as he sat up. He was too afraid of Luke canceling their walk to not do what he said. This was Percy’s chance.

     Luke put a shirt on Percy first.

     It was exactly Percy’s size but it had a graphic of a unicorn with a rainbow behind it. Not really Percy’s style.

     “I know,” Luke replied. “Lift your foot.” He put underwear on Percy one leg at a time.

     “Wouldn’t this be easier if I was standing?”

     Luke shrugged. “Lift your butt.”

     Percy lifted his butt. He didn't really like being dressed by someone else. Even when he was little, Percy used to get upset at Mom for dressing him because he wanted to do it himself. Luke wasn't like Mom, though, and Percy had to be careful. While Luke was unfolding the pants, Percy rose to his knees and then his feet so that he stood on the mattress.

     Luke looked up at him. “You're going to fall. Get down from there.”

     “I will not,” Percy insisted. He tried really hard to be good but as Poseidon was so fond of saying, obedience did not come naturally to Percy.

     There was a moment where Percy saw Luke visibly debate himself and then he sighed. “Lift your foot, puppy,” Luke said.

     Percy shifted his weight and then lifted his foot. The mattress was soft and not really good for balancing on. He put a hand on Luke's head to steady himself.

     Luke snorted but he didn't chastise Percy for disobeying or using him to keep his balance. He got the pants on Percy and then went to put socks on his feet.

     Percy backed up, got his feet tangled in the blankets, and fell backwards. Thankfully the bed was big enough that he didn't fall off it but still. It was annoying that Luke was right. “No more socks!”

     Luke looked perplexed. “These are going on your feet.”

     “I don't want them!” Percy yelled back. He wasn't sure why he didn't want more socks on but he was sticking to his guns with this one.

     “But you came here wearing socks,” Luke said, making it sound almost like a question.

     “I've been barefoot this whole time. Why do I need socks now?” Percy shot back. He flexed his toes. His nails were starting to get long.

     “You've also been naked this whole time,” Luke replied.

     Luke’s words brought the remembered sensation of skin against skin and Percy drew his legs in close. As if Percy needed a reminder! “No socks, Luke,” Percy begged.

     Luke looked like he wanted to fight Percy on this, then he shrugged and tossed the socks over his shoulder. “Alright.”

     Percy narrowed his eyes. Luke's been gleefully crossing every boundary Percy has set and this felt…too easy.

     Luke went back to the wardrobe and took more things from it. When he returned to the bed, Luke was holding a collar and a leash. They were both black leather and the collar had holes punched in it practically all the way around so that it could be tightened to fit any size neck.

     Percy stared. This was why Luke gave up on the socks so easily; he wanted to collar Percy. Percy swallowed. He genuinely couldn't tell if what he was feeling was anxiety or anticipation.

     What if someone saw Percy in that? With Luke holding the other end of his leash, pulling Percy along like a real puppy. Everyone would know. And from there would they be able to guess what Percy was doing with Luke?

     He's still mad about his ear, Percy thought uneasily. That had to be it.

     “This one is non-negotiable,” Luke said, voice quiet but firm.

     Percy said nothing. He didn't say a word or put up a fight when Luke crawled across the bed to him and buckled the collar around his neck. Not too tight, not so that he couldn't breathe, but tight enough Percy couldn't forget it was there.

     “Good boy, Percy,” Luke said as he adjusted the collar so it sat just so. He clipped the leash to it.

     The sound made Percy flinch even as a wave of heat rolled through Percy, settling between his hips. Seeing the leash trailing between his legs made Percy blush. It seemed like he was becoming a puppy more and more every day.

     Except…there was something in Luke's hands besides the dog collar and leash. It too was black leather, but there were gray patches on the…muzzle. Luke waited for Percy to notice it before he held it up for Percy to get a good look.

     It looked like a mask, maybe something someone really into Halloween would wear. The shape was of a floppy-eared dog, with eye holes cut out of the leather. “Hey, Luke, quick question but what the heck is that?” Percy asked.

     “A pup mask,” Luke said. The way Luke said it implied that the mask had a specific name and that it wasn't so generic as a simple Halloween mask.

     “Where did you get it?”

     “One of the mortals on this yacht was into puppy play,” Luke said with a shrug. “They aren't using it anymore.”

     Percy's eyes widened. He wasn't sure what puppy play was but it kind of sounded like what he and Luke did. More important though… “Why won't they need it? Did you kill them?”

     Luke wrinkled his nose at Percy. “No, I didn't. The mortals are…hypnotized. And when we make port again, we're going to drop them off.”

     Percy wasn't so sure he believed Luke but he also wasn't sure what Luke could want with a boat full of mortals. Mortals were too fragile and got in the way. He thought of Corey getting hit by that dodgeball and thinking he'd been killed and Percy felt the ghost of panic. Maybe it was better that he wasn't with his mortal friends.

     “I'm going to put this on you,” Luke said.

     “Okay,” Percy whispered. He didn't move while Luke put the mask over his head or made adjustments to the fit. The mask smelled overwhelmingly like leather and sweat; all that was missing was the hot candle wax and the mask would smell like Luke's demigod scent. Percy was relieved to find that he could both breathe and see without any issues.

     Luke leaned back on his haunches and looked at Percy. He broke into a wide grin. “You're so cute!” Luke leaned forward, grabbed Percy by the mask and kissed the end of his muzzle. “Ready for your walk?”

     Percy wasn't at all sure about this but he nodded anyway.

     Luke leapt off the bed, twisted, and held out a hand to Percy.

     Percy liked to think he didn't repeat mistakes and so this time he took Luke's hand and let Luke help him to his feet.

     Luke took the end of Percy’s leash. A door appeared but there was only one and Percy couldn't tell if it was to the left or right of where the bathroom door normally showed up. Luke paused by the door. “Oh, and before I forget…” Luke snapped his fingers.

     Percy braced himself for his vision to disappear completely…but it didn't. Everything faded to black except for Luke. He remained as bright and shining as ever, divinity glowing in his veins. Percy had no choice but to look at Luke and so he did. Luke was so lovely to look at that it hurt, like a thorn digging into Percy's heart.

     The collar was tugged on as Luke walked away.

     Percy stumbled after him. He closed the distance between them until the leash was slack and Percy could press up against Luke while they walked. Percy didn't know enough words to describe how Luke looked, or how Luke's appearance made him feel. Alluring. Divine. He thought of stars burning themselves to ash.

     “You don't have to walk so close. I won't let you run into anything,” Luke said.

     Percy heard the words but couldn't reply. What was happening to him now? Tears rolled down his cheeks again and Percy wondered if he was going to cry until his face was a raw mess. Maybe then Luke wouldn't want him. The thought was devastating and only made more tears fall.

     They walked in silence until Percy got tired and couldn't keep up with Luke anymore. The leash stretched out between them and then Luke was pulling Percy along more than guiding him.

     Percy whined as the collar dug into the back of his neck.

     Luke stopped walking. “All tuckered out?”

     Percy nodded.

     Luke picked Percy up bridal style and kept walking.

     Percy had absolutely no sense of where they were. As far as he could tell, they hadn't run into a single living thing. Wasn't this yacht supposed to be full of monsters and demigods? Where the heck were they all? Percy was Poseidon's son; the monsters should have been all over him!

     Percy looked around and there was nothing. It was like Luke was the only thing that existed. Except he could see his legs over Luke's arm so Percy had to exist too. Percy could see the bedroom so it had to exist too…right? That wardrobe was gone for so long and the doors sometimes went in and out of view. What if they were still in the bedroom? What if they never even left? Wouldn't they have run into the walls by now? Or had to make more turns?

     Anxiety made Percy go tense. He looked at Luke and his anxiety spiked. What if the floor stopped existing when Percy didn't touch it? What happened if Luke dropped him? Maybe that was how he escaped. Maybe he'd fall forever. Which was worse? Abruptly Percy pushed himself away from Luke, twisting his body at the same time.

     Percy fell.

     Percy’s butt hit the ground hard. He yipped, more out of surprise than pain.

     Luke was still holding the leash. He squatted down beside Percy, a look of concern on his beautiful face. Luke's eyes were very blue. “What are you doing?”

     Percy touched the floor with both hands. The socks were between his skin and whatever the floor was made of but it was solid. So the floor was really there. He looked at Luke again and realized he didn't know what to say. “I don't know,” Percy said. “I… Luke, I'm thirsty.”

     “Alright. Well your bowl is back in your room. Do you want to walk or do you want me to carry you the rest of the way?”

     Not the bowl again… “Is it far?” Percy asked.

     “Not too far,” Luke said.

     “I'll walk.” Once again Percy let Luke help him to his feet. He walked close to Luke again, putting in effort to keep up with Luke's longer stride. Was Luke always this fast?

     It took forever and no time at all before they were back in the bedroom and Percy's sight was fully returned to him. The backdrop of the room made Luke less…overwhelming. Percy breathed a sigh of relief before remembering that he was supposed to be trying to escape. All he'd been able to focus on was Luke. He sank to his knees in despair. They'd just have to go on another walk. Next time Percy would pay closer attention.

     Luke took the water bowl into the bathroom and refilled it with tap water. He brought it out and set it in the usual spot. His blue eyes found Percy. “Come here, puppy. I'll take the mask off so you can get a drink.” Luke patted his thigh.

     Percy was already on his knees so he crawled to Luke. Even now he didn’t want to drink out of a dog bowl but the pup mask was kind of hot and Percy was already starting to sweat. He knelt on the floor, holding completely still, so that Luke could take the mask off.

     It did not escape Percy's notice that though the pup mask came off and then the leash, Luke left the collar around Percy's neck.

     Luke watched Percy, waiting for him to take that drink Percy said he so desperately wanted.

     Percy looked down at the dog bowl. Could he really make himself drink out of it?

     “You already did it once,” Luke coaxed.

     Only in the loosest terms since Luke had made Percy by literally putting his face into the bowl. Percy’s lips thinned as he pressed his lips together and shook his head.

     Luke, sensing that Percy was going to fight him on yet another thing, heaved a very big sigh. It went on for long enough that Percy was mildly impressed by Luke’s lung capacity. “Do I have to drop you every time you’re thirsty?”

     Percy hesitated, biting back his first answer of ‘or you could just take the socks off my hands and give me a cup.’ Somehow he didn’t think that Luke would go for that and Percy got the feeling that Luke’s patience was wearing thin. Again. Finally, Percy shrugged.

     Luke did not look impressed. “Great. That was super helpful. Thank you for your active participation in trying to keep yourself alive and healthy.” Luke’s hands twitched towards his pocket but an agonized look came over his face and he shook his hands out instead. He turned around, took a few steps away, and ran his hands through his short blond hair. His shoulders were tense again.

     Percy recognized this for the warning it was and slunk to the dog bowls. The other one was empty, washed clean, until Luke decided to feed him again but the one with water was always full. He crouched down and lapped at the water. It probably would have been easier to slurp it but Percy didn’t want Luke to watch him. This feeling wasn’t rational but Percy couldn’t shake it.

     By the time Percy slaked his thirst, Luke turned around again. “Oh,” he said when he realized Percy had been drinking out of the bowl. Luke cocked his head to the side. “Oh,” Luke repeated. He bent down to ruffle Percy’s hair. “You could have told me that was your problem.”

     Percy’s face warmed with a blush.

     Luke sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at Percy. Every line of his body screamed relief. Was Percy eating and drinking really worrying Luke that much? “Come here.” Luke patted his thigh.

     He wasn’t far from Percy so Percy crawled on his hands and knees to Luke instead of getting up. The pain in his ribs hurt more after all that walking. He rested his chin on Luke’s thigh.

     Luke ran both of his hands through Percy’s hair and made Percy look at him. “Percy, I know it’s hard to believe but I really do only want to take care of you.” He ran his nails behind Percy’s ears and his voice hardened just a little, “Even when you’re being a brat.” Another sigh. “I know it sucks but try to make the best of it, alright?”

     Luke was so full of it.

     Percy wasn’t dumb enough to say that out loud. Instead he asked, “Can we go for another walk tomorrow?”

     Luke doubled over and kissed the top of Percy’s head. “Yeah, puppy. We can do that.”

Notes:

Percy's pup mask looks like this. I did a poll on tumblr and people liked the floppy-eared one better and ngl I think it's super cute too so this is what I went with.

Chapter 11: Hip-Slamming

Summary:

Luke is feeling frisky.

The day began with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes with syrup all in a dog bowl. Breakfast smelled delicious and Luke wasn't in the room so Percy barely hesitated before digging in. It was so good and afterwards Percy licked the syrup from around his mouth. He washed it all down with a slurp of water.

     Luke still wasn't back by the time Percy was done with breakfast and Percy still had his sight so he wandered around the room. The wardrobe was visible but neither of the doors were so Percy examined the wardrobe top to bottom, trying to find out how Luke managed to hide it from him. As far as Percy could tell, it was a normal wardrobe and there was nothing on the wall that indicated a trap door.

     Percy was peering out the porthole, trying to figure out where they were, when his vision went black. He growled under his breath, annoyed that he hadn't been able to see any distinctive landmarks, and dropped back down on his heels. “Hi, Luke,” Percy said without turning around.

     “Hey, Percy. What are you up to?” Luke said, and his voice wasn't quite where Percy expected it to be. He was closer.

     Percy tensed, trying to stop the way he jumped. His heart raced. “Well I was looking out the window.”

     Luke hummed. “Nothing much to see there,” he noted. The fine hairs along Percy’s arms rose seconds before Luke wrapped his arms around Percy. His skin was hot and he held Percy tightly against his body.

     “I wouldn't know,” Percy said even though he privately agreed with Luke. The ocean was beautiful but also kind of boring when it wasn't doing anything and there was nothing to break up the monotony of it.

     Luke gave a disinterested hum as he slid his hands up Percy's shirt. His calluses were rough. He mouthed at Percy's neck, tongue and teeth leaving marks on Percy’s skin. Luke's erection was hot and hard through their clothes, pressing insistently against the small of Percy's back. “Let's go to bed,” Luke said coaxingly, mouth only parted from Percy’s skin long enough to get the words out.

     Percy blinked. Luke was pressing against him so hard that Percy needed the wall to brace himself. He didn't know if he could handle Luke while he wasn't dropped. You're going to find out, a voice whispered in his mind.

     When Percy didn't reply, Luke took this as a yes. He guided Percy to the bed, practically bent him in half over it.

     Percy scrambled up only to be dragged back by his hips. He made an indignant noise.

     Luke laughed and let him go, though he was right behind Percy as Percy moved to the middle of the bed.

     Now that they were on the bed, Percy wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He was going to be vulnerable no matter what position he took but decided that laying on his side was probably the best course of action. Percy flopped down.

     Luke slotted himself against Percy’s back. One hand stayed on Percy's belly and the other stroked Percy's thigh. He bit Percy very carefully along the shoulders.

     At least he was taking his time. Percy didn't want to rush into anything when he was still so thoroughly in his own head. “Why are you back here?” Percy asked.

     “I like you,” Luke said, nuzzling his face against the back of Percy's neck.

     “Be serious, Luke,” Percy said, disbelieving. He knew that Luke liked him to some degree in some sort of way but Luke was seriously neglecting the revolution. How could he be Kronos’ right hand man if he was hiding in this room all day with Percy?

     Luke pressed his lips to the nape of Percy's neck just below the collar. “I am serious. I do like you.”

     “But the revolution,” Percy said leadingly.

     “They're fine without me.” Luke planted more kisses along Percy's shoulders. He rubbed his cock against Percy's butt. “Didn't we already have this conversation?”

     Percy gave a noncommittal hum. He liked how Luke's mouth felt on his skin but kisses couldn't distract him. “I don't remember,” he lied.

     Luke rolled Percy onto his stomach and laid on him. “Is that so?”

     Percy grunted under the weight of Luke. He felt like he was going to become one with the mattress. “I just don't understand how you can waste so much time with me,” Percy admitted.

     Luke propped himself up with one elbow and twirled one of Percy’s curls around his finger. “Why don't you let me worry about that?”

     It sounded like a genuine enough question that Percy took a moment to think about it. Why did he care so much? “I just want it to be worth it. Is it worth it if you aren't even trying?”

     To Percy's relief, Luke didn't get mad about the question. Maybe he didn't understand. “I think it's worth it to spend my time with you.”

     Percy blushed and buried his face in the pillow so that Luke wouldn't see. He couldn't drown but surely he could smother himself. Percy's lungs started to ache and he turned his face to breathe. Apparently not. “Isn't this boring?” Percy asked.

     Luke laughed. “No. Being with you is far more relaxing than leading an army.”

     Was Luke using Percy to relax? That was the dumbest thing Percy's ever heard. It's not like either of them were even remotely relaxed except when Percy was dropped. Maybe if Percy stopped stressing Luke out, Luke would drop his guard enough for Percy to escape. If he made Luke trust him, Percy could find Annabeth and escape. He wasn't quite sure what life after escape would look like and Percy didn't try to picture it too hard. He flexed his fingers in the socks, stretching the material as far as it would go. Everything that happened while Percy was captive would have to stay secret. No one could ever find out.

     Luke was more than happy to let this subject drop. He pushed Percy's shirt up and off, then ran both hands down Percy's back, only stopping when he reached Percy's pants. An annoyed growl and his fingers hooked in the waistband of the pants was all the warning Percy got before Luke was tugging the pants down.

     “You're awfully worked up,” Percy noted as he raised his hips. He felt too exposed and hid his face back in the pillow.

     “You're awfully chatty today,” Luke replied. His tone didn't give away whether he thought that was a problem or not. Without Percy's pants in the way, Luke ran both hands from Percy's shoulders, over his butt, and between Percy’s thighs. His breath came a little faster as Luke folded himself over Percy.

     Heat pooled everywhere that Luke touched Percy, rippling beneath his skin. Percy’s heart beat a hard rhythm. His eyelids closed in bliss as Luke's rough hands caressed him.

     Then Luke was rubbing circles on Percy's belly and murmuring, “Don't worry, puppy. I didn't forget.”

     Luke was heavy on top of Percy and the belly rubs made Percy want to sink down onto the mattress. Percy couldn't though because then Luke wouldn't be able to rub his belly. Life was so unfair. But he loved belly rubs a whole lot.

     Percy's human thoughts dropped away one by one with each circle Luke made on Percy's belly. He stopped worrying so much and just let the puppy part take over him. With the puppy thoughts came the puppy arousal.

     Luke seemed to sense the change in Percy because he widened the area he rubbed to include Percy's nipples. His other hand stroked Percy's inner thighs.

     Heat built where Luke's hands touched and climbed to throb in Percy's cock. He felt the blissful swell of arousal and his cock hardened. Percy wanted Luke to touch it so bad he was going to cry. The way Luke came so close to touching Percy's cock and then didn't was agony. Wasn't Percy a good puppy? Didn't he deserve a treat?

     The next time that Luke's hand dipped down between Percy's hips - close to but frustratingly not touching his cock - Percy gave a hopeful thrust of his hips. He humped only air and the ache to be touched only grew.

     Luke huffed out a laugh against Percy's shoulder. His tongue followed shortly after, licking Percy’s shoulder. He circled Percy's belly twice before pressing his palm flat between Percy's hips; frustratingly still not touching Percy's cock.

     Percy wiggled, pressing back against Luke, trying to make it seem like he wasn't adjusting so that Luke was touching his cock.

     Luke wasn't fooled by Percy's puppy tricks. He adjusted his hand with Percy's body, never giving Percy what he wanted. “So needy,” Luke observed. He sounded pleased by this. Except his next move was to pull away from Percy and sit up, leaning against the headboard.

     With the absence of Luke, Percy rolled onto his back. He strained his eyes to see anything, to understand where Luke went, but there was only darkness as usual. A whine built in his throat.

     Another laugh from Luke. “Poor puppy,” Luke cooed and put his hands on Percy. Luke pulled Percy between his legs, positioning him in a kneel. He spread Percy's legs open very wide and pulled Percy very close. “Stay,” Luke said firmly.

     Percy felt the heat radiating off Luke's body. He knew Luke was only an inch or so away from him, his nerves lit up with Luke's nearness. How was he supposed to stay?

     “Good boy. Stay still,” Luke said. He held Percy's cock in his hand and used his other hand to rub the heads of their cocks together.

     It felt like pure pleasure, so smooth and slick. The direct attention made Percy's cock drip precum and that bit of wetness made it feel even better. He focused so hard on staying still that Percy trembled with the effort of obeying the command. He just wanted to hump until he found something to pleasure himself with. He whined again, wordlessly begging.

     Luke didn't give in, teasing Percy by rubbing the slick heads of their cocks together. His thighs trembled on either side of Percy. He panted against Percy’s shoulder, breath tickling Percy's skin. “Good boy, good boy,” Luke said under his breath.

     The pleasure was building in Percy's cock. He was going to cum.

     Luke shifted on the bed and suddenly they weren't humping anymore.

     Percy whined very loudly.

     “Hold on,” Luke said.

     Percy wiggled closer.

     “Impatient,” Luke scolded. He moved again.

     Percy licked Luke's neck, tasted the faint saltiness of Luke's sweat on his tongue.

     “Hold still,” Luke said. He took Percy's cock in his hand, finally.

     Percy thrust his hips, humping into the loose circle of Luke's hand.

     “No, fuck, hold still, Percy,” Luke said, an edge to his voice.

     Percy did not want to hold still. He'd already been so good. It wasn't fair that he still had to be still.

     His mind changed swiftly when Luke guided Percy's cock to his hole and urged Percy to thrust into him. Finally.

     Percy thrust his hips, pushed his cock into Luke's body. Luke was soft and warm inside, body hugging Percy’s cock tight. Percy pressed his face into Luke's shoulder and rocked his hips up, thrusting into Luke.

     Luke moaned as Percy humped him. He slid his hands down Percy’s back and cupped Percy's ass. Every once in a while, Luke stopped Percy from pulling back out, using his strength to keep Percy firmly inside of him. Each time, Luke's breath caught and he shivered hard, fingers pressing bruises into Percy's skin, until finally Luke loosened his grip and let Percy keep humping.

     Percy liked when Luke didn't want to let him go, because they'd be chest to chest and Luke got even tighter around his cock. It felt really good being so close to Luke. Except the abalone shell necklace got in the way. Percy held it between his teeth to keep it out of his way. He thought about biting right through it but instinct told him Luke would not be happy if Percy broke it.

     Sure enough, Luke said, “Don't…don't put that in your…mmm…mouth.” He didn't care enough to move his hands off Percy's ass so Percy ignored him.

     Percy humped Luke until the pleasure crested and he came. His cock throbbed inside of Luke and Percy shivered with aftershocks. He tried to lean back…but Luke was still holding him in place.

     Instead, all that happened was they tipped over.

     Percy landed on his back. The necklace fell out of his mouth and hit him in the face. He growled at it.

     Luke was still on Percy's cock. “Stay still for a minute, brat,” Luke said. He settled all his weight on Percy, keeping him pinned to the bed and unable to pull out.

     Percy heard the sound of skin against skin. His hips ached from how wide his legs were still spread. He stretched impatiently and yawned to show Luke he was bored of this now.

     “I should have taken you for a walk first so you'd be tired and just lay here,” Luke said regretfully. He took Percy's socked hand in his and wrapped it around his cock, using Percy's hand to stroke himself with.

     Percy did not like being unable to feel Luke's skin against his. He hated the socks. At least he could feel how hot Luke was through the sock.

     A few minutes later, Luke came on Percy's stomach. His body throbbed around Percy’s cock. He lifted up and off of Percy’s cock, then laid beside him on the bed.

     Percy laid where Luke left him, feeling strangely light and breakable now that Luke wasn't holding him down. He listened to Luke catching his breath and felt his own breathing fall into sync.

     Luke snuggled against Percy, laying half on top of him and tucking his head under Percy's chin.

     “Luke,” Percy said, voice a rasp. He was thirsty. “Can I have my eyes back?”

     Luke put a hand over Percy’s eyes long enough to give Percy his vision back.

     Percy blinked as he waited for his vision to focus. It seemed like every time Luke took his vision, it took a little longer for it to go back to normal. He felt the cum drying on his abdomen and made a face. The discomfort wasn't as bad as the way Percy’s body felt like a bruise again. Even slight movements hurt. Percy pressed his cheek against Luke's hair. “I don't feel good,” Percy said quietly, half afraid Luke would get mad about the admission and half hoping Luke would fix it.

     Luke lifted his head. His cheek was pink where he'd been laying on Percy. “What kinda bad?” Luke asked.

     Percy considered. His thoughts were slow. “I want a shower. Showers always make me feel better.”

     Luke didn't look convinced. He pushed himself up and got out of bed, holding a hand out to Percy.

     Percy took Luke's hand, let himself be peeled off the bed and hauled to a sitting position. His hips felt strange and loose in their sockets. His spine felt like it was made of glass. Percy let himself fall backwards again, suddenly too tired to stay upright.

     Luke made a noise of surprise. He knelt on the bed and cupped Percy's face in both hands. “Percy?”

     Percy forced himself to keep his eyes open. It was a herculean task. Something was so wrong with him, even when he wasn't running a fever. “Sleepy,” Percy mumbled, only partially lying.

     “A shower will wake you up,” Luke said. He scooped Percy into his arms and carried him into the bathroom. He sat Percy down on the small counter, propping Percy up so that he didn't fall over. “Just sit tight for a minute while I turn the water on.” Luke waited a heartbeat before doing what he said.

     Percy looked down at himself. His skin held a rainbow of bruises in various stages of healing. There was cum on his abdomen. It was unpleasant. Percy’s eyes found Luke, traveling up and down Luke's back, studying and committing Luke to memory.

     When steam rose from the water, Luke came back to Percy. He rolled the socks down Percy's arms and off. Then he offered a hand and helped Percy down.

     Percy thought about protesting, about insisting that he could do it himself, but he was tired and wanted to stay in Luke's good graces for as long as possible. Though Luke was absolutely out of his mind, things could be a whole lot worse for Percy.

     In the shower the hot water made Percy break out into goosebumps as his skin adjusted to the temperature. He hugged himself. It felt so good to use his hands again and stretched his fingers.

     Luke came up behind Percy, pressed against Percy's back. He washed the cum from Percy’s belly, hand moving in a familiar circle over Percy's skin. “Feeling better?” Luke asked, an edge of hopefulness in his voice.

     Percy shook his head. The only difference was that he was wet. His bruises still hurt, his body still ached, he was still tired. He resisted leaning against Luke for as long as he could, but eventually Percy gave in. It must have been the yacht dampening Percy's powers and the curse amplifying the effects that made Percy feel so lousy. All I've done today is eat breakfast and play with Luke, how can I already be ready to go back to sleep? Percy wondered uneasily.

     For his part, Luke just held Percy, folding himself around Percy and tucking his face into the crook of Percy's neck. They stood still, letting the water run over them.

     Percy thought about Luke wasting his time here, doing nothing, and didn't know how he felt about it. This was what he wanted at Camp Half-Blood - sort of - Luke's undivided attention and affection. But that was before, when Luke's only job was taking care of cabin eleven and helping to run the camp. Now Luke was the face of the rebellion, the one who kick-started everything into motion, and he spent too much time with Percy.

     “Stop thinking,” Luke said out of the blue. It had been long enough since either of them last spoke that his voice made Percy jump. Luke ignored this. “I can see the smoke coming out of your ears.”

     Percy made an offended noise in his throat. “Make me stop,” he said, not entirely joking.

     Luke hummed. He resumed rubbing Percy’s belly, hand going in soothing circles.

     Percy didn't want to close his eyes and instead let them unfocus, vision going soft and blurry. He wished it was as easy to turn off his thoughts. How long have I been here? Percy didn't have an answer to that question and at this point he wondered if he'd ever get one.

     Luke kissed Percy's neck just below the collar, mouth planting kiss after kiss against Percy's skin. When the collar got in the way, Luke just kissed above it. He paused kissing Percy long enough to nuzzle the back of Percy's head and then got back to kissing.

     It felt nice. Percy was strangely charmed by Luke's affectionate behavior. He probably shouldn't have been, because who knew how long it would last, but it was nice. He laid his hands over Luke's hands and let himself sink. Luke would take good enough care of him. It was safe to give in. Percy leaned against Luke, tipped his head back and turned his face.

     Luke caught Percy's mouth in the kiss Percy had been wanting. He kissed Percy, lips moving sensually. His hand slid up to Percy's throat, fingers sliding beneath the leather of Percy's collar. His calluses were rough and Percy's skin was sensitive. Luke's cock pressed against the small of Percy's back.

     Percy’s heart raced as he got worked up again. He kissed Luke with parted lips, the tip of his tongue between his teeth. He put his hands over Luke's wrists so that he'd have something to hold onto.

     Luke moaned, the sound a rumble in his throat that Percy felt as much as heard. He held Percy by the hip, his fingers pressing more bruises into Percy's skin. Luke kissed Percy with an open mouth. His tongue brushed Percy's bottom lip and then more boldly slid between Percy's parted lips. Luke's tongue touched Percy’s.

     Percy opened his mouth wider, making a wanting noise so that Luke knew he needed it. He liked how Luke tasted, liked the slick feeling of Luke's tongue licking at the inside of his mouth. Percy couldn't tell if it was the steam, or the arousal, or Luke's hand on his throat making him dizzy but Percy pushed the feeling down. Everything would be alright because Luke had him.

     Just as the crick in Percy's neck was getting unbearable from the angle of their kissing, Luke broke the kiss. He spun Percy around, backed him against the wall, and kissed Percy again almost before Percy had time to draw breath.

     Percy managed a surprised squeak that was swallowed by Luke. His neck ached but this was better and Percy was already forgetting about that pain. He wrapped his arms around Luke's neck, stretching himself up onto his tiptoes and pressing himself against Luke's body.

     Luke still had to bend his knees and spread his legs to slide his cock between Percy's thighs. The way Percy stood made the space between his thighs tight, and Luke moaned as he slammed his hips into Percy's. His cock slid slickly between Percy's thighs, brushed against Percy's balls with every thrust.

     That felt good too. Percy opened his eyes to watch. His own cock was hard and throbbing, the head rubbing hotly against Luke's abdomen with every thrust.

     Luke's movements were short and sharp and fast. He kissed Percy until he was too distracted to keep kissing Percy, and then Luke just panted against Percy's cheek. With both hands Luke pressed Percy's thighs together even tighter, breath catching before he let out a wavering moan. His cock was hot and silky between Percy's thighs. The sounds their bodies made coming together were rhythmic and matched Percy's ragged breaths.

     Luke bit Percy's neck just above the collar line, and gave a low moan. His cock pulsed and warmth spread over Percy’s thighs and balls. After he came, Luke sank to his knees. He lifted one of Percy's legs over his shoulder, forcing Percy to balance on the toes of one foot. Luke licked Percy's thighs clean, even though they were in the shower and he didn't need to.

     The feeling of Luke's tongue was so good. Percy buried both hands in Luke's blond curls and whined. He wanted to cum too, felt so sexy it was like Percy was going to die from how bad he needed it.

     When Luke was done with Percy's thighs he moved on to Percy's balls, tongue dragging along a seam of nerves.

     Percy moaned as his whole body lit up with pleasure. He tightened his grip on Luke's hair as he came again. His whole body throbbed in time to his heartbeat. Following the pleasure was a wave of exhaustion so strong Percy nearly blacked out. As it was, he lost his balance.

     Luke was on his feet and catching Percy in an instant. “Easy, puppy,” he said. Luke turned off the water and scooped Percy up, carrying him back into the bedroom. “Who needs to lift weights when you've got a seventy pound puppy to carry around?” Luke said under his breath. He kissed the top of Percy's head.

     Percy tucked his head against Luke's chest and closed his eyes. He liked being carried, he decided. His limbs were jittery with weakness and all of his little hurts were still hurting. Percy really wanted a nap and a drink.

     Luke laid on the couch with Percy on top of him, one arm around Percy's shoulders and the other stroking Percy along the length of his spine.

     Percy closed his eyes, intent on getting his nap in. He dozed but it was an uncomfortable thing, because he was still wet and the air was cold. In fact the only parts of Percy that weren't cold were the ones Luke was touching. When his toes felt like icicles about to break, Percy shoved his feet into the space between the couch cushions. He pulled his arms in close and tucked his hands between their bodies and tried not to shiver.

     Luke didn't seem to notice that Percy was cold. His breathing indicated he was awake even though when Percy peeked at him, Luke's eyes were closed. Luke pet Percy in a rhythmic way that was similar enough to belly rubs that Percy felt himself dropping again even though he never really came back up.

     Sometime later, when Percy was cold and thirsty and his thoughts were wandering, Luke asked, “Still want to go for a walk?”

     Percy thought very hard about what Luke was saying but it was like trying to hold glitter in his hands without spilling any.

     “Percy?” Luke prompted. He tipped Percy's chin up to see his face.

     Percy's neck protested. He focused his eyes on Luke's face. Normally he didn't have his eyesight when they were this close, so Percy could hardly be blamed for only just now realizing that there were lines on Luke's face. They were almost invisible, only a shade off from his skin tone, and spread like roots. Percy lifted a heavy hand and poked the markings on Luke's cheek with two fingers. He couldn't feel them, they weren't raised or indented like the prominent scars that decorated the rest of Luke's body.

     Luke watched Percy, blue eyes suddenly keen. When Percy began to trace the lines down Luke's neck, Luke caught Percy's hand. “Percy, do you still want to go for a walk?” he repeated, slowly as though that would help his words stick in Percy’s head.

     There was something important about walks that was slipping Percy's mind. He knew he had to go, that there was something he needed to do, but Percy couldn't remember what it was. Percy nodded and was relieved when Luke let his chin go.

     A moment went by where neither of them moved.

     “You gonna get up?” Luke asked.

     Fat chance of that happening. Percy wanted to sleep more. Maybe he wouldn't be cold in his dreams.

     Another long moment passed, during which Percy thought he'd be able to go back to sleep.

     Then Luke slid out from beneath Percy. He did so in such a way that Percy rolled off him, temporarily wedged between Luke's body and the back of the couch.

     Percy gave an indignant whine.

     Luke ignored this. He got up, leaving Percy on the couch, and began to get dressed.

     Percy pushed himself into the couch as much as he could, even though it was damp where Luke laid on it. Damp but warm and Percy was more interested in being warm than being dry.

     Luke came back with clothes.

     Percy did not feel inclined to help Luke get him dressed. He laid limply, staring at nothing, while Luke manhandled Percy into clothes.

     If it annoyed Luke that Percy wasn't helping, he didn't show it. Luke got pants and a shirt on Percy. He rolled the socks onto Percy's hands but left his feet bare. The final touches were the leash clipped to Percy's collar and the pup mask slipped over his head and buckled into place. “Now that I've done all that, are you going to get up?”

     Luke wanted so much from Percy. Get up? As if that was going to happen.

     “Should I go for a walk without you?”

     That penetrated. The walk was important, even if Percy couldn't remember why. Percy rolled off the couch and onto his hands and knees. His body felt like lead. He looked up at Luke expectantly.

     “Going on all fours today, huh?” Luke said. “Whatever you want.”

     Luke walked and Percy crawled and when Percy's vision went dark, he only jumped a little bit. He brushed his shoulder against Luke's leg even though Luke still held the leash and Percy could feel it swinging between them.

     Luke patted Percy on the head.

     Percy tipped his head up and all he saw was Luke. Beautiful, perfect Luke who shone golden with a divinity that made Percy's eyes feel like they were bleeding. In his bones, Percy knew that this was where he belonged, on the floor as Luke's dog. He was so lucky that Luke even so much as looked at him.

     The collar dug into Percy's neck as Luke tugged on the leash.

     Percy kept his eyes on Luke, or rather Luke's legs. The lines on Luke's face were also running down Luke's legs like roots that disappeared into his shoes. Percy blinked and a negative imprint was seared behind his eyes. He blinked several more times to clear his vision but Luke was so bright it made no difference.

     They didn’t get far on their walk before Percy couldn’t go any further. He was already on the ground so he simply sat down and refused to budge.

     Luke stopped when Percy did. He looked down at Percy with pale blue eyes full of patience. “Ready to go back?”

     Percy nodded.

     Luke picked him up. The walk back to the bedroom didn't take long. Luke set Percy on the couch again, took off the pup mask and unclipped the leash.

     Percy took a deep breath of cool air. That mask made him sweaty. He could see things beside Luke again. He looked at his bowls, hoping to find water and was surprised to find that in addition to that, his bowl was full again. The smell of a loaded baked potato drifted up from it. Percy's stomach growled.

     Luke smiled. “Go ahead and eat. I've got a couple things to do.” He planted a kiss on Percy's forehead and took Percy's sight in the same motion. “I'll be back later.”

     Percy didn't move until he heard the door open and close. He crawled to his bowls, eating and drinking his fill. With his belly full, Percy really couldn't fight off sleep any longer. He climbed into bed, rearranging the pillows around him so that it was like he wasn't alone, and then burrowed beneath the blanket. Right before he fell asleep, Percy had a moment of clarity and thought: not roots, lightning.

Chapter 12: Tethered

Summary:

Luke finally gets an answer out of Percy.

Percy didn't know if it was the thunder or Luke that woke him. He felt Luke lay down behind him, squeezing between Percy and the pillows. Luke was naked, his skin soft and cool against Percy's. Percy didn't remember taking off his clothes before going to bed but he was naked too. “Again?” Percy mumbled.

     Luke's hand was on Percy's belly, palm pressed flat against it. “Only if you want to.” He nuzzled Percy and suddenly Percy could see.

     Not that there was much to see. In fact it was quite dark in the room, the only light coming from the lightning flashing outside the porthole window. “Hmm,” he said, not committing either way. Percy yawned and stretched and winced as his body ached. He could probably sleep for another thousand years.

     Luke didn't say anything for a long while but Percy felt like he was working up to it. Sure enough, Luke began, “Hey, we need to talk.”

     Percy tensed.

     Luke held him tighter.

     “We are talking,” Percy said, trying to postpone the inevitable. Maybe if he just distracted Luke enough, they wouldn't have to have this conversation. He'd been hoping Luke forgot.

     Luke huffed. “You're very funny,” he deadpanned. “I'm serious, though.”

     “I thought you were trying to relax. You should lighten up,” Percy blurted out. He snapped his jaws shut, wishing he could take back the words.

     “Like I said, you're funny. Hilarious, even.” Luke did not really sound like he thought Percy was funny. He sounded like he was getting tired of Percy evading the question.

     Percy swallowed. He waited.

     “Percy, he wants an answer and I'm out of excuses,” Luke said. “We're out of time.”

     Percy didn't see how they could be out of time when Kronos was the god of time. Surely they could evade the question. Percy balled his hands into fists, letting his nails dig into his palms. He never thought he'd long for the days of boarding schools and Gabe, before all of this god crap happened. Why did Mom have to choose a god? Percy just wanted to be normal and mortal and not wrapped up in all this.

     Luke propped himself up, leaned over Percy to see his face. “Will you agree to stay out of the war?”

     Percy pushed his hair out of his eyes and twisted to look at Luke. It was dark but a normal darkness and Luke didn't hurt to look at…at least not more than normal. Agreeing to stay out of the war had nothing to do with finding and rescuing Annabeth, right? Not that Percy was in any condition to do anything with this curse on him, but helping her go free was still on Percy's list of priorities. That's why the walks are important, Percy thought and his face went hot because for a moment he'd forgotten. “Are you going to feed me to the monsters if I say no?”

     Several seconds passed before Luke said, “No.” He wasn't very convincing, which wasn't ideal.

     Percy had hoped they were past the phase where his only options were to stay with Luke or die. As it was, he really didn't want to be eaten. That seemed like a pretty bad way to go. And Luke wasn't the absolute worst person to be spending all of his time with. A small part of Percy - maybe it was his inner puppy - was actually happy to be able to spend time with Luke. Percy sighed. “I'll stay out of the war,” he said quietly.

     Luke visibly sagged with relief. He leaned down and planted a very soft kiss on Percy's lips. “Good boy,” he murmured.

     Percy untwisted himself, laying facing away from Luke. He wondered what this decision would change. Was there going to be blood on his hands because of this? Did it matter if Percy sat out instead of died, when it all came down to the same thing where he wouldn’t be fighting? Maybe dying would be more honorable. Percy really wouldn’t be able to show his face anywhere, between this and what he did with Luke.

     In Percy's head, Annabeth's voice began to call him names. He could hear them as though she was saying them out loud, berating Percy and degrading him, each word meant to hurt. It did hurt. She already didn't like Percy but now Annabeth was going to…to loathe him.

     Lightning flashed, illuminating the bedroom in silver light for a brief moment. Then the rain came down, a sudden loud downpour. It was a warm summer storm.

     The sound of it drowned out Annabeth's voice for a moment and Percy latched onto the distraction to think of other things. The storm. The sound of the rain. The way the air felt warm and cool against his skin at the same time. The ship. Percy expected to feel the ship rocking beneath them but it didn't move any more than normal. That's weird! A mystery to solve! Percy's brain supplied eagerly. “This ship is really steady,” he commented, brows furrowing.

     Luke laughed. “The old sea gods are protecting us. Only the rain will touch us and we won't sink.”

     “Oh," Percy whispered. He knew that there were other gods of the ocean besides Poseidon but it was different to have the reality of them suddenly thrust in his face. The novelty of the mystery fizzled and died. Percy didn't want to think about the old gods either.

     Luke took Percy’s hand in his and squeezed.

     A distraction. Thank gods. It wasn't the same as being able to lace their fingers together and Percy vehemently hated the socks.

     “Everything will be alright,” Luke said with far more confidence than Percy thought he ought to have. He was confident about a lot of things.

     Still…Luke was in a good mood and Percy was free from the burden of war. It didn't feel real. Percy wasn't even sure what it was that he felt but it was just below his heart. Free, Percy thought, I'm free from demigod life and dangerous quests and being used by the gods. The only one going to use Percy was Luke, and Percy was more okay with that than not okay. Maybe everything really would be alright.

     “Luke, will you take the socks off my hands?” Percy asked. He planned to stretch Luke’s goodwill as far as it would go.

     “Hm…sure,” Luke said. He rolled the sock down off of Percy’s left arm, then brushed his fingers from Percy’s shoulder to wrist. His touch was feather light and ticklish.

     Percy’s arm twitched. He rolled onto his back to let Luke get at the other arm. This time when Luke ran his fingers over Percy’s skin, Percy broke out into goosebumps. He felt a little bolt of arousal.

     Luke tossed the socks away. He stayed where he was, hovering half over Percy, watching him. When the lightning illuminated the room, Percy saw there was a look of curiosity and longing on Luke's face.

     Darkness fell again.

     Percy stretched his fingers. His joints snapped. He rotated his wrists and cracked his knuckles. It felt so good to have those stupid socks off. When Percy's fingers were finally warm, he reached for Luke's hands.

     Luke shifted and took Percy's hands in his, slotting his fingers between Percy's. His hands were so big they swallowed Percy's hands. Luke's skin was pleasantly warm against Percy's. He leaned down, pinning Percy's hands to the bed on either side of Percy's head, and went in for a kiss. Not on Percy's mouth, but on his neck.

     Percy rather liked how Luke's mouth felt on his sensitive neck. It was an electric sensation that made Percy press his thighs together. He squeezed Luke's hands and craned his neck to give Luke better access. Of course Luke was insane and he could be both cruel and violent, but Percy trusted Luke not to bite out a chunk of his neck. That wasn't what Luke wanted from Percy.

     Luke nibbled up and down first one side and then the other side of Percy's neck. He was so careful with his teeth, and was taking such genuine care not to hurt Percy, that it made Percy almost crave the pain of a bite. Was depriving Percy of a strong bite on his terribly sensitive neck just another torture from Luke?

     Percy's desire for a real bite brought swift and surprising tears to his eyes. Crying again, he thought and felt his face warm with shame. Tears were a weakness broadcasted for all to see. He prayed the dark would hide this latest recurring humiliation.

     Percy's tears were not a secret for very long. He cried so much that his tears rolled off of his face and onto Luke's face instead. This only made Percy cry harder and made him press his thighs together more firmly. Beneath the blanket, Percy crossed his ankles and reveled in the dizzying wave of arousal that followed.

     Luke licked his lips, swiping Percy's neck with his tongue. He licked a long stripe from Percy’s collarbone to his jaw. From there Luke planted kisses, following the tear track to the corner of Percy's eye. The kiss was lingering. Luke slid his thumb between their palms and caressed circles against Percy's palm. When he pulled back from the kiss, Luke asked quietly, “Do you know why you're crying?”

     “You,” Percy said without hesitation. His feelings were those shiny bits of colorful broken glass in a kaleidoscope, being twisted and coming together differently to form a sharp new image every time. He didn't know what to think, or how to feel because everything was so complex and new. Percy stumbled into a new reality when he found out he was half-god and now he was being shoved into another one. Somehow, even though this one should have been smaller and less important, it felt bigger and more essential to pay attention to.

     Percy was just a puppy and that meant all he should ever feel were good things.

     Rather than upset Luke, Percy’s answer seemed to make him hungry. Luke squeezed his arms between Percy and the bed, held Percy to his chest, and kissed him like he wanted to devour Percy.

     So Percy was right when he suspected Luke wanted to play puppy again. Luke was insatiable when it came to this game…and it made Percy feel so sexy it was stupid. Luke’s knees were on either side of Percy’s thighs, forcing Percy to press his thighs together. The blush in his face spread to Percy’s cock. He wrapped his arms around Luke’s neck and arched his back. Percy kissed Luke hotly. All the while Percy told himself that it was alright, everything was alright, this was alright.

     Just when Percy began to feel lightheaded, Luke broke the kiss. He rested his forehead against Percy's and murmured, “Good boy, puppy.” Luke pulled one hand free from beneath Percy, caressed Percy's thigh from hip to knee and back again.

     The praise and the pet name combined sent a wave of hot arousal through Percy. Something in his chest loosened, and Percy felt the whisper of a drop. Could Luke drop him without belly rubs? Maybe…if they took it slow. His reasons for letting Luke drop him at Camp Half-Blood were very different from Percy's reasons for craving drops now, and another change was coming. It was beginning to dawn on Percy that aside from rescuing Annabeth, all Percy had to do was be Luke's puppy. That was all Luke asked of him.

     In the next flash of lightning, Luke and Percy looked into each other's eyes. Percy thought he was good at hiding things but Luke always seemed to be able to read his thoughts and now was no exception. “I'll protect you, Percy,” Luke said quietly, voice full of conviction. He shouldn't have been that convinced. “No one will ever hurt you again.”

     The words that came out of Percy's mouth were nothing short of suicidal. “Except for you.” Some idiotic part of Percy must have believed what Luke was saying because he should have known better than to say something so provocative.

     Luke's face was in shadow again so Percy couldn't see his expression, but he did feel Luke's whole body go tense and his hand stilled on Percy's thigh. He was quiet for a long, long time, gathering his thoughts and hopefully not planning on retaliation. “You're right. I told you I wouldn't hurt you on purpose but sometimes I do. Like when I pull your hair or spank you.” Luke nosed Percy's hair and at the same time squeezed Percy's butt, emphasizing his points.

     Percy knew that those things were mostly meant to hurt or humiliate him and they accomplished both things spectacularly. He also knew Luke didn't do either often, and every time was only because Percy was being a bad puppy. Knowing these things didn't make them hurt less.

     Luke pulled away entirely, sighing through his nose. “And I'm not blind. I know I'm leaving marks on you. I swear that I'm not trying to. You're just…”

     “Cursed,” Percy finished grimly. He was getting really sick of this curse.

     Luke turned his face away.

     Percy sat up, hugging a pillow to his chest. “Do you know who cursed me?”

     “It's hard to say…could have been anyone,” Luke said.

     This was the answer that Percy more or less expected. He had a lot of enemies, on both sides of the war, and any of them could have cursed him. People Percy didn't even know yet could have been the ones behind the curse, because that was his bad luck. Almost everyone Percy met lately loathed him, and even though it was probably Poseidon's fault, Percy couldn't help but feel that there was something wrong with him personally that made people dislike him on sight.

     If Luke kept him in this room, Percy wouldn't have that problem anymore.

     His tears came back suddenly, and Percy buried his face in the pillow he held.

     Luke doubled over Percy, rested his cheek against Percy's shoulders. He didn't say anything while Percy cried, just held him.

     Percy wiggled onto Luke's lap; curling as small as he could so that he fit, and still hiding his face in the pillow.

     Luke adjusted, draping himself over Percy. He was quite a bit bigger than Percy, and when Luke folded himself over Percy's back, he covered almost all of Percy. With his fingertips, Luke traced Percy's arm from shoulder to elbow and finally down to Percy's wrist. He took Percy's hand, fingers slotting between Percy's. “It'll be alright, pup,” Luke said quietly. “You're strong. You'll get through this.”

     More misplaced confidence.

     Percy did not want to be strong. He was so sick of it; so sick of taking hit after hit and getting back up for more. Percy was tired of bad things happening and tired of feeling bad and tired of hiding how he was feeling. It was no surprise that his tears turned into sobs.

     Percy felt Luke tense but ignored it.

     Crying always sucked but when he cried so much, so hard it especially sucked. Percy's temperature rose, body warming as he cried. His face was especially hot being tucked into the pillow. It was hard to breathe, every gasping breath fought for, but Percy couldn't stop sobbing. His whole body shook, trembling in his despair.

     “Oh,” Luke said, his voice an empathetic coo. “Oh, puppy.” Even though Luke was draped over Percy, he was weirdly tense. Enough so that Percy noticed even in the throes of agony. Luke shifted, not pulling away exactly but putting slightly more distance between their bodies.

     He was not going anywhere. Percy wasn't going to let Luke go anywhere. Percy sat up, wrapping his arms and legs around Luke, and sobbed into Luke's shoulder.

     Luke's cock was hard against Percy's hip. He tried to put space between them again.

     Percy held him tighter, sank his nails into the skin between Luke's shoulder blades. He didn't care that Luke still wanted to play. In fact, that sounded a lot better than sobbing his heart out. All this crying was giving Percy a headache.

     Luke hissed when Percy scratched him but stopped trying to pull away. Luke's whole shoulder was wet with Percy's tears, making his skin slick. The tears rolled down Luke's chest, left tiny glistening trails that Percy only saw when the lightning was bright enough. Luke turned his face to Percy's, rubbed his dry cheek against Percy's wet one. His cock twitched, leaving a bead of wetness on Percy's skin.

     Percy took a moment to put Luke's hand against his belly and then his arms went around Luke's neck again. He felt a pang of guilt, and a fresh wave of tears fell.

     Luke rubbed Percy’s belly with slow circles, warmth blooming beneath his palm. He kept his face pressed to Percy's, Percy's hot tears wetting Luke's cheek until they slid down his neck. His cock radiated heat, throbbed in time to Luke's pounding heart. The more Percy cried, the wetter Luke's cock became.

     The more worked up Percy was, the harder it was to get into the right headspace, but he couldn't help it. Every time he shoved his thoughts away they washed back in all at once as relentless as the tide. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to force his conscious mind to shut up - I don't want to think, I don't want to have thoughts, stop thinking, stop thinking - and go away.

     Percy was free and he was with Luke and everything was fine and going to be fine…if he could just turn off his mind and be a puppy. Crying made Percy tired and thirsty and just when Percy thought it couldn't get worse, he began to hiccup.

     Luke gave a breathless laugh.

     The tears fell thick and wet and constant from Percy’s eyes. After everything, Luke was making fun of him. It was more than he could take. Percy's tears fell between them, soaking their chests and thighs. He couldn't stop crying long enough to catch his breath and it was making him dizzy.

     Luke was what one might call persistent. He wanted Percy to drop and he was going to do whatever he had to to make it happen. Luke leaned back on one hand, making Percy slide forward just a bit. His cock pressed firmly against Percy's abdomen and the abalone shell necklace dug into Percy's chest. This time Luke caressed Percy's back with long strokes of his hand. “Oh, poor puppy. I know, I know. Everything's really rough right now.”

     Percy buried his face against Luke’s shoulder to hide his shame. Everything was hot, Percy and Luke and the air itself. Percy licked the chain of Luke's necklace into his mouth and chewed on it, drawing the shell pendant up so that it wasn't cutting into his skin anymore. Chewing on the chain made Percy feel ever so slightly more like a puppy and that made Percy feel better. He whined, hiccuped in the middle of it, and whined again. His tears slowed but didn't stop.

     “Poor puppy,” Luke crooned as he stroked the length of Percy's spine. His heart pounded like a drum through their skin. He breathed deep and fast. Luke's hand began to shake as he pet Percy and suddenly he went tense. Luke whimpered and his cock pulsed, making an even better mess between them as Luke came.

     Percy echoed the whimper and hiccuped.

     Luke kissed Percy's hair. “You’re such a good boy,” he said breathlessly. After a moment, Luke went back to petting Percy, occasionally murmuring good boy into Percy's hair.

     This was working better. As his thoughts went quiet, Percy's crying stopped and he dropped. Not into the puppy headspace like he thought he would, but directly into sleep.

Notes:

Luke cumming untouched because Percy is sobbing on him. Mmm. Delicious. I think we're about due for another Luke intermission.

Chapter 13: Am I Sweet Enough For You, Yet?

Summary:

After so many bad days, Luke and Percy finally have a good day.

Percy woke up with the sun shining in his face and cursed Apollo. He sat up, rubbing his eyes with the heel of one hand. And took a moment to notice that Luke had left Percy with both his sight and his hands free.

     Luke lay beside Percy asleep on his stomach…and neither of them was oriented correctly on the bed.

     Percy definitely remembered falling asleep between two pillows. Luke must have moved him. Percy cracked his knuckles and stretched his fingers. He looked around, spotted the door for the bathroom. Oh wow, miracles never cease, Percy thought when he saw that the door was there. Moving carefully so that he didn't wake up Luke, Percy scooted to the edge of the bed and slowly stood up…then ran on his tiptoes to the bathroom.

     Percy relieved himself, quietly thanking the gods that Luke didn't make him do this on the floor like a real dog. When he was done he washed his hands. Then the mess Luke left on his abdomen, which was dry but flakey and unpleasant all the same. Finally Percy washed his face. Only once he was clean did Percy lift his eyes to look in the mirror.

     Bad idea.

     For a few seconds Percy didn't recognize his own face. Something was off about it. The collar around Percy's neck wasn't helping matters. He didn't like looking at himself, so Percy dropped his eyes back down to his hands. The tap was still on, water running cool over Percy's hands. Percy played in the water for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of it and trying to get some sense of connection to it.

     Percy had always felt a sense of connection to water, even before he could control it. There was nothing here, though; the water was as dead as the snake Percy strangled the life from as an infant. That's an idea, Percy thought unenthusiastically, I could strangle Luke to death and escape.

     His headache came back full force with this thought. Mentally Percy scratched that idea off his list. The very thought stressed him out so much it wasn't even worth entertaining. He rubbed his temples and when that didn't help, Percy impatiently ran his hands through his hair. Water trickled down his torso. Percy washed his face a second time, then drank out of his cupped hands. It felt like he was doing something naughty and he tried to amend this by lapping it up with his tongue.

     Percy dried his hands on a hanging towel, then crept back out into the main room.

     Luke was still sleeping. As far as Percy could tell, he hadn't moved. If Luke was awake, Percy was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to see anything right now.

     Percy slunk to the couch. He sat down cross-legged on it and just looked around the room, taking it in for the umpteenth time. His stomach growled but Percy could see his food bowl from here and it was still empty. He ignored his hunger. There has to be a way out of this room.

     There was a vent high up at the top of one wall. The problem with that was it was high up and small; maybe six inches tall and twelve inches wide all together. If Percy could reach it, would he be able to fit into it? It would be uncomfortable but if Percy turned his head sideways, he could probably get that much of him in. He touched both his shoulders and then both of his hips, measuring and assessing. These were the widest points of his body and Percy was doubtful he could make the squeeze even without clothes on. And once he got in there, how would he move? Would Percy have to squirm like a worm through the vents and just hope that the racket he caused didn't get him caught?

     Percy turned his attention back to the porthole. The screws holding it in place were the big industrial kind and they'd been painted over, so they were probably in there pretty good. They were low enough in the ship that Percy could see the surface of the water, but if he was honest with himself, Percy no longer trusted the ocean to take care of him. Water wasn't healing him, he couldn't dry himself off, and it didn't respond to him in any way. Not to mention Percy was absurdly weak thanks to this curse, which really made Percy reluctant to even attempt an ocean escape. And he didn't know where they were or even what ocean they were sailing in. If they did escape, land could be days away.

     Annabeth would never survive swimming for that long. If she even survived the fall to the water. Who knew what conditions Luke was keeping her in. She might not even have the energy to make an escape attempt, let alone one that involved a ton of work afterwards.

     They had to make port sometime though, right? A yacht this size, sailing for gods knew how long, would need to refuel. Not to mention restock supplies if Luke was trying to raise an army on the yacht. An idea was forming in Percy’s mind. If he could escape with Annabeth - or help her escape by herself - then the best option would be to do it while they were docked. That meant Percy was going to have to find out when they next went to shore and figure out an escape plan in that time. Percy sighed and leaned his head back.

     This was going to be a pain.

     Percy didn't want to wait for Luke to wake up but he also didn't want Luke to get angry about being woken up. Percy learned his lesson about waking people up when he was six and Gabe punched him in the head for the first time. It was a lesson Percy only needed to be taught once. Now the idea of waking Luke made Percy anxious, even though he really didn’t think Luke would punch Percy for waking him up. Especially not if Percy was sweet about it.

     Percy rubbed his belly. It wasn’t the same as when Luke did it, but it did help his racing thoughts slow down. He closed his eyes and imagined it was Luke touching him. Percy’s skin warmed. His shoulders lost their tension. He wished Luke really was rubbing his belly; his hand was bigger than Percy’s and his calluses were rougher and Percy just liked it better. He heaved a great sigh.

     Percy was just as careful to climb into bed as he'd been to climb out of it. He crawled to Luke, crouched down beside him, and nuzzled Luke's shoulder. “Luke, I wanna go for a walk,” Percy said, a whine in his voice.

     Luke's skin here was soft and unscarred. He did not respond to Percy's plea or the nuzzle. His skin was sun-warmed and smelled good; with his nose pressed to Luke's skin, Percy could almost smell the hot candle wax and leather combination that made up Luke's demigod scent.

     Percy rubbed his face against Luke's shoulder again, more like a cat than a puppy but whatever worked, hoping for a response and getting none. Luke was really asleep. Alright, well Percy would try something else. He pressed his cheek to Luke's cheek. “Luke, wake up. I wanna walk.”

     Luke didn't even so much as twitch. Maybe all the playing they did yesterday and in the middle of the night wore Luke out. It was good to know Luke had limits…even if they far surpassed Percy's.

     Percy licked Luke's cheek. With the flat of his tongue, he followed the line of Luke's scar. His hands weren't contained in the socks but he still batted at Luke's shoulder like they were. “Luke! Take me for a walk!” Percy demanded, making sure to keep his voice cute.

     Luke grumbled in his throat but it was only noise and not actual words.

     Percy licked Luke's face a couple more times before moving on to Luke's shoulder. “Luke.” Lick. “Walk.” Lick. “Please.” Lick.

     The shoulder licks weren't effective, as Luke stopped protesting and went silent with sleep.

     How could he be ignoring this?! Percy’s jaws were open and his mouth hovering over Luke's shoulder before his mind caught up to the impulse to bite Luke awake. No. He couldn't do that. His eyes flicked to Luke's torn, tomcat ear. Percy couldn't even pretend to bite him. Instead Percy licked the spot he was going to bite and returned his focus to Luke's face.

     Face licks roused Luke again, if the growls of protest were any sign. He scrunched up his face as Percy licked him over and over. Luke yawned suddenly and stretched his whole body tense. Then he closed his jaws and went limp against the bed, sighing.

     Percy had pulled back with the yawn but now that Luke really wasn't getting up, Percy licked Luke's mouth. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sexy feelings that were building within him. When he closed his eyes, Percy remembered the feeling of Luke's skin against his, and how it had been pure bliss. His breath caught as memories of Luke's touch ghosted over his body. Percy licked Luke's lips apart and felt the warm, wet heat of Luke's mouth enveloping his tongue.

     Percy's tongue in Luke's mouth woke Luke up. Luke cupped the back of Percy's head, ruffling his hair and holding Percy in place. He licked Percy back, tongue gliding slickly against Percy's tongue.

     It was sexy. It made Percy's whole body go hot, especially between his legs. He whined into Luke's mouth.

     Luke rubbed their tongues together in a slow caress. He rolled onto his side.

     Percy used this as an excuse to pull away. He said, “Drop me, Luke, please. I…I can't do it by myself.” Percy was ashamed to ask for it and ashamed to admit it but Percy needed this. He was so close to being the puppy they both wanted him to be; Percy just couldn't get there entirely on his own.

     Luke responded by licking Percy’s parted lips. His touch was warm as his fingertips trailed up Percy's thigh from knee to hip. He gave Percy's hip bone a light squeeze.

     It tickled. Percy's hips jerked and his breath caught. He hated the feeling immediately and just as much he wanted more, wanting Luke to grab him by the hips again.

     “Are you going to jump around and quiver every time I touch you without dropping you first?” Luke asked, voice slow and deadpan.

     Percy genuinely couldn't tell if this annoyed Luke or not and he wasn't sure what to say. Finally Percy settled on, “It's easier.” His words felt sharp like broken glass and cut him in the same way.

     Luke opened his eyes, looked into Percy's eyes for a long time. He didn't seem pleased with whatever he found there. He sighed deeply. “After everything you've been through, I guess you've earned the privilege of things being easier,” Luke relented. He pushed himself up then put his hands on Percy's shoulders and forced Percy onto his back.

     Percy went without protest.

     Luke hovered over Percy, looked like he was going to devour Percy. Then Luke's blue eyes narrowed. “Why am I awake?”

     “Huh?”

     “Why did you wake me up?” Luke asked. When Percy didn't answer, Luke added, “You never wake me up for this game so I assume you wanted something else.”

     It was annoying when Luke was right.

     “I wanted to go for a walk,” Percy said, suddenly second-guessing himself. Maybe he was being too obvious. Maybe he was assuming too much about Luke's goodwill.

     Luke only looked a little surprised and it faded quickly. “Alright,” he said with a shrug. “I thought you'd be more tired after last night.”

     Percy cocked his head. “What happened last night?”

     They stared at each other, Percy looking for any hints that Luke was upset and Luke looking positively baffled. Luke's puzzlement dissolved into worry. He cupped Percy's face with both hands and then moved one hand over Percy's forehead.

     “What are you doing?”

     “Seeing if you've got a fever,” Luke replied.

     “Why?”

     Luke ignored him. He sat back, hands sliding down to Percy's chest. He cupped Percy's tits. Only briefly squeezing them and pinching Percy’s nipples, before running his hands down Percy's ribs and over his abdomen, hands coming to test on Percy's hips. “Well, you don't have a fever,” Luke said, sounding unhappy about this news.

     Percy could have told him that.

     “Walk me through what you remember of last night,” Luke said.

     Percy was beginning to think he should have let Luke sleep in more. But Luke thought this was worthwhile so Percy tried to remember the night before.

     He remembered being awake and annoyed and Luke wanting to talk and…oh. It all had the haze of a dream, though. Percy thought maybe it was just a dream given to him because of stress. Not with the expression on Luke's face, Percy realized. I really took myself out of the war, Percy thought and then following close on its heels, had another thought, How is Luke going to enforce that?

     The gods would want Percy back eventually. Right?

     “I remember you coming to bed and waking me up,” Percy said. He couldn't quite look at Luke as he said, “And I remember promising to stay out of the war.”

     Percy's answer did not have as strong a placating effect on Luke as Percy was hoping for. Luke looked dissatisfied even though he was nodding along. Why couldn't Percy ever please him?

     “Can we go for a walk?” Percy asked.

     “Right this second?” Luke asked.

     Percy pouted.

     “Alright,” Luke relented. He withdrew to get dressed.

     Percy sat on the bed, watching Luke and, yes, admiring him. Looking at Luke was fun when it didn't hurt.

     Luke caught him looking. “Like what you see?”

     Percy hummed a short, neutral note even though he did very much like what he saw. Luke was the kind of outdoorsman muscular that made Percy feel weak with desire.

     Luke dressed himself and then Percy.

     Percy was so eager to go and figure out this Annabeth situation that he didn't even protest about Luke getting him dressed. He opted to walk instead of crawl this time. Percy resolved to pay extremely close attention to everything - every scent and sound and touch - but when they left the bedroom, Percy's sight narrowed down to Luke. And he was so beautiful it hurt to look at him but Percy couldn't look away.

     They walked farther today because Percy was so determined to try to notice anything besides Luke. Anything at all. Percy just needed a hint of where to go.

     All he got was the floor changing beneath his feet as they transitioned from carpet to metal and went down the stairs. Percy felt the scratchy sandpaper texture of grip tape. He didn't like it much but stopped himself from making a face so that Luke wouldn't try to avoid this place. It meant that they were traveling between levels of the yacht.

     Though the discovery of the stairs was a very small thing, Percy felt energized by it. This was progress when before there had been none. In fact, everything about today was turning out good.

     When Luke unclipped the leash from Percy's collar, Percy went to go sit on the couch. He was starting to get hungry but even though his bowl was now full, Luke was still in the room so Percy refrained from eating.

     Luke sat at the foot of the bed, watching Percy. He leaned back on his hands. This game was so familiar it ached and Luke seemed to think so too because he flashed Percy a small smile and said, “Stay.”

     Percy suddenly wanted to be by Luke's side, the distance between them too enormous to handle. He tried not to show it, though, because that was part of the game too.

     Luke's smile grew as he made Percy wait. He never took his eyes off Percy, watching and waiting in his own way.

     Percy squirmed on the couch, adjusting how he sat, trying to be patient. It was easier to wait when he spent all of his time with Luke but Percy still wanted to be close. Before Luke there was never anyone in his life who would stay with him always; not even Mom, who sent Percy away during the school year and worked during summers so that they barely saw each other. Percy swallowed down the lump of emotion building in his throat. There's been enough crying as it was.

     “Percy,” Luke said.

     Percy’s attention snapped back to Luke.

     “Come here,” Luke said and patted his thigh.

     Percy stood, walked over the coffee table instead of around it, and launched himself at Luke.

     Luke made an oof sound as Percy crashed into him, but he was sturdy and steady. His arms came around Percy, stroking Percy's head and neck and back. “Good boy,” he said, happiness making his voice clear and bright.

     Percy sat on Luke's lap, squirmed until he was comfortable, and licked Luke's face.

     Luke laughed and licked Percy back, a quick swipe of his tongue. For a second it was like being back at Camp Half-Blood.

     Then Percy's stomach growled audibly.

     Luke smiled. “Alright. I'll go get you food. Stay here, puppy.” He set Percy on the bed and stood.

     The last thing Percy saw was Luke wink at him, then everything went dark.

Chapter 14: Twice Sick

Summary:

Percy is sick again.

It started with a headache and the feeling of his aching body weighing Percy down. He could not get comfortable, everything feeling subtly wrong no matter what position he laid in. Luke sometimes slept on the couch instead of in bed with Percy, but now Percy was the one who got up to go lay on the couch. He curled against the arm and tucked himself into the corner as much as he could. Percy closed his eyes.

     Percy dozed, not falling into a deep sleep like he wanted. He was cold everywhere but his forehead was so cold as to hurt. And every time Percy breathed too deeply and felt his back rub against the couch, it was as though his bones were going to shatter like glass. When the cold got to be too much, Percy got up and pulled the comforter off the bed. He dragged it to the couch and wrapped himself up into it, relishing Luke's body heat.

     Taking the comforter from Luke naturally woke him up. "Wha? Percy?" Luke asked sleepily, sitting up before his eyes were even open. Not that Percy could tell very well in the dark, except that Luke's eyes reflected gold when they caught the light like a cat and they weren't reflecting now.

     Percy didn't say anything. He just wanted to go back to sleep now that he was almost comfortable.

     "Hey, what's wrong?" Luke asked, which was a fair question due to the fact Percy never slept on the couch. Or stole the bedding. Luke got out of bed and was at Percy's side in an instant, his hands on Percy's forehead as though he already knew the answer.

     Percy was miserable for no reason he could discern except for the curse that had been placed upon him. Was Luke right? Am I getting sick again? It felt colossally unfair that Percy was coming down with something again, let alone so soon after the last time.

     Luke's palm was hot against Percy's cold forehead. When that didn't give Luke the results he wanted, Luke cupped Percy's face, then his neck, and finally his forehead again.

     His touch hurt. Not in the way that there would be a bruise, but because Percy was too sensitive and in too much pain. Percy made a protesting noise in the back of his throat and tried to move his head away from Luke's hands.

     The couch was not by the window and Luke didn't keep the lights on at night so it was nearly impossible to see Luke's expression. "Alright. Alright. Let me know if you need me," Luke said. He hovered for a few moments more, then went back to bed. All that was left on the bed was the sheet, so that's what Luke wrapped himself up in.

     Percy tried to sleep. His whole body wanted nothing more than to sleep deeply and to wake up feeling better. He rested his cheek against the arm of the couch and pulled the comforter up to his throat and closed his eyes. Percy emptied his mind the best he could, focusing only on falling asleep.

     It didn't work.

     Percy dozed, but that was all, and it was far from the healing sleep he desired. Every little sound made him startle awake again; the water lapping at the sides of the yacht, footsteps in the hallway, the air conditioner kicking on, Luke growling in his sleep. Percy's nerves settled again each time only for something else to wake up. And each time he woke, Percy was reminded of just how bad he felt.

     In fact, he seemed to be getting worse.

     Percy's head was heavy and it was getting hard to breathe through his nose. He turned his face up and it was easier to breathe, so he rolled onto his back. Pain lanced through the side of Percy's face and his head, briefly taking his breath away. He took a deep gasp as it slowly faded. All of his insides moved to accommodate the new position and Percy realized for the first time that they had actual nerves because it was so unpleasant. Why did being sick make Percy so aware of his body?

     At least it was easier to breathe through his open mouth.

     As the sun rose, the room lightened. The light hurt Percy's eyes, made his headache worse. This, combined with how dry his mouth was becoming, kept Percy from even dozing. He lay with his head tipped back and his eyes closed and thought about how evil someone had to be to curse him to get sick like this.

     Luke rose with the sun. For the first time ever, Percy was grateful that Luke didn't make much noise when he moved. He heard the bed springs creak as Luke got up and then nothing until Luke said, standing right next to Percy, "Feeling any better?"

     Percy groaned. His neck had a kink. He eased onto his side, hoping to fix his neck with the new angle.

     "Ah," Luke said in understanding. He touched Percy's forehead again. "Hm," Luke said suspiciously. He sat on the edge of the couch beside Percy. "Are you hungry? Do you want breakfast?"

     Even though Luke wasn't quite touching Percy, he was close enough that Percy's skin prickled with his nearness. Percy didn't like it. He was so focused on how much he didn't like feeling that Percy forgot Luke asked anything. If Luke was going to sit so close, he could at least make Percy feel better.

     "Percy," Luke said. "Wanna eat?"

     Percy took a moment to examine the thought of food and rejected it quickly. He wasn't in the mood but more importantly, he just wasn't hungry. “Uh-uh,” Percy said.

     Luke ran his hand from Percy's shoulder to his butt, a swift and casual gesture. Probably meant to comfort.

     It made Percy want to scream. His body spasmed, his skin crawled. He thought his bones were going to break.

     “Alright. I'll be right back. Stay here, puppy,” Luke said, unaware of what he was doing to Percy. He rose…and must have left but Percy wasn't aware of it.

     Tears rolled down Percy's cheeks. They were cold. He was cold. He folded his legs up close to his body and covered one foot with the other, hoping to warm up his icy toes. It wasn't until Percy blinked that he realized Luke had left him with his vision. He was miserable but now was the time to take a look around in private.

     The bathroom door was open but still no exit door and no sign of Luke. Although Luke was so quiet that unless he was interacting with something loud or making some kind of vocalization, Percy hardly ever heard him. That was weird, wasn't it? Percy was pretty sure people made noise and had footsteps. He made noise and was constantly aware of every single little tiny sound his body made at all times, partially because Luke was so freaking quiet. Yes, Percy decided, Luke's silence was unnatural.

     It must have come from Hermes. Thieves probably found silence helpful.

     Percy mulled this over for a few long moments, reflecting and ruminating on Luke's powers and the powers that children of Hermes inherited generally. If he was being honest, Percy didn't really know what Luke's powers were. He knew that Luke was an extremely skilled swordsman (which didn't seem to be something he got from Hermes) and that Luke was a thief. Did it count as being a good thief if you got caught? Then again, Luke did only get caught by one person - Ares - and managed to talk his way out of it. Was that a skill? Maybe. Did Luke have it? Well, he must.

     Percy was here, wasn't he? Though that was more to do with the fact Percy literally couldn't leave this room except on a leash attached to Luke and less to do with Luke verbally persuading Percy to stay. Or maybe Luke had some sort of charmspeak and didn't need to be overly charismatic or outspoken. Could the same power crop up in two different demigod lines? Percy was having trouble remembering at the moment but he was fairly certain Hermes and Aphrodite were related so it would make sense but Percy couldn't remember any other overlaps in powers.

     Then again, there were physical enhancements they all had: like heightened hearing and smell, better vision, more strength and stamina. So maybe there was someone else who could talk to horses and breathe underwater. Percy couldn't think of any likely candidates for demigods who might have those powers besides himself but maybe they were out there.

     Not that it mattered. Percy didn't have access to his powers right now and he wasn't going to meet any other demigods anytime soon. He didn't know how long he'd been on board the Princess Andromeda but Luke was the only other person Percy's seen. From what Percy could tell, Luke wasn't about to go changing that anytime soon. Maybe he'd make an exception and let Percy see Annabeth. But probably not if Percy was sick.

     What if he got Annabeth sick? Demigods couldn't get sick under normal circumstances but this wasn't normal. Percy was going to have to put whatever plans he had on hold until he was better. Did he have time to get sick? What were the chances that Luke was going to dock while Percy was sick? Last time Percy was sick, Luke stayed with Percy almost the entire time and he'd been spending a lot more time with Percy lately…

     Speaking of that…where was Luke? Percy didn't want to be alone. And Luke would be able to make him feel better. He did it last time Percy was sick.

     Eternity passed before Luke returned. His arrival was marked by the sound of a bin scraping wood. There was now a bin on the coffee table and it held everything Luke gathered last time Percy was sick.

     Something in his chest loosened at the sight of Luke and the supplies. Percy would be alright. He was Luke's puppy and that meant Luke would take care of him.

     But it also meant the thermometer was making a return.

     Percy thought he might actually die if Luke put it in him again because he felt so fragile. “Medicine first,” Percy demanded. His voice turned to a rasp halfway through and he coughed to clear his throat. Sick people coughed, right? Or maybe it was because his mouth was so dry. “Wait, I'm thirsty.”

     Luke shot Percy a look but went and fetched Percy's bowl. He sat on the coffee table facing Percy, bowl held in both hands and extended to Percy. The look on his face said that this was one of those things Percy couldn't wiggle out of.

     Sometimes Percy couldn't believe Luke. But if Luke wanted to be a giant stand for a doggie bowl that was his business. Percy kept this thought in mind as he moved to lap up water out of the aforementioned bowl.

     A glance up at Luke had Percy lifting his head. “What?” Percy asked, water dripping from his nose and mouth. He wiped his face off on the blanket. “Why's your face look like that?”

     Luke snorted, and for a second his grumpy expression melted into amusement. But only for a second. Then Luke was looking very serious again. “You didn't fight me about the bowl,” he said as though that explained everything.

     Percy stared at Luke uncomprehendingly. Now that his mouth wasn't dry, he didn't want to be sitting up. He leaned against the arm of the couch again.

     “You are feeling bad,” Luke said, sounding so grave about it.

     Percy only barely resisted rolling his eyes. It seemed like too much effort. He closed his eyes instead. Of course he felt bad! He was cursed!

     Luke set the bowl aside and measured out a dose of medicine for Percy. “Alright. Open up.”

     Percy sat up and let Luke put the tiny medicine cup to his lips. He drank the foul liquid, made a face, and laid back down. He coughed again. Now that he had medicine, it was only a matter of time until he felt better.

     Luke left to go eat his own breakfast, promising to bring something back for Percy in case he got hungry.

     Percy stayed where Luke left him. His eyelids felt glued shut, they were so heavy and hard to open. Percy was so tired…

     Coming up from sleep was like fighting through thick syrup. The light on the walls was different, the shadows retreated. Hours had passed but Percy was still strangely exhausted. His body felt heavy, his mind foggy.

     Luke was touching him. He knelt between Percy's open thighs, with a small plastic jar of Vaseline. The lid was open, and the contents were smeared over Luke's fingers. With a deft movement, Luke transferred the Vaseline from his fingers to the thermometer.

     Of course Percy woke up just in time for -

     Luke slid the thermometer past Percy's rim and into his hole. It went even easier with lube, stopping at Luke's fingertips.

     The pressure of Luke's fingers against Percy’s rim was both good and bad, just this side of pain. His touch made Percy want to squirm away before Luke broke him.

     Just like the previous times Luke took Percy's temperature this way, he stroked Percy's taint with his, running his thumb between Percy's balls and his rim.

     It was too much. It felt like Luke was breaking Percy. As his eyes prickled with tears Percy tipped his head back, trying not to let them fall.

     Luke glanced up and his expression went soft when he saw the look on Percy's face. “Oh, puppy, is it really that bad?” He leaned over Percy, pressed his mouth to Percy's before Percy could answer.

     Percy whined, but the whine tickled his throat and suddenly Percy had to cough. He pushed Luke's chest with both hands, turning his face away at the same time. Then he coughed into his elbow. His throat was dry. “Thirsty,” Percy croaked.

     “Hold on.” Luke pulled the thermometer from Percy's body, checked the reading. He frowned and set the thermometer aside. Luke held the dog bowl for Percy again.

     Percy rolled onto his side and pushed his face into the bowl. He took a deep drink.

     “Whoa!” Luke said. “Don't drown yourself.”

     Percy Jackson: death by drowning in dog bowl. It held a sort of bitter, ironic appeal. The real question was if it was possible for him to drown himself in the bowl even though his powers weren't working. Not that Luke would let Percy try. When he was done drinking, Percy raised his face out of the dog bowl. Water dripped off Percy's face.

     “Glad to see you made it,” Luke said. He shifted the bowl to one hand, grabbed a hand towel from the box with the other. Luke wiped the water off Percy's face.

     “Did I?” Percy asked. As he laid back, his heart pounded violently. His face flushed hot.

     Confusion briefly crossed Luke's face. “Did you what?”

     “Make it.” Percy's heart was taking forever to just slow down. His face felt like it was on fire and the feeling was beginning to spread.

     “Yes,” Luke said firmly. “You did.” He arranged the comforter over Percy.

     “Hot,” Percy complained and kicked the comforter off.

     “Alright.” Luke's hand on his forehead again, as if he didn't just take Percy’s temperature. “Still not hungry?”

     Percy closed his eyes and made a noise in his throat. The water wasn't sitting quite right in his stomach and he felt like eating food would make it worse. Besides, he wasn't hungry.

     Luke went through the bin of medical supplies, occupying himself by reading the labels and organizing it if the sounds were anything to go by.

     When things went silent, Percy cracked open his eyes. Luke wasn't sitting on the coffee table anymore, now pacing the length of the room around the bed. He looked like a big cat in a cage.

     The day wore on with Luke restless and Percy’s fever slowly rising.

     Percy lay on the couch, naked and with the comforter kicked to the far end. His skin was slick with sweat, his mouth was dry. Breathing was a chore and every time Percy thought maybe the cough was gone, something would trigger another fit of coughing.

     Luke gave Percy medicine several more times, putting the cup to his lips and tipping the contents down Percy's throat. He held the water bowl for Percy every time Percy was thirsty and refilled it in the bathroom sink when it got low. The rest of the time, Luke spent pacing or sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

     Percy slept through sunset, woke up again sometime in the night. There was no clock in here, so Percy had to guess what time it was based on the sun. Or lack thereof. The only light came from the one in the bathroom and the door had been partially closed to limit the amount of light coming in.

     Luke sat on the coffee table, stroking Percy's hair. “Hey,” he said. He looked tired and stressed out.

     “Mm,” Percy said. The fever was gone, leaving Percy cold and exhausted. He pushed himself up and groaned as his body ached. The couch was damp beneath him from the sheer amount he'd sweated. That was gross.

     Percy stood up. The room spun, and he almost fell sideways. He caught himself on Luke's shoulder and stood very still until the world stopped spinning.

     “You alright?” Luke asked. He stood up and Percy's hand fell from his shoulder to his forearm. Immediately Luke took Percy's hand in his and laced their fingers together.

     What a dumb question. Percy looked at Luke flatly.

     “Okay,” Luke said, ducking his head. The remaining tip of his ear turned bright red as he realized he'd asked a stupid question. Obviously Percy wasn't alright. “Where are we going?”

     Now that was a good question. There was no way in hades that Luke would take Percy for a walk right now and even if he would, Percy thought that enduring the way Luke narrowed Percy's vision would actually kill Percy. Which meant there were only two answers: the bed or the shower.

     Even though the layer of dried sweat coating him from head to toe made Percy feel disgusting, his whole self - body and mind - rebelled against the idea of getting wet. Percy barely hesitated. “Bed.”

     Luke escorted Percy to the bed. “Do you want the comforter?”

     Percy nodded. The bed was a good choice mainly because it was dry and Percy could lay down. Laying down with just one pillow beneath his head was making his sinuses do weird, unpleasant things and breathing became hard again. Percy stole one of Luke's pillows to help prop himself up and breathing became a little easier.

     Luke fetched the comforter off the couch and pulled it over Percy. Once he had Percy all tucked in, Luke sat on the edge of the bed looking concerned. “Thirsty?”

     Percy shook his head.

     “Hungry?” Luke asked hopefully.

     Percy shook his head again. He closed his heavy eyelids.

     “Tired,” Luke sighed. “Got it.” He laid down behind Percy, spooning him from behind.

     That night Percy had a nightmare that the black fell out of his hair, leaving it as golden blond as Luke's hair.

     And when the sun rose, Percy's fever rose with it.

Notes:

Hopefully updates will come more frequently because I have like four partially finished chapters because I was stalling writing this one for so long. Also, I love to see your theories about what you think is happening with Percy. It's been fun reading them.

Chapter 15: Plague Puppy

Summary:

Luke wants to play puppy even while Percy is sick.

Notes:

The chapter title is an agere of Plague Dogs. Percy does not have the plague. Yet. Let me know in the comments if you want Percy to catch the plague.

Oh and, Happy New Year everyone. May 2025 be kinder than 2024.

Percy was having a very bad time. The tickle in his throat and lungs didn't go away, and Percy coughed until his throat hurt. Coughing took more effort than Percy ever realized, made his back ache like it was breaking and left him weak with exhaustion. Coughing also made his eyes water. Percy didn't bother to wipe away his tears. He's cried so much lately that his face felt raw from all the tears.

     Luke reacted to Percy's tears the same way he always did, with sympathy and arousal. Seeing Percy cry really got Luke's motor going and Luke only barely tried to hide it. He laid behind Percy, his strong arms wrapping Percy in his embrace. When Percy wasn't coughing his lungs out, Luke rubbed his cheek against Percy's wet one, making crooning noises meant to soothe. His cock was hard, slotted between Percy's thighs.

     In the back of his mind Percy thought that Luke was ridiculous but he was beginning to understand that Luke wanted to play all the time. And Percy, however reluctantly, had signed up to play with Luke all the time. Besides, as long as Luke was playing puppy with Percy, he wasn't using his energy to overthrow the gods. Sometimes it was hard to remember why this was a good thing.

     At least Luke didn't expect Percy to do anything except lay there because Percy wasn't particularly in the mood and didn't have the energy to play how they normally did. As long as he didn't have to move, Percy didn't mind the way Luke humped him. It was nice to have someone close to him and Luke's cock did feel good. Luke's cock was hard between Percy’s thighs but felt silken against his skin and radiated warmth. This was especially nice when Percy got cold; which happened often.

     Every time Percy had a coughing fit, his whole body went tense and he felt Luke's cock throb between his legs as his thighs tightened around it. When the fit was over, Percy pushed himself against Luke's chest, snuggled himself more securely in Luke's arms. Even with the medicine Percy didn't feel good and Luke was all he had, the only comfort in a horrible existence. His skin broke out in sweat and the glide of Luke's cock became smoother.

     Luke moaned very quietly, soft noises in his throat that Percy got the feeling he was trying to hide. He pressed his lips to Percy's feverish forehead. He ran his hand from Percy's throat to his thigh, making Percy's sensitive skin prickle with overstimulation. “You want some water, puppy?” Luke asked.

     The hope in Luke's voice was nauseating to hear because Percy didn't want any water. He was thirsty but every time he drank - no matter how little - it felt like it was going to come back up. Percy didn't want to throw up. He really, really didn't want to. For one thing, it would hurt his sore throat even more. For another, it took so much energy to throw up and Percy didn't have any extra energy to spare. Last time Percy was sick it was only for a couple days. He could wait it out. Percy made a negative noise in his throat and winced when it hurt.

     Luke's fingers pressed into the meat of Percy's flank. Not hard, not like he was trying to hurt Percy, but just enough that Percy knew Luke didn't like this answer. “How about some food?” Luke asked.

     Food sounded worse than water and Percy made another no noise in his throat. Even the mention of food made Percy's empty stomach cramp with hunger pangs. He stayed perfectly still as pain lanced through his middle. It didn't last more than a few moments but it was followed by another wave of nausea and weakness flooding his limbs. Distantly Percy wondered if he was going to die.

     Luke was not dissuaded. “Maybe a smoothie?” His hand rested lightly on Percy's jutting hip bone as though he was afraid to apply too much pressure and shatter it. “I'll get you any flavor you want.”

     “Mm,” Percy hummed. Eating was not going to help. He would eat when he didn't feel awful.

     “I really think you should at least drink something. You haven't drank anything since yesterday,” Luke insisted.

     Percy couldn't make Luke understand that eating or drinking anything was a bad idea.

     “You've been losing too much water and not replenishing it,” Luke said as he sat up. It sounded less like he was talking to Percy than he was talking to himself.

     The air rushed to take the place of Luke's body heat, cooling Percy's sweat and making him shiver with cold. He shivered and curled tighter into himself.

     Then Luke pulled completely away from Percy and got out of bed entirely. Silence and then the sound of running water.

     Percy wished Luke would come back. He was cold and he didn't want to be alone.

     Except that when Luke did come back, he rolled Percy onto his back. Luke settled between Percy’s legs, his cock a hot line against the seam of Percy's pelvis. There was something weird about his mouth and it wasn't until Luke crushed their mouths together that Percy realized what was strange. Luke's mouth was full of water that he forced into Percy's mouth via the kiss.

     Percy almost choked, probably would have if his body wasn't so desperate for it. He swallowed hard, felt the water travel all the way down to his stomach. Not that the transfer went perfectly smoothly; water dripped out of the corners of Percy's mouth and down his neck. He needed to breathe but Luke’s tongue was still in his mouth, his lips still sealed against Percy's, and Percy couldn't draw breath.

     For some reason Luke never seemed to need to breathe when they kissed, except for that one time Percy broke his nose. He was oblivious to Percy’s need to breathe, still kissing Percy as though this was a normal game of puppy.

     Percy was getting dizzy. He pushed at Luke's chest and shoulders. They could keep kissing in a minute, he just needed to catch his breath…

     Luke took Percy by the wrists and pinned them against the bed on either side of Percy's head. He rubbed his tongue against Percy's tongue and his cock against Percy's hip. Luke came with a shiver and a moan, the vibrations of which Percy felt in his mouth. And finally, Luke broke the kiss.

     Percy sucked in a deep breath of air only to immediately begin coughing again.

     Luke watched him cough until the fit was over, then he doubled over and licked the cum from Percy's skin. When all that was left was Luke's saliva shining wetly, Luke used the comforter to wipe that away too. He looked satisfied with himself as he stretched his arms above his head and arched his back. His spine gave an impressive crack.

     Percy gingerly placed his hands over his stomach and, even though he didn't think the gods were listening, prayed for his health.

Notes:

Today is a two-for-one as in there are two chapters submitted today. Go me.

Chapter 16: Grooming

Summary:

Luke grooms Percy.

Notes:

The song Luke sings is Blue Ain't Your Color by Keith Urban.

It took three more days before Percy's cough subsided to a huff and his fever finally fled. During that time Luke had been close and attentive, tending to Percy's every need. Sometimes before Percy knew what he needed himself. His devotion was overwhelming.

     Especially considering that Percy was going to betray him by freeing Annabeth.

     Over the next few days, Percy struggled to find a way to bring up the mortals and when Luke intended to make port. If he asked too blatantly, Luke would become suspicious and Percy wanted to avoid that at all costs.

     The problem was that though Luke was giving Percy a little more freedom, Luke did not bring this subject up. He didn't tell Percy where they were, where they were going, or what any of his plans were. In fact, Luke really didn't volunteer any information about anything at all. When they talked it was mostly him asking how Percy was doing, or playing the puppy game, or Percy asking questions. Percy was tactful about what he asked, so many sensitive topics between them that it sometimes made talking feel like playing chess.

     But he couldn't find a way to ask about the mortals again.

     Luke and Percy lay in bed.

     Luke was dozing, which wasn't surprising since he'd spent most of the past week awake with worry over Percy. He wasn't fully asleep, because his fingertips were lazily tracing figure eights along Percy's spine.

     Percy lay half on top of Luke, the bronze chain of Luke's necklace in his mouth. He chewed on the metal for lack of anything better to do, and kneaded at Luke's chest with his nails. Now that he felt better, Percy was bored. They went for a walk earlier - which was also why Percy was exhausted now - and back down the stairs but it didn't feel like quite the victory it had the first time because Percy still didn't know where in the yacht he was or where Annabeth was. Maybe they were right next door to each other; and wouldn't that be funny?

     Annabeth was never one of the subjects that made Luke's hackles rise but Percy needed to tread carefully when it came to her because she could be. He was going to have to ask about her soon if he wanted any chance at getting her out of here.

     Unless she was already gone. Annabeth was smart enough that she might have escaped.

     A pang went through Percy's heart at the thought of her leaving him here. He knew she didn't like him but Percy hoped that Annabeth wouldn't just abandon him. Although…he deserved it for what he was doing with Luke, for what he agreed to.

     “Ow,” Luke muttered. He lifted Percy's hand off his chest and kissed his knuckles. There were red dots of blood where Percy's nails punctured his skin. “Your nails are getting long.”

     Percy blinked and looked at his nails. They were longer than he's ever had them before, mostly because Percy couldn't bite them while wearing socks over his hands and this week he'd felt so bad it didn't even cross his mind to bite them.

     Luke opened his eyes, looked critically at Percy. He ran a hand over Percy's curly black hair and gave an unhappy hum.

     Percy tilted his head in question.

     “I think I need to do something about this,” Luke said aloud. He sat up.

     Percy did too, letting the necklace chain fall from his mouth. “Something about what?”

     “Your hair, your nails,” Luke said. He got out of bed, began to get dressed. “I'll be back.”

     Percy's vision went dark before Luke left. He was alone. Well, while Luke was gone he would eat. Percy went to his bowls, knelt in front of them. While it was true Percy didn't have socks on his hand so he could pick up the bowl or eat with his hands, Percy also didn't know when Luke was going to be back. It sounded like he'd be there soon and he was adamant about Percy not using his hands to eat anymore. He really regretted stabbing Luke with that spoon now.

     Especially since it didn't have any positive effect whatsoever.

     Food today was what Percy tentatively called a taco salad: seasoned beef, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, chillies, roasted corn, tomatoes, and lettuce all mixed together. It tasted good and was filling. So far everything Luke fed him was delicious. Whoever the chef was for the Titan Army was doing a great job. The best part was that Luke had gotten a little warming plate to go beneath Percy's food bowl since Percy rarely ate right away, and so his food was still warm.

     Luke came back just as Percy finished eating; was still licking the bowl clean when Luke walked in. He smiled when he saw Percy eating, setting down the bundle in his arms. Luke squatted in front of Percy, said, “You've got sour cream on your nose,” then licked Percy's nose.

     Percy wrinkled his nose and snorted. He rubbed the wet spot with the back of his hand. “Maybe I was saving that.”

     “My apologies,” Luke said, smiling faintly. He stood again, held out his hand. “Ready for grooming?”

     Percy took Luke's hand, allowing him to pull Percy to his feet. “I guess.”

     Luke led Percy to the bathroom, scooping up his bundle on the way, and gestured for him to sit on the toilet lid. “Nails first, I think.” He set the bundle on the counter and unrolled it to reveal a grooming kit.

     Percy sat. No one's ever trimmed his nails for him and Percy felt the need to say, “I can do it myself.”

     “I know,” Luke said as he selected a pair of nail clippers. To Percy's surprise, Luke knelt on the floor in front of him. He clipped Percy’s nails, one at a time, leaving them longer than Percy expected. The nail clippers were exchanged for a nail file and Luke got to work carefully filing away and shaping Percy's nails. He worked one finger at a time, though often paused to see his work all at once.

     Other people didn't normally touch Percy. In all of this it seemed ridiculous to say, but it was true. Punches were common enough between Gabe and the fights at school and Annabeth. Bear hugs from Mom and one-armed embraces from friends occasionally happened but not with any frequency. High fives happened a lot at Camp Half-Blood while handshakes were almost exclusively for strange adults. Before Luke and being Luke's puppy, no one ever touched Percy so much or in the ways that Luke touched him.

     Percy has never had a manicure and Mom used to buzz cut his hair at the beginning of every school year because it was easy for a novice to do. He was otherwise left in charge of his own nails and hygiene and getting dressed from the moment he showed he was capable of doing it himself. It made Percy feel young when Luke did things like this for him, to him.

     Luke was gentle with Percy, brushing his calloused fingertips over Percy's skin with the lightest of touches that tickled. He was intently focused on what he was doing, blue eyes on his work and a furrow on his brow. When he was done shaping Percy's nails, Luke chose his next tool. A thin sliver of metal with a hook on the end.

     Percy had about two seconds to be alarmed before Luke used the hooked end to scrape out what was beneath his nails. What was beneath his nails? Skin, probably, and that thought was enough to make Percy look away. Gross, Percy thought even as he knew that he'd still sink his nails into Luke's flesh and scratch him and gather more skin beneath his nails. Better to let Luke deal with anything unpleasant.

     Percy found himself staring doggedly at the top of Luke's head. When they met, Luke's hair had been down to his jaw but he buzzed it short after running away from Camp Half-Blood. It was only just beginning to grow past his ears and Percy knew from experience that there was just enough of it to grab a fistful. Not just the length had changed; Luke's hair used to be a golden blond but it had faded into what one might generously call white blond. Was it from stress? Percy was almost afraid to ask.

     The hooked tool was exchanged for another tool with a soft tip. This was used to push at Percy’s cuticles for reasons only the gods and Luke knew.

     It was, so far, the only part of the process that hurt in any way and Percy made a face about it.

     Luke glanced up at Percy's face and gave an amused smile. “It'll be over soon,” he promised. True to his word, that part was over soon.

     Though not soon enough in Percy's opinion. “I don't like that,” he said. His fingers felt strange and unpleasant around the nail bed.

     “It's over now,” Luke said. From his kit he removed a small, narrow bottle full of clear fluid. When Luke twisted open the lid, the smell of nail polish hit Percy’s nose. The lid was a tiny brush and he used it to spread a clear coat over Percy's nails. This seemed to indicate that Luke was done with his nails.

     That is until Luke finished and took out the nail clippers again, taking hold of Percy's foot with one hand and Percy suddenly remembered he had toenails. Luke set Percy's heel in his lap.

     Percy wasn't entirely sure that he liked Luke touching his feet. The bottoms were ticklish and no one ever touched Percy's feet before and that made it hard to keep them still so that Luke could work. Either way, it was making Percy's legs break out into goosebumps.

     The process was exactly the same; clip, shape, clean under the nails, push back the cuticles, clear coat to finish it off. Luke took his time and was more careful about the cuticle thing this time around. He didn't lift his head this time, didn't sneak any glances at Percy's face (at least not that Percy could tell), just made soothing noises when Percy got too jumpy.

     Luke looks good on his knees, Percy thought. The thought came out of the blue, accompanied by a tingle in Percy's abdomen. This should not have been a revelation, as Percy's seen Luke on his knees before, but not like this. Not kneeling for Percy and taking care of Percy. The last time he saw Luke kneeling below Percy…was it that time at Camp Half-Blood with the lighter? Percy silently appreciated Luke being on his knees.

     Maybe Percy appreciated Luke's position a little too much because his cock was stiffening as his mind reminded Percy that he knew what Luke's mouth felt like around him. And of how long it had been since Percy last came. Percy made himself hold still because Luke wouldn't be happy if he interrupted their grooming session for a game. But it was not easy with Luke looking so good and his big hands being so gentle with Percy. It all made Percy want to bark to get Luke's attention, to make Luke take care of Percy's growing situation, but he didn't dare. Luke was always down for a game of puppy but they normally weren't doing anything of any importance when they played that game.

     By the time Luke finished Percy's nails for real, Percy's cock was fully hard against his belly. A few beads of precum gathered at the slit.

     Luke glanced up, saw this, and his eyes widened. “Oh,” he said. He still had Percy's foot in his lap, hands around his heel and his ankle. With his thumb, Luke rubbed the skin beside Percy's ankle; a rough motion. Luke licked his lips.

     As he watched Luke's tongue, Percy went from passively turned on to majorly turned on. His cock throbbed in time to his fast pounding heart and more precum beaded up. He shifted on the uncomfortable toilet lid and it creaked beneath him.

     So unsexy but Percy didn't care because Luke's eyes had darkened and his mouth was open. Every exhale ghosted air over Percy's cock. Luke visibly swallowed, throat moving. A debate visibly played out on Luke's face, then he said, “We’ll take care of that when we're done.”

     Percy might have had more faith in this proclamation if he didn't already know Luke was weak to pleasures of the flesh. He gave Luke his biggest, wettest puppy dog eyes, silently begging that they didn't wait until they were done grooming. Percy had priorities.

     Apparently so did Luke.

     Luke swallowed again, a look of utter longing on his face as they locked eyes. Percy thought he was going to give in…right up until Luke snagged a towel off the towel rack and draped it over Percy's lap. “When we're done,” Luke said again and stood up.

     Percy gave a huff of surprise and then growled.

     Luke laughed and when he looked at Percy his resolve had hardened. Not what Percy was hoping would get hard. “Hair next.” He opened a second kit that Percy didn't notice before. This one held an electric razor, an array of guards to go with it, several combs, a pair of sharp scissors, and a tiny bottle of oil.

     Percy drew his legs up and crossed them, lowering himself into a slouch so that Luke knew he was sulking. He watched Luke from the corner of his eye, just in case Luke changed his mind.

     Luke went through the razor guards before picking one and putting it on. He used the tiny bottle to spread oil over the blade. Not a lot, just enough to get it wet. Then Luke plugged the razor in and flicked it on.

     Percy wrapped his arms around himself and thought mean things about Luke. He knew Luke could hurt him with the razor but he didn't think Luke would. That wouldn't be in the spirit of their game and while Percy wasn't entirely sure about all of the rules, he knew enough to know that Luke wouldn't draw blood unless Percy did first. After the incident with Luke's ear, Percy wasn't feeling much like drawing blood.

     Luke shaved the back of Percy's head. He did it with the quick efficiency of someone who's done this many, many times. The razor went over the back of Percy's head several times before Luke tackled the sides. Percy expected Luke to take the top off too, but he left it alone except to push it from one side to the other when he needed it out of the way.

     When the razor finally went quiet and Luke set it aside, Percy said, “Seems like you've done this before.”

     Luke smiled but it was the tight smile that indicated it was tied to bad memories. Sometimes it seemed like all Luke had was bad memories. “I have. I cut Thalia's hair for her every three weeks. It grew in so fast and she hated it in her eyes.”

     “Oh,” Percy said and pushed down the feelings of jealousy that Thalia's name brought. She was a great hero and Percy respected that she'd given her life to help her fellow demigods get to safety. What happened to her was tragic and unjust. But once, back when they were still at Camp Half-Blood, Percy asked Luke why he didn't seem to have a girlfriend. They'd been curled up in a hammock between two big trees, supposed to be watching the stars and planets overhead.

     Luke had looked surprised by the question. “I do,” he answered and before Percy could even process what those two words meant and how they were ripping through his chest, Luke had added, “Although Thalia's been dead for five years, so I guess most people would say that doesn't count.”

     Luke's loyalty was equally sickening and sexy. Percy hoped to take Thalia's place but how could he compete with that? And then Luke tried to kill him and Percy knew that whatever they had at Camp Half-Blood meant nothing.

     Yet somehow…they were here.

     “Something on your mind?” Luke asked. He sprayed Percy's hair with a spray bottle, wetting it down with water.

     Percy didn't want to talk about Thalia with Luke. He didn't know if Luke knew how much Percy liked him, not really. Not that Percy was really sure how much he liked Luke anymore, since everything had gone south on the last day of summer and then…all of this happened. Percy shook his head and water rolled down his face.

     Luke picked up a comb. Starting at the front, Luke began to comb Percy's hair. He was slow and careful, obviously trying to work out the tangles without tugging too much. Apparently Luke was only interested in using his hands to pull Percy's hair.

     When Percy continued to not say anything, Luke sighed and began to sing. “Well, it's probably not my place // But I'm gonna say it anyway // 'Cause you look like // You haven't felt the fire // Had a little fun // Hadn't had a smile in a little while // Baby.”

     One day Percy would discover something that Luke was spectacularly bad at but today was not that day and singing was not that thing. Luke could mimic the country drawl of the songs he sang with scarily accurate precision.

     Luke sang the next verse as he began to cut the hair atop Percy's head. He didn't take off too much, keeping enough there so that he could fist it in his hands if he so desired. Percy was sure it would happen again because he knew himself and his habits of misbehavior were hard to break. “Blue looks good on the sky // Looks good on that neon buzzin' on the wall // But, darling, it don't match your eyes // I'm tellin' you // You don't need that guy // It's so black and white // He's stealin' your thunder // Baby, blue ain't your color.”

     Maybe subtlety was Luke's great weakness, the thing he was bad at.

     Everyone said that blue was Percy's color because of Poseidon. The people at Camp Half-Blood thought that Percy's preference for blue food was because of Poseidon too; a dutiful son emulating his father. To be fair to them, Percy would rather they think his loyalty to Poseidon was unquestionable than to admit that the blue food was a small rebellion against his stepdad, Gabe; because if Percy didn't have his small rebellions, he would have doused Gabe in gasoline and lit him on fire. As a nonspecific example of the violence Gabe inspired within Percy.

     Luke sang and cut Percy's hair and he didn't bring up Thalia again. By the time the song was done, so too was Luke with Percy's haircut. He brushed the cut strands from Percy's shoulders and onto the floor. Now, Percy was fully aware that there was no broom in the bathroom or the bedroom, yet Luke was suddenly holding one. Luke swept the mess into a dust pan and dumped it into the trash.

     Percy stared. Where was Luke getting this stuff? It left him feeling uneasy because sure, Luke was conjuring up simple things like a broom and dust pan but for one, it hurt to be hit with those and for two, Luke could conjure an actual weapon if he wanted to. Oh, it hadn't escaped Percy's notice that Luke was unarmed - or appeared to be - and Percy expected that to change at any moment. There was no doubt in Percy's mind that all Percy had to do was piss Luke off enough and the weapons would come out.

     Then again, how did you top biting off a piece of someone's ear? Luke hadn't really punished Percy for that. Even now, weeks later and with Luke's promise not to hurt Percy too badly, Percy was still expecting Luke to snap over it.

     Luke finished cleaning up and the broom and dust pan disappeared to wherever they had been before Luke needed them. When he faced Percy again, he was holding an electric toothbrush.

     Percy frowned. He already brushed his teeth. Sometimes. When he remembered to and felt like it. "Do we have to?"

     "We do," Luke said firmly. "What kind of toothpaste do you like?"

     The bathroom was stocked with regular old mint toothpaste. That was fine but it wasn't Percy's favorite. "Bubblegum," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Percy didn't like the idea of Luke brushing his teeth for him; and he was under no illusions, that was what was going to happen.

     "The more cooperative you are, the easier it'll be and the faster we'll get done," Luke said and in that moment Percy heard the parent in Luke's voice.

     He was reminded of all the unwanted, lonely kids at Camp Half-Blood who were lucky if they had one parent and the many who were effectively orphans for all that the gods paid attention to them. They didn't have parents…but they had Luke.

     Sure, Chiron was supposedly the director but he taught one advanced archery class and that was it. Dionysus didn't even do that much and could only be reliably seen at the head table during meals or on the Big House porch playing pinochle. Argus was technically security but he wasn't around much unless someone needed a ride to the Greyhound station; which had happened exactly once in the past three years at Camp Half-Blood. There were adult nymphs and satyrs but they mainly cooked and gardened, spending their free time with other nature spirits. The satyrs in particular tended to leave Camp for weeks if not months at a time while they searched for Pan and demigods to recruit.

     Which left Luke as the only adult capable and present enough to fill in the void.

     "How old are you?" Percy asked.

     Luke blinked. "Twenty?" he said, making it sound like a question.

     Twenty seemed old and mature but Percy was only seven years from being twenty and that wasn't really a long time when you broke it down. Twenty was only two decades alive. Mortal humans could live to be a hundred and if the rumors were true, demigods could live to be even older. Percy imagined doubling all of the knowledge and life experience he had right now and it didn't feel like enough; he didn't even know how to do his taxes or drive a car or do long division. And Luke? Had somehow found himself the single father of over three hundred kids and he wasn't even old enough to drink alcohol or rent a car.

     "Why do you ask?" Luke asked when Percy didn't share his thoughts.

     "You sounded like my mom."

     "Ah," Luke said. There was now pink toothpaste on the electric toothbrush. "Open your mouth."

     Percy opened his mouth.

     Luke set to work brushing Percy's teeth. The toothpaste tasted like bubblegum. "I never wanted to have kids. Then I met Thalia and it was on my mind a lot and I realized that I did want them. Annabeth felt like a gift from the gods, a daughter just for us but without all the danger involved."

     "Danger?" Percy said around the toothbrush.

     "Thalia was twelve when she died," Luke said gently. "She was too young to be pregnant. Pregnancy and giving birth are always dangerous but she was so young and we were constantly hunted by monsters. Not to mention homeless and without access to medical care. If something had gone wrong…" Luke trailed off into a sorrowful and contemplative silence. "Anyway, even if Thalia's body could handle it, caring for an infant on the run would have been a disaster. Babies don't know when they have to be quiet because a single noise will get you caught and killed."

     This conversation was really…awful. It was awful. Percy didn't want to think about someone his age having a baby and he didn't want to think of Luke with someone like that and he really didn't want to think about how bad demigods had it. He didn't even know what to say. What did you say to that? Percy was suddenly very happy that Luke was brushing his teeth because at least he wasn't expected to talk.

     Luke read Percy's face like a book and for a second he looked very sad himself. Like he just caught up to how horrible what he'd said really was. "Anyway, I got to practice parenting a little with Annabeth and then I got a lot of practice parenting when I got to Camp Half-Blood."

     The idea of Luke being the tired single father of three hundred demigod children would have been funny if it wasn't so depressing. Another depressing thought: was there anything they could talk about that wasn't deeply upsetting?

     Percy was still pondering this when Luke urged him up, turned him to the sink, and said, "Spit."

     Percy spat. He rinsed his mouth out with water straight from the tap.

     "Let me see," Luke said.

     Percy turned to him and opened his mouth.

     Luke cupped Percy's face, looked at his teeth, and said, "Time to floss." He gestured for Percy to sit down and conjured up a little container of floss.

     Even as he sat down, Percy made a face. "I have hands," he reminded Luke.

     "I know," Luke said, an amused smile on his face. He measured off a length of floss and wound it around his two pointer fingers. "Open your mouth again."

     "Then why don't you let me do it?" Percy asked.

     The look of blank bewilderment on Luke's face only made Percy more confused.

     "I know how to floss!"

     "You haven't been," Luke said.

     "You didn't leave me any floss!" Percy pointed out. "Besides, it's not like demigods get cavities."

     Luke's bewilderment shifted into dumbstruck. "Percy, of course demigods get cavities."

     "What."

     "I guess you wouldn't know because normally you heal with water," Luke said, looking thoughtful. A complicated series of emotions crossed his face and then he shook his head. "You can't heal yourself right now so open your mouth for me. I promise I'll be quick."

     Percy opened his mouth again, resigning himself to letting Luke floss his teeth. Because apparently thanks to whatever was blocking his powers, Percy could now get cavities and his teeth could rot out of his skull. The idea was genuinely horrifying. Was he going to have nightmares about losing his teeth now that he knew he could?

     Luke did his best to be quick but to Percy the flossing felt like it dragged on forever. It didn't hurt but Percy still didn't like having it done. It was a relief when Luke finally set down the floss. "Good boy. We're all done with that now."

     Percy gave Luke a look. "All done with everything?" he asked suspiciously.

     Luke smiled and gave Percy a slow, thorough once over. It was like watching the flame on a candlewick sputter and go out. Luke's pale eyes held ghosts in them and his smile faded. He tried to hide this with a hand over his mouth. "Almost. What if I bleached and dyed your hair for you?"

     Luke's never looked at Percy like that before and Percy didn't just hate it, it scared him. Percy stared blankly up at Luke. The suggestion - if that's what it really was - surprised Percy. He's never seriously thought about changing his hair color before. It might be fun and if it stopped Luke from looking at Percy like this, it'd be worth it. "Uh, alright."

     Luke's shoulders relaxed in the way they always did when Percy did the right thing. Luke pulled his materials from thin air and put on latex gloves. He let them snap against his wrists. The materials he was working with were a few bottles of pale chemicals and what looked like a paint brush. Luke brushed bleach into Percy's hair, one section at a time. His touch was gentle, soothing, and rhythmic as he worked.

     Percy's hair was naturally as black as an oil slick. He half expected it to put up some resistance to being bleached but the black faded into brown and then dirty blond like a mouse. At least there was only one mirror and Percy was already avoiding his reflection.

     “We need to rinse out the bleach,” Luke said after a while. He set the bleach-wet brush down and took off his gloves. “You're going to hold onto me and I'm going to wash your hair out in the sink, alright?”

     Percy shot Luke a dubious look but when Luke picked Percy up, Percy wrapped his arms and legs around Luke. The bleach began to run down the back of Percy's neck.

     What Luke failed to tell Percy about this plan - or rather what Percy failed to think of - was how exactly he'd be getting his head down to the sink. The answer was to not just lean but lay back with his shoulders on the counter and his legs wrapped tightly around Luke's waist to support him.

     Luke doubled over Percy, elbows on either side of the sink and both hands in Percy's hair. This was a balancing act during which Luke didn't put any weight on Percy whatsoever. He rinsed the bleach out by running his hands through Percy's short hair over and over, until finally the water came away clean.

     It wouldn't have been so bad if Percy couldn't feel his legs slowly sliding down Luke's body. Percy stayed perfectly still through the rinse except for all of the times he had to readjust his legs lest Percy break his back.

     Then it was over. Luke turned off the water and eased Percy up so that he didn't hit his forehead on the faucet. “That wasn't so bad. Good job staying still.” Luke placed Percy back on the toilet lid, and pulled on another pair of latex gloves. “Do you have a color preference?”

     Percy shook his head. He really couldn't think of any color except blue and Percy didn't want blue hair.

     Luke opened a box of blond hair dye (the irony of which was not lost on Percy) that hadn't been there before and mixed together the bottles inside. He did this by very vigorously shaking the bottle with his finger over the lid. The motion made Luke's tits jiggle, which was fun to watch.

     Didn't he have a dream about this? It must have been a prophetic dream! Maybe that meant Percy was getting his powers back? Although it was a weird thing to have a prophetic dream about.

     Percy kept his eyes and imagination on Luke's tits while Luke put the dye in his hair. Which meant Percy was also looking at the abalone necklace Luke wore. The chain was long enough that the shell hung between Luke's tits. Luke spent a good deal of time naked and within kissing range of Percy, so the stupid necklace was always in the way or hitting Percy. Percy closed his eyes so that he didn't have to look at the offending thing, then opened them again because he wasn't going to waste being able to see by closing his eyes.

     It felt like it genuinely took forever, but finally Luke sighed and stepped back. He looked at Percy and his eyes weren't full of ghosts anymore. If anything, the look in Luke's eyes was one of warmth. Smiling to himself, Luke turned and took off his gloves. He cleaned up the counter, magicking the supplies he used away to someplace else.

     Percy dared to hope that the groom was over.

     "One more thing," Luke said, effectively crushing Percy's hopes. "Last thing is a shower."

     Percy felt a bark rising in protest but it stalled at the mention of a shower. The grooming was alright but Percy was tired of all the new things. At least showering with Luke was familiar ground, something they'd done before. And it was better than being bent over the sink.

     Luke pushed his pants down and stepped out of them. "No groom is complete without bathing," Luke said even though Percy didn't ask.

     Percy wondered if Luke would bathe him like a dog in the tub if they had a bathtub instead of just the shower. Being naked already, Percy stayed where he was.

     Luke turned on the shower. Then he faced Percy. "Still want to drop?" he asked.

     Percy nodded.

     Luke stood in front of Percy. He cupped Percy's cheeks with both hands, tipping his face up. Luke had to bend almost in half to be eye level with Percy. "You did very good for your hair and nails," Luke said. "And your teeth." Then he kissed Percy.

     It was not a deep or lingering kiss but it was the kind that promised there would be more kissing in the future. That too was familiar.

     Luke urged Percy up.

     Percy stood.

Notes:

Luke has a caretaking kink.

Chapter 17: The Groom Is Finally Over

Summary:

Luke finally finishes the groom and Percy asks for something he wants.

Notes:

You know how some dogs act like grooming is literal torture? That's Percy.

Percy stood under the spray of the showerhead, letting hot water rush over him. His eyes were closed and he held his breath.

     At least until Luke touched him.

     “No, keep your eyes closed,” Luke said, a gently delivered command. Luke ran his hands through Percy's newly shortened hair, his fingers gliding through Percy's curls and over his scalp as he coaxed out the box dye. He moved his hands from Percy's hairline to the back of his neck, over and over again.

     It was like being pet, except the dye in Percy's hair made Luke's hands slide effortlessly. But Percy didn't mind the new sensation. Under Luke's efforts, Percy relaxed into puppy space. The discomfort of the groom and the awfulness of Thalia slipped away, leaving only the comforting feeling of Luke's hands in Percy's hair.

     “Good boy,” Luke chanted, voice low and warm. He guided Percy out from beneath the spray of water. “Good boy, good boy.” He cupped the back of Percy's head, tipping it back, then kissed Percy. The kiss was hot and lingering. Luke kissed him like he wanted to eat Percy up.

     Percy licked Luke's mouth, tongue swiping over Luke's lips. When Luke parted his lips, Percy licked into Luke's mouth. His tongue met Luke's tongue, and they kissed with open mouths as their tongues moved against each other. Kissing like this made Percy feel hot and sexy all over.

     As they kissed they closed the distance between their bodies, pressed up tight against one another. The water made Luke's skin slick against Percy's. It felt very good until Luke pulled back and ended both the kiss and contact.

     Percy couldn't help but whine, loud and petulant. Luke wasn't supposed to leave him.

     “We aren't done,” Luke said and a few moments later his hands were in Percy's hair again. He rubbed something into Percy’s hair that smelled like pomegranates and mango.

     It felt nice to be petted again, so Percy went quiet even though he wanted to feel Luke's body against his.

     Luke guided Percy back under the spray of water, ran his fingers through Percy's hair to rinse it out. Then they were back out from beneath the water again but Luke didn't kiss him again. “Good boy. See, it's not so bad,” Luke said as he put more of the scented product into Percy's hair.

     Percy endured only because Luke was still petting him and it reminded Percy of their early days together back at that other place. When he was pulled back under the water, Percy squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath until it was over.

     Except it wasn't over, because as he drew Percy away from the water Luke said, “One more thing.” Then he took his hands off of Percy completely.

     The noise that came from Percy's throat was a hybrid of a growl and whine. He opened his eyes to see what Luke was doing now, what new torture Percy would be subjected to.

     Luke held soap in one hand and a washcloth in the other. He rubbed them together to work up a lather. Then he reached for Percy.

     Percy did not want to be washed. He didn't want a washcloth touching him. He didn't want to go in and out of the water again. All he wanted was Luke's skin against his and the pleasure that came with it. Percy tried to bat away Luke's hand and when that didn't work, he used his nails to scratch Luke.

     Having just been trimmed, this wasn't as effective as Percy was hoping for. “Percy,” Luke said warningly as the washcloth came into contact with Percy’s bicep.

     Percy flinched away, sidestepping the washcloth, and tried to press himself against Luke again. It seemed that Luke forgot the point of their game and Percy was determined to remind him of how to treat his puppy.

     Percy was met with Luke's solid hand to his chest, stopping him mid motion and knocking the air out of his lungs. Luke pushed Percy against the shower wall. He kept Percy pinned there with a hand around his throat.

     Percy growled long and low, pulling his lips back from his teeth.

     Luke ignored him and washed Percy’s face.

     Percy attempted to wiggle free but Luke had him firmly pinned.

     Luke skipped Percy's neck to wash his shoulders, chest, and arms.

     Percy whined his saddest, most pathetic puppy whine in the hopes Luke would take pity on him and end this torture.

     Luke heartlessly washed Percy's belly, his sides, his hips. He wrapped his hand around Percy's cock but the washcloth was between them.

     Percy barked, a short and sharp yip because he didn't like how the washcloth felt.

     Luke used the washcloth to stroke Percy’s cock. It felt like he was spending extra time here, hand moving up and down along the length of it under the guise of washing.

     Percy made the short, loud whines of a puppy in distress as he pushed on Luke's chest, trying to get him to stop. When that didn't work he struggled to get free, moving his hips away from Luke's hand the best he could.

     “Has anyone ever told you that you are so dramatic?” Luke asked. “It's just a bath and you're acting like you're dying.” Finally Luke moved on from Percy's cock to his thighs. He couldn't reach lower than that without letting Percy go but instead of doing the sensible thing, Luke flipped Percy around. He held Percy by the back of the neck and began to wash Percy’s shoulder blades.

     The tile was cool against Percy's cheek. He realized that he couldn't put up a fight from this angle. Well, he could but Luke could just as easily decide to slam Percy’s head against the wall. Percy pressed his hands flat against the wall and reluctantly submitted to his fate.

     “See? It's not so bad, puppy.” Luke washed Percy's back and then both of his butt cheeks, giving each a squeeze. Then he washed between them, running the washcloth over Percy's sensitive hole and taint before taking Percy’s balls in his hand.

     Goosebumps ran up and down Percy’s arms and he shivered. He looked down to where his cock stood erect between his body and the shower wall and wished Luke would just end this part of the game so they could get to the good part.

     “Almost done,” Luke promised. His promise didn't mean much because the grooming felt like it took forever and ever. “You're being very good.” He fondled Percy’s balls through the washcloth, squeezing and massaging gently.

     The shivering didn't stop even though Percy stayed as still as he could. He whined but it was so soft even he could barely hear it above the water.

     Luke let go of Percy's balls only to squeeze the back of his neck tightly. He said, “Stay.”

     Percy didn't move except to shiver.

     Luke let go of Percy's neck. He crouched down behind him and began washing Percy’s legs.

     Percy stayed. He watched Luke wash his legs and told himself it was almost over. Then Luke prompted Percy to lift his foot and Percy realized that it was not almost over. He was going to be here forever. This was never going to end. His eyes prickled as they filled with tears.

     Luke washed the bottom of Percy's feet one at a time then stood up again. He rinsed out the washcloth and hung it up. Then Luke drew Percy back under the water and ran his hands all over Percy to help rinse the soap off. “Alright. All done.” Luke turned the water off.

     Percy bowed his head so that Luke wouldn't see him about to cry. They were done. It was over.

     Except it still wasn't because Luke picked up a towel and began to towel dry Percy.

     Percy burst into tears.

     Luke started, his eyes going wide with surprise. He shook it off quickly and resumed towel drying Percy. “Do you want to get sick again? Because if I leave you wet, you'll get cold and sick.”

     Percy shook his head and continued to cry.

     In the end, Percy was only half dry when Luke picked him up and tossed him onto the bed. Percy bounced once, then Luke was on him. He straddled Percy. Luke's skin was still wet from the shower. “Alright, alright, alright. You win,” Luke said, running both hands down Percy's chest.

     Percy's heart still raced from being thrown onto the bed. Luke was heavy on top of him, pressing Percy into the bed. He looked up at Luke through his watery eyes and then down the length of their bodies to where Luke's cock stood erect between his legs. Percy’s breath caught and his heart sped up again. Normally…normally Percy didn't get to see it. A wave of heat washed throughout Percy’s whole body from his head to his toes.

     It was different, getting to see Luke's cock hard. Normally Luke took Percy’s eyesight before it got to this point and the few times he didn't it was either too dark to see or Percy had his eyes closed. Percy never looked at Luke's cock and he definitely never touched it, and now, faced with it, Percy’s treacherous mind whispered that they were doing more than playing puppy, they were doing serious things, adult things, and Percy was in so much trouble and he was going to be in so much trouble.

     Luke ran his hands from Percy's collarbones to his hips. He watched Percy watch him, blue eyes focused solely on Percy. As always. “Hey, what's with that face? You wanna be on top?”

     The petting helped relax Percy. It always did. He shook his head and closed his eyes and tried to focus on only puppyish thoughts and the feeling of Luke grounding him.

     Luke pet Percy for a while longer, hands traveling over Percy's skin in a way that was reminiscent of the belly rubs but not quite the same thing. Luke rubbed his butt against Percy's cock and Percy stopped thinking entirely. He humped Percy, skin rubbing against skin, until Percy's cock was fully hard.

     Percy let his eyes slide closed as he got lost in the sensation. He kept his hands tucked up against his chest where Luke could see them.

      Luke leaned over Percy, pressed his lips to Percy's. “Your face is too fucking cute, puppy,” Luke said between kisses.

     Percy licked Luke's lips.

     He was rewarded with Luke opening his mouth and Luke's tongue sliding against Percy's.

     They licked at each other, tongues gliding and lips moving and panting into each other's open mouths.

     Luke reached behind himself to take Percy's cock in hand. He lined himself up, teased his hole with the head of Percy's cock.

     It felt so sexy when Luke rubbed just the tip of Percy's cock. The pleasure was so good and made precum bead at the slit of Percy's cock.

     Luke sank down onto Percy’s cock with an exhale. His body was tight and soft and warm around Percy. He moaned as he lifted back up. Soon Luke fell into a comfortable rhythm bouncing on Percy's cock.

     Percy couldn't watch. Except occasionally when he opened one eye and peeked up at Luke just because he could. He decided he liked it when Luke was on top like this because he didn't have to do anything except lie there and feel good.

     Luke seemed to know exactly what to do at all times, always taking care of everything. All he ever asked was that Percy let Luke take care of everything. Luke placed his palms on the mattress on either side of Percy's head, leaning his weight onto his hands and arching his back as he moved his hips.

     It felt really good. Percy moaned and whined with pleasure. with every bounce, Percy heard the pendant of Luke's necklace thump against his chest.

     Luke took Percy's hands and placed them on his hips. “Now stay,” Luke ordered.

     Percy obeyed. He held onto Luke. He liked this too; enjoyed the feeling of Luke's hips shifting beneath his skin and the way the bones fit like handholds in Percy's grasp. There was something hypnotic about how it felt when Luke moved in that steady rhythm and Percy got lost in the motion itself almost as much as the pleasure.

     “Gods, look at your face. You look so fucked out,” Luke said. His voice was close and clear but his words didn't register to Percy. He wrapped a hand around his cock and stroked it, never once faltering in his rhythm as he humped Percy. “You haven't even cum yet,” Luke said.

     Percy should have minded being held down like this. And a part of him did rebell and scream against it, but that was a very small and quiet part of Percy. Mostly he just liked Luke on top of him, liked how it felt when Luke humped him like this. The bath had been worth it to have Luke play with Percy like this.

     Percy was beginning to learn the signs that indicated Luke was close to an orgasm. He could tell by the way Luke's moans changed, by the way his rhythm shifted, by the sound of Luke's hand on his cock. Percy felt Luke's orgasm. He felt Luke's breath catch and his knees squeeze Percy's ribs. He felt Luke shiver and his body begin to pulse around Percy's cock.

     Luke didn't lift up off Percy’s cock right away. He didn't even stop bouncing on Percy for more than a second. Percy heard the wet sound of a tongue licking something up but he didn't open his eyes to find out what Luke was licking. When Luke ran his hand down Percy's chest, his skin was wet. Luke took one of Percy's nipples between his fingers and pinched it lightly.

     A bolt of pleasure went through Percy when Luke pinched his nipple, settling between Percy's hips and tipping him over the edge. As he came, Percy sank his nails into Luke's skin.

     Now that Percy’s nails were short, Luke didn't seem to notice. He slowed his bouncing until he'd milked Percy of every last drop of pleasure, then lifted himself up and off Percy's cock.

     Percy let out a very long and deep sigh. He felt so much better.

     “You know what, I think I needed that too, actually,” Luke said as he laid down beside Percy. He pulled Percy into a hug, holding him close and tucking Percy’s head beneath his chin.

     Percy hummed agreement. He really felt better, more relaxed. And his lingering cough went away too. Maybe Percy really was getting his powers back. Very slowly.

     Luke seemed content to just lay there relaxing with Percy.

     After all that had gone on, it was hard to remember that they'd only been resting in bed together just this morning.

     Even though Luke didn't notice it this time, Percy made a mental note to limit how much he scratched Luke because he did not want another grooming session every time his nails were sharp. He lay and listened to Luke's heart beating against his ear. Percy counted the beats.

     Now was the time he'd been waiting for. Now, when Percy had been declawed and Luke was relaxed. In his head Percy rehearsed what he was going to say. When he was ready to say it, though, Percy found himself unable to speak as anxiety twisted Percy up into knots. He made himself listen to the steady beat of Luke's heart and when he felt calm again, Percy worked up the nerve to ask, “Hey, Luke, can I see Annabeth sometime?”

     “Wow.” Luke's heart did not skip a beat or speed up, like Percy expected it to. “You held out for a long time. I was expecting you to ask weeks ago.”

Chapter 18: Magicked To Hades And Back

Summary:

Percy and Luke visit Annabeth.

Percy was at a loss for words.

     “No offense, puppy, but you're predictable,” Luke said, wincing. He said it like it was a bad thing, like Percy was so fucking predictable that he should be ashamed of it.

     Percy's face went hot with a blush of pure shame. He was predictable? Him? Everyone already knew his next move, his next words, before Percy himself was even aware of them, huh? If that was the case then how much of this did Luke set up?

     Stress felt like steel wool in Percy's skull. He couldn't think about that. He literally couldn't. Percy couldn't bring himself to open his eyes and subject himself to Luke's devastatingly correct analysis of what Percy was currently thinking. But maybe keeping his eyes closed was too predictable. Maybe he should never open his eyes again.

     “Do you feel up for a walk?” Luke asked.

     Percy nodded only because he was afraid Luke would change his mind if he said no.

     “Alright. We'll get dressed and go visit Annabeth,” Luke said.

     There was no way that it could be that simple. Weeks with only Luke for company, weeks of worrying about Annabeth’s fate, and all Percy had to do was ask to see Annabeth? If only he'd known sooner, if only he'd asked sooner. He felt so stupid it made him angry.

     Luke dressed himself and then he dressed Percy. He put the pup mask on Percy, saying, “I'll take it off before you see her.” And clipped the leash to Percy's collar.

     And then they were off to see Annabeth.

     Luke narrowed Percy's vision to only himself and Percy was lost in the glamour. Luke was so beautiful to look at it made Percy's eyes prickled with tears. He was so lucky that Luke even noticed he was alive, let alone felt the need to bless Percy with the honor of allowing Percy to be his pet. Of course Luke didn't take Percy to see Annabeth when he didn't ask; Luke knew they weren't close friends. He just didn't want to upset Percy more.

     And then Luke was taking the pup mask off. His blue eyes were focused on Percy, looking directly into Percy's eyes, and they were so lovely. No one had eyes as beautiful a blue as Luke's were. And Luke was looking at Percy.

     It hurt to look at Luke, like splinters sliding beneath Percy's skin. His eyes watered and then the tears rolled down his cheeks.

     “Close your eyes,” Luke commanded, his voice gentle and warm and impossible to deny.

     Percy closed his eyes.

     He heard Luke unlock the door and felt Luke's hand on the small of his back. “Alright. Open your eyes,” Luke said under his breath.

     Percy opened his eyes. Percy suspected some kind of trick right up until he saw Annabeth with his own eyes. And finally he realized that he'd expected her to be dead or gone or simply off limits. Instead she was here on the same yacht as Percy…and Percy's heart sank despite her presence.

     Because it was immediately and glaringly obvious that Annabeth's room was better than Percy's.Like Percy's room, there was a main room with a bed and sitting area, as well as a door leading into a bathroom. Annabeth had a four-poster canopy bed with carved wooden posts. The walls were lined with bookshelves, which mostly held books but also held an assortment of office supplies and puzzles. What little bit of wall that peeked through was wallpapered and the floor was soft, plush carpet. There was a writing desk and another drawing desk next to it, which could be adjusted. There were plush pillows and soft blankets and fluffy stuffed animals on just about every available surface. It was all done up in pink and silver.

     By comparison, Percy’s bedroom was dull and bland and empty. The only thing to do in Percy's room was the TV and Percy hadn't even used it yet. He didn't even know where the remote was. Something twisted in Percy's gut. This wasn't anything like what Percy was picturing…and he was jealous. So jealous it threatened to choke him. Why did Annabeth get all of this and Percy got almost nothing?

     Luke ushered him deeper into the room, palm against the small of Percy's back as he nudged Percy toward Annabeth. “Good afternoon, Annabeth. I brought Percy to see you if you can behave yourself,” Luke said.

     Annabeth's long blonde hair had been cut. It now hung down to her jawline. Her curls were still there, looking even cuter when they were short. Other than her hair and the outfit she wore - a soft silver sweater and baby pink joggers - Annabeth looked completely normal.

     Percy crossed the room and hugged Annabeth.

     Annabeth stiffened. “Don't sneak up on me, Seaweed Brain,” she hissed. Then she relented and hugged Percy back. Almost immediately she pulled back with a frown. “What's around your neck?” Annabeth asked. Even though she was facing it, her eyes weren't focusing on it. She felt along the leather collar with her fingers. “Is this a dog collar?”

     Panic skittered through Percy's veins. He scrambled for an excuse that wouldn't give away the nature of his relationship with Luke. “Luke wouldn't let me see you unless I wore it,” Percy said, not entirely lying. He cast a look at Luke.

     Luke had made himself comfortable on the loveseat in the sitting area. He lounged, looking utterly relaxed. Luke flashed Percy a toothy grin and Percy abruptly realized that Luke didn't care about keeping their relationship a secret anymore. At least not from Annabeth.

     Annabeth made a noise of distaste in the back of her throat. “Let me guess, it's magicked to Hades and back to prevent you from escaping. He did the same thing to the room.” She gestured to the bedroom.

     Was Annabeth blind? Nothing looked the matter with her eyes but she wasn't looking at Percy like she should have been. She didn't react to his confused look. Luke must have taken her sight. But why Annabeth and not Percy?

     Percy didn't think the collar was magic at all but he wasn't about to argue when Annabeth provided her own excuses for them. “What do you mean he did the same thing to your room?”

     “The wards in Annabeth's suite don't let any demigods get hurt,” Luke chimed in from the loveseat. If he could do that, why didn't he put those wards up in Percy's room? Maybe if he had, Luke wouldn't be missing part of his ear…and Percy wouldn't be covered in bruises.

     “Look,” Annabeth said. She walked to the nearest bookshelf, her hand out, and plucked a book off at random. Then she threw it as hard as she could in Luke's direction.

     Annabeth's aim was so off the book wouldn't have hit Luke anyway, but it didn't even get halfway to Luke before it turned in midair and flew back onto the shelf.

     Luke didn't flinch. He did look very tired though, as though he were a parent dealing with a fussy child. “And why do you have wards on your room?” he said, his tone matching his expression.

     Annabeth's grin was full of small, sharp teeth. Her mercury eyes gleamed with a madness Percy typically tried to ignore. It was impossible to ignore that now as Annabeth boasted that, “I tried to slit my throat with a sharpened pencil.”

     “Why?!” Percy asked, shocked that Annabeth would try something like that.

     “Better to die than be a prisoner to a traitor,” Annabeth said, sneering in Luke's direction.

     Apparently Annabeth was serious about dying for their parents.

     Percy went tense as stress crept up his spine like a caterpillar made of steel wool. She'd said that before, the day they came aboard the Princess Andromeda. As far as Percy could tell, Annabeth sincerely meant it. Despite everything he gave her, Annabeth still hated Luke for going against their parents. Percy knew Annabeth would hate him too if she found out Percy played puppy with Luke and that was without mentioning the deal Percy made with Luke and Kronos to stay out of the war. “Right,” Percy said and didn't sound convincing to his own ears.

     Annabeth didn't seem to notice…or she was just happy to have Percy agree with her. Annabeth moved closer to Percy again, hand out, searching for him.

     Percy reached out, took her hand in his so she knew where he was. He understood all too well how awful it was to be unsure of where someone was in relation to yourself.

     Annabeth's hand was soft in Percy's. She didn't have calluses like Luke did. She did squeeze Percy's hand in hers tightly.

     They sat on the floor together, Annabeth's back against the bookshelf and Percy positioning himself so that he could see her, Luke, and the door. Just in case.

     “Luke's been cagey about you, you know?” Annabeth said in a leading sort of tone that indicated she wanted answers.

     Percy nodded, remembered she couldn't see him, and said, “He's been cagey about you too.” He glanced at Luke. There were obviously things Percy wasn't willing to talk about with Annabeth, but he was more worried about things Luke wasn't willing to let Percy talk about. There was a line, somewhere, and Percy wouldn't know where exactly that line was until he crossed it. That made him nervous. “Have you…have you been doing alright?”

     Annabeth scoffed. “Have I been doing alright? Are you insane? Percy, I've been locked in a room for ages and I can't see anything.” Her scowl wavered for a moment, and Percy saw that Annabeth was scared. Then her mask hardened again. Annabeth added, bitterly, “Luke and Ethan have been my only company.”

     Percy blinked. “Who's Ethan?”

     “Ethan Nakamura, son of Nemesis? He was in the Hermes cabin with you,” Annabeth said, like Percy was stupid for not keeping track of every single person who went to Camp Half-Blood.

     Maybe he was. Maybe this Ethan could help Annabeth escape. It was hard to think of that, though, because Percy was too focused on how Annabeth not only got the better room, she also got to have guests. A guest, but it was still more than Percy got.

     “What does Ethan do?” Percy asked.

     Annabeth's face turned bright red. Despite this, she lifted her chin and said, defensively, “He reads to me.”

     “Oh,” Percy said quietly, his heart breaking because no one read to him and when Luke wasn't there, Percy was alone. “Cool.”

     Annabeth narrowed her eyes. “You haven't seen him.” It was not a question.

     “Nope,” Percy confirmed.

     A moment passed as Annabeth digested this information.

     Percy drank in the sight of her. He hasn't seen anyone other than Luke in so long; and Luke was mostly great to look at but it was so nice seeing another person. Even looking at this room was a nice change of pace. But right now, Percy wanted to study Annabeth, to search for any signs that she was being mistreated or that she was…

     Or that…

     That Luke…

     It surprised Percy that in among his worries over Annabeth's well-being, he was also jealous by the very thought that Luke might be playing with Annabeth the same way he did with Percy.

     But looking at her and looking at the room, Percy didn't think so. Annabeth wasn't hurt anywhere that Percy could see. She looked like she was getting enough to eat and like whatever curse was on Percy, didn't extend to her. And she wasn't wearing a collar.

     “So where has Luke been keeping you?” Annabeth asked very directly.

     Percy jumped, startled from his thoughts, and automatically glanced at Luke to gauge his reaction to the question.

     Luke didn't seem to care. He wasn't even looking at them. But that didn't mean he wasn't listening.

     “Um, I don't know,” Percy admitted. “I think my room has the same layout as yours but I don't know where it is.” As far as he knew, they were neighbors and Luke just walked Percy around in a big circle to confuse him or something.

     Annabeth sighed. “Let me guess, he takes your eyesight too.”

     “Yeah,” Percy admitted. Though at least Luke gave his sight back sometimes. When was the last time Annabeth saw anything? Looking around her bedroom again, Percy thought that Luke didn't intend to take Annabeth's sight permanently, if at all. “I guess it's a good thing I'm not a book person,” Percy joked, trying to lighten the mood.

     Annabeth, who was a book person, scowled. She squeezed Percy's hand so hard that something snapped in his finger.

     Percy yelped, yanking his hand back. “Hey!” He regretted it immediately even though the pain in his hand felt like fire licking up his arm. What did she do to him? Was there gym equipment hidden under the bed or something?

     To his surprise, Annabeth just looked confused. “What?” she asked.

     Percy stared blankly at her, trying not to cry as he cradled his injured hand in his lap. His heart galloped in his chest and Percy felt an echo of it throb in his wounded finger. If he made a big deal out of it then Luke might make him leave and might not let him come back. So Percy smiled - for Luke, not for Annabeth - and said, “Nothing. Anyway, how are you doing? Other than being imprisoned.”

     Annabeth told Percy her every grievance since boarding the Princess Andromeda. She liked the food and seemed to like Ethan, but Luke really pissed her off because he was the one calling the shots and keeping her here.

     “You're my family, Annabeth, I'm not going to let the Olympians slaughter you,” Luke said mildly.

     “They wouldn't slaughter me,” Annabeth shot back. “They only do that to the bad and the weak demigods.”

     Percy listened to them argue back and forth in what was clearly an often-had conversation. He found himself agreeing with Luke, because he's never wanted to die for Poseidon and he'd definitely never try to commit suicide for him.

     Luke finally said, “Fine. Whatever. You know you're supposed to be talking to Percy. Unless you're done with him.”

     The threat of removing Percy was enough to make Annabeth drop her argument with Luke. She turned her head in Percy's direction, focusing on him again. “Luke doesn't visit often but he's so annoying when he does, isn't he?”

     Percy gave a neutral hum, trying not to pick sides between them. Because at the end of the day, he was going back to his room with Luke. And Percy could be hurt in his room.

     From there Annabeth kept up the conversation with very little input from Percy.

     Percy volunteered absolutely nothing, at all, about his own experiences aboard the Princess Andromeda. There was so much he couldn't tell her, and he didn't want to tell her about being cursed because Percy didn't want Annabeth to worry about him. And it was too soon to talk about her escape.

     What else was there for Percy to tell her?

     The more Annabeth spoke, the more it was like she was scooping out pieces of Percy until he was a hollow shell. Everything she said, everything about this room, made Percy feel small and unimportant.

     Despite all of this, Percy was glad to see Annabeth. At least one of them was doing alright, even if she thought she wasn't. And he didn't mind letting Annabeth talk his ear off. In fact he was hoping maybe she had a plan for escape and was trying to give him a secret message. She had more contact with more people and had more stuff in her room - even if she couldn't hurt anybody with it - and she was a daughter of Athena, so with all those resources and that brain of hers, it was likely Annabeth had a plan.

     If she did, Percy didn't hear or understand it.

     When Luke told him it was time to go, Percy hugged Annabeth goodbye. His hand was really hurting - so was his heart - and Percy wanted to go back to bed.

     Luke took Percy’s vision before leading him out into the hallway. Once Annabeth's door was closed, he clipped on the leash and fitted the pup mask over Percy's head. For the first time on a walk, Luke didn't narrow Percy's vision to only himself.

     Percy focused as hard as he could on the route back to his room. It felt long and his finger hurt so bad that Percy really wasn't able to make a mental map. He promised himself he'd do better next time.

     Luke pulled off the pup mask but left the leash on Percy and didn't give Percy his eyesight back. Luke pulled on the leash, tugging Percy to him. When Percy was closer, he took Percy by the hips and held Percy flush against his body. Luke kissed him. After a few moments of this, Luke unclipped the leash.

     Percy waited for a heartbeat, and when Luke didn't kiss him again, he went to the bed. Percy climbed into it and pulled the covers up over his head. Laying down was a relief beyond all words (and maybe that would have worried Percy if he didn't have a billion other things to think about).

     “I'm going to get dinner,” Luke said. “I'll be back soon.”

     Percy didn't answer.

     Luke left with the soft click of the door.

     In his mind's eye, Percy pictured the doors in Annabeth's bedroom, right next to each other. One leading to the hallway, the other to a bathroom. The one on the right led to freedom.

Chapter 19: Luke Intermission pt 2: Just One Day

Summary:

The beach episode.

After a week or so of finding Percy on the steps of cabin eleven first thing in the morning, the kids stopped being surprised about it. This didn't mean that they stopped talking about Percy’s presence, only that they stopped talking to him about it.

     “Luke,” Travis whispered. “Percy is on the porch again.”

     Luke was still sleeping, even though he needed to get up to herd his cabin to breakfast, because last night he snuck out in the middle of the night to chain smoke. Well, he'd only been planning to have one cigarette, but Luke hadn't been able to stop. He went way too long without smoking. Now his mouth tasted like an ashtray and his throat was raw and his lungs hurt. “M'kay,” Luke said without opening his eyes.

     “Why do you smell like cigarettes?” Travis asked.

     That woke Luke up. He cracked open his eyes and glared at Chris, who watched this exchange with a small smirk. “Take the others to breakfast while I take a shower,” he ordered. “And take Percy with you. Tell him I'll find him after I shower.”

     “Got it.” Chris hurried to do what he was told.

     As the others filed out, Luke sat up and rubbed his eyes. His fingers smelled especially strongly of tobacco. It was fucking gross. He got up, stretched, and gathered his stuff to take a shower.

     Percy wasn’t outside the cabin anymore.

     Luke was both grateful and disappointed.

     The bathrooms at Camp Half-Blood were a depressing cinder block building that was divided in two by purpose rather than sex. One door led to toilet stalls and sinks. The other door led to open showers and counters for your belongings. Luke's been in many a public bathroom - including ones with showers - and he's seen much better setups. They didn't have to have open showers, it was a choice.

     Luke set his clean clothes and toiletries down. He stripped naked and chose a shower head to stand beneath. Some places in the bathroom were draftier than others because there were ventilation windows near the ceiling and sometimes the wind blew in. Luke chose the least draftiest spot.

     Despite having access to literal lava for dishes and the rock climbing obstacle course, the water for the showers was cold. Another choice. Luke stood under the cold spray unmoving, goosebumps raising on his skin.

     Eventually the water warmed and the goosebumps faded.

     Luke still didn't move. He couldn't make himself move. It felt like his bones were full of lead instead of marrow. This happened sometimes - usually in the shower or when Luke was laying in bed - where it was like he just got stuck. Move , he told himself, lift your hands and wash your hair.

     After another few minutes of stillness, Luke raised his arms. It always surprises him that despite the feeling of heaviness weighing him down, he could move like normal. There was probably something wrong with him mentally but Luke didn't know what, or how to fix it. He washed his hair and then his body. Luke spent extra time on his fingers, scrubbing the scent of tobacco from them. When he was done, Luke felt the temptation of stillness again, and turned the water off before he got stuck here for another ten minutes.

     The chill prompted Luke to hurry to dry off. He wasted no time getting dressed, running a brush through his hair, applying deodorant, and brushing his teeth.

     Luke had a laundry list of things to do around Camp today. He was in charge of all twenty-two kids in the Hermes Cabin - and needed to make sure they were where they belonged and not getting into trouble - as well as administrative duties for the Camp itself since Chiron and Dionysus did virtually nothing. Luke honestly didn't know how the Camp managed before he arrived here five years ago.

     But all Luke wanted to do was play this new game with Percy. It was relaxing and fun and the rest could be pushed off till later, right? Luke deserved a break and a treat, didn't he? Just one day. For morale.

     Luke put his dirty clothes in the Cabin Eleven hamper and dropped off his toiletries, then hiked up to the dining pavilion on the hill. The single digit cabins were already done eating and off to morning activities; only the double digit cabins were still eating...and Percy. Being this late to breakfast, there were only the worst scraps left. Luke sighed and fixed a plate. He's eaten worse.

     Luke scraped half of it into the fire as a sacrifice to Hermes. Not because he was feeling particularly fond of his father but because they'd really left him with the worst of the food and Luke didn't enjoy eating mushy strawberries or stale bread.

     “Luke!” Percy barked before Luke could sit down at the Hermes table.

     Luke went to the Poseidon table instead but didn't sit down. “Good morning, Percy.”

     “Morning, Luke,” Percy said, blushing. He looked at Luke with stars in his eyes. “I saved you some breakfast.” Sure enough, Percy's plate was still mostly full. He'd even managed to get some of the ham. It looked better than what was on Luke's plate.

     Luke's stomach growled. “Did you eat?” he asked.

     Percy nodded.

     “Did you sacrifice some food to your father?” Luke asked. Not that he approved of this tradition - it was a major waste of food just so their asshole parents could smell it - but Poseidon being angry with Percy would be devastating to all of them.

     Percy nodded again. He pushed his plate towards Luke.

     Luke picked up Percy's plate, balanced it on his arm, and then ruffled Percy's hair. He wasn't allowed to eat - or even sit - at Poseidon's table and Percy wasn't allowed to follow Luke back to the Hermes table now that he'd been claimed either. “Let's go down to the beach after breakfast.”

     “Alright,” Percy said. He practically vibrated with excitement even though it was obvious he was trying to be cool.

     “Brush your teeth and hair while I eat, and I'll meet you at the trail,” Luke said with a smile.

     Percy nodded and went to do as he was told.

     Luke ate his breakfast, daydreaming about the upcoming day with Percy. When he was done, he went back down to the bathrooms to brush his teeth for the second time that day.

     Thankfully Percy was not still in the bathroom.

     Luke did one last check to make sure that he couldn't smell the midnight cigarettes anywhere on himself, then went to meet Percy.

     Percy stood at the trailhead, watching the orange Aphrodite butterflies flutter and dance around him. When he caught sight of Luke he broke into a big smile, his eyes lighting up.

     “Ready?” Luke asked, smiling back. He couldn't help himself; Percy’s smile was contagious.

     Percy nodded.

     They went into the forest. The path to the beach was well-worn and fairly straightforward. There were no splits in the path and it didn't meander. There were monsters in among the trees but they didn't bother Luke and Percy.

     “Why don't they attack?” Percy whispered, sticking close enough to Luke that he was almost stepping on Luke's toes.

     “They know better,” Luke replied. He put an arm around Percy's shoulders and squeezed reassuringly.

     The truth was that the monsters almost never attacked Luke. He knew that to the monsters he smelled just as delicious as the next demigod, but there were two factors working in Luke's favor that put most monsters off from attacking him. The first was Luke's mother, May, who publicly loved monsters…in more ways than one. They knew that Luke was May’s son and their love for May extended to not trying to eat Luke. The second factor was that Luke didn't attack monsters and preferred to talk to them before it came to bloodshed. He didn't have the mysterious and powerful charmspeak that some children of Aphrodite inherited from their mother, but Luke was good at talking his way out of things. Charming was the word that most people used, though Luke was just being himself.

     Percy's eyes widened with surprise. Jealousy flitted across his face before he masked it. “I wish they knew better with me too,” he said bitterly.

     Luke clucked his tongue sympathetically. He reached up and ruffled Percy's hair. “Stick with me and they'll probably leave you alone.”

     “Probably?”

     Luke shrugged. “They never left Thalia alone when we were on the run. And when we picked up Annabeth, things got even worse.”

     Percy looked confused. “But Annabeth isn't a powerful demigod.”

     “No, she isn't,” Luke agreed, something he'd never said aloud before. “But Athena has a lot of enemies and a lot of those enemies are monsters or control monsters.”

     Percy frowned as he digested this new information. “Medusa didn't like Annabeth because of her mom.”

     Luke inhaled through his teeth. “Yeah, she wouldn't hold any love for her former mistress. Much like Artemis, Athena isn't what you'd call a girl's girl.”

     The look on Percy's face said he didn't understand but he didn't ask any more questions about it and Luke didn't volunteer any additional information. This was a bummer conversation topic and Luke didn't want to think about it because the anger he kept buried in his chest would burn dangerous as a wildfire if he let himself dwell.

     Thankfully Luke was able to distract himself by focusing on the physical. The tall trees with wide canopies that dappled the sunlight on the path. The candy sweet and ocean salt demigod scent wafting off of Percy’s skin. Something about how good it smelled, how good Percy smelled, made Luke's mouth water. If he smelled this appetizing to Luke, Luke could only imagine how Percy’s scent must drive the monsters insane with desire. It’s all Luke can do not to bury his nose in Percy's hair and scent him like a dog.

     Luke's days of being a dog were over. Gone now that his mistress was dead. Now Luke had his very own puppy. A boy so loyal to Luke it bordered on obsession. A boy who only stopped sulking when he got to be Luke's puppy.

     It drove Luke insane in the best way. He loved it so much it made him do stupid things like neglect his camp duties and the other campers. His thoughts narrowed and tunneled to Percy: to how they could spend more time together, to what they'd do when they were together, to what next time was going to be like. Luke went to bed thinking of Percy and woke up thinking of Percy and spent his days thinking of Percy and if Kronos wasn't in control of Luke's dreams, he probably would have dreamed about Percy too.

     They left the shaded forest and came out onto a sandy beach.

     This part of the beach was part of Camp Half-Blood’s territory and no mortals could wander here. The only time it ever happened was when a thin-blooded legacy of Hermes delivering pizza wandered over the border, and he was swiftly given a lotus petal tea, then sent back to the mortals with no explanation of where he'd been for several hours. Luke checked in on the distant cousin once while delivering strawberries. He'd managed to sweet talk the girl behind the counter into giving Luke the story and it was depressing: the legacy of Hermes checked himself into a mental hospital because of rapidly deteriorating mental health due to continually losing track of time and self and finding himself in strange places. Luke wanted to go get him, bring him into the fold and show him that he wasn't crazy, but it was useless. Chiron wouldn't allow it because once the ichor got so diluted, the divine world couldn't be clearly viewed and seeing the world through a veil only caused pain. That one still didn't sit right with Luke, but he didn't know what to do but to leave his cousin in the hands of mortals.

     “Luke, are you alright?” Percy asked, pressing his shoulder against Luke's bicep.

     Perceptive kid , Luke thought not for the first time. He smiled down at Percy. “I'm great,” he said. “Ready to swim?”

     At the mention of swimming, Percy lit up again. Luke could just imagine his ears perking up and his tail wagging…so cute.

     “Race you to the water,” Luke said, grinning.

     Percy grinned back. He'd been granted sharp, tearing canines by Poseidon. If he wanted to, Percy could do some real damage with those teeth.

     Luke found the idea strangely sexy and a wave of heat washed through him. “Go!” he said and took off running for the water. Not at full speed, but fast.

     Percy was on his heels for a second before the distance between them grew and stretched.

     Luke hit the water first, running into the surf and not stopping until the water was to his knees. He turned to watch Percy run to him.

     Percy's speed didn't slow when he hit the water. He moved like the water wasn't even there. And crashed into Luke at full speed.

     They fell into the water in a tangle of limbs.

     Luke barely had time to take a breath before his head was beneath the water. He opened his eyes, was met with a flash of sunlight and Percy’s shadow above him and cloudy water. He closed his eyes again and sat up. Luke shook the water off, hair whipping around his face as he shook like a dog. His hands found Percy's waist, grabbing him; and Luke realized his hands touched when he wrapped both hands around Percy’s waist. Little puppy. “Hey, I'm not a stop sign.”

     “You sure stopped me, though,” Percy said and laughed at his own joke.

     Luke laughed too.

     Percy tackled him again.

     Luke's head went under the water again, still laughing. And Luke could still laugh and breathe beneath the waves. He opened his eyes and there was an air bubble around their heads.

     Well, sort of. It was less a bubble of air and more that the ocean simply didn't touch them. It curled back against some invisible barrier that Luke had no choice but to assume was Percy’s own strength of will. Percy’s will against the ocean itself.

     “This is really cool,” Luke said, smiling up at Percy.

     Percy smiled back, looking pleased and a little smug.

     No one knew what Percy could do. Thanks to Clarisse hazing Percy on his first day of Camp, everyone knew that Percy could make the toilets explode. Now that Percy was claimed, everyone assumed that he was actually pressurizing the water in the plumbing to make it explode. So the Camp knew that Percy could, to some degree, manipulate water. Forcing the ocean out of a space to make an air bubble so that Luke could breathe - and maybe Percy himself, although Luke wasn't so sure Percy needed to breathe air like a mammal - was nothing short of amazing.

     “Thanks, Luke,” Percy said. “I've actually never done this before.”

     And because Luke was only mortal, was only a mammal (and not one made to be submerged), he felt a flicker of fear. Luke didn't want to drown because he knew it would hurt terribly and he didn't want his death to be painful. But it was only a flicker of fear because Luke trusted Percy. “You’re amazing, Percy.”

     Percy's face turned red with a blush and he ducked his head. But he didn't lose his concentration on the air bubble.

     Luke was struck by sudden inspiration. “Hey.”

     Percy lifted his gaze from Luke's chest, meeting his eyes. The look on his face was one that said he was suddenly realizing that he was laying on top of Luke.

     “You're a good boy, you know that?” Luke said. His fondness for Percy melted into his voice, making his words come out sweet and sticky as honey.

     Percy opened his mouth, a protest in the set of his features.

     Luke lifted both hands, threaded his fingers through the curls on either side of Percy's head. And gave him scritches like Percy was a real puppy. “None of that now,” Luke said. “You're a good puppy and you aren't allowed to disagree with me.”

     Percy's eyes went half-lidded as Luke scritched him. “Alright,” he mumbled.

     Luke realized abruptly that he needed to put a stop to this right now or he'd get hard. Getting hard wasn't really the bad part, the part Luke wanted to avoid was Percy noticing that Luke was hard. Luke's love for Percy was one-sided. Percy just had a little crush on Luke and he'd get over it like all the other kids (although none of them had actually gotten over it, they did start dating other people eventually). The idea of Percy dating someone made Luke so mad he couldn't see straight. Which was ridiculous.

     Anyway, Luke didn't want to turn the puppy game into something it wasn't and ruin everything for Percy.

     So Luke bunched his muscles and flipped them over. His head breached the surface and Luke sucked in a breath even though Percy’s bubble lasted. Cold water washed over his hands and Luke looked down to see that Percy’s hair floated in the water. And he was breathing underwater, a look of utter calm on his face. He could breathe water too, had a set of amphibious lungs. Luke was fascinated.

     He threw back his head and laughed with delight.

     Percy sat up then stood up. “What?”

     “You breathe underwater!” Luke exclaimed. “That's amazing!” He laughed again, still so awestruck in the face of a miracle. Luke abruptly stood. He pulled off his sleeveless Camp Half-Blood shirt, tossed the sopping wet fabric onto the sand out of reach of the tide.

     Luke almost never took off his shirt in front of other people. He rarely even showered with the Hermes Cabin, preferring to do it while everyone else was asleep or busy. The reason was immediately obvious upon looking at him: five white scars that stretched from Luke's shoulder to his hip and cut rivers into his skin. They weren't pretty to look at, or to touch, and were a constant reminder to everyone of Luke's failure on his quest. His failure to be the hero, the son, his father wanted him to be.

     Percy stared.

     Luke knew he would. He tried to be patient about it but unfortunately the scars wept insecurity into Luke.

     Percy lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it next to Luke's. There were shiny round scars on Percy's chest and abdomen, each about the size of a quarter. The texture of them, the shape of them, was familiar to Luke, although these were much bigger than the burns his cigarettes left when he put them out on his thigh instead of a rock.

     Grover had told Luke that Percy had a stepdad, but that didn't mean the man was responsible for the cigar burns on Percy's body. Maybe it was his mother, trying to punish Poseidon through his son. Percy never spoke of either of his mortal parents, except when he told Chiron and Dionysus about what happened to his mom at the hands of Asterion. He didn't even speak of them with Luke.

     Luke assumed the worst and every time he discovered something new about Percy, it seemed like he was right.

     “Oh! Look!” Percy said, eyes falling to the water at their feet. He bent down, hand shooting out to grab something. From the water, Percy lifted a tiny crab. It sat in his palm, not trying to escape or pinch him. That must have been another perk to being Poseidon's son. “I found a crab,” Percy said excitedly. He held out his hands to show Luke.

     Luke went to look and just like that the tension was diffused. It was a relief to change the subject. “Nice catch. I wonder if there are more.”

     This comment spawned a crab hunting contest. Percy was the obvious champion because not only did he find and catch more crabs than Luke, none of the crabs pinched Percy's fingers like they did Luke's.

     To reward Percy for his win, Luke pet Percy's head. Luke stroked Percy's hair back, slicking his curls flat against his skull. He liked the cool feeling of Percy’s wet hair sliding through his fingers.

     Percy opened his hands to let his many crabs fall back into the water. They dispersed almost before Percy had his eyes closed. Percy stood almost perfectly still, except that he was very slowly leaning toward Luke.

     It would have been so easy to just let Percy lean on Luke and keep petting him…but Luke had to be responsible. Especially since he was currently in Poseidon's ocean with Poseidon's son and Poseidon was the last person Luke wanted to find out about Luke's feelings for Percy. He was known to be a possessive god and Percy was currently his only demigod child.

     “How far out do you think you can swim?” Luke asked, pulling away from Percy to look out at the ocean.

     A look of confusion crossed Percy’s face before he turned his gaze to the horizon. “I don't know if I have a limit,” he admitted. “Mom's rule was to always stay in her sight.” Percy made a face. “I guess I know why now.”

     Luke offered Percy a small smile. “Guess so,” he agreed. “Want to test it?”

     Percy nodded.

     Luke unbuttoned his cutoff shorts and pushed them down his thighs. They fell to his ankles in the water and Luke stepped out of them. He tossed them to shore with his shirt.

     Percy was staring again, his face red as a cherry and his eyes wide.

     “Easier to swim without clothes on,” Luke explained. Shrugging, he added, “And the nymphs like to steal my clothes when I go in the water.”

     Percy’s eyes dropped down to Luke’s black underwear and even without speaking, Luke heard his question.

     Luke took off the underwear too. Nymphs didn't like littering - even if they were the ones who insisted on stripping Luke down to his bare skin every time he got wet - so Luke didn't normally swim with any clothing on. Although sometimes Luke did, just to give the nymphs some enrichment so they didn't come creeping in through the shower pipes.

     Percy was doing his best to pretend like he wasn't looking at Luke naked, but his eyes kept sliding back to sneak glances at Luke. “Nymphs stealing your clothes feels…inconvenient,” Percy said. Then he took off his jeans and his underwear, tossing them up to shore. “Those are the only clothes I have,” he explained unnecessarily.

     “Better to be safe than sorry,” Luke said with a smile. He's seen Percy naked before - when Percy came to Camp Half-Blood and needed new clothes, Luke was the one who put him in said clothes, and the week before Poseidon claimed Percy, Luke saw Percy naked in the shower - and Luke's biggest impression of Percy was that Percy was too small and too underweight. At twelve years old, Percy should have been close to eighty pounds and a size ten. Instead, Percy barely tipped the scale at fifty pounds and wore a size five.

     At least there was a little more meat on Percy's ribs now that he'd been getting three meals a day.

     “Ready?” Luke asked.

     Percy nodded.

     It wasn't a race, and Luke at least was keenly aware that he'd have to swim the entire distance he went back to shore. So Luke took it easy, letting Percy pull ahead of him.

     Percy swam out a hundred yards ahead of Luke and then doubled back halfway, then turned around and swam away from the shore. As far as Luke could tell, Percy was only doggie paddling but he was virtually swimming in circles around Luke. Water healed Percy and invigorated him…did that mean Percy was virtually unstoppable in the water? Could he swim forever?

     Luke got far enough that the shore was a thin - sometimes vanishingly thin - line in the distance.

     Percy was somewhere ahead of him, much farther out in the open water. Until he wasn't; appearing beside Luke without warning. “Are you tired?”

     “Getting there,” Luke admitted.

     “We should go back,” Percy said. He didn't start swimming toward shore until Luke did. This time he noticeably kept pace with Luke.

     It wasn't often that Luke was made to feel as though he couldn't do something on his own, but right now that's exactly how he felt. He had the feeling that if he suddenly got too tired to carry on, or if something unexpected happened, Percy would get Luke to shore.

     When they got to shore, Luke hauled himself out of the water, snagged his shirt, and walked across the burning sand until he was beneath the shade of a tree. Luke spread out his shirt and sat on it. Sand in your junk sucked but Luke wasn't quite ready to be done swimming for the day so there was no point in getting dressed.

     Percy didn't join him right away, combing the shore for shells. He picked up several and then brought them back to Luke. All of the shells Percy chose were perfect; intact and beautiful and unbroken. His sea glass green eyes pleaded for approval.

     Luke examined each shell, turning it over his hands, and exclaiming over the details. “I really like the spots on this one,” Luke said. “This one is a strange shape.”

     Percy told Luke the names of the animals who lived in the shells, and why they looked how they did, and what their natures were. It seemed almost like an impulse, the blurting out of these facts. Luke got the feeling that it was information that Percy just knew rather than something he'd picked up somewhere else, and he filed that information away too.

     When Luke was done admiring Percy's sea shells, Luke put his hands in Percy's hair and pet him in a way that was becoming familiar.

     Though it was warm out, Percy's wet hair was still cool to the touch. He tensed and relaxed and tensed and so on until Luke said, “If you don't want petting, what do you want?”

     “I…I like petting,” Percy said, ducking his head. He visibly swallowed.

     “But?” Luke prompted.

     “But, maybe you could rub my belly instead?” Percy asked, voice small and shoulders hunched like he was expecting a blow.

     Luke blinked and then Percy's request caught up to him, making Luke's whole body hot. “Oh! Yeah. I can do that. Roll over.” Then Luke remembered they were naked and he was fairly certain Percy's powers didn't involve repelling unwanted sand from his body. “Wait. Fetch your shirt and bring it here first.”

     Percy went and fetched his shirt. Sand clung to his shins and knees where he'd been kneeling in it while showing Luke the shells. He spread his shirt out beside Luke. Then Percy laid on his back in the sand, feet pointed to the trees and his head near Luke's thigh. His cheek wasn't quite touching Luke's skin, but he was close enough that Luke was hyper aware of the miniscule distance between them.

     Percy’s belly was well within Luke's reach. And it's not like Luke forgot that they were both naked, but Luke's hand was now significantly closer to Percy's cock than it was while Luke was petting him. Luke reached out, placed his palm on Percy's abdomen.

     Percy’s abdomen fluttered beneath Luke's touch but he didn't move away. He tucked his hands up by his chest, like he really was a puppy rolled onto his back for a belly rub.

     “Good boy,” Luke murmured. Luke brushed his fingers counterclockwise over Percy’s skin.

     Percy squirmed and gave a very faint, almost inaudible whine.

     Too ticklish, Luke thought and pressed more firmly.

     Percy stopped squirming. After a few passes, Percy's eyes slid closed and his lips parted. Another few passes and Percy pressed his cheek to Luke's thigh. His every breath ghosted across Luke’s skin.

     This was way better than cigarettes or even plotting the downfall of the gods. Luke didn't think except about Percy and how Percy was reacting to Luke's touch. And how Percy was reacting was subtle but sexy.

     Percy wore a blissed out expression that Luke's never seen on him before. He looked more than content, more than happy, an emotion on his face Luke couldn't quite name but desperately wanted to see again. Percy had to be feeling it too, right? That was why his thighs were pressed together so tightly, right? Or maybe that's just how Percy was comfortable; cock between his thighs so that Luke couldn't even tell if he was hard or not. And the sounds he made, the occasional soft sighs and moans, could have been because Percy just felt good, not good like…that .

     It drove Luke up the wall, fully occupied Luke's thoughts, whether or not Percy shared Luke's feelings. Sometimes Luke was sure and other times he was positive he was wrong. Either way, Luke was glad Percy had his eyes closed for this because if he'd been looking…well, Luke wasn't hiding his cock between his thighs. He had no idea what he'd say if Percy did notice that Luke was hard as a rock. Want to hump in the sand?

     That didn't even sound fun to Luke, although his arousal insisted that sand wasn't really that big of an issue.

     Luke chased his thoughts around and around, and rubbed circles on Percy’s belly until his arm got tired.

     When Luke stopped rubbing Percy’s belly, Percy gave a petulant whine.

     “It…it's getting hot,” Luke said, not entirely lying because it was getting hot. “Let's go swim again.”

     Percy looked at Luke like he thought this was a tremendously stupid idea but was too polite to say it. He stretched, back arching and arms going above his head. His thighs were still pressed tightly, carefully together. Percy yawned and said, “You first. Your face is red.”

     Luke got to his feet and brushed the sand off his legs. He took a few steps away from Percy. Over his shoulder he said, “So’s yours. Come on, Percy.”

     Percy grumbled but he got up and followed Luke.

     The ocean was cold even in the summer and that pretty much took care of Luke's boner. So long as Percy didn't come rubbing up against him.

     They swam in the shallows, they splashed each other, they swam some more. Percy stayed close to Luke but not too close; not as close as Luke wanted him. That was alright, though, because Luke was just happy to be around Percy.

     As the sun began to dip towards the horizon they walked along the beach, the tide lapping at their ankles.

     “Today was fun. Can we do this tomorrow?” Percy asked.

     No, they really couldn't. Luke's work was piling up. The other Campers wouldn't leave them alone for long, even under threat of punishment from Luke. He's never taken so much time off his duties and the whole Camp was going to suffer for it. Luke opened his mouth to say so, but he caught Percy’s eyes and what he said instead was, “Of course we can.”

     Percy’s smile was radiant and contagious.

     Luke couldn't help but smile back.

     “Maybe we could pack a lunch?” Percy asked hopefully.

     Luke laughed. He pulled Percy close and ruffled Percy’s hair. “Whatever you want.”

     Percy's laugh almost sounded like a puppy barking excitedly. He wiggled out of Luke's grasp and danced deeper into the water only to come right back, pressing up against Luke's other side.

     In the distance, the conch shell that announced dinnertime blew.

     They walked back along the beach and gathered their clothes. Their clothes were stiff with salt and caked with sand and needed to be washed in the ocean before they could be worn again. They were going to be late to dinner, but no one would eat without Percy first taking what he was due so Luke wasn't worried about it.

     “I want summer to last forever,” Percy said wistfully.

     “Me too, puppy,” Luke agreed.

     An endless summer, just the two of them, sounded like paradise. Really, just the two of them anywhere, was beginning to sound more and more like paradise.

Chapter 20: Strawberry Ice Cream

Summary:

Luke gives Percy strawberry ice cream.

Percy waited until Luke was asleep to cry. Luke liked it too much when Percy cried and Percy didn't want to play, he wanted to be left alone. Or rather, he didn’t want to be left alone. Percy wanted Luke to care about him the way he clearly cared about Annabeth and it was obvious that Luke didn’t. It felt like a betrayal, like being Luke’s puppy meant absolutely nothing, like it really was just a meaningless game for Luke.

     And, alright, Percy reignited their game of puppy even when he was sure he no longer liked Luke. But that was partially for survival. He didn’t know what Luke was going to do to him or with him, and after the end of last summer, the possibilities scared Percy. Right now Luke was all that Percy had in the world and he didn't even care about Percy.

     Percy cried as quietly as possible. He didn't sleep. He was afraid that if he fell asleep then things would somehow be worse when he woke up. Not that he knew how things could possibly get worse from here but Percy had faith in the universe’s ability to screw him over and break his heart. And before seeing Annabeth, Percy didn't know that things could be as bad as they were.

     As if the fact that Annabeth's room was nicer - an obvious testament to how Luke cared about her over Percy - wasn't bad enough but Percy was fairly certain his finger was broken. It radiated heat and pain all the way up his shoulder and moving it made him hiss between his teeth. He licked his finger, tongue dragging over it with quick and light swipes. That didn't help but Percy didn't know what to do. If he told Luke, Luke might not let him see Annabeth again.

     And if Percy wasn't allowed to see Annabeth, how was he supposed to help her escape?

     The whole thing sent him spiraling. What should he do? How could he help Annabeth? How could he help himself? If Luke tried to put the socks back on Percy, he might actually scream from the pain. He wanted to escape the pain with a drop but what if Luke tried to hold his hand?

     Percy was still awake when Luke woke up.

     Luke rolled over and wrapped his arms around Percy. He pressed his face against the back of Percy's neck and nuzzled him.

     “I want to see Annabeth again,” Percy whispered.

     There was a pause before Luke said, “Alright.” Just as Percy was marveling over how easy that was, Luke added, “But you're eating breakfast before we go.”

     Percy's stomach growled as though in agreement with Luke. But something about the way Luke said it made dread twist down Percy’s spine.

     Luke got up, got dressed, and went to go get breakfast.

     Percy used the privacy to get a look at his finger. It was swollen to twice the normal size and faintly purple. Looking at it made Percy’s heart hammer an anxious tempo. He licked it a few more times and the pain was exquisite. There was no way Percy was going to be able to hide this from Luke for long.

     Percy’s vision went dark preceding Luke's return. He sat up in bed, got out, and moved to the spot by the wall where Luke normally kept Percy’s bowl.

     The door opened with a whisper of air. “I brought you a treat,” Luke said. He sounded very pleased with himself.

     Despite himself, Percy was curious. He felt the displacement of air as Luke moved closer and set the bowl down in its customary spot. He did not feel Luke move away again. Percy was hungry but he wasn't about to eat out of the bowl while Luke was right there. Normally Luke left the room so Percy could eat. Why was he staying? Percy sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, and refused to eat. Luke would give in and go away soon.

     Except that's not what happened.

     Luke pressed something cold to Percy's lips. “Come on, Percy, it's strawberry flavored. Your favorite,” Luke said coaxingly.

     Percy could feel the cold ice cream, could smell the strawberries in it. He hasn't had strawberry ice cream since last summer at Camp Half-Blood, where they made it with fresh fruit. Percy didn't want to eat out of the bowl in front of Luke…but licking ice cream off his fingers was another story. Percy licked Luke's fingers until the ice cream was gone.

     Luke scooped more ice cream onto his fingers for Percy to lick off.

     Percy licked Luke's fingers from the base to the tip, getting most of the ice cream off in a few swipes of his tongue. This was part of the game, Percy knew, and as long as his broken finger wasn't touched, Percy was willing to play. Plus, Luke was right: strawberry ice cream was Percy’s favorite.

     As Percy licked the ice cream from Luke's skin, he kept scooping more and more onto his fingers. It had to be making a mess; saliva and melted ice cream running down Luke's wrist, but Luke didn't seem to care about that. Percy switched from licking to sucking. He cleaned Luke's fingers, whined when Luke pulled them from his mouth.

     Luke didn't keep Percy waiting long, fingers with cool, sweet ice cream on them pressing to Percy's lips waiting for entrance. As Percy suckled, Luke's breaths came in excited pants. Sometimes he even moaned, quiet sounds like he was trying to muffle it.

     The sounds were so sexy it made Percy feel sexy. His cock stiffened with arousal and heat radiated off his skin. He slid his tongue between Luke's fingers and felt the delicate webbing between them with the tip of his tongue. Having Luke's fingers so deep in his mouth should have made Percy choke but he didn't.

     Luke was moving, Percy couldn't see but he could tell and hear. His breath caught and Luke moaned again. Luke brought his hand down, fingers still in Percy's mouth and guiding Percy’s head down. When Luke pulled his fingers out of Percy’s mouth, something else took their place. A different part of Luke's anatomy judging by the texture.

     It was hot and firm against Percy’s tongue, despite the creamy ice cream covering it. Percy was oddly reminded of some other time…and the savory flavor of soup. He couldn't quite bring the details of the memory to the forefront, only had a ghost of physical sensation and taste. Percy started with licks again, getting a feel for the weight and size before sucking on it.

     If he tried, would Percy be able to get more of this down his throat than he has been able to of Luke's fingers? The idea was tempting but even with his thoughts sliding slowly into puppishness, something warned Percy that Luke might still be wary of being bitten and probably wouldn't like that.

     Luke responded to this with little whimpers and moans as if he was the puppy here. He put his hand on Percy’s head, fisted Percy's hair, and guided Percy’s head up and down.

     Percy tensed when Luke pulled his hair but it didn't seem like Luke was mad at him. This wasn't the first time Luke’s done this before and didn't hurt Percy doing it. Fine, if Luke wanted to do all the work, he could. So long as Percy got plenty of ice cream.

     And it seemed that Luke wasn't skimping on the ice cream, so Percy was content to relax and enjoy it. His hair was another thing Luke really liked about Percy; always petting Percy and running his fingers through Percy’s hair and even scenting him, nose pressed to Percy’s hair.

     Maybe that's why he chose to play with me, because he likes my hair more than Annabeth's, Percy thought bitterly. What did it matter that Luke liked Percy's hair better than Annabeth's when he clearly liked everything else about her better?

     I should not be thinking about this, Percy thought, I shouldn't be thinking at all.

     And that was the truth: Percy shouldn't be thinking about anything at all. He should be solely focused on being Luke's puppy and nothing more. But Luke didn't drop him first and now it was too late to ask to stop so Luke could drop Percy. Percy whined in distress and gripped the dog bowl with both hands.

     The dog bowl was metal, naturally, and the sides conducted the cold of the ice cream extremely well. It actually felt good against Percy's poor wounded finger and he found himself stopping just short of actually burying his finger in ice cream only because he didn't know how to explain to Luke what he was doing without giving himself away.

     Luke pulled Percy’s head up away from the bowl and cupped it in both hands. One hand was sticky from ice cream. “Are you alright?”

     Nothing was alright.

     Percy nodded.

     “That was a…very long whine,” Luke pressed.

     Percy stuck out his tongue for more ice cream.

     A sigh. Then Luke obliged by pushing Percy’s head back down, slotting himself into Percy’s waiting mouth.

     It surprised Percy when Luke didn't taste as strongly of ice cream and he made a small noise of complaint.

     “I need to give you ice cream more often,” Luke said under his breath as he spread more ice cream onto himself for Percy to suck off. Whatever he was complaining about now, Luke seemed more than happy to get back into their game.

     It has been long enough that the ice cream was beginning to melt - or maybe Luke was just that hot - and Percy was more drinking it than eating it. His face was sticky with it and strawberries was all Percy could smell.

     Luke moaned and panted above Percy. His thighs trembled. The part of his anatomy in Percy's mouth twitched and the tone of Luke's moan changed.

     Percy tasted salt, but only briefly.

     Luke eased up on Percy’s hair, smoothing it back into place. His hand shook ever so slightly. “Good boy, Percy.”

     Percy lifted his head. “No more ice cream?” he asked, because he still wasn't about to stick his fingers in the bowl.

     “Sorry, puppy,” Luke said, sounding genuinely sad about not giving Percy more ice cream. “It's all gone.”

     Percy yawned so big that his jaw cracked.

     That almost covered the sound of Luke’s fingers snapping.

     It did nothing to cover the fact that Percy could see again. Black spots floated in front of his vision but it was back. He blinked several times to clear his vision and looked down.

     Luke had streaks of pink ice cream on his thighs and his abdomen and…and he really needed to clean up.

     Percy looked away, heat rising to his face.

     “I think a bath is in order,” Luke said.

     Percy growled.

     “Relax. I didn't mean a full bath. Someone made a mess,” Luke said and kissed Percy's sticky cheek. “You don't want Annabeth to notice, do you?” he purred.

     “No!” Percy barked.

     Today Luke's idea of a bath was to clean up with damp washcloths. He washed Percy off first, cleaning up his face, before moving onto himself. At least it wasn't as involved as the grooming.

     Percy tried not to look at Luke or in the mirror because he was suddenly, violently reminded that Luke dyed his hair blond and now they looked like brothers. It was weird. Percy tried not to think about the way their divine family was interrelated but it was really hard to get away from something like that when the proof was literally their identical faces.

     When it was all over - Percy full of breakfast, that part of the game finished for the moment, and both of them cleaned up - Percy asked, “Could you put ice in my water bowl?”

     The request seemed to surprise Luke, but he smiled anyway. He ruffled Percy's hair and scratched gently behind his ears. “Alright. I can do that when we get back from Annabeth’s.” Luke had a way of saying that as though Annabeth was merely their neighbor whom they were going down the street to see.

     “Thanks,” Percy said and then paused to wonder if he'd ever thanked Luke for anything before. Surely he must have. In any case, Percy was feeling better and ready to get back to finding an escape route for Annabeth.

     Luke dressed himself and then he dressed Percy.

     He didn't ask if Percy wanted to dress himself and Percy didn't offer; Percy liked to think he was quick at catching onto Luke's games…although apparently he was predictable. Not that that bothered Percy or anything. Who didn't like being predictable. It was fine.

     “What is going on with your face?” Luke asked as he clipped the leash to Percy’s collar.

     Percy touched his face but didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. He shot Luke a puzzled look.

     Luke made a noise of amusement. “It's nothing. Don't worry about it.”

     “What's wrong with my face?” Percy asked, insisting on knowing.

     “You just looked like you were thinking very hard about something unpleasant.” Luke hesitated before saying, “You know you don't have to go see her if you don't want to.”

     Percy could barely hide his horror. That was what Luke thought his expression meant? Oh gods. “I do want to see her! Annabeth is my friend.” Percy pouted and added, “I just don't know what to talk to her about.”

     To Percy's surprise, Luke laughed. “Well, good luck figuring it out.” He put the pup mask on Percy, securing it into place. “Ready?”

     Percy nodded.

     “Then let's go.”

Chapter 21: Sorry, My Dog Is Poorly Socialized

Summary:

Luke and Percy run into someone on their walk.

Percy still wasn't used to the way he reacted when Luke narrowed Percy’s vision to only Luke himself. His reverence for Luke and his sense of inferiority overwhelmed Percy now just as strongly as the first time.

     Luke was perfection incarnate and Percy was lucky to be the dog at his feet.

     This obviously made it very hard to figure out how to get to Annabeth's room. And beneath the adoration and inadequacy that Percy felt was frustration that threatened to boil into anger. How was he supposed to work under these conditions? How was Percy supposed to get rid of Annabeth if Luke kept being so distracting?

     Percy was so lost in thoughts of Luke he didn't realize that they’d stopped until Luke tugged on his leash and said, “We’re here. Stand up.”

     Percy stood.

     Luke unclipped the leash and took off Percy’s pup mask. Then Luke turned Percy around, opened a door, and guided Percy through it by the shoulders. “Annabeth, I brought Percy back for another visit.”

     The second the door closed, Percy's sight returned. He was overwhelmed by pink and silver.

     Annabeth stood at her desk, gluing popsicle sticks together to build a tower. So far it was at about eye-level with her and only looked to be getting taller. “Great,” Annabeth said sarcastically. “Just in time for arts and crafts.”

     Luke gave Percy a look that said ‘go play’, then went and sat on the love seat.

     Percy joined Annabeth at the desk. He studied her for a few moments before deciding that Luke still hadn't returned her sight and she couldn't see him. That was good, as Percy didn't want Annabeth to ask about his finger or his hair. “What are you doing?”

     Annabeth threw a disgusted look at Percy. “Building the Eiffel Tower out of popsicle sticks, obviously.”

     “Of course,” Percy said even though the thing didn't look anything like the Eiffel Tower…unless they did some major renovations on it since the last time Percy saw it.

     Just when it seemed like Annabeth was going to let the conversation die, she said, “What have you been doing?”

     The fear that lanced through Percy when Annabeth asked directly was much worse than what he felt when imagining her finding out about his game with Luke. Because there's really no way to explain the game without also revealing the fact that Percy was no longer part of the war…by choice. Percy knew that Annabeth would react badly to that because he hated himself for it, even though it was that or be thrown to the monsters.

     Percy’s heart stuttered and his breath caught. Adrenaline flooded his veins and pulled the heat from his hands and feet. But he kept his cool and Percy didn't let Annabeth see. He didn't look to see if Luke had noticed. “There's a TV in my room. Luke lets me watch Animal Planet.”

     Jealousy and longing showed so plainly on Annabeth's face that it surprised Percy. Normally she wasn't this open. “Are you serious? I would kill for a TV. Luke, I want to watch HGTV!” Well, that's another surprise. Percy wasn't expecting Annabeth to be into home decorating and renovation shows.

     Apparently they were both into unexpected things.

     “Fine,” Luke said, giving in immediately.

     Percy’s head whipped around to stare at Luke. While it was true that Percy did have a TV in the room, they didn't use it. Annabeth didn't even have a TV period, but apparently she was not only going to get one but would get to use it. It made Percy sick with jealousy.

     But there was a silver lining: it gave Annabeth and Percy something to talk about. They spent the rest of the visit talking about their favorite shows. Percy was almost sorry when it came time for him to go back to the other room.

     Luke guided Percy into the hallway by the shoulders, closing the door behind them. He pushed Percy against the wall while he clipped on Percy's leash. He pressed in close, body against Percy’s body and arms up to block Percy’s vision. Luke's mouth was close to Percy’s when he narrowed Percy’s vision.

     “N-no…Luke…” Percy protested. There was something he wanted to say.

     “What is it?” Luke asked. He ran the back of his hand down Percy's cheek.

     Percy closed his eyes so that he could focus. “I, um, I want to watch the TV in my room for real.”

     “Alright,” Luke said, “I'll track down the remote.” He moved in close again and rubbed his nose against Percy’s nose. Then Luke put the pup mask back on Percy. He kissed the mask's leather nose. “Let's go.”

     Luke stepped away and Percy sank to his knees. On his knees was where he belonged, even though his broken finger made it hard to crawl.

     On the way back to Percy's room, Luke stopped walking.

     Percy stopped beside him, leaned against Luke's leg like the loyal companion he was. He looked up at Luke, but Luke wasn't paying any attention to Percy at all.

     Luke was talking to someone. His mouth moved but Percy didn't hear everything he said. “Sure, you can pet my puppy,” Luke said.

     And there were hands on Percy's head, petting him through the pup mask. Percy couldn't see the hands or the person they belonged to, but he felt them and he knew they weren't Luke’s.

     They were such a surprise that Percy barked, a surprised yip, and pressed more firmly against Luke's leg.

     “Sorry,” Luke said, smiling as he reached down to pat Percy on the head. “He hasn't been socialized very well. But don't worry. He won't bite.”

     The hands were on Percy's face, cupping his cheeks. Fingers wandered down to his neck, scratching around Percy’s collar. Percy felt the vibration of speech but couldn't hear the actual words spoken, or even what the speaker's voice sounded like.

     Percy growled uncertainly. He didn't want this stranger touching him but also didn't want to be punished.

     “I just took him for a play date with Annabeth,” Luke said, clearly in response to something.

     No matter how hard Percy strained his eyes and ears, he couldn't see or hear the new person. Percy sniffed but couldn't pick out any distinguishing scents. If it was a monster or a demigod, Percy should have been able to smell them. Monsters more or less all smelled about the same to Percy, but demigods had individual scents. If it was a demigod Percy knew from Camp, he should recognize them by scent alone.

     And the other way around. A monster or a demigod should recognize Percy by his scent alone, even with his face covered by the pup mask. They always did. Monsters could hunt Percy from miles away because of how strong his demigod scent of candy and saltwater was. And yet…

     Maybe they don't know it's me. Maybe Luke has done some sort of magic to trick everyone else.

     Reluctantly, Percy had to admit that the way Luke was able to do so much magic was impressive. Luke was so powerful and so clever with his powers, and you wouldn't expect that from a son of Hermes. Luke was the kind of attractive that made you ache to be near him, but he wasn't what you'd call flashy or a show-off like how most of the other demigods at Camp were. He didn't draw the kind of attention that made you wonder exactly how powerful he was. Luke was unassuming…and Percy suspected this was a persona Luke carefully cultivated.

     An unseen hand touched Percy's hand.

     Percy almost screamed. He squeezed between the wall and Luke's legs, trying to get away from the person who kept touching him.

     “Whoa! Hey!” Luke said and twisted around to pat Percy on the head. “It's alright, puppy.”

     Then the sound cut out of the world and all Percy could hear was his own heart pounding like a drum in his chest and his fast, panicked breaths. Luke was talking to the stranger again, both of them speaking rapidly to each other.

     After another few minutes, Luke moved away from Percy. “Don't freak out,” he said, a warning in his voice. “We're just going back to your room.”

     “Just you and me?” Percy asked.

     “Just you and me,” Luke confirmed.

     Because Percy could only see Luke, he noticed immediately that Luke was watching him closely. Too closely. Percy swallowed the whine building in his throat. What did Luke want? What was he looking for?

     Once they were in Percy’s room, Percy's vision was restored. He blinked the floating black spots from his vision and waited for Luke to take off the pup mask.

     Luke unbuckled it and took it off. He put it away then turned back to Percy. The look on his face spelled trouble.

     Percy tried to slink beneath the coffee table.

     Luke pounced. He was blindingly fast when he wanted to be. His foot came down on the leash.

     Percy’s collar dug into his throat as he was forced to an abrupt stop. He tugged at the leash. Then realizing there was no give, he turned around and backed under the coffee table instead.

     “I am going to set that fucking coffee table on fire,” Luke said under his breath.

     Percy made himself as small as possible, curled into a ball as tightly as he could. It wasn't small enough. The collar still dug into his neck, but at least it was the back this time. His breaths came fast and shallow.

     Luke got down on his hands and knees to peer at Percy. He kept the leash taut by kneeling on it. “Give me your hand.”

     Percy couldn't make himself move.

     “Percy,” Luke said, voice flat with anger. There was the sharp edge of danger to his voice. “Give me your hand.”

     Lightheadedness washed over Percy. He thought he might faint again. This time he didn't even know what he did wrong, only that Luke was mad at him for something.

     Luke gathered the leash hand over hand, working his way up until he curled his fingers around Percy’s collar. Once he had a good grip, Luke dragged Percy out from beneath the coffee table.

     It wasn't a pleasant experience. Percy’s collar was only just loose enough that Luke’s fingers fit beneath it and his knuckles dug into Percy’s neck. He was essentially being dragged by his neck. The only good part about it was that it was over in seconds.

     Then Luke's fingers curled around the leash only a short length from Percy’s neck and he guided Percy to the bed. Luke sat Percy down, then sat next to him and exchanged the leash for Percy’s hand in his.

     Percy waited with bated breath for Luke to play judge yet again. His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest with how fast it raced.

     Luke's examination of Percy's hand was to slowly move his fingers along each part of said hand until Luke came across the parts that made Percy flinch. It didn't take long and the only reason it took as long as it did was because Luke was ignoring how Percy’s broken finger was swollen and slightly purple. “Here?” Luke asked and touched the spot again.

     Percy gave a soft yip of pain.

     “Why didn't you tell me?” Luke asked, sounding confused and…upset? He was…upset Percy didn't tell him?

     “You w-won’t give me nectar,” Percy whispered.

     “No,” Luke agreed slowly. His eyes were wide. “But I would have set and bandaged your finger so it healed properly. I mean, I'm still going to do that but who knows how much worse you made it by hiding it.”

     Percy didn't say anything. Even though he grew up with mortals, there were some things Percy didn't have to think of or worry about - although he didn't know it at the time - because he was a demigod. Broken bones were one of them. He's never been hurt that much and even if he had been, a soak in the bathtub would fix it probably before Percy even realized it was broken.

     Luke was shaking his head. “There's gotta be more to it. Why else didn't you tell me?”

     Percy shook his head.

     Luke narrowed his eyes. He was really good at telling when Percy was lying via omission. His jaw clenched so hard that when Luke opened his mouth to speak again, it cracked. “How'd this happen, anyway?”

     Percy said nothing.

     “Did I do it?” Luke asked, uncertainly.

     Percy shook his head, his eyes going wide with surprise. He didn't expect Luke to blame himself for this.

     Some of the tension left Luke, but not much. “Did you do this on purpose?” Luke asked.

     Percy shook his head again. “An accident,” he whispered.

     “How did you accidentally break your finger?”

     Percy tried to shrug but it was more of a shoulder twitch.

     Luke stared at him like he was trying to peer into Percy's mind. As far as Percy knew, Luke wasn't an actual mind-reader. Because if he was, there was no way Percy would still be alive. “It wasn't like this during your groom,” Luke mused.

     Percy swallowed.

     Luke's eyes glazed as he remembered the events of the day before, going over them in his mind. Finally he said, with a long sigh, “Ah.” Luke massaged the bridge of his nose. Finally he looked at Percy and said, “Why didn't you tell me Annabeth hurt you?”

     Percy flinched. “I-I didn't want you to make me stop seeing Annabeth,” he admitted. Quieter he added, “And you said I couldn't get hurt.”

     Luke flinched. It wasn't a big movement, but Percy saw it. “I'll adjust the wards on her room,” he said.

     Percy blinked. “Does that mean I can still visit her?”

     Luke sighed. “Yes.” He dropped his gaze to his lap where he cradled Percy's injured hand. “Now let's take care of this.” He got the first aid box from the wardrobe and began pulling things out.

     Percy did his best not to complain while Luke taped his broken finger between his not-broken one and a popsicle stick. But it hurt.

     “Hold on,” Luke said, going through the first aid box again, “I've got something for the pain.” He shook a few pills from a bottle and handed them to Percy.

     Percy took them dry.

     “It should be elevated,” Luke said. He rearranged Percy on the bed so that Percy laid with his injured hand on a pillow folded in half.

     “Luke, the leash is still on,” Percy said. He was more than capable of taking it off himself, it was just that he didn't have permission to.

     Luke took the leash in his hand and pulled lightly. “Maybe I like being able to yank you around,” he said, voice low and sexy.

     It was ruined by Percy wincing. His neck was sore.

     Luke sighed and unclipped the leash. He leaned over Percy, kissed his forehead. “Sit tight. I'm going to track down your TV remote.” Then he was gone.

     And Percy couldn't wait for Luke to come back.

Chapter 22: Couch Potato

Summary:

Percy becomes one of those dogs who likes to be on the couch. Or, Luke finds the TV remote.

If he was being honest, Percy didn't expect Luke to actually find the remote for the TV or let Percy watch it unrestricted. So it came as a shock when Luke produced the TV remote and handed it over to Percy.

     With the remote in his hands, Percy was now convinced that it wouldn't work. He hit the power button expecting nothing to happen, but the TV turned on.

     On screen, a woman in white sobbed as another woman screamed at a man: Bridezilla.

     For some reason it shocked Percy that the show was still airing, largely because he felt like he's been here forever. Though the screaming made Percy's heart race, he kept watching the reality TV show. He was so focused he barely blinked.

     It's been forever since he last saw or heard anyone other than Luke - and Annabeth - and longer still since Percy last listened to music. The show's music wasn't anything to write home about under normal circumstances but this was far from normal. The lack turned this show into something beautiful. Besides, the women on this show seemed to having a much worse time than Percy was and that was really saying something; and somehow their petty problems made Percy feel all the better about his own situation.

     Percy sat unmoving on the couch, so absorbed in the show that he didn't even notice the lighting change as time marched on.

     Nor did Percy notice Luke, coming and going with a restlessness Luke normally didn't exhibit. When he was there, Luke watched Percy more than he watched the screen.

     Luke brought food, eventually, which Percy knew because Percy could smell it: but Percy wasn't interested in eating. It would mean taking his eyes off the screen.

     When he started to get tired, Percy slumped against the armrest, using it for a pillow. He struggled to keep his eyes open, to keep watching, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Until finally, Percy couldn't fight to keep his eyes open any longer. Even with his eyes closed, Percy wasn't actually asleep yet, and continued to listen to the drama play out. He pictured it in his mind, half asleep and dreaming he was there with the screaming, crying people as the drama unfolded.

     Percy felt it when Luke put a blanket over him. He heard Luke pick up the TV remote and forced himself up from sleep enough to say, "Leave it on."

     Luke turned the volume down a bit, but left the TV on. He kissed Percy's temple. Percy heard the bed groan softly as Luke went to sleep.

     The Bridezilla marathon was over by the time Percy woke up the next morning. He had a dull headache, and a kink in his neck from sleeping on the couch, and his mouth was dry. A commercial was playing, so Percy took the opportunity to trot into the bathroom and relieve himself. He washed his hands and then his face and considered brushing his teeth, but he hadn't yet eaten anything and Percy's stomach was growling.

     In Percy's bowl was mac n cheese mixed with what looked like ham and broccoli. It was cold, but Percy crouched on the floor and ate it anyway.

     During all of this, Luke slept on in bed. He looked much younger when he was asleep, relaxed in a way he rarely was while awake. Although Luke having the appearance of a heavenly being wasn't always the case: Luke sometimes had nightmares that contorted his features into an expression of pure agony and agony tended to age one dramatically.

     Percy finished his meal, brushed his teeth, and stretched. Then he ploped himself back onto the couch and watched TV. He studied what was on the screen, glanced at Luke's sleeping form, and changed the channel. Percy channel-surfed for the better part of an hour. As far as he could tell, Luke hadn't restricted any channels whatsoever.

     Not even the ones that gave the local weather report: telling Percy exactly where they were.

     Being on these channels made Percy so nervous that cold sweat broke out on his skin. If Luke thought that Percy was still trying to escape - or worse, if he thought that Percy was trying to help his precious little sister escape - then Percy's plans would be ruined and his life would be over because Luke would kill him. Helping Annabeth to escape when she was clearly Luke's favorite might actually be enough to make Luke decide to detach Percy's head from his shoulders. Yet Percy felt like he had to do it anyway. It was for her own good: Annabeth was going to kill herself if Percy didn't get her out of here.

     Anyway, Percy now had a general idea of where they were: the Gulf of Mexico. As he watched the weather report, Percy saw that there were going to be some pretty big storms coming up. Was that a normal storm or one created by Poseidon? Percy honestly couldn't tell the difference from the weather radar. He hoped the yacht could survive this.

     Before Luke woke up and caught Percy, Percy switched the channel back to the reality TV. He was watching Big Brother when Luke woke up with a huge yawn. Luke sat up, looked at the TV, and said nothing. He stretched his arms above his head, muscles going taut and trembling, then relaxed in looseness with a great sigh. Luke got out of bed, kissed the top of Percy's head, then went into the bathroom.

     Percy didn't acknowledge him. He was far too busy trying to figure out what was going on in this show. Reality TV was so wild sometimes.

     Luke was dressed when he came out of the bathroom. He collected Percy's food bowl and left.

     Percy stayed exactly where he was. He watched show after show without moving. This sort of behavior would have shocked Mom: Percy was never much for television. But the whole experience of watching TV after having nothing to do, nothing to entertain him except for Luke, made Percy's whole body tingle with excitement. Everything was bright colors and loud sounds and, oh, the drama. Percy missed seeing things and hearing people and music and oh gods there was a whole world out there he was missing. His nerves felt like Christmas tinsel: shiny and bright.

     It did, eventually, occur to Percy that Luke had been gone for longer than normal. But that was an easy thing to ignore; just like it was easy to ignore the way the shadows moved along the walls and the way his mouth was dry and his eyes hurt.

     When Luke did come back it was dark. The room was lit only by the glow of the TV. "Have you even moved?" Luke asked, sounding both incredulous and upset.

     Percy didn't answer. He didn't even turn his head to look at Luke.

     Luke moved to stand beside Percy, not quite blocking Percy's view of the screen. "Are you hungry?"

     "Nn-nn," Percy said. He had one meal today and waiting until tomorrow to eat again wouldn't kill him.

     This didn't seem to be what Luke wanted to hear. "How's your hand?"

     Percy blinked. His eyes seriously hurt. He half wanted to keep them shut because they ached less when he did, but Percy couldn't stand not to see what was happening on screen.

     "Percy," Luke said, annoyance bleeding into his tone.

     Percy realized he forgot to answer Luke. He settled on a shrug. His broken finger still hurt but he's been keeping it elevated on the armrest of the couch. Mostly. When he remembered to.

     Luke gave an annoyed snort. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

     Percy shook his head.

     Luke's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Not even to see Annabeth?"

     Percy hesitated before shaking his head again. He knew where they were but how was he supposed to tell her that when Luke was constantly nearby? He needed to think on it more.

     Luke stood in Percy's peripherals, looking unsure.

     If Percy wasn't so occupied he might have taken the time to stare at Luke instead, since this was such a rare expression on Luke's face.

     After a few minutes, Luke sat down beside Percy on the couch. He watched the screen in silence for a few moments but didn't seem to see any appeal in the show. "I didn't expect you to be into reality TV," Luke said after a while.

     Percy shrugged.

     This didn't seem to be the reaction Luke was looking for and Percy belatedly realized that Luke was trying to strike up conversation.

      "Their problems are so silly," Percy said.

     Luke looked from the screen to Percy and back again. He watched in silence until the next commercial break and said, "Yeah. You're right."

     They didn't talk anymore after that.

     Percy watched each episode with the furvor of someone would die if they didn't. His headache only grew worse the longer he watched. And his mouth was so dry…but Percy stayed right where he was.

     For the most part, Luke watched Percy. His expression was neutral but his eyes were intense as he studied Percy. He stayed up late enough that he began to fidget and yawn.

     Percy got the impression Luke wanted to go to bed with him, but Percy wasn't ready just yet.

     Sure enough, Luke eventually said, "Are you sleeping on the couch again tonight?" His tone of voice clearly indicated that Luke didn't approve.

     "Yeah," Percy said.

     Luke sighed but didn't argue. He kissed Percy's cheek and went bed by himself.

Notes:

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