Riptide | Percy Jackson

Chapter Twelve

Apollo's day started off well.

He woke up without the usual face plant to the floor and instead landed on his feet. Toddling off through his morning routine, not even noticing the skip to his step nor the way he actually felt awake for the first time in years.

It was a good day.

His body went through the motions of his routine: quick breakfast then a short run around the block; then back home to shower and get coffee; then starting the walk to his car with an extra piece of toast hanging from his mouth after he locked up his apartment.

On the short walk over to his parking spot went by in a blink, before he knew it he was pulling out onto the road and driving along with the traffic. His mind just paying the bare minimum as attention to the road.

He snapped out of the happy daze when he heard the familiar sound of singing Italians. Immediately he threw he whole heart and soul into singing that song, one of the best songs in theatre to ever exist. One of the greatest things to ever bless the ears of the public. A song that if played in a club or a bar would have everyone putting their entire soul into singing along and there would be tears.

He slowed to a stop at a traffic light and belted the next lyrics with the emotion they deserved, "WHEN I WAS A CHILD I'D STAY WIDE AWAKE, CLIMB TO THE HIGHEST PLACE ON EVERY FIRE ESCAPE. RESTLESS TO CLIMB." With the last bit he flicked his head off to the side and accidentally made perfect eye contact with the woman driving the car next to him who was looking at him in shock. Only then did Apollo realise that both his front windows went down at some point on his drive. He gave her an awkward smile and a small wave, "Oh hi."

She still stared at him with her mouth wide open.

It was awkward now. Mainly because of her and her staring problem because Apollo knew he was an amazing singer but honestly the silence was hanging there while his song (his song that he should be singing!!) played in the background meshing horribly with her Olivia Rodrigo.

Apollo glanced off to the side and saw the orange light lit up, once it hit green his foot went down on the petal and he was speeding off while singing again. Just belting the lyrics to Breath while driving to work, as you do. Once the masterpiece was finished the next song froze before it finally played.

Apollo made sure to put his windows up before singing along to the best song on the Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack, Waving through a Window.

He pulled into the car park at his work, stayed in the car until the song was finished then sighed and got out to go to work. Fun times.

He clocked in and took the stairs up to the third floor of the building, he barely got through the door before he was nearly barreled down by Artemis.

Apollo caught her by her shoulders, "Are you ok?"

Artemis grabbed his shoulders back, "Riptide killed again. We have a lead."

"Wait what?"

* * *

Apollo stared back at his sister, "You're saying that Riptide was in the Coral Reef hotel? The same time I was there?"

Artemis nodded, "Could have walked right past them."

"He killed someone while I was in the building," Apollo said to himself.

Aphrodite pat his shoulder sympathetically, "Did you see anyone that looked anything like him?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow at her, "Dark hair and blue eyes? A couple but none really stood out, couldn't even tell you if their eyes really were blue."

"Green eyes even?"

"Just Percy, that was it. Wasn't looking out for anything like that."

Hermes raised his head, "Percy? Whose that?"

"Percy Jackson."

Hermes gave him a blank look.

"The guy I went out with last night."

Instantly all the eyes in the room were on him with full attention.

"Soooo," Aphrodite started. "How'd it go?"

Apollo grinned at her, "Really good, we got food then went bowling after and walked around for a bit just talking before I left him home at like 11."

Artemis feigned shock, "5 hours? Didn't know anyone could bear your company for that long."

Aphrodite went to swat the ginger over the head.

Hermes raised his eyebrows suggestively at him, "Did you ya know?"

"No I just walked him up to his apartment then went home."

Aphrodite nearly broke her neck with how fast she turned around, "Goodnight kiss?"

Apollo grinned even wider, "Fuck yeah."

"LETS GOOOO!"

"Hermes shut the fuck up," Artemis said into her coffee.

Aphrodite put her hands up, "Wait wait wait, hold up we don't know the important thing yet." Silence fell across the room. "Is there another date?"

Apollo kept his face blank on purpose to build suspense, at least until he saw Hermes' face just looking at him like a deranged baboon.

He lost it. Laughter sprung from him, tears came to his eyes. He almost fell out of the chair he was sitting in.

Nails dug into his biceps as he was shoved backwards against the chair. Aphrodite loomed over him, "Is there a second date?" She began to shake him back and forth until he let out a spluttered 'On Tuesday'.

Hermes cheered again and danced around the room with Aphrodite.

Artemis rolled her eyes at them but gave Apollo a small nod as if to say 'good job'.

Apollo smiled into his hand while he watched his friends dance around the room because he got a date.

Artemis nudged him with her foot, "What does he look like?"

Apollo pulled out his phone and went to the Instagram account that Percy had pointed out for him last night. He tapped on a recent post he'd put up of a family vacation.

Artemis looked at the picture and gave a low whistle, "You weren't joking about the eyes, they're really green."

"I know right? They look so nice."

"Lemme see," Aphrodite said while draping herself across Artemis' lap, curling up and resting her cheek against the ginger's head to be able to see the phone properly. "He's cute, how tall is he?"

"Basically the same height as me," Apollo said. He reached over to try to get his phone back but his hands were slapped away by Aphrodite.

Aphrodite zoomed in on the picture, "Hey Hermes this is the bar tender that charged you for his number."

Apollo cackled at the way Hermes' face dropped.

I thought I lost this and nearly cried, but I didn't :D