After a while of driving, Apollo glanced back at Percy through one of the side mirrors. He smiled softly to himself before focusing again on driving through various wider 'alleyways'. In all actuality they were actually narrow side streets that most used as shortcuts and no it wasn't illegal to drive a motorbike through them (Apollo checked).

Percy had his head buried against his neck, and his hands were tightly clutching at his torso.

It was adorable.

In a particularly clear alleyway, Apollo checked the side mirror to look back at the man behind him. Percy's hair was a mess, messy waves flying all around. Apollo actually felt bad for him, that looked like it would hurt to take out. Luckily Apollo never had that problem anymore, he had learned how to keep his hair perfect even when travelling at a 70 miles an hour though the power of sheer spite.

When they went out next time Apollo would have to tell him that, or just tell him to bring a comb or something for his hair.

Wait, next time- Apollo you haven't even finished the first date calm the fuck.

Apollo laughed to himself, tilting his body slightly to the side as he carefully made a right turn back out onto a main road. He was only about a minute away from the turn in for the restaurant so they should be fine for riding without the proper gear.

He was right, they pulled into the car park and Apollo kicked down the stand with nothing other than an awed look from a kid getting into the car beside them.

"Thats a cool bike," the kid blurted out before jumping into the car and slamming the door.

Apollo smiled to himself and went to stand up but couldn't move. The arms around his waist tightened.

With a gentle tap on the top hand he said, "Percy I booked a table so you have to let go at some point."

Percy raised his head to put his chin against Apollo's shoulder, tilting his head to the side to look up at the blonde. He gave him a closed eye smile.

Apollo's breath caught in his throat, he faintly wondered if Percy was going to say something about the drive. He would love if their date started with Percy complimenting his driving or even something about how they hadn't been stopped even once. But mainly he was just thinking 'Oh shit oh shit oh shit prettyyyyyy'.

Percy opened his eyes slightly to gaze up at him.

The blonde gave him a soft smile.

"You drive like an old person."

Apollo's smile fell. "Rude, what does that even mean anyway?"

"Seriously? All those slow turns? Basically the same as an old person driving."

Apollo gave the man an insulted look, "Oh gee sorry for not wanting to send you flying off the bike when you aren't in the right gear and the ground is covered in glass."

Percy grinned up at him, "At least that wouldn't be boring."

"Oh yes a trip to the hospital is perfect for a first date, right up there with getting stabbed."

"Thats actually happened to me, getting stabbed that is. Never went to the hospital on one before," Percy said absentmindedly.

Apollo managed to twist around a bit to face the other man better, "What the fuck?"

Percy nodded as he stood up, "Yeah, I was going to a pub with this girl then she tried to mug me to I just looked at her and was like 'I thought you were paying' and then she stabbed me."

Apollo stood up beside him, "What the fuck?"

"I know right, at least I got to keep the knife."

"Why would you want to keep the knife?"

Percy raised an eyebrow at him as  he pushed the door to the restaurant open, "It was a good knife, do you know how expensive those are?"

Apollo gave him a sheepish smile, "I can't really cook."

Percy tutted at him while shaking his head, "Disgraceful Blondie, absolutely disgraceful."

Apollo was nearly overcome by the urge to get him into a headlock. "Oh shush, why? Can you cook?"

Percy stuck his tongue out at him, "Of course I can. I could be a chef if I wanted to but the bar pays better. Plus if I did that as my job then cooking for myself wouldn't be as fun anymore."

Apollo tilted his head to the side, "I was expecting you to say no if I'm being honest."

Percy gaped at him but quickly closed his mouth when a waitress came over to them.

"Hi do you guys need a table?" she said with the fake cheerfulness that all customer service workers have.

Apollo gave her a small smile, "I actually have a reservation for us."

"Ok, whats the name?"

"Apollo Auroralis."

The waitress nodded, "Ok, we have a table set up for you two over in the back." She then turned on her heel and led them over to the table.

After they'd both sat down and been handed menus the waitress left them alone a silence fell over them as they flicked through the pages to find something that sounded good.

"So," Percy said slowly, breaking the silence. "Your full name is Apollo Auroralis?"

Apollo blinked at him, "Yes?"

A small smile stretched its way across Percy's face, "So your initials are AA."

"Yeah, it gets pretty annoying when people confuse me with other people at work cause a lot of us are all AA," Apollo said shrugging as his eyes skimmed over the chicken dishes.

Percy was full on grinning now, "So you're basically just a double A battery."

Apollo blinked at him.

Percy grinned back at him.

Apollo shuffled over to the edge of the booth as if to stand up, "I'm leaving."

"Wait no you're my lift," Percy said as he leant over the table to grab at him.

Apollo's lips twitched as he felt the other man's hands wrap around his wrists and Percy near face planted the table with how fast he moved.

He faintly remembered how Percy and Riptide had the same coloured eyes before he quickly dispelled that thought from his head because surely Riptide would never face plant a table just to get someone to stay. It was idiotic to even put them in the same sentence.

Apollo gave a mock tug with his arm, "What you're going to call be a battery then want me to stay?" He actually had to fight against himself to not laugh.

Percy raised his face up and pouted at him, "Pretty please?"

Apollo pretended to consider in great exaggeration, "Hmmm maybe but I don't know."

Percy's eyes widened and the pout deepened.

Apollo felt personally attacked with how fast his weak pretending act evaporated. "Fine but only because you're pretty."

Percy perked up and grinned at him. He flicked his hand over his shoulder as if to flick long hair away, "I've been told thats my greatest asset."

"I can see why, you're eyes are gorgeous," Apollo said smoothly with his chin resting on his hand. He said it so smoothly in fact you almost couldn't tell he practiced the last part in the mirror for 47 minutes. (Artemis thought it was hilarious when she popped over to steal his yogurt).

Percy stayed half over the table but wrapped his arms around his head.

Apollo leant over to put his head onto his arm near where Percy's head was. He went and lifted one of Percy's hands up to uncover his face but the blackhaired man just turned away from him. "Awww Percy are you embarrassed that I think your eyes are nice?"

A very mumbled, "Fuck off," was the only reply he got.

Apollo laughed and tried to lift his other arm, "Aww thats adorable."

Percy weakly batted at his shoulder but it did little more than a slight breeze might.

In response Apollo gently blew in his face, making the black hair wave slightly.

Green eyes met his as Percy slightly turned his head to make a face in his direction. It was adorable, Apollo thought, the way he scrunched up his nose as if greatly offended.

Apollo gave him back a soft smile, knowing full well he looked far too much like a sap for a first date but ah well what can you do?

"Are you two ready to order?"

The two grown men immediately jumped back from each other.

"Uh yeah I'll have the uhh- fried chicken sandwich with some chips on the side please," Percy said calmly as if he hadn't just been given a heart attack.

Secretly, Apollo was glad that Percy went first because he probably would've wheezed or do something equally as embarrassing.

The waitress raised an eyebrow at him, "And to drink?"

"Just coke please."

"Yes of course." The waitress nodded as she wrote down his order then turned to Apollo, "And for you?"

"Can I have the spicy thai curry please with fanta lemon to drink please?"

"No problem." She wrote down his order too, then looked back up at them. "Do you want a side of prawn crackers with that?"

"That would be perfect, thank you."

The waitress nodded again while writing down his order, "No problem, will you two want desert?"

The two men made eye contact as if telepathically communicating.

Personally, all Apollo was thinking was 'I have to leave the country' so he didn't know what was being conveyed to Percy.

Apparently it was yes to the desert because Percy then went and asked for a brownie.

Once again the waitress had turned to Apollo before he had thought of an answer. So he said as naturally as he could, "I'll have the same please."

"Yes of course, I'll be back over with your drinks soon," she said before walking away over to the kitchen.

Once she was out of sight Apollo let out a breath that he hadn't even been sure he was holding.

Meanwhile Percy propped his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. "Oh my god."

"I just had a heart attack."

"That was so bad."

"It still hasn't calmed back down."

Percy ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more, "I'm never coming back to this place again."

"That is such a good plan," Apollo agreed.

"I know isn't it- oh fuck she's coming back."

"Shit."

The waitress came back over with a tray and set down their drinks with a smile. "Enjoy your date."

Percy gave her a strained smile, "Thank you, you too." Some of the light in his eyes visibly died.

She gave him an awkward smile back before turning and walking off to the front desk.

Percy's face turned dead serious as he turned to face Apollo, "I can't ever come back here."

Apollo nodded gravely, "No you can't."

Percy groaned and let his face fall back into his hands, "The whole night is going to be awkward now."

Apollo took a sip from his drink, "It could be, at least while we're in here it will be."

"Yeah." Percy drooped down to the table again before straightening back up. "So then how about once we finish gere we go somewhere else? Is there anything good thats close enough?"

Apollo thought for a moment, "Theres a bowling place thats a 3 or 4 minute drive away. Also a cinema round back but I don't think theres anything good on."

"Lets go bowling!"

"Sure."

They shared a matching smile before the waitress came back with their food and they had to hide their cringes.

After that it went well enough, the food was good, they got a good conversation going and the waitress only came back at one point to refill their drinks.

Also it turns out that Percy Jackson is a thieving bastard, he used one of his crisps and nicked some of Apollo's curry.

All in all it was a good night.

Lmao finally got one out. Wrote this whole thing at work :D

This chapter was supposed yo be far shorter (around 1000-1200 words) to get it out quicker but I couldn't find a good cut off point

Hope you guys didn't miss me too much while I was away :/