A Modest Proposal

As is explained in this chapter, this is a slight AU where Silena survived both wars. Other than that, consider this the canon universe. Enjoy!

Percy Jackson, two time world savior, had a problem.

The news might've surprised some who knew him. He was a guy known for his carefree attitude, who loved his life enough to turn down godhood twice in favor of a quiet existence surrounded by friends, family, and an amazingly awesome girlfriend.

That amazingly awesome girlfriend was actually the source of his problem, although it wasn't anything she did. No, it was about what he did— or rather, what he could do when the time came to… well, do her.

Yes, ladies and gentleman. The root cause of Percy Jackson's problem was none other than sex.

It was something he'd never done. He'd never seen a woman naked, and the closest he got to foreplay was a kiss on the neck. It wasn't his fault. He'd just been too busy.

His mid-teens were spent fighting a war in Manhattan, and between Amnesia, kidnapping, and a new world-defining war, the time since hadn't been any calmer. His eighteenth birthday rolled around before he knew it, and by the time his life relaxed enough to worry about normal teenager things, he realized he'd missed out on a whole lot of practice.

Things had been going great between him and Annabeth. No, even better than that. They had been going perfect. She deserved a first time just as amazing as she was. Percy was absolutely sure of that. He just hadn't figured out how to give it to her.

His current solution was to go for a walk, and hope that a solution came to him before it was over. He wasn't proud of it, but it was all he had.

Despite moving to New Rome for college, the young couple still spent summers in New York at the camp where everything started. That's where he was now, enjoying a relaxing May before the temperatures ratcheted up too high.

He'd gotten all the way to the canoe lake, and was considering continuing his walk along the lake floor, when someone called his name.

"Peeercy! Over here, Percy!"

When he turned, he found Silena Beuregard, the Aphrodite counselor, bouncing straight for him.

Bouncing was definitely the right word. It fit the way she was jogging, each step its own little hop. She had been sunbathing, going by her bikini top and jean short-shorts, which led straight into the second way she was bouncing. Her generous chest jiggled and swung everytime she moved.

"It's been so long!" she gushed once she closed the distance. "I feel like I've hardly seen you or Annabeth since you got back. How are the two of you?"

A genuine smile spread on Percy's lips. "We're great, Silena. We missed this place."

She leaned in conspiratorially. Percy tried not to stare down her swimsuit, but it was easier said than done from this angle.

"Between the two of us, this place missed you more," she said. "It's boring without you. I don't know if you've noticed, but you've got a way of making fun things follow you."

"I have," Percy said dryly.

"As long as you're aware." Silena straightened. "Were you on a walk before I interrupted you? Care for company?"

Percy had planned on keeping to himself. It was more of a gloomy, troubled walk than a relax and chat kind of one. But maybe this was the gods' way of telling him he'd moped for long enough.

"C'mon," Percy said. "I think the Stoll brothers were selling popsicles back that way. I've got a drachma to spare for two.

The way Silena beamed already had his mood lifted.

Twenty minutes later they were back on the lakeshore, popsicles in hand, patrolling the edges.

"I'm telling you," Silena said, "I know the best spot around here. It's so tucked away that nobody goes to it, but the view is perfect.

Percy ran his tongue down a blue raspberry popsicle. He wasn't sure he liked the flavor, but it was worth it for the color.

"You're saying there's a perfect hidden spot, and you're the only who found it?" he teased.

Silena huffed. Her own strawberry popsicle was barely touched; probably because she spent the whole walk there catching Percy up on gossip he'd missed.

It was all stuff he was perfectly fine with not knowing. Who cared if the Iris Counselor was dating a girl from the Hecate Cabin? Wasn't that their business? But the cheer in Silena's voice was infectious as she told the stories, so he was content to let it happen.

"You think just because I'm an Aphrodite girl I can't crunch through some bushes to find a special spot?" she said.

"Well…"

"You'd be right." She was still smiling, but she looked down, staring at the grass and roots they were stepping over. "I'd never go looking like that. What if my clothes got dirty, or my makeup ran?"

Percy stayed quiet, taking another lick of his popsicle. It seemed like she was going somewhere with this, and that it would be better not to interrupt her.

"Charlie found it," Silena finally said. "For us, he was always saying, but we only got to go a handful of times together before… Well, if there's one person I don't need to explain this to, it's you."

Percy knew she didn't mean anything bad by it, so he tried not to let her notice him wince.

Charlie. Charles Beckendorf. Together with Silena they had been counselors back when Percy first stumbled into camp as a disoriented eleven-year-old about to start a war. The two had been nothing but nice to him. He really looked up to them, all the way until the day Beckendorf gave his life to save Percy's, defying Kronos directly in his immortal face.

Bringing the news back nearly broke Percy. For a while, he thought hearing it did break Silena.

But she was strong, no matter what anybody thought about daughters of Aphrodite. None of the counselors of the time could forget the way she marched straight into a war meeting and slammed down a scythe charm, revealing herself as a spy. She told us everything, how Luke manipulated and tricked her, and the way Beckendorf's death convinced her to change things. Feeding them false information, she led one of the Titans' trump cards — a full-grown drakon — straight into an Ares Cabin ambush. Without her the whole war could've turned out differently. Nothing could bring Beckendorf back, but if anybody ever honored his memory, it was Silena.

She never left camp, even when she was old enough. If asked, she always said it was her probation. In her mind what she did during the war wasn't enough. She'd only be satisfied when she'd watched over as many young demigods as possible, helping them get their feet under themselves in life.

"Here we are!" Silena announced. "One private lake-viewing spot, exactly as promised."

Percy had his doubts, but the place was actually super nice. There were a couple of flat stones near the water's edge, perfect natural chairs. The sandy bank wasn't too steep or muddy. Thickly-packed pine trees blocked off three sides, so the only way in was to squeeze between the trunks where they entered. Bunches of milkweed with bright orange flowers filled in the gaps, providing color and an extra layer of privacy.

"Wow," Percy said.

Silena giggled. "Told you it was nice. C'mon."

She grabbed Percy's hand and led them to the flat stones. She took the right one, white he sat on the left. You could see out over at least half the lake, even to the opposite side where a few campers paddled canoes. Naiads drifted past beneath the water's surface, braiding each other's hair.

"So," Silena said, "are you going to tell me what the problem is?"

"What problem?" Percy said, very convincingly.

Silena looked at him, unimpressed, over the top of her popsicle.

"I've known you for years, Percy. Stumbling around with a dazed look like that? Something's wrong. Is everything alright with Annabeth?"

Percy opened his mouth, then closed it. "Has anyone ever told you that you can be too sharp?"

Silena giggled. "Usually, boys call me soft. So what happened? Did you miss a date? Get caught staring at mom when you visited Olympus?"

"No!" Percy said. "I mean, it's nothing like that. She's not mad at me. I didn't do anything wrong."

Yet, he added in his head.

"Except…?"

Percy tried to figure out how to answer.

"It's… Well, I mean… I'm not sure how to say this in a way that isn't embarrassing."

"Oh, Percy." Silena gave her popsicle a big lick as she offered a commiserating look. "You're talking to the queen of embarrassment. Do you know what I've dealt with as Aphrodite counselor? One silly boy mailed my sister pubic hair clippings. Gods know how he thought that would win her over. Then we had that peeper who stayed outside our cabin every night for a month, convinced the rumor about us lulling ourselves to sleep with a nightly orgy was real. They only gave up when the harpies nearly got them for the third time."

"There were rumors like that?"

"And plenty of more extreme ones, but most of them aren't true. That isn't important. Listen— whatever you're struggling with, it isn't that bad, I promise! Just let old Silena know, and she'll help straighten you out! Plenty of campers would pay drachmas for this kind of chance you know."

Percy didn't know, but he could kind of believe it was true. With the gods paying real attention to their kids, demigod lifespans were soaring. So many more of them were reaching eighteen and striking out for college. Then they came back over the summer, and suddenly you had a hormone-filled melting pot of confused young adults with the blood of horny gods inside them. Who better to ask about your sudden love problems than a daughter of love older and more experienced than any other camper?

With a deep breath, Percy dove into his troubles.

Silena was laughing at him.

"You're laughing at me," Percy said, out loud this time.

The daughter of Aphrodite was laughing so hard that her whole body shook. The skimpy swimsuit protecting her chest was straining dangerously, but she didn't seem to notice. It was a wonder her strawberry popsicle hadn't slipped off its stick.

"I'm not laughing at you," she managed between chortles. "I'm laughing… With you? No, that isn't right. I'm laughing about you."

"Oh, that's way better."

"It is!" she insisted. "It's just— Percy, you're worried you won't be naturally good at sex? Nobody is! Well, nobody except my siblings and I. But we aren't a good example!"

"You're making me feel great. I totally see why somebody would pay for this."

"Percy Jackson," Silena scolded, finally getting her laughter under control. "You're gorgeous. You are a hero. Most importantly, you're you, and Annabeth loves you. Everyone at camp knows it. So what are you sitting here worrying about?"

"I know she does!" Percy said. "I never doubted that. It's not about what she'd accept, I just want to give her what I know she deserves, which is a perfect night." He sighed, knocking a stone into the water with his foot. "I know how silly it is better than anyone."

Silena considered that. She twirled her popsicle in slow circles, lost in thought.

"Thanks for hearing me out," Percy said, getting ready to stand up. "I really do appreciate it."

"Wait," Silena said. "I might have a solution."

Percy stared at her. When he shared what was eating away at him, he didn't do it for a real answer. As far as he could see, what he wanted was impossible. A virgin couldn't become some sex god just by wishing for it.

Like she read his mind, Silena said, "You can't get better at something without doing it. So all you have to do is find someone to help you practice. Preferably, I don't know, someone with love in their blood?"

"You?" Percy asked, trying to process if she was offering what he thought she was.

"I'll certainly help, but I have some volunteers in mind," Silena said. "It'll be just like tutoring! By the time we're done with you, Annabeth's legs won't know what hit them. I promise."

"I… I'm not sure."

Silena pouted. Her cheeks puffed out cutely.

"Do you think I don't know what I'm doing? I guarantee, nobody at Camp knows sex better than I do. You shouldn't doubt that I can do it."

"I never said—"

"I'll give you a demonstration!" Silena said suddenly. Her pout morphed into a foxy smile. "Let's see if you still don't believe in me after seeing my skills in action."

Percy's mind raced through a million possibilities for what this 'demonstration' could be, and it still didn't prepare him for the hand Silena jammed down his pants. Her fingers wrapped around his member, pulling it out into view. Percy's eyes darted around on reflex, but the canoers were still on the far side of the lake and nobody else was around.

Maybe it was the excitement and fear of being caught, or maybe it was how rapidly things were progressing. Either way his blood rushed down at record speed. Once he was hard, Silena's long nails barely brushed each other. Her finger tips couldn't even wrap around him.

Silena giggled. "I see Riptide isn't the only deadly weapon you carry around. I can't believe you were feeling insecure with something like this on you."

"Silena—" Percy said.

"Shhhh," she told him. "Enjoy it… and make sure to pay attention."

Percy's hands had performed similar motions a hundred times before, but something about the way Silena's glided over him felt like eating ambrosia after a lifetime on microwaved ramen. Her fingers were impossibly warm, but never hot. He suddenly understood exactly why boys had described her as 'soft'.

"Uncircumsized," Silena said approvingly as she worked, licking the popsicle that was still in her right hand. "That makes this so much easier."

Her pace was continuously changing. One minute her hand would be nothing but a blur. Then, just as an orgasm got close, she'd knowingly drop the pace. It was like waves lapping against a shoreline, and Percy was slowly losing himself in the bliss of its ebb and flow.

A noise left his lips. It was closer to a grunt than a moan, but it was definitely somewhere between the two.

"Good," Silena praised. "Don't try to keep your voice down. When something feels good, let your partner hear it. It'll only make her prouder."

He almost jumped as a face appeared in the water. One of the naiads that passed by earlier had returned, her hair fully braided now. She had a cute, elfish face that would've fit in on any college campus if not for her almost blue skin. She stared at the scene with open curiosity, before turning and waving over her shoulder. A second later two of her sisters appeared next to her.

"Naiads are watching," Percy groaned, pointing at the water.

"Let them," Silena said. "We're putting on a show— and any show is better with an audience."

Her strokes sped up again. This time, they didn't stop. Percy hadn't known she could even move this fast. Her grip tightened. If the intensity before had been cruise control, this was Silena slamming on the gas.

Percy felt like he did a pretty good job holding himself back. Silena had to keep that crazy pace up over a minute before he finally let go.

Feeling like a sexual failure doesn't put you in the best mood for masturbation. It had been at least two weeks since Percy came, and all of that back-up made for an explosion.

Thick streams of semen launched from his cock— three, separated by a half-second each. It flew so far that it cleared the shore, plopping onto the water's surface. To Percy's shock, the spectating naiad's immediately clawed and jostled against each other, fighting for position. The brunette that appeared first won. She got above her sisters and swallowed the waterlogged cum in one gulp. When she saw Percy staring, his mouth hanging open, she winked. A second later she swam off, two very angry sisters hot on her tail.

"Naiads," Silena said fondly. "There's a reason gods are always chasing after them."

"I think I can see why," Percy said.

His cheeks were flushed, but his breath was even. His penis hadn't shrunk an inch, even after an ejaculation like that, but he quickly tucked it back into his pants. Those canoers were getting a little too close to this corner of the lake for comfort.

"What do you think?" Silena asked him. She looked proud. "My offer still stands."

"I can make Annabeth feel this way?" Percy asked.

"Oh, sweetie," Silena said. "You can make her feel so much more."

Percy considered the best way to answer. In the end, only one question stuck out."

"When do we start?"

Silena stood up. She stretched like a cat with her arms high above her head. At the chest, her nipples protruded obviously against her swimsuit— completely stiff.

"Tomorrow night," she said. "Ten O'clock. Don't be late."

As she walked away, back toward camp, she noticed her popsicle was starting to melt. It was still mostly complete, a hunk of frozen fruit juice at least six inches long and half as thick. She shoved the whole thing in her mouth, popped it cleanly off the stick, and swallowed without blinking. As she licked her lips dry, she looked over her shoulder.

"I'm looking forward to this, Percy," she said. "I hope that you are too."