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Crazy things happened when gods got drunk.
You see, usually, gods couldn’t get drunk- mortal alcohol had no effect on them and even with some godly brews, they could simply use their powers to sober themselves up within seconds.
That was of course, not counting the wine made by Dionysus himself.
And it wasn't often that gods got a chance to taste Dionysus’ wine- not since the last few decades or so during which Zeus had placed restrictions upon him, forcing him to forego his precious wine and babysit the demigods at Camp Half-Blood.
The one time that Zeus grudgingly temporarily lifted Dionysus’ punishment though was during the yearly get together of all of Zeus’ illegitimate kids. It was shockingly Athena who had started this tradition of theirs, joining Apollo and Artemis to complain about Hera. Then Apollo had dragged Hermes into the group after he forgave him about the entire stealing the cattle incident and then a few centuries later Dionysus had been invited. Other non-Olympian illegitimate children of Zeus also often popped in, the only one who was outright banned was Heracles and that was after Artemis had almost thrashed him to the pulp to the point of making him fade. So when Dionysus restrictions had been set, the other illegitimate kids of Zeus had negotiated (more like pseudo-gaslit) him into agreeing to lift it at least once a year- the day after the summer solstice.
Now on one such occasion they were all lounging in the room they were gathered in. Apollo was in a corner composing something with the Muses (they were children of Zeus and Mnemosyne), Hermes and Dionysus were plotting something (madness and trickery went hand in hand), and Artemis and Athena were discussing… well something…
Well eventually after too many glasses of wine they were all curled around on a circular couch discussing Rhea. Not their grandmother, no. Rhea Jackson, daughter of Poseidon, newly turned goddess, the most recent addition to their pantheon and more importantly to their stream of conversation- Apollo’s girlfriend.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Apollo here would finally settle down," Hermes teased, taking a sip from his own goblet. "An eternity of lovers, and now he's all about one goddess."
Apollo chuckled, his face flushing golden, making the rest of them give each other pointed looks. Apollo had been devout and obsessed with many lovers- sometimes even to the point of insanity but this was the first time he was acting like this.
"Well, Rhea…. is no ordinary goddess." he said, in his eyes a distant look.
Athena raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile on her lips. It was unusual seeing the goddess of wisdom so relaxed and expressive, but this was the one time in the year she was so.
"She's tamed the great Apollo, has she? Quite the accomplishment,” she said with a laugh, “then again Barnacle Beard’s child…”
Artemis smirked. "Rhea has always been exceptional. I can see why my brother is so taken with her, if only she had joined my hunt.."
Apollo sat up and shot his twin an annoyed look, “Absolutely not, Arty come on, I lo-”
He fell silent. Apollo felt a sudden, sharp clarity cutting through the haze of wine. He had never told Rhea that he loved her. Not in the way she deserved to hear it. His mind wandered to Rhea, her laughter, her strength, the way her presence seemed to brighten even his most somber days. He realized he had never truly expressed to her what she meant to him. Sure, he had shown her in countless little ways—through music, through poetry, through the light he brought into her life (he hoped he did?)—but he had never said the words that were now burning on the tip of his tongue. 'I love her,' he thought, the weight of the realization hitting him like an arrow to the heart. 'I love her, and she needs to know. How could I have been so afraid to tell her?' The fear of rejection, the fear of changing their perfect dynamic—it all seemed so trivial now. His love for her was overwhelming, undeniable, and it deserved to be voiced. Rhea deserved as much, she deserved it and heavens knew so much more he feared he would never be able to provide.
‘Shit’ he thinks, ‘I love her… and I haven’t told her yet… I can’t tell them before her!’
Dionysus leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "So, Apollo, have you told her yet? That you love her?"
“No- I-” he stuttered, getting to his feet and then instantly stumbling, causing Hermes to also attempt to stand to help him and also stumble.
“Take me to her,” he said to his brother, “I need to-” he takes a step towards the doors, dragging Hermes along, “I need to see Rhea, now”
Athena, ever the voice of reason, interjected. "Perhaps Apollo should wait until he's sober to profess his love. You know, for clarity's sake."
Apollo shook his head, determination shining in his eyes. "No- I can't wait- I need to tell her now."
Stumbling slightly, Apollo and Hermes made their way through the opulent corridors of Olympus. The grand architecture blurred around them, with towering marble columns and intricately carved friezes depicting the gods’ triumphs. Golden chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting a warm, ethereal glow that shimmered against the polished floors.
Apollo’s thoughts were singularly focused on Rhea. He needed to find her, to tell her how he felt before his courage—or his intoxication—waned. A nagging voice in the back of his mind whispered that perhaps visiting her so late at night wasn't the best idea, especially considering the owner of the quarters they were approaching. Poseidon did know about their relationship, but his threats of decapitation lingered ominously in Apollo’s mind.
"Apollo, maybe... maybe we sh-should wait," Hermes slurred, his normally quicksilver movements sluggish and clumsy.
"No, Hermes, I... I gotta tell her now," Apollo insisted, his words just as thick and muddled. "She needs to know."
She and her godly siblings had attended the Solstice and decided to stay on Olympus until their father concluded his business (cough Argue with Zeus cough).
They stumbled into Poseidon's quarters, the heavy double doors creaking as they pushed them open. The room beyond was grand and imposing, with walls adorned with coral and seashells that seemed to pulse with a life of their own. The air was cooler here, imbued with the faint scent of salt and the distant sound of waves crashing, as if the ocean itself was just beyond the walls.
Hermes pointed down a hallway lined with doors. "She's... in there. Fourth door down. Good luck."
Apollo nodded, his heart pounding. He pushed open the fourth door quietly, the hinges emitting a soft groan. The room was dimly lit by the faint glow of moonlight streaming through the windows, casting silvery beams across the floor and the bed. He could make out a figure on the bed, her form familiar in the shadows. Apollo's breath hitched. It had to be Rhea.
He kneeled down by the bed, his knees pressing into the cool, tiled floor. He took the hand that lay on the covers, feeling the soft warmth of her skin beneath his fingers. "Rhea, my seashell," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I need to tell you something."
He heard the rustling of covers but paid it no mind, his heart too full to notice anything but the words he needed to say.
“I've never said it, not the way you deserve to hear it. I love you. Truly, deeply. You are my sun, my music, my, my my-
everything
. I've wanted to say it for so long, but I was- afraid. Afraid you wouldn’t feel the same, or that it would change things between us. I- I’ve known for so- so long but I- I didn’t- didn’t wanna make- I- Rhea I- I can't keep it inside any longer."
He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. "Rhea, I love you so so much”
There was a pause, a silence that felt like an eternity. Then, the bedside lamp flicked on, glowing green with greek fire. Apollo blinked against the sudden brightness, and his heart dropped to his stomach. (Somewhere in the back of his mind some part of his consciousness couldn’t help but wonder why his father and uncles were such drama queens- making the fire sea green just for the aesthetics huh?)
Sitting on the bed, smirking, was Kymopoleia. Her sea-green eyes, so similar to Rhea's, glittering with amusement. He yelped and let go of the hand he was holding. How could he have not noticed? But then again- they did look quite similar (he had even heard so from one of his kids who had heard Jason Grace complaining about it). Next to her, leaning against the bedpost with a bemused expression, was Rhea.
"Kym!" Rhea exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face, an incredibly soft look in her eyes. "Why did you interrupt? Do you know how long it took him? He’s been murmuring that in his sleep since forever!"
Apollo's face flushed bright golden. "I—uh—" he stammered, looking between the two sisters.
Kymopoleia burst into laughter, her mirth ringing through the room like a bell. "Well, it was quite a declaration," she said, still chuckling. "But you might want to save it for the right sister next time."
Rhea moved to Apollo, her eyes soft with affection. "I knew," she said, taking his hand. "And you’ve been telling it to me every day sunshine , every action of yours shows me your love"
Apollo’s embarrassment melted away as he looked into Rhea's eyes. "I meant every word," he said softly. "I love you, Rhea."
Rhea smiled, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you too, Apollo."
Just then, there was a loud crash. Hermes, who had been leaning against a table, had knocked over an ornate vase, which shattered loudly on the marble floor.
The noise echoed in the halls, and moments later, Poseidon himself appeared in the doorway, looking rather irritated. "What in Hades' name is going on here?" he demanded, his voice booming.
Apollo, Rhea, and Kymopoleia turned to face the god of the sea. Poseidon's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene: Apollo kneeling by the bed, Rhea and Kymopoleia sitting up, and Hermes looking sheepish beside the shattered vase.
Poseidon's expression darkened, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. The air grew dense, as if the very essence of the sea was closing in on them. His eyes, already a piercing shade of ocean blue, began to glow with an ethereal light, like the bioluminescent creatures of the deep.His body started to elongate and twist, the transformation rippling through him like waves crashing against the shore. His skin took on a bluish hue, almost translucent, revealing glimpses of churning water and aquatic life beneath the surface. From his back, massive tentacles unfurled, each one covered in iridescent scales and lined with suckers that glowed with a faint, eerie light. They writhed and curled with a life of their own, creating an aura of barely contained fury. The tentacles were adorned with sharp barnacles (Rhea squinted at the barnacles, idly wondering if her father and athena had a history based on how often she had commented on his barnacles.) and sea anemones, giving them a menacing appearance.
His hair, once a dark and flowing mane, transformed into a cascade of seaweed, tangled and dripping with water. The scent of brine and the roar of distant waves filled the room, as if they had been transported to the depths of the ocean.
Poseidon's eyes locked onto Apollo, and he moved forward with frightening speed, his tentacles slithering across the marble floor with a sinister grace. He pinned the god of light against the wall with one of his massive tentacles, lifting him effortlessly.
"What are you doing in my quarters, Apollo?" Poseidon demanded, his voice low and dangerous. "And what is the meaning of this?"
Apollo struggled to find his words, his intoxication making it difficult to think clearly. "Uncle P!, I... I- I just-”
Poseidon's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on Apollo's shoulders. "You dare to come here in the dead of night, drunk out of your mind? Have you no respect?"
Apollo's heart pounded in his chest, fear coursing through him. "I... I meant no disrespect, Uncle P!. I just... I couldn't wait! I needed to tell Rhea I loved her!”
Poseidon's rage seemed to swell with Apollo's words. His tentacles tightened around Apollo, and the room seemed to darken with the weight of his anger. A tiny hurricane formed in the fountain in the middle of the room, water spiraling upwards in a furious dance.
"Couldn't wait? You think that's an excuse for this behavior?" Poseidon's voice thundered through the room, echoing off the walls. "You come into my daughter's rooms in the middle of the night , waking my family with your drunken ramblings, and expect me to accept this as some grand gesture of love?"
Rhea quickly stood and approached her father. "Dad, it's alright. Apollo was just...
Poseidon's eyes bore into Apollo's, and for a moment, the god of light felt as though he were drowning in their depths (not in the good way as he did in Rhea's eyes). "Love? You think this is love? Love does not manifest itself in impulsive actions and thoughtless words. Love is patient, love is kind."
Rhea stepped forward, her voice gentle yet firm. "Dad, please. Apollo meant no harm. He was just overwhelmed."
Poseidon turned his gaze to his daughter, his anger softening slightly at the sight of her. "Rhea, you know I would do anything to protect you. To keep you safe from harm."
Rhea nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. "I know, Dad. But Apollo's feelings are genuine. He's just a bit... unsteady tonight." They stared at each other for a few moments, the father and daughter having a silent conversation.
Poseidon regarded Apollo for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh, he released his grip on the god, allowing him to slide down the wall to the floor below.
"Very well," Poseidon said, his voice quieter now, more subdued. "Apollo, restrain your declarations of love to the daytime, that is when you shine is it not? I do not think I need to repeat my threats of what shall happen to you if you harm Rhea”
Apollo nodded, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I will do everything in my power to protect and cherish Rhea for as long as she allows me to do so"
Poseidon's features softened slightly at Apollo's earnest words. He turned to Rhea, pulling her into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She sighed into the hug, petting his tentacles to further calm him. He let go of her after a moment and she rushed over to Apollo, kissing him softly. The silent ‘i love yous’ they exchanged was clearly visible to everyone in the room.
As the tension in the room began to dissipate, Hermes quietly vanished the mess he had made, his usual laughter replaced by a solemn silence.
Kymopoleia, who had been observing all of this with unhidden glee, rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Alright, lovebirds, take it outside. Some of us need to sleep."
Rhea helped Apollo to his feet, and with one last glance at her father, they made their way to the door. As they stepped out into the hallway, the air seemed to get less dense and Apollo felt a sense of relief. They walked until they were a safe distance away from the Lord of the Sea’s hearing, listening and smell range and leaned against the long columns.
"I’m sorry for causing such a scene," Apollo murmured "But I meant every word I said, Rhea."
Rhea smiled, her hand entwined with his, she pressed her forehead against his. "I know, Apollo. And I love you too. Now let's get you somewhere to rest."