Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"And here we are; Camp Half-Blood," A none-too-happy satyr with shaggy black hair mumbled flatly, blowing a puff of air at his low hanging bangs. He paused for a moment to let his rescued demigod companion take in the view before turning to face her.

The demigod was a girl, a pretty one at that. She had long blue hair that was the color of ice and matching eyes that were framed by black glasses. White streaks cut through her hair like tiny frozen rivers. Her eyes scanned the camp from her perch on top of the hill and she wrung her hands nervously as if she'd never seen anything so intimidating before. She chewed on her bottom lip anxiously.

The satyr cocked an eyebrow, shifting his weight from hoof to hoof.

"Hey, uh, kid..."

The girl did not respond, still gazing out on the land stretched before her. Her cloven guide did not take kindly to being ignored and cleared his throat harshly, gaining her attention with a jump.

"O-oh, sorry, Draven! I got..."

"Mystified. Bamboozled. Amazed." The satyr, Draven suggested.

His companion looked down at her sneaker-clad feet despondently.

"Distracted..."

Draven huffed, blowing yet another gust of air at his pesky bangs. When that failed to put them back in place, he took his hand and ran it across his hair, smoothing it all back and sending a tired look at the demigoddess beside him.

"Well, whatever you are, we have to get you to camp soon. I don't feel like fighting some dumb hellhound or scorpion tonight. Besides, the fire is going to be starting soon and if there were ever a time for you to get claimed, it would be then." He took a step forward and ushered for the demigoddess to do the same. She stayed stock still, still staring at her shoes as if they were the most interesting things in the world. Draven rolled his eyes. "Listen, kid, I have to get to camp today. You want me to hold your hand or carry you or something?

The half-blood's eyes snapped shut and she shook her head as if she'd been in a trance of some sort. She took a nervous hop-step forward and sidled up near Draven.

"N-no, I'm fine. Just nervous is all," She replied, her voice soft like a feather. She sent Draven a tiny side smile. "Besides, I don't want the entire camp's first impression of me to be that I can't even walk by myself."

Draven snorted, but nodded and led the way down the hill nonetheless.

As the two travelling companions strode down the hill and onto flat land, the demigoddess noticed a bit of a rippling shimmer above her head. As she walked on, she noticed it seemed to span from one side of the camp to the other. She cocked her head with thought.

A barrier, huh? That's smart. It must be why there are no monster attacks here. Or rarely any anyways, the girl thought to herself.

Draven's hooves made a soft pattering sound on the ground as he kept up his pace, head held high, but his shoulders slumped. It was as if he wanted to appear confident and a slacker at the same time. He continued to walk and as the duo made it further into the camp, they were greeted by boy with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He waved to them in a friendly fashion and the demigoddess felt the anxiety weighing her shoulders down lighten.

The surfer-esque boy flashed her a glimmering smile before turning to Draven with an equally as pleased expression. Draven's face, on the other hand, remained stoic and monotone. The demigoddess wondered if he had any emotions other than bored, grumpy, and tired. The probabilities were slim.

"Hey, Drave! I see you brought someone to camp today, huh?" The blonde turned to the other half-blood and casted her a warm grin. "Hello! I'm Will Solace, son of Apollo, and you are?"

The demigoddess instantly began to feel shy again, taking a step back and wringing her hands once more.

"Ah, hi, Will. Nice to meet you. I'm Rebecca Robinson... Daughter of... Ah... I'm not sure yet..." She dipped her head mournfully.

Her entire life had always been one big guessing game and she just wished for once that something could be clear. Like who her godly parent was and why they'd hidden their identity from her for so long.

Will frowned, looking a bit confused and frustrated. He walked around Rebecca like a doctor inspecting a sick patient. He brought his hand to his chin and thought to himself for a moment before shaking his head.

"That's odd. Gods and goddesses alike are supposed to claim their children by the time they turn thirteen. You look to be older than that. Are you?"

Rebecca felt blush rising to her cheeks, but she hoped Will was too deep in thought to notice it. She felt like a show dog being inspected by a judge.

"I'm sixteen..."

Will's brow furrowed further and even more frustration crossed into his blue eyes. He blinked and spoke again.

"Sixteen, huh? Yeah, you definitely should have been claimed by now. I mean, there have been cases in the past, but that was because of a prophecy and-" Will broke off and shook his head again, sighing deeply. "I'm sure you'll be claimed soon. Don't worry about it," Will turned to look at the satyr guide at Rebecca's side who was frowning and picking at his nails. "Draven, would you like to come join us by the campfire tonight and actually socialize for once?"

Draven groaned dramatically, crossing his arms with a pout.

"Do I have to? I mean, I did my job. I got her here in one piece. It's not my fault she has a dead beat parent."

"Draven."

Draven sent a pained look in the direction of a small glade where a handsome pale green-skinned boy was sitting on a stump. The boy sent him a joyful smile at the sight of him, but then waved him off in the direction of the fire as if it say, 'It's fine. You can go.'

"I was sort of looking forward to spending some time with Sage... It's been a long day..."

Will shrugged as if this meant nothing to him.

"All the more reason to come wind down by the fire for a bit. I'm sure you could ask Sage to come with if you really wanted to."

Draven frowned deeply at this.

"Dryads and fire don't exactly mix, you know..."

Will nodded begrudgingly and finally threw up his arms in defeat.

"Fine. If you honestly don't even care about the godly parent of someone that you brought here yourself, you can go hang out with Sage."

Draven's eyes brightened and he sent Rebecca a pleading look.

"I can go, right kid? I mean, Rebecca. You can always fill me in on everything later, right?"

Rebecca desperately wanted to say no and make the one person who actually knew her stay with her until she had everything all figured out, but the look in his eyes was intensely hopeful.

Draven really wants to stay with this 'Sage' character. I guess I shouldn't force him to stay with me just because I'm scared. Time to man up, Rebecca thought to herself.

"Sure, Draven. Go ahead. I'll see you later."

Rebecca watched with surprise as his brown eyes sparkled and a genuine smile curled up his lips. He let out a happy bleat and began to race to Sage without another word.

"Thanks, kid!"

And with that, the satyr bounded over to the dryad boy and took a seat at hi feet. His goat tail flicked back and forth happily as he began to recount his day to Sage. Sage smiled and nodded the whole time, his eyes full of fondness for the satyr at his feet.

Rebecca sighed.

She'd never had a relationship (much less friendship) like Sage and Draven appeared to have. It was sort of hard to look at because it made her want someone she could tell her day to. It made her want someone that would look at her like Sage looked at Draven.

"Well, whatever, we'll have a good time without him. Come on, Rebecca. Let's get you to the campfire so we can meet some potential friends... Or siblings in your case!" Will began to trot towards the fire, prompting Rebecca to follow him. She blinked before sprinting over to him and following the leader once again to a huge amphitheater.

There were kids everywhere.

All throughout the bleachers, down near the fire pit itself, and flocking in from the outside, it was almost entirely overwhelming. There was anywhere from fist fights to make-out sessions going on all over the stands and there seemed to be almost no room for her to sit anywhere safely.

A few more friendly looking satyrs were strumming some ukuleles and harps whilst some demigods played more loud instruments such as saxophones and clarinets.

All in all, it was chaos and Rebecca was not accustomed to it at all.

"Welcome to the campfire, Rebecca!" Will shouted over the infernal noise of the crowd. His eyes glowed in the firelight and twinkled with pride as if everyone in the camp were his children and he was their proud father. Rebecca felt a little better with how comfortable Will looked, but she was still on edge, jumping and squeaking with every bang and crash from the stands.

Will noticed the nervousness of her demeanor and offered her a hand and a sympathetic look.

"Hey, the first day is always the scariest. I promise not everyone is crazy here. If you want, you can sit by me, my siblings, and my boyfriend for the time being. Just until we know where to sit you anyways. Besides, to tell you the truth, Chiron isn't as strict with the seating arrangements as of lately. He probably won't mind."

"Mm," Rebecca nodded, feeling that much more scrutinized.

Nonetheless, she followed Will over to a section in the bleachers where a sunny yellow banner was draped. There were two girls already sitting there and they waved to Will as he approached. One of them had short blonde hair and intense golden eyes while the other had dyed green hair and freckles galore. They looked to be decent enough people. Rebecca could only hope they were as amiable as their brother.

As Rebecca took a seat next to Will, she nearly jumped out of her skin with fear. A boy with jet black hair and matching clothes seemingly appeared out of the shadows on Will's other side. He cuddled close to Will and sent him a tentative smile like he wasn't used to doing that.

"Hey, Sunshine."

"Greetings, Death Boy." Will replied, ruffling the shorter boy's dark hair. "I've brought company."

At this, 'Death Boy' tensed and straightened himself up. He seemed to have not noticed Rebecca and his brown eyes narrowed with distrust. Rebecca swallowed her spit as her crystal blue eyes locked onto his intense gaze. This boy had a dark and mysterious aura to him and it made her feel cold and unsafe. She shivered slightly and gave Will a plaintive look.

"Nico, this is Rebecca. Rebecca, this is my boyfriend, Nico." Will leaned towards Nico's ear and the boy tensed again, sending Rebecca a worried look. "She's unclaimed as of now. Are you getting any underwordly vibes from her? Hypnos maybe?"

Nico's eyes narrowed further and he stared at Rebecca. The demigoddess shifted in the uncomfortable silence and gulped again. She hated this routine of inspecting new people here at camp and wondered if everyone she'd ever say hi to would be this weird. Still, she sat still politely and kept her mouth shut until Nico pulled away and shook his head at Will.

"Well, she's definitely not a child of Hades, and she doesn't radiate the same lulling aura that Clovis and his siblings do so I'm going to say... Possibly Hecate." He gave Rebecca's light blue hair a look and she felt that much more self conscious.

Was blue hair forbidden in this camp?

"Possibly though. I'm not one hundred percent sure. She has an... Odd feel to her." He winced at his choice of words and gave Rebecca a slightly sorry look. "Sorry. I mean, I've just never felt this kind power before. It sort of reminds me of... Fire."

Rebecca blinked with alarm, racking her brain for a god or goddess of flames and fire. She could only hope it wasn't some scary and angry deity who loved to scorch mortals in their free time.

Will and Nico exchanged a look and Will turned his head to take another look at Rebecca.

"You don't think... Leo...?"

Nico shook his head.

"No, not Hephaestus. I don't know how, but I'm sure that she's not his. This power is... Different."

Will frowned and looked thoughtful.

"But... Fire... Hephaestus is the only god who has pyrokinesis roots, right? Who else could it be?"

Nico shrugged, thinking equally as hard as his boyfriend.

"I mean, my Mythomagic cards say that Hecate and Nemesis have fire powers too, but that sort of tells you how accurate they are."

As the two debated with each other quietly, they soon forgot that the subject of their argument was sitting right beside them. Rebecca wanted desperately to curl up into a ball and sleep for a solid week. She hated being new and she simply wanted to go home and forget this had ever happened.

A gentle poke on her shoulder brought her back to reality and she turned to see the green-haired girl sitting behind her. She had a sympathetic look on her features and she extended a hand to Rebecca.

"Hey, I'm Kayla. You're Rebecca right? It must suck to now know your parent."

Rebecca hesitantly took Kayla's hand and shook it.

"Hello. Yeah, I'm Rebecca and yeah, it truly does suck." She let her eyes trail to look at the flames ahead of her and she found herself feeling warm and a bit more safe as she watched them flicker. It was as if the warmth could reach her, even here. "I just wish someone would come forward and take responsibility for me. I don't like this suspense."

Kayla nodded.

"Yeah, I get that. You just gotta keep your head up though, you know? You'll be claimed soon enough and then you'll be able to meet your siblings, make friends easier, and have a cabin all to your own. It'll be great, trust me."

Rebecca found herself smiling dreamily as the flames lapped at the charred logs inside of the pit. She watched the colors swirling in the fire; the orange, the red, the yellow, and the white. Just watching the colors dance together made her feel confident and... Powerful.

Suddenly, there was a popping noise and a flash of light. Rebecca jumped back, falling onto her rear between the seats. Her blue eyes widened and blinked as her chest heaved for breath.

In front of her face was a glowing symbol, a golden flame.

The crowd went silent. There was no more arguing, singing, shouting, or chattering. Even the birds above had gone quiet. The only noise was the sound of the flames crackling in the fire pit and Rebecca heaving for breath.

Kayla was the first to break the silence, leaning forward and looking at the symbol with great interest.

"I've never seen that one before."

Instantly the camp erupted with hushed whispers and accusations. Bets were being placed in the back and Rebecca wished the flame would melt her into a puddle. She'd rather be anywhere but here where all the eyes were on her.

There was a bang and Rebecca's eyes shot over to the fire pit where a large centaur was standing with a hoof raised. He gave the fading symbol a look before taking a step back and running his fingers through his thinning hair.

"I can't believe... I thought she would never..." He took a deep breath and cut off, raising his hands and turning to the crowd. "Please welcome the first ever daughter of... Hestia."

A unanimous gasp rang out through the stands and cries of outrage erupted from the stands.

"That can't be true! Hestia is a maiden goddess! She'd never have a child, much less someone like her!" Called out a rough and tumble girl from beneath a boar's head banner.

"Not to be rude, but she's right. Are you sure one of the gods didn't just get a symbol update or wanted a change? I mean, the claiming symbols are kind of like emojis, right?" Asked a girl with shockingly red hair who stood under a pale pink dove banner.

"Wrong. Gods and goddesses can't just change their symbols. They came to be through years of worshiping," A boy with brown hair announced from underneath a gray owl banner.

Rebecca held her ears, her head ringing with all of the chaos around her. Through the clatter though, Rebecca heard the clacking of high heels coming her way. She looked up with wide eyes to see an ebony haired girl staring down at her disdainfully.

A hush fell over the camp as they watched with interest.

Authority radiated from the girl in front of Rebecca and she suddenly felt as if she wasn't meant to be here at all. She gulped and looked down again.

The girl snorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Gods, are you guys ever dense. There's nothing special about her. She's clearly just a fake or something. Maybe there was a mix-up. There's one thing for certain though; Hestia is not her mom." She scoffed before letting out a nasally laugh. "You'd fit in more with those head-in-the-clouds Hypnos kids over there, sweetheart. I'm sure having someone who actually knows how to take care of themselves in that cabin would be a good influence."

Rebecca winced as she watched a previously thought to be sleeping blonde boy rise from the bleachers underneath a purple and red poppy banner.

"And what's so bad about being a Hypnos kid?" He called out, giving the black-haired girl a long suffering look. "At least we're not all high and mighty like you, Drew."

Drew threw up her hands in defense.

"Hey, I'm not the one claiming to be the daughter of a maiden goddess over here."

Rebecca stood up and took a deep breath and tried to look as non-threatening as possible to Drew.

"I swear I never said it was true. I just-"

"Oh, hush up, Flame Princess. You can't even tell me you're not just soaking up all this attention right now. I'll bet this is the most exciting thing to have ever happened in your dull life."

"I-"

"Go start a forest fire or something."

"Enough!" Chiron shouted, but it was too late. Drew had already succeeded in getting the camp riled up.

"Mind toasting my marshmallow for me?"

"How's it feel to get burned?"

"She's not even hot enough to be a fire demigoddess."

"Would all of you shut up?!"

The last command came from a boy with black hair and sea green eyes who stood up from where he sat near the fire. His eyes were stormy and he looked anything but pleased with the bullying. He walked over to Rebecca and stood in front of her protectively, giving the crowd a glare.

The demigods shut up immediately as if this strange boy somehow had them under his control. They looked at him with wide eyes and stifled breaths.

"Grow up, would you? Before just a couple of years ago, it was unheard of to be a child of Hebe or Tyche too. Things change and you all should know that better than anyone else. You especially Drew." The boy growled, glaring at Drew with those sea green eyes. Drew's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "You haven't even met this girl yet. Don't you all remember your first days here? You were terrified and lonely. Does it make you feel good to make her feel like a mistake?"

More than half of the crowd had the decency to look guilty, but some of the demigods in the stands still frowned and turned up their noses.

"Besides, there's a first time for everything, right?" The boy turned to look at Rebecca, his gaze softening and a smile trailing across his lips. "I'm Percy. It's nice to meet you."

Rebecca stood stock still. His voice was soft and warm and made her feel like she'd been wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. She fought the urge to lean into him and instead sent him a weak smile back.

"I'm Rebecca. It's... Nice to meet you too..." She lowered her voice and spoke in what was almost an inaudible whisper. "Thank you..."

Percy's smile broadened and he extended a hand, leading her away from Drew and towards where he had been sitting to begin with.

"You can sit by me, Rebecca. It's okay. No one is going to say anything else." He sent a stern look out to the crowd. "Now why don't you just sit back and enjoy the campfire. We haven't even started to sing yet."

The satyrs took this as their cue and began to play their instruments more clear and concise. Eventually, as the first few strands of a camp classic were strummed, the tension in the air began to lift and the anxiety filled, purple flame in the fire pit, turned orange once again.

Rebecca managed to draw her gaze away from Percy for a moment and looked into the dancing flames. She had no idea if her mom was truly in there, but despite her worries, she prayed under her breath.

Thank you, Hestia...

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Rebecca stretched luxuriously, feeling her sore muscles stretch and loosen in the sunlight.

It had been a few months since she'd first arrived at Camp Half-Blood and been claimed by Hestia, and now she could safely say that she felt like she belonged here. After a few weeks of staying at the Hermes and Hypnos cabins, the camp architect, Annabeth Chase had designed and built her a small cabin next to the Hecate cabin. Her cabin was nothing impressive (it was cream colored with pretty, sparkling flames painted all around the outside walls), but Rebecca almost liked it that way.

Less and less people were giving her looks of disapproval and were instead inviting her to hang out with them at training sessions or to sit by them at lunch and supper. She had a few close friends now and she enjoyed their company and loyalty greatly.

She'd first made friends with Cecil Markowitz from the Hermes cabin after staying there in the sea of children that called that cabin their home. He was one of the more calm Hermes children, but he was still quite mischievous. Rebecca had only started talking to him after she'd caught him attempting to pick pocket her. He'd apologized and gave her a tour of the camp as an apology. After looking past the initial distrust she held for him, she realized he was actually a nice (and fun) friend to have.

After hanging out with him for a few days, he'd introduced her to his best friend, Lou Ellen Blackstone. Lou Ellen was a lot more on the crazy side when compared to Cecil. She was always looking for mischief to make and jokes to be made. There was never a dull moment with her around and Rebecca sort of enjoyed not knowing what the Hecate counselor would spontaneously do next.

Rebecca had also gotten to know Draven a lot better. He was much nicer than he liked to come off as and was actually very caring about a lot of people, including his boyfriend, Sage.

Sage was a very kind individual. He was always making flower crowns and dandelion necklaces for the younger occupants at Camp Half Blood and was occasionally known to host strawberry picking expeditions. He and Draven were almost inseparable, but on the occasions where Rebecca ran into them, they made sure to make her feel included.

And last but not least, there was Percy Jackson. Percy was revered as a camp hero. He had gone on many a quest, saved the camp more times than even he could count, and witnessed horrors that people may have night terrors about. And yet, he was one of the most happy and upbeat people Rebecca had ever met. He was goofy, a jokester and often tried to make Rebecca laugh and smile when she was feeling down. He'd helped her get situated in her schedule, prepared her for cabin inspection, and made her feel welcome in camp. Whenever anyone said anything remotely bad about Rebecca or her mother, Percy was always seemingly there, ready to put up a fight for his new friend.

Rebecca hated to pick favorites, but she was definitely always looking to spend more time with Percy whenever she could. He just seemed to radiate this happy aura that always made her feel ten times better. He made her feel like she was a human being worthy of affection and friends.

He made her feel normal.

"Hey there, Rebs!"

Rebecca blinked open her eyes languidly like a cat in the sunshine. She turned on her heel to spot Draven and Sage walking towards her, hand in hand. Draven had a crown of wildflowers atop his horns and Rebecca could tell that they had been in the woods outside the border.

Rebecca flashed her friends a warm smile, waving at them happily.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

Draven shrugged, flipping his bangs out of his face and letting out a habitual bleat. "Nothing much. Just saw you and wanted to say is all."

Sage tilted his head and his golden curls whisked across his face gently. "What have you been up to today, Becca? Anything interesting?"

Rebecca shrugged in response, almost mimicking Draven perfectly.

"Not really, I suppose. Pollux and I were doing some sword fighting practice, but I started to get a little sore and took a break. I think Mitchell is training with Pollux now. I'm just sort of enjoying the sunshine for now."

Sage nodded agreeably.

"Isn't it lovely out here today? I mean, the weather is always usually nice, but today especially. Maybe it's a good omen that something great's gonna happen!"

Draven rolled his eyes fondly, slugging Draven playfully. "You say that every day, Sage."

Sage slugged Draven back, a little harder.

"Hey, I met you on one of these days, so I'd hush up."

Rebecca giggled.

"Okay, lovebirds. Tone it down a notch."

Sage and Draven laughed and gave Rebecca a pair of matching grins. Sage opened his mouth to say something more, but stopped, looking past Rebecca. A smirk curled up his face and crossed his arms.

Draven gave Sage a questioning look and stood on the tips of his hooves to see over Rebecca shoulder. His eyes landed on something, or someone, and he too gave her a Cheshire Cat-like smile.

"I'm almost scared to ask you two dorks what's behind me."

"I am."

Percy's deep voice sounded right beside Rebecca's ear and she nearly jumped out of her shoes. She felt her face heat up as she turned to face her friend, face ablaze with blush.

"Jeez, Perc, you scared the living Hades out of me! You can just say 'hi' instead of trying to stop my heart from beating, you know?"

"Hi." Percy responded coyly.

Rebecca rolled her blue eyes, placing her hands on her hips.

"Very funny, Merman. Anyways, what did you need?"

Percy seemed to notice Sage and Draven for the first time and looked a bit sheepish, scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile.

"Oh, oops. Sorry about interrupting you guys. I can wait until later if you want."

Before Rebecca could say anything, Sage sauntered up to Rebecca's side, his eyes glittering with mischief.

"Oh no, Percy, it's all good. Draven and I were just leaving; weren't we, Drave?" Sage announced loudly, his voice silky and persuasive.

Draven appeared at Rebecca's other side, blinking curiously.

"We were?"

Sage nudged Draven's side and exchanged a look with him. Draven's eyes widened with sudden realization.

"Oooh, yeah. We totally were. See ya, kid!"

"W-wait-" Rebecca started, but Sage intertwined his arm through Draven's and the two were off. Draven occasionally peeked over his shoulder and gave Rebecca a sneaky look and Rebecca fought the urge to sigh exasperatedly.

"I have no idea what that was all about," Rebecca stated apologetically, touching Percy's arm gently.

Percy's face reddened and he cleared his throat quickly. "Well, I guess it's not necessarily a bad thing. I thought I was interrupting something important."

Rebecca rolled her eyes, drawing her hand back and placing it back on her hip.

"Nah, it's never anything important with those two dorks," She turned a curious look to Percy. "So, what did you want anyways? Is everything alright?"

Percy nodded almost immediately, his hands fumbling with each other absent-mindedly.

"Oh yeah! Everything's fine! I just was... Wondering about something..."

Rebecca raised an eyebrow curiously. Usually, whenever Percy wanted to know something, he was usually pretty open about asking. Like the time where he'd asked if she actually had fire powers and helped her discover that she did in fact. Or the time where he'd asked her about her life before camp and listened intently while she droned on and on about stuff she had previously thought no one cared about. This time, Percy looked petrified.

"Wondering about what?" She asked, her eyes narrowing with concern. "You know you can ask me anything."

Percy's hands went up to his neck and began to fiddle with the small beads on his camp necklace as he often did when he was nervous.

"Well, I know that. It's just... I dunno, embarrassing?"

Now Rebecca was really intrigued.

"Spit it out, you big dork. I'm sure everything is fine."

Percy took a quick breath before words flooded out of his mouth.

"Do you maybe want to take a walk around the beach or something? I mean, you don't have to, but it's really nice out and I thought it would be fun and-"

Rebecca smiled and held up her hands as if to say 'calm down, man'.

Percy gave her a nervous look as she opened her mouth to respond.

"Of course I'll go. What was so embarrassing about that? We hang out all the time, Perc. It's what friends do."

Percy cringed, but swallowed and nodded, an awkward smile curling up his lip.

"Yeah, I know. I dunno why I was getting all worked up about it," He dropped his hands back down to his sides and took another breath. "You want to go now or...?"

Rebecca shrugged nonchalantly. She really hadn't planned on doing much today and she was pretty sure that Pollux and Mitchell were still sparring, so she figured it would be no big deal if she called it a day so early. She'd been working hard lately anyways. Her attack and defense had improved intensely.

"Yeah, why not?" She stretched again, popping her back casually with a sigh of bliss. "If you're down, I'm down."

Percy nodded, his smile becoming more genuine.

"Great! I mean, that's good. I mean... Let's get going, shall we?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day, but nodded nonetheless. She began to follow Percy to the beach, watching the demigods around her send her strange looks.

Cecil and Lou Ellen, who were sitting near the dining pavilion gave her twin thumbs ups.

Valentina, from the Aphrodite cabin, paused in her conversation with her younger sister Lacy to give Rebecca a longing look.

Damien White and Chiara Benvenutti gave Percy and Rebecca a look and began jostling each other back and forth.

Rebecca frowned. Why was everyone asking so strange? She'd hung out with Percy plenty of times by herself. Why now was it such a big deal?

She shook her head and continued following Percy to the northern border of camp where the beach was located. A few lazy waves were lapping at the shore and seagulls cawed raucously in the distance. Despite the noise, it was rather peaceful.

Rebecca turned and gave Percy a playful look, suddenly darting over to the shore and taking off her shoes as she ran. Percy's face lit up with surprise and he chased after her quickly, giving her a bewildered expression.

"Hey, Percy. I'd say it'd be a waste to not go swimming on a day as nice as this one. What do you say we go splash around for a bit, huh?"

Percy's face reddened slightly as Rebecca removed her socks, glasses, and finally her shirt. She wasn't all that concerned for she was wearing a sports bra underneath and as far as she was concerned, it covered what it needed to. Besides, she'd seen Percy in his boxers too many times to count on one hand. It really didn't affect her anymore.

Rebecca threw her discarded clothing items into the soft, warm sand beyond the water and trotted out to where the waves met the shoreline. She let the salty water wash over her feet and let out a sigh at the cool feeling it left in its wake.

Turning her head, she saw Percy standing stock still where she'd left him. His mouth was open slightly and he looked a bit conflicted on what to do.

Rebecca tilted her head and waded out a little further, feeling the water go up to her waist. She let out a squeal at the cold before she got used to the temperature and leaned back. Her blue and white hair floated behind her in the water and she sighed again.

"Come on, Percy. I thought you were the son of the sea god for crying out loud! Don't leave me alone out here," She lifted her head up and let her wet hair cascade down her back. "Come on, the water feels nice."

Percy blinked tightly before a gigantic grin lit up his face and he raced across the beach. He lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side, standing in his jeans and shoes. As he removed his footwear, Rebecca took the time to admire his chest and stomach.

Percy was well built; muscular, but not overly. Faint marks of old scars and wounds trailed across his bare skin in light lines and dashes. His broad shoulders looked all the more powerful in the sunlight and Rebecca remembered the time when Percy had lifted her up from behind when she'd drifted off in the lunch line. She'd squealed and kicked relentlessly until she figured out it was him before melting into a giggly mess.

The son of the sea god worked with his belt and pulled his jeans to his feet, revealing that he had, in fact, come prepared. He was decked in dorky, Flounder and Sebastian swim shorts beneath his pants and Rebecca giggle-snorted.

"Nice shorts, Nautical Nerd."

Percy shrugged, walking over to the water and stepping into the cool liquid without hesitation. Rebecca knew he wouldn't even get wet from the water unless he wanted to, but he still shivered at the cold initially.

"You lied. It is totally freezing in here."

Rebecca rolled her eyes again. She seemed to be good at that.

"Give it some time, you big baby. You'll get used to it," A mischievous grin lit up her face and she turned to Percy. "Until then, I have a way to help with that."

"What-"

And without a warning, Rebecca sent a huge splash Percy's wave and watched as his eyes widened at the cold. He yelped, hugging himself to keep warm. After a moment, his eyes narrowed playfully and he let out a mock growl of anger.

"I'll teach you to mess with the one and only Percy Jackson. Come here!"

He lunged forward and grabbed Rebecca's waist, leaning back and dipping her underwater. As they resurfaced, Rebecca in Percy's arms bridal style, Rebecca laughed and sent a few soft punches at his shoulders.

"You big jerk! If I weren't in the water right now, I would have burned you to a crisp by now!"

Percy snorted, sending Rebecca a cocky smirk.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh yeah? Put me down and you'll find out!"

Percy took his turn to roll his eyes and dropped Rebecca like a sack of flour. Rebecca squealed as she fell into the water, righting herself immediately as water trickled down her face."Oh, you asked for it, buster! It's time for a water war!" She sent another huge splash at Percy who dipped out of the way just in time.

"Bring it, Becca." He barked and rose a large bubble of water out of the ocean, hovering it over Rebecca's head. She let out a shriek and began to race away as fast as she could. Percy chuckled and raced after her, threatening to drop the bubble at anytime.

"Stop, you big bully!" Rebecca wailed plaintively before making a sharp turn and barreling into Percy. The demigod stumbled backwards and lost his control on the bubble and it splashed down on him. He spluttered for a moment before cracking his knuckles.

"It is on."

--------------------------------------------------

The sun had long gone down and the beach was draped with darkness. Fireflies flew overhead and the water had grown even cooler. Too cold for Rebecca's liking.

The duo had had an intense water fight (that Percy claimed to have won) before denouncing that it was too cold and racing each other out of the ocean. They dried themselves off and got redressed as the moon and stars began to appear.

Percy and Rebecca had begun to walk along the edge of the beach as they had initially planned on doing and Rebecca had lit a small fire in her palm so they could see in the night. Her flames usually were orange or red, typical colors of fire, but tonight, they were sky blue.

In the glowing light of the fire, Rebecca walked by Percy's side, picking up seashells she found in the sand and chucking them out to sea once more. After awhile of this, Rebecca grew tired and leaned on Percy, just looking up at the stars. She didn't know when her free hand's fingers had become intertwined with Percy's but it had happened and she wasn't going to change that.

A dainty yawn erupted from Rebecca's mouth as she pointed upward at a cluster of stars.

"That one's Orion. I can see his belt from here."

Percy nodded, his face illuminated by the blue flames beside him. In that lighting, his eyes appeared to be even more sea-like than they usually did in daylight. Rebecca could also see his cheekbone and chin more prominently defined now. And his jet black hair fell into his eyes whispily...

"Hey, Rebecca...?"

Rebecca felt herself jump a tiny bit at Percy's voice. He'd been rather quiet since the two had gotten out of the water.

"Yeah, Perc?"

Percy stopped walking abruptly and Rebecca felt anxiety churn in her stomach.

Had another camper found them? Were the harpies out for a midnight snack?

"I just wanted to say that I really appreciate you. Like just you in general. You're the best friend I've ever had," He paused before chuckling quietly. "Well, besides Grover, I guess."

Rebecca felt light blush dust her cheeks and she hoped the blue lighting covered it well.

"Oh yeah? But we've only known each other for about... Five months, maybe? Give or take. I'm not that great."

Percy shook his head, reaching for Rebecca's hands. She instinctively stopped her flames and Percy took her palms in his hands.

"You honestly can't believe that, can you? I mean, you always listen to me rattle on about everything, you always laugh at my jokes, even when they're not funny, and you're always willing to talk to me... Not just because I'm well known either. It's like you genuinely like me as a person and it's just... It's nice..."

Rebecca nodded slowly.

"I feel the same way about you, you know. You're the only person here that I trust with all my heart. You stand up for me all the time and you're honestly just a good guy, inside and out."

Percy laughed awkwardly, looking away for a minute before looking at Rebecca again.

"I, uh... I think I might like you a little differently than you like me..."

Rebecca, who was starting to put two and two together, felt her face heat up even more.

"Listen, Rebecca I... I don't mean to be straight-forward or anything, but I really like... Love you. And I'd love nothing more if you felt the same way."

Percy took a step forward, his hands still holding Rebecca's, but Rebecca took a step backwards. She pulled her hands from Percy's reluctantly and gave him a mournful look.

Percy seemed a bit hurt, but continued nonetheless.

"Can I... Will you... Uh, can I be your boyfriend?" He asked, his voice little more than a whisper.

Rebecca winced, running her fingers through her hair quickly and looking down at her feet.

"But I'm... I'm different, Percy. I'm not like you or Lou Ellen or Grover. I'm... Unnatural..."

Percy didn't hesitate, extending his arms for a hug.

"Different is good, Rebecca. You're all I could ask for."

Rebecca stared at his outstretched arms for a moment before sinking into the embrace, feeling Percy's strong arms hold her close. His head rested on her shoulder and she could feel his warm breath near her ear. He rubbed her back comfortingly as Rebecca felt a few hot tears fall onto his T-shirt.

They weren't tears of sadness though.

After a moment a holding and being held, Rebecca pulled back again, slower this time. She look into Percy's sea green eyes and saw the longing that was there. She knew now that he was serious. He truly did love her.

And as Rebecca stood on the tips of her toes, leaned forward and closed her eyes, she knew she loved him too.

Rebecca's lips met Percy's and sparks danced across her face. Percy kissed her back softly after getting over the initial shock and his hand moved up to cup her cheek. The two kissed for a moment before breaking away gently.

Rebecca took in Percy's face. Blush covered his cheeks, but the smile on his face was completely clear. She'd never seen him look so happy before.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, before looking into those beautiful green eyes again.

"I love you too..." She murmured and Percy leaned in for another quick kiss. As he pulled back, he trailed his fingers though her hair.

"Thank you for everything, Rebecca." He murmured softly.

Rebecca pressed her fact against his chest and smiled.

"No... Thank you..."

Chapter Text

(This story was a request by aph3802 on Quotev. Pearl is her character. If you do not like oc x canon relationships, please find another story to read and do not complain in the comments. And remember, requests are always open!)

Pearl Jackson had known Grover Underwood almost all of her life. Being her brother, Percy's best friend, he came over to the house often and would always greet her with the same smile and wave. There was a period of time when Percy was twelve and she was ten where Grover, Percy, and her mother had disappeared for awhile and it had been the worst few days of her life. She had been stuck with her awful stepdad, Gabe and she could have thought of nothing worse. When her mother finally came back, she was frazzled and tired, but she seemed to be very relieved.

Pearl never asked where she'd been, but she did question as to why she never saw Percy or Grover around anymore. Her mother, Sally had simply explained that they had gone off to a summer camp and they would both be back before they knew it.

A couple of days after Sally returned, Gabe mysteriously went missing and never came back. That left just Pearl and her mother; alone.

For years after that, Percy would leave for his camp in the summer and come back during the school year. However, Grover did not return with him. When Pearl questioned Percy about this occurrence, Percy explained that he'd gotten a job at the summer camp and was very busy there.

Pearl was a little hurt. She thought that she and Grover had been good friends. She had thought that she, Percy, and Grover were the inseparable trio. Clearly, she had been wrong.

The small girl had been inconsolable for days, hiding in her room, and refusing to talk to Sally or Percy no matter what. She refused to touch her meals, do her homework, or step outside no matter how pleasant the weather was. Even promises of taking her to the beach which she had loved since she was a child proved to be useless.

When asked what would make her feel better, Pearl was adamant. She claimed that either she would be brought to see this unusual summer camp or Grover would come to visit her before she began to fix her behavior.

Percy and Sally finally caved in. On the last week of Pearl's eighth grade year, Sally told Pearl that she had been able to contact Grover. Pearl's long lost friend had immediately agreed to visit as soon as possible and before Pearl knew it, Grover was home.

Pearl had simply came home from the last day of eighth grade to see her doofy, nature loving friend standing at the doorway of her house, holding a pale, white daisy in his shaky hand.

Without hesitation, Pearl had darted forward, throwing her arms around Grover and hugging him, chastising him for leaving and never telling her. She filled him in on all the things he'd missed over the years, told him how she was feeling, and how much she'd missed him, and how she was going to be a freshman next year. She'd then paused and smiled shyly.

"After being gone for so long, I guess I should ask you what's been going on in your life, huh?" She'd asked sheepishly.

Grover had simply smiled in return and placed the daisy behind Pearl's ear.

"We have all day for that..."

The duo had spent the day hanging out around town. At the park, the movie theater, in Pearl's room, and yes, the beach. As the duo walked along the beach (Grover limping on his weak legs), Pearl suddenly stopped. Grover had instantly grown worried that he'd done something wrong and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Pearl? Are you okay?" He'd asked.

Pearl turned an equally nervous gaze to Grover, finger combing through her hair absent-mindedly. She chewed on her bottom lip, looking down at the sand and back up to Grover's big, brown eyes.

"It's just... When are you going back to that camp? It's been so long without you and... I just don't want you to leave me again so soon."

Grover opened his mouth as if to argue, but took one look at the look in Pearl's big, violet eyes and couldn't bring himself to do it. He looked down at the ground, his face reddened and his eyes guilty.

"After today... I have to go back..." He hesitated, thinking to himself for a moment before brightening ever so slightly. "But, hey, m-maybe I can convince The Council-, the other counselors to let me take a year off after the summer is over! I mean, I'm sure they can manage without me for a little while. I spend all my time there anyways." He looked up awkwardly and met Pearl's gaze. "Besides, it's been forever since I've been able to spend any time with you. It'd be nice..."

Pearl nodded, leaning against Grover and breathing in his scent. Grover smelled like the forest; of trees, and wildflowers, and rivers. He also had those big, brown puppy-dog eyes, curly brown hair, and the start of a beard on his chin. His face donned one of those sad smiles that looked like he held all of the world's problems on his shoulders. Pearl just couldn't say no to him... Not now, not ever.

"It would be nice... Okay, I trust you... I just wish I didn't have to wait so long to see you again." Pearl whimpered, burying her face in his chest like a little girl. She wished that she and Grover could just stay at home forever with her doofy older brother and her kind mother.

Those three people were the only ones she needed in her life.

Grover sent her that sad smile again, brushing his hand down her back gently like he was unsure if he were allowed to.

"I promise, the summer will go by quickly and then I'll be back," He smirked mischievously, nudging his friend with a playful glimmer in his eyes. "And then you'll be stuck with me. However will you survive?"

Pearl let out a sigh, slugging Grover softly and looking up at him with mock distress.

"I have no idea. How does Percy do it?"

Grover chuckled, his laugh sounded much like a goat's bleat. That was something that made him distinguishable, that laugh. Pearl loved it.

"Sometimes, I'm not even sure he does..." Grover replied.

As the sun dipped below the horizon that night, Grover and Pearl had returned home. After a tearful good-bye, Grover was gone again along with Percy, and Pearl was left alone once again. Her summer was spent walking aimlessly around town and watching the blue waves crash along the beach shore. Every day, she'd look out across the sea and she'd wonder is she was always destined to be this lonely. However, whenever those thoughts came crawling back to her, she pushed them aside and reminded herself that Percy and Grover would be back come September and they'd be here to stay for the year.

That thought alone was enough to make her smile and every night, she'd crawl into bed and count the days until her best friends returned.

The summer seemed to last forever, but eventually, September did roll around. Percy was home and already preparing for his next busy year of high school. Pearl was nervously gathering her supplies for her freshman year and her mom was comforting the two of them that everything would go just fine. Pearl found that whenever she was worried though, the thought of Grover arriving soon was enough to tide her over.

The day when Grover returned from his summer camp with his floral printed suitcase, and dorky looking Rasta hat was the happiest day of Pearl's life. She'd given him one of her trademark hugs and a kiss on the cheek to which he responded with a shy bleat-laugh. He unpacked that night and chose to sleep on the couch in the living room though all of the Jacksons had suggested he sleep in their room instead. Pearl couldn't stop grinning. She couldn't believe things were back to normal again.

The next morning, Grover broke the news that he'd be enrolling in high school his friends this year. Somehow, he'd gotten the okay from the school board and everything was set up. He'd be in Percy's grade, which disappointed Pearl, but he'd be in the same school as her which was good enough.

School started the next week and the two Jackson's (and Underwood) were subjected to the chaos that was high school once again. However, Pearl found it much more tolerable with Grover back. Ever since the first day of her freshman year, he'd been by her side, defending her from bullies, helping her with her homework, and just being there for her in general.

For once, Pearl was genuinely happy with her situation. She, Percy, and Grover would plan little hangout sessions around town whether it be the arcade, the park, or the beach. The trio grew even closer than they had been before and Pearl couldn't even imagine what her life had been like without her brother and Grover in it.

Pearl's grades improved, her posture grew straighter and more confident, and she refused to be a doormat to bullies any longer. She stood up for herself on the daily and even made a few friends who she felt she could trust. No longer did she sit by herself at lunch or during class.

Sally and Paul Blofis, her mother's new boyfriend, were delighted by the attitude adjustment and even suggested that she take some advanced classes or join some clubs. Pearl was actually starting to consider it. With the encouragement of Grover and Percy, she joined the school's swim team and became the second best swimmer next to Percy.

She was becoming well known in the school as the golden girl of the freshman class and she loved every second of it. Never in her life had she been so pleased with herself and wished it would never change.

However, one night in April, Pearl heard her mother and her two friends talking in hushed, panicked voices behind the nearly closed kitchen door. Pearl wasn't known to eavesdrop, but when her name was mentioned in a strained voice, she grew curious. Pressing her ear against the wall, she listened to them talk.

"...Can't risk keeping her out in the open like this. Nothing good will come from it..."

"Yes, but she's made it this far without anything bad... Why can't I just keep one child? It's hard enough without you here, Percy..."

There was a bit of a quiet argument that Pearl could not hear no matter how hard she tried to, but then, a surprisingly steady voice cut through the bickering and it silenced quickly.

"You don't need to worry, Sally. I'll take good care of her. You have my word. It won't be... Like last time..."

It was all quiet for a moment before Sally broke into muffled sobs and the two boys shushed and comforted her to the best of their ability.

Pearl couldn't listen anymore. She didn't understand and frankly, she didn't want to. She hated to hear her mother sound so broken and it sounded like it was because of her.

She went to bed without speaking to the others that night. The next day, she was very subdued though Sally ,Percy, nor Grover were acting different in the slightest. They couldn't understand where the sudden bout of sadness had come from and they seemed to have no idea that Pearl had heard anything.

After about a week of moping about, Pearl still hadn't noticed a change in behavior. She decided it was useless to act so sad if she didn't even know what she was sad about and thus went back to her happy state of mind.

The last two months of school passed without a problem and on the last day of school, Pearl found herself seated at the dinner table at home. Sally had demanded a family meeting (that included Grover) and Pearl didn't argue. Whenever her mother was this serious, she figured it was something important.

The two Jackson siblings, the tired Jackson mom, and the ever so nervous Underwood boy stared at each other from across the table, their gazes darting to and fro, to the ceiling to the floor and back. No one would speak and awkward silence filled the air. Pearl hated it. Finally, she could stand it no longer.

"Alright, would anyone care to explain why everyone is so worried tonight? What is it? Am I failing my classes again and no one's told me yet? Are we moving? Did a relative pass away? What's going on?"

Sally and Grover exchanged a look before Sally cleared her throat and gave Pearl a sympathetic glance. She brushed her long, brown hair out of her eyes and began to speak in a wavering voice.

"Pearl... Have you ever stopped to wonder about... About your father? Who he was, what he did for a living, where he lived...?" Sally drummed her fingers on the wooden table beneath her hand methodically to relieve some of her tension.

Pearl frowned, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back in her chair, hearing a creak from the old wood. Her violet eyes grew stormy.

"Yeah, I guess so. I just always figured that he... He was some bad person who left once I was born; kind of like Percy's real dad."

Grover chewed at his thumb nail nervously as Percy's eyebrows furrowed. He opened his mouth to protest, but Sally held up a palm and shook her head. Percy huffed and leaned back in his chair as well, looking slightly disgruntled.

Sally took a moment to compose herself before continuing, breathing in deeply and exhaling with pained strain. She risked a glance at her daughter's eyes once again. Sally's doe-like eyes were watery and pleading as if willing Pearl to understand. Pearl had no idea what she was meant to understand at this point in time.

"Well, about that... You and Percy actually do share the same father, Pearl. His name is... His name is Poseidon." Sally stated carefully, and taking in Pearl's reaction.

Pearl cocked an eyebrow.

"Weird name. Isn't that, like, the name of the sea god or something? I've never heard anyone named after him before. Anyways, no matter what his name is, what about him? Why doesn't he ever come to visit us then? Where does he live? Does he actually love us?"

Sally's pained expression grew more and more tired as if she was weighed down from the bottom of her heart. It looked as if she'd had this conversation before and she hadn't been looking forward to a repeat.

"That's the thing, dear... Poseidon was... Is the sea god. He is a god, Pearl," She chewed on her bottom lip and gave Pearl that same pleading look once more, "Do you know what that makes you, Pearl?"

Pearl frowned deeper, her face a mixture of confusion and anger. Nothing that her mother was saying was making sense in the slightest. What did Sally mean, Poseidon was a god? The gods weren't real, everyone knew that. How on Earth could one be her father? Or Percy's father for that matter.

"Confused. What are you talking about Mom? There are no such things as gods and everyone knows it. Why are you lying to me? Stop making up stories and please, just tell me honestly who me, our dad is. I hate being kept in the shadows." Pearl growled.

Sally looked taken aback. Pearl had never spoken to her like that before. Her facial expression morphed to that of hurt.

"Pearl, it's true," Percy stated, his voice hardened. "I've met Poseidon and many other gods before and they are completely real," He glanced up at the ceiling, his voice wavering just the slightest, "And I talk about them like that. It never ends up well..."

Grover nodded in agreement, having moved on from chewing on his thumb to chewing on the rest of his short fingernails.

Pearl turned an exasperated look to Grover, feeling tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Don't tell me that you're in on this too!" She cried. "Whoever's idea of a sick joke this was, it's not funny! I want you all to stop it right now!"

Percy and Grover looked at each other and Percy nodded. Grover stood up and walked closer to Pearl who flinched away. Grover's eyes saddened at this, but regardless, he took a deep breath and moved his hands to his jeans.

Pearl's flushed face turned red as Grover unzipped the front of his pants and began to tug them down. She let out a squeak and covered her face.

"What the heck are you doing?!"

"Jeez, Pearl, would you just look? He's not... What you think he is..." Percy groaned, his voice sounding muffled from behind his palm.

Pearl shook her head adamantly.

"I'm not looking until he puts his pants back on! I still have so much to see in my life and Grover's boxers is not one I have in mind!"

Though a small part of Pearl argued against that, causing her face to heat up even more.

Despite the wrongness of the situation, Pearl did feel curious. Percy was usually too embarrassed to even change in front of any of his family and whenever the topic of nudity, sex, or puberty was brought up, he'd let out a creaky excuse and leave immediately. If he wasn't abandoning ship while Grover stood half naked in the kitchen, something was up.

Pearl steeled herself and separated her fingers just enough to where she could see through them and sent a quick glance in Grover's direction.

"What the heck?! I knew your face was a little fuzzy, but have you ever heard of a razor?!" Pearl asked, removing her hands from her face and focusing on Grover's completely hairy legs. They were covered in brown fur-like bristles and Pearl had never seen anything like it before except for maybe at a petting zoo.

She sent a bewildered look to Grover who blushed and kicked off his shoes.

Pearl looked down and saw that Grover did not, in fact, have feet. Where his feet should have been were two cloven hooves as black as obsidian. Pearl let her gaze roam back up to Grover's head as he slowly removed his Rasta cap as well. Two black stubs protruded from his mop of curly hair and Pearl nearly passed out as she put two and two together.

"Y-you're half... Half donkey?!"

At this, Sally, Percy, and even Grover began to laugh though Pearl could not see anything remotely funny about the situation.

"You know, I should be offended at this point because that's what Percy said the first time he saw me too... I'm not half donkey... I'm half goat. A satyr. Greek guide of the demigods... Aka, you..." He sent a quick glance at Percy who cocked an eyebrow. "A-and Percy, of course!"

Pearl blinked, shooting up from her chair and taking a few steps back."I-I don't understand... The gods are... Real...?"

Sally nodded patiently, standing up herself more slow and deliberate as she extended a hand for Pearl. "As real as you or I."

Pearl squinted at her mother's hand like it was foreign, "And one of them is my dad..."

Percy huffed again, louder this time, "My dad too..." He grumbled.

Pearl turned her gaze to Grover, blinking rapidly as if one of the times her eyes reopened, everything would be normal again and her friend would no longer be part goat or donkey or whatever he was. Nothing appeared to be changing though.

"And you're some sort of a fr-... Mythical creature...?"

Grover shrugged modestly. "I like to think I'm pretty human, but yeah, I'm a satyr."

Pearl shook her head from side to side. "It's just... So hard to believe... I want to believe you, but..."

Percy's gaze softened and he stood up finally, walking over to his sister and placing a hand on her trembling shoulder. His sea green eyes met her gaze and Pearl could see sympathy swimming in the murky depths of them.

"I know it's a lot to take in the first time you hear it, but I promise it's all true. Everything will be okay, Pearl. There's a safe place... Two safe places for people like us to stay. You couldn't have possibly believed that the summer camp I go to all the time is one hundred percent normal."

Grover nudged Percy with his shoulder and gave him the tiniest bit of a sharp look.

"He's talking about Camp Half-Blood. It is a summer camp to most, but some of the campers stay all year long. It's a safe haven for demigods of all types to stay and train for as long as they need it," Grover scratched at his beard worriedly. "And I'm afraid we're going to have to bring you two back soon. Summer starts tomorrow and it's not safe for you to be out here without some monster repellent or something. We'll have to leave tomorrow."

Pearl turned her wide eyes back to Sally, this time the pleading was in her own eyes. She willed her mother to tell her it was all a fever dream and everything would be okay. However, Sally's look grew grim.

"He's right. You've only survived so long with me out of luck. You'd be safer at the camp this summer and you can come back during the school year. I'm not so worried when Percy's here to protect you..."

Pearl frowned with dismay, her eyes stinging.

"Mom, can't you see? They've gone crazy! You can't let them take me away! I don't want to leave you for some weird camp. I don't care if my dad is a stupid god. I don't care!"

Sally cupped her daughter's face gently, but her expression was firm.

"Don't you ever talk like that, Pearl. We're doing this for your own good and you'll be back before you know it. You're going and I don't want to hear anything else on the subject," Her gaze softened only slightly, "For now, I think you should pack your things and get some rest. You're going to need it." She turned to Grover and looked at him trustingly. "How will they be getting to camp? Will I need to give them a ride or...?"

Grover instantly perked at the mention of his name, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh no, Sally! We can't risk another..." He sent a meaningful look at Percy, "Incident. I'll contact Butch via Iris message tonight and ask him to send a pegasus to pick us up tomorrow."

"Preferably Blackjack," Percy put in.

Grover rolled his eyes, but nodded.

Sally dipped her head in acknowledgement. She turned a sad smile to Pearl.

"Why don't you all go get packed? I'll make blue pancakes for breakfast tomorrow and blue cookies tonight... Think of it as a little good luck gift."

And as Sally ducked away to the kitchen, Pearl felt that much worse.

--------------------------

The night was fitful and disturbed by the thrashing of Pearl in her bed. No matter how hard she tried to sleep, she just couldn't do it. Her mind was on overdrive and she couldn't quite shut it off. Eventually, sleep did find her (fitful sleep, at that.) but they were chaos. Crazy gods, cute satyrs, and blue cookies plagued her dreams and Pearl woke up feeling even more tired than she had been before she had gone to sleep.

The demigoddess of the sea ate her blue pancakes despondently, never casting a glance up for risk of seeing her mother's watery blue eyes.

Percy and Grover seemed not at all affected and even, Pearl though, looked a little excited. Percy drowned his pancakes under syrup as per usual and Pearl noticed that Grover had been chewing on a ball of aluminum foil like an apple. She decided not to ask.

After the group had finished their breakfast, Sally sent them off to grab their things as they waited for their ride to camp. Pearl took this time to wallow in her self pity again, grabbing her bags and letting tears drip down her face. As she walked outside with her bags in hand, she felt a shaky touch on her arm.

Pearl turned to look into the bright face of Grover Underwood. If it weren't for his lack of pants, Pearl wouldn't have noticed he looked any different than he had the day before.

"Listen, Pearl, I know this is a lot to take in at once, but I just wanted to say that things will be just fine. Camp Half-Blood is a great place and you'll meet a lot of new people and sing campfire songs and..." Grover trailed off as he noticed the sadness in Pearl's eyes. "Just... Try to give it a chance for me, okay? I promise that I won't let anything happen to you. At least, not bad things."

Before Pearl could respond, she heard heavy wing beats high above her and looked up just in time to see a flash of black barrel to the ground beside her and whinny on two legs.

A real pegasus... Somehow I'm not surprised... Pearl thought sarcastically.

Hey, watch the rude remarks, eh? A Brooklyn accented deep voice filled Pearl thoughts and she blinked with surprise. Before she could question anything, the door flew open and Percy raced over to the pegasus with glee in his sparkling green eyes.

"Hey, Blackjack! Long time no see! How are ya, buddy? Butch treating you right?"

Blackjack whinnied and bucked and once again, the voice filled Pearl's head.

I tried telling that kid that I'd rather have donuts then some nasty old carrot from his sweaty hand, but he just won't hear it!

Percy laughed, ruffling Blackjack's mane fondly.

"Well, you could stand to lose some weight before your next box of donuts, don't ya think?"

Blackjack nuzzled Percy's face and licked some crumbs away from his cheek.

I could say the same to you, Pancake Boy.

"Annnnnd, we can some how understand this pegasus's thought process... What else is new? Let me guess, our camp director is a freaking centaur," Pearl growled moodily.

Grover and Percy exchanged an amused glance as Sally stepped out of the house.

"Percy," She chided, walking over to join her son's reunion. "I told you not to leave the door open- Oh, hello there, Blackjack. Would you like a cookie?"

Blackjack whinnied and Pearl heard a resounding 'yes!' rumble her brain. She sighed heavily.

This was going to take some getting used to.

Sally fed Blackjack a blue chocolate chip cookie and then wrapped her arms around Percy. She gave him a kiss on the forehead, whispered something in his ear, and pulled away with a distant smile. She then walked over to Pearl and extended her arms for a more tender hug. She pulled her daughter close and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Everything is going to be okay, Pearl," Sally murmured softly.

Pearl sighed again, breathing in the fragrance of her mother's cooking. "That's what everyone keeps saying... When will I see you again?"

"As soon as the summer ends. Percy will take you home with him as he usually does and you'll be back to school again. I promise you, it will feel like the time has gone by in the blink of an eye."

Sally slowly let go of pearl and gave her a kiss on her forehead as well. She looked into her daughter's pretty violet eyes one last time and snapped her eyes shut to prevent any tears from leaking out. She nodded to Grover and the shy satyr trotted over to Pearl with an arm extended.

"Here, Pearl; take my hand. It's going to be a bumpy ride and you're going to need someone to hold onto..." Grover's cheeks were flushed as Pearl grabbed his hand. Despite everything, Grover was still her friend and she still trusted him to help her through this.

The shaky boy led the demigoddess back to Blackjack who Percy was already on top of. His hands were woven through Blackjack's long mane and his eyes were closed in absolute bliss.

Grover released Pearl's hand as he climbed onto Blackjack's back. He patted behind him and motioned for Pearl. Sally helped Pearl climb up and Pearl immediately wrapped her arms around Grover's waist. She thought she heard a shy bleat escape his mouth, but it was hard to tell. The world around her had become a dull fuzz.

She was dimly aware of saying good-bye to her mom as Blackjack took a running start and began to lift off into the air, his ebony wings flapping in the sky. Pearl watched her mother fade like an ant on the ground and leaned her freshly tear-stained face into Grover's back. Grover tensed at first, but relaxed as the trio and the pegasus flew across the sky and onwards to camp.

Pearl's eyes closed as her hot tears dripped onto Grover's back and the world began to go black as she slipped into sleep.

-----------------------------

It was almost as if Pearl had only slept for a blink before she felt a pair of gentle, but firm hands shaking her awake. She grumbled irritably, but her purple eyes blinked open anyways. Grover leaned over her, his brown eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Where are we?" Pearl moaned, sitting up with a stretch.

"We're here; Camp Half-Blood! Percy and I somehow managed to get you to camp without you free-falling after you passed out." Grover responded with a shrug.

Pearl's tired eyes looked wearily around at her surroundings, taking in the insane amount of sea-life memorabilia strewn about and an indoor fountain or sorts. Wind chimes that appeared to be made of pieces of coral hung from the ceiling and tapped against each other with hollow thunking noises.

"No, I mean, where are we now?"

"Poseidon cabin. I thought it would be best for you to get used to being in it since this is where you'll be staying during the summer. It's sort of ocean-y, but I figure it's fitting you know?" Percy tugged at his beard shyly. "I may or may not have sent Percy to go hang out with his girlfriend for awhile until you woke up. I figured you wouldn't want to be bombarded with... You know... Sibling stuff?"

Pearl's eyebrows furrowed and her bottom lip jutted out in a pout. "Why would I be concerned about sibling stuff when I have so many others things to be worried about right now? I mean, it's not exactly easy to accept that my dad is a Greek god, I can talk to horses, and my cr-best friend is a goat-boy" She grumped, crossing her arms with a huff.

"S-satyr..." Grover put in quietly. "A-and, I promise that it's always hard the first week. You'll get used to it, you really will. You just have to give it a chance!"

Pearl felt hot tears welling up and threatening to spill down her cheeks. Her bottom lip quivered slightly.

"Is it to much to ask to just want me normal life back? I miss being small, and dumb, and young. I miss running on the beach with my only friend and my dorky older brother while my mom sold candy on the beach. I miss my life, Grover. I want to go back to what I had. I was happy."

At this, the tears flooded over and the salty sadness trickled down her face. She sniffled and wiped at her nose. She would have given anything to be in her mother's arms again.

Grover reached forward and placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder, slowly rubbing it down her back like Sally used to do whenever she'd been crying. He must have picked it up from her during the school year.

"Pearl, I know it's hard now, but please, just trust me. We didn't tell you right away because we weren't one hundred percent sure. Poseidon appeared to your mother on two different occasions and he looked different both times. That's why you and Percy look so different. We were just trying to protect you, I swear. It's our, my job."

The demigoddess of the sea took a deep breath, wiping at the tears in her eyes. She finger combed through her hair rapidly.

"I'm not mad at any of you, I just... I just don't know how I'll ever get used to this..."

Grover hesitantly removed his hand from her back and instead took Pearl's palm in his. He looked into her eyes sheepishly.

"Here, what if I help you calm down a little. W-we could go for a walk in the woods... I-if you want to, that is..."

Pearl took some time to mull over the idea, fiddling with a lock of her blue hair.

"I-I guess, it would be nice..."

Grover perked up instantly, grabbing her other hand and standing up. He helped her up as well and began to lead her to the door without further ado.

-----------------------------------------

"Yeah, I still remember Percy's first day here... He spent half of it konked out in the infirmary where he drooled a new Pacific ocean in front of his girlfriend, Annabeth. When he finally got up and went exploring, Clarisse gave him a swirly... Or attempted to before he blew up a toilet... Literally, not figuratively."

Pearl giggled softly, her sandal-clad feet padding against the fluffy, green grass beneath her. All around her, tiny wildflowers were waving in the breeze and the scent of wild strawberries wafted through the air.

"Man, were all the demigods' first days here that wild?"

Grover grinned, laughing to himself awkwardly.

"Oh trust me, there's been worse. Lou Ellen Blackstone turned Chiron into a rabbit for a solid fifteen minutes. Cecil Markowitz got into a fight with Ellis Wakefield and got totally pummeled. Leo Valdez, Jason Grace, and Piper McLean fell into the lake..."

Pearl was genuinely laughing now. "Oh, man, some of those are pretty bad... I sort of feel bad for laughing."

Grover shook his, his face alight with amusement.

"Don't be. They're all in higher placing now. Lou Ellen Blackstone, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Leo Valdez are all head counselors here. Cecil Markowitz helps with weapon designing. Ellis teaches combat to the new demigods. And Chiron is no longer a bunny, thank the gods."

Pearl let out a sigh, looking up at the sun above her. It shone brightly, illuminating her face and warming up her exposed skin.

"You know, Grover, you always make me feel better..."

That was odd; Pearl didn't remember thinking of saying that. She turned her head slightly to look at her friend and found herself blushing.

The sun made his curls look lighter and fluffier. His brown eyes were sparkling with pure bliss. Everything about him was adorable from his fuzzy, bearded face, to his tiny, goat tail that wagged almost like a dog's would.

Pearl had always found him good looking, but it had always been in the same way she thought about her brother. Percy was handsome, but not in the same way that his sister though Grover was. Grover was... Attractive...

My God... Do I have a crush on Grover? Pearl thought to herself, blushing.

Suddenly, Grover stopped. He looked conflicted, looking down at the ground and up at the sky again and again whilst wringing his hands. Pearl stopped walking, looking at him with concern. Before she could ask if he was alright, Grover turned to face her, his face serious, but entirely anxious.

"Pearl, I uh... I... Have something to tell you..." He tugged at the orange T-shirt he was currently donning and bleated nervously. His face reddened, but he simply cleared his throat and continued. "I... Guess I haven't been entirely truthful about... Myself..."

Pearl frowned, fighting the urge to feel his forehead for a fever. "Oh, please don't tell me that there's even more that I don't know about you..."

Grover bleat-laughed again, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Well, yes... But not... Not necessarily bad...? I think..."

"Please just... Tell me. No more secrets, okay?" Pearl whimpered.

Grover nodded, swallowing his spit and tensing his entire body. His eyes snapped shut and before Pearl knew what was happening, words flooded from his mouth.

"Pearl, I... I love you! Always have and probably always will. I would love to be more than your best friend, your boyfriend maybe, and help you get used to your new life and be a part of it and hold you and just..." One of his brown eyes blinked open and he gave Pearl a scared expression.

Pearl was taken aback. Her jaw gaped as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard and she silently stood for a moment, just staring at her friend and secret admirer without a word.

Grover instantly went into hysterics.

"Oh my gods, I shouldn't have said that! I am so so so so so sorry-"

But before he could continue, Pearl pulled him in for a hug and pressed her face against his neck.

Shyly, she replied, "I... I love you too..."

For a minute, no one said anything and the two friends simply held each other, mulling over the newly shared emotions that had been brought to the light. Grover's hand brushed down Pearl's back once again and Pearl's finger tangled through Grover's curly hair.

Eventually though, the two pulled back slowly, almost reluctantly and looked at each other. Grover leaned forward, his eyes closed, cupped Pearl's cheek, and pressed his lips to hers. Pearl felt sparks dance across her face and she kissed him back, reveling in the rising feeling in her chest.

The two broke away softly and looked at each other with goofy smiles across their faces.

Grover gave Pearl a fond glance, intertwining his fingers through hers with a bit more confidence than usual. "So... How do you feel about camp now, Pearl?" He asked softly.

Pearl wrapped her arms around her new boyfriend and snuggled against his chest.

"I think as long as you're here with me... It might not be so bad..."

Chapter Text

'Wasn't Trained to Love You'

(This story was a request by ShriekerGirl on Quotev. Crystal is her character. If you do not like oc x canon relationships, please find another story to read and do not complain in the comments. And remember, requests are always open!)

Being a daughter of Apollo, Crystal didn't get much of a chance to practice her hand-to-hand combat skills much. Her cabin was expected to heal and sing and prance around like at any given moment a flock of adorable little woodland creatures would start to follow them and clean up their cabin.

That wasn't Crystal.

Well, she loved singing just as much as the next demigod, but she didn't like to center her whole identity around it. And healing? Don't even get her started.

All of the medicines, tourniquets, wraps, and bandages mashed together in her head as one big, whirling mess. She couldn't help it. Being a demigod, she was hardwired for battle.

Sitting around at the sidelines and watching her friends and camp-mates get injured in battle while she did absolutely nothing irked her to no end. She was known to clench her fists and rub her hands together with a malicious glimmer in her eye whenever it looked like Camp Half-Blood was going to be calling in reinforcements. Then she could finally join in the rough-housing and show her off what she knew.

Yet, it rarely happened.

Camp Half-Blood had highly trained and strong combatants and they were rarely overpowered. Even if they were, all the Apollo cabin was expected to do was usually just to shoot some arrows or cause a diversion.

Looking back, that's how a lot of Crystal's cabin went out in the end. Lee Fletcher's brains were bashed in by a giant. Michael Yew was killed after the bridge he was standing on exploded. Now it was up to Will Solace to lead the whimsical cabin.

And Crystal hated it.

Don't get her wrong, Crystal loved her doofy surfer-dude brother, but by the gods, was he ever boring. He spent most of his time giving new demigods tours on the camp, training in the archery arena, or flirting with his boyfriend, Nico Di Angelo. That left absolutely no time for him to bring his half-siblings down to the actual training arena and get some actual sparring in.

Because of this, a lot of Crystal's cabin-mates were... Well, soft.

Kayla and Austin had the same strong spirits as the rest of the cabin, but they put all of their effort into their instruments and bows and not enough time into a sword or a dagger. Victoria, the second eldest in the cabin, was HIGHLY competitive and aggressive, but almost too much so. She never stayed with her cabin for more than she had to. Almost all of her time was spent with the Ares cabin down on the training grounds.

Crystal had pleaded with her day after day to take her down to the arena just once, but Victoria constantly brushed her off. She thought she was better than everyone and Crystal was no exception. It would be a blue moon before Victoria ever considered training Crystal.

And that was why when Clarisse La Rue, aka the head counselor of the Ares cabin, offered to start training Crystal every other day when everyone had left the arena, Crystal was sold.

Although the two girls had never really spoke before other than a few times in the dining pavilion or throwing insults at each other during Capture the Flag, Crystal immediately accepted the offer. Being trained by the strongest warrior Camp Half-Blood had to offer while no one looked on or watched; it was simply too good to be true.

And so, every other day when the sun was just starting to dip behind the clouds, Clarisse would stop by the golden Apollo cabin as it shimmered in the fading sunlight, grab Crystal by her hand and drag her to the arena, sweat glistening down her battle-scarred forehead.

Clarisse showed absolutely no mercy when it came to her sparring sessions and Crystal loved it. She needed as much practice with a viable enemy as she could get and Clarisse was everything she could have hoped for.

The Ares counselor provided weapons of every kind. Any weapon you could think of would be brought down to the arena one day or another. Sometimes, weapons of Clarisse's own invention would show up as well; Crystal was in charge of beta-testing them.

Over time, Crystal grew quite skillful. Although she could never quite beat the Ares counselor in her war games, she knew that every sparring session, she grew closer to her goal.

Clarisse would stumble, trip, or miss a blow and Crystal could tell that she was beating her at her own games, slowly, but surely. One day, Crystal vowed, she would conquer the mighty demigoddess and prove that Crystal Matthews was a force to be reckoned with; not some flowery little singer with a passion for healing.

In fact, one day, she figured she'd have to heal the injuries people had sustained from her. A sparring session gone too heated, a Capture the Flag mishap, or simply a loss of temper; whatever the cause, she would care for her victim, but feel a flash of pride when taking into consideration that it had been her that had done it in the first place.

Crystal Matthews, as you may have already guessed, was not your ordinary Apollo child. She was sixteen (the third oldest in the cabin) and she'd been a resident on Camp Half-Blood for as long as she could remember. She knew every nook and cranny of the camp and spent a lot of her time scoping out areas in the woods to hide from her boring old half-siblings.

Crystal has long silvery hair that she usually tied up in a pony tail, (It was easier to spar without a ton of hair in your face. She didn't understand how Clarisse could do it.) and icy blue eyes that could strike fear into even the toughest of monsters.

Needless to say, she was a very pretty girl, and although she didn't really like to flaunt it, she did sometimes catch her camp-mates staring at her from across the fire or pavilion. Not a bad stare like one might give to an enemy or a stare you might give to someone wearing very flamboyant clothing; it was more of a longing stare.

And Crystal hated that too.

She had no time for that lovey dovey romance stuff if she were to become the demigoddess warrior she strove to be. She couldn't waste her time worrying about her significant other getting injured in battle. She couldn't second guess her actions for fear of not returning home to see her lover's sparkling smile again. It simply did not fit into her agenda.

So, when Crystal arrived home from a long day canoeing on the lake and found a note on her bed, she was less than impressed.

'You're gorgeous.' Really?" Crystal snorted, as she read the note aloud to her curious siblings.

Victoria rolled her amber eyes, giving Crystal an unamused look as if she'd rather be anywhere else doing anything else. Crystal got that look from Victoria a lot. It seemed like her older sister was only happy when her dagger was hilt-deep in someone's stomach.

"Well, then, we know the note isn't for you clearly..." The daughter of Apollo stated, sarcasm dripping from her tongue like poison.

Will nudged his sister in the side, giving Crystal an apologetic look. Kayla and Austin exchanged a glance and what seemed to be a few unspoken words.

Crystal wasn't having it.

"Oh, hush up, Victoria. I know the note is for me. Why else would it be on my bed?"

Victoria shrugged and, despite the intense glare Will gave her, spoke again.

"They could have dropped it their on accident. There are endless reasons why the note could be someone else's instead of yours. Don't think you're so special."

Crystal huffed. "Oh, yeah? It has my name on it, so I think your argument is invalid."

Victoria opened her mouth to speak again, but Will cut her off before she could utter a word.

"Enough, Victoria," Will turned back to Crystal, giving her his full attention before continuing. Crystal felt an appreciative smile curl up her lips. Even if Will was a total bore, at least he respected Crystal. "We know that the note is obviously for you, but the real question is... Who wrote it?"

Almost immediately, Crystal's smile morphed into a thoughtful frown and her eyebrows knit together. She rubbed at her chin, thinking of all the possible applicants.

Kayla piped up from her position on the floor, "Could it have been Cecil? I mean, he always takes the time to come see you while we're doing archery in the arena."

Crystal shook her head adamantly, almost disgusted by the idea.

Cecil was a nice boy, but she didn't trust him, not one bit. Being a child of Hermes, he was almost always pick pocketing people when they least expected it. He often helped his brother Connor play pranks around the camp as well. He was also best friends with the head counselor of the Hecate cabin, Lou Ellen Blackstone, and that girl was nothing but trouble.

"It couldn't be him. He only comes down to the arena to get out of cleaning up the pegasus stalls. His cabin is always the messiest when it comes to cabin inspection. Even the couch potatoes in the Hypnos cabin can't beat them," She tightened her pony tail as she usually did when she was thinking hard. "Besides, he's always sleeping when I look up at the stands."

Austin nodded his head in agreement, wringing his hands as he too joined in the mission to find Crystal's secret admirer, "Maybe it was Mitchell from the Aphrodite cabin? He seems like the hopeless romantic type. If anyone were to write a love note, it'd be him."

Again, Crystal shook her head.

"I'm pretty sure he's gay. I mean, have you ever seen the looks he gives Pollux and Damien? Sometimes he even checks out Clovis..." Crystal shuddered, wondering how anyone could find anything worth looking at with that sleepy mess. "Anyhow, if he was going to write me a letter, he'd write more than just 'You're gorgeous," Crystal shifted her weight from foot to foot. "At least, I hope he would..."

Will stood up from the floor, walking over to Crystal and giving her a sympathetic look. He clasped a hand on her shoulder, and looked into her eyes. Crystal could tell he was searching for fear or nervousness which was the last thing he needed to see from her at this point in time. She squared her shoulders and hardened her gaze. Will cocked an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't get so worked up over it, Crystal. It could have been anyone and, if they truly love you, they keep hinting about who they are until you finally find them. And when you do find them... Well, I'll wish you two the best!" Will flashed his sister a bright (almost blinding) smile.

Crystal found his confidence to be contagious, and despite all of her vows against romance, she felt a flutter in her heart. She looked down at the looping letter on the note once again, and her cheeks began to heat up.

Gorgeous...

Crystal lowered her gaze for just an instant, brushing her hand over Will's with much more gentleness than she thought she could muster.

"Thanks, Will..."

----------------------------

"Another one?!" Crystal exclaimed, taking a step back as a scrap of paper fluttered to the ground.

Ever since the fateful day where Crystal had found the first love letter, she'd been finding them everywhere. Not a single person had come forward to claim that they were, in fact, the author of these little note of passion, so Crystal was just as clueless as ever.

This specific letter had been hiding in the scabbard of the sword she was going to use whilst training with Clarisse today. It simply read 'I wish you were mine'. Crystal felt her face reddened from the tip of her nose to the ends of her toes.

Clarisse, who had been stretching across the arena, strode over to Crystal at the sound of her distressed voice. "What's going on, Crys?" She asked. She was one of the only people besides Kayla who called her 'Crys'. To be one hundred percent honest, Clarisse was one of the only people Crystal considered an ally, a friend.

Crystal turned her wide blue eyes to her trainer, holding the note in front of Clarisse's face. "It's another love note!"

The Ares counselor's eyebrows furrowed and she grabbed the note, inspecting it curiously. "Did you say 'another' love note? As in there's been more of these mushy gushy things?"

Crystal nodded, her exasperated expression showing exactly how she felt about this. "I've been finding them all over for the past week now. I just found this one in my sword's scabbard!" She narrowed her eyes and looked from side to side across the arena for anyone suspicious looking lingering around somewhere. Finding no one, she sighed. "Did you happen to see who did this? Or who might have done it?"

Clarrise shook her head, rubbing at her chin as she thought. This was something that most Ares campers did not do regularly. Anything that made a child of Ares think was truly a mystery in Crystal's book. "Not that I noticed... I was the only one that touched this sword today. I brought it straight from the weapon storehouse."

The daughter of Apollo tugged at her hair irritably. She didn't like being left in the dark on something that was completely about her. It frustrated her to no end. "I just wish I knew who was being so... Ridiculously sneaky about all this! I mean, why does this person even like me? What is there to like? I'm just a defective Apollo kid, for the gods' sakes!"

Clarisse seemed a bit taken aback, but gave Crystal a smirk. Pacing towards her with her dagger unsheathed, she looked a bit like a more violent version of the Cheshire cat. "I have no idea who did it, but I can see you're worked up, so what better time to train? Come on, I can see you're frustrated. Put all that emotion into your swings and attacks and you might just beat me."

Crystal felt the tension in her shoulders relax just the tiniest bit. Clarisse was right. Sparring was an excellent and surefire way to relieve stress and that was precisely what Crystal needed right now.

Wrapping her slender fingers around the sword's hilt, Crystal took a threatening step forward, a confident smile bring up her lips. "Bring it on, La Rue."

-------------------------------

The curtain near Crystal's bunk was pulled back and the bright sunlight of the new day shone on the daughter of Apollo's pretty face. Crystal smiled and stretched, arching her back to crack it as the heat warmed her bones.

Even though Crystal wasn't your average everyday child of Apollo, the sun still had that amazing effect on her attitude. It was what woke her up and got her going every morning and today was no exception. She sat up, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed and standing with a bounce. She stretched her arms over her head and turned to see Will near the window.

"Mornin', Will!" Crystal chirped, cracking her neck.

Will waved to her politely, looking a bit conflicted. Crystal recognized this look; it was the look that said 'I know something you don't, but I don't know if I should say anything'.

Usually, Crystal got this look from Chiron, Austin, Clovis from the Hypnos cabin, and even sometimes Annabeth Chase from the Athena cabin. All of these people were empathetic and as soon as they learned something about someone else, they would keep it to themselves until they were sure on how the said person would react to receiving the news. Some of them were just better about hiding things than others were.

Will was not one of those people.

"Will... What are you hiding...?" Crystal asked, taking a step forward.

Will flinched, cursing himself under his breath.

Crystal stomped her foot, beginning to get irritated. "Come on, Will. You're my brother and you know you can tell me anything. I'm a big girl. Whatever you have to say, I can take it."

The blonde boy fiddled with his hands before exhaling a gusty sigh and giving up. "I found another note on the door this morning..."

Crystal threw up her hands with exasperation. "You couldn't have just told me that to begin with?" Her voice ended on a sharp note and Will flinched.

"That's not what I... Listen, Crystal, I didn't just find the note... I know who put it there..."

At this, the daughter of Apollo perked up immediately. "You do? Well, who is it?! Come on, please tell me! I have to know!"

Will winced again, looking even more conflicted than before. "I don't know if... If I should say..." He muttered, pink blush beginning to dust his already freckled cheeks.

Crystal's eyes widened with dismay. "What?! You can't just tell me that you know who my secret admirer is and then not tell me who it is! Stop being difficult and tell me, Will!"

Her brother pouted, crossing his arms. "I'm older than you and in charge for that matter. I don't have to tell you anything. Besides, I don't want to get on anyone's bad side..."

Crystal felt like she was going to burst. Why did her brother have to be so concerned about other people's feelings all the time? Why couldn't he see that she was the one he was hurting right now? If anything, he was getting on her bad side. "I'm sure he won't mind if you tell me! I'm going to find out eventually! The sooner the better!"

Again, Will flinched. "'She'," He whispered. "They're a 'she'."

The Apollo camper felt her eyes grow even wider. Her mouth slowly opened in an 'O' shape and she felt like her jaw was going to drop to the floor. She had to give herself a minute before she could respond. "A-A girl likes me?"

Will nodded guiltily, looking down at his sandal-clad feet like he were the worst person in the world at this moment in time.

Crystal composed herself, taking a steely breath inwards and looking at her older brother expectantly. "Well... Who is this girl?"

Will hesitated before realizing that he had pretty much given away everything anyways. With a long suffering sigh, he dipped his head even lower. "Fine... It was Clarisse..."

Crystal, who had previously thought her eyes could not widen even further than they already were, was horribly mistaken. Her face paled to be as white as a sheet and then darkened to be as red as a cherry tomato.

Will nervously opened one of his closed eyes to take in Crystal's expression. After a few moments where no one said anything, he finally straightened himself up and brushed the front of his Camp Half-Blood T-shirt habitually.

"Clarisse..." Crystal swallowed her spit. "Clarisse... Likes me?"

Her brother nodded slowly. "She does... But you didn't here that from me, alright? I'd prefer to keep my throat as uncut as possible." He paused, looking at Crystal with a more searching gaze. "But, how do you feel about all of this...?"

That was Will for you; always trying to be a therapist when what Crystal really needed was a brother. A confidant, an ally, and a friend. At this point in time, it as hard for her as is to simply wrap her head around the stated fact: 'Clarisse likes me'.

Crystal felt strange. She felt like she was on fire from the tips of her toe to the top of her head and she was sure she was sure she was about fifty shades of red right now. At the same time, she felt like puking, but in a good way...? Her chest felt all light and fluttery, but it also felt heavy like she couldn't breathe. These were all new emotions to Crystal.

She sure as hell didn't want to discuss these feelings she was having with Will.

With a huff, Crystal crossed her arms. She was a lot more flustered than she wanted to let on and although it was near impossible to hide everything, she could try her hardest. "I'm not so sure I believe you. What if Clarisse was just delivering the letter from someone else? Maybe it's just someone in her cabin."

Will shrugged, his gaze suggesting he knew that Crystal was simply in denial. "If so, why wouldn't she just tell you that?"

Crystal almost felt like crying out of frustration. Everything seemed to be pointing to Clarisse. "Maybe she just didn't want to give away who it was..."

Her older brother shook his head. "Does Clarisse really seem like the person who would do that for someone; especially her siblings? I'm telling you, it's her, Crystal. Now all you can do is accept it and take it from here. How you feel about the situation is completely up to you, but you should give Clarisse a solid answer before it gets more drawn out then it already is. Okay?"

Crystal finger-combed through her silvery hair. Her expression morphed to one of determination. She stomped her foot, coming up with an idea that could put all of this confusion to rest. "I'll ask Clarisse if it was her. If she says no, in you face. If she says yes... Well, then I guess we'll have to talk about it..." Crystal began to walk over to the door.

Will jumped in front of his younger sister, looking desperate and just as guilty as ever. "Crystal, wait!"

Crystal stopped, looking at her brother grumpily. "Why should I wait? I want answers and I want them now."

The blonde boy in front of her sighed deeply, tugging at the ends of his wavy hair before replying. "Just... Just give it a day. You're all angsty right now and you should give it some time before you confront her about something as serious as this. Just wait until tomorrow and then ask her if you must."

Crystal hesitated, trying to think through her foggy mind and focus on something, anything she could do today to keep her distracted and in good spirits. She hated to admit it, but Will was right. When she went through with things while she was highly emotional, she tended to hurt people's feelings. She didn't mean to, of course, she just got a little hot-headed and said things she didn't mean. Sometimes she pushed or shoved. It wasn't that big of a deal, but after all the things Clarisse had done for Crystal, she figured she'd be better off waiting.

Besides, if Crystal was completely honest, she was scared.

Scared of it being true, scared of someone being in love with her, scared of reconciling the feelings, and scared of being taken. Crystal had always been a strong and independent girl and now, it seemed like that life was going to be taken away from her.

And at the same time, Crystal was nervous that it wouldn't be true. What if Clarisse thought she was weird for asking? What if she was embarrassed by the question? What if she never wanted to talk to (or train) Crystal again?

Crystal felt awful now. With a simple nod, she ducked her head. "I guess... You're right..." She forced the words out reluctantly. She hated being wrong and she hated admitting it even more. "I'll just... Help Butch with the pegasus stables today. I'll ask Clarisse tomorrow at our training session."

Will nodded, looking relieved. "Good idea."

Crystal nodded in acknowledgement, and attempted to push past Will to get to the cabin door. She thought she'd better get to the stables soon before she got all wrapped up in her thoughts again.

Before she could leave the Apollo cabin though, Will's gentle, but firm hands rested on Crystal's shoulders. His palms were warm and Crystal felt safe being held by him, but at the same time, she still felt scared and unsure.

Will's bright blue eyes looked into Crystal's and he made sure she was giving him her full attention before speaking again. "Hey... I just want to let you know that whatever happens... I'll be here for you; the whole cabin will. Now, go to the stables and unwind for awhile. I'll cover your chores for you, alright?"

His sister blinked slowly before a grateful smile slowly curled up her lips. "Okay... Thank you, Will. You're the best... Even if you do look like a hippie..."

Will's face warped into one of mock-anger and he playfully nudged Crystal out the door. "Hey, you. Don't think I can't change my mind."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "You won't."

And with that, she finally left the Apollo cabin.

---------------------------------------------------

Crystal's heart felt heavy as she plodded to the arena the next day, her feet feeling like they were as heavy as lead. Every step she took, she felt the anxiety building and building. She'd be highly surprised if something bad didn't happen at today's training. She had too much of a bad feeling for something NOT to go wrong.

Her eyes flickered to the ever closer approaching arena and she winced as she saw Clarisse pacing around the sandy training grounds. She held a hefty sword in her muscular arms, but she didn't seem to be straining with it at all. She was strong, stronger than Crystal could ever be, but that didn't mean that she was going to handle this any better than Crystal did.

"Crystal!" Clarisse called, nearly causing Crystal to jump out of her skin. "I was starting to think you were gonna be a no-show! Glad you could make it. I'm feeling extra pumped today."

That makes one of us... Crystal thought miserably, but she tried to appear as unbothered as she could. Apparently, it wasn't working because as she shuffled over to Clarisse, the older girl's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Crystal stood in front of Clarisse, her arms stiff at her sides. She knew she looked tense, but she simply couldn't help it.

Will had been right; helping in the stables had cooled her down, but now she was more nervous now than anything. What if she messed things up?

"Hey, Crys, is something on your mind? You look... Less blood thirty than usual..." Clarisse asked this seriously and Crystal wondered half-heartedly if she always looked like some sort of hot-wired killing machine. She could worry about that later.

Crystal shrugged, her act once again failing to convince Clarisse. Clarisse frowned, not appreciating the facade.

"Come on, Crys; something's bothering you. I might be a meat-head, but even I know when something's wrong. So..." Clarisse clapped a work worn hand over Crystal's shoulder and Crystal felt her eyes widen. "What's wrong?"

Great, now I'm really gonna screw things up... Crystal thought grumpily, but externally, she composed herself. "Clarisse, I actually have something to ask you..."

At this, Clarisse looked the tiniest bit uncomfortable. It was as if any time the subject was turned to her, she'd get flustered. It was strange to see the usually headstrong and confident girl look like a cornered animal.

"Y-yeah? What about me? You want to schedule more training sessions or something?"

Crystal shook her head quickly. "No, no, it's just... Clarisse, did you write those love letters for me?"

Clarisse's coffee brown eyes widened with surprise and Crystal watched as crimson blush immediately coated her cheeks. Instead of looking embarrassed though, Clarisse actually looked more angry than anything.

"W-what?! How could you think that?! Come on, Crys; you might be my training partner, but I'm not head over heels in love with you or something mushy like that."

Crystal's gaze lowered to the ground. A part of her was cheering 'Yes! I was right!' while another very small part of her seemed... Disappointed? No, it couldn't be... This was what Crystal had wanted, so why did she feel so bad?

"S-sorry, Clarisse..." Crystal mumbled apologetically. This time, it was almost genuine. "I was just... Hearing a lot of rumors and I dunno... I guess I just wanted to know if they were true." Crystal brought her ice blue eyes up to meet Clarisse's burning glare. This was not something many campers got away with. "I knew it wasn't really you."

Clarisse crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, spitting onto the dusty dirt ground. She cleared her throat; Crystal noticed that Clarisse had dropped her eye contact and her gaze was flickering around irritably. "It's fine, I guess. Let's just forget about all of this and get some actual training in before the day ends, yeah?"

At this, Crystal scuffed her sneaker-clad heel on the ground. "I... Yeah, okay. Let's do this."

But for once, Crystal felt as if there was more to life than fighting.

----------------------------------

It was almost unbelievable.

One minute, Clarisse had been standing across the arena, taunting Crystal for believing the rumors and calling her a softy and the next minute, the Ares counselor was sprawled out on the dirt, the skin around her right eye swollen and red. Already forming bruises covered her body and her knuckles were bleeding slightly where she'd tried to defend herself. It had simply been too much.

Crystal had won.

Coming at Clarisse without a weapon on her or even anywhere near her, she was a flurry of punches and kicks. Clarisse had been so caught off guard that she'd not stood a chance.

Instead of feeling accomplished and proud as Crystal thought she once might have felt, she felt horrible. Guilt, worry, and a strange tugging sensation on her heart flooded over her so powerfully that she began to tear up. She'd never felt anything like these emotions before and they were controlling her. Dropping to her knees near Clarisse, she extended a hand.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright?" Crystal asked, using her shaking hand to turn Clarisse's bewildered face to look for more injuries. Crystal inspected the wounds that littered Clarisse's battle-scarred body and felt her mind switching to one of a more protective mindset. "Come on, we should get these cleaned up as soon as possible-"

Clarisse batted Crystal away almost weakly, standing up with a grunt of effort and wavering from side to side on jello-like legs. She was trembling, but she didn't look as close to tears as Crystal felt. "Lay off, would you? I'm fine..." Clarisse paused before dipping her head with acknowledgement. Crystal had earned her respect. "That was impressive... You finally did it, kid. You finally beat me."

Crystal's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but no words emerged. Now what?

But before she could speak, Clarisse began hobbling away. Her direction was turned towards the Ares cabin and Crystal watched her slowly fade into the distance without a single look back.

Crystal had won, so why didn't she feel like a winner?

Breaking into a sprint, Crystal raced to the Apollo cabin, her chest heaving as tears flooded down her cheeks. Ignoring the looks of campers who strode by, she threw open the door of her cabin. Will and the rest of her siblings were there, but she paid them no attention. Crystal raced to the bathroom, threw off her clothes, and jumped into the shower. She turned the water on full blast and she winced as the boiling hot water splashed against her exposed skin.

Everything had gone wrong.

After her long shower, Crystal dressed herself in a pair of baggy pajamas that the harpies provided each night. They were scarlet in coloration and Crystal felt five sizes smaller in the folds of these large clothes. She felt almost like a small child again.

Crystal padded over to her bed on bare feet and sat down glumly.

"Crystal...?" Will's questioning look met Crystals' for a millisecond before Crystal turned away, wrapping her arms around her knees. Will's brows furrowed with brotherly concern and he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Crystal pulled the sheet over herself.

Again, Will gave her that questioning, but concerned look. "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong or am I supposed to guess?"

Crystal muttered into her knee caps.

Will sighed heavily, brushing his hand over Crystal's back comfortingly. ¨Hey... If this is my fault... And even if it isn't my fault... I'm sorry..."

The daughter of Apollo melted into Will's touch and leaned in for a hug. Will, who was taken aback for a moment, held her close to his chest.

"Things will get better, I promise." Will comforted, but Crystal was already drifting off to sleep...

-----------------------------------

That night, Crystal slept fitfully. Will had laid her down once he was sure she was out and kissed her goodnight before tucking her in. The cabin had been unusually quiet that night and nearly none of Crystal's siblings went to the campfire. Despite all of this though, Crystal's dreams were haunted.

Clarisse was everywhere and Crystal didn't understand. She'd never felt like thing for anyone, especially not Clarisse, so why was it so hard to control now? In fact, the dreams had gotten so bad, Crystal had sought out Clovis in the dreamscape and begged and pleaded until the counselor gave in and changed the dream to something else entirely. Though nearly every aspect of the dream had been changed, it seemed like Clarisse could still always be spotted in the crowd.

Crystal woke up feeling more tired than she had been before going to sleep in the first place. If she were more lazy, she would have stayed in bed longer, but all of her senses were telling her to get up and at 'em. She forced herself to get up, get dressed, and tie her hair in her trademark ponytail. After this, she wandered aimlessly around the camp, looking for anything to do to distract her mind.

A tentative tap on the shoulder brought Crystal back to Earth and she turned to see her half-sister Kayla looking up at her. Her dyed green hair flounced in the summer breeze and Crystal found herself finger-combing through her own hair absent-mindedly.

"Yes, Kayla?"Crystal asked, not sounding all that genuine.

Kayla cleared her throat awkwardly. Crystal had never noticed it before, but it seemed as is Kayla was almost terrified of her. "U-uh, I was just about to go canoeing on the lake and I was wondering if maybe you want to come with...? I mean, you don have to, of course, I just thought I ask because you looked really lonely and tired and-"

Crystal held up a hand and Kayla hesitated before closing her mouth.

"That sounds lovely, Kayla. I could do for a little wake-up call. I'll go with you."

Kayla brightened a bit and smiled. "Great! Let's go!"

At this point in time, Crystal realized that this was probably some sort of master plan of Will's to check on how she was doing, but she was too exhausted to care. She followed her sister languidly, looking out at the sparkling waters ahead of her.

Above Crystal's head, seagulls squawked noisily as they flew through the blue sky. Waves lapped at the shore of the lake, bringing sparkling seashells with them. There were already a few canoes out around the lake and even a few campers who played in the shallows by themselves.

Crystal spotted a familiar yellow canoe in the distance where Kayla was headed. Her younger sister hopped into the canoe and Crystal was about to join her when she felt a strong hand clasp her shoulder. It was so familiar...

She turned and was suddenly face to face with none other than Clarisse La Rue. Where she had come from, Crystal had no idea. All she knew was that Clarisse was barely a few inches away from her face... And her hand was incredibly warm...

As Crystal drifted into a daydream-like stupor, she took in Clarisse's rugged appearance. Her choppy, mouse brown hair was just as messy as usual. Her right eye was a dull purple, reminiscent of an eggplant. Her face had several bruises and scratches across it and looking further down, so did the rest of her body.

Crystal had really done a number on her.

"You come with me, now. We need to talk." Clarisse rumbled deeply.

Crystal winced, but nodded, swallowing her spit with a gulp as she turned to face Kayla. Kayla was sitting in the canoe, looking absolutely mortified. "I'll be right back..." Crystal squeaked, her voice cracking sharply. She cringed at herself, but nonetheless, followed Clarisse away from the canoe.

The two girls stopped in front of the lake and for a long while, Clarisse stared across the expansive body of water. All was seemingly quiet now with even the seagulls silent and Crystal couldn't handle it.

"Listen, Clarisse, I'm so sorry. I lost control and just really wanted to win and... I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

Clarisse turned to face Crystal, processing her words for a moment before chuckling quietly. "What? No, no, you couldn't hurt me that badly even if you tried... But..." She suddenly became a lot more serious. "That's not what I wanted to talk about..."

Crystal gulped again, feeling even more tense than she'd felt yesterday when interrogating Clarisse in the first place. Suddenly, she was beginning to think that canoeing hadn't been a great idea.

The Ares counselor took a deep breath, looking at the ground to compose herself before straightening and looking Crystal directly in the eyes with such intense determination that even Crystal was taken aback. Her mouth opened and some of the most powerful words Crystal had heard in the past few days flowed freely.

"It was me. I did write the notes."

And before Crystal could respond, Clarisse shot forward, grabbed Crystal's shoulders, and pressed her lips against hers.

The kiss was electrifying. Shocks of warmth shot through Crystal's body and she stood numbly, not able to move or reciprocate the kiss at all. She simply stood there and allowed Clarisse to kiss her.

She was a good kisser.

The kiss itself seemed to last forever in Crystal's mind, but in reality, it only lasted a few short seconds. It was all Crystal needed.

As Clarisse pulled back, looking (for the first time in her life) scared, Crystal pounced forward, slugging her on the shoulder.

"Why didn't you just say so, you big doofus? I..." She paused. "I think I love you too..."

Clarisse rubbed her arm before her tongue flicked over her bottom lip. She leaned towards Crystal, cupping her cheek and sending her a relieved (and somewhat cocky) smile. "Because I wasn't training you to love me..."

A shy grin curled up Crystal's lips and she pressed another quick kiss on Clarisse's, just for good measure.

"You're right... But, I think you could train me."

Chapter Text

'Healing Hearts'

(This story was a request by MeganCuthbert2004 on Quotev. Meg is her character. If you do not like oc x canon relationships, please find another story to read and do not complain in the comments. And remember, requests are always open!)

Meg Valentine wasn't all that special. She was fifteen years old, a daughter of Dionysus, and the most painfully shy girl you'd ever meet.

She was a pretty girl with chin length blonde hair with a purple streak down the front to symbolize her father and her violet eyes matched her older brother, Pollux's. Despite her father's previous party-crashing, fun-loving attitude, she and Pollux were nothing like that. Meg would rather curl up with a good book or watch the naiads splash around in the shallows of the camp lake before she ever thought of going wild in front of a bunch of drinking teenagers.

In fact, she didn't even like alcohol. Her father was the god of wine and yet, she couldn't stomach the drink. It tasted like a poison to her, too sour and bitter. Her brother agreed, but he was still known to drink when things got rough.

Meg hadn't always been shy (and Pollux hadn't always resorted to alcohol for his problems). In the past, Meg had been a very outgoing and optimistic girl with a bright outlook on life. Pollux had been an intelligent and strong-hearted young man as well. But the two siblings had a dark past...

You see, it wasn't always just them in the cabin. Pollux used to have a twin brother named, Castor. Castor and Pollux had been inseparable. They weren't exactly the mischief makers that Connor and Travis Stoll were or anywhere near as competitive as the duo of Laurel and Holly Victor; in fact, they were pretty chilled out guys.

The two could be found hosting the punch bowl at campfires, singing with the Apollo cabin, and lazing around near the lake. They also loved their little sister dearly. Even though they were both almost three years older than she was, they still made time to hang out with her. Whatever she wanted to do, whether it be a walk near the border or arts and crafts with the dryads of the forest, they were always down for it.

They were also cuddle bugs, always hugging and embracing each other near the flames in the amphitheater. Sometimes, they were even known to pile up together in one single bed in the Dionysus cabin as one huge snoring mess.

In all honesty, the trio most likely had the closest cabin bonds than any other cabin in the camp. There was almost never a time where you'd see one of the Dionysus children without the other two trailing close behind.

So when the Battle of the Labyrinth rolled around, the three children's lives were altered forever.

Being warriors of Camp Half-Blood, the twins had wanted desperately to protect and defend their camp and its inhabitants with all they had. Meg was only fourteen at the time and she wasn't very skilled with her attack and defense yet, so she and the other younger demigods were asked to stay back at the camp and help the healers and enforce the barrier.

It had been a scary day. Pollux and Castor had left the camp with a kiss on each cheek for their little sister and a promise to be back later. They'd both given her a quick hug, joined the nearest wave of demigods, and promptly disappeared from the camp. Meg had never felt so alone before.

The Apollo cabin had tried to distract her by giving her small tasks to do while she waited for her kin to return, but no matter what chores she had to do, her mind kept wandering back to her poor brothers.

She knew that Castor and Pollux were strong, some of the most clever fighters in the camp, but she also knew that the two had been slacking with their training lately and had been more interested in helping the Demeter cabin with the strawberry patch more than anything. What if they got hurt?

It was a very long day and the battle seemed to draw on forever. Injured demigods were carried in at every second, each with varying degrees of different ailments. Meg had seen everything from a concussion, to gash down the chest, to a severed arm that day and she was beginning to think that nothing could surprise her anymore when the warriors of Camp Half-Blood finally returned home.

Immediately, Meg had raced over to the entrance despite the warnings of the Apollo cabin and searched for familiar faces among the crowd.

Katie Gardner limped into camp with her sister, Miranda Gardiner's arm slung over her shoulders. Miranda moaned with pain at every lopsided step the duo took.

Mark from the Ares cabin strode in, looking very torn and bloody, but no less fierce than he usually did.

Clarisse La Rue hobbled in with two limp demigods slumped over each shoulder. Meg recognized one as the counselor of the Apollo cabin himself, Lee Fletcher. The other, she could not quite make out as their head was turned the other way.

How sad... Meg thought sympathetically, her heart aching for the effected cabin. The children of Apollo had always been kind and bright souls and were constantly going out of their ways to help other people. Lee was no exception. Things simply wouldn't be the same without him. Meg couldn't even begin to think about who was going to replace him as the head counselor.

Meg stretched her neck to see the other demigod. It was hard to make out any distinguishable features on the person in question if you didn't include the fact that they appeared to be male. This person was blood covered. Crimson liquid seemed to be coming from a long gash down the demigod's arm and stomach. Even Clarisse was drenched with the poor boy's blood.

All Meg could make out was a mop of curly blonde hair that seemed quite familiar...

Clarisse shifted the bodies, her expression dark and pained. Chiron trotted over to her, his white flanks patchy and splattered with mud. He exchanged a few quiet murmurs as he inspected the corpses she held. He took Lee in his arms and held him much like an infant, cradling his lolling head.

Lee almost looked like he was sleeping. His once sparkling blue eyes were closed and his lips were slightly parted. Other than the detail that he appeared to has sustained a major head injury, he looked so peaceful.

Meg shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

At this time, a sudden crashing sounded from the barrier and Meg's head immediately turned to face the action, fearing a monster looming over her. There was no monster at all; in fact, it was only three demigods, but Meg still felt the fear as she slowly realized who they were.

Connor and Travis Stoll each had an arm through a pudgy blonde haired boy's arms as they restrained him to the best of their abilities. Even combined, the duo were struggling to keep the other boy contained as he thrashed and screamed.

"Where is he?! Where is he?!" The blonde shrieked, tugging himself away from the younger Stoll. Connor's eyes widened with surprised dismay and he attempted to gain his control back. It was too late though. The blonde boy was beginning to shove Travis off of him as well. "Let me go! I need to see him!"

Meg's face paled to be as white as a sheet of paper. It was as if all the blood in her body dropped to her feet. Even her heart seemed to have stopped.

Pollux...

That was Pollux... He was alone... Where was Castor...?

And suddenly it all clicked.

A wail escaped Meg's mouth just as Pollux broke free from the Stoll brothers completely. He stumbled over to Clarisse, his eyes wide and wild. Meg made a beeline after him just as she felt someone try to grab her hand. She put on a burst of speed and bolted to Clarisse's other side. The older girl barely had time to process what was going before Meg took in the appearance of the other corpse.

Glassy violet eyes stared at nothing and scarlet blood pooled out of a pair of pale pink lips. This death looked anything but peaceful.

Castor...

"No!" Meg screamed. She felt Pollux nearly bowl her over as he tried to get to their brother. He shoved Meg out of the way roughly and his younger sister fell to the ground with a thud. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she whimpered, wrapping her arms around Pollux's leg and burying her face into the tattered jeans that adorned it.

The grieving siblings stayed like that for a very long time as Clarisse held Castor more gently now. Pollux kept mumbling 'no' over and over again as he brushed his fingers though his fallen brother's unruly hair while Meg simply bawled on the ground.

The camp was silent in this moment. No birds chirped overhead. No cries of a battle being fought or clangs of swords against each other sounded through the air. Even the waves that typically crashed against the beach were completely and utterly quiet. No one said a word.

Suddenly, Meg felt a palm rest on the top of her head. She turned slowly, and her reddened eyes widened at the sight of her father standing behind her.

Dionysus rarely left the Big House. He was usually playing videos games or watching TV in his office with his stuffed pet leopard, Seymor. However, someone must have alerted him about the death of his son which had been enough to drag him away from his games. His other hand rested on Pollux's back comfortingly as his said purple eyes rested on Castor's frozen expression of pain.

For yet another long while, the family stood like this until Dionysus removed his hands slowly, almost reluctantly and gently maneuvered his children out of the way. He held out his arms silently, nodding to Castor. Clarisse nodded in response, carefully handing Dionysus's son to his waiting arms.

That night, the fallen demigods were held a funeral. Their pyres burned in the dark, the flames completely engulfing the poor campers' bodies. Meg could hardly keep it together and Pollux simply could not. He was the one who had lit Castor's pyre and was meant to have recited a speech for his brother, but broke down halfway through. Pollux sobbed and Dionysus wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close as the other half-bloods of camp ducked their heads in respect and grief.

Meg needed to get away. Nearly tripping over her own feet, she raced away from the funeral. No one seemed to notice her as she ducked between people to escape. She couldn't keep watching the flames flicker, she just couldn't.

As she finally began to slow down, she panted for breath, feeling tears stinging in her violet eyes. The hot tears threatened to spill over her cheeks and her breathing was shaky. She'd heard plenty of stories about her father causing people to go mad and she'd been informed by her brothers that she could also induce insanity and cure it if she wanted to. She was warned to never use these powers unless she truly had to as they were very dangerous. If she truly had these powers, why couldn't she help even herself.

Feeling like a failure and still mourning the death of her beloved brother, Meg did not hear the light footsteps approaching behind her. Her shoulders shuddered as she finally began to cry.

"Hey..."

Meg nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a husky voice behind her. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned to face the owner of the hand.

It was dark, very dark now without the fire to glimmer in the night and Meg could not see the person (who appeared to be a boy) very well. She thought she could make out the tiniest bit of blonde hair.

She felt a tiny glimmer of hope. Perhaps this was all some bad dream or hallucination. Maybe Castor was still alive and had come to tell her that everything was alright.

"Castor...?" She rasped, her voice barely there.

The boy snapped and a tiny flickering light appeared in his hand, illuminating his face. Meg could see him now. This was not Castor.

Castor was stocky, plump with a rounded face and an almost permanent lazy smile. It was the way that people could tell Pollux and Castor apart. His smile lopped off to the right side while Pollux's was more left aligned. He had curly blonde hair and vibrant violet eyes the color of grapes on a vine.

This boy did not fit that description. He was scrawny, lean like a cat, and his face was more sculpted than Castor's was. Freckles covered every inch of his sun-kissed skin and he had wavy, sufer-esque hair the color of wheat. His usually sparkling blue eyes were dull and sad looking. Twin tear tracks trailed down each cheek and even the faint smile on his lips seemed to be half-hearted.

Meg recognized this boy. This was Will Solace of the Apollo cabin. He was fifteen years old and the cabins most inept healer. He'd been ordered to stay back with the others during the battle to help with injuries and he'd done just that. He'd been one of the people who'd continuously checked on Meg that say and made sure she had things to do at all times.

Will was usually a welcome sight, but at the moment, the only people Meg wanted to see were her family members.

"No... Sorry, Meg..."

Meg sighed heavily, feeling more tears forming behind her eyelids. She blinked quickly and turned her head. "H-hey, Will..." She murmured, her voice shaking almost as much as she was.

Will looked at the ground awkwardly, kicking his sandal-clad foot in the dirt. He stared downwards for a very long time before taking a deep breath and looking up at Meg once more. "So... Uh... Dumb question, I know, but... How are you doing?"

The daughter of Dionysus flinched. "N-not... Not good..." She whimpered, wiping under her eyes.

Will's smile faltered and Meg watched sadly as his bottom lip began to tremble. His eyes grew watery. "Me too..."

At that moment, Meg remembered that she was not the only one who had lost a brother today. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't seem to think of anything to say. "I-I'm so s-sorry..." She whispered, feeling guilty for not considering the other campers who were obviously suffering. She felt so selfish.

Will trembled, looking a lot less confident and laid back then he usually. He looked so small and scared and Meg hated it. She wanted to help him as he had helped her today.

Doing the only thing that she knew when it came to comforting others, she threw open her arms and wrapped them around Will. Will immediately reciprocated the hug, his hands brushing up and down Meg's back as he began to cry. He rested his head on her shoulder and shuddered against her as Meg cuddled into his chest.

The two stood like that for a long time, not saying a word. The only sounds that could be heard were the chirping of crickets and the distant roaring of flames at the funeral.

Then Will tightened his grip on Meg, moving one of his hands up to her hair and gently brushing his fingers through it. His trembling slowly calmed and his breathing became more steady. In a hoarse voice, he murmured, "It'll be okay... Everything will be okay..."

And Meg was starting to believe it.

Nestling into his chest further and simply holding him as he held her, she was already beginning to feel better.

------------------

It was very late when the funeral was finally over. With time, Will's older brother (and the new head counselor) Michael Yew went searching for his little brother. He'd allowed the grieving kids a little more time together before suggesting gently that the two go back to their cabins and get a good night's rest. Will had agreed and gave Meg a quiet 'goodbye' before taking Michael's hand and following him to the golden Apollo cabin.

Now Meg was alone, but she didn't feel so bad. Her heart was still heavy, but she knew what she had to do.

Walking towards the funeral place, she spotted her brother right away.

Nearly everyone else had gone home aside from a few satyrs who were helping to clean up. Percy Jackson was gone. Annabeth Chase was gone. The majority of the Apollo cabin was gone. And Dionysus was gone.

The only demigods left were Pollux and Kayla Knowles from the Apollo cabin. Kayla was trying to coax Pollux away from the charred remains of the pyres, gently tugging on his arm and murmuring things into his ear, but he simply stared through her, his violet eyes dulled and unseeing. His lazy side smile had disappeared and was replaced with a monotonous flat line.

Kayla caught Meg's eye as the younger child of Dionysus approached. She gave her a questioning, empathetic look before realizing that Meg was in a much better emotional state than Pollux was. Meg nodded her head in a thankful gesture and motioned to the cabins behind her. Kayla nodded in response, giving Pollux one last sad look before dipping away into the shadows.

"Pollux..." Meg greeted softly. "Pollux, we should go home..."

Pollux blinked slowly, his eyes becoming a bit more clear as he recognized his little sister. His eyebrows furrowed slightly and he simply stared at Meg silently.

"Come on, Poll, you've been hear all night..." Meg cajoled, extending her arm out cautiously. "You need to get some sleep..."

Her older brother hesitated. No doubt the prospect of sleep sounded good to him, but his eyes kept flickering back to the remains of the pyre. He looked upset obviously, but his expression also seemed to hold a lot of guilt behind it.

Pollux didn't feel guilty for the death of his brother, did he? Meg had heard that Castor was struck down by an enemy demigod while Pollux was fighting all the way across the battle. There was nothing to have been done.

Or maybe he feels guilty that he survived the battle and Castor didn't... Meg thought, feeling her heart drop to her feet. Oh, Pollux...

"Pollux, let's go home." Meg stated more firmly this time.

Pollux wrung his hands falteringly. Again, his eyes darted back to the pyres. "But... But, Castor..." He whined.

Meg shook her head. She walked closer to Pollux and stared up into his eyes. "We need to go home."

Her brother lingered for just a second longer before casting one last forlorn look at Castor's ashes. He dipped his head sadly and leaned on Meg for support as the two children of Dionysus trudged home. Once they arrived at their grape-vine covered cabin, the two siblings pushed the door in and flopped onto the nearest bed.

Meg tangled her limbs through Pollux's and cuddled close to her older brother, breathing in his scent. He smelled of sweat and strongly of the metallic odor of blood (Meg would have to convince him to see the healers tomorrow), but beneath it all, she could still recognize his familiar smell. It was comforting to have at least one sibling yet.

Pollux's fingers combed through Meg's hair and she couldn't help but think of Will Solace. She tried to focus on Pollux and not the son of Apollo because she knew that her brother needed her more now than ever.

"Meg...?" Pollux murmured, half-muffled by the pillow he was laying on.

Meg turned her head to look at Pollux's face. His face was turned to the side and his eyes were barely open. His eyebrows had relaxed and he looked a lot more calm than he had whilst at the funeral. In fact, he looked to be almost asleep. "Yes?"

Pollux swallowed his spit before speaking up again. "Promise me you'll never... Never leave me, okay? I can't lose both of you... I just can't..."

The daughter of Dionysus trembled just the tiniest bit as she was reminded of their dearly departed brother once again. She quickly composed herself though; she had to be strong for Pollux. For Will. For everyone.

"I'm not going anywhere, Poll..."

And the faintest of relieved smiles that Meg had ever seen grazed across Pollux's pale lips.

"Good... Thank you..."

And with that, Pollux's eyes closed and the two siblings drifted off to sleep.

--------------

The next day, Meg convinced her brother to see the healers bright and early. He had sustained a cut on his forehead and side and neither of them had been cleaned nor dressed. (In fact, the wounds seemed to keep reopening, staining the bed they'd slept on with splashes of wine-red. Meg didn't mind though. She could always clean them off or replace them.)

Pollux had agreed to go to the Apollo cabin, but refused to eat, shower, or change. This worried Meg to no end, but she simply agreed to his wishes and helped him to the infirmary. A lot of demigods who had obviously spent the night there were still lying on the white sheets of the beds inside and the Apollo children were working quickly and efficiently.

Meg was impressed. Lee Fletcher had been their head counselor, their oldest brother, and a good friends to many, yet the cabin was putting on a collective brave face so they could work their hardest. Meg had nothing but respect for them.

"Meg! Good morning!"

Meg felt a spike of energy shoot down her spine at the sound of Will Solace's cheerful voice. He sounded tired and probably hadn't gotten any sleep, but nonetheless, he was acting as the camp sunshine as per usual. Nearly every injured demigod he waved to, smiled and attempted to wave back as he made his way over to the Dionysus children.

"Good morning, Will..." Meg greeted quietly. Pollux said nothing, looking very uncomfortable as he took in the rugged appearances of his camp-mates. His hand brushed over his wounded side absentmindedly.

Will took in Meg's appearance and then looked to Pollux and frowned sympathetically. His blue eyes flickered back to meet Meg's. In a more serious and low tone, Will spoke,"How are you guys doing?"

The daughter of Dionysus in question hesitated before responding. "I'm... Alright..." She gestured to Pollux subtly and shook her head from side to side.

Pollux seemed not to notice, digging his fingers into the cut on his side and wincing.

Will immediately clapped his hands together, throwing on a welcoming doctor sort of vibe and gently reaching out to touch Pollux's arm. Pollux tensed visibly at the touch and looked to Meg instinctively before spotting Will. "Hey there, Pollux. I didn't see you at the infirmary at all yesterday, so why don't we have a look at you, yeah?"

The son of Dionysus looked to Meg again before looking at his side with a frown. His expression darkened and he looked almost hostile. "I don't need your help," he spat. "I'm fine."

Meg gave Pollux a surprised look before turning to Will with an apologetic look. Will didn't seem affected by Pollux's behavior in the slightest.

"Right, and I don't doubt that, but let's just give you a check up anyways, alright?" He looked around from side to side suspiciously before leaning closer to Pollux and cupping a hand around his mouth. "Wouldn't want to worry Meg..." He suggested gently.

Pollux gave Meg an unsure (and slightly concerned) look before nodding.

"Good. If you could, please go over and sit on that bed over there for me?" Will motioned over to a spare bed in the corner of the infirmary. It was completely isolated, away from the other beds and unused. "That one there. I'll be with you in a second."

Again, Pollux nodded. He brushed his fingers over Meg's gently and gave her what she guessed was supposed to be a comforting smile like 'Don't worry about me. I'm fine, see'.

Meg smiled in return, though she wasn't sure it was all that convincing.

Pollux limped over to the solitary bed, ignoring the healers who offered to help him over. When he finally reached the bed and sat down, staring at the posters on the wall, Will turned back to Meg.

"How's he been responding to all of this?" He asked softly, his eyes searching Meg's. It looked as if he was trying to find any sign that Meg was not doing well so he could help her. "Not good, I know, but just... Give me a general idea if you can."

Meg shrugged despondently, crossing her arms and looking at the floor. "I-I dunno... I mean he's depressed obviously and he clearly won't talk to anyone but me. I got him to sleep last night, but he won't eat or wash himself off. At first, he didn't even want to set foot here either. I'm just... Really worried about him. I'm sad about Castor too, really sad, and I miss him, but I know that I need to keep taking care of myself."

"And you're right about that. The last thing the camp needs right now is you starving yourself to death or not bathing for months." Will replied bluntly, before covering his mouth. "Sorry, I just mean that no one would be better off without you or Pollux when we just lost Castor and... Lee... What I'm saying is we don't need anymore unnecessary deaths."

The daughter of Dionysus nodded. "I understand, Will. I just don't know how to help him..."

Will looked more comfortable with this subject (probably because he was currently going through the same thing). "It seems like you've been doing a good job so far. This is only the day after, so we can't expect either of you two to be completely healed yet. You guys are just going through different stages of grief right now. It seems like you're getting very close to acceptance while Pollux is somewhere between anger and depression. It's understandable. There's nothing quite like the bond between twins. You just have to give it some time."

Meg's gaze slowly wavered over to Pollux who sat alone, his arms around his knees. He looked so small and sad and Meg fought the urge to go and give him a hug. "What if I can't keep doing it?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. "What if I fail him?"

The blonde Apollo camper shook his head. "No, no, Meg, don't think like that. You're not alone in this, I promise. Though you'll be the main light in Pollux's life from now on, you can bet that at any given time, anyone in this camp will be willing to help you out." His hand stretched up to the back of his head and he scratched at his hair shyly. "And you can bet I'll always be there if you need me."

He's right, Meg thought, looking around the room. I can't name a single person in the infirmary right now that wouldn't help Pollux if he asked.

Meg smiled, resting a hand gently on Will's shoulder. He blushed slightly, but didn't move away. "Thank you, Will." She murmured.

And all Will could do was smile... This time, for real.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Almost all of the injured demigods had healed and were back to regular camp routine. Michael Yew was proving to be just as strong of a leader as Lee Fletcher was. The entire camp was preparing for another battle with Kronos's army and were training more than ever.

Even Pollux was back to training, his attacks becoming stronger and stronger.

Pollux was still not over Castor, nor would he be for a long time, but he was completely hellbent on avenging his fallen brother in the next war. Meg cautioned him to be careful and not overdo it, but Pollux reassured her that he could do it.

The day of the second Titan War rolled around and Meg was asked once again to stay back at camp. Pollux pleaded and pleaded to help fight and was eventually given his wish as Clarisse caved. The demigods were off and Meg could only hope that they would be okay.

Meg had learned her lesson from the first battle. She wouldn't be in the way this time. She worked just as hard as any of the Apollo campers to prepare for the injured demigods and even assisted with battle plans. She didn't worry about Pollux because she knew he was a formidable fighter and with all the rage he held for Castor's death, he wouldn't let himself get killed.

This battle was long, longer than the Battle of the Labyrinth and as the hours ticked by, it was worrying how hardly any demigods were rushed in. Meg hoped it was because the camp was winning.

Eventually, the fight ended and the camp flooded home. There were sixteen confirmed deaths from Camp Half-Blood, but as a Hunter of Artemis recited the names of the fallen, Meg's eyes widened with joy. Pollux stumbled through the barrier and towards the Apollo cabin.

He was alive.

Meg raced over to him, forgetting to be a healer for just one second as she threw her arms around her brother. He moaned slightly with pain, but smiled down at her tiredly regardless. His arm was in a sling and his lip was busted, but he was alive and that was all that mattered.

"Good to see you two, Meggy," Pollux sighed. His violet eyes sparked with the adrenaline of a battle won. "I avenged him, Meg. I made those traitors pay for what they did."

Meg nodded, pressing her face against her older brother's chest.

"No!"

The two Dionysus children broke apart and stood at ready at the sound of wailing coming from someone in the camp. Pollux's uninjured name fingered over the sword in his belt loop. Meg's searching gaze found the source of the noise.

Will Solace looked absolutely agonized. The blonde boy stood in front of the Hunter who had the death list and Chiron himself. Tears were streaming down Will's face and he seemed to be arguing with Chiron back and forth.

Meg looked to her brother whose gaze darkened.

"Michael Yew died today." Pollux muttered. "Bridge collapsed. Still haven't found his body..."

Meg's eyes widened. This was the second Apollo counselor to have died in the past few weeks. Who would be their counselor now? She gave Pollux a pleading look and looking longingly over at Will. Pollux nodded and let his sister go.

The daughter of Dionysus raced over to Will, taking in his horrified look. He no longer looked to be in pain. Instead, he looked too be terrified.

"Will, are you okay?" She asked, feeling stupid.

Of course he's not, she thought irritably.

Will turned to Meg and she was brought back to the fateful day when they'd bought lost a brother. Will looked so much younger now, but, Meg realized, he was now the oldest of the cabin. That meant that he-

"Will... Are you the new counselor?"

The Apollo camper shuddered as if the words brought a cold breeze over him. "I-I can't do it... I can't. I'm not Lee. I'm not Michael. I'm not Apollo. I'm a healer not a leader-"

And Meg did what she was good at; she hugged Will close to her and patted his back.

"Will, you'll be the perfect counselor. Just give it some time. Michael and Lee would be proud if they could see you now. You need to be strong." She nuzzled his cheek gently, pulling away with an afterthought and brushing the tears from his cheeks. "And I'll be here for you every step of the way, okay? I know you can do it."

Will looked like he had an argument forming, but he simply let out a shuddery sigh. Dipping his head with a sad smile, he looked at the ground near Meg. "I'll try my hardest..."

Meg's voice was wispy and seemed to follow the wind that whisked past her face, "I know you will..."

----------------------

Months went by and slowly, very slowly, everyone was beginning to heal.

The Dionysus cabin had been refurbished to help with the healing process and Jake Mason from the Hephaestus cabin built a small replica of Castor to put in place for his bed.

Statues and monuments were erected around the camp to respect the heroes of the second Titan War. Cabins were built for minor gods and goddesses and slowly, their children moved into camp as well.

The Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Apollo cabins all had new head counselors; Jake Mason, Drew Tanaka, and, of course, Will Solace.

Will and Meg had grown closer over this period of healing. Meg went to Will whenever Pollux was worse and Will went to Meg whenever his responsibilities of being a counselor got to be too much. The duo spent a lot of time together out on the lake or in the forest and together, they were the most experienced healers in the camp.

They were the best of friends and everyone knew it. If Meg said she was going out, Pollux would lazily respond with 'Say hi to Will for me' without even being told who she was going with. Whenever Meg would visit the infirmary or Apollo cabin, the half-bloods would immediately direct her to their oldest brother with no questions asked. Even Chiron would allow them to sit together at the fire or in the pavilion if they want despite the 'stick to your cabin' rule.

Honestly, it was a wonder that they weren't dating.

Well, Meg wished they were.

Over time, Meg's feelings grew stronger than simply 'friend love' or 'family love'. This was full fledged 'love love' and she'd never felt more shy in her life.

Every little touch from Will's warm and gentle hands, every words spoken with that smooth voice of his, and every vibrant smile he sent her way whenever she passed him by was enough to get those butterflies in her stomach fluttering. She'd grown her hair out a bit longer just to hide the constant blush that dusted her cheeks and it was becoming harder and harder to hide her feelings.

A part of her really wanted to just flat out tell him. To just be like 'Hey! I love you, you dork!', but another part of her would immediately reprimand her with 'Absolutely not, you lovesick pup!' It was a constant fight within her and even Pollux was annoyed by her reluctance.

"You've got to tell him sometime, Meggy... He'll never know unless you do." He drawled lazily, his head hanging off the top bunk, looking at Meg accusingly with narrow plum-colored eyes. "Or maybe I should at my next check-up...?"

"No!" Meg squeaked, her face becoming as red as a cherry tomato.

Pollux rolled his eyes, sending Meg a fond smile, "I'm only teasing, but seriously. You need to tell him soon."

Meg sighed gustily, "I know, I know..."

"Well then, promise me. Promise you will," Pollux stated seriously. His voice suggested that this was not sometime to be negotiated.

Meg sighed once again, this time casting a playful look at Pollux. "Ugh, I promise I will. You are such a pest."

Pollux cocked an eyebrow, but he returned the playful expression, "Don't forget who's in charge here, kiddo. Now don't you have some training to do today? I overheard Mark saying Clarisse wanted to get some of your attack skills some improvement."

His sister jumped to her feet with a start. "You're right! I totally spaced!"

"Thinking about Will..." Pollux purred and Meg poked his nose with a huff.

"Oh, hush up. I'll see you later, Poll. Don't sleep in too much longer or I'm going to start calling you Clovis Jr."

Pollux gagged with mock-disgust. "The horror! Don't worry, I have a canoeing session with Damien soon so I'll be getting up. See you, Meggy."

Meg sent her lazy brother one last wave and then ducked out of the cabin.

------------------------

"Owww!" Meg cried from the ground. Clarisse had shoved her with her shield roughly and Meg had fallen down. Her right arm had twisted beneath her awkwardly and a nasty snap had filled the air.

It was definitely broken.

"Oh shoot, you okay there, Meg?" Clarisse asked, sounding a bit more guilty. She;d always shown more restraint with the younger campers and it seemed like she'd gotten a bit took excited this time. The Dionysus campers were always a good fight and forces to be reckoned with.

Meg nodded though it quickly morphed into a shake of her head instead as the pain grew more strong. She whimpered as she tried to move her arm, but it simply would not bend. In fact, the more she tried, the more it hurt. "Okay, no, I'm not... I think I broke my arm."

Clarisse strode over, extending an arm and taking Meg by her good one to help her to her feet. Meg winced as her broken arm flopped to her side uselessly. She immediately took her hand from Clarisse's and cradled her broken arm.

"You should go to the infirmary. You're gonna need lots of ambrosia..." Clarisse muttered, scratching the back of her head guiltily. "Sorry about that..."

Meg tried to look like it wasn't all that painful. She gave Clarisse a wavering smile as she began to walk towards the Apollo cabin. "It's all good. Thank you for your help though."

The daughter of Dionysus scurried out of the arena and hurried to the infirmary. When she finally got there, she shouldered her way inside and looked for the nearest Apollo child. Austin Lake appeared to be the only one there. When he saw Meg's twisted arm, his eyes widened.

"I'll be right back," He said before ducking to the 'doctor' half of the infirmary (aka, the actual Apollo cabin).

That left Meg alone. With a sigh, she walked over to an empty bed, sitting down and waiting for Austin to return. When she finally heard the door swing open once again, she was almost surprised to see Will instead.

Will's face was pale and sweat was dripping down his forehead. He had a first aid kit in his arms and he darted over to Meg with no hesitation at all. He immediately began to inspect Meg's arm, being careful not to cause her any discomfort. "What happened?"

Meg tried to keep her pained expressions from showing through. Even though Will was being very gentle, it still hurt a little bit. "Clarisse and I got into a little too heated of a battle. I fell on it wrong."

The blonde boy glared at Meg's broken arm as if picturing Clarisse hurting his best friend. He said nothing though and began to treat her arm. He set her arm and put it into a sling before racing across the room and returning with some nectar in a glass.

"Drink up, but not too much," Will advised, making sure Meg's arm was all right to go. "The nectar should kick in pretty quickly and your arm won't hurt as much."

Meg nodded, taking his word and trusting him. She took a few quick sips of the nectar before handing the cup back to Will. She licked her lips; nectar had always tasted like fruit punch to her.

Almost immediately, a tingling sensation filled her broken arm and, as gross as it was, she felt the bones beginning to repair themselves. The pain faded to a dull aching and Meg felt her eyelids grow heavy.

"Thank you, Will. That really helped," Meg murmured, laying back against the soft bed beneath her. "I think I'm just gonna... Gonna take a nap." Her eyes flickered shut.

"Alright... Good night, Meg..." Will whispered to her.

And darkness overtook her vision.

---------------

Meg didn't really dream of anything. She was resting more than anything she supposed. After a few minutes, she woke up, but didn't open her eyes. She hardly processed that she was awake at all. She was going to sit up and stretch when she felt something warm press against her forehead.

The daughter of Dionysus had felt this feeling before.

She'd been kissed.

Castor and Pollux used to take turns tucking the cabin in the for the night and they'd each kiss their siblings on the cheek before they covered them up with their blankets. Pollux still continued this tradition and now even Meg would tuck Pollux in with a kiss from time to time, but Pollux wasn't here.

Her brother was on that canoe date or still lazing in bed at home. There was no way he'd heard about her injury and decided to visit her.

So who had kissed her forehead...?

"Oh, jeez, Meg, you're so cute... I love you, you know."

At this, Meg sat up, nearly hitting Will in the chin with her head. The Apollo camper, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, looming over her, straightened up, his eyes wide with surprise. Meg watched as pink blush completely covered his freckled cheeks.

"M-Meg, you're awake?! H-how much of that did you-"

But Meg was bursting with joy. This was her chance and Pollux was wring her neck if she didn't take it. It was now or never.

"I love you too, Will!"

Meg didn't think it was possible, but Will's eyes grew even wider. She giggled slightly at his expression as her face heated up with embarrassment.

She'd finally told her crush that she loved him.

And he loved her back.

"R-really?" Will asked, looking like he was the one who had just been dreaming.

"Of course, you dorky ray of sunshine," Meg laughed softly.

Will smiled, slowly accepting the fact that his crush truly did like him back. "Well, in that case, I guess i can finally do this."

With that, Will cupped Meg's cheek, leaned forward, and pressed his soft lips against Meg's.

Meg felt as if the butterflies in her stomach had doubled, no, tripled, and she nearly fell off of the bed as she kissed Will back.

It was perfect. Will was a gentle kisser as if he were shy and Meg felt like a treasure or a princess of some sort. As she felt Will's lips against her own and his hand against her face, she couldn't help it.

For the first time in a long time, she felt genuinely happy.

And she felt herself smile against her best friend's kiss.

Chapter Text

'Wake Me When You Love Me'

(This story was a request by ShriekerGirl on Quotev. Sadie is her character. If you do not like oc x canon relationships, please find another story to read and do not complain in the comments. And remember, requests are always open!)

It wasn't always easy being the daughter of one of The Big Three: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. You were given way more attention then you were probably comfortable, and it always seemed like people expected you to be a part of some huge quest or something. Sadie Nelson was no exception.

Sadie Nelson was a very pretty young girl. At age sixteen, she was currently (technically) the youngest daughter of Zeus. She had an older sister named, Thalia Grace who had joined the Hunters of Artemis a few years back. She was immortal unless struck down in battle, and there fore never truly aged. Thalia had spiky black hair and electric blue eyes that seemed to spark with the power of Zeus himself. She was intimidating and held a powerful presence to her. She looked nothing like Sadie.

Sadie's appearance better matched her technical Roman half brother, Jason Grace. He resided in Camp Jupiter more often than Camp Half-Blood, but whenever he frequented the camp, you could definitely see some sort of sibling resemblance between the two.

Jason had short, blonde hair, striking blue eyes that were framed by a pair of wire glasses, and a cut on his upper lip from trying to eat a stapler when he was young. Though Sadie was closer in relation with Thalia, she always saw Jason as more of her sibling.

Sadie had long, wavy hair the color of the sand along the beaches at Camp Half-Blood. Her eyes were not blue surprisingly, but were instead the same shade of an emerald. Constellations of freckles dusted her doll-like face, making her all the more adorable. It seemed like she was always smiling naturally, and because of all of this, many people mistook her for a daughter of Apollo.

She was not to be mistaken though; she was a Zeus child through and through. From the shocks she often gave people who touched her, to the way her eyes sparkled when lightning struck the earth, there was never any doubt on her true parentage.

However, she wasn't full of herself, or high and mighty like most children of The Big Three were often thought to be. In fact, Sadie sometimes wished she had a more common godly parent like Hermes or Apollo. Being a child of The Big Three often got you an audience and, at times, a ad reputation. This did not stop Sadie from being herself though.

Sadie was a very kind and doggedly loyal person. In all honesty, her loyalty could be what got her into trouble at times. She'd defend her loved ones with all of her heart, even if they were the ones in the wrong. Sadie could become mean or rude if someone were to ever wrong her friend or family, and trust me, you did not want to get on her bad side.

She was surprisingly brave considering her usually shy nature towards others. She wasn't afraid to stand up for what she thought was right, but sometimes the thought of even the slightest of human interaction could be enough to make her uneasy. She was known to overthink and panic at times, but the one time she could focus all of her energy on something was when she was playing sports.

The daughter of Zeus was VERY athletic and could often be found on the volleyball court or playing softball with some of the nymphs near the forest. She wasn't overly competitive, but participating in the sports was what was fun to her.

In many ways, she was one of the most normal not-normal people that resided in Camp Half-Blood which was why she had attracted the attention of none other than Percy Jackson himself. Percy Jackson found Sadie extremely intriguing and often bartered to have her on his team in Capture the Flag. He admired her loyalty and drive and thus enjoyed her company thoroughly. The two could often be found walking along the beach, swimming in the shallows, and singing together at the campfire.

Percy was a very friendly and affectionate guy; Sadie could almost always find herself wrapped in his arms for a ear hug, or holding hands with him as they walked to training together. It was nothing out of the ordinary to Percy; he was a friendly guy. But to Sadie, it meant the world.

The truth was, Sadie had fallen head of heels for this son of Poseidon. It had started out merely as a puppy-dog crush considering he was one of the only boys to have shown her affection besides Jason. She'd follow him around like a tag-a-long and often try to squeeze in at his table during eating periods. After awhile though, she realized it was a genuine, in love crush.

When she was sleeping, she'd dream about going on a beach date with him, or stargazing underneath the night sky with him. When she was training with him, she couldn't help, but notice his well-muscled physique. When they engaged in friendly conversations, Sadie would get lost in though sea green eyes of his.

She had it bad.

The thing was, whenever Sadie flirted with Percy, or dropped a hint, he never seemed taken aback. Maybe it was because he wasn't catching on, or maybe it was because he liked her back; whatever the reason was, Sadie couldn't figure it out. All she knew was that it was getting worse, and if she didn't act fast, Annabeth Chase was going to snatch him up from right under her nose.

Annabeth had been one of Percy's first friends when he'd first arrived at Camp Half-Blood. They'd gotten together off and on, but it seemed like after about a week, it would be over again. Whenever this happened, Sadie was always there to help Percy cheer up. It never helped though for it seemed like just a couple of days later, the two would be back together again, and Sadie was hung out to dry.

It was painful, physically, mentally, and most of all, emotionally. Sometimes Sadie had no idea how she kept going when it seemed like she'd never get the boy of her dreams. The hurt feeling in her heart seemed to grow and grow until it was hard for her to function.

She was sleeping more lately, yet she'd wake up more tired than before. She hadn't been eating as much lately, and she was lacking in the training department. Everyone was noticing it. She'd be all sad and glum until Percy would walk over then she would turn into a bubbly little ball of sunshine. As soon as Percy left though, Sadie was back to being depressed and tired.

Eventually, someone Iris-messaged Jason at Camp Jupiter to alert him that his sister wasn't doing well lately. He'd responded that things were extremely busy in Camp Jupiter lately and would visit as soon as he could.

This did not sit well with Sadie.

Now she felt extremely lonely; like she couldn't talk to anyone about what was truly affecting her. She felt like she was surrounded by a dark cloud named, Annabeth Chase and, she simply couldn't escape it.

One day, it seemed to grow too much.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Annabeth, have you seen Sadie anywhere? I don't think I've seen her around camp at all today, and it's starting to worry me a little. She's usually up and at 'em as soon as the sun comes out, and she's never been the lazy type," Percy stated, his voice deep with concern. His sea green eyes trailed across the pavilion as he twirled his fork through the spaghetti on the plate beneath him absent-mindedly.

The blonde girl to his side snorted, crossing her arms and giving Percy a look that didn't look all too happy. She tapped her foot irritably as she answered, "I don't know where she is, nor do I understand why you're so worried about her. She's not your girlfriend."

Percy rubbed his hand across Annabeth's shoulders apologetically, feeling a small amount of guilt that was outweighed by worry, "Sorry, Annabeth, but I just... She's my friend, and I'm worried about her. Is that so wrong?"

Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed angrily, and she popped a piece of garlic bread into her mouth. She chewed grumpily for a long while before swallowed and replying with a growl, "You know, for your fatal flaw being that you're too loyal, I sometimes wonder if that's not true."

The son of the sea god shook his head, removing his hand from his girlfriend's shoulder and standing up from the table. "I can't deal with this right now, Annabeth. I'm going to go check on her."

Percy's girlfriend huffed loudly, her arms digging even further into her chest. Percy ignored her petty behavior, searching the pavilion one last time before beginning the trek to the Zeus cabin. It was easy to find with it's white marble exterior, huge pillars, and rolling thunder ambiance. It was also the largest cabin in camp which still impressed (and intimidated) Percy to this day.

"Hey, Sadie, you in there?" Percy called, knocking on the large, white door to the cabin. He tried to peer in through the peephole at the top, but couldn't make out much from the darkness of the interior.

This was new. Sadie usually always had the heavy curtains thrown back and the lights on inside. Percy was pretty sure that Sadie even had a nightlight. There was always some sort of light source. Not today though.

"Sadie, I'm not kidding. If you're in there, open up. I'm starting to get worried about you," Percy called, his cheek pressed against the door as he desperately listened for some type of noise to prove that his Zeus friend was indeed inside.

There was no reply.

"That's it, I'm coming in," Percy growled. If this was some sort of sick joke, he didn't find it very funny. Twisting the doorknob and pressing against the door itself to enter the building, Percy stepped inside. Instantly, his searching eyes found a dark lump laying down in one of the only beds inside. He felt relief seep into his chest as he walked over to the sleeping Sadie.

It had been a false alarm after all; she had just been sleeping, that was all. Everyone in camp could be lazy sometimes and get away with it. Percy knew he shouldn't have gotten so worked up.

"Sadie, you scared me for a second. Come on, get up, and let's go get you some late breakfast... Or brunch? Whatever," Percy strode over to Sadie's bed, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling down at her. Sadie did not stir.

Suddenly, things were starting to make Percy think, causing his brow to furrow. Why was Sadie's breathing so deep? It was almost hard to tell that she was breathing at all. Add that to the fact that the lights were all off, and no one seemed to have been in or out of this cabin all day...

"Sadie, wake up," Percy stated, more force to his voice. He shook Sadie gently, sitting down beside her and peering at her face. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were gently parted. Her long, blonde hair flowed across her pillows and around her face gracefully. She looked completely blissful... But something about it... It wasn't natural.

Again, Sadie did not stir.

"Sadie, come on," Percy tried again, his fingers feeling for her pulse. He felt the blood drain from his face as the unusually slow heartbeat met his touch. It was way too slow to be healthy. Sadie was in danger.

Immediately, Percy wrapped his arms around Sadie's sleeping form, hoisting her up into his arms. Cradling the daughter of Zeus's neck, Percy raced out of the cabin.

Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods, he thought worriedly. Who do I got to? The Apollo cabin? No, they've never dealt with something like this before. Grover? No, he's busy with the council. Annabeth? She'll kill me. Think Jackson! Who is good with sleep...?

All of a sudden, it came to him.

"Clovis!" Percy shouted out loud. "Clovis! Clovis, where are you?!"

Half of the camp was staring at Percy with wide eyes, but he didn't care. Not seeing Clovis among the crowd or hearing any type of response, Percy rocketed towards Cabin Fifteen as fast as his lanky legs would carry him. Sadie's face was pressed against his chest, and he could feel her deep breaths.

Percy shouldered the almost always open Hypnos cabin door, and his wild eyes darted around the murky inside for the head counselor. He blinked away the heavy feeling of sleep that the Hypnos cabin often dropped upon people, knowing that if he fell asleep now, Sadie could stop breathing all together.

"Clovis!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Jeez, Percy, I could hear you all the way across the camp," Towards the center of the cabin the head counselor, Clovis was reclining in a large leather chair. He stretched with a yawn, a woven blanket slipping off of his shoulders, "You woke me up, and I was having such a nice dream too..."

Percy's eyes glimmered with relief as he barreled over to the sleepy counselor, "Clovis, man, you have to help me!"

Clovis stood up slowly with another powerful yawn, "What do you-"

Percy extended Sadie away from his chest reluctantly, and Clovis's crystal blue eyes instantly darkened.

"Bring her over to a bed, and let me see her," Clovis ordered, motioning to a nearby bed. Percy walked over, setting Sadie down gently so as not to injure her somehow. Clovis leaned over her and felt her forehead, his expression not reassuring Percy in the least. It was as if Clovis could sense how uncomfortable Percy felt watching as he turned to him with a solemn nod, "Go tell someone to alert Jason about this."

Percy nodded, racing back over to the door. Kayla Knowles was walking by with her bow in her arms. "Kayla! Kayla, I need a favor," He waved his arms to get her attention.

Kayla jumped at the sudden burst of noise and movement, turning to Percy with wide eyes and hustling over. She could sense that something was wrong, and Percy never asked for help unless he truly believed he needed it. "Yes, Percy?"

The son of the sea god swallowed his spit, trying compose himself enough to form proper sentences, "Kayla, something is wrong with Sadie. Very wrong. I want you to get a message through to Jason."

Kayla nodded determinedly, maneuvering her bow over her back and sprinting to the Iris cabin. Cabin fourteen was the headquarter for all messaging needs anymore, pretty much replacing the Hermes cabin with reliability. It was one cabin away from the Hypnos cabin and Percy mentally face-palmed that he didn't just go there himself. He then reminded himself that if he were making an Iris-message to Jason, he'd be missing whatever was going on with Sadie. He couldn't afford to make that mistake.

Percy returned to the Hypnos cabin, pushing past the now more-closed door and searching for his friends. Sadie was still where he had left her, and Clovis was sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. His hand was feeling her forehead gently as the sound of fire crackling and Lethe water plinking into a bowl filled the cabin.

Steeling himself for whatever horrible prognosis he was about to hear, Percy slowly walked over to the bed. He could feel sweat dripping down his forehead. As he made his way over, the door was slammed open.

"I told Jason," Kayla stated, sounding just as worried as Percy felt. "He said that he's about halfway to camp at the moment and should be here as soon as he can."

A somewhat relieved sigh escaped Percy's lips, and he dipped his head, "Thank you, Kayla," Maybe things would be easier once Jason got here.

Kayla lingered at the door for a few moments more, chewing her bottom lip and looking conflicted, "Ah, um, sh-should I go tell Will or...?"

Clovis, who had been quiet thus far, shook his head insistently, "Absolutely not. The Apollo cabin deals with ailments and illnesses that can be treated with medicine. This is relating to sleep. It's my job to help her, and I'll do just that."

Percy shrugged nervously as Kayla, and she reluctantly wandered away. He'd never seen the Hypnos counselor so focused before. He knew Clovis was a good guy and knew what he was doing, but he just wasn't sure if he trusted him enough to help his friend. Clovis was her only chance though, so Percy couldn't argue with him.

Walking over to the bed, Percy searched Clovis's eyes. They were sleepy as per usual, but there was a hint of confusion and strange determination as well.

"S-so," Percy gulped before trying to speak again. "H-how is she...?"

Clovis's brows furrowed with thought and as he replied, his eyes never left Sadie's blissful face, "She's fallen under some sort of a sleeping spell, one that I've never seen before. I'm thinking that the only way we'll be able to wake her up is from the inside of her dream. Otherwise, if we don't act soon enough, her body will begin to shut down, and it's game over..."

Percy's sea green eyes widened with horror, and he grabbed Clovis's shoulders, forcing the counselor to look at him, "Well, go on then! What are you waiting for?!"

Clovis seemed surprised at the sudden contact, his usually tired expression changing to one of almost awe. It seemed that he had doubted how much Percy truly cared about his friend. Slowly regaining his usually calm and collected composure, (but monitoring Percy's facial expressions closely) he carefully replied, "The procedure is very delicate and, without the right handling, could lead to other issues, or an even quicker death. Usually, I'd be confident enough in my own abilities that I'd be willing to go into her dream myself and take care of things, but her mind seems to be rather blocked off. That's not a problem to me as I could just as easily bring down the barrier and enter from there, but I think it would be easier for Sadie to handle if it were someone that she knows and cares about dearly doing it," Clovis shrugged. "She doesn't know me, and it might upset her if I was there. Who knows what she's dreaming about right now."

Suddenly, there was a crash as the heavy, wooden door was flung open once again. This time, a tall, lanky blonde boy with sky blue eyes and a Roman Camp Jupiter tattoo on his forearm. Jason had arrived.

Panting, Jason immediately spotted Percy and Clovis, racing over with his eyes full of brotherly worry, "I heard everything," He huffed for breath. "Let me do it."

Percy shook his head adamantly. "No way, dude; not without me!"

Clovis, who seemed to still be processing Jason's sudden arrival, rubbed his temples slowly. He looked very tired, but was starving off the sleep. Even someone as sleepy as him could understand how vital it was for him to stay awake right now.

The head counselor looked thoughtful, but conflicted. "I don't know if two people would be safe..." He gave the subject a bit more thought before seemingly giving up as he realized that neither boy would be backing down anytime soon.

Both Percy and Jason were giving him puppy-dog looks, and, luckily for them, Clovis was quite the softy.

"Fine, fine," Clovis sighed, caving. "I guess two is safer than no one at all. You shouldn't have to worry too much. I'll be guiding you the whole time, okay?"

Percy tilted his head curiously, his grey streak of hair falling into his eyes, "How?"

Clovis smirked and tapped his head, "Telepathy. Now come on, lay down, and make sure you're touching Sadie somehow. I'll put you both to sleep and transfer you to her dreamworld."

Jason and Percy nodded as Clovis stood up from the bed, making room for them to lay down. Jason, being Sadie's brother, demanded to be the closest to her. He laid down by her side and rested a hand on her shoulder. Percy kneeled down near Sadie's face and locked his fingers through hers.

The son of Hypnos stood beside the bed, placed a gentle touch on both of the boys, and the world went black.

------------------------------------------------

Percy opened his eyes to see pastel clouds floating over his head in a beautiful, blue sky. Pale rays of sunlight shined down on his face, and the grass beneath his feet was crisp and bright. To his right, Jason stood blinking quickly.

It had worked.

'Hello? Can you hear me?' Clovis's voice cut through the blissful silence, and Percy let out a yelp. It was almost as if the head counselor was in his head.

"Y-yeah," Percy said out loud, still unsure how this whole 'telepathy' thing worked. It was much different than the empathy link he had once had with his friend, Grover.

At the same time, Jason nodded erratically. Percy guessed that Clovis could somehow communicate with both of them at the same time. Hypnos kids were weird.

'Good,' Clovis stated. 'Now I'm going to need you to follow my directions. I think I've located Sadie.'

Percy nodded in acknowledgement, figuring that Clovis could somehow see him.

"Alright, now walk forward until you see a replica of the Poseidon cabin, then turn right..."

The boys did as they were told, becoming mesmerized in the things they were walking past. Old memories of Camp Half-Blood were playing out like mini movies everywhere. There was a clip of Sadie picking strawberries with Katie Gardner... Followed by a clip of Sadie engaging in a humongous strawberry that Percy had started.

The next memory was of a game of volleyball. Sadie spiked the ball, hitting Percy squarely in the face. Sadie covered her mouth and cross the net to apologize. Percy, though his nose was bleeding profusely, smiled and rustled her hair. 'No problem at all. You've got a strong spike!' Sadie blushed and grinned, slugging Percy's shoulder embarrassedly. 'Sh-shut up!'

Yet another memory played nearby, this time of a campfire underneath the night sky. Stars sparkled overhead as the demigods hummed and sang. It was a bit chilly, and Sadie was shivering on the log where she sat. Percy wrapped an arm around her and cuddled her close much to Annabeth's dismay. Sadie didn't care though; she was warm.

'Sadie's subconscious must have conjured these up,' Clovis mused.

"Almost all of them include Percy somehow," Jason pointed out, eyeing Percy suspiciously.

Percy blushed, his face heating up, "Yeah, that's a pretty weird coincidence..."

Clovis snorted, and Percy made a mental note to punch him later before remembering that Clovis could probably read his mind right now if he wanted to. He admonished to think about killing him later out of Hypnos children earshot.

After passing the Poseidon cabin and turned right, the boys walked on and on past millions of memories until Clovis finally made himself heard once more.

'There.'

Percy's gaze shifted forward slowly, and he smiled to himself as he spotted Sadie. She was swinging on a tree-swing and humming to herself as she giggled. She was clearly having the time of her life.

"Sadie!" Jason and Percy cried out in unison, racing over to their dreaming companion.

Sadie turned her head as she swung, her blonde hair flowing in the breeze. A bright grin lit up her face, "Oh, hey guys! I was hoping you'd join me. It's so nice here..." She tilted her neck back and let the breeze tickle her face.

Percy took the initiative. It WAS nice here, but he knew that every second that ticked by, the danger of losing Sadie's life grew.

Starting out slowly with a low and calm voice, Percy began, "Sadie, this isn't real. This is a dream, and you need to wake up. It's not safe here."

Sadie laughed, her voice like the tinkling of bells. It made Percy's heart swell, but he had a mission and wasn't planning on failing it.

"What are you talking about, Percy? It's totally safe here! It's everything I could ever want! If this is a dream, I can understand why Hypnos kids are so lazy," Sadie chirped.

'Hey!' Clovis said indignantly, and Percy could almost imagine him crossing his arms with a pout.

Percy ignored Clovis's interjection and walked closer to the side of the swing, giving Sadie a pleading look as if to say 'please understand'. "Come on, Sadie. It's much better to be awake, and you know it. You could have never made any of these memories without being awake in the first place. Can't you please just wake up?"

Usually Sadie was just as easy to sway as Clovis was. Percy just had that reassuring aura to him that made people want to agree with him. Sadie, however, was oddly adamant about staying asleep.

Poisonously, the daughter of Zeus grumbled to herself just loud enough for Percy to hear, "It's better here because she can't ruin things."

The son of Poseidon cocked an eyebrow. "Who?"

Sadie turned her head and pouted much like a small child who wasn't getting her way. "I'm not telling you."

Unfortunately, Sadie's subconscious had other things on its mind. An image of Annabeth conjured up in front of the tree-swing, and Percy's eyes widened. That was his girlfriend.

Jason jumped at Percy's side as Clovis gasped in their minds.

'I think I might know who put the curse on her,' the sleepy son of Hypnos stated importantly.

All of a sudden, Percy's mind went eerily quiet, and Jason's eyes grew even wider than they had been.

"W-will you excuse me for a minute," Jason said, more of a command than a question. He backed away quickly, whispering, seemingly, to himself. Percy knew, however, that he was talking to Clovis. Desperately, he tried to mind eavesdrop on his companions, but it was as if Clovis had flipped the switch on his thoughts. All that was left of the head counselor's telepathic presence was the static of a broken TV station. Percy had been tuned out.

"Gods damn you, Clovis," Percy silently cursed, hoping that Clovis could still somehow hear him. He received no response and gave a heavy sigh. He stared Jason, squinting from where he stood. He couldn't make out his conversation from there, but he did manage to read one word from the Roman's lips: Aphrodite.

Instantly, two and two made four, and Percy understood at last.

Sadie loved him.

Gods, am I ever dense, Percy thought to himself before shaking his head to dismiss his thoughts. He looked up once again at Sadie, and took a deep breath. "Listen Sadie, I promise you right now that if you wake up from this dream and join us again, things will be different. Please wake up. Do it for me."

One of Sadie's gorgeous, green eyes popped open, and she gave Percy a curious look. "Do you really mean it?"

Percy nodded rapidly. "In fact, I think I should do something that I should have done a long time ago..."

At this moment, Jason began walking back to the duo, looking very conflicted. He opened his mouth to say something to Sadie when Clovis's voice suddenly returned to Percy's mind.

'I think she's trying to wake up!'

"I think I'm ready to go home now," Sadie said in unison.

Jason's eyes widened, and he gave Percy a questioning look. Percy did not respond though, dipping his head and helping Sadie off of the swing. His fingers interlocked through hers, and Sadie's other hand reached for Jason. Her brother hesitated before taking her hand as well.

Percy closed his eyes and whispered one final statement to his mind's current occupant, "Get us out of here."

And with that, there was a flash of white light.

--------------------------------------------

Percy's eyes blinked open groggily, and he found his head resting on top of something warm. He raised his head slowly and found himself blushing profusely. He'd fallen asleep on Sadie's chest.

Looking around, Percy realized that he was the first one to awaken. Jason was still next to a sleeping Sadie on the bed, and Clovis was passed out on the floor in an incredibly uncomfortable position. He didn't seem bothered though as he snored away quietly.

There was shifting from the bed, and Percy's gaze turned to meet Sadie once more. Sadie's eyes blinked open with a struggle as she sat up. To her side, Jason was awake as well.

"What happened?" Sadie moaned, her voice raspy.

Without skipping a beat, Percy leaned forward with suddenness and kissed Sadie on the lips. Sadie's eyes widened, but she kissed him back to the best of her ability. When Percy pulled away, he felt a smile curling up his lips. He couldn't help it; that had been long overdue. "I love you, Sadie."

Sadie's face turned even redder before she buried her face in Percy's chest and squeaked with embarrassment.

Jason gave Percy a side smile. "Okay, that's good because I was gonna punch you if you didn't kiss her."

Percy hugged Sadie closer to him and couldn't contain the giddiness in his chest. Quietly, he gave a thanks to Aphrodite, "Thank you Aphrodite for meddling around. Without whatever that sleep spell was, I wouldn't have gotten my girl," He paused for a minute to think about something that seemed to be bothering him. "I've never heard of you casting sleep spells before though."

One more time, the voice of Clovis cut through Percy's thoughts: 'You're welcome...'

And though Clovis was out cold, Percy could have sworn the counselor had given him a sly smirk.

Chapter Text

'A Second Chance'

There was absolutely no doubt that Hannah Rose Brown was a daughter of Demeter. There was no mistaking the glowing, golden scythe that had appeared over her forehead when she'd first arrived at camp. She'd always been quite the green thumb, and her affinity had always seemed to lie with the flowers, trees, and bushes of the park in her home town. When she first came to Camp Half-Blood, she'd been so happy to have been claimed that a small patch of daisies had sprouted at her feet. She'd quickly settled in with her half-siblings such as Miranda Gardiner, Katie Gardner, and Billie Ng. Despite all of this though, if you were just meeting Hannah, you might just mistake her for a daughter of Apollo.

Though Hannah didn't sport the curly, blonde hair and freckled faces that the majority of the Apollo cabin did, her appearance made no difference. She had long, silky, brown hair and light blue eyes the color of a cloudless sky in the summer. She was fifteen years young, and she held a great appreciation for life that not many in Camp Half-Blood could understand. She was very passionate, taking great joy in her view of life being like a small, fragile flower. Hannah thought that everyone deserved compassion due to this, and even when people would take to bullying her, her motto was always a very firm 'kill them with kindness.' If that didn't work, she'd simply walk away and go on with her life. There was not a single reported case of her ever being rude or cruel to anyone whether they deserved it, or not, and this made her very well liked.

The way Hannah saw it, bickering and fighting was never the answer. Why quarrel with people you hardly know when you could make more new friends instead? Life was too short in her eyes and being as fragile as it was, she thought it should never be broken by someone else.

Hannah adored being out in nature whether it be the strawberry patches in camp (her favorite), the forest near the border, or even the wildflowers that sprouted around the grassy land that stretched across camp. She was especially partial to the sunflowers outside of her own cabin and the bright, scarlet poppies that grew along the Hypnos cabin window ledges.

She was a sunshine: very happy, outgoing, and bubbly. A lot of the people around the camp were convinced that Hannah was some sort of a theater girl because of her positive and carefree nature, but she was simply Hannah Brown. She was the type of person to greet new people at the barrier and strike up a conversation immediately. Her list of friends and allies was almost impossible to keep track of, and every day, it grew even bigger. Her friends ranged anywhere from her mellow, cool headed half siblings in the Demeter cabin to the hot tempered and feisty Ares cabin residents. One of the most significant friends that Hannah happened to be her all time best friend, Leo Valdez.

Leo Valdez was the head counselor of the Hephaestus cabin, and he was certainly quite the character at that. He had tanned, work worn skin with curly, black hair that swept into his chocolate colored eyes that sparkled with childlike impishness. His ears were slightly pointy, much like an elf, and a mischievous smile curled up his lips at all times. He was five foot six, only slightly taller than Hannah, which he never let her forget, and he was scrawny and slim.

Hannah had met Leo on her first day of camp. She'd been getting a tour from Will Solace of the Apollo cabin when something (more like someone) had caught her eye near the forge. The forge was intensely hot, almost rivaling the heat that radiated from the lava wall across camp. The white marble pillars that set around the outside were stained with soot and ash. The monstrous chimneys that sat upon the roof puffed heavy clouds of thick smoke into the sky. Water flowing in a nearby stream was splashed by the bronze water wheels that rested in them. All around Hannah and Will was the sonorous sound of hammers hitting metal, fires blazing, and ancient Greek curses when a weapon didn't turn out as planned.

There had been plenty of people in the forge such as a short, but strangely muscular child with an adventurous gleam in his eyes, a girl with coffee colored skin and ever darker hair tied back with a red do-rag, and a boy with thousands of cuts, scars, bruises, and scrapes covering every inch of his body. However, despite the diversity, none of them had stood out to her as much as Leo had.

Leo had been hunched over a table, deep in thought as he looked at the blueprints of something huge and dragon-like. He seemed troubled, and every once in awhile, a gusty sigh would escape his lips. At first, he had paid Hannah no mind, but eventually he seemed to sense that someone was, well, staring.

His brown eyes had flickered up to meet Hannah's stare, and she'd immediately felt bashful. She hadn't meant to stare as it was quite rude, but it had simply happened. She had squeaked and turned her gaze to Will instead, but she couldn't resist the burning gaze that she felt on her. Eventually, curiosity took over her, and she had turned very slowly to look back to the elvish boy. To her surprise, as soon as their eyes met again, he smiled warmly.

Hannah's eyelashes had fluttered, and she'd shyly raised her hand, waving her fingers at him. Leo had returned the gesture, hopping over his worktable and trotting over with a sideways smile on his face. His entire demeanor gave off friendly vibes and curiosity; these were two traits that Hannah appreciated herself.

"Well, hello there. What's your name, pretty?" Leo's voice was mellow and flowed like honey from his lips. Something about his warm eyes, messy hair, and extended hand made Hannah feel welcome. This boy was charismatic without seemingly trying to be.

"Hey, Leo," Will greeted the Latino boy nonchalantly. "This is Hannah Brown; she's the newest addition of the Demeter cabin. I'm just showing her around for now," He nodded his head toward the discarded blueprint on the worktable behind Leo. "What are you working on? Not another dragon, I hope."

Leo had shook his head, his curls bouncing around his face wildly. "Nah, I don't have any plans to make a new problem for the camp. Festus just needs some repairs is all. He's starting to limp on his back leg, and I'm sure you can probably imagine how grumpy that makes him. He's taken to steaming up the trees around the barrier again, and the dryads are not too happy about it," Leo sighed again, this time with pure exhaustion.

After mulling in the silence for a few moments, Leo's eyes suddenly lit up again as if he had remembered something pleasant, and he turned to face Hannah, looking a lot more energized than he had just been a moment ago. "So, your name's Hannah, right? Really fits you."

Hannah had giggled softly. "Thank you. And you must be Leo?"

The Latino boy's chest had puffed up proudly, and he flexed one of his arms. "That's me. Why? You heard of me? I'm a pretty big deal around here, so you've probably heard about me."

The daughter of Demeter had giggled again, tossing her silky, brown hair over her shoulder. "Well, I've heard one thing about you from Will."

Leo gave Will a suddenly sheepish glance. It seemed like the two had possibly had some sort of a feud or problem in the past. "Oh... So, uh, what did he tell you..?"

"He told me that you were brought to camp in his chariot, and you completely trashed it," Hannah replied, now having to cover her mouth to suppress her laughter. She simply couldn't help it; it was a ridiculous image: the macho Leo Valdez arriving at camp in style with a dilapidated chariot in tow.

This was clearly not the legacy that Leo had been hoping she was aware of. His face reddened to a deep shade of tomato coloration, and he scuffed his sneaker on the dusty earth beneath him. Casting baleful eyes at Will, he frowned. "Come on, Solace, that was a long time ago, and you know it. Besides, it wasn't our fault that we were under attack. Haven't you ever heard of let bygones be bygones?"

Will huffed, crossing his arms with a childish pout. "It was my chariot," he stated stubbornly.

Leo's eyes had rolled, but there was a certain fondness to it as if this was a recurring argument that the two had shared many a time. He leaned against a nearby metal stool, his cheek rested on his work-worn hand. There was still a hint of embarrassment across his face, but it seemed that he would get over it. "Yeah, well I suppose you left out the part where I went on a heroic quest and totally sacrificed myself for the greater good. You seem to forget that a lot."

One of Will's eyebrows raised cockily. "My memory is just fine, Valdez. I just leave that story for you to tell since you seem to love talking about your heroism so much. Not very modest if you ask me."

Leo snorted. "Can't argue with that; I am pretty great. In fact, I'm the Super-sized Mcshizzle."

"Alright, take it down a couple notches, Hercules," Will's expression warmed into a more amused glance. His arms slowly uncrossed and fell back to his sides like he just couldn't stay mad at this boy.

Hannah's eyes, however, were wide with wonder. "You went on a quest?" she asked, her voice lilting upwards with awe. "That is so cool!"

Leo and Will exchanged a quick glance. Hannah's surfer boy guide tilted his head and gave her an amiable smile. "You know, if you want to hear the story of his quest, you could probably stick around with him for awhile. You can probably tell how much he likes the sound of his own voice."

"Oh, can I, Will?" Hannah asked, her expression becoming hopeful. "Not that you weren't a good guide or anything because I definitely learned a lot from you."

Will smiled, placing a hand on Hannah's slender shoulder. "It's all good. You can stay here if you'd like on one condition. The condition being that Leo has to finish your entire tour when he's done telling his story, not just around the forge."

Hannah turned her puppy dog eye to Leo, but he didn't need the extra nudge. He looked almost as giddy about telling the story about his quest and heroism than Hannah looked to hear all about it.

"It's a deal, Solace," Leo stated confidently, straightening up and extending his hand for Will to shake. Will did so gingerly, making sure that there wasn't some sort of hidden emotion in Leo's expression. Finding only eagerness to share his tale and get to know Hannah better, Will nodded.

"Well, have fun, you two. I'll be in the infirmary if you need me," Will drawled, sounding just the slightest bit more relaxed now that he had completed his task. Though he usually had nothing, but free time on his hands, he still had to care for whatever injured creature waltzed into his infirmary which tended to keep him on his toes. A shorter than usual tour was a very much welcome turnabout. Hannah figured that the lanky Apollo boy was most likely figuring out which of his cots would be the comfiest to sprawl out and take a nap on.

The two demigods watched Will's departing form wavering through the smoke and intense heat until they could no longer see him. Only then did Hannah turn excitedly to Leo, bouncing on her heels with anticipation.

"You have no idea how cool I think quests are. Ever since I heard Chiron talking about them in the Big House this morning, I've been hooked! Adventure, romance, tragedy, and conflict, I mean, what makes for a better story?" Hannah's voice squeaked towards the end at the sheer excitement of it all. "I'm sure your story is really interesting!"

Leo smirked at Hannah's animated speech, brushing a hand across his sweat moistened face and bringing up his whimsy hair from his equally as playful eyes. "Well, my story definitely is different, I'll tell you that. I mean, not many times outside of quests do you really ever get to defeat the snow goddess, ride a giant mechanical dragon, and fight with fly-stealing dwarfs..." Leo's face reddened at the mention of the dwarfs, but he managed to keep his carefree composure in tact.

"Okay, wow, now you have to tell me. Spare no details; I want to hear it all."

The oil-stained Latino boy gave Hannah a very genuine smile that almost seemed like a rarity. He seemed to appreciate her curiosity and company like he hadn't had a good listener come through the forge for a long while. Motioning his head towards a bench off to the side of the forge, he held out his hand for Hannah's. "Alright, I can definitely do that. Why don't we go sit down? This might take awhile..."

And without any hesitation at all, Hannah took Leo's hand, followed him to the bench, and initiated the beginning of a unique, lifelong friendship.

------------------

"I still don't understand how you nursed that lily all the way back to good health," Billie exclaimed, tapping her fingernails along the wooden boards of the Demeter cabin's steps. Her blue bob cut curled around her face just perfectly, bringing out her trademark gold eye shadow. She was donning a dark blue baseball cap that she had turned backwards, and the sleeves of her Camp Half-Blood shirt had been long since snipped away. "The poor thing was almost ready to be read its last rights."

Miranda nodded, wrapping her arm around Hannah's shoulders and pulling her close. Her skin was sun-kissed from hours spent caring for the strawberries in the strawberry patch with her boyfriend, Sherman Yang. The two were almost never apart, but now seemed to be an exception. "You have such a way with plants, honestly. Even more so than the most of us at the very least."

Hannah shrugged, feeling a shy smile curl up her lips. The truth was that she was highly adept with dealing with plants. Some people were already beginning to speculate that Katie and Miranda would hand down their head counselor positions to her sometime soon. In any case, though Hannah recognized her talent, she didn't like to flaunt it. "Aw, it was nothing. The little thing just needed some love, that's all."

"Speaking of love..." Billie's blue brows wiggled at Hannah who in turn whipped her head around to see what she was looking at.

Leo Valdez was strolling up to the Demeter cabin, fiddling with his hands even more so than usual. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and his eyebrows were furrowed deeply with thought. Hannah had never seen her friend look so nervous before. He usually looked much taller than he actually was by walking on the tips of his toes and springing around like a jackrabbit, but now he looked... Small...

"Oh, hush," Hannah tittered, giving Billie a playful shove. She looked up at Leo's bent form as he stopped near the steps and hesitated noticeably. "Hi, Leo!"

Hannah's friend gave her a half-hearted wave, before clasping his hands together hopefully and inhaling deeply. "H-hey, Hannah. I was wondering... Could we talk..." As the entirety of the Demeter sisters blinked up at Leo expectantly, he cleared his throat. "Alone."

Billie turned and gave Hannah a triumphant smirk. Hannah tried to glare at her, but couldn't muster the anger to. Instead, she just ruffled her sister's hair and nodded at Leo happily. "Sure thing," she strained to get up and found that her legs had long since fallen asleep. Looking to Leo expectantly, she held out her hands. "Could you help me out here, please?"

Leo nodded, taking Hannah's grass stained palms in his and hoisting her up with surprising strength. Hannah stumbled for a bit before leaning against her friend to catch her balance again and giggling.

"Sorry, Leo! Guess I forgot how to walk!"

Leo gave Hannah a fond smile, nudging Hannah towards the direction of his cabin in the near distance. "Nah, it's fine. Why don't we talk near my cabin?"

Hannah was slightly bewildered at the aspect of such a formal meeting with her goofball of a best friend, but she chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. Ignoring the chuckles rising up from her sisters, she followed her friend obliviously.

The two friends plodded along the grassy campgrounds; the Demeter cabin on the complete opposite of the cabin formation, thus taking them much longer to walk there than it would have taken to the Aphrodite cabin, for example. Hannah didn't mind though; that simply meant that she would have more time to hang out with her best friend long the way.

The daughter of Demeter looked up at Leo with a sunshiney smile across her lips. His hair was just as messy as usual, hanging in those warm, brown eyes of his and making his expression almost unreadable. He was chewing on his bottom lip though, and sweat was beginning to drip down his forehead. He was clearly bothered by something, and Hannah couldn't even begin to imagine what was on his mind.

Eventually, the two made it to the Hephaestus cabin's front. Leo didn't stop there, his feet leading them behind the cabin instead. Hannah tilted her head curiously. Was Leo ashamed to be seen with her? He'd never been so secretive before today, and frankly, it was beginning to scare her.

"Leo... What's wrong?" Hannah asked, taking a step closer to her friend. She reached out a gentle hand, brushing the back of it against his forehead. His face felt incredibly warm, and Hannah's eyes widened with surprise. "You're burning up! You should go to the infirmary immediately."

Leo shook his head, his curls tossing with him. "No, no, I'm not sick... Well, not that kind of sick. I guess I'm still kind of sick, but just not in that way. I mean, that a part of me is sick, but not sick in the way that would make you cough or sneeze, but-"

Hannah placed a finger across his lips, halting his speaking (and breathing) for a moment. His face reddened even more, turning a dark scarlet.

"Just tell me what's wrong..." Hannah murmured soothingly. She let her facial features relax their concern away to look as unthreatening and open as possible.

Leo hesitated still for a few heartbeats longer before deciding it was now or never. Heaving a deep breath, his eyes snapped shut, and the words left his mouth at ninety words per second. "IreallylikeyouandIthinkweshoulddate."

Hannah blinked, trying to process the words. No matter what she tried though, she simply could not decipher his sentence. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that, please?"

The Hephaestus camper cracked his knuckles nervously, silently willing himself to calm down. When he finally found his voice again, he spoke much slower and concise. "Hannah, you've been my best friend for a really long time now, and... And I really... Like you. Like, like like you... Like... Love you. What I'm saying is," he covered his face with one of his arms while extending the other one out to Hannah. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Hannah's sky blue eyes widened with surprise. Her demeanor immediately changed from her usual happy and bubbly personality to one of guilt and apology. Shuffling her feet in the grass, she looked up at Leo and hoped he would understand. "I-I'm sorry but I... I can't," and with that, Hannah bolted across the camp, her head down and her cheeks ablaze with blush.

I can't believe I was just asked out by my best friend, she thought, her mind a whirlwind. And that I had to turn him down. Oh gods, whats going on?

She raced towards the porch of the Demeter cabin where her sisters were gossiping. They all turned their expectant gazes up to her as she came forward, but when they saw the look on her face, their brows furrowed with concern.

Shooting past her half-siblings and throwing the door of the cabin open, Hannah darted across the grassy floor and threw herself onto her bed. She wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her face between them. Her shoulders shuddered, but she wasn't crying; she was scared, scared for the friendship that she had been building for years. What if Leo never wanted to speak with her again? What if she'd crushed his heart? What if? What if?

"Hannah...? Are you okay in there?" Billie's usually brash voice was unusually soft and gentle. Hannah heard her older sister's hightops rustle through the grassy floor. Thankfully, she didn't hear Miranda or Katie following her. She could, however, hear them talking among themselves in low voices outside.

"I... I'm fine..." Hannah lied, feeling guilty immediately. She never lied to anyone, let alone her sisters.

Billie took a seat next to Hannah on her bed, causing the mattress to sink lower beneath her. She waited for a moment before placing a hand on her little sister's shoulder. "What happened out there?"

Hannah let out a low moan, burying her face deeper between her kneecaps. "Leo asked me out..."

Billie's voice took on a congratulatory tone. "Well, isn't that a good thing? You two have been really good friend for a really long time, so why can't you be really good datefriends?"

"You know why..." Hannah mumbled, and Billie slumped.

"Oh yeah..."

The cabin went silent for a long while, and Billie scratched at her neck awkwardly. Finally, Hannah's older sister spoke up again, this time her voice soft and full of sympathy. "Well, I can't say I've ever been in your situation before, but I want you to do what you feel is right, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Hannah nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and looking to Billie. "Yeah... I can try," she shifted her legs over the side of the bed and gave Billie a thankful glance. She leaned her cheek against her older sister's shoulder for a moment. "Thanks, Billie; it means a lot to me."

Billie's usual snarky side smile slowly returned, and she gave Hannah a tight hug. "Of course! What're magical half-siblings for? Now why don't we check out the strawberry patch? I'll bet ya Pollux is down there, and you know how much he enjoys my company!"

A snort escaped Hannah, and she giggled lightly.

The truth was that the head counselor of the Dionysus cabin could barely stand Billie's outgoing nature and extroverted personality as she was always getting into people's faces and trying to make them laugh. Pollux wasn't easy to make laugh, but he had definitely had to hide a few smiles that cracked through his tough exterior when Billie was around. He hated that she could make him happy and thus put on a big show of hatred whenever she was around. It reminded Hannah intensely of Drew Tanaka of the Aphrodite cabin and Clovis of the Hypnos cabin; they both pretended to hate each other's guts when they were in front of people, but Lacy and Mitchell (also of the Aphrodite cabin) claimed that the two had been seen cuddling at the campfire many a time when they thought everyone was too distracted to notice.

"Oh, give him a break, will you? Poor boy never gets time alone anymore," Hannah said, shoving Billie good-naturedly.

Billie flashed Hannah one of her bright, toothy grins. "He knows he loves me," she claimed cockily. "Now let's get going, shall we? Don't wanna miss him!"

And with that, the two sisters trotted off to the strawberry patch.

Leo wasn't seen for the rest of the day.

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"My girlfriend is absolutely beautiful. Body like a Greek statue – completely pale, no arms!"

Hannah tried to fake a laugh at Cecil Markowitz's terrible joke, but it came out sounding completely pathetic and and forced. Truth was, she just couldn't summon enough joy in her heavy heart for her to truly appreciate the one liner. She still hadn't seen Leo since yesterday, and every time she'd ask one of his numerous siblings, she'd get the same response, 'Haven't seen him.'

Cecil turned his dancing, brown eyes towards Hannah before frowning suddenly. Exchanging a glance with his best friend, Lou Ellen Blackstone, he turned back to the daughter of Demeter and tilted his head. "What's up, Green Thumb? I thought that was a good one!"

Hannah tried to nod reassuringly, but her head dipped too quickly, giving her away. "Oh, it was, Cecil! I just..." she turned her head away, letting her hair fall freely into her face. "Have a lot on my mind..."

Lou Ellen leaned forward, her emerald green eyes sparkling with curiosity more than concern. She rested a hand on Hannah's kneecap and spoke, "You wanna talk about it? Cecil and I are really good with secrets. Just ask Will! No one's found out about his secret chariot design he's planning for the next race coming up soon. It's gonna have lasers!"

"Will's building a laser chariot?" Hannah repeated as a question.

"Shoot!" Lou Ellen brought her palm to her face, and Cecil gave her a wide-eyed look.

"He told us not to tell anyone!" Cecil put in fearfully. "He'll turn us into training dummies for the infirmary!"

Lou Ellen gasped. "He wouldn't!"

Hannah sighed deeply, ignoring the two best friends who began to squabble nervously among themselves and looking up as a shadow covered the shining sun above her.

The shadow happened to be none other than Leo Valdez.

The daughter of Demeter's eyes widened. "L-Leo!" she exclaimed, standing up quickly and brushing dirt off her thighs in order to look presentable. Since when did she care how she looked in front of Leo?

"Come with me," Leo's voice was husky, and it seemed like he had recently been crying.

Hannah nodded, immediately following her friend away from Lou Ellen and Cecil who were wrestling and throwing false punches at each other as they argued. She followed Leo until they were near the empty volleyball court before stopping abruptly with a squeak as he swiveled on his heels to face her.

"Why did you turn me down, Hannah?" The question was blunt and slammed into Hannah like a slap to her face. She realized she had no choice, but to tell Leo the truth. He looked awful...

Leo's messy hair was worse than usual, greasy and falling into his face precariously. There were matching tear tracks down both of his cheeks, and his bottom lip quivered slightly. He hadn't changed his clothes from the day before yet. Frankly, he looked terrible.

"I had to, Leo," Hannah started, her voice shaking and threatening to break. "I already have a boyfriend... Tommy Simpson... He goes to my school with me in the fall, winter, and spring, and we've been together for awhile now, and I just can't... I can't dump him like that. I'm so sorry, Leo."

Leo's chocolatey eyes widened before hardening. "Just what I thought. I knew it was too good to be true. We weren't ever going to work, were we...?"

Before Hannah could answer, Leo frowned.

"I have to go..." and with that, he began to sulk away, his head hanging low and his shoulders hunched. Hannah had never seen him look so alone and hurt before and to think that it had been her to hurt him... It was all too much.

"Leo, please!"

But Leo did not turn around. Ignoring his best friend's pleading, he kept walking towards his cabin.

And the tears began to flood down Hannah's porcelain cheeks...

I can't lose him. I can't! she thought, but it seemed that he was already gone.

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For days upon days, Leo would ignore every attempt that Hannah made to make conversation. It seemed like he couldn't even bring himself to look at her anymore. His eyes were always fixated on the ground, and Hannah was hurt beyond belief. Never in her entire life had she thought she would lose a friend like this; especially Leo.

Hannah's other friends and family were beginning to notice Hannah's dramatic change in demeanor. She was slouching more lately, and she refused to attend most of the camp activities. At the campfires, she'd sit alone, or be unresponsive should someone try to talk to her. She wasn't trying to be rude, and the campers knew that it wasn't something they'd done for the look in her eyes was broken and sad.

As the days went by, summer finally ended. Not being one of the year-round campers, Hannah was finally to return home to begin her classes at her high school once more. She was packing in her cabin despondently, tossing her clothes into her bags haphazardly as her siblings stood by unhappily.

"Don't dwell on it too much, Hannah," Billie tried, attempting to look into her sister's forlorn, blue eyes. "You gotta try to be happy again!"

Hannah ignored her, shaking her head sadly as she shoveled the rest of her belongings together.

At this, Miranda stepped forward authoritatively, causing Hannah look at her. All of the head counselors seemed to have this ability of making even the most unruly of campers obey them, and though Katie was technically the head counselor, she was not a year-rounder like Miranda was, therefore letting Miranda take over whenever she had to leave. Katie was currently attending her school at the moment, leaving Miranda in charge.

"Come on," Miranda began, resting her hand under Hannah's chin and meeting her gloomy gaze head on. "Where's the old Hannah; the one that makes everyone feel good about themselves."

Hannah knew that she was causing her sisters to worry immensely about her, and it was her duty to reassure them that she was okay (even if she wasn't.) Casting Miranda a half-hearted smile, she tightened her grip on her bag's handle. "She's right here," Hannah lied through her teeth. "Now I think I should get going... I bet my parents are waiting for me outside the border..."

With those words hanging in the air, Hannah dragged her feet across the cabin, gave each of her sisters a warm hug, and walked outside of the cabin towards the border. She looked back only one time as her friends gave her 'good-byes' and 'good lucks', and she smiled.

Among the plentiful people that considered her a good friend and wished her well, Leo was nowhere to be seen.

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Hannah's first day back at school had been a good one so far. Her group of friends had welcomed her back with open arms, hugging her and telling her how much they'd missed her. They pestered her to tell them more about the dreamy summer camp she disappeared to every summer. Offerings of snacks, drawings, and homework passes were given to her around every corner, and arguably the best of all, Tommy was there every class period.

Tommy was the best boyfriend Hannah could have asked for. He was known for being incredibly supportive and kind to everyone which worked well with Hannah's life motto. That's why the two were so compatible. In fact, Tommy loved Hannah so much that she had hardly made it through the school doors before he'd given her the gift of a bouquet of lovely flowers he'd grown himself.

It was a wonderful gesture, and Hannah definitely felt loved, but... She also felt wrong.

No matter what Tommy did from offer to carry her books to their next class, save her a seat next to him at lunch, or give her the homework answers that she struggled to find, it all felt like it wasn't meant for her. When she'd first began to date Tommy, she'd felt like she was made for him, and that they were going to last forever. Now, Hannah was beginning to feel that maybe these flowers would make some other girl or boy happy instead of her.

Her mind was a whirlwind. Every time Tommy would plant a kiss on her cheek, Hannah would remember the feeling of Leo's callused fingers tracing circles in the same place. Whenever Tommy would wrap his arms around Hannah and pull her close, Hannah would be brought back to when she'd bet Leo couldn't carry her for more than five minutes... He'd carried her around the entire camp despite her giggly protests with nothing, but a genuine smile on his face. Every joke Tommy would tell, he'd look into Hannah's eyes, patiently awaiting a response. This was the same habit that Leo tended to have when he told his awesome stories of adventure and peril.

Hannah simply could not hide her feelings. She'd never been good at that in all of her life, and now was no exception. Her friends realized that something was up and informed Tommy whose face immediately darkened to one of complete concern. He took her hand and led her behind one of the old, in-need-of-repairs vending machines. Touching her face gently, he looked into her eyes. She couldn't meet his gaze.

"Hannah, what's wrong? You haven't been acting like... Well, yourself today. Everyone's worried about you. Are you okay?"

The daughter of Demeter was never one for lying. Sighing deeply, she began her confession, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. "Tommy, I... I don't feel like our relationship is right anymore..."

Tommy's eyes widened, but he didn't seem angry. Instead, he gently motioned for her to continue, his brows furrowing with deep concern. "Why's that, Han?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I..." Hannah's face reddened, and the words blurted out before she could properly think them through. "I think I might like someone else, someone I met at camp a long time ago. He confessed to me a couple weeks ago, and I turned him down because I was dating you, and I do love you, but I think you'd be better for someone else," Hannah instantly felt her face heat up with shame. Tommy had been nothing but kind to her ever since they'd met, and now she was telling him that she didn't want to be together anymore? How horrible was she? "Oh, gosh, I am so, so sorry, Tommy..."

Tommy looked surprised, and honestly, Hannah couldn't blame him. She'd thrown so much at him, and they'd only just reunited after a long summer apart. She expected anger to flare in his usually so friendly eyes. She expected him to scream and yell at her for breaking his heart. Her body tensed with guilty fear, and she looked up at Tommy, her eyes swimming with tears.

Finally, after a few painful moments, Tommy nodded his head. He spoke with a gentle voice, letting no trace of any anger fall into his words. "I understand. If you love him then you should be with him. I won't think of you any differently, Han," he gave her a sad smile, but his eyes sparkled with permission granted.

Hannah stood shell-shocked, blinking up at her now former boyfriend with unwavering respect. Her eyes brightened, and it felt as if a weight had been lifted. Throwing her arms around Tommy, she buried her face in his chest. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Tommy! You're the best friend I could ever ask for! I'll... I'll never be able to truly tell you how much this means to me..."

Tommy smiled, and this time the smile held no pain. He looked just as relieved as Hannah felt that his friend was finally herself again. "Don't mention it, Han. I hope things work out for you two."

The daughter of Demeter smiled into Tommy's chest; the tears flooding down her face were now of joy. "Something tells me that they will..."

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The rest of the school year went by rather quickly. Hannah had an amazing time with her wonderful friends, and her and Tommy's bond of friendship grew even stronger. Hannah passed all of her classes with flying colors and made it on the high honors multiple times throughout the year. She made plenty of great memories that she made sure to relay to her sisters via Iris messages every night. They were incredibly pleased to have their regular old Hannah back.

Eventually, summer break rolled around which meant that it was finally time to go back to camp and set things right between Hannah and her best friend. She packed her bags excitedly, chattering to Butch Walker who had come by pegasus to pick her up for the travel. The entire journey, her mouth never truly shut. She had so many things to say after feeling so sad for so long.

When the pegasus's hooves touched the grass near Half-Blood hill at last, Hannah threw her legs over its side and landed heavily on the earth below. Inhaling the strong scent of the magical strawberry patch lingering in the air, she was filled with renewed energy.

She raced to the Demeter cabin with pep in her step, waving and casting grins at everyone who greeted her. Cheers erupted from passing demigods as they realized that they had their sunshiney Hannah back once more. Hannah couldn't stop to explain though; she shot up the steps of her cabin and flung her stuff on top of her bed.

"Hey!" An indignant squeal came from her bed where Billie crawled out from under all of the baggage. She looked as if she had just woken up with a major bedhead and tired, brown eyes, but she immediately woke herself up at the sight of Hannah's genuine smile. "You're looking good, Hannah," she commented, bounding over to her sister and pulling her in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're feeling better."

Hannah giggled in Billie's tight grip, nuzzling her cheek fondly. "It's good to be me again. Listen, have you seen Leo anywhere?"

Billie frowned, tapping her chin thoughtfully for a moment. She seemed conflicted about answering that question, but did so anyways. "I think I saw him skipping stones near the lake before I tried to get some beauty rest."

Hannah chuckled softly. "Yeah... Sorry about all of my stuff being piled on you, but you have your own bed, you know?"

The blue-haired Demeter girl shrugged. "Yours is more comfy. Anywhoozle, I'd hurry now if you really want to see him. He might change his mind about being seen in public and go back to hiding in his cabin again."

Hannah winced, but nodded thankfully. "Thank you, Billie. I owe you one," and with that, she dashed out of the cabin and towards the lake. The wind ruffled her hair and breezed across her face, invigorating her further. She had to do this.

As the daughter of Demeter ran across the grassy terrain of Camp Half-Blood, the blue expanse of the lake began to appear in the distance. Loud seabirds cawed loudly overhead, naiads splashed in the shallow water near the shore, searching for shiny seashells, and, low and behold, Leo Valdez was splayed out on the sand, tossing a pebble into the air and catching it languidly.

As per usual, Hannah felt her heart sink with guilt as she spotted Leo's washed out, lack luster appearance. However bad she felt though, she knew what she was about to do, and the possible outcome was enough to keep her going. The old Hannah was back, and she needed her Leo back.

"Leo!" Hannah called out, cupping her hand around her mouth. "Leo, hey!"

Leo's head snapped back, and his eyes widened with surprise as they landed on Hannah. He scrambled to his feet quickly, reeling his arm back as far as he could and chucking the pebble out into the lake. With that, he began to speed-walk away from Hannah's direction.

"No, no, Leo, come back!"

Leo did not turn back though, his head dipping lower than before.

Hannah was tired of this. She had something to say, and he needed to hear it. Putting on a burst of speed, she raced in front of Leo and skidded to a halt on the sand. She nearly piled it into the beach, but managed to stay on her feet. Now that she was face to face with Leo, he wasn't getting away any time soon.

Leo looked slightly taken aback at Hannah's uncharacteristic boldness, but he accepted that he had been caught at last. Taking a shuddering sigh, he looked tiredly into Hannah's eyes. "What do you want...?" he questioned. His voice wasn't hostile and instead sounded exhausted.

Taking a deep breath, Hannah began. "I know you're still mad at me, but please listen to me. I've been thinking about you ever since... That day I hurt you really bad. I know I did, and I'm so sorry that I did, but at the time, I didn't know what I wanted. I thought that being with Tommy was what I wanted, but it wasn't. He's a good friend, and he's always treated me right, but that's just what he is to me: a friend. Now you..." Hannah gulped nervously. "You mean so much more to me. I just didn't want to believe it at first. I didn't want to hurt Tommy because of my feelings, but... I couldn't go one with the lying."

There was a pause, and Hannah realized that Leo was leaning forward with interest, urging her to go on with the faintest glimmer of hope shimmering in the murky depths of his brown eyes.

"I split things off with Tommy. We're still friends, and he was completely okay with it, but I just wanted to let you know that it was all for you. I want to be with you, Leo, and I'm so sorry for leading you on the way I did. I'm sorry, and I really hope that we can still be together now... Can we...?"

At this, Leo looked happy for the first time in a long while. His sadness seemed to melt away from him like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The old mischievous sparkle returned to Leo's dull eyes, and his hands fiddled with the tool belt around his waist. Without a moment of hesitation, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Hannah's.

Hannah felt crimson blush cover her cheeks, but she returned the kiss, feeling a flutter in her chest. As electricity pulsed through her body, and Leo's warm lips moved against hers, she suddenly felt like all was right. She had done the right thing after all, and she couldn't have been happier.

Leo finally pulled back, leaving Hannah fantasizing about the heavenly feeling of his kiss dancing through her mind. His breathing had deepened slightly, and he leaned forward again, this time pressing his forehead against hers and smiling, truly smiling, for the first time in forever.

"Oh gods, Hannah, I'm... I'm just so happy I can finally have you. I'm so sorry I was acting the way I was, but you mean so much to me, and I thought that if we spent time apart the feeling would fade, but..." His smile raised cockily to the side. "I hope you can tell that they didn't."

Hannah giggled softly, nuzzling against Leo fondly. "I... I love you, Leo..."

Leo planted one last tiny kiss on Hannah's lips and pulled her into a tight embrace. He sighed in total bliss, brushing his hand down her back. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that..." His lips brushed her ear, and he whispered the words that he had longed to say for so long. "I love you too, Flower Girl..."

Chapter Text

'Hers or Mine'

(This story was a request by moonandstxrs on Quotev. Toni is her character. If you do not like oc x canon relationships, please find another story to read and do not complain in the comments. And remember, requests are always open!)

"Man, tonight's bonfire was better than I remembered them being. It's so good to be back at Camp Half-Blood again," Jason Grace let out a gusty sigh of relief, his arms behind his head as he strolled across the grassy terrain of Camp Half-Blood's land.

Being the Roman son of Jupiter, Jason was intended to live the rest of his days at Camp Jupiter, but ever since he had set foot on the Greek equivalent of his camp, he'd grown quite attached to every satyr, dryad, demigod, and demigoddess that made their home out there. It was quite easy to grow fond of Camp Half-Blood considering its main purpose was to protect and care for the half-blooded children of the Greek deities above. On top of that, it was much like any other regular old summer camp (if you looked past the occasional hellhound break-in and giant lava wall that the campers scaled for fun.)

Camp Half-Blood had a large lake that stretched its expansiveness over the center of the camp, and it was usually the center for water based activities such as canoeing, swimming, and the occasional seashell search-and-find. Plenty of gorgeous naiads made their homes along the shallow parts of the lake. That way, they could observe the demigods at play on the sandy shore nearby. Very often, the naiads would take to flirting with whoever strayed to close to them. The swooned half-bloods were never injured though, but they tended to wash up on the shore with soaked clothes and blue lipstick marks on their cheeks.

The camp featured lots of other areas of recreation for demigods of all interests to have fun and learn along the way as they spent their endless summer days at this very camp. There was an arts and crafts pavilion for the more creative of the bunch such as the Iris, Apollo, and Athena cabins. The arts and crafts sessions were presided over by local dryads with too much time on their hands.

There was also a great forge that puffed immense clouds of black smoke from its twin chimneys. Giant, bronze waterwheels churned through the water of the nearby stream. Blueprints and battle plans laid strewn about the entirety of the forge messily, scattered to no abandon. The sound of clanging metal against metal and the occasional Greek curse rang out as the Hephaestus and Ares cabins invented away their frustrations.

For the more sporty half-bloods, there was a volleyball court, a pegasus stable (for pegasus riding, of course), the aforementioned lava climbing wall, and a bloodstained battle arena for hand to hand combat. These were the places that were never vacant as the half-bloods that made their residence here were always on the go, looking for more things to do and see (aside from the Hypnos cabin, that is. Those kids were always sleeping.)

Each night, the demigods and demigoddesses alike would return to their designated cabins and rest up for the next day ahead of them. There were twenty cabins total for anyone from the big guy himself, Zeus, to someone as minor as Tyche, the goddess of luck and fortune. There were constantly more and more cabins being added to this ever growing list of deities as well, so there were always new people to meet and befriend.

The last, and perhaps the most important thing that drew Jason back to Camp Half-Blood every so often was the giant amphitheater that housed the fire pit of camp. The fire pit was huge and flickered with flames that shifted from blue, to purple, to green, to the brightest orange you could imagine based upon the feelings of the onlookers around it. There were stands set up around the bleachers for the half-bloods to join their cabinmates and huddle near the fire's warmth and logs sitting closer to the fire for satyrs to play their cheerful music and keep the spirits high. Harps, saxophones, flutes, and wood pipes lay about the logs simply waiting to be played, so their harmonious symphonies could drift through the cold, quiet night air.

The campfire was arguably the one thing that could bring the half-bloods closer together after a day of hardships or tensions between the cabins. With everyone singing, dancing, and drinking crimson punch provided by the Dionysus cabin, everyone was usually in a great mood during this activity. It was a healing event that could help heartbreak, loneliness, and general boredom all throughout the year, no matter how many people attended. It was a camp favorite to everyone, and Jason Grace was no exception.

In fact, the amphitheater was where Jason had just been; well, he and his friend, Toni.

Toni Morris was a fifteen year old, unclaimed Greek demigoddess who had only just joined the ranks of Camp Half-Blood not more than a few months prior. She had long, caramel blonde hair and warm, coffee colored eyes that sparkled with curiosity. She wore her orange Camp Half-Blood shirt with the sleeves cut away long since she'd first received it, and a pair of blue jeans clung to her frame.

Toni was quite the enigma around camp; she had been unclaimed for quite some time now, and people were beginning to suspect that she might simply be a mortal who could see through the mist. Toni knew this wasn't true though and clung strongly to her belief in a divine parent of some sort. She currently resided in both the Hermes cabin and the Hypnos cabin depending on her mood of the day. She didn't mind the rowdiness or population of the Hermes cabin so much as she minded their tendency to pickpocket and steal. The Hypnos kids were small in numbers and were, in Toni's opinion, quite boring, but she had had several interesting conversations with them before regarding their crazy dreams and found their company just fine.

The unclaimed demigoddess was a sweet and kind young spirit, but there was no mistake to be made. She was rebellious and highly intelligent, making her very intimidating to the people around her. They feared that, perhaps, she was the next oracle should something happen to Rachel Elizabeth Dare and that she could possibly see their futures should they look upon them.

Toni knew this was false; she was just a later bloomer. Every new day that came and went held the same hopefulness that Toni could be claimed at any moment. This made life at camp the slightest bit more interesting.

Of course, camp just wouldn't be the same without her friends. Toni had a few close ones that she held dearly.

Alice Miyazawa and Julia Feingold were Toni's first friends. She'd met them the first day that she had arrived at camp when they had played the practical prank of emptying Malcolm Pace's ant farm inside of her pillow on the makeshift bed she'd made on the Hermes cabin's floor. At first, she'd been horrified and angry beyond belief until she'd realized that it had all been in good fun. Besides, she figured she wouldn't have to lecture them as they received quite the talk from Malcolm that seemed to go on forever. With a nudge from Chris Rodriguez (perhaps the most levelheaded and calm Hermes child to ever exist), the two apologized and quickly started up a friendship with Toni.

Alice had long, silky ash brown hair and brown, almond-shaped eyes that were usually crinkled as she giggled. She had very definite smile lines, and she radiated confidence and mischief. She was a bit more secretive and sneaky than her sister, Julia was, but that didn't make her any less of a prankster.

Julia had wavy, mousy brown hair and hazel eyes that sparkled with impish playfulness. Her lips were full and plump and were usually curled up in a patronizing smirk. She constantly had her hands in her back pockets and would draw a lot of attention to her face when she spoke, so that she could rob you blind without you even knowing it. She was very extroverted and flirty, and though Toni and Julia and long since made up for the first night prank, Julia still often tried to snatch pens, paperclips, and hair ties from her friend when she wasn't paying attention. She swore that it was to test Toni's alertness. 'A true demigod or demigoddess was always meant to be alert,' she explained.

Another one of Toni's closer friends was Chiara Benvenuti. Chiara had dark, pixie-cut hair, and intense, almond eyes that radiated challenge though she was no child of Ares. She was lithe and athletic, and she was always down for a training session with Toni no matter the time of day. She was usually ranting or complaining about someone or another (typically Damien White of the Nemesis cabin), but Toni didn't mind her venting. She rather liked the way the rapid fire Italian words flowed from Chiara's tongue.

One of Toni's closest friends was Kayla Knowles. Kayla was one of the only girls in the Apollo cabin though she was so adept with weapons and bows that she fit right in with her brothers. Kayla had short, choppy red hair that had been dyed and redyed green time and time again. Constellations of freckles covered every inch of bare, sunkissed skin on Kayla's body. She was a kind hearted girl and was always there for Toni when she needed someone. The two had become quick friends as their personalities had simply clicked.

Toni's best friend though was none other than her current company, Jason Grace. Jason was everything a girl could ever ask for; he was tall, strong, and very, very handsome. He had millions of scars from battles and training, but the most noticeable one was on the corner of his lip.

With a carefully chiseled facial structure, close-cropped, blond hair, and sky blue eyes that were framed by a pair of glasses, Jason was a highly sought after boy, especially among the Aphrodite cabin. Unfortunately though, Jason was taken by the one and only Piper McLean, and it seemed like they would never split apart.

Jason was a kind, thoughtful, and considerate young man that held a lot of sadness to him as if he had walked in the shoes of every person on the earth and had to bear their burdens alongside of his own. He was stern, but reasonable, often taking the role as the father figure in any group he hung out with. He had to be with friends as reckless as Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, and Toni Morris.

Jason had defended Toni at the campfire signifying her first week at Camp Half-Blood. Drew Tanaka had been ridiculing her for still remaining unclaimed at this age, starting the rumors here and there that she might just be some stupid mortal or the child of a god no one cared about. This had started giggles and gossip to spread around the amphitheater. As quickly as this had started though, it suddenly stopped as Jason had rose from his spot near Piper.

The Roman demigod had decided to spend the summer at Camp Half-Blood for old time's sake, and he knew that he was well renowned in both of the camps for being very powerful. He was to be respected, and he knew it. Casting a disappointed glare around the amphitheater, his look was enough to make the flames in the fire pit splutter and turn a violent shade of violet. Instantly, the laughter halted.

Jason had let them have it. He chided the campers, saying that the last time anyone made fun of someone for being unclaimed at age fifteen, they had turned out to be prophecised demigods and had saved this very camp. At this, Drew dipped her head with a frown and shuffled back to her seat underneath the Aphrodite banner. The head counselor underneath the Hypnos banner snorted, thoroughly enjoying Drew's humiliation. He had been one of the only ones to not laugh, but he simply couldn't help it. Drew was a mean person, and she was getting what she deserved.

This did not sit well with Jason though, and he turned his piercing gaze to the head counselor. His glare was less angry and more stern as if to say that even a bully didn't deserve to be bullied. The head counselor seemed to know Jason and immediately looked down sheepishly.

With all of the drama cleared, Jason had introduced himself to Toni formally and proposed that she sit by Piper and himself to chat. She'd done so eagerly, anxious to make new friends and allies (especially as handsome as Jason.)

The satyrs eventually began to play their music once more, and the camp fire went back to normal, rising to its normal height and turning gold in coloration.

Over time, Jason and Toni began to hang out more. Jason liked to train and battle as it was hardwired into his Roman blood that he had to be tough. Toni wasn't much of a fighter, and she had no idea where her powers abilities lied, so she simply sat back and watched as Jason demolished training dummies and the occasional stray monster that managed to wander into camp.

The two also spent a lot of time near the lake, watching as Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase splashed each other fondly and played intense games of chicken with the other head counselors. Jason often looked out warmly as if he was their father, making sure that they were safe and happy.

Toni liked that about him; he made her feel safe and protected. He was like a mother wolf watching over her pack of wolves and who would surely do anything to make sure that they all thrived. That wasn't the only thing Toni liked about Jason though; in fact, it was far from the only thing.

In truth, Toni liked every part of Jason's handsome appearance and wise beyond his years personality. One might even say that she was in love with him.

The two might have made a perfect couple if there hadn't been one tiny, unfortunate detail; Jason was taken.

Now Jason wasn't just taken by anyone. He was dating and completely enamored with the head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, Piper McLean. Piper had dark, tan skin, coffee colored, choppy hair, and kaleidoscope eyes that shifted from blue, to green, to brown, and back. She was gorgeous without even trying though she didn't seem to care about her looks or what anyone thought of her in the slightest. She did what she wanted. If she felt like sunbathing while she was supposed to be training, she'd do so and train twice as hard at the next session with Clarisse La Rue, the Ares cabin counselor. If she felt like stealing a sword from the armory for a practice session with Leo Valdez, one of her best friends, she'd do it. No one could tell her otherwise.

She wasn't spoiled, she just enjoyed doing things her way and not letting anyone tell her what to do. She wasn't entirely reckless though; she knew exactly when she was crossing the line and hardly ever did so. Piper was a head counselor, and she knew that she was to be a role model. Thus, she was. She was a role model for children who were previously bullied. She was a role model for those who were tired or being pushed around. Best yet, she was a role model for those who floundered in the love department.

Jason and Piper's relationship seemed like it was fresh out of a dream. Perfectly crafted for each other in every way, shape, and form, they were the second biggest power couple in camp, second only to Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase.

This was the sole fact that kept Toni from admitting to Jason. She was scared that she'd be shot down in seconds and only make everything for them awkward. She didn't want to lose Jason's friendship, but gods, was it ever annoying watching Jason and Piper cuddle by the fire...

"Toni, are you okay?"

Jason's concerned voice cut through Toni's deep thinking, and she blinked quickly, trying to regain her composure. She'd almost forgotten where she was going and where she was currently. She could not, however, forget who she was with.

"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Jason. Thanks for asking though," Toni hurriedly let the words spill from her lips so as not to worry Jason. Her tone caused the exact opposite effect she'd been hoping for as Jason's eyebrows narrowed more.

Resting a hand on Toni's shoulder, Jason stopped walking and looked into Toni's eyes. "It's no problem, but I don't like it when you lie to me. I can tell that you're not okay. What's really wrong, Toni?"

Toni blushed thoroughly, secretly enjoying Jason's gentle touch. She dipped her reddened face and chewed on her lip. What was she supposed say? Was she supposed to lie even more than she already was? Ugh, feelings were complicated. "No, no, I'm seriously okay, Jason. I was just... Daydreaming."

Jason tilted his head like a golden furred puppy. Toni fought the urge to squeal. This boy was a walking paradox; he was not only hot, but he was cute too. Not many boys could master that look, but Jason seemed to be the exception.

"Well, if you're sure then I guess I'll drop it. Just know that you can talk to me about anything. I'm always up to hearing you out and trying to help when I can. You're my friend, Toni, and that's what friends do."

Toni felt her heart drop to her shoes.

Friend... Not girlfriend.

"Right, right, I understand," Toni flipped her honey blonde hair across her shoulder, trying to regain her usually cool composure. It didn't seem to be working this time. "Well, the same goes for you, you know. You can tell me anything, and I'll always be there for you-"

"Well actually, if it's not too much trouble, I do have something I sort of want to get off my shoulders..." Jason realized that he had interrupted Toni and bowed his head apologetically. "S-sorry for cutting in like that, but it's really eating me up. Could I... Could I tell you what's on my mind?"

Toni's heart seemingly sprouted wings from its position near her shoes and flew back up to her chest, fluttering excitedly. Maybe he harbored hidden feelings for her after all? Maybe he wanted to know if she felt the same way? This could be her chance!

"Of course you can. I just said so, didn't I?Just let loose, J."

Jason smiled sheepishly, rubbing a hand through his close cropped hair. He looked almost shy to share what he had to say which only excited Toni more. She'd seen this behavior before when Cecil Markowitz had asked Lou Ellen Blackstone out the week prior. Shy boys typically meant that a proposal of the romantic kind was coming.

"Thanks, Toni," Jason straightened his shoulders and looked from side to side nervously. Finding no one that was close enough to hear this conversation, Jason deemed it safe to speak, and the words flooded from his mouth. "Listen, you can't tell her I said this, nor can you say anything around her nosy siblings, but Piper and I... We haven't been doing well together lately. In fact, things have been pretty rocky."

Toni covered her mouth with a hand to conceal the smile that was beginning to wriggle over her lips. Hearing that someone's long lasting relationship was heading downhill was never good news, but in this case, Toni simply couldn't help it. She couldn't believe her good luck. Finally, after all of this waiting, her dream boy was reconsidering his choice in partners. It was her time to shine.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Jason," she side-stepped over as nonchalantly as possible, sidling up closer to Jason as the chilly summer night breeze began to rustle through the camp. "I thought you guys were doing well. What happened...? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Jason shook his head, scratching his chin as he grew deep in thought. He didn't look angry, but instead looked confused as if he couldn't decipher what was going on in the first place. "Things were going good, and honestly, I'm not even sure myself why things aren't anymore. Piper keeps... Well, she keeps saying things that she never said before. Concerns that she's never discussed with me ever."

Toni tilted her head. Piper was not typically a worrisome person, going with the flow more often than not. What could possibly be bothering her now that things were going well for Camp Half-Blood? There were no wars, no impending threats, no inter-cabin feuds (well, no more than usual), so what was troubling her? "What would that be?" she questioned, genuinely curious. Perhaps there was some hidden threat that only Piper knew about.

"She keeps saying things like 'the only reason we're together is because Hera messed with our heads,' and 'everything that we remember from our relationship is fake, so how do we know that these feelings aren't fake too?' Honestly, I'm starting to think... Well, I don't like to make assumptions, but I think she might want to break things off and try out being single for awhile."

The unclaimed demigoddess frowned deeply. The time of Gaia and Hera was long since passed; if Piper was worried about it before, why wouldn't she have dropped some sort of hint or clue before Jason fell so deeply in love with her?

"That's terrible, Jason. I'm so sorry that you two are going through this..." Toni's voice was heavy with sympathy. Suddenly, her empathy was overruling her initial joy at the mention of his breakup. "Well, I hope that whatever happens, you can both get through this."

Jason dipped his head, inhaling sharply and letting out a tortured sigh. "I hope so too..." He took a moment to compose himself once more and sighed again. "Thanks, Toni, you're the best."

Toni had never seen Jason look so conflicted and broken before. He seemed torn between loving Piper with all of his being and letting her go for her own happiness. He was considerate like that, always thinking of other people before himself: his ultimate fatal flaw.

The two continued to walk, the twenty cabins finally beginning to appear in the distant horizon. A muffled, comforting glow escaped from the lights inside the few cabins whose occupants had arrived home from the fire. There were hardly any demigods milling about the clearing as there usually was, and Toni figured that the majority of them had either bunked down for bed already or were finishing the last of the s'mores and punch still in the amphitheater. Most of the camp had Tartarus pits for stomachs.

A more brisk chill of wind rushed against Toni's exposed skin, and she shivered more visibly now. She wrapped crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly, her teeth beginning to shiver. Toni had little to no tolerance for cold, and now she felt near freezing.

I don't remember it being this cold earlier, Toni thought. Maybe I should have listened to Chris and brought a jacket. I hate it when he's right.

"Hey, are you okay down there?"

Jason's gentle voice cut through the otherwise silent night, and Toni jumped, her heart racing once more.

"Y-yeah, just a little c-cold," Toni assured her friend, silently cursing her jumpiness as Jason looked down at her in amusement.

"Didn't mean to scare you, but here; take this," Jason shuffled out of his dark, baggy jacket, his midriff being exposed to the public for only a second before his Camp Half-Blood shirt fluttered down to cover him once again. He held out his jacket to Toni with a welcoming grin. "This should keep you warm."

Toni nearly fainted. "Th-thank you, Jason!" She hesitantly reached out for the jacket, grabbing it quickly before he could change his mind and take it back. She threw up her arms, diving into the huge sweater and inhaling the lingering scent of Jason Grace.

The sleeves were much to big for Toni, flopping around uselessly like a pair of noodles, and the jackets itself hung down like a dress, but Toni had never thought that something had fit her this perfectly. It was like this was meant to be hers. Perhaps she could convince Jason to part with it for good. Her pillow in the Hermes cabin was in desperate need of a new pillowcase.

"Looks good on you if you look past the fact that it's obviously at least two sizes bigger than you actually are," Jason joked, nudging Toni slightly. "Hopefully it does its job."

Toni cuddled her face against the warm fabric beneath her. It had already dulled the cold to only a slight irritation, and she felt her eyes drooping tiredly. The feeling was reminiscent to curling up near a fire with some milk and cookies. "It's definitely working, but what about you? Won't you get cold without it?"

Jason smiled again, the scar on his lip becoming just the slightest bit more noticeable. "I'll manage. Besides, we're almost at the cabins now."

And right he was. The two had made it to the clearing where the cabins set lazily in the night. The lights were more sparse now, and stars twinkled above the cabin roofs. It wouldn't be long before the harpies would come out and sweep the camps for stray demigods out past curfew.

Toni and Jason strode past the Hermes cabin (the cabin Toni was currently meant to be at) and continued walking towards the Zeus cabin. The two rotated who was meant to walk the other person home each time they hung out. Tonight, it was Toni's turn to walk Jason back though he was almost a year older and a head counselor.

When they finally reached the great double doors to the Zeus cabin, Jason looked around mischievously before cocking an eyebrow and giving Toni a playful look. Toni stifled a giggle at his ridiculous expression. "What's with that face, Grace?"

Jason chuckled and cupped a hand around his mouth, his eyes shifting around suspiciously. "You wanna come in and chat for awhile? Doesn't look like anyone will catch you if you do."

Toni swallowed her spit. She'd spent an uncountable amount of time with Jason before, but now it felt different. The two had never been alone in a cabin together because it was strictly forbidden in camp. Boys and girls (or well known couples) were not permitted to be alone in cabins together because of the very well known fact that teenagers, when left to their own devices, could make regrettable choices. Yet here was Jason, a head counselor and a well respected one at that, breaking a rule to hang out with one of his friends way past curfew.

With a quick dip of her head, Toni tried to play it cool and hopped inside. Jason ushered her into the cabin hurriedly, closing the door behind them and sighing deeply. "We are totally not supposed to be doing this."

Toni shrugged, trying to seem unbothered when she was, in fact, filled with butterflies. "Not like we're gonna do anything bad. Chiron is way too strict with the whole boys and girls rule. I mean, Nico and Will hang out alone in the cabins all the time, and they don't get in trouble. Only the gods know what they get up to on their own."

Jason laughed. "That's true, but yeah. We're just talking..." he trailed off awkwardly and gave Toni a sheepish look. "So, what do you want to talk about then...?"

Again, Toni shrugged. "No clue. You got anything interesting in mind?"

"Not especially. All I know is that I'm supposedly missing a lot back at Camp Jupiter. Dakota and Gwen got together finally, Reyna organized some new war game to play, and Hannibal the elephant got an upgrade with his armor," Jason rambled on and on about Camp Jupiter for awhile, and Toni felt a bit of worry spur up in her throat.

"You don't like Camp Jupiter more than here, right? I mean, I know it's where you started out and everything, but it sounds way less fun there."

Jason thought about this for a moment before throwing up his hands with utter confusion. "I honestly couldn't tell you which place I like more. I mean, I have friends in both camps. Camp Jupiter definitely is way more strict than Camp Half-Blood is, but sometimes it's sort of welcome. It definitely helps me work on my training. At the same time, I do like taking a load off here every once in awhile. I guess I sort of belong to both camps. I could never choose between the two of them," he snorted. "Besides, if I said that I like Camp Jupiter more than Camp Half- Blood, Leo and Pipes would probably kill me."

Toni flinched at Piper's name. "So, you really think this is the end of your relationship then? You guys have been through so much."

Jason's gaze grew distant. "I don't know, but you're right. It'll seem like a waste should we end it all now, but if it's what Piper wants..." Jason sighed. "I just wish she hadn't been my first... Well, everything. Crush, girlfriend, kiss-"

"What's it like to be kissed?" The words flooded from Toni's mouth before she even knew what she was saying, and her eyes widened with surprise at herself.

Despite the bluntness, Jason didn't seem all that taken back. He looked down at the floor, scuffling his sneakers on the wood beneath him awkwardly. "Well... It's sort of hard to put it into words, really. It's..." he paused for a moment before looking up, the look in his eyes indistinguishable. "I could show you if you want."

Toni felt her entire face grow hot, her jaw dropping. Had she really heard Jason correctly? Had he really just offered to show her how kissing felt? Was he offering to kiss her?

For a few pounding heartbeats, Jason never broke Toni's gaze. He patiently awaited an answer, taking in Toni's body language for any sign of discomfort. Finding only surprise in her murky, brown eyes, he took a slow step forward. "Only if you're okay with it..." he said softly.

The unclaimed demigoddess swallowed thickly before nodding her head. "You can... I mean, I want you too..."

Jason's intense gaze wavered only for a minute as a sparkle of what seemed like pride flickered in his eyes. He took a few more steps closer, reaching out his hand and caressing Toni's cheek gently. Leaning down, Jason looked into Toni's eyes, searching her for any doubt or fear. "Are you sure this is okay?" he asked just one time more.

Toni's heartbeat quickened, and all the blood in her body seemed to rise to her face. She swayed on her heels as Jason grew ever closer. She could feel his hot breath on her face and make out every tiny detail of his.

His lips looked so warm and welcoming...

"Y-yes..." Toni nodded quickly, gulping down all of her worries and closing her eyes.

Jason's hand slowly trailed down Toni's jawline, cupping her chin and turning her face slightly. His lips met hers, and Toni felt heaven on earth. His lips were firm, but not controlling or possessive. He kissed her softly, but with enough passion to make Toni believe that he'd wanted this just as much as she had.

It started off innocent enough, just a first kiss and nothing more, but when Jason pulled back, Toni wanted more. She arched her back into Jason's front, stretching upward and making the first move this time. When their lips met once more, Toni's were slightly parted.

Jason cautiously trailed his tongue across Toni's bottom lip, shyly asking for permission to enter. Toni shifted her jaw slightly, and the two friends' mouths connected as one. Neither of them was overpowered and they shared the dominance rather equally as their kissing progressed to something more. Toni's leg wrapped around Jason's waist, and Jason's fingers tangled through her hair.

Toni had no experience with anything like this, yet she found herself to be rather good at reciprocating the kiss. It wasn't as hard or scary as she had thought it would be, and it almost seemed like Jason and her lips were meant to be against each other.

The kiss lasted for a few seconds more before Jason pulled back for air. They broke apart with a an almost inaudible, wet pop and stared each other hungrily for a moment. Jason's sky blue eyes were cloudy with lust, and his lips were moistened from Toni's. His face was flushed, and his shirt was slightly askew from Toni's leg, but he looked as if he wanted more.

So, this is what Piper sees when they go at it... Toni thought somewhat mutinously as she panted to regain her breath. That kiss had taken a lot out of her. Her mind was racing, most of her thoughts consisting of what she had just done and what she and Jason could do next. Unfortunately, her subconscious had other ideas, focusing on the one thing that could ruin everything: Jason wasn't single.

Wait, Piper... Toni's eyes widened suddenly with horror. She had just kissed someone else's boyfriend. No, no just kissed, something more. She had just made out with the Aphrodite cabin counselor's boyfriends.

Taking several steps backward away from Jason, Toni stammered, "I-I have to g-go..." She turned towards the door and began to retreat. Jason reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her from going any further. His eyes were hurt and curious, perhaps wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice cracking sharply.

Toni snapped her eyes shut, tugging her arm away from Jason's gentle grip. "Jason, you have a girlfriend. I can't... We can't... We shouldn't have done that. It was wrong," and with that, Toni barreled out of the Zeus cabin, ignoring the sharp, surprised caw of a harpy she had nearly ran into. She heard Jason calling out her name as she raced towards the Hermes cabin, but she didn't turn around.

No one could know about this, especially not Piper.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been only a few days since the fateful kissing session, and Toni still could hardly wrap her mind around the single fact that it had happened. She couldn't believe herself; she wasn't dirty boyfriends thief, and she never would be, so why had she done that?

To keep her mind off of Jason, she'd very half-heartedly confessed to Isaac Schuster, and the two were currently dating. Isaac was a kind, thoughtful, and innovative young man, but the truth was that he was just a distraction. Toni held no real attraction to him, and as much as it hurt her to string him along, she needed him. Her hopes had been that the longer the two were an item, the more her feelings would grow for him until she could finally return his love for her. Unfortunately, Toni's heart was set on one person: the one person she couldn't have.

Catching glimpses of Jason around the camp was the worst. He looked tired, sad, and guilty, his gaze always forlorn. No longer would he stride around the camp radiating the authority that he deserved. Instead, he slouched, his posture worsening. He was hardly seen with Piper anymore, and, Toni thought, he looked rather lonely.

She couldn't bring herself to speak with him though. Whenever she thought about doing so, she was filled with overwhelming guilt and desire. She loved him, and no matter what she did to distract herself from that fact, she could never change it.

"So, what d'ya think, babe? Feel up to some welding in the forge today? I know how much you love to help me out," Isaac's cheerful voice interrupted Toni's muddled train of thought, and she snapped her head to look at her boyfriend.

Isaac had short, red hair and emerald green eyes that shone like stars. He was lean, yet strong, and his body wore the scars of plenty of past battles. His smile tugged up his lips, and his cheeks were nice and rosy.

Honestly, Toni hated being in the forge; it was much too noisy and hot, and she was no good at building or inventing things. Welding was the worst because of the cumbersome, hefty masks she had to wear. She had endured days upon days of hanging out in the forge with Isaac, and she was sure that by now, she had been bored to death at leave six times.

"Ah, I'm not sure Isaac... That's what we did all of yesterday too..." Toni drawled, blowing a puff of air at her caramel colored hair in exhaustion.

Isaac looked slightly disappointed, but he nodded. "Oh, yeah, of course. Well, what didja have in mind for today then? I'm down for whatever ya want, babe."

I know you are, Toni thought miserably. But I'm not your babe.

Suddenly a shadow covered up the sun, looming over Toni forebodingly. She flinched, wondering what chore she'd forgotten to cover for Alice this time. Turning hesitantly, Toni prepared five possible excuses to use plus a few back-ups just in case Alice figured out that Toni did not, in fact, own a pet fire-breathing dragon.

"Listen, whatever it was, I'm sorry I forgot and-"

"Hey, Toni."

Toni froze, blinking her eyes up at none other than Jason Grace. The son of Zeus looked like he'd been crying recently, but he held a steely gleam of determination in his sky blue orbs.

"H-hi, Jason..." Toni squeaked, her voice little more than a whisper. Her eyes trailed down Jason's face and rested on his lips. Absent-mindedly, she licked her own lips, thinking back to that night...

"Toni?" Isaac's voice brought Toni back to the real world, and she turned to look at her replacement boyfriend sheepishly. His head was tilted like a ginger furred puppy. He didn't look accusational, instead looking curious. "Did you make plans with Jason?"

Toni nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, sorry, Isaac. I-I... Forgot..." She reluctantly stood up from where she sat and shot Isaac an apologetic glance. "I'll... See you later, I guess?"

"Yeah, of course," Isaac also rose from his seat, stretching leisurely, his tense back cracking audibly. "Well, you two have fun. I'm going down to the forge."

No surprise there, Toni thought, but she held no grudge against Isaac. He was passionate for building and inventing, and it was in his blood. Though she'd been utterly bored watching him do his thing, she never grew irritated at him.

"And Toni," Isaac leaned near Toni's ear, his lips very nearly brushing against it. "It's okay. I understand. I know you guys were sort of a thing before we started dating, so... Well, you just do what makes you happy, babe," and with that spoken understanding and permission, Isaac pulled away with a knowingly smile and dipped his head at Jason. The red-headed boy cracked his knuckles and strode towards the forge.

Toni felt slightly bad for leading Isaac on. She knew that he loved her truly, but he seemed to know that she had other ideas. Yet, he held no anger or jealousy over her. He had simply implied that if Toni loved Jason, she had every right to be with. He was a nice guy... Toni made a mental note to get him a gift basket sometime and apologize to him properly.

Steeling herself, Toni turned her gaze back to Jason. Swallowing her spit, she held out a hand. "Well... Shall we?"

Jason nodded. "One of your cabin... Or mine?"

The fingernails on Toni's free hand dug into her palms her knuckles turning white. "Yours. Mine are too crowded and nosy for... Something like this."

"I just want to talk with you; you know that right?"

"Of course," Toni responded, her voice cracking upwards in pitch. What had Jason thought she had thought they were going to do?

"Good. My cabin it is then," the son of Jupiter concluded, taking Toni's hands in his and beginning to walk in the direction of the marbled cabin in the distance.

---------------------------------------------

Has this cabin always been this quiet? Toni thought, shifting her weight from foot to foot awkwardly.

The Zeus cabin was almost entirely empty and desolate with only one bed in sight and a photograph of Thalia Grace on the wall beside it. The cabin was dark as per usual, but it seemed more intense this time; the only way Toni could still see Jason was by the sparks flickering off of his fingertips. Absolutely no noise whatsoever, excluding Toni and Jason's breathing, was to be heard.

If there was ever a time to be intimidated, it would be now, and Toni was definitely feeling it.

"Toni... I'm sorry," Jason began, his voice sounding hollow like he had gone through an extreme amount of pain to come to that conclusion. "I shouldn't have... Played you like that..." He paused before scoffing. "I hate that word: 'played.' Sounds wrong. I mean, what I did was wrong, but I didn't mean..."

Toni stood stoically, listening as Jason fumbled for words.

"Gods, I should have planned this out better... Sorry for that. What I mean to say is... I should have waited. Piper and I were still together, and you knew that, and I knew that, and it was wrong. It was my fault, and I don't blame you at all. I should have waited until... Well, until now," Jason took a huge, shuddering breath. "Piper and I aren't together anymore. She wants to work on herself and isn't planning on dating again for a long time if ever. And Toni... I'm going to be honest; I've liked you for a very long time. You're just, well, perfect. I love your spunkiness, your eyes, your jokes, and your hugs... Just every part of you is perfect to me, and I can't believe that I didn't tell you that before when I knew things with me and Pipes weren't going to end well. You've always been my... My true love. I love you, Toni, and it's okay if you don't love me back, but I needed to tell you."

Toni stood, processing Jason's words silently.

Jason is sorry for kissing me when he hadn't broke up with Piper officially yet. Jason and Piper split up. Jason thinks I'm perfect. Jason... Loves me...

Hot tears began to flood down Toni's cheeks, and she sniffled softly. Toni saw Jason's face crumple into one of concern, and he reached out to her slowly.

"Toni? Ah, geez, I'm sorry. Are you-"

But before Jason could finish his expression of worry, Toni lunged forward and pressed her lips against Jason's. The long desired feeling of his kiss had finally returned, and Toni melted into it. It had been only a few days since the first time the two friends had kissed, but gods, it felt like ages. Finally, it was happening again.

This kiss lasted nowhere near as long as the first session, but when Toni pulled back, her face felt just as flushed. Pressing her face against Jason's chest and cuddling up to him, she sighed with relief.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment. I love you too, Jason, and I'll gladly be yours if you'll be mine..."

Though Toni could not see Jason's face, she would bet quite a few drachmas that he smiled down at her. His fingers brushed through her hair, and he pulled her even closer as if protecting her from the world around her.

"I think... That could be arranged."

Chapter Text

'A Day with Human Sunshine'

It was another beautiful morning in Camp Half-Blood yet not a drop of sunlight trickled into the Hades cabin's dark inside. The walls were completely windowless, obscuring everything from the outside of camp. Though it was pitch black inside of the Hades cabin, the cabin counselor (and currently the only resident) Nico di Angelo knew that creepy, macabre decorations covered every spare inch of the walls around him. They were severely unrealistic, but they still made people uncomfortable enough when they stepped inside for cabin inspection.

Nico was presently lazing about in one of the coffin shaped beds. He cuddled deeper into the wooden bed, relishing in the fact that he could sleep peacefully after the war against Gaea at last. Covered up by only a blood red sheet and nestled into a matching crimson pillow, Nico finally felt at home.

Initially, the cabin's design had primarily been at the hand of a couple of freelancing undead construction workers. Nico had helped (mainly with the designing of the exterior of the cabin), but the cabin had still turned out incredibly stereotypically Hades-like. It was nothing the real underworld. Honestly, the interior of the cabin looked more like a cheesy haunted house for tourists than a cabin fit for the spawn of death.

In all honesty, Nico had hated the decor and the general vibe that the cabin he resided in gave off to other people. It was unbelievably creepy and unwelcoming to most other people with the only exceptions being other underworldly demigods such as Clovis from the Hypnos cabin and a certain son of Apollo whose name Nico would not be mentioning. At first, this had upset Nico, but now he appreciated it to no end as it very successfully kept people from bothering him in the morning. It meant that he could sleep in for as long as he wanted.

As soon as the thought crossed Nico's mind, a obnoxiously loud knock sounded on the heavy oak door.

"Hey, Lord of Darkness! Are you alive in there?"

Nico let out a loud groan, covering his face with his pillow.

Scratch that, the Hades vibe managed to keep ALMOST everyone away.

"Come on, Neeks, I know you're in there!" The voice was just as persistent as usual. It would not be leaving any time soon. Simply waiting it off would gain nothing.

A long suffering sigh escaped Nico's lips, but he couldn't deny the reluctant smile that was beginning to curl up his face. He sat up, throwing his legs over the side of his coffin bed (extremely uncomfortable.) He lugged himself out of the bed and stretched, hearing a few satisfying cracks from his creaky bones. Shuffling over to the door, he braced himself silently.

The door was tugged open, and Nico was nearly blinded from the sheer brightness that befell him. The light of the sun was very different when in comparison to his dark, shadowy cabin. In fact, the sun seemed brighter than ever today as if it was standing right at his doorstep...

Nico blinked his coffee brown eyes to clear his vision and was not surprised to see the all too familiar face of William Solace beaming at him, almost literally.

William 'Will' Solace was a tall, lanky boy with sun-kissed skin that was almost entirely covered with freckles. He had wavy, blond surfer style hair, and eyes the color of a cloudless, blue sky. He was decked out in a Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, a pair of tan khakis, white socks, and black sandals. He fit the bill of his role as the Apollo head counselor very well.

With a roll of his eyes, Nico waited for Will's routine morning greeting. He knew it was coming, so why stall it anymore than usual?

"Hey there, Sleepy Head. Did you sleep well?"

Nico ran his fingers through his messy, raven-haired bedhead. "Well, I was sleeping well until you so rudely decided to wake me. How in the Hades do you get up so early every morning anyways?"

Will snorted. "I rise with the sun. It's kind of in my blood, you know. Trust me, if I wasn't so worried about you sleeping your life away, I'd be in my bed still. Maybe not sleeping, but just stretching out and soaking up the sun's rays..."

Again, Nico rolled his eyes. "You're such a dork," he said fondly.

Will smiled and gave Nico a playful shove, not hard enough to hurt, but just hard enough for Nico to plan to get him back for that later. "Yeah? Well, I'm your dork, and I've got big plans for today. You coming or am I going to have to drag you kicking and screaming?"

Nico shrugged nonchalantly. "Either way I'm going with you, so I'm losing no matter what."

Will stuck out his tongue with a mock expression of hurt. "Oh, you just think you're hilarious, don't you? Whatever you say, I'm still your significant other."

"Try Significant Annoyance."

Will smiled warmly, and the two stood silently for awhile, reveling in each other's welcome (yet stubborn) presences. Eventually though, Will grew antsy. "Well, we could stand here and bicker back and forth all morning, or we could actually have some fun. I'm giving you twenty minutes or so to get ready, and if I don't see you out here bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I am going to assume you're in trouble and break and enter."

The head counselor of the Hades cabin sighed dramatically. "Frankly, I was having fun bickering with you, but I guess I can do bright-eyed by twenty minutes. Bushy-tailed, I'm making no promises."

"Go get ready, you nerd."

"Fiiiiine," Nico groaned, turning back to the inside of his dark cabin and stepping inside. The door closed behind him, leaving Will outside to wait once more. Nico slumped against the oak door, brushing his hands across his cheeks. They were warm and sore from hiding smiles.

He walked over to his closet, picking out a Camp Half-Blood shirt that he had recently obtained from the camp store and a pair of black jeans. He strode over to his personal bathroom and waltzed to his shower.

"What would I do without you, Solace?"

Nico placed his outfit on the nearby sick and tuned the handle to the shower, causing steaming hot water to erupt from the shower head. He undressed and stepped inside with a sigh of relief. The hot water cascaded over his battle-scarred skin, washing away the soreness from yesterday's training session.

Maybe waking up to this wasn't so bad after all...

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"Three more minutes, di Angelo! You better look like a Greek god when you finally come out of there because I swear you take longer than Drew Tanaka to get ready."

Nico snorted, throwing his old bomber jacket over his camp T-shirt. "Come on now, you're just being mean. I'm not that bad. Besides, you can't rush... Well, whatever you'd call this."

Will's teasing voice trailed through the cabin like water over stones. "I'd call it perfection," the blond boy purred.

Nico attempted to ignore this, running his fingers in an attempt to fix up his appearance just a little bit more. Eventually, he deemed it a lost cause as his hair fell back into its messy place. Soon enough, he was going to look like a Hypnos kid if he couldn't find a way to keep his hair under control.

"You ever get tired of yelling at my front door and hoping that I'll hear you? I'm sure my neighbors don't appreciate it," Nico called out to Will in amusement. His two neighboring cabins housed two of the most formidable and grumpy counselors in the camp: Butch Walker of the Iris cabin and Damien White of the Nemesis cabin. One day, one of them would snap and go off on Will. It was only a matter of time, and Nico would enjoy every second of it.

"Butch used to give me Hades for it, but he gave up once he realized the true passion of my love for you," Will responded back dramatically.

Nico could almost picture Will clutching his heart and leaning against the doorway like a true actor would. He chuckled quietly though in reality, he was quite a bit flustered by that statement. "You damn Apollo kids and your theatrics."

He slowly slid his silver skull ring over his slender finger and admired it for a bit just to make Will wait even longer. With a flash of satisfied delight, he heard the son of Apollo sigh deeply with frustration.

"Nicoooo!" Will whined, dragging out his name.

"Alright, alright, hold your hellhounds; I'm coming," Nico walked leisurely to the door, his dagger swinging at his hip. He pushed open the door slowly and was viciously attacked as Will jumped towards him, throwing his arms around Nico and pulling him close.

The son of Apollo rested his face on Nico's shoulder. "Good morning, Death Boy," he greeted pleasantly.

If Will had a tail, he'd be wagging it, Nico thought to himself.

For the longest time since returning to Camp Half-Blood, Will had reminded Nico of a lazy cat resting in the sun without a care in the world. Now that he'd gotten plentiful opportunities to get to know Will better, Nico had decided that he was much more like a clingy, sunshiney golden retriever puppy.

"Come on, Will. You know I'm not a hugger..." Nico grunted, but despite the protest, he didn't fight against Will's embrace. Nico's eyes closed as he breathed in Will's comforting and familiar scent. He smelled like a clean infirmary and freshly brewed coffee.

Reluctantly, Will pulled away, giving Nico a mischievous look. "Oh, don't lie. You know you love me."

Nico sighed deeply, looking off into the distance to feign disinterest in his boyfriend. "Yeah, but I couldn't tell you why."

Will slugged Nico gently, giving Nico yet another opportunity to punch him back later. "Hey, be nice to me. I planned out a fun day for us, so you have no reason to be all gloomy."

"I mean, I always have a reason to be all gloomy, but I will say that you've got my attention. What did you have in mind for today?" Nico asked with a shrug as if to say 'I'm a son of Hades, what can you do?'

Nico's boyfriend's blue eyes sparkled with excitement. "What don't I have in mind? I may or may not have handed over my counselor duties to Austin for the day and signed us up for a ton of fun activities. If I remember correctly, we're supposed to do some strawberry picking to start off our amazing day."

"You want a child of death to go off in nature and pick strawberries with you? You're nuts, Solace," the son of Hades griped.

Will simply giggled causing Nico's olive-skinned face to redden slightly. "You sort of have to be nuts to be friends with Nico di Angelo. Anyways, enough complaining. We gotta get down to the strawberry patch before Cecil shows up and takes all the good ones. That kid can eat."

Nico nodded in agreement.

Cecil Markowitz was one of Will's closest friends, and that kid always seemed to be hungry. He was notorious for being one of the only kids who dared to steal food from Lou Ellen Blackstone's, the head counselor of the Hecate cabin and one of Will's other closer friends, food from her tray.

"A bottomless pit. Well, let's beat him at his own game," Nico stated. He loved a good competition.

Will grinned, holding out one of his tanned hands to Nico.

Nico hesitated for only a moment, taking in the abundance of freckles that covered his boyfriend's skin and how perfect Will looked in the early morning sunlight before taking his hand, interlocking their fingers, and following him to the strawberry patch.

As the two demigods walked, Nico closed his eyes and allowed the sun to wash over him. His highly attentive ears took in the sounds of Camp Half-Blood: birds chirping high above in the sky, demigods milling about and starting their morning routines, and the faint sound of waves washing up against the shore.

The scent of the hearty breakfast at the camp pavilion and wild strawberries that grew in the camp naturally wafted through the air and flooded Nico's senses, filling him with a feeling of safety and comfort. Unknowingly, Nico walked closer to Will, his arm brushing against the other boy's. He turned his head nervously, seeing if Will would drop his hand and leave, but Will's expression was one of pure bliss.

Nico closed his eyes again and allowed himself to loosen up.

Will loved him, and he loved Will. That would never change, and today was going to be a good day.

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Nico's fingers brushed against a plump, red strawberry. He silently willed himself to try and not kill the fruit as he gently maneuvered it from the vine it grew on. As he took the strawberry in his hand and looked it over for any flaws, Will popped up from behind a particularly dense thicket of strawberries.

"Hey, looks like you found a good one. You having fun?" The blond hopped over the strawberries to join his companion, a basket full of strawberries in hand. The sunlight caught his golden hair just right, and his bright, blue eyes glimmered.

Nico huffed, turning his strawberry over in his hand. "As much fun as I can without killing any of these things. It's harder than it looks."

Will's gaze flickered over to Nico's gathering of strawberries that were resting in a black basket near his feet. "Well, it looks like you're doing just fine. Have you eaten any of them yet? They taste pretty good today for whatever reason. Sweeter than usual, real sweet. Kinda like me," Will winked, causing Nico to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, no. I was planning on saving them for the harpies. They might make some tarts or something with them."

Will shrugged. "Maybe. I'll admit that I totally didn't think about that before I splurged a little, but you should try at least one of them before you give them away."

Nico frowned. "I'm not one for sweet things..."

The son of Apollo placed a hand on Nico's shoulder and looked at the strawberry in his hand. "Aw come on, Nico. Look at the way this little guy is looking at you. He's basically pleading for you to eat him. I'll bet he's delicious."

Nico snorted in amusement. "Don't be weird."

Will threw up his hands. "I'm sorry that I can understand what strawberries are thinking and you can't."

A more audible laugh came from Nico this time. "I'm pretty sure you're no green thumb of Demeter, and even if you could understand the strawberry, I highly doubt it would be wanting to be devoured."

Will flicked Nico's nose. "You are one argumentative guy."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "If I eat this stupid strawberry, will you be happy?"

"Extremely happy because you'd be doing it just for wittle 'ole me," Will beamed, fluttering his eyelashes.

Nico groaned. "Well, I better eat it before you make me change my mind then. Me doing something nice for you is not on my usual agenda," and with that, he hesitantly brought the fruit to his mouth and took a small bite. Instantly, the powerfully sweet flavor of the sun-soaked strawberry melted in his mouth, swamping his taste buds. He tried to hide his pleased surprise with indifference. "Hm."

Will tilted his head. "Hm?"

"Not bad."

The son of Apollo shook his head, his golden locks tumbling about his freckled face. "You're impossible."

"I like to think I'm delightfully complex," Nico responded, crossing his arms.

Will snorted, his eyes crinkling up in the corner. Apparently Nico wasn't the only one who tried to hide how happy the other boy made them feel. "Oh yeah? Well, Mr Rubik's Cube, let's go try your hand at arts and crafts. It's next on our list."

Nico finished off his strawberry, drawing his tongue over his bottom lip deliberately. He flicked the fruit's green leaves away and grabbed his basket. The son of Hades joined Will, and the two began to walk towards the arts and crafts pavilion. "I swear you're trying to kill me, Solace. Aren't you supposed to be my doctor? Know what's best for me and all?"

Nodding his head, Will replied in a cool voice. "Of course I am, and what's best for you is not making me angry. You know what that means, right?"

The Italian son of Hades gave Will a half hearted glare. "Let me guess. Arts and crafts?"

Again, Will nodded. "Arts and crafts," he agreed. "Follow me."

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"Look, Nico, I made a snowflake!"

Will's cheery voice brought Nico back to Earth, and he turned his head to see his boyfriend looking at him through a hole in his fractal artwork. The paper was blue and spotted with white, and it was cut very precisely.

Nico leaned his head back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I swear you are five years old."

The paper snowflake was placed back on the table beneath Will, and the oh so creative son of Apollo stuck out his tongue indignantly. "Well, you, for one, definitely act your age: your real age. Crotchety old man."

"Oh, you want me to play your little game? Alright then, I'll one up your snowflake with..." Nico quickly grabbed a sheet of red paper and shiny scissors and snipped away at the paper determinedly. "This," He held up his masterpiece: a bright red paper heart.

Will squished his own cheeks together, his eyes sparkling. "Aw, Neeks, that is so cute!"

Nico scoffed, looking at the heart with his lip curled back in disgust. "It's not even anatomically correct," he complained.

Suddenly, a light object bumped into the side of his head before crashing to the table, and Nico looked down to see a pathetically folded paper airplane beneath him.

"Oh, real mature," Nico huffed, plucking the plane from the table and inspecting it closely. "You didn't even make the wings right, doofus."

Will laughed joyfully. "It still hit its mark."

"Oh, just you wait, Solace. You've made the child of death angry."

"Oh, have I?" Will asked innocently. "Will he spare me because he is merciful, and I'm his favorite?"

"Self proclaimed favorite," Nico corrected, smoothing out the wings of the plane and adjusting the nose. "Take this, Sunshine!"

Nico tossed the plane towards Will who squeaked and ducked for cover.

Will peered over the table once the plane had crashed to the floor. His expression was cheeky like a Cheshire Cat's grin. "You missed."

The son of Hades rose from the table with a playful expression on his face. He tried to steel his glare, but his smile simply wouldn't stay hidden. "Oh, you're gonna regret saying that..."

"Or am I? See you, Death the Kid!" and with that, Will barreled out from underneath the table and raced out of the arts and crafts pavilion in a flash of blond hair and blue eyes.

Nico's eyes widened with surprise as he watched Will's departing form in the distance. He hadn't meant to scare Will that badly. Was he going home now? Oh gods... "Where are you-"

"The lake! Meet me there, and bring life jackets!"

Being as swift on his feet as he was, Will was soon out of sight and earshot, his voice trailing off in the breeze.

Nico sighed, throwing his head back. Would he ever get to sit back and relax? Oh, how we wished he was a Hypnos camper, snoring away all day without a care in the world. His eyes glanced over to where Will had been sitting in the pavilion.

The snowflake that Will had cut so delicately was still sitting where the head counselor had left it. Nico stared at the small blue and white paper for a moment before taking it in his hand and placing it in his pocket. He stood up from his table, grabbing his paper heart and putting it in the same pocket. With that done, he walked out of the pavilion and towards the lake.

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Nico clambered into the canoe that rested in the lake's deep blue water, his life jacket feeling stuffy and restricting over his bomber jacket. He'd emptied the contents of his pockets at the edge of the shore, but it didn't make his outfit any less tight around him. He huffed and sidled in between Will's legs.

"Whose idea was this again?" Nico grumbled.

"Mine," Will answered earnestly, handing Nico a wooden paddle.

Nico took the paddle and dipped it into the water to his side. "Ah, I now understand why the idea was so terrible."

"Oh, hush up and get paddling," Will snorted, beginning to do just as he'd said.

The canoe began moving forward in the water with the power of the two boys paddling. Quietly, the two head counselors took in the sights of the lake.

Seagulls squawked overhead, their heads swiveling back and forth as they combed the beach for a possible meal. Naiads were splashing in the deeper part of the lake with sparkling seashells adorning their hair and outfits. A few demigods were walking along the shallows, hand in hand as they searched the sand for shiny things. Some other demigods were playing a game of beach ball, each one of them desperately trying to beat all of the others.

Unknowingly, Nico found a smile trailing across his lips as he watched everyone having fun. His heart picked up and fluttered at the sight of all the joyful grins and the sound of all the excited giggles and shouts. He was happy when the camp was happy.

"Aw, Nico, are you smiling?" Will asked, breaking Nico's concentration. His voice was not teasing as per usual. Instead, it was full of fondness and genuine warmth. He looked almost proud of his boyfriend for expressing some natural happiness for once.

Will's free hand reached out and ruffled Nico's fluffy black hair playfully.

Nico huffed, blowing a puff of air at his now even messier than before hair. "Absolutely not. Perish the thought."

"Okay, sure," Will stated nonchalantly before sending a tiny bit of water at Nico with a harder than usual splash of his paddle. "Oops!" he cried out innocently.

The son of Hades shot away from Will. "Hey!"

Will gave Nico a challenging look. "Wha'cha gonna do about it?"

Nico darkened his gaze intensely, and for just a moment, Will looked afraid that he had actually hurt Nico's feelings. The sight of Will looking so guilty made Nico lose it though, and his laugh shattered his serious facade. He shoved a huge wave of water at Will who sat back in surprise as he was drenched.

It took only a split second before Will recognized Nico was not at all mad, and he brightened immediately.

An intense water war ensued with laughs, giggles, and plenty of splashing. Nico's waterlogged bomber jacket was weighing him down noticeably, but he fought valiantly against the traitorous son of Apollo that dared to share a canoe with him. The fight went on for awhile before Nico leaned forward too quickly, and the entire canoe flipped, plunging the two boys into the cold water.

Nico flailed his limbs until he broke the surface, gasping from the shock of the cold. His brown eyes immediately searched for Will's familiar face, and when he didn't spot him anywhere, he grew very worried.

"W-Will-"

Before Nico could even get the name out, Will emerged from the water, shaking his head like a dog. His wavy blond hair tossed water droplets every which way. The son of Apollo swam forward and threw his arms over the overturned canoe and, upon spotting Nico, gave him a mischievous look.

"Now look what you've done."

Nico's eyes widened with faux hurt. "What I've done? You think The Lord of Darkness would ever do anything bad? I'm hurt, really."

Will's bright smile sent a shiver of warmth down Nico's soaked back. "You called yourself The Lord of Darkness!"

"Yeah, well don't get used to it," the son of death himself rolled his eyes, swimming over to the canoe and sidling up beside Will. He clutched the floating wood and gave the shore off in the distance a pained look."Help me get this thing back to shore."

Will nodded, pushing his weight up against the canoe towards the sand in the distance. Despite moving in this direction, his gaze never left Nico's face. "You know, you're cute when you've just fallen out of a canoe."

There was no way for Nico to bring his palm to his face, so the best he could do was rest his face on the top of the canoe to conceal his blushing. "Shut up and help me push this, you major dork."

"Will do."

-----------------------------------------------------------

After a bit of scolding from Woodrow the satyr who had been watching all of the canoeing tomfoolery go down, the two boys headed down to the Apollo cabin to dry off and change their clothes.

Since Nico's clothes were all in his own cabin, Will lent him one of his own camp shirts. It was slightly big on him (which Will found adorable) and Nico couldn't help but notice it smelled like Will.

Will looked at Nico with an expression that read 'You're all mine' which made Nico blush even deeper. Nico wished, for once, that his complexion wasn't so pale. It was so easy to see when he was flustered.

"Well, now that we're dry, do you feel up to another activity?" Will asked, drawing a hand through his drying hair.

Nico breathed deeply, clutching at his chest. "I don't know if I can take it," he moaned dramatically though it was beginning to be a true statement. He was tired beyond tired now that he was all dry and warm, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in his coffin bed and sleep for days.

Despite this, Will was not deterred. He simply giggled once more. (Nico was beginning to think that the sound of Will giggling was one of his all time favorite noises.) "Oh, don't worry. I'm pretty sure you can handle this one. We're gonna go get some lunch before we do it though. You up for some food?"

Nico nodded quickly. He hadn't eaten anything aside from that one strawberry all day.

"Perfect," Will chirped. "It's spaghetti today, and if you would have said no, I would have doubted your true Italian roots."

"How truly sterotypical... I love spaghetti," Nico said, cocking an eyebrow in amusement. He followed Will out of the Apollo cabin and to the dining pavilion, thinking about the day that he'd had and what Will could possibly want to do next.

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The camp meals always tasted better to Nico when he had company. He didn't know why that was exactly, but it seemed like the thought of eating on his own soured the taste of his food, thus making it inedible. Usually this simply meant that Nico would go without a meal, and the gods would be receiving a larger than usual offering from him. Ever since Nico had met Will though, eating times didn't seem as bad.

"Man, the harpies really outdid themselves this time. I haven't had spaghetti that good since... Well, since the last time the harpies made spaghetti for lunch," Will rambled, rubbing his stomach with a pleased expression on his face. "What about you, Death Boy? Did you dig today's lunch as much as I did?"

Nico shrugged. "I mean, it was definitely edible..."

Will laughed. "I should hope so. Anyways, did you get your fill then?"

Nico nodded, clutching at his own stomach this time. "Oh, definitely. In fact, I think I overdid it a little bit."

"Well, I'm glad you're full. We still have our last activity for the day yet, and I have to say, I've been looking forward to this one all day," Will rose up from his seat at the Apollo cabin's table and bounced on his heels excitedly.

Nico followed suit, standing up and walking over to Will. He surveyed the camp for any other activities that the son of Apollo might have in mind. Nico didn't especially care what it was unless it was something music related. For being a child of Apollo, Will could not play an instrument nor keep a melody to save his live.

"What in the world could you possibly want to do now? Train?" the Hades head counselor asked. He stretched his arms above his head and let out a sigh of relief as the tension in his muscles from his dip in the lake began to loosen up.

Will looked rather sneaky. Grabbing Nico's hand, he began to lead the way towards the inner part of camp. "You'll see. I have a feeling you'll like this one."

As the two boys strode further into camp, Nico took in Will's expression. What did he mean 'I have a feeling you'll like this one?' Nico liked anything and everything that had to do with Will. Did Will think that he didn't enjoy his company?

"You know I really appreciate all of these days out that you plan for me," Nico started cautiously. "And I do enjoy myself... A lot. It's a lot of fun honestly."

"Oh, I know you do. I didn't mean that I thought you didn't because even if you didn't, I'd still drag you along. Anyways, we're almost there. Hope you're ready."

Nico looked up, expecting to see the arena or the armory. Instead, his eyes landed upon his own cabin: Cabin 13. The black obsidian walls were illuminated by the large, green flames of the torches that set near the doorway. Above the door itself sat a large skull with bejeweled eye sockets (the jewels had been provided by Nico's half sister, Hazel Levesque.)

"What are we doing here, Will? Did you take a wrong turn, or do I need to pick something up from the cabin quick?" Nico questioned, giving Will a curious look.

Will shook his head. "Nah, we're at the right place. Come on," and with that, he lead the way into the Hades cabin just as confidently as if it were his own cabin. Not even giving the creepy skull a second glance, he pushed open the door and lead Nico inside.

It was still just as dark in the cabin as Nico remembered it from this morning. He couldn't see Will in front of him anymore, and, for once, the son of Hades wished that he had windows in this cabin to bring in even just the littlest amount of light. He needed to see Will.

Will let go of Nico's hand gently, and Nico flailed about in the darkness anxiously, feeling for his boyfriend in the midnight black interior. He heard the sound of shuffling further inside of the cabin, and finally Will's voice called out almost lazily.

"I'm over here, Neeks; don't worry. I'm not leaving you. Just follow my voice..." Will began to hum quietly and comfortingly.

Nico recognized this tune; it was an old Italian lullaby that his mother, Maria had sung to him so very long ago. The son of Hades often sang this to himself when he was stressed out or afraid. Usually, he would mumble it to himself at counselor meetings when tensions broke out among the cabins. Previously, he'd thought that no one else was paying him enough mind to be listening, but now it seemed that he was wrong. Will had heard him and remembered every little lilting note.

Will might not have been an amazing singer, but he managed to keep the melody while he hummed. The sound of the lullaby flowed through the cabin, putting Nico into a sleepy trance. Slowly, step by step, Nico made his way towards the sound of his boyfriend's voice.

"That's it. You're almost there," Will murmured before continuing to hum.

Nico kept walking forward until his legs touched softly against a hard, wooden side of something that could only have been one of his coffin beds. This one was noticeably better, a double casket if you will, and Nico had never used it before in his life. This time, however, it seemed that someone else was.

As the song faded away, Will snapped his fingers, and a small light appeared at his fingertips, illuminating his face at last. The son of Apollo was reclining against the wall of the double coffin. He was wrapped up in the red sheets, and his eyes were half-lidded. "Surprise," his murmured. "I scheduled us a nap time."

A smile crawled up Nico's face, and he hesitantly crawled into the bed with Will. It was a bit of a tight squeeze with Will as sprawled out as he was, but Nico's boyfriend wrapped an arm around Nico and drew him close to his side. Nico cuddled up against Will's body, his face nestling in his chest. He drew in a deep breath and relaxed.

This was the most amount of physical contact Nico had ever had before, and it was definitely overwhelming, but in a good way. He knew that he could trust Will and that he would never let any harm come to him. He felt safe next to him, and as he slowed his breathing and began to drift off, he mulled over how much Will had planned for him to make his day fun and exciting. No one had ever done that for Nico before.

"I love you," Nico whispered, and he really meant it.

Will leaned forward and planted a warm kiss on Nico's forehead. He snapped his fingers again, allowing the light to shut off and for darkness to swath over the two boys once more.

As sleep began to overtake Nico, he head the one sentence that he'd been longing to hear for so long from someone, anyone who actually meant it.

Will deepened his breathing and ran his hand along Nico's side. Quietly, he spoke, his voice full of intense emotion.

"I love you too."

Chapter Text

Pheonix Williamson was an interesting individual. At age sixteen, she was quite the sight to behold. Her wispy hair was the color of black coffee and feathered down to her shoulders, but not much further past them. She had incredibly striking eyes that were nearly impossible to look away from. They were a pretty violet in coloration and in the swirling depths of them, tiny specks of gold swam. She had porcelain skin, perfectly arched eyebrows that left her in a constant state of looking amused, and pert, pink lips. Unfortunately though, her looks were often looked past whenever her parentage was brought to attention.

She was one of the only two demigod children of the Greek goddess of magic, Hecate to have been brought to Camp Half-Blood... and been allowed to stay. There had once been a decent number of Hecate children in camp before their cabin had even been considered, but they were all long gone now. Pheonix and her sister, Lou Ellen Blackstone were all that were left.

Lou Ellen was also a very unique creature. She had very pale skin that almost glowed in the moonlight, and her hair was naturally darker than the night sky. She dyed her hair constantly however and the color of the month happened to be a dark plum that brought even more attention to her equally as striking emerald eyes. She was a firecracker personality-wise with random outbursts of adventurous and mischievous curiosity. She was headstrong and quite extroverted and contrasted very much in comparison to Pheonix.

When Pheonix had first arrived at Camp Half-Blood, it had not been very long after the Titan War had been won. Although the great hero, Percy Jackson had made it completely acceptable for children of the minor gods and goddesses to make their new homes in the camp by striking a deal with the powerful god, Zeus, they still faced great prejudice. Well... not all of them.

The Iris and Hebe cabins weren't exactly looked at any differently than any of the other cabins due to their lack of intimidating aspects. Iris children were pretty things that flitted around, casting tiny prisms of light in the blue sky. Hebe children were young and childish beings that weren't exactly capable of much damage unless they were in large groups. Due to these reasons, they were welcomed with open arms.

The other minor cabins weren't as lucky. The Nemesis, Hypnos, and Hecate cabins were highly distrusted for they were some of the only cabins that were known to have ties to Kronos's side during the war. Hypnos's son, Morpheus had put half of Manhattan under a deep slumber before Percy Jackson had come along to make things right again. One of Nemesis's sons, Ethan Nakamura had been the right hand man of Kronos's host, Luke Castellan. Hecate herself had fought against the demigods of Camp Half-Blood and her son, Alabaster C. Torrington had been the leader of the Kronos demigods.

The minor god and goddesses' cabins had already been built and set up by the time Pheonix had arrived, and she'd had Lou Ellen to help get her through her first few weeks of camp, but although she was constantly reassured by the other minor demigods that she was just as welcome in camp as any of the Olympian demigods, she could still feel the suspicion and hatred that radiated off of those who fought in the war.

She felt the glares on her back, but whenever she'd turn to face them, they'd whip around and make sure they weren't caught staring. She'd wince whenever her cabin was skipped over for Capture the Flag once again even though they had been promised 'next time.' She could hear the whispers throughout the camp: 'witch,' 'traitor,' and 'not to be trusted.'

Pheonix was not a stupid girl. She was completely aware of what other people though of her, so she tried her hardest to follow the rules and fit in with the camp life that best that she could. She didn't have very many friends, well, any friends that she really considered to be close to her that is.

The minor cabin counselors made sure to make her feel welcome at any time of day or night, but they didn't really bother to get to know her past her parentage. They simply considered her just another poorly treated minor demigod and nothing more. It seemed like everyone in the camp had some kind of perception of her without actually knowing the real her. The simple fact was that she was nothing like what everyone thought she was.

For one, Pheonix was a very kind-hearted girl. She introduced herself to scared new demigods and helped them settle into their new lives at camp. She gave them tours, helped in the pegasus stables whenever she could, and even often served as a training dummy during sword fighting practice. She was very protective and loving to those she cared about (which consisted of everyone who had ever shown her kindness even in the slightest) but it was Lou Ellen that she cared about in particular.

As with any other Hecate child, Pheonix could also be mischievous, fierce in battle, and sly, but she tried to keep that side of her hidden so as not to drawn any more suspicion to her than she already had just by merely existing.

On top of all of this, she was also remarkably clever and resourceful. Unfortunately, virtually none of these traits were known to anyone other than Lou Ellen, who was her number one cheerleader.

Lou Ellen constantly encouraged her younger sister to get involved with camp activities like strawberry picking, chariot racing, and singing at the campfire, but Pheonix just couldn't bring herself to do it. She was absolutely terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing and messing everything up for all of the rest of the children of minor gods and goddesses. They deserved to be at camp just as much as she did, and she didn't want to be the cause of their unhappiness. Therefore, Pheonix simply kept to herself and her cabin. It was easy to do at first, but as the days went by, it grew harder and harder to hide her true identity.

One fateful Friday evening when the blazing sun was beginning to dip into the horizon and the clamor of camp was dying down to a dull murmur, a game of Capture the Flag was announced. This would usually be no surprise as Friday evenings were the designated time for games like this, but it was different this time.

At the command of Chiron himself, the Hecate cabin had been permitted to join in on the Capture the Flag game. The two half-sisters joined the team that consisted of the Hermes, Athena, and Demeter cabins. The designated leaders of the team were Travis Stoll of Hermes and Katie Gardner of Demeter. This would have usually been a good thing as Travis was sneaky and cunning while Katie was hard-working and persistent. Unfortunately, the two had been bickering back and forth for quite some time about their strategy.

Travis wanted to go more on the offensive side of things with his plan being to simply bombard the other team until they could take it no longer and then steal the flag for a victory. Katie on the other hand had a much more defensive plan where protecting their flag was the main point of focus.

The Athena cabin, who were usually the strategic battle planners, shied away from the two older counselors in fear of choosing a side and tearing the team apart. It was as if no one could come to a logical decision.

As Pheonix and Lou Ellen listened quietly to the argument with their heads swiveling back and forth as if watching as intense tennis match, Pheonix thought to herself deeply. Both of the sides had good points, but both of them were ignoring the advantages that the other side brought to the table.

With her sharp mind, Pheonix thought quickly and began to map out a battle plan on a spare sheet of paper that the Athena kids had discarded. The plan was nearly impossible to argue with; it availed both sides of the argument and met in the middle. Pheonix was so lost in her newly designed plan that she hadn't even noticed that Lou Ellen had abandoned her post of watching the argument and was leaning over her shoulder to see what her sister was up to. She nearly jumped out of her skin as Lou Ellen chirped loudly.

"Wow! That's really smart, Phe! You should totally show them that!"

At this sudden burst of from the previously silent Hecate counselor, Travis and Katie broke apart and turned two equally fierce glares to the sisters' direction.

"Show us what?" Katie huffed, blowing her low hanging bangs out of her eyes. "I'm pretty sure that we've all agreed that we're going with my plan. You know, because it makes more sense than Mr Sticky Fingers' strategy."

Travis rolled his eyes, clearly fed up with the pettiness of the situation. He opened his mouth to defend his own plan, but his eyes met Pheonix's nervous gaze, and his natural curiosity got the best of him. "Well, it's not gonna hurt us to check it out," he stated, walking over slowly.

Katie crossed her arms and looked down at the ground. "I guess you're right..."

Pheonix tensed visibly as Travis ushered Lou Ellen out of his way and looked down at the battle plan in Pheonix's shaking hands. The daughter of Hecate could feel his breath on her shoulder and something about being so close to this boy made her pulse race, but she simply swallowed her spit and kept quiet.

Travis inspected the plan thoroughly and was almost silent for quite some time (highly unusual for a child of Hermes) aside from humming to himself nearly inaudibly. When he finally stepped back, his sky blue eyes were wide.

Pheonix was usually quite skilled at reading people's expressions, but the look on Travis's face was difficult to decipher. It almost looked as if he was... impressed.

"Katie, I think we just found our new strategy," Travis finally managed, clasping a hand on Pheonix's shoulder. Pheonix felt blush blaze across her face, and a small squeak nearly escaped her lips.

Katie's soil colored eyes blinked slowly. "It can't be that great... can it?"

Malcolm Pace of the Athena cabin slithered through the crowd, apologizing shyly to everyone he bumped into. "Here, let me take a look." He held out a hand toward Pheonix's paper. "May I?" he asked politely.

Pheonix nodded and handed over her plan, her face still blazing from Travis's touch.

Malcolm inspect the plan and, with time, his eyes widened with surprise. "This is brilliant. It's pretty much foolproof!"

Katie didn't look to happy at this, but she held out a hand to see it anyways. Malcolm gave it to her sheepishly. Once the daughter of Demeter had looked it over, she too reluctantly nodded. "It does look pretty smart."

Travis turned a friendly smile to Pheonix. "Well, there you have it. We're gonna be following your battle plan."

Before Pheonix could even manage a single word, Travis clapped his hands together, causing her to jump. "We don't have much time left though. Let's get to work on setting this bad boy up. Let's go everyone. Hustle, hustle!"

The demigods of Travis and Katie's team, who had been previously milling around, lined up in an orderly fashion in front of Katie to see where their position in Pheonix's plan would be. Travis stayed behind though. He looked at Pheonix with great interest.

"Whats you're name?" asked the older counselor. "I don't think we've ever formally met before."

"Ph-Pheonix," Pheonix managed, her voice cracking sharply.

Travis either did not notice this, or simply didn't care as he smiled warmly. "Like the immortal fire bird thing? That's pretty cool. Well Pheonix, I'm Travis Stoll. It's a pleasure to have you on my team." He extended a battle worn hand and waited expectantly.

Though it didn't seem like Travis had any malicious intent, Pheonix still hesitated, wondering if this was one of the infamous pranks that the Hermes cabin was known for. When nothing happened, she took his hand gently and shook it.

Travis grinned, his curly brown hair falling into those sky blue eyes of his. "Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, let's get this show on the road!"

And as the sound of Pheonix's heartbeat pounded in her chest, she followed Travis into the forest and watched as her plan began to work exactly as she knew it would.

-----------------------------

Unsurprisingly, Travis and Katie's team won. Every little step of Pheonix's strategy had worked exactly as it should have, and now the other team's flag was proudly held Katie Gardner as she cheered to her team and flashed a pearly white smile in Pheonix's direction. Pheonix smiled back shyly, but she was more focused on the tall, handsome boy who was making his way over to stand by her.

"Man, we should have had you on our team before. That was seriously awesome," Travis enthused, slinging an arm around Pheonix who tried not to melt into a puddle on the grass. She dipped her head as red blush coated her face.

"Thanks, Travis, but I still don't understand why--" Pheonix suddenly broke up and fell silent.

Travis raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why what?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Pheonix murmured, her voice soft. She'd gone and messed up her chance with the only boy who had ever shown genuine interest in her as a person. SHe'd known this was going to happened from the moment he laid eyes on her...

Travis was not convinced. He leaned closer to Pheonix, lowering his voice. "If there's something bothering you, you can let me know. I'm a head counselor and on top of that I'm the leader, well, one of the leaders of our team. I'm supposed to be there for anyone who needs my help, and it looks like you might need some."

Pheonix could take it no longer. She'd already messed up her chance of having Travis as a friend, so what was the point in hiding it any longer? "You know I'm in the Hecate cabin, right?" she blurted out.

The counselor of the Hermes cabin blinked. "Of course. I saw you with Lou Ellen before the game started. What about it?"

"Well, then why did you listen to me? Why are you even talking to me right now?" Pheonix asked, pain in her throat. She'd never vented to anyone other than the minor god children about these thoughts before, and it felt like acid burning through her body.

Travis's eyes flashed with surprise. "Oh, you think..." His sky blue orbs turned stormy. "Listen, come with me, Pheonix."

Pheonix was too mortified to protest. She couldn't believe she had just done that. However, she still followed Travis as he walked out to the beach. He stopped on the shore nearly causing Pheonix to crash into him and sighed as he looked out across the waves.

"Pheonix... You know who the leader of the demigod rebellion was, right?"

The daughter of Hecate nodded, her hair flouncing against her shoulders. "Yes, of course. It was Luke Castellan, right?"

Travis dipped his head, his unruly brown curls falling into his eyes. "Right. Well... he was my brother."

Luke was a child of Hermes too, Pheonix thought, her eyes widening. How could I have forgotten? "Oh, I-I'm so sorry--"

"Don't be. He was a traitor, and he got what he deserved in the end," Travis growled fiercely before swallowing and allowing his shoulders to slump. His eyes no longer looked angry and instead just looked sad. "What I'm saying is I understand how it feels to be distrusted even if everyone says they trust me. I know that when they look at me or any of my brothers and sisters they see him in us. They just don't have the guts to admit it."

Pheonix stayed quiet for a moment. She had no idea what she was supposed to say to that. There was so much raw anguish in Travis's voice. Thankfully, Travis spoke again before she had to.

"Let me ask you a question, Pheonix; are you your mom?"

"W-what? No."

"And would you ever betray this camp?"

"Never!" Pheonix exclaimed.

"Then in my honest opinion you don't deserve the hatred you get."

Pheonix had always believed that. She'd never caused anyone harm before, nor wronged anyone without a reason to. She was a good person, and she wished to be treated as such. Somehow hearing Travis say it made it that much more real to her. She wrapped her arms around Travis, rested her head on his chest, and sucked in a deep breath.

------------------------------------------------

The daughter of Hecate and the son of Hermes made an unusual duo, but it was obvious that they were definitely meant to be friends. The two often got up to mischief together along with Travis's younger brother, Connor. The three demigods were an inseparable trio with time and when the camp eventually grew to be more accepting of the minor god children, they stuck to each other like glue.

Though Pheonix liked both Connor and Travis, she couldn't ignore the difference between her feelings for the brothers. When she looked at Connor, she saw a close friend, a best friend even. He was always at her side like a faithful dog, helping her better her battle stance and stealing the Athena kids' homework.

On the other hand, Pheonix looked at Travis like he was a god. Everything about him was absolutely perfect. His body, his eyes, his smile, his personality... She'd been drawn to Travis ever since the day she'd met him, and her crush was only getting worse and worse as the days went by. When she looked at him, she saw a future, and she would do anything to get that future.

The daughter of Hecate had a hard time focusing in her classes and battle training because she would be thinking of her dream boy. The crush was beginning to rule her life. She decided that it was no use attempting to ignore it anymore. She was going to confess to him soon. She had to.

"You thinking about Travis again?"

Lou Ellen's voice cut through Pheonix's daydream, and she jumped with a start. Whipping around to face her sister who was leaning against the pegasus's stable door, she blushed thoroughly.

"W-what? No I wasn't!"

"You totally were."

"Okay, I was..." Pheonix sighed. She could never get away with hiding things from her older sister. She was just too perceptive.

Lou Ellen's lips curled into a Chershire cat smile. "When are you not? Honestly, Phe, you need to asl him out soon, or I might just die of anticipation. You two would be the cutest ever, and you know he probably likes you right back. Travis is a nice guy."

Pheonix nodded slowly. "I guess you're right. We have known each other for some time now..."

"And you've liked ever since you laid eyes on him. Love at first sight exists, Phe, but you have to go in for the kill before someone else does. Look outside; the sun is shining, the grass is green, there's not a cloud in the sky... I'd say that the timing is right."

"Yeah..." Pheonix said softly before repeating it again with more force. "Yeah! You're right, Lou! I think today would be just perfect. I mean, we are finished with the pegasai for the day, so do you think that Chiron would be angry if I..."

Lou Ellen shook her head, looking almost as excited as Pheonix was feeling. "No way, he'd definitely understand. Even if he does ask about you, I'll cover ya. Besides, I was planning to go take Clovis out to the lake to get that boy some much-needed sunshine anyways. If I see Chiron, I'll just say the smell of the stables was getting to you."

Pheonix giggled, throwing her arms around Lou Ellen gratefully. "You're the best, Lou. Have fun with Clovis."

The older daughter of Hecate rolled her eyes fondly at the thought of the lazy Hypnos counselor. "I always do. Now you have to promise to let me know all about it at the fire later," she narrowed her eyes and looked around cheekily. "And don't get to frisky. You're still young, you know."

Blush coated Pheonix's face, and she swatted Lou Ellen away in embarrassment. "Oh, shut up!"

Lou Ellen chuckled, giving Pheonix a gentle nudge. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Just... go get him, tiger." She winked impishly.

Pheonix nodded confidently, marching out of the stables and into the warm rays of sunlight that shone down from the sky. Lou was right, today was a beautiful day. The sounds of birds chirping as they flew overheard paired with the chattering of demigods who milled about doing their daily activities in the center of camp. The pretty wildflowers in the grass swayed in the slight breeze, and a pretty blue butterfly fluttered past Pheonix's face.

Today's the day, Pheonix thought dreamily. He'll finally be mine, and I'll be his. She bee-lined towards the Hermes cabin in the distance and allowed an excited smile to curl up her lips. She couldn't believe she was really doing this.

When her sneaker-clad foot finally tapped upon the wooden deck near the entrance of the Hermes cabin, a strange noise brought Pheonix back to earth. The muffled sound of giggles was coming from behind the wooden cabin. This wasn't an unusual occurrence as the Hermes cabin was full of practical jokers, but something about that laughter sounded familiar... and was that Travis's voice?

Curiosity got the best of the daughter of Hecate, and she quietly sneaked to the edge of the cabin, poking her head around the corner. Her eyes widened with surprised horror, and her jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Laying in the green grass were none other than Travis Stoll and Katie Gardner. Travis was leaning back against the cabin while Katie perched in his lap; one of his hands was tangled through her hair while the other was rested upon the back of her jean shorts. Their bodies were so close that they were nearly one being, and their lips were locked in a playful kissing match. Smiles danced across their blissful faces and that was the single thought that brought Pheonix's heart plunging to the ground; they were happy together.

Hot tears were beginning to form in the daughter of Hecate's violet eyes, and she darted away from the cabin's edge, sniffling. As she raced away from the Hermes cabin, she saw the front door open at the edge of her vision. A familiar face appeared in the doorway, and he called out, "Pheonix, hey--" but there was no stopping her now.

Rapidly putting one foot in front of the other, Pheonix ran all the way back to her empty cabin and slammed the door behind her so hard that the obsidian wall shuddered intensely. The heartbroken girl leaned against the wall, shivering like she was standing in the Arctic in the welcome silence of the cabin before the sound of someone knocking tentatively on the door echoed through the quiet interior.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Pheonix turned and shakily opened the door to see a very concerned-looking Connor Stoll at her doorstep. He sent her an awkward wave, but she could not return it, choosing to look down at the floor instead.

"Uh, h-hey, Pheonix. I thought I'd check up on you because you left my cabin pretty quick, and I just wanted to make sure that you were alright..." Connor cleared his through and rubbed his hands together. Though he came off as cocky and arrogant whenever his brother was around, the moment Travis was out of sight, he was reduced to nervous and awkward boy. It was somewhat charming, but it did nothing to sooth Pheonix's aching heart.

"I'm... fine, thank you, Connor..." Pheonix murmured. She went to close the door and return to her sulking, but Connor caught with his hand and strode forward.

"No you're not, Pheonix. You know I don't like it when you lie to me..."

Pheonix dipped her head lower in shame, her ebony-colored hair shading her eyes. "I know... I shouldn't have lied to you, Connor. It's just... I'm hurt..."

Connor rested a warm hand on Pheonix's slumping shoulder, causing her to look directly into his soft blue eyes. "What happened?"

When Pheonix did not answer, Connor closed the door behind him and motioned to Pheonix's bed in the back of the Hecate cabin. Unlike Lou Ellen's crazy psychedelic bedspread, Pheonix's was muted in calming colors. Travis used to joke that is was just one way to see who was really the more sane one in the cabin, but at the moment, Pheonix didn't find it funny. "Come on, let's sit down and talk, okay?"

The daughter of Hecate nodded, plodding despondently to her bed and sitting down heavily on the edge. Connor took a shaky seat next to her, looking almost shy, but when tears began to spill down Pheonix's cheeks, his expression morphed to one of absolute concern.

The dam had been destroyed, and the entire story from start to beginning flooded out of Pheonix's trembling lips. Her shoulders shuddered, and she sniffled miserably. Not once did Connor break his gaze away from his friend though. He was utterly transfixed.

When the final words dripped from Pheonix's mouth, her cries had escalated into sobs. She rubbed at her eyes, feeling weak for having broken down so easily in front of her former crush's little brother, but she was much too far past stopping now.

"Why would anyone even love me in the first place?" Pheonix muttered under her breath. "There's nothing that good about me; not enough to draw anyone in. I'm just some girl."

"I don't think you're just some girl, Pheonix. You're very special. There are lots of things that make you different."

"Different, but not attractive," Pheonix spat poisonously. "I'm nothing but a huge joke to everyone."

"I don't think you're a--"

"Nobody ever takes me seriously. I was just company to Travis, but even though he meant the world to me, he'd never feel the same. I just kept lying to myself over and over to convince myself that he loved me back, but I was so wrong."

"But I--"

Pheonix's voice grew almost inaudible as she allowed her dark self-loathing to take control. "I'm so stupid. I don't know why I ever thought anyone let alone Travis would love me."

That was the final straw for the Stoll boy. He lunged forward, cupping his friend's cheeks in his palms and pressing his lips to hers. The kiss lasted only for a second, but Pheonix could feel sparks dance across her skin.

When Connor pulled back, Pheonix was left wanting more. Luckily, she did not have to wait for long as Connor leaned forward again. This time, the kiss was more passionate and desperate. Tongue danced against tongue as Pheonix melted into her friend's embrace.

This kiss lasted much longer until the two had to break apart for breath. As Pheonix panted softly, Connor, who was completely and utterly red-faced, spoke the words he'd been meaning to say since the day he had first laid eyes on the daughter of Hecate.

"I love you, Phe."

And at that moment, Travis and Katie suddenly no longer mattered.

Chapter Text

'Apples to Apples'

Sheridan Monroe, the daughter of Hermes, was quite the friend to have in Camp Half-Blood. At age fifteen, she was the only camper who somehow managed to get along with nearly every living being in camp. She could win over every satyr, nymph, or demigod alike with her striking good looks and equally as attractive personality.

With brunette hair that trickled down her shoulders like water over smooth river stones, coffee brown eyes that always glimmered with a hint of mischief, and very prominent dimples, she was an extremely adorable girl. She was very funny with a good sense of humor, laid back, clever, sweet, loyal, fun-loving, and generally easy to get along with. Even the notoriously grumpy camp director, Mr D seemed to tolerate Sheridan's company, and that was saying quiet a lot for the daughter of Hermes.

Despite having all of this going for her though, there was simply one person who rubbed her the wrong way. Surprisingly enough, it was the Apollo cabin counselor, Will Solace. Sheridan didn't quite understand where the tension came from, but there was just something about that boy that put her off. Maybe it was his fluently spoken sarcasm...? Perhaps it was his bossiness...? Or it was always possible that it was because he was the camp golden boy who could do no wrong with his lazy, surfer dude look and blindingly white smile...

It didn't matter whatever it was; the simple fact was that Sheridan simply could not stand that boy. The strange feeling seemed to be completely mutual though as Will went out of his way on a day-to-day basis just to avoid Sheridan at all costs. At the campfires where Will and his siblings would serenade the demigods surrounding the amphitheater, he would refuse to look in the direction of Sheridan. During Capture the Flag games, she was never chosen to be on his side. Whenever she came into the infirmary due to an injury or illness, he would send one of his siblings to care for her instead, so that he wouldn't have to.

In a way, the aversion the two felt for each other was rather ridiculous. Sheridan wouldn't have it any other way though. She would do whatever it took to make sure that she didn't have to see his stupid, sunshiney face...

Despite this strange feud between the two demigods, Sheridan chose to look past this small flaw in her camp life. Other than that irritating Solace boy, her life was rather enjoyable. She always had lots of fun wherever she went, and she loved to participate in all of the camp activities that she could. She always looked forward to spending lots of bonding time with her friends, so when Chiron introduced a brand new activity down by the labyrinth entrance, she simply couldn't resist.

--------------------------------------------------

The sun was shining high in the sky overheard, casting its warmth done in rays onto the clustered up demigods that stood near the entrance to the dreaded labyrinth. Birds chirped gleefully as they swooped through the clouds, and the slightest breeze wafted gently through the camp, sending the fragrant scent of sun-ripened strawberries through the air.

It was an absolutely beautiful day to make things simple. In fact, it would have been the perfect day to get in some training, or perhaps an art piece or craft in the pavilion. However, everyone in camp was gathered to try something a bit more interesting; they were going to be the guinea pigs for the first ever three-legged death race through the labyrinth.

"The concept is similar to a regular three-legged race only in the manner that two of you will be tied together at the legs," Chiron's deep voice reverberated through the clearing like rolling thunder. He had a way of earning the attention of the camp simply by speaking. It made explaining the rules for this new and dangerous game much more simple. The race, however, has no official starting line or finish line."

At this, the stand in counselor of the Athena cabin stepped forward, pushing a pair of wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. His stormy gray eyes were conflicted as if he simply couldn't decide if this game sounded sensible or not. "Not trying to be rude, or anything, Chiron, but how is it possible for there to be no official starting line? How is that fair for all the competitors if we all start in different positions. And how will we know we've won if there is no finish line? Is there any point to this at all?"

Chiron dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Ah, thank you for bringing that up, Malcolm. When I said that there was no official starting line or finish line, I meant it. You are going to be going through the labyrinth, so although you will all be entering here at the mouth of the labyrinth, you will all most likely be separated into different starting areas once you arrive inside. That being said, all of you will be going through different routes and could possibly end up in completely different ending points. We have satyr scouts at each exit that were are aware of, so you should all be able to return to camp virtually unharmed..." Chiron paused, tugging at his beard as if he still hadn't really warmed up to the idea yet. "Should..." he repeated softly.

At this, Malcolm shuddered. He opened his mouth as if to protest again, but the Ares cabin counselor draped his arm around him and slugged the scrawnier boy's shoulder roughly.

"Come on, Pace, stop being such a baby. This sound like the best fun we've had in months. It could be even better than Capture the Flag!" the Ares boy enthused excitedly. It looked as if he had gotten into a fight with a very large, very angry cat and had lost. He had a ragged eyepatch covering his left eye, a deep scar that ran from his cheek down to his collar bone, and very muscular and battle worn arms. Of course he would be supportive of a new, dangerous game to play.

Malcolm shrugged, looking down at his shoes that were scuffling in the dirt. "It certainly has the potential... if you're into that whole 'I could die' adrenaline thing..."

Chiron cleared his throat. "If there are no further questions thus far then I'd like to continue." He angled his eyes pointedly at Malcolm who nodded his head and backed away to be swallowed up into the crowd once more. "Right then, so the objective of this game is to be the first team to collect three of the golden apples that have been scattered about the labyrinth. This race has an incredible amount of dangers and deadly traps including, but not limited to exploding chainsaws, Frisbees, and iron orbs that drop from the ceiling. There will also be the potential of meeting up with monsters that have also gotten lost in the depths of the labyrinth. With that being said, I want you all to take great care to stay alive. It would be unfortunate should someone die in the beta testing of Harley's new game."

The little mastermind behind the three-legged death race, Harley nodded fervently though it seemed as though the idea of people getting injured or possibly dying in his little game did not bother him as much as it should. Though he was only eight years old, there was something unnerving about the way he looked at chainsaws...

"Alright then, I believe I have covered everything I planned to go over, so without further ado, would the demigods who signed up for this race please step forward," Chiron's eyes searched through the crowd, his horse tail whisking back and forth with anticipation.

Sheridan hopped forward, her gaze flitting approvingly over all of the brave souls who had been courageous enough to sign up. Most of them were unsurprising such as a few of her half-sisters from the Hermes cabin and the Ares cabin counselor, but there were a few that caught her eye.

Valentina Diaz from the Aphrodite cabin had put one red jelly sandal-clad foot forward somewhat reluctantly as if she hadn't exactly meant to sign up. However, when the pretty girl saw the head counselor Paolo Montes from the Hebe cabin had also stepped forward, a bright smile overtook her facial features, and she trotted forward with renewed confidence.

Damien White and Chiara Benvenutti were fighting as per usual, smacking each other upside the head back and forth while Kayla Knowles and Austin Lake looked on in mixed amusement in concern. Meanwhile, Holly Victor and Laurel Victor were shoving each other as they argued over which of them would ultimately collect their apples first.

As Sheridan continued to inspect her competition, her expression soured. None other than Will Solace himself was standing off to the side. At first, Sheridan was sure that he was going to be one of the healers that was going to stay behind as he'd been chatting with the Hypnos cabin and what remained of the Apollo cabin earlier. However, it seemed as if he refused to be left out and had only been briefing the others on what to do should an emergency arise. He snapped his fingers underneath the Hypnos kids' noses one last time and made his way towards the rest of the competitors with a look of pure determination in his sky blue eyes.

Sheridan hadn't realized she'd been staring as she wasn't usually the type to be rude, but when Will met her eyes, she realized that her eyes had been lingering on him for longer than she had anticipated. Not one to be caught in the act, Sheridan turned her nose up to the sky and huffed disgustedly. That pesky Will Solace wasn't going to spoil her fun; she just wouldn't allow it.

Chiron, who had seemingly also been examining the participants of the race, tapped his chin thoughtfully. His wise eyes were narrowed as he debated with himself internally, and the deep creases across his old forehead were carved deeply into his skin with concern. "Well then, I suppose I could let you choose your own partners..."

At this simple statement, everyone's eyes brightened. The demigods sent excited glances towards their partners of choice and bounced on their heels, awaiting the signal to get ready.

Chiron shook his head with great finality. "No, no, I think it would be best for me to pair you up. Less drama that way, I believe."

The gathered participants deflated with a collective groan of disappointment, but whatever Chiron said was final and there was no changing that. They had to respect their old teacher and though they weren't pleased with his decision, they had the decency to keep their mouths shut. In their heads however, a few ancient Greek curses were muttered.

"Alright, the first team will be Julia Feingold and Alice Miyazawa..." Chiron stated, waving his hand at the two Hermes half-sisters and then to a station where a collection of ropes was placed. The two girls looked at each other mischievously before nodding and racing over to tie their legs together.

Sheridan smiled at her two half-sisters warmly, knowing that they would be quite the team to go up against. She couldn't dismiss the sad tugging sensation in her heart though as she realized that none of her sisters would be able to be her partner as well.

Oh well, Sheridan thought positively, her eyes landing upon her older half-brother, Connor. Connor is still up for grabs and if Chiron put Alice and Julia together, there's a high possibility that he'll put us together too. This is gonna be so cool!

No sooner had Sheridan thought that, Chiron turned to face Connor, and she felt her heartbeat quicken with anticipation for the moment when he would call her name. However, when Chiron spoke out the name of Connor's partner, Sheridan was disappointed to hear Paolo Montes's name instead of her own.

Aw... Well that kinda sucks... Sheridan thought sadly, but she shook her head to clear her thoughts. No! I gotta stay positive. Look at all these great people I still have options with. As long as I don't get paired up with... him... everything will turn out just fine! Better than fine even!

"Kayla Knowles and Austin Lake."

Another sibling team. Strange that Chiron didn't put me and Connor together then, but it doesn't matter. I'm sure he and Paolo will be a great team and so will Austin and his sister.

"Chiara Benvenuti and Damien White."

Two completely horrified gasps erupted from the daughter of Tyche and the son of Nemesis, and their widened eyes locked burning glares of hatred on each other. Sheridan couldn't suppress a giggle.

This will be interesting. Those two can't go a minute without fighting with each other. Maybe the maze will bring them closer together? One can only hope. They'd be quite the different couple, but that's not necessarily a bad thing now is it?

"Billie Ng and Valentina Diaz."

That pairing wasn't too surprising as Valentina and Billie were both pretty friendly people who got along with the majority of camp. With Billie's knowledge of plant life and Valentina's ability to sense auras and the like, the two would have a very interesting dynamic in the labyrinth. Unfortunately, none of those powers sounded as if they would be much help during a three-legged race. At least they would be the most fashionable team.

Sheridan was beginning to feel nervous. The only girls that were left aside from herself were Holly and Laurel Victor of the Nike cabin. The twins were always squabbling and though they were competitive, they were almost too competitive. They fought and argued with everyone, and Sheridan wasn't exactly enjoying the idea of butting heads throughout the labyrinth. Still, if one of them turned out to be her partner, she could grin and bear it.

Along with the girls, the only other remaining competitors were Malcolm and Sherman. Though Sheridan wasn't particularly fond of either of them, Malcolm was highly intelligent and kind and Sherman had incredible physical abilities. Either one of them would give her a sure advantage against the other teams, and Sheridan sincerely hoped that she would be lucky enough to be paired with one of those boys and not...

"Malcolm Pace and Sherman Yang."

A few cries of indignant outrage erupted from the teams as they claimed that the pairing of Ares and Athena would be far too strong together, but they were quickly silenced when Chiron flicked his tail and stomped his hoof on the dusty earth. It was final and there was nothing they could do about it. However, Sheridan felt a growing sense of disappointment and anxiety roiling in her stomach.

"Holly Victor and Laurel Victor."

Sheridan blinked in surprise. Pairing those two together was taking a huge risk, but that wasn't what she was concerned about. If the Nike twins, the brains, and the brawn were all paired up, who did that leave her with? Had Chiron changed his mind about allowing the daughter of Hermes participate?

"That leaves Will Solace and Sheridan Monroe."

Before she even had time to process the words entirely, Sheridan's coffee brown eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open with a gasp. "What?! No way! Is there anyone who's willing to trade?!" The words left her mouth in a flood of mixed anger and nervousness. Unfortunately for her though, the other teams were already tying their legs together with a finality that could not be wavered.

Will made his way over to Sheridan with stormy eyes and a sour frown. He looked as equally upset as Sheridan felt about this decision, but he had the decency to keep his inner thoughts to himself. There was him being the bigger person again. That only fueled the furious, burning fire in Sheridan's chest. Who was he to think he was too good to complain? What an absolute jerk.

The wavy-haired blond stooped down on his knee after sidling up to Sheridan with a dark rope in his hands. He tied their legs together securely, but he didn't ask Sheridan once if she was comfortable, nor did he even glance up in her direction. He looked at his own shoe like it was the most fascinating thing in the world at this point in time.

"I'm not happy about this either Pick Pocket, but you don't see me being this big of a baby about it," Will muttered, tugging on the rope one last time and rising up slowly to his full height. He was a few inches, perhaps even a foot taller than Sheridan which only made things all the more awkward.

"Who're you calling 'Pick Pocket,' Sunshine Boy? Last time I checked, I was allowed to express my feelings freely. You can't stop me from doing that."

"You're right, I can't. I can only imagine the headache you're gonna give me," Will groaned. "Enough arguing; let's just get this over with." He began awkwardly shuffling forward with Sheridan stumbling along with his long strides uneasily.

With their height difference, Sheridan felt as if she was getting dragged along with Will which did not sit well with her. How could this possibly get anymore irritating than it already was? They hadn't even entered the labyrinth yet. "The sooner the better," Sheridan growled through gritted teeth.

--------------------------------------------------

The race had begun, and the labyrinth was already beginning to turn circles in Sheridan's mind. Every nook, cranny, and rock in the wall looked familiar as if they were simply walking back and forth in a long hallway, and Sheridan had the sinking feeling that she and Will hadn't been making any progress at all.

"Don't tell me we're lost, Will. We just passed that violet on the floor five minutes ago, and I swear if we're going in circles, you can consider yourself as useless as a broken compass," Sheridan spat, the words feeling like venom dripping off of her lips.

Will rolled his eyes in annoyance, purposely taking a huge step to make Sheridan stumble. "Right, because you're being so helpful right now. Last I checked, all you've done so far is nag at me."

"That's because you won't give me the chance to lead! If it were up to me, we'd e out of this maze in no time with apples to spare!" Sheridan exclaimed. She would have stomped her foot if it weren't tied to Will's right leg.

Will turned a burning, blue glare to Sheridan. "Oh, I'd love to see this. Fine then almighty Pick Pocket, lead the way and let's see how far we can go before you run us into a wall."

"Why you-- Fine! I will lead!"

With that, Sheridan pulled forward, dragging Will for once as she stalked her way towards a nearby tunnel up ahead. It didn't look promising, but it was currently the only path in sight, and she would take anything she could get. Anything to prove that she was better than golden boy, Will Solace.

The further Sheridan tugged Will along, the more unnerved she began to feel. There was a dark, foreboding presence in the tunnel that made the air cold and damp. Each limping footstep the duo took echoed through the tunnel and caused vibrations to shiver through the marble floor. Sheridan also could not deny that the natural light was dimming, and it was getting harder and harder to see where she was going...

"So, you ready to admit that you should let me lead?" Will questioned, his voice causing Sheridan to jump (well, jump as far as much as she could while tied to Will.)

Sheridan flipped her hair and huffed. "And why would I do that? I've got this under control, and you know it."

A snort erupted from Will. "Yet you can't see your own hand in front of your face. Wouldn't it be easier if, I dunno, there was some kind of light to lead the way?"

That's when Sheridan remembered that Will was indeed the son of Apollo. No doubt he had some sort of powers connected to light in some way. As hard as it was to admit, Will actually had a point this time. There was no point in blindly pushing forward without any idea of what laid ahead.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Sunshine? You're the one with the inner nightlight. Instead of being such a lump on the log, you could have been doing something to be useful,' Sheridan growled, her voice rumbling in her throat.

Will shrugged, completely unbothered. "You never asked." With that, the head counselor snapped his fingers once, twice, three times until an orb of light fizzled at his fingertips. It illuminated the tunnel almost entirely, but it also brought forth a terrifying revelation; Will and Sheridan were being followed.

Out of the shadows leaped a large manticore with gleaming teeth and sharp claws. It had a rope tied around its neck where a shiny, golden apple swung. Its eyes were the same golden color, narrowed in absolute malice.

"Duck!" Will cried, dropping his body to the ground and dragging Sheridan with him. The manticore landed behind them, its claws skittering on the marble floor as it roared furiously. Its leathery wings beat back and forth, and Sheridan felt a huge relief that the ceiling was far too low for it to truly take off. "We're gonna have to kill this thing before it kills us!" Will cried hoarsely, his shaking hand fumbling for the dagger that was buckled to his side.

Sheridan knew that the measly little piece of celestial bronze would be no match for the huge manticore, and she was immensely relieved to feel her sword strapped to her side. She tugged it loose and was dragged off to the side as the manticore leaped again, this time straight towards her.

"Hey! Next time you're gonna rip my leg off, give me a warning!" Sheridan shouted at Will, brandishing her sword at the manticore's salivating maw.

Will caught sight of the sword, shifting around and pulling Sheridan to a better angle to attack the huge beast. "Oh, I'm sorry! Maybe next time I'll just let the monster rip off your leg for me. How does that sound?"

"A little less sarcasm would be nice right about now!" Sheridan responded. "Now jump!"

Will, though clearly irritated, followed Sheridan's command just as the manticore leaped forward again. Sheridan slammed her sword down as they landed on the manticore's back and cracked its skull nearly in two. It let out a shriek of pain, bucking the two demigods off of it and launching them into the air.

The daughter of Hermes brought her sword down once more in mid air, this time slicing the back of its neck and sending a cloud of golden dust through the air. As the manticore began to slow down, its chest heaving for every labored breath, it seemed to still have some fight left to it. It raised one of its colossal paws and smacked Will squarely on his side, sending them careening to the floor. Will's body landed on top of Sheridan's, twisting her ankle awkwardly beneath her. She let out a scream of pain while Will gasped for breath.

The manticore let out one last ferocious roar and dissolved into a pile of golden dust with the apple sitting perfectly atop it. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she gave Will a shove as his breathing finally settled, and the son of Apollo stretched his arm out to fetch the apple. When he had obtained it, the two stood up in unison and did the unthinkable.

Will and Sheridan's arms wrapped around each other, pulling one another into a tight embrace. Smiles lit up their faces, glimmering in the light of Will's glowing orb. "We did it!" they cried excitedly... before realizing who exactly they were holding and breaking away awkwardly, mumbling to themselves and blushing.

"Well, that's one. Just two more to go..." Will stated, clearing his throat and beginning to walk towards the exit of the tunnel quickly. Sheridan tried to keep up, but winced sharply as a pain similar to daggers shot through her ankle. She stumbled, nearly bringing Will to the ground. The boy turned around in irritation, but when he saw the pain on his partner's face, his expression quickly morphed to one of concern.

Sheridan stumbled again and nearly hit the floor before Will caught her in an awkward position. They shuffled over to a nearby corner where Will carefully lowered the two of them to the floor. Once they were seated, Will maneuvered their legs until he could successfully untie the rope that kept them together. This did not sit well with Sheridan.

"Hey! What are you doing?! We need to be tied together to win the race! This is sabotage!" The daughter of Hermes weakly attempted to bat Will away, but he was not about to be deterred. Once he had his mind set on something, there was no changing it.

"Your injury is more important than the dumb race, Pick Pocket," Will muttered, undoing the last knot and tossing the rope to the floor beside him. He took in Sheridan's furious expression calmly and held up his arms. "Can you stand, or do you need some help?"

Sheridan let out a huff of annoyance, standing up stubbornly although her ankle was sending sharp jabs of agony through her leg. She refused to show her pain, gritting her teeth and attempting to take a step forward. When she nearly tumbled to the floor again, Will pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in exhaustion.

"Great... Just... lean on me, and we'll walk a little further to find somewhere to fix you up. We shouldn't stick around where we jut defeated a monster, especially when you can't fight right now. There could be more of them lurking somewhere." Will held out one of his arms, ushering for Sheridan to fall in line with him, but she hesitated still.

Was this really worth it? Did she really need to rely on Will for just a little ankle injury? Was winning this game even worth it anymore?

Summoning what was left of her dwindling dignity, Sheridan gave in, leaning against Will with her cheek on his shoulder. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to pretend this was all some sort of a nightmare as the two of them limped further into the labyrinth's twisting tunnels.

Eventually, a much brighter section of the tunnels appeared in the horizon, and Sheridan could sense no evil presence hidden up ahead. It seemed Will had the same thought process as he slowed down and looked to Sheridan.

"I think this is far enough. Let's sit you down..."

Sheridan sucked in a sharp breath as her ankle bent awkwardly, but she managed to keep her tears at bay, sitting on the dusty, cold ground. Will knelt down, his gentle hands reaching out to examine the injury. He carefully brushed his fingers around the skin, feeling for swelling and inspecting every last detail before reaching into the pack hooked to his belt loop and fishing out a wrap of gauze, medical tape, and a sweater from the inside.

The daughter of Hermes grimaced as Will lifted her ankle and placed it on top of his sweater to elevate it. It took all she had to refrain from cursing at him and whacking him upside the head.

The blond boy ripped off a section of the gauze, placing on her ankle for support padding before wrapping even more gauze around it and taping it securely. He adjusted the padding carefully, gauging Sheridan's expression for pain. He found none as the support gave immense relief to the pain, but even so Sheridan felt somewhat uncomfortable. There was something on her mind, and she had to say it.

"Why are you helping me?"

Will looked back down to her ankle, feeling over it one last time to make sure it was all set. "You're my partner."

"So?" Sheridan frowned. "You could have just let me back there and made it out of the labyrinth with the apple alone. It's not like me and you are friends. In fact, I'm convinced you hate me."

Will's pretty blue eyes widened with surprise, and he allowed his shocked expression to be seen by Sheridan as he looked up. "Is that what you really think; that I hate you?"

Sheridan scoffed. "Well, yeah!"

"Sheridan, I... I thought you hated me."

That was something Sheridan had never considered. Was it possible that throughout all of the feuding, it was really her who had been sending the bad vibes? She'd never looked at it from Will's point of view before... "Well... I don't."

It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from Will as his shoulders relaxed and a grateful smile curled up his lips. "And neither do I." He loomed forward and tied their legs back together, being careful not to jostle Sheridan's ankle too much when he placed his sweater back in his bag. "Gods, that's a relief. All of the arguing was giving me a headache."

Sheridan let out a dramatic sigh, attempting to conceal a smile that was beginning to form. "Don't be an idiot. Let's get going."

And the demigodly duo limped forward with a newfound purpose. They were going to win, and they were going to do it together.

--------------------------------------------------

Though the confusion had been cleared up, Sheridan still felt awkward and guilty when walking with Will. Will attempted to start conversations a few times, but gave up when Sheridan stayed silent. The two continued into the labyrinth for a long while without any sort of trouble before finally hearing the telltale sound of company in one of the tunnels up ahead.

"Ugh, gods! And look what you did to my map! Now we really are lost!"

Will turned a curious gaze to Sheridan, one eyebrow raised. "That sounds like Damien," he whispered, slowing down his pace to eavesdrop further.

"Then that should mean Chiara is with him," Sheridan responded, listening closely.

"I already told you the labyrinth changes all the time! That map was absolutely useless! Besides, if I would have known that Harley's Frisbee was going to hit me in the stomach and make me throw up, I would have made sure to have done it all over your face, idiota!"

"Oh, go eat some pasta, you Italian annoyance!"

A cheeky grin erupted across Will's face. "Yep, that's definitely Damien and Chiara."

Sheridan attempted to conceal her giggles as they began to make their way past where the arguing was coming from. The glimmering of something golden caught Sheridan's eyes however and she put her feet down heavily to stop Will in his tracks.

"What? Is something wrong?" the blonde boy asked, somewhat worried. His eyes darted around as if in search of some hidden threat. "Is the manticore back?"

Sheridan shook her head quickly, ushering to the tunnel where it seemed the argument had escalated. Chiara was shouting out what must have been some Italian curse words while Damien was yelling 'la la la, I can't hear you' over her like a small child. "They have an apple, Will. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Will paused before smiling deviously. "Do your thing, Pick Pocket."

Sheridan needed no further pushing. She crouched down, motioning for Will to do the same. When he obeyed, the two carefully crept down into the tunnel. Apart from the glowing of the apple and the very faint outlines of Damien and Chiara, it was nearly pitch black; the perfect place for thievery to take place.

"Sei così inutile. Tutto quello che fai è lamentarsi e aggiustarsi i capelli. Dio, ti odio!" Chiara snarled, taking a shove at Damien who stumbled. The did not sit well with the son of Nemesis who lunged forward and tackled Chiara to the ground in a cursing frenzy. The two grunted and snarled, flailing their fists in the darkness in an attempt to hit the other person. They were struggling so intensely that there was a dull thudding noise followed by a glowing, golden orb rolling across the floor towards Sheridan. They'd dropped their apple.

Sheridan snatched the apple quickly, giving Will an excited grin as he held up their other apple to make two. They stood up quickly, ready to continue on their quest for their third apple when suddenly the fighting ceased.

"Wait, wait," Chiara panted, feeling about in the darkness frantically. "Where did our apple go?"

Damien paused, and the sound of rustling echoed through the tunnel. "Why am I looking? You're the one that was holding onto it!"

"Well, I don't have it anymore!" Chiara snapped. "We have to find it soon, or we're royally screwed."

There was the sound of snapping next to Sheridan, and a sudden burst of light filled the tunnel. The light was coming from Will's fingertips, illuminating his boastful smirk. "Finders keepers," he stated casually with a shrug.

Damien and Chiara's gazes flitted back and forth between the apple in his hand and the apple in Sheridan's before the realization struck them. "Hey!" they cried out in unison, taking up chase immediately.

"Let's get out of here!" Will cried out, and the duo began to sprint down the tunnel as fast as they could. They could feel the panting breaths of Damien and Chiara on their heels, but they wouldn't be caught. They couldn't be. They needed to win more than those two did, and neither of them were willing to give up all too easily.

Luckily, a hole opened beneath Sheridan and Will's feet just as Damien's hands reached out for them, and they dropped down one level without a scratch. The hole closed up overhead, and a mixture of Italian curses, Greek swears, and a blaming session erupted overhead.

They had escaped.

"I can't believe we just did that!" Sheridan enthused. "That was so awesome!"

Will nodded excitedly, snatching the apple from his partner and juggling the two orbs between his hands. "I know right? Just think, if they wouldn't have been arguing, we couldn't have gotten away with it." He sent a cheeky smile at Sheridan. "I mean, what kind of idiots would argue with the partner in the labyrinth?"

Sheridan felt blush coat her cheeks at the subtle jab towards the two of them before they had made amends. She giggled, twirling her hair around her finger sheepishly. "Yeah... idiots..."

--------------------------------------------------

The time seemed to go by faster in the labyrinth the more Sheridan and Will laughed together. To make things more interesting as they explored the dark and twisting tunnels of the labyrinth, they had started to tell stories to each other; stories about their childhood, their friends and family, and their life before Camp Half-Blood had taken them in. With all the mischievous stories that Will had to tell, it was plain to see that the camp golden boy had a bit of an impish side to him. And Sheridan? Well, Sheridan wasn't flawless either.

"You really stole Mr D's underwear?! Were you the one that put them on the flag pole too?" Will asked, his eyes nearly bugging out of his skull.

Sheridan shook her head, tittering gleefully. "Oh, no. I had Connor, Travis, and Lou Ellen help me with that part. I can't take complete credit to their 'genius' ideas."

With that, the two buckled over in laughter. Lou Ellen, Connor, and Travis were notorious for having the dumbest ideas in camp. That factor alone was what made the situation so hilarious.

"Oh, man, that is just too good!" Will laughed, happy tears forming at the corners of his eyes. His wavy blond hair fell into his face, and he laughed even more.

At this point in time, Sheridan found that she had a strange feeling in her chest. It was reminiscent to a bunch of butterflies trying to escape a net. She looked desperately to find the source of this feeling and found that her hand was interlaced with Will's. Red hot blush seeped across Sheridan's cheeks, but she refused to let go. The feeling was welcome and almost... nice. She could stay like this for awhile. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas.

"Ssssstay back!"

A sharp, fierce voice that sounded like gravel in a blender broke through her train of thought and stopped the two demigods in their tracks. Up ahead, a Scythian Dracaena was coiled around a shimmering, golden object. Her forked tongue flickered in and out of her mouth where two razor-sharp fangs glinted in the darkness. She looked anything, but friendly, and the grip she had around the object in her coils was impressive.

"Will," Sheridan started, turning to face Will urgently. "She has an apple. We have to get it from her."

"You will do no sssssuch thing, puny demigodssssss! Thissssss issss my ssssshiny, and you'll have to defeat me firssssst if you want it," the Dracaena hissed threateningly.

Will rolled his eyes with a sigh, cupping a hand around his mouth to whisper to his partner. "If she says one more 's' word, I think I'm gonna throw up."

Sheridan nodded feverishly in agreement and followed Will's slow and steady footsteps forward.

"Listen, lady, if you just give us the 'shiny,' we'll leave you alone and you can go back to whatever snake ladies do. It'll be saving us a lot of time and you a lot of pain," Will tried to sound reasonable and calm, but his hand was rested on his dagger to indicate that he was not afraid to fight. Sheridan got the hint, sliding the other two apples into his pouch and reaching for her sword.

"Never!" The Dracaena spat, lunging forward with surprising speed.

Without so much as a word, Will and Sheridan moved as one to the side, just out of harm's way. They each struck out with their weapons; Will nicked the lady's face while Sheridan managed to draw a gash down her chest.

A terrible, angry shriek erupted from the serpent, and her tail whipped on the tunnel floor. She lunged again, this time going straight for Sheridan. Will barreled his partner to the floor, standing awkwardly over her (well, standing up as far as he could while tied to Sheridan) and wielded his dagger bravely.

Suddenly, Sheridan noticed something. The way the Dracaena's eyes sparkled as she looked at Will's glittering dagger. She drew her forked tongue over her lips as if she were hungry before lunging again, her arms stretched out for the dagger.

"Will, throw your dagger! She wants it because it's shiny!" Sheridan screamed, crawling away as fast as she could and dragging Will behind her. The serpent lady was nearly atop them when Will took Sheridan's advice and chucked the dagger to the far corner of the room. Immediately, the Dracaena made a beeline towards it, and Sheridan rose to her feet.

"Jump now!"

The demigods jumped in unison, landing atop the Dracaena's back. She let out an indignant cry and thrashed about, bucking like a wild bronco.

"Hold on tight!" Sheridan shouted, locking her arm around the serpent's neck for dear life. Will wrapped his leg around her waist, causing Sheridan to do the same with her connected leg. She stretched forward with her sword and drew it swiftly across the monster's neck. Golden dust splatted out from the gaping wound, and the Dracaena gasped and gulped for breath. Soon, she crumbled into a cloud of dust and left Sheridan and Will on the ground, coughing.

Sheridan instinctively looked to Will, making sure that he was okay. When he nodded reassuringly, he gave her a questioning look. She responded with a nod to say that she was also unhurt, but then she looked around worriedly.

Where was it?

"Will, where's the apple?!" Sheridan asked, her voice tight with worry. They had not just risked their lives for nothing, had they?

"Relax, Pick Pocket. I've got it."

Sheridan's head whipped around, and a bright smile broke out across her face at the sight of the apple in Will's raised hand. He slipped it into his now nearly full pouch on his side and gave Sheridan two thumbs up.

The two sat, catching their breaths for a moment and simply reveling in their victory against their second monster of the day. Suddenly though, Will perked up and grabbed Sheridan by her shoulders.

"Wait, Sheridan! This is our third apple! Do you know what that means?"

The daughter of Hermes shrugged, blushing at Will's touch. "That we have one more apple that we did last time."

"It means we're done!" Will cried. "We can leave the labyrinth. We can win this!"

This worked Sheridan into a frenzy. She had been so worried about Will's well-being that she had forgotten that they had already obtained two apples. They could finally exit the labyrinth and claim their victory as the winners of the first ever three-legged death race.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's get out of here!"

The two rose to their feet excitedly and began running through the labyrinth. Sheridan noted that they were not just awkwardly waddling, but actually running now. They were so used to being attached at the hip (literally) that it was almost like they were one person. They had become the true dream team.

Eventually, a light began to grow more apparent in the far off distance and though the duo was very tired from their battle, they kept putting one foot in front of the other until they finally emerged into the light of day in the exact same spot that they had entered the labyrinth in the first place. They held up their hands and cheered victoriously.

"We won!" Sheridan announced joyfully. "I knew we would!"

To the side of the labyrinth's entrance, Chiron cleared his throat somewhat apologetically. "Er... no exactly. I'm afraid that Laurel and Holly emerged just a few minutes before you did..." He motioned towards the group of healers where Holly and Laurel were arguing as per usual. Apparently, they were debating whose foot had touched outside first. They completely ignored the Hypnos cabin's head counselor, Clovis who was trying with no avail to explain that since their legs had been tied together, both of their feet had touched outside first. The Victor twins just wouldn't hear it.

Laurel took one of her apples and beaned it at Holly's face, narrowly missing Clovis who ducked out of the way with a yelp just in time. Holly lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of Laurel's hair. The twins fell to the ground in a screaming tangle of limbs. Meanwhile, Clovis backed up with his hands raised. The situation had spiraled far out of his control, and it was clear that the message he was giving off was 'this is not my area of expertise.' Unfortunately, he fell to the ground fast asleep and was dragged into the tussle as well.

Chiron let out a long suffering sigh, abandoning Sheridan and Will to go separate the three fighting demigods. His horsey tail whisked back and forth irritably as he attempted to pull a very disoriented, confused, and now very much awake Clovis away from the twins who weren't yet giving up on knocking each other's teeth loose.

Will turned to Sheridan whose expression was sad and disheartened. This did not sit well with him. He cupped his partner's chin and lifted her head slightly so that she was looking at him in the eyes. She seemed very much surprised, but didn't break the contact.

"Hey Pick Pocket," Will started with a flirty and playful tinge to his voice. "why don't you come down to my cabin sometime so we can practice for the next three-legged death race. That way, we can show those Nike kids what they're underestimating and what they'll be up against in round two."

Sheridan smiled shyly. Something about the way the words left Will's mouth made it seem like it was an invitation to a date, and that was something Sheridan had been thinking about ever since this dumb blond boy had fixed up her ankle.

With the sun shining brightly in the sky overhead, filling Sheridan with warmth from head to toe, the daughter of Hermes could not think of anything she'd rather do. "I think that sounds like a great idea Sunshine Boy."

Chapter Text

(This story was a request by i_am_BOOKISH on Wattpad. Aimee is her character. If you do not like oc x canon relationships, please find another story to read and do not complain in the comments. And remember, requests are always open!)

WARNING: This story does not follow the event of canon word for word. Keep this in mind while reading. Thank you for reading.

Wind whistled through verdant foliage all about a bedraggled looking group of teenagers as they stood, silent and decidedly exhausted at the very top of a large hill. Further down from the hill was a vast expanse of land, dotted with buildings and monuments. Though they were no bigger than ants from the vantage point at which the group stood, people milled about peacefully in the clearing down below. Everything about the scene was peaceful and calm if you ignored the state of the teenagers who were observing it.

Consisting of a group of three boys and one girl, the group looked like any other band of friends taking a scenic hike through the forest. Upon closer inspection, the teenagers looked as if they had met with the wrong end of a very aggressive lawn mower. There were slashes and tears covering their clothing, and their bodies were littered in scrapes, bruises, and what appeared to be bites. Their hair was plastered against their foreheads with sweat and sticking out haphazardly as if they had just rolled out of bed and down a few flights of stairs. They were panting like dogs to catch their breaths, not yet capable of forming words yet.

Two of the boys were almost entirely identical from their crooked smiles to their skinny body statures. Their hair consisted of two matching mop tops of brown curls that hung charmingly into their sparkling blue eyes. The only distinction between the two lanky boys was that one of them appeared to be slightly shorter than the other (only around an inch of two presumably.) Both of them seemed to be very relieved to be standing atop the hill, looking out across the clearing with fondness in their gazes.

The other boy was very much different in appearance to the other boys. Though he was a great deal shorter than his male companions (at least a foot,) he compensated with his build. His body was very obviously used to being athletic as his muscles were sinewy and taut (especially in his arms and legs.) His hair was wavy and much shaggier than the other boys', coming down to the point of his chin and would probably be even longer had it been brushed out. He had eyes the color of a cloudless sky though they were stormy with worry at the moment in time. A large quiver full of varied types of arrows along with a golden bow that glistened in the sunlight were slung across his broad shoulders.

The last of the teenagers present was a very pretty girl. She stood very close to the blond boy as if she was nervous and thought that he could protect her, but her feet were planted firmly on the ground and her expression was challenging. It was clear that she could hold her own if need be, but that didn't stomp out all of her feelings of uncertainty. She had wavy blonde hair the color of freshly fallen snow, and her fiery eyes were framed by a pair of jet black glasses. She looked to be around sixteen, perhaps the second youngest in the group in comparison to the blond boy. Her eyes flitted about her rescuers as soon as soon she had successfully regained her breath, and she placed a shaking hand on the blonde boy's shoulder hesitantly. "Please tell me this is it," she whimpered plaintively. "I may be tough, but even I don't think I could take on another hellhound in the state I'm in right now."

Prior to arriving on the hill, the teenagers had had quite the time getting to where they stood now. They had gone through a pack of wild, slavering hellhounds which required an immense amount of strength and speed, and now, quite frankly, they were exhausted. It had been a wonder they had all arrived in one piece... well, mostly.

The two identical boys exchanged an amused glance while the other boy simply nodded reassuringly. The way he looked at the girl gave away that the two must have been related by some means. A protective air of worry surrounded this younger boy as he gave his companion a once over. "Yes, this is it, Aimee: Camp Half-Blood. If we're all done catching our breath now, I would really like to take you all down to the infirmary so I can make sure that you're not too badly injured. Hellhound bites can be very prone to infection and..." The blond continued to drone on and on in his concerned voice. This seemed to be a recurring event as the other two boys had taken to mimicking him dramatically but almost perfectly behind his back where they couldn't be caught by his all-seeing eyes.

The girl, Aimee put forth her best effort to pay attention to her relative and take all of his words into consideration, but she couldn't hold back for long. The others were simply being too ridiculous. Though her mouth (and smile) were covered by her hand, an amused snort escaped from her which made the boy's eyes narrow in confusion. The blond spun on his sock-and-sandal-clad heel and delivered a painfully stern glare to the identical boys, causing them to burst out into laughter and double over at the waist. "On second thought, maybe you two knuckleheads will be fine without some ambrosia to heal up those scratches of yours..." he threatened grumpily. It was clear that he had been through this type of teasing before.

At this prospect, the boys put on their best innocent puppy dog faces, their blue eyes wide and pleading. They crouched down on their knees, looking up at the younger boy with their lips jutted out in a pout. "Awwww, noooo! Please, Will! We won't do it ever again!" the taller one begged, his voice lilting like a child's. 

The other boy nodded rapidly. "We're soooooo sowwy!" he added, fluttering his lashes.

Aimee couldn't help it any longer. These boys were simply too funny. She broke into a fit of giggles and felt her once racing heartbeat begin to slow down. It had been a very challenging and scary day, but the joking around of her companions was beginning to make her feel better. This sat very well with all of the others, especially the identical boys. Their faces lit up with joy at having made their friend laugh (the shorter boy's face was even a bit flushed as he began to laugh as well.)

Will, attempting and failing to hide his growing smile, shook his head with a gusty sigh. With quickness unbeknownst to the others, his arms shot out and gave each of the identical boys a shove down the hill. Twin cries of mock indignation burst from the boys' mouths as they tumbled down the hill in a tangle of limbs. When they reached the bottom, they began wrestling each other and letting out playful hoots and howls like a pair of feral animals. Will shook his head in resignation. He turned to the girl. "If you'd like my professional doctor's advice, don't hang out with those two... creatures too much, or you might sustain some severe brain damage. Ambrosia can only do so much."

It seemed that this was Will's attempt at a joke (though definitely not any less of a warning,) and though Aimee nodded in agreement and flashed her relative a bright smile, her thoughts said otherwise. I can't possibly promise him that I'll stay away from Connor and Travis. Will might think the two boys were trouble, but they had succeeded in making her laugh, and she liked that in people (especially boys.) Besides, they were very attractive and that was always a plus. I'm sure we'll only get closer as time goes on...

She couldn't have been more right.

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It had been one eventful year since the day Aimee had arrived at camp with her entourage of dorks, and she had been settling into Camp Half-Blood very well. She had already obtained her camp necklace and one shiny bead adorned it proudly. Being a daughter of Apollo, she was welcomed into her sunny cabin full of siblings and had quickly become just as much of the family as any of the others. She was very adept with archery, and her voice was one of great talent, but no one (not even Will) could surpass her incredible healing abilities. Despite all of this (and the fact that it seemed like she might even be the favorite of the cabin,) Aimee somehow remained very modest and kind.

The daughter of Apollo had many friends now and, with their help and motivation, had accomplished so much. She'd helped her cabin win their fair share of Capture the Flags, scaled the entirety of the treacherous, lava-dripping rock climbing wall, and had generally settled into her camp life with ease.

Aimee had plenty of friends now, but she remained the most partial to the original duo: Connor and Travis. The two boys had swiftly become her best friends (though Aimee leaned towards Connor more,) and the three had spent an enormous amount of time together since Aimee's first day. Though this went against Will's wishes, he was very happy to see his older sister enjoying her new life at camp. She and her two best friends were constantly causing mischief wherever they ventured. The Stolls were pranking gods (not literally of course) and with the help of their innocent-faced new friend, they could pull of stunts previously unthought of. They especially liked to harass the sleepy members of the Hypnos cabin into leaving  their beds and partaking in camp activities. 

Pranking wasn't the only event they got up to though. The trio of demigods also enjoyed going on canoe expeditions across the lake to play with the pretty naiads, having silly competitions over trivial things, and starting food fights in the dining pavilion (and running away from Chiron after he figured out who caused the chaos.) At the end of each day, they always sat and cuddled around the fire, belting out the traditional songs louder than most would be comfortable with doing.

All in all, Aimee was very happy with her life at the haven for demigods. She had a loving family, funny friends, and never ending memorable moments; what more could she possibly ask for? She wouldn't have her life be any other way. Unfortunately, all good things must come to a halt at times and recently, worry had begun to take over the general mood of the camp. Things were changing all too fast, and no one quite new how to respond, not even the most senior of demigods.

Things had been... strange as of lately. A strange boy named Percy Jackson had made a flashy appearance at camp after fighting a minotaur single-handedly (and winning.) Everyone could sense something was different about him though he was only the young age of twelve. When he was revealed to be a son of the big three (Poseidon no less) Aimee wasn't exactly surprised. Even when he was given a most likely fatal quest to go and find Zeus's stolen Master Bolt and return it before the summer solstice otherwise there would most definitely be terrible consequences.

It was extremely unnerving to leave the fate of the camp (and possibly the world) in a twelve year old boy's hands (sure, he had Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood with him, but that truly wasn't all that reassuring.) This put Aimee into a sour mood and though the Stolls and her half siblings tried to keep her in good spirits, she could tell that something awful was going to come out of this in the end. Of course, as usual, she was correct.

The news that the head counselor of the Hermes cabin, Luke Castellan had been the one who had stolen the Master Bolt, framed Percy for it, and later tried to murder the young boy absolutely shocked the camp to its core. Luke had been around for a such a very long time, and everyone knew and respected him without question. He was an inspiration to demigods young and old and a friend to most. There had been a lot of rumors and theories about possible candidates for the crime, but Luke had never been suspected. After all, it was almost impossible to fathom. How could someone so good commit such a terrible act?

Of course Aimee was just as agonized and appalled as the majority of the camp, but her heart hurt deeply for Luke's siblings. She had been close to Luke as well, close enough to consider him a friend, but she couldn't possibly imagine the pain the Stolls were going through. Luke was their brother, and Aimee was sure that nothing could sting worse than that.

As if the Fates just couldn't get enough angst, everyone in the camp was quickly beginning to lose trust for the entire Hermes cabin. This feeling of distrust shot through the roof as more than half of the Hermes cabin (the majority of them being unclaimed demigods) went missing only a day or two later. It was assumed that they had left to follow in Luke's footsteps against the gods. 

The other campers would whisper and point behind the Hermes children's backs and just as swiftly pretend to have not been looking at them in the first place should they turn around. The benches near them at the campfire had grown empty and lonely. They could feel everyone's accusing, probing gazes burning their skin at every meal in the dining pavilion but should they find the courage to stand up for themselves, they were accused of being traitors and defending the wrong sort of people. It was absolutely gut wrenching to witness, and Aimee could feel her heart splintering every time she looked into her friends' once sparkling and now dull and tired eyes.

Despite all of the poisonous negativity that had grown for the Hermes cabin, Aimee stayed by her friends' sides. She was known for being a generally well-mannered girl, but if you dared to speak poorly of Travis, Connor, or anyone from Cabin 11 while in her presence, you would be left with more than a few choice words being hurled at you and possibly a harsh sunburn if you kept it up. Her continued loyalty to her friends managed to keep their spirits just high enough to attempt to go back to regular camp life, but no one could deny that the tensions were rising and rising...

On August 16th, the climax that had been building all along finally hit in the form of The Battle of Manhattan. There had been battles prior to this such as The Battle of the Labyrinth where Aimee's older brother Lee had been brutally slaughtered, but this ultimately the worst of them all. The entirety of Manhattan had been put under a sleep spell cast by Hecate and Morpheus which allowed Kronos and his forces of monsters and demigods alike to launch a full scale ground attack. This was no longer a battle; this was war.

Nearly all of the camp was sent out into the throng of fighting, but Aimee was conclusively ordered to stay behind in the camp by the new head counselor of Apollo, Michael Yew. This angered her to no end as she wanted to be out, protecting and defending her camp just like all the others who were risking their lives. Michael reassured her that he knew she was a formidable fighter, but she was an even better healer, and the camp needed her for the purpose. Aimee was still upset though it was mainly worry for her half siblings' wellbeing. The loss of Lee was still a fresh wound in their hearts, and she wasn't sure what she would do should they lose another from their ranks. At the very least, she had Will because the young demigod was simply not cut out for the battlegrounds.

At first, the brother and sister worked diligently, setting up and sterilizing the infirmary in preparation for any wounded soldier brought in. Eventually, the first of the casualties started to roll in. There wasn't anything too serious at first: a broken arm there and a twisted ankle there but the injuries progressively grew worse. During one especially large number of wounded being brought in, an Ares camper brought the word that Will had been ordered to leave the camp and attend to Annabeth who had been gravely injured. Aimee was very much against this as her little brother was far too soft to go out there on his own, but Will simply gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and promised he would return. With that and a comforting smile, he was whisked away to where Annabeth was located, and Aimee was left alone in the infirmary.

There couldn't possibly be any feeling worse than having all of your siblings out in a bloody battle where death was could be imminent, Aimee thought, but she continued to work just as hard as she could attending to everyone who came through the doors. Still, though she put on a brave face so as not to discourage her patients, she couldn't help but worry. She didn't like to doubt her siblings (and her friends for that matter,) but she wasn't so sure they were ready to face such a terrible threat. She was especially ill at ease at the thought of Will, Connor, and Travis out there, and she took a moment to pray to her father than everyone would all stay safe under her breath before returning to her work.

As the day grew longer, so did the battle. Demigods had been flooding into the Apollo cabin with every injury imaginable (some way worse than others,) and it was growing nearly impossible for Aimee to attend to them all. Still, she couldn't allow her anxieties to cost her any lives, so she continued her purpose. A tourniquet there, some gauze there, a sedative for them...

Aimee was so focused on helping everyone that she hadn't realized that the demigods had stopped arriving. The camp was quiet... too quiet, almost silent even, and it was as if a dark, foreboding shadow had enveloped the entirety of the land. At the inquiry of a patient, Aimee took a step back, pausing in her medical routine and straining her senses suspiciously. She looked up at the golden ceiling of the infirmary and listened closely for a noise, any at all.

Suddenly, an enormous crashing sound coming from the entrance of the infirmary caused the cabin to shudder. Aimee whipped around on her heel, expecting a grim prognosis or a fatally injured demigod being rushed in to be healed but what she really saw in the broken down doorway shocked her to her very core.

"L-Luke...?" Aimee stammed in disbelief, taking in the appearance of the man who currently stood on top of the splinters that remained of the shattered Apollo cabin door. Inside of her pounding heart, she felt a flicker of hope lit within in. Had Luke come to terms with the errors of his ways and finally joined forces with Camp Half-Blood again like Aimee had been wishing? Had the misguided son of Hermes heard her prayers?

The sparks of hope were doused out and left sputtering her in chest as she took in Luke's appearance closer. No, this was not Luke. It may have been his body, but the malicious glint of golden eyes where his once warm blue eyes had been was not him. That dreadful smirk that brought out the nasty scar of on his face was not him. Nothing about this man was anything like the kind and patient Hermes cabin counselor that Aimee had called her friend. No... This... was the King of Titans himself... Kronos was here inside of the Apollo cabin.

"S-stay back!" Aimee managed through a quavering voice. She stood protectively in front of the infirmary side of the cabin, her arms spread out as if she could shield her patients from sight. She heard whimpers and cries of fear from behind her, but she kept her wide eyes on Kronos, not daring to look away for a second.

A nightmarish laugh rolled from Luke's lips, sending chills down Aimee's spine. When Luke opened his mouth to speak, it was Kronos's eerie, monstrous voice that rose into the air. "Oh, poor little mouse," he mused. "Your campmates really left you alone with all of these defeated demigods? How foolish of them. I'm afraid your time here is over."

At this horrendous threat, Aimee felt her body freeze in fear. She was nearly paralyzed. This wasn't meant to happen. None of this was meant to happen. She was supposed to heal her patients, Camp Half-Blood was supposed to win, and her life was supposed to go back to normal. Now, she was going to die and a lot of her campmates would be going down with her. What a terrible way to go....

Slowly, Aimee managed to turn her head to send an apologetic and woesome look to the injured demigods. There was nothing she could do to help them now. Soon, they'd all be dead and so would she. To Aimee's surprise, the demigods behind her weren't giving up yet. Some attempted to get to their feet, their legs shaky and unsteady. They fell back to the ground in a heap, but they tried and tried. A few crawled towards their weapons on the floor. The ones who couldn't move at all had fixed flaming glares on Kronos's face as if daring him to try anything. They weren't giving up though it was impossible for any of them to fight and they knew it. They were willing to face death just in an attempt to get one last shot in, and a feeling like fire burned through Aimee's body. What was she thinking? She couldn't back down in the face of an enemy. She had trained all of her life to fight, and now she had people to protect. It was her duty, and everyone was counting on her. She had to stand her ground.

Without a word, the daughter of Apollo propelled herself forward and lashed out the dagger she had concealed at her side at Kronos. He side-stepped past her easily, causing her to land clumsily and slide across the floor behind him, but she kept her footing. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and thinking back to all of the training she had done with Clarisse, Michael... and Lee.

At the memory of Lee's death, Aimee felt even more anger-driven power surge within her. With a fearsome war cry, she lunged forward again, slithering to the side at the last minute in an attempt to psych out her enemy and land a blow on his other side. The Titan King dodged again, sending out a strong punch that threw Aimee against the wall, but the girl stayed standing. She grimaced in pain, tears welling in her eyes. Kronos was strong. Was putting up a fight even worth it if she couldn't even land a single blow?

Just then, Aimee's tear-blurred eyes met with Luke's evilly contorted face, and the memories of the looks in Connor and Travis's eyes when they had found out their own older brother had betrayed them played through her mind. How dare he hurt her friends that way?! She let out a furious scream and lunged yet again, this time ducking between Kronos's legs and coming up behind him. He was quick, but not quick enough. She landed a harsh punch to his face, and scarlet blood began to drip from his now broken nose. 

Hope fluttered in Aimee's chest. Yes! She'd done it! She'd managed to get a hit in! She could do this! She would make Kronos pay for everything he'd done to hurt her and the place that she called home. She would save the day. Huffing for breath, Aimee looked up at Kronos's face. She was ready for more.

An icy chill shot through her body as Kronos rubbed at his face almost dreamily. It didn't seem like he was affected by Aimee's punch at all. His golden eyes narrowed, and Aimee swallowed her spit. "You shouldn't have done that. Playtime is OVER," Kronos's gravelly growl rose to a roar of fury, and he launched his body towards Aimee. She was too stunned to even attempt to dodge and before she knew it, she was knocked to the ground by powerful dark magic and pummeled on every inch of her body. This seemed to last forever and just as Aimee thought her body was going to break, Kronos pulled back and laughed.

Aimee shivered intensely on the floor. Every inch of her felt as if she was on fire, burning icy hot. She wheezed for breath, but her lungs seemed to have collapsed. She knew for a fact that her ribs were broken along with many of her other bones, but she had no idea just how many. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, and could barely heard the screams and cries of the injured demigods as they looked down at her broken body in horror.

Coughing up crimson blood, Aimee tried desperately to stand, causing the demigods' shouts to raise even higher in distress. Her legs wobbled dizzily, and her body screeched with protest. Her vision was blurry; Kronos looked like he was spinning or maybe that was Aimee? She couldn't tell anymore. All she knew was that she needed to fight somehow. She couldn't give up yet. She just couldn't. She couldn't be done. She had just started to believe she had a chance. How could things have gone so badly so quickly?

Kronos snorted in an equal amount of irritation and amusement. "You demigod worms just never know when to quit, do you?" 

Before Aimee had any time to think, Kronos raised Luke' sword, Backbite into the air and slashed it down into Aimee's side. She hacked up even more blood, and her eyes widened as darkness began to crash down around her. She crumpled to her knees, her arms wrapped around her side as the warmth of her sticky blood spread across her torso. Her face hit the floor, and all of her senses began to leave her. The last thing she had was the sound of a familiar voice calling out her name in distress and then she slipped into the darkest nothingness she'd ever felt.

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Where... am I? Aimee's thoughts were groggy as if she had been hit on the head a few minutes prior. She was dimly aware that she wasn't dead, but that seemed to be the extent of what she knew. For a long while, she was surrounded in nothing but fuzzy darkness and silence. Slowly though, bit by bit, her senses began to come back to her.

Pain.

That was the first thing to return. A terrible pain swathed her body in a cocoon and although it was was less as crippling as it had felt before, it still hurt like all Hades. If Aimee could have controlled her body, she would have grit her teeth, screwed her eyes shut, and dug her nails into the palms of her hands. She was paralyzed though, stuck in this limbo, and all she could do was wait for the pain to fade away.

The next to return was the metallic odor of blood which sicked Aimee to her stomach, but eventually the stench was replaced by the gentle scent of lavender and cleaning supplies. This aroma was familiar to Aimee; she'd smelled it almost every day of her life since she'd started working in the infirmary, and it was very welcome in comparison to the blood smell. Anything had to be better than that.

Faintly, the daughter of Apollo became aware of her taste buds also becoming less bloody tasting and more sweet. She could feel her mouth being opened closed gently in the waking world as if she was being spoon fed something. Her throat was stimulated to swallow, and whatever had the sweet flavor made her body feel like it was glowing. She felt her wounds slowly beginning to mend. Her shattered bones formed whole bones again, her ripped muscles connected to each other, and her bruises, scrapes, and cuts closed up with new skin. These feelings were unpleasant and frankly disgusting, but the made the pain go away, and that was ultimately what mattered the most.

Unfortunately, Aimee still could not open her eyes.

Every once in awhile, she could here a very muffled and fuzzy group of voices. Some sounded familiar...

Was that Will...? Travis...? ... Connor...?

She could also make out the voices of her other siblings though there were a few newer voices she had never heard before. She found this highly unusual, but there wasn't much she could do in this state. However, she was very confused as to why she never heard Michael's voice in the midst of any of the groups. Acknowledging that her older brother was probably just busy, she left it alone.

The last thing Aimee became aware of was a feeling of softness all around her. She knew that meant she was on a bed in the infirmary now which made her hope that the war had been won. After pushing past that thought, she became aware that the mattress felt weighed down by her side, and the distinct feeling of someone's eyes on her face burned at her cheeks.

That's it. I have to get up now.

Aimee struggled as hard she possible coud against her protesting muscles and mind and managed to prop herself up on her elbows and force her eyes open. Initially, the brightness of the lights swamped her vision, and a loud, shrill ringing filled her head. For a moment, she was scared that she would slip back into unconsciousness again but before she had the chance, a voice broke through the obnoxious noise.

"Aimee, you're awake!"

The injured daughter of Apollo would have recognized that voice anywhere. She managed a very small smile through her cracked and dry lips and promptly wince. She opened her mouth and though her throat felt gravelly and parched, she forced out a few words. "G-good morning, goober..." 

Instantly, Aimee was enveloped in a hug by a pair of strong arms. She winced at the pain in her body, but instinctively sank into the familiar touch. Oh how she'd missed this feeling of safety and love. She thought for sure that she'd never feel her best friend's arms again. The very thought was almost enough to bring a tear to her eyes, but it seemed like Connor beat her to it.

"Gods, I thought you were dead for sure, Aims," the son of Hermes sobbed. Aimee had never seen her friend so emotional before, especially over her, so she made a mental note to poke some fun at him for it later when she didn't feel like a discarded punching bag. Stretching up on arm with a grimace, she patted his back in an effort to comfort him however she could.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's okay. I'm here," Aimee cooed softly. She winced again as Connor only tightened his grip at the sound of her voice. "Okay, ouch, you're kinda hurting me, bud."

Immediately Connor drew back, apologizing profusely. His eyes raked up and down Aimee's body in concern, causing her to blush slightly. She could only hope that he wouldn't see it. She took his distracted inspection as an opening to get a really good look at her best friend. She hadn't been sure she was going to see hi ever again the fateful day that Kronos attacked, and now she just wanted to take in every little detail on him from top to bottom and commit it to memory. 

As guilty as it made Aimee feel, Connor looked terrible. His hair was more of a mess than usual and looked as if it hadn't seen a brush (or a shower) in days. There was blood caked onto his face, and several parts of his skin were swollen. His cheeks were red and blotchy from crying, and twin tear tracks trailed down to his chin on each side of his face. His eyes were watery, and the sparkled had still not returned to them yet. His cheeks were gaunt, and his ribs were as well. A few gauze wraps were tied around several gashes on his arms, and his Camp Half-Blood shirt was torn and splattered with blood that Aimee could only hope wasn't his own. On top of all of this, it looked highly probably that he hadn't been sleeping properly either judging by the dark circles under his eyes.

Seeing Connor in this terrible state almost made Aimee cry as well. "What happened while I was out?" she snuffled, wiping her nose on her arm. She looked around the infirmary and noticed that it had been cleaned significantly since the battle. There was even a new door installed. As she continued to survey her surroundings, she noticed the there weren't half as many beds occupied as their had been. Almost none of her patients were still in the infirmary, and some of the kids she didn't even recognize from camp. There was one chubby blond boy snoozing away while holding a pillow in his arms, a girl with dark hair and a mischievous smirk on her face that reminded Aimee slightly of Hecate, and a beefy boy with a rainbow tattoo on his arm. Aimee figured she was better off not knowing what that was all about.

On an ever better note, Aimee had been correct: her siblings were back and milling about just they normally did. She noted that Michael was still nowhere to be seen...

Connor took a deep breath as if he had finally mustered up the energy to inform Aimee about what had happened while she had been down for the count. "...we won-- he began, smiling weakly. 

It was as if a ton of weight had been lifted from Aimee's shoulders. Her body relaxed significantly, and she allowed herself to flop back onto the pillow beneath her. Deep down she had known that  they had won, but hearing those words was better than anything she'd ever experienced before in her life. "Thank the gods..."

Connor winced, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. "--but not without losses..."

Aimee's body grew rigid once more. She'd been foolish to think that there wouldn't be losses, but she had still been hoping that by some miracle everyone had made it out alive. She braced herself thoroughly. "Lay them on me..."

Heaving a deep breath, Connor began to list the fallen demigods. Once he had almost reached the end, his voice grew more halting. "Silena... Luke, obviously..." he hesitated for a very long time after this as if debating if continuing was worth the pain it was about to inflict. "M-M-Michael..."

Aimee froze. That was why Michael had been absent all this time. He was dead. The daughter of Apollo felt a sob threatening to burst from her throat, but she took a shuddering breath and forced herself to remain calm. She would have to give her older brother a proper goodbye later when she felt better though she hated that she had been unable to attend his funeral pyre. "I...' she swallowed thickly. "I'm so sorry, Connor..."

Connor's sad blue eyes widened hugely as if they were going to pop out of their sockets. "No, no, no, Aimee, it's me that's sorry. I'm so sorry for your loss and..." he gulped, hot tears beginning to well up again as he looked over his friend's bandaged body. "I should have been there for you." He sniffed quietly. "You were so brave... Everyone keeps talking about you, you know. You took on the lord of Titans yourself, you crazy kid... What if you had died, Aims...? I...." Connor's fists clenched at the bed sheets, his knuckles turning white. "I couldn't live without you... Don't you know that I love you?"

Aimee chewed her bottom lip. "I know, I know, I'm so sorry, Connor. I shouldn't have attacked him, but I couldn't let him hurt the others..." she paused for a moment before continuing in a soft, barely audible voice. "I love you too."

The daughter of Apollo's best friend shook his head slowly. "No Aims, you did the right thing, the heroic thing... That's what you are, you know: a hero." Connor's cheeks grew dusted with a rose tinted blush. "--and I really do mean it. I... I, uh, love you... more than friends... Love love. Romantically. I, uh, am in love with you..." With this proclamation of feelings, Connor's face flushed way more profusely, almost violently. Even his ears were red with embarrassment.

 Aimee was taken aback to say the least. Her best friend... was in love with her? Connor Stoll? In love with Aimee Grahams? This was taking a lot of time to process and by the worried look in Connor's eyes, she wasn't going to have the time to even begin to comprehend these words. "C-Connor..." she stammered, her face ablaze with warmth.

Connor winced sharply. "I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry. I'm throwing too much on you, and you just woke up. I mean, you haven't even talked to your siblings yet or Travis or anyone, but I just though about losing you, and I could never live without you and I just--" 

"Kiss me."

Connor blinked, his face a picture of pure bafflement. Had he heard that correctly? Now it was he who needed the time to process the words that had been spoken. "W-what?" he questioned, his voice reminiscent to the squeak of a mouse who had been cornered by a very hungry cat. He sniffled slightly, wiping at his nose with his arm.

Aimee swallowed her spit nervously. She wasn't giving up though. She had made her decision, and it was time to follow through with it. "Kiss me... please... I need to make sure this isn't a dream..."

The son of Hermes opened his mouth as if to protest before promptly closing it again. It was clear that he was still feeling guilty and worried about this whole situation. Ever so slowly though, it seemed that he was beginning to warm up to the idea of kissing Aimee, He brushed his pesky bangs out of his face, looking deep into Aimee's eyes for confirmation. Finding no warning signs, he brought his battleworn hand to her face, brushing his thumb over her skin so gently that the touch felt almost like a feather being drawn across her face. Slowly, those sky blue eyes of his closed, and Aimee followed suit. As her vision turned to dark, she felt Connor's lips connect with her, and she was overcome with a feeling that couldn't be described as anything less than magical.

Sparks burned across Aimee's body as the stress and tension of the Battle of Manhattan left her. Her body, mind, and heart seemed to be at peace at last. Things may have changed in her life forever, but at least she was blessed enough to have Connor; he was the one thing in her life that would never change, not if she could help it. If he could stay with her forever... well, Aimee wouldn't complain.

When the two best friends finally separated from each other and pulled back, looking into each other's eyes, Aimee smiled. Hot tears were flowing down her face, leaving tear tracks on both of her reddened cheeks. She hadn't even been aware that she was crying to begin with, but she couldn't stop. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. She was bound to be overcome with emotion. "Oh, thank gods..." she spoke her thoughts outwardly. She had been half-expecting Connor's confession to have been a dream, but if it was then she still hadn't woken, and she hoped she never would. "Connor, I love you too, and I need you so much right now. We need each other. We'll get through this together, alright?"

Connor nodded, his lips curling into the first genuine smile had seen since before Luke had left the camp. Her heart fluttered at the thought that she had been the one to bring that glimmer of happiness out of him. Although things weren't exactly the best of quality right now, she knew that she could get through it if she had Connor by her side. They had each other in a different way from before now, and surely they could get through anything from now until forever.

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The sound of rapid pattering of a pair of sandal clad feet racing across the sandy beach near the lake echoed throughout the night. The sky was dark, nearly black though thousands upon thousands of stars glittered up above. There was no cawing of seagulls, giggles of naiads, or whoshing of the wind. It was a peaceful scene, and two demigods were making the best of it.

"Come on, Connor! Catch up, or the harpies will get ya!" Aimee cried out joyfully, glancing back over her shoulder to look at her boyfriend who was in hot pursuit. A grin overtook her face at the determination and playfulness in his eyes through the night. 

"Slow down, sunshine! You know I'm too old for this!" Connor groaned dramatically, his run slowing into a hobble one might see in an elderly man. He looked utterly ridiculous.

Aimee let out an amused snort, rolling her eyes but still slowing down noticeably to allow her boyfriend to catch up with her. "You're only a year older than me, you dummy!" 

"I know, and my old bones can't take it!"

Once again, Aimee rolled her eyes, but she could not stifle the fond smile that snuck onto her lips. She finally slowed to a stop near the edge of the beach and permitted Connor to reach her side. He heaved for breath before clutching at his chest and flopping theatrically onto the sand in a heap. Aimee sighed, shaking her head as she sat down more gracefully by her boyfriend. She sat for a moment before letting out a yelp as he pulled her to lay down beside him and cuddled her close. It seemed that a well-aimed slug to his arm and a few good-natured grumbles were all the indignance she had in her, and she nestled into his strong chest, breathing in the scent on him.

It had been so long since the Battle of Manhattan, and things could never have been better. Cabins had been erected for children of the minor gods and goddesses at the request of Percy Jackson, the magic border around the camp was strong than ever, and the camp was thriving in general. Best of all, Annabeth and Percy had gotten together at last, and they had proven to be the most admired couple in the camp (though personally Aimee much preferred her relationship with her dorky best friend turned boyfriend, and she knew her friends agreed.) 

She had had to do a little convincing to get Will to allow her to get together with Connor initially as even though he was younger than her, he was the new head counselor and wouldn't let her forget it. Aimee wasn't annoyed by this though; she knew that her little brother was simply looking out for her, and that was understable after the events of the battles of the past. In fact, with all his preaching and lectures, Aimee found him to be the best little brother ever. (It had been a little bit of a hassle to convince him to allow her out past curfew this night though, she would have to admit.) He could be a little too overprotective sometimes. Perhaps he just needed to find a girlfriend (or boyfriend) to get him to loosen up. Aimee could only hope that would happen soon, and she had a good feeling it would...

Looking up into the blinking stars in the quiet night, Aimee rubbed her cheek against Connor. "I wish times like these would last forever," she murmured sleepily.

Connor kissed the top of her head, one of his hands resting on her back with other tangled in her hair. "When I'm with you time stops..." he replied, his voice full of love and appreciation. 

Aimee blushed profusely. She both hated and loved the fact that Connor always knew just what to say to simultaneously embarrass her and make her feel like a million dollars. "Sh-shut up..." she protested.

The son of Hermes looked down at her teasingly. "What? You know it's true. I never lie..." This, of course, was a lie.

For the umpteenth time, Aimee rolled her eyes. It seemed to be a little bit more difficult to do than usual though, she could feel them beginning to close as she yawned deeply. "You are such a dork..."

Connor beamed, his teeth shining like a ray of sunshine in the darkness. "Whatever you say, hero. I'm still your dork, and you're stuck with me." 

"And I wouldn't have it any other way..." Aimee trailed off, drifting off to sleep as the feelings of peace and happiness filled her chest. For what it was worth, she hoped that Michael, Lee, and all the others could finally be happy knowing that this was what they had fought for. Someday she would see them again, but for now she had her pillar of strength and laughter to lean on.

Chapter Text

WARNING: This story contains some mild profanity and mild sexual content. This story contains a child of a maiden goddess.  This story does not follow the events of canon word for word. Keep this in mind while reading.
Thank you for reading.

Of all of the inconvenient scenarios in the world, being born a demigod was possibly one of the best contenders for the most inconvenient. From the very moment that a god or goddess laid their eye on an interesting mortal, trouble was already brewing behind the scenes. A few seemingly innocent dates with an attractive stranger and the next thing you know, that stranger informs you that they're an immortal deity, they were just hanging with you for the funsies, and oh, also that baby crying at the doorstep is yours. The inconveniences don't stop there though. Oh no, in fact, they're just getting started in the whirlwind that is being a demigod. 

Terrible monsters and gruesome beasts from mythology are capable of sniffing out a demigod baby from the very moment that they're born, even if they're halfway across the state. Monsters aren't quite as harmless as gods just passing through for a fun time with the local mortals; monsters are out for blood and refuse to stop until they are slain. So, with bloodthirsty creatures that nightmares couldn't even begin to compete with on a deadly mission to end a demigod's life at all times with nothing but death to stop them, I guess you could say that's pretty inconvenient, right? That's where Camp Halfblood comes in to play.

Camp Halfblood, though not one hundred percent guaranteed to succeed, exists solely to be a safe haven for Greek demigods to exist without the looming fear of meeting a terrible end... well, a terrible end from monsters anyway. Terrible ends from traitorous demigods, gods themselves, and the occasional runaway, homicidal, mechanical dragon are not out of the question though. Also, there's a rock-climbing wall with lava gushing down it. Still, any demigod who calls Camp Halfblood their home whether it be for the summer or all year long is considerably safer than those who might try to stick it out for as long as they can on their own. This wasn't always the case for all demigods though. Like anything that seems too good to be true, there are always some parts that are just that: too good to be true.

For an incredibly long time, the only cabins in the camp were built for the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses. Children of these gods were safe and secure in these designated cabins, but what exactly did this mean for those born to minor gods and goddesses? Typically they were lumped into the mismatched hodgepodge of rambunctious and wild children who called the Hermes cabin their home. Sometimes they weren't allowed in the camp at all and... well... monsters aren't always avoidable. However, this strange rule was altered after a selfless demigod hero named Percy Jackson made it very clear that any and all were welcome in Camp Halfblood and that all gods and goddesses deserved proper tribute. Thus the construction commenced. 

Every year a new cabin was erected in Camp, and a few more demigods felt seen and acknowledged, finally having a place to truly call their home. Iris, Hypnos, Nemesis, Tyche, and more now had a sanctuary for their children, so they didn't have to live in complete fear anymore. It seemed after the twentieth cabin, the Hecate cabin, was completed, that many people were under the impression that they had finally covered everything. All of the demigods who hadn't had their own cabin before were now settled into their new residences, personalizing their side of the cabin and arguing over bunk beds with their siblings like they should have been doing years ago. 

Did you forget the part about the inconveniences? 

As the days go by, more and more demigods roll into camp, and they are immediately sorted into their correct cabins. Sometimes a curveball is thrown into the game. This time around, the curveball in question was none other than a girl named Jay.

Jay, a sixteen-year-old demigoddess single-handedly proved simply by existing that in the changing modern world, anything was possible. She was a walking contradiction in the way she was the only demigod daughter of the maiden goddess of the hearth: Hestia. Previous to Jay's birth, the existence of any children belonging to Hestia was unheard of. However, despite this fact, nothing was impossible in a world of real-life gods, monsters, and all that came with them.

Jay's outward appearance definitely emulated her mother's fiery powers. She was of Asian descent and very beautiful at that. With a choppy, side-shaved pixie cut the color of coal and a glare that could make any man, woman, or monster shiver where they stood, she held quite the intimidating presence. Many demigods were in awe of the power she exerted, but if one were to simply look past her intense exterior, they would see that her eyes were actually a pale, gentle brown like that of freshly-stirred hot chocolate on a chilly day. She also had a smile that shone as bright as the sun in a sky without clouds on a summer afternoon. Unfortunately, not many people had the courage or desire to get close enough to Jay to see the girl she truly was. However, as previously stated, there is always an exception to every narrative.

You see when Jay had first arrived at Camp Halfblood, damn near the entirety of the population of demigods were quite conflicted on how to react to her... well, less of her and more of her whole existence. Up until this fateful day, demigod life was tumultuous and constantly changing, but there were always some facts of life that were unchangeable such as Dionysus would never get a demigod's name right on purpose, Tuesdays were arguably the best days to eat tacos, and Mythomagic was definitely not just for kids. One of the most set-in-stone facts was that maiden goddesses were never to have children and thus probably never would. Perhaps some consideration should have gone into this fact though. After all, the Big Three had also agreed to not have (anymore) children, and all three of them had done so anyway. Gods tend to be frivolous that way.

Jay's first day at camp hadn't been anything too special. When she had been asked who her godly parent was, she truthfully stated that she had no idea. This unknown factor was dismissed without a care from the other demigods who informed her that she would be claimed eventually: most likely at the campfire later that night. She went through the orientation film that had been recently rebooted (containing a lot less of Apollo's musical numbers and a little more actual information about the camp,) was introduced to many new faces, and was given a tour of the entire terrain. Whilst returning to the big house for a talk with the camp director, Jay scanned over each of the cabins wistfully, wondering to herself which one she would be calling her new home. Perhaps the Hecate cabin? She had always felt a sort of spark beneath her fingertips. Not once did she consider her true mother as an option.

Hestia was different from the other gods and goddesses in many ways, but a more noticeable case of this was the fact that she was recognized but also given the short end of the stick. Out of all of the maiden goddesses, Hestia was the only one without a cabin in camp. Artemis was given a cabin out of respect, which doubled as a place for her hunters to rest and recuperate when they passed through the camp on occasion. Hera was also given a cabin despite staying faithful to Zeus and never having any demigod children, but that was more so Hera didn't throw a fit and curse everyone who designed and built the cabins. Hestia, however, was given nothing aside from the campfire that she tended to diligently when she thought no one was looking, so when the other demigods had reassured Jay that she would be claimed at the campfire, they couldn't have been more correct. All the same, there was no way that they could have been prepared for the spectacle they were about to witness that night.

As the first flickers of fire jumped from the firepit and into the night sky, there was a loud pop like that of a burst balloon from directly in front of the pit. There stood Jay with the emblem of a flame, illuminating her surprised expression with a warm but undeniably powerful light. Instantly, gasps, cries of indignant disbelief, and even protests rang out around the campfire. Everywhere Jay's eyes jumped to, the looks of accusation, anger, and discomfort met them with unwavering and dizzying intensity. In fact, the glares of the audience surrounding her were so intense that her cheeks began to burn with shame... and then they began to really burn. White-hot flames lept haphazardly from Jay's body at all angles, sending crowds of demigods shrieking and scrambling to get to safety (aside from the Hypnos cabin members who dozed away, oblivious to the imminent threat of being turn into a demigod barbecue.) 

Chiron tried his absolute best to assert his authority, reign everybody in, and assure them that the girl who had just spontaneously combusted was probably not too much of a threat but when Greek demigods scatter, they really scatter. Percy, who had jumped to his feet the moment he had sensed incoming danger, was desperately attempting to extinguish the growing flames though he kept his distance from Jay, probably so as not to accidentally injure her. Meanwhile, Dionysus laughed maniacally at the chaos, spilling the diet Coke from his goblet and cursing up a storm in the process. 

The once calm and controlled flames of the firepit had erupted into an enormous bonfire, and the colors shifting within them reflected the emotions of the surrounding demigods: red, green, purple, blue, red, red, red. All Jay could see was red like the color of blood, anger, and all things terrible in the world. She could hear the screams of all of the demigods she had once thought she might become friends with in the future, calling her a monster and crying for her to stop. She could feel the feverish heat closing in on her, suffocating, crushing, overwhelming her until all of her senses were that of a destructive fire without a path and no intent of stopping now.

Jay dropped to her knees, falling to her side and curling into the fetal position. She'd ruined it all. Her chance at a new life, new friends, and a new home had all gone up in a blaze of unyielding destruction. Maybe the others were right; maybe her birth had been a curse.

I should have never been born...

Suddenly, there was a tiny glimmer of something past the furious flames: the presence of someone looming over her trembling body. This presence wasn't threatening though; in fact, it almost felt... friendly. 

"Hey there Spitfire. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Jay's eyes snapped open immediately and when they landed upon the one whose shadow rested gently over her, her breathing caught in her chest. For a split second, she thought she must have died and gone to heaven... Elysium? She was new to this whole being a demigod thing. All she knew was that person above her had to be some kind of an angel.

The angel in question was highly attractive in an unorthodox fashion. He was a Hispanic boy with unruly black curls that tumbled into his eyes and about his face in a messy but charming way. His eyes were so dark brown that they were almost black as well like coffee without creamer, and they simultaneously held both the playfulness of a child and the wistful wisdom of someone who had lived many years and seen many things. His body was scrawny and slim, a smile curled up his lips in a way that made him look rather impish, and his ears were slightly pointed.

Like an elf, Jay thought disorientedly. Is that what greets you at death's door in Greek mythology? It's hard to think right now... She quickly stamped out the thought of her being dead when she was reminded of the fact that she had not been burned or otherwise injured once by the contact of these flames. This was almost unfathomable to come into terms with as Jay knew that even now her body was engulfed in fire. She should be dead, but she wasn't, and she knew this to be true as she watched the calm rising and falling of the boy's chest. It was almost as if the fire was a part of her in the same way that her breathing or her voice was. 

Perhaps the most curious thing about the handsome stranger above her was not so much a physical attribute as it was something from the inside. Jay could sense an almost familiar flame burning somewhere within this boy that made her feel connected to him in the most unusual of ways. She couldn't quite focus on this strange feeling though as her mind was still reeling.

He has to be a camper here, so why isn't he screaming and running away from me like everyone else is? Jay questioned, a painful stinging of tears rising from within her. Her chapped lips parted as she prepared to shoo the strange demigod away from her. Can't he see I'm a monster? I could hurt him or even worse. Why won't he just--

"Ah, there we go. That's much better. Now I can see how pretty those eyes of yours are." 

As quickly as Jay's lips had parted, they sealed again. She was speechless. Was this... elfish angel really talking to her? Telling her that her eyes were the pretty ones? She had never seen such depth in a person's eyes before. There were so many untold stories waiting to be heard, so many adventures, experiences, ideas, and lessons learned. "W-why aren't you afraid of me...? L-like everyone else..." she whispered almost too quietly for anyone to hear. Her voice cracked sharply on the final word, revealing just how anguished she truly felt to have caused so much destruction and upset.

The demigod tilted his head and gave Jay a lop-sided smile, causing his curls to fall into his eyes and obscure the emotions hidden within them. He looked a lot like a puppy, unjudging and unwaveringly good-hearted. "I guess you could say it's because we have a lot more in common than you might be thinking." With that, the demigod snapped his fingers and a small, controlled flame danced at his fingertips harmlessly before swirling back into nonexistence. 

Jay's eyes widened. She wasn't the only person in the camp who could summon fire? Was this scrawny elf related to her somehow? Why could he summon and rid of it so effortlessly? Why wasn't he also engulfed in his own power as the world ran screaming away from him? Thousands of questions raced each other through her mind, and she couldn't tear her astonished gaze away from him.

An enormously delighted grin overtook the demigod's face. "I like it when people look at me like that, especially attractive people. It makes me feel special." 

The two teenagers stared unblinkingly at each other for what seemed like an eternity before the boy shook his head with an apologetic glance down towards the ground. "Sorry, got distracted there for a second," he admonished softly, extending his hand out to Jay and bringing his eyes back to her face once again. This time his eyes were empathetic and focused as if he had managed to stifle the childlike mischief for a moment to work on fixing the dilemma that lay before him. 

Jay flinched away before any contact could be made, her eyes screwing shut tightly. She turned her head away from the boy, not because she was scared of him hurting her but because she was scared of hurting him irreversibly. "D-don't touch me! You'll get--"

"Burned? Sweet of you to look out for me like that, chica, but trust me; I'll be fine."

"N-no, d-don't--"

Before Jay could protest any more than she already had, one of his hands rested on her shoulder firmly but gently, causing her voice to die out completely. The demigod's palm was workworn and almost leathery to the touch, but something about the way he held her shoulder was so comforting that she melted into the touch. As she did so, the flames died down the tiniest bit.

With that same gentle firmness of his palm, the boy helped Jay into a sitting position, crouching beside her quietly. He drew his hands back from her body after doing so, holding them out for Jay to inspect for wounds. "See, bonita? I'm all good. Takes more than a few stray flames to damage these goods." With that, he flexed jokingly and winked. 

Jay looked down hurriedly, her breathing starting to become more erratic without the grounding touch of someone who she couldn't hurt. It was as if his touch had brought her back to her senses temporarily, and without it, she was reminded of how small and out of control she felt. She shivered weakly. "Can you please... p-please keep holding me..."

For a split second that was hardly noticeable to anyone who might have blinked, the boy's playful and confident demeanor faltered as his face flushed. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone and replaced with a smile yet again. "Of course." He rested his hands on her shoulders again, spreading out his fingers, tapping them methodically (almost as if tapping out a message in Morse code,)  and then kneading the bunched up muscles comfortingly. His palms emanated warmth unlike the intense heat of her own flames and helped her to relax and feel somewhat secure once more. "Let's try to turn down the temperature now, yeah?"

Jay grimaced. "I-I don't know how to make it stop."

A disbelieving scoff emerged from the boy's throat. "Ah, there's no reason to be upset. You're a powerful daughter of Hestia, capable of amazing things. You made these flames, so it will be a cinch for you to put them back out again." 

The demigod spoke with such confidence in his voice that Jay wondered if he was trying to force it into her. No one had ever believed in her like that before, so why would this stranger who had watched her lay waste to the amphitheater do so? 

Jay's eyes darted to the boy's face, and her voice erupted from her lips in a torrent of negativity and unsureness. "B-but what if I can't--"

"Hey."

The raven-haired male cupped Jay's cheek, causing her speaking to stop entirely and not allowing her to look anywhere but his eyes. Up close like this, Jay could tell that he actually meant what he had said. He truly did believe in her, and it seemed like he was prepared to tell her this a million more times before letting her give up on herself. "I know you can do it. I trust you."

Jay opened her mouth to protest one last time before thinking better of it. If this kind soul thought she could do it, maybe she could. She just had to try. Steeling her nerves, she gulped and nodded. She could do this. Like the other demigod had said, she was powerful. She was capable of amazing things. She was Jay, the daughter of Hestia. Squinting, Jay's entire body tensed, and the flames sputtered slightly but didn't stop.

"That's good," the boy nodded approvingly. "Try not to think about it too much. Just allow yourself to become one with the flames."

Not so sure she liked the sound of that, Jay looked to him unsurely. Had she not just been one with the flames when she was completely engulfed in them, curled up in a ball on the ground and wishing to be extinguished? She decided against questioning his choice of words and instead focusing on putting a stop to the mess she had created "How do I do that?" 

Those dark eyes blinked good-naturedly, patient and not at all annoyed at her inexperience, causing Jay to feel sort of fuzzy on the inside. She tried to ignore the strange occurrence of that feeling and keep her mind on the task at hand. "Just give it a try." 

Okay... Here goes nothing. One with the flames, one with the flames... Jay's mind echoed as her eyes closed with slightly less anxiety than they had before.

"Good. Relax your body. You're all tense and scared, and the flames can feel it. Don't let them win." 

Jay felt a pair of familiar, firm hands working at her shoulders again, and she allowed herself to melt into the touch, her muscles loosening like jello. It was good to have something other than the fire to focus on while she was trying to stop it from spreading, and his touch made her feel much more secure and confident than she did without the added support.

"You're doing so well. Now take a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Like this," the demigod demonstrated, his scrawny chest filling with air, holding still for a second, and flattening once more as he allowed the air to escape his lips. The warm air tickled Jay's face as she mimicked him, taking in a large amount of air that filled her lungs to the brim and slowly letting it seep back out. She continued this action a few times, and with each exhale, the flames shrunk noticeably. With time, the flames eventually shrank to a few barely glowing embers on the charred ground. 

The screaming and chaos of earlier came to an abrupt halt. Jay opened her eyes slowly, praying under her breath that she had been strong enough after all. To no surprise at all, the first thing she took in was the sight of her guide beaming at least a thousand watts at her. He looked almost like a proud mother, and he held two identical thumbs up. "That was amazing! I told you that you could do it."

Completely overwhelmed with a wide array of emotions she had never felt before, the daughter of Hestia didn't think as she threw her arms around her guide and pushed her face into his skinny chest. He let out a slightly shocked sound but instinctively enveloped the girl in his arms and held her close, his hands rubbing up and down her back lightly. 

For what seemed like forever, the two sat and held each other in silence. Eventually, the demigod shifted ever so slightly, his lips brushing the edge of Jay's earlobe. 

"Leo."

Jay's face heated up again almost immediately, but this time she was able to suppress the flames from bursting free. "W-what?" she stuttered, the embarrassment of such a sudden intimate action rendering her not able to move away from her position even if she truly wanted to (and she didn't.) 

The lips on Jay's earlobe crinkled into a smile. "My name; it's Leo. Leo Valdez. Just thought you might like to know since we're apparently kind of sharing a moment here." 

The daughter of Hestia shuffled backward, falling onto her behind ungracefully and causing Leo to lose his grip on her. "Oh geez, oh gosh, I'm so sorry Leo! I-I-I--" 

Leo crossed his arms, cocking an eyebrow at her in devilish amusement. He was clearly enjoying how flustered he was making her and clearly showed no signs of stopping or comforting her now. Jay realized this and swallowed her spit, attempting to steady her voice. "Jay. My name is Jay."

Leo smirked. "Jay, huh? I like it."

Again, Jay's cheeks reddened and again she suppressed the fire she felt coursing through her body. She had control now, and she didn't want that to be compromised solely because she didn't know how to react to boys, especially flirty ones who had just prevented her from burning down the entirety of the camp and everyone in it. She simply nodded her head in acknowledgment and squeaked out a quick "thank you."

At this, Chiron clopped forward, shaking his hooves every so often to rid them of the singed grass that had gotten lodged within his horseshoes when he had been stomping out the flames. He shook his body out thoroughly to rid it of the millennia-old tension and let out a gusty sigh, giving Jay a hesitant smile. "Well, that was surely one way to let us know who your godly parent is, wasn't it? No matter, we'll have this area cleaned up and repair in no time with the help of the nature spirits and satyrs. There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage or injuries though Clovis did lose a slipper that can and will be replaced." The old centaur walked even closer, inspecting Jay and Leo from head to toe and nodding in relief. "Good, good. It seems like the two of you didn't sustain any injuries either. Leo, that was very foolish of you to rush into an uncharted emergency like that, but you did manage to help subdue the flames, so I suppose I won't punish you." 

At this, Leo fist pumped and hissed out a "yesss" under his breath. Jay couldn't help but giggle, especially when Chiron gave him a look that was less than amused.

"Indeed," Chiron whisked his tail, giving Leo's face a subtle slap as he did so. The teen let out a noise of indignance, but Chiron silenced him by raising a palm and motioning to Jay with a grand flourish. In a loud and clear voice that echoed throughout the amphitheater, Chiron made an announcement. "Everyone, please welcome Jay, daughter of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth." 

Of course, all of the somewhat sensible demigods had turned tail and ran for cover as soon as the first flames had erupted, so the welcome went virtually unheard, but Jay still felt warmth spread throughout her chest all the same. This time, it was the warmth of having a home and not the intense flames of anger, disappointment, sadness, and fear that had ripped through her body a few minutes prior. All at once, she felt like she belonged at last. Sure some people would be confused or unsure of her existence, but that wouldn't slow her down or make her feel any less like she was meant to be here if there were also people like Leo ho would risk their lives to help her overcome those demons when they happened to be nearby.

The very next day, a head counselor meeting was held in the Big House for everyone to come to a conclusion about what a maiden goddess having a child could possibly mean. Percy seemed especially adamant that there would most likely be a quest to follow such a strange occurrence, but the rest of the counselors seemed to agree that even a maiden goddess could get bored every once in a while. Chiron dismissed this idea and reprimanded the snickering that erupted from the majority of the boys at the table, claiming that Jay had probably been born in a way much like Athena birthed her children through her thoughts. Besides, he asserted, there were much more important things to discuss rather than the circumstances of Jay's birth. Jay needed a place to stay. 

Leo immediately perked up, claiming that she could stay in the Hephaestus cabin. There was always room on his bunk, he admonished with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle in Jay's direction. This caused Jay to accidentally set a pile of paperwork on Mr. D's desk to burst into flames, and that was the end of that suggestion. 

Despite Leo's protests, Jay was ushered to stay at the Hermes cabin and the Hypnos cabin respectively until her own brand spanking new cabin was designed and constructed by the local demigoddess architect Annabeth Chase. Annabeth consulted with Jay regularly, making sure that she did the best job she possibly could to suit her needs and give Hestia the proper tribute she had been deserving of all of these years and more.

From the disastrous first meetup at the firepit and forth, Leo and Jay became friends very quickly. The two met up and hung out regularly whenever they weren't busy with camp duties. Whether they were joking at each other from across the campfire, wrestling the flag out of each other's hands during Capture the Flag, or simply enjoying each other's company in the forge, they were almost never apart. Leo understood Jay on a level that the other demigods simply couldn't. Jay had other friends sure, but, no pun intended, she simply felt a spark between herself and the impish boy who saved her life that she'd never felt before in all of her years. It took time, but eventually, Jay came to the realization that this spark was not a purely platonic longing to grow closer to Leo as friends but was instead a true and profound love that she felt deeply lodged within her mind, her bones, and the deepest reaches of her heart. She wanted him to be hers and for her to be his more than anything in the world, but there was one thing holding her back more than her awkwardness ever could. It was the terrifying idea of Leo not feeling the same way and rejecting her in such a way that their friendship could never be the same. 

See, over time Jay had come to learn that Leo had lived a tumultuous life chock full of twists, turns, and ungrateful tumbles into the mud, leaving him with quite a few defense and coping mechanisms he employed on the daily. These mechanisms made things... difficult. For starters, Leo was always joking. Of course, he was entirely capable of becoming serious when the need arose, but the majority of the time, the things that left his lips were ridiculous and, quite frankly, sort of dumb. His trauma had evolved him into quite the people pleaser, and if there was even the offhand chance that he could get a smile or a laugh out of someone at any given moment then by the gods he would take that chance and run with it. This made it damn near impossible for Jay to tell if he was ever being serious with what he said. The only time she was completely sure that he had meant what he said was all the way back when she had needed the motivation and support to do what she thought that she couldn't. He had truly, authentically believed in her without a doubt in his body, and Jay only wished that it were that easy to tell the rest of the time he said such sweet things to her.

Then there was the flirting. Ohhh, the flirting... Yet another one of Leo's defense mechanisms, Leo tended to flirt with everybody. it was almost as if he didn't know how to act if he wasn't being flirty or funny or both at any given moment. This often lead to the most awkward of mixups, misunderstandings, and confusion, but Jay secretly reveled in it. No matter how likely it was that Leo was only joking when he told her that he thought she was amazing, or "her fire wasn't the only hot thing about her," or that "the Supersized McShizzle always had room for a little bit of Jay," she couldn't help but hope that even just a tiny part of him really and truly meant it. 

As one year of being the best of friends passed, it was growing harder and harder for Jay to keep her feelings as contained and subdued as her flames. Every time she saw Leo, her pulse would quicken, and her lips would move to confess her undying love for him without even a second of hesitation, but she always managed to stop herself just in the nick of time and leave Leo confused as to what she had wanted so desperately to say just a second ago. It wasn't as if he was making it any easier. That was simply not the way Leo worked.

-----------

The sun had long since dipped beneath Zeus's fist and the mountains in the far off distance, causing the camp to be absolutely enveloped in darkness and shadows. The stars flickered visibly up above in a cloudless sky where the moon also shone brighter than usual. Fireflies blinked on and off around the long grass, and the faint sounds of the campfire were muffled and dying out as the majority of the demigods headed off to bed so as not to be eaten by the harpies who patrolled te camp at night for any wandering demigods out past curfew. Demigods like Jay who was currently being pulled behind a certain son of Hephaestus who was deadset on getting in trouble tonight it seemed. Her eyes were closed courtesy of his request.

The cold night air nipped at Jay's exposed arms and legs, but she wasn't cold. In fact, she was never truly cold. Her inner flames kept her body at a comfortable temperature at all times no matter what the weather was like which proved to be quite convenient for when the heat of the summer's day dissolved into the frosty chill of the night. Plus, Leo's grip also radiated warmth directly into Jay's body (and that wasn't even due to his own inner fire. Well, not completely anyway.) "Where are you taking me, you maniac?" she interrogated her friend, hoping that he wouldn't turn around and see her smile that she was currently unable to contain. She was absolutely giddy at the prospect of sneaking off somewhere in the night with her crush, and her body made it completely obvious. It was a good thing Leo's eyes were fixed on something in the distance. 

"Shh, cállate chica bonita, or the harpies will catch us. This snack doesn't feel like being chicken feed tonight," Leo hushed her, not at all phased by her namecalling. He had definitely been called far worse, and he wasn't about to let that put a damper on his plans. 

"Who told you that you were a snack?" Jay chirped, her free hand finding its way to her hip. 

"Ohh, I know that you know I'm the Supersized McShizzle Bad Boy Supreme, my little firecracker," Leo responded, allowing a few stray sparks to leap off of his hand to tickle Jay's skin teasingly. 

Though it was perhaps the cringiest statement Jay had heard in all of her life, she couldn't help but blush, her skin tingling where the sparks had danced. A giggle escaped her lips. "You're literally so ridiculous, Valdez."

"Hey, be nice to me. It's not too late for this sexy train to turn around, you know."

Jay gagged dramatically, actually choking on her own spit in the process. "Okay, Okay, I'll be nice, just please don't ever refer to yourself as a "sexy train" again," she managed between coughs. 

"Choo, choo."

-----------

The two demigods arrived at their destination after about three and a half runthroughs of a terrible and vulgar rendition of the Thomas the Tank Engine, and Jay's quietly agonized groans. Jay was not allowed to open her eyes under any circumstances so as not to "ruin the surprise," so when the ground seemed to give way into the ground, Leo assisted her carefully so that she didn't trip and face plant on her way down into wherever it was Leo was leading her. When their sneaker-clad feet finally met flat ground once more, Leo snapped his fingers on his free hand, and the darkness behind Jay's eyelids became a bright white as the lights of the structure fizzled to life.

"Go ahead and open those stunners of yours," Leo directed, his voice barely containing his excitement. "Your eyes, I mean." 

Jay didn't have to have to look at him to know that he winked after cracking that last one. She habitually rolled her eyes, ignoring the heat beneath her collar and opening her eyes to take in the sights of whatever had been so important that they had to come here at night after curfew alone. A gasp exploded from her, and she spun in circle after circle to make sure she didn't miss a single detail. She wasn't exactly sure where she was, but whatever it was, it was amazing.

It appeared that they had entered a bunker of some sort. The walls were thick and coated in magic proof, fireproof, and most likely soundproof coverage. The lights above were old, very old even, but served their purpose well as they illuminated the mess of weapons, battle plans, and blueprints that were scattered all about. Despite the mess, it almost seemed like there was a method to the madness as if each tipped over paint can, each hammer without a handle, and each unfinished, unidentifiable invention was exactly where it was meant to be. There was an incredibly outdated map of the camp sprawled out on the whole left wall with a giant red circle over the Hephaestus cabin as well as the Athena and Ares cabins and the Big House. Almost illegible handwriting (clearly a demigod's work) wrote little notes on post-it notes, old newspapers, and even the walls in some places. Perhaps the most insane part was the enormous bronze dragon that looked as if it were asleep (most likely it's power was off) in the furthest reaches of the bunker. It was so large that the tip of its tail rested gently on a workbench very close to the entrance where they were currently located. Amidst all of the preserved history stood Leo. Leo's arms were extended in a grand gesture. His eyes sparkled in a way that Jay had never seen them do before, and the biggest smile Leo could muster brought out his dimples and smile lines sharply.

"Ta da! Welcome to Bunker Nine!" 

"This is amazing Leo! Is all of this stuff yours?" Jay asked breathlessly, looking down at what looked to be a blueprint for a flying car. Why a demigod would ever need a flying car when pegasai existed was beyond her, but it didn't make it any less cool.

"Well, yes, but also no." 

Jay rolled her eyes, skipping excitedly over to sift through a large pile of various other scattered blueprints. "Care to elaborate?"

Suddenly, Leo was no longer across the room. He was directly behind Jay, his voice low and quiet. "Only if you ask me nicely, cariño." 

With a flustered squeak, Jay whipped around to face her friend and tell him off for invading her personal space once again, but Leo had already slunk away with an amused smirk plastered on his equally as kissable and punchable face. "You're such a nuisance," she huffed, crossing her arms and looking away from him before he could see how much that one action had affected her.

"Oh come on now, you and I both know you don't mean that."

"Yes, I most certainly do," Jay insisted, though Leo was able to see through her just as easily as usual. Honestly, why she still put up a fight after all this time was beyond even her, but she wouldn't give in to him so easily if he was going to tease her like that and play with her emotions (and hormones, her subconscious added, not to be ignored.) 

"Nahhh, just admit that you love me," Leo urged, leaning his back up against the wall and sticking out his tongue. "Please? Just for me?" 

"Not until you tell me the story behind this place."

Leo sighed and put his hands up in mock defeat, stepping away from the wall and waltzing casually over to yet another completely covered work table. "Okay, okay, you've got me in a box here." With one quick shove, all of the content of the table were now on the floor. 

Ah, so that's the method, Jay thought dryly as Leo hopped up ono the now clean worktable and patted the space beside him. Not so quick to forget what had even started this little bout of banter, Jay stuck up her nose and looked the other way, pretending that one of the bronze dragon's claws was one of the most interesting things she had ever seen in her life (and truly she wasn't lying about that. The dragon was pretty cool.) Unfortunately, her reserve wasn't as strong as she had hoped, and she caved almost immediately, walking over to Leo with a face that said "say one word about this and die." She made sure to purposefully and very obviously scoot a couple of inches away from her friend though so that she still had some dignity to speak of.

Leo grinned at Jay's defeat, throwing an arm around her and pulling her into his side. He chose to ignore her squeak of embarrassed protest alongside the half-hearted slaps to his wrist as he began his story. As Jay had first thought when she had looked into his eyes, Leo was full of stories to tell and told them with passion like no other. Once he got going, it was hard for him to put a halt on things, but Jay never minded that. She could si and listen to his tales for hours if her schedule permitted it."Once upon a time, a really long time ago, the two camps, this one and Camp Jupiter, which I assume you know about considering I've told you about it a thousand times," Leo began, sending a pointed look to his best friend.

Jay snorted, her normal color beginning to return to her face as she grew comfortable in his embrace. "Yeah, I actually do seem to recall a certain someone getting possessed by an eidolon and firing on that camp, right?" she asked innocently. 

Leo winced but recovered immediately as he knew that Jay never intended to hurt him with her teasing. Still, he clutched at his chest with his free hand and let out a moan of pain that caused quite the effect in Jay's stomach. "Ouch, that really hurts spitfire. Can't you learn to play nice with hot boys who give you history lessons?"

The daughter of Hestia snorted again, nuzzling into his arm in an attempt to her newly reddened face without seeming obvious. "No. Now continue the story before I bite you."

There was definitely good source material to work with n that insult, but Leo knew when to cool down a bit with his jokes, so he simply smiled good-naturedly and began to speak again. "Well, I guess I can choose to ignore your cruelty just because I care about educating the uneducated."

"Watch it, Valdez."

"So, the two camps were fighting, yeah? This place here was the bunker for my cabin. I guess it was sort of their center of the action. Nowadays, it's just my place to de-stressify and be myself. You could call it my little slice of heaven," Leo gestured out around the room with his free arm. "All of these blueprints are from way back when. Well, aside from those over there, but you can't look at them. They're for your birthday." Another wink. 

Knowing that Leo was hand-making her something for her birthday made a thousand more butterflies hatch and spread their wings in Jay's guts. Adding that to the fact that Leo thought so highly of this place, even going so far as to refer to it as his own private home away from home, and had allowed her to even step foot in it made her giddier than she had ever been. So giddy, in fact, that all of her childish indignance from earlier blew away in the wind. "If this place is that special to you, why did you bring me here?" she asked, her voice barely audible as she reached up to trace the palm that rested loosely on her shoulder. 

A long appreciative whistle blew from Leo's parted lips. "Because you're also special to me in case you didn't know."

Jay stopped tracing his palm to sock him gently. She had had nearly enough of this dumb boy saying these dumb things and making her feel dumb emotions. She wished that he could just be honest with her once again like he had during the incident. The mixed signals she constantly got from her were beginning to hurt her more and more. "Okay lover boy, but for real; why are we here right now? What was the reason for bringing me here?" 

For once, Leo was quiet. A long, heavy moment passed by with nothing but the occasional fizzle or pop of a light trying its best up above their heads sounding through the air. Jay looked out across the sea of tools, weapons, and blueprints, a sinking feeling starting deep in the pit of her stomach like all of the butterflies had bee put in a cage. 

I've finally done it, Jay thought to herself dismally. I've finally crossed the line. Did I pick on him too much? Was I not listening well enough? Did I hurt his feelings? What if he hates-- Suddenly, her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she felt Leo's intense gaze fixed on her face. Blushing deeply, she looked up at him with wide eyes, taking in his expression with a desperate hope that he wasn't upset with her. 

Something about Leo's energy had changed entirely. His usually confident and goofy demeanor had faltered away just long enough for the daughter of Hestia to see hidden anxiety deep within him. Something was making him incredibly nervous though what could possibly be putting him through it, Jay was unsure. His mouth open and closed once, twice, three times before he took a deep breath and slowly began to formulate each word as if he was thinking hard about the impact each one could have. "I'm not kidding around... well, not this time anyway. You really are special to me, you know that right?" 

Jay blinked, unsure of what to do. Her best friend was acting like an entirely different person, a vulbnerable person that could break at the slightest of wrong moves. What had brought this one? What was going on? "W-well, yeah," Jay tried, equally as slow. "I man I'm sure it was really liberating and comforting to you to know that there's another fire user out there and--"

"You know what I mean, Jay."

It felt as if Jay had just been smacked in the face, kicked in the shins, and punched in the gut in that order. Leo never called her by her real name, always choosing to tease her with silly pet names and terms of endearment from his native tongue. Why was he using it now? Her mind was reeling, her pulse was rushing, and her tongue suddenly didn't sit comfortably in her mouth. "I-I'm not sure I do," she managed and that was the truth. Never before had she been this taken aback by Leo's behavior. What had gotten into him? Was he sick? Was he dying? Were his flames eating him up from the inside? Should she call Will--

For the briefest of seconds, a vision of the Leo that Jay knew and loved peeked through this new, unsure, and conflicted Leo as he grinned down at his best friend warmly. He opened his mouth to speak once again, but his voice had changed drastically. It was low, husky, and full of an emotion Jay had never heard from anyone before. "Then I guess I'll just have to show you." Without any more of a warning, Leo's face descended towards her, and his lips pressed against hers. 

Literal sparks danced across Jay (and Leo's) face as the daughter of Hestia's usual hold on her power slipped away for a second. She quickly regained it but just barely. After that initial scare, she processed what was happening. Her crush, the self-proclaimed Super Sized McShizzle Bad Boy whatever he called himself was kissing her. Not an innocent kiss on the forehead or the cheek like friends might exchange, this was something entirely new and unexperienced to her. She stayed still for a moment, her eyes wide and her lips unmoving until Leo pulled away, looking rather sad and very worried. 

"I-I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have--"

Jay pounced forward with all the desperation she had been hiding for a year now, her lips meeting his a lot more messily than what she had been going for but with no less raw emotion. It started off innocently enough with closed lips and not a whole lot of movement, but after a few minutes of this, Leo shifted Jay so that she was facing him and cupping her cheek as he deepened the kiss just the tiniest bit more. Jay could hardly believe this was truly happening. She had dreamt of kissing Leo since the day she first laid eyes on him and proclaimed him her angel, and now it was happening. She wanted this moment to last forever, and she would do everything in her power to make that happen. In her excitement, she craved to get closer to Leo. The minimal space between them was driving her mad, and she needed to close it off for good. Slowly, shyly, but surely she climbed onto Leo's lap, her hands crushing down his shoulders shakily. 

Leo took Jay's reciprocation as a sign to keep going, smiling into the kiss before allowing his teeth to just barely graze Jay's bottom lip. Sheepishly, she parted her lips just enough for Leo's tongue to slip inside. He wasn't too forceful or overwhelming as he swirled his tongue methodically around the interior of Jay's mouth, and he allowed Jay to explore his mouth at her own pace. 

He tastes like some kind of cheap, knockoff Coke and those began burritos he makes for Piper sometimes, Jay thought feverishly. It wasn't exactly the most pleasant combination, but it tasted like Leo and that made it okay. She had often made fun of his dorky diet in the past, but now here she was quite literally getting a taste of her own medicine. Probably the worst part was that the flavor was becoming addictive. If I start craving tofu and poor man's pop after this, I'm seriously going to punch him.

The kiss deepened further, the two demigods' tongues meeting n the middle and dancing against each other. Jay became hyperaware of Leo pulling her closer into him until her chest was pressed firmly against his, but he wasn't done there. It seemed he was as desperate from the close contact she desired as she was herself. He broke away from the kiss, a strand of saliva still connecting their mouths before beading off and disappearing. "You better tell me if you're okay with this going any further right now because in a minute I'm not going to be able to stop myself anymore. I mean, I would for you obviously, but it would be extremely difficult." 

Even now Leo tried to sneak in a bit of humor, but Jay couldn't focus on that. She nodded, her mind in a lusty fog that completely obscured any and all foreseeable consequences of not stopping now. Not that she would have wanted to if she were thinking rationally anyway. She didn't want to be apart from Leo's body for another second.

The two met in the middle again, and Leo maneuvered their bodies so that Jay was lying on her back on the worktable, and he was bent over her, holding her wrists gently. They kissed passionately, their hips grinding against each other as if they were made to fit together in this way. Eventually, Leo's hands (which were never still for more than a few seconds at a time anyway) brushed down Jay's sides. His fingertips toyed with the edge of her shirt teasingly. Leo was everything, everywhere, and all at once. Jay's vision, her hearing, her touch, her taste, everything was Leo, Leo, Leo. 

Suddenly the control that Jay had kept for a year now was completely lost. Flames burst from her body, engulfing both her and Leo entirely. Leo's flames reacted to this, and Leo, who had never once in all of Jay's time of knowing him, lost control. His flames meshed with hers, and together they created a towering inferno of crackling flames.

They couldn't stop, they wouldn't stop.

One of Leo's hands finally snaked up her shirt while his other hand cupped her face to allow him better access to her mouth. Jay's legs were wrapped tightly around Leo's back, constricting him to be as close to her as he possibly can be. One of her hands tangled into his hair, the other reset on his back pocket. Muffled sounds of desperation erupt from both of them, escalating in volume and intensity and with less and less breaks for breath between them.

Suddenly, Jay wanted nothing more than to say her best friend's name with all of the passion that had been building up to this moment."L-Leo," she managed between her panting breaths. 

Leo pressed his forehead to Jay's. "Jay," he moaned.

All of a sudden, there was a huge rumbling sound that seemed to come from all parts of the bunker at once. The two demigods hardly had time to question it before a wave of water crashed through the entrance of the bunker and filled the entire building. Leo and Jay were carried away by the powerful current, only stopping when the water sloshed back out of the bunker and tossed them aside onto the grass outside. They were still clinging to each other, but this time it was for dear life. As they blinked the water out of their eyes and gasped for breath, the sound of wingbeats filled the air and none other than Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase aboard Blackjack descended towards them.

"Care to explain?" Percy asked, cocking an eyebrow and motioning out to the formerly on fire and currently flooded bunker nine. 

Leo and Jay exchanged a glance, both of them at a loss for words this time. However, Leo being Leo could not seem to stand being silent for longer than five seconds. He scratched the back of his head and sent Percy a sheepish grin. "I guess it's a good thing I fireproofed everything in there a while back, huh?" He considered this for a moment before wincing and turning to Jay again. "Well, mostly everything. Sorry about your birthday gift, mami, but I just had the greatest idea for something we could--." 

Before he could finish, Percy sent a direct blast of water with scarily accurate precision into Leo's nose, causing the impish teen to snort and cough grossly while a very flustered Jay giggled and watched. Percy even let a smirk get through his supposed to be disappointed face. Annabeth, however, was not impressed in the slightest. Jay was pretty sure there would be a large amount of dish-cleaning duties for both her and her best friends (boyfriends? Who really knew that answer?) very near future.

-----------

"The irresponsibility you two exhibited tonight is almost unbelievable. Unfortunately, I know Leo and am thus not all that surprised," Chiron rolled his wheelchair back and forth across the Big House like a very compact racecar. 

"Aw, I love you too Horse-Dad!" Leo gushed, batting his eyelashes at Chiron and then promptly turning to look at Jay for a reaction. Jay tried her best to look guilty and ashamed, but Leo was making it very difficult. She pretended to blow her nose on a tissue to cover up the grin that threatened to get even more added to her sentence. However, Percy, who stood in the corner with Annabeth, had no problem chuckling at his friend's stupidity. 

Chiron stopped and stared at Leo for a long time before resting his gaze on Percy and Annabeth and then back to Leo, and Jay could almost feel the long-suffering sigh that threatened to give Chiron away himself, but the man had a millennium of patience under his collar and not enough time to unpack all of the problems these three demigods had caused him in the last few years. He simply pinched the bridge of his nose, tilted his head back, and pointed to the door. As everyone filed out in a hurry, Chiron called Annabeth back. The daughter cast a poisonous glare back at the temporarily free demigods before responding to the call and jogging back inside.

Now it was just Leo, Jay, and Percy, standing awkwardly on the Big House lawn as the first rays of sunlight were beginning to peer through the trees, and the demigods were beginning to mill about in the clearing.

Percy cleared his throat, and Jay nearly fainted in fear before remembering that the harpies were away for the night and the most imminent threat of Chiron was inside the building. They were safe for now. "So, uh, sorry about my girlfriend. I tried to tell her not to let Chiron know... well, at least not all the details. You guys are just dumb kids in love, you know?"

Leo opened his mouth to argue that Percy was only one year older than he and Jay, but Jay quickly slapped her palm over his lips. In defense, Leo licked her hand, and she pulled it away, wiping his saliva on her pants in disgust. Leo gave her a look like "we literally made out but you do you, I guess," and Jay was too exhausted to do anything but mouth "shut up, Valdez" back to him. 

Percy watched this interaction with amusement twinkling in his sea-green eyes. "Anyways, since the damage to the bunker was surprisingly minuscule, I have high hopes that the old man will be easy on you guys. I'll talk to Annabeth again later."

"Oh, hush. You know you can't change my mind, Seaweed Brain."

Percy let out a yelp, spinning around on his heel to see Annabeth emerging from the Big House. Instead of looking angry that Percy had been talking about her behind her back, she looked almost... cowed. 

"Oh, Wise Girl, I didn't see you there! The kiddies and I were just--"

"Save it, fish for brains.," Annabeth's shuffled over to the group, her finger twirling through her curly blond hair as if usually did when she was thinking. "Chiron has come to a conclusion about what your punishment will be."

Leo and Jay leaned forward curiously, wondering what horrible chore they would be subjected to for the next few weeks. Would it be stable duty? Cabin cleanup? Playing pinochle with Mr. D? (Sure Chiron wouldn't be that cruel, would he?)

"You guys are getting... The Talk."

If the two troublemaking demigods had had a beverage in their mouth, they would have surely spit it everywhere. There was no way that they had just heard the ever so serious and stoic Annabeth make a reference to... the dreaded Talk. Jay looked at Leo as if for confirmation that she had heard the other girl correctly, but even Leo looked taken aback. "Are you serious? We're teenagers. We know what s--"

"Chiron said it, so it has to happen," Annabeth spewed quickly, all of the words coming out in one breath. She blinked, chewed on her bottom lip, and then shoved Percy hard. He fell forward a few steps and then gave Annabeth a questioning look. "Percy, you do it." 

The son of Poseidon shook his head, his annoyed expression morphing into one of amusement knowing now that his girlfriend was too shy to talk about it. "No way. You know I'm no good at explaining things. I'd probably just make it worse." He leaned heavily onto Annabeth with a mischievous grin, causing her to stumble. "Why don't you do it, Wise Girl? You're not too embarrassed, are you? You know it's all-natural, right? Nothing to be--"

"Alright, alright!" Annabeth gave Percy another shove, this one knocking him directly onto the ground where he stayed and looked up at her like a student in the class. Annabeth nervously tried to look anywhere but him, but his wide, innocent eyes burned into her face, causing her to redden and stutter. "W-well, when two people--"

Percy burst into obnoxiously loud laughter, doubling over and clutching at his stomach. "I know you didn't just use the most stereotypical line in the book," he managed between gasps for breath. "This is too good!" 

"Sh-shut up!" Annabeth cried, kicking Percy's side in a desperate attempt to shut him up as a group of demigods heading to the archery arena stared at the couple in confusion. A few of them looked tempted to go to the infirmary and inform them that the local hero was having a laughing fit again, but they thought better of it when Annabeth glared daggers in their direction. "Come on Percy, stop it!" 

Percy refused to stop, rolling away from Annabeth as he continued to laugh. 

"I'm going to tell Jason that your "bro time" or whatever you two idiots call it is canceled this week if you don't stop laughing and help me find someone capable of performing this punishment right now," Annabeth threatened lowly. 

This got the son of Poseidon's attention. "Not bro time," he whimpered in horror. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would," Annabeth growled.

Percy jumped to his feet, brushing the dirt and glass off of his outfit. He looked at Annabeth accusingly. "You're a monster."

Annabeth simply blew a puff of air at her bangs. "I do what I have to. Now, I hate to ask you anything right now, but do you any ideas for who could potentially do this better than we just did?" 

"You could just let them go without punishment and forget any of this ever happened," Leo chirped, lilting his voice to a higher pitch and pretending that he had no idea who could have possibly done that. 

"Out of the question," Annabeth snapped.

Percy suddenly perked up to full attention, bounding towards a lone demigod clad in all black with a brooding expression on his face. "Nico! Nicoooo!" he called out, waving his arms like he had just seen his long lost best friend for the first time in years and intended to crush them in a bear hug. 

Nico stopped moving, bringing his palm to his face and sighing deeply. He waited for Percy to just about reach him before jumping into his shadow and appearing behind Leo and Jay within a second. The two demigods jumped in surprise, Leo letting out a girly shriek of fear before playing it off by offering Nico a high five. Nico declined him and sighed again, looking to Annabeth for an explanation. "Why did your poorly-trained, oversized golden retriever just try to attack me?" 

"Hi, Nico. We just needed some help dishing out the necessary punishment for these two. You know, the ones who set the bunker on fire last night?" 

Nico nodded solemnly, and Annabeth continued. "And he's not poorly-trained, he's just," she looked back over her shoulder at Percy who was looking high and low for Nico and looking quite confused while doing it. He ended up making himself dizzy by turning in too many circles and ended up flat on his behind on the ground yet again. "--special," Annabeth finished with a defeated tone to her voice. 

"Ah, hah... Anyways, what kind of punishment do you mean? I didn't really plan on killing anybody today. I was actually supposed to go strawberry picking with Will pretty soon here until..." he motioned back towards Percy who was now looking rather convinced that Nico had disappeared entirely.

Leo laughed, clapping a hand on Nico's leather jacket good-naturedly. "Ah, di Angelo, you never fail to tell the best jokes," he paused, thought to himself for a moment, and then gave Nico a slightly more worried look. "You were joking right?" 

"I never joke about strawberry picking," Nico responded in monotone.

"That's not what I--"

"Anyways," Annabeth butted in loudly, giving Leo a warning look. Everyone seemed to know better than to mess with Nico with the only exceptions being Leo and Clovis from the Hypnos cabin who truly didn't have a care in the world other than making sure that all of his stuffed animals were tucked in at night. "We're not asking you to kill anybody this time."

Nico nodded appreciatively. "Good. This is my favorite jacket."

"It's your only jack--"

This time it was Jay who stomped on Leo's foot, causing him to perform a funny little dance that was definitely not fueled by pain. She had to admit, as much as she liked making Leo feel good, seeing him in pain every once in a while wasn't too terrible. 

At this point in time, Percy put had managed to put two and two together and make four, racing back over to the group of demigods with a relieved smile on his face. He threw an arm around Nico and pressed his cheek against Nico's "Jeez Nico, I really thought I lost you there... again... Don't do that to me. Anyways Wise Girl, did you ask Nico to give Leo and Jay The Talk yet?"

"Arrivederci."

Percy dropped to the ground heavily with an "oof" as Nico promptly shadow-skedaddled the heck out of an awkward situation before he could be put into it. 

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew! I was really hoping that we wouldn't have to hear about the birds and the bees from the Lord of Death himself there. Or would it be the souls and the skeletons? Dead birds and deceased bees?"

Annabeth let out an ancient Greek curse under her breath before looking around for her next potential candidate. Thankfully, it didn't take her long to find one as a trio of Aphrodite campers walked by, talking pleasantly amongst themselves. "Piper, hey! Over here!"

The ringleader of the trio turned on her army boot-clad foot, smiling amiably when her eyes landed on Annabeth. She gave each of her siblings a kiss on the cheek and waved them off, telling them not to wait up as she sprinted over. "What's good, Annie?" 

Annabeth flushed slightly at the nickname, but that didn't stop her from her original mission. "I'm sure you heard about what happened at bunker nine last night?" 

"Oh, for sure. Mitchell heard it from Pollux, who heard it from Lou Ellen, who heard it from--"

This went on for some time which led Jay to the conclusion that there were a lot more people out past curfew than they let on. She chose not to say this conclusion out loud though because she knew her voice would definitely drive Leo to chime in, and once he got going with Piper, there would be no stopping for awhile. The two had been friends for a very long time, and at times it seemed like they took turns with the same brain cell (though Piper definitely had it the majority of the time.) 

Annabeth opened and closed her mouth. It looked as if she had fried her brain trying to keep up with Piper's grapevine sources. Her eye twitched ever-so-slightly.  "Right... ah... What was I going to ask again?"

"It was us!" Leo announced proudly motioning to Jay and himself respectively and puffing out his chest without even a drop of shame. "We did the thing." 

Jay's eyes widened. "We did not do--"

"You guys bumped uglies?" Piper questioned, cocking one of her eyebrows skeptically as she looked at her friend. Leo had always talked a lot of game, but she never expected anyone to actually give him a chance to put his words to the test. He was just too... Leo-y. 

Leo nodded while Jay shook her head back and forth desperately. 

Piper snorted, looking Jay up and down like she was a dog in a dog show. "Sweet," she said approvingly, giving Leo the high five he had been dying for all morning. She then turned to face Jay and dipped her head. "I apologize on behalf of him. I hope you got to enjoy yourself at least a little bit." 

"B-but we didn't-- I didn't--"

Piper patted Jay's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. "It's okay, I know the feeling." With that, she turned to Annabeth and grinned. "Well, thanks for the daily eye-opener, Annie. I've gotta go catch up with Mitchell and Lacy now. I promised I'd take them canoeing later, but neither of them has actual swimsuits for when we inevitably end up falling into the lake." She rolled her kaleidoscope colored eyes with no malice, showing that she truly loved her siblings no matter how silly they were when it came to their clothes. "Smell ya later, Valdez." And with that, Piper darted towards where her siblings had disappeared to.

"Wait, that's not--" Annabeth's voice died off as she watched her friend fade into the horizon. She sighed heavily, turning to Percy who looked rather mystified. 

"Hey Wise Girl, what do you think she meant by that; the whole "I know the feeling" thing? Does that mean Jason--"

"You know, I think we've learned our lesson," Jay input sheepishly. "You don't have to worry about giving us The Talk or whatever because we promise that we will be more responsible and safe next time. Not saying there will be a next time but hypothetically if there was a next time-- Leo, help me out here?" She looked to her (boy)friend for assistance as the words sort of flooded from her mouth, but Leo seemed to be have been considering the same thought as Percy, the two of them exchanging a silent conversation full of hand motions, raised eyebrows, and sad, sad looks on their faces.

Annabeth shook her head tiredly. "No, I told Chiron I would deliver this punishment, and I'm going to see to it. We just have to keep searching no matter how long it takes and how many people we have to ask--"

"--ask what?"

The entire group turned collectively to come face to face with a very surprised Will Solace who took a couple of steps back from the initial shock of everyone staring at him at once with varying degrees of exhaustion etched on their faces. "Whoa, are you guys alright? Do you need to come down to the infirmary or something?" 

"Will! I've never been so happy to see you in my life!" Annabeth exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the lanky teenager and burying her face in his shoulder. "You're a lifesaver!" 

Will caught Annabeth at the last second, looking down at her with mild concern. "Thanks, I guess, but also ouch? I literally saved your life once. Was that not enough? What did I do to get attention this time?" 

"Sorry, sorry, it's just been a rough... couple of hours," Annabeth pulled away from Will, patting his arm as the cheery on top of her apology. Will nodded to let her know the apology was accepted. "You teach the younger demigods s-sexual education, right?" Annabeth stumbled over the word but forced her way through it like a champ, getting to the point the best she could.

The son of Apollo blinked slowly. "Wow, what a weird conversation started. Usually, I like to go in with a simple "hey, how's it going," or a "lovely weather we're having," or even sometimes when the situation arises, I'll do a "howdy pardner." You want me to make you some flashcards?"

"Please just answer the question," Annabeth barked, causing Will to jump a bit and stop the tomfoolery.

"Okay, okay, yes I do. I took over for Silena after... you know... but why exactly are you, a seventeen-year-old, asking me, a fifteen-year-old?" He sent an awkward look to Percy who waved at him obliviously. "Don't you kinda... I don't know... know this stuff?" 

Annabeth's face turned several shades of red, all of which not normal colors for one's skin tone (  a tomato on the other hand...) "We're not talking about me and Percy right now!" she blurted. 

Will tilted his head, and with his wavy golden hair, he looked more like a golden retriever than Percy did. This one, however, was clearly trained to be on his best behavior by his dark and brooding owner. "So... what exactly are we talking about?" At this point in time, he seemed to finally realize that Annabeth and Percy were not alone. When his eyes landed on Leo, his demeanor changed entirely. "Don't tell me..."

Annabeth nodded slowly, a crazy grin lighting up her face to finally be getting somewhere with someone. "Yes, yes, the bunker!"

"First my chariot and now the bunker? You're not doing so hot on your good noodle reputation, Valdez..." Will remarked, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. "Oh, pun not intended by the way," he added as a second thought. "Also gross." 

Leo bowed with a smirk that announced that he was not sorry for his past actions in the slightest. "I know, I know. You don't have to smother me in compliments like this, Doc. I might start burning up with appreciation for you"

Will's eyes shifted around the camp before he exhaled loudly. "Remind me to deck you when there aren't as many witnesses around."

"You got it, Doc!"

"Anyways, what does them doing the nasty in bunker nine, starting it on fire, and getting in trouble with Chiron have to do with me giving the sex-- oh. Ohhh..." Will turned a hopeless look to Annabeth. "Chiron wants me to give them The Talk, doesn't he? Please say no. Please tell me I'm wrong. Please gods above tell me I'm wrong." 

Annabeth grinned, closing her eyes with the relief of a tired mother sending off her two screaming toddlers to school for the first time. "Well, he didn't say your name specifically, but we all know there's no one in this camp that could do it better than you can." 

The head counselor of the Apollo cabin nodded in defeat. "It's true. I don't want it to be true, but it is." He took a deep breath, flinging his head back and letting out a terrible noise much like a cat getting stuck in a blender before taking another deep breath and composing himself like it had never happened. This only mildly concerned Jay and Leo. Mildly. "Alright, let's head back to my cabin. I've got diagrams, models, charts, and videos." He turned a warning glare at Leo before he could say what he was thinking. "Educational videos, Valdez. Now come along, you deviants. I promised Mr. Short, Pale, and Handsome we would go strawberry picking later." 

"Thank you so much, Will!" Annabeth thanked him profusely, wiping the sweat that had been apparently collecting on her brow away. "You're doing us a huge favor!"

"Actually, you're doing the camp a huge favor," Percy put in, wrapping his arms around Annabth's waist before she could faint. "Thank you for your service, Mr. Solace." The son of Poseidon gave Will a salute, and it seemed one hundred percent genuine. 

Will waved them off, turning to begin the short trek back to his cabin. "Yeah, yeah, you guys are paying for my trips to therapy."

-----------

The Talk lasted for a lot longer than any health class in public school would have condoned and covered so many different topics in such depth that Leo and Jay felt like there wasn't a single thing they didn't know about everything having to do with intimate human relations of every type (not that they would have asked one if they had any.) It was absolutely mortifying and humiliating, especially because they weren't even allowed to laugh at any of the funny words (Leo did once, and Will had taken his chance to deck him before giving him a piece of ambrosia to hide the evidence.) They left the infirmary with a newfound respect and fear for Will Solace; what kind of self-respecting fifteen-year-old boy didn't laugh at this kind of stuff?

Thoroughly embarrassed, Jay and Leo shuffled towards the forge, hoping to get some cooldown time from the mental, emotional, and physical trauma they had just been subjected to. The sun was high in the sky now, shining brightly and casting down warm rays that matched the heat in the two demigods' blazing cheeks. Demigods milled about everywhere, going about their days as normal because they had been spared the wrath of an elderly centaur, a daughter of Athena with a justice complex, and a very scary Apollo kid with way too many diagrams of naked people than was probably healthy for him. 

Finally, it was Jay who could take the awkward silence no longer. If Leo wasn't going to lighten the mood then she would try. She wouldn't let a little uncomfortable talk about human instincts ruin her day. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen you at a loss for words. It's kind of nice, but would you care to make a joke?" 

Leo sighed dramatically, resting his palms on the back of his head as he continued to stride forward. "I would make a joke, but I just can't stop thinking about you. You're sort of the whole reason we had to sit through all of that, you know." 

Jay was taken aback and sort of offended though she wasn't exactly sure why. What had Leo even meant by that? "Me? How is it my fault?"

Leo stopped, standing in Jay's way and looking down at her with the same look he had had in the bunker: the one where his inner turmoils were allowed to come to the surface. One of his hands shot out and slid under her chin, tilting her head upward to look him in the eyes."You made me fall in love with you." 

"I-- Wait, what now?" Jay initially had prepared a comeback to throw into his face in her defense in the few seconds she had had to come up with one, but her voice failed her as she processed his words on a deeper level. 

"You're sort of irresistible, you know that? I'm completely and utterly head over heels in love with you, mi amor. I just hope you feel the same way I do," Leo's voice was low, and his face was dusted with a blush that just barely noticeable. For once, Jay didn't have to mull over his every bit of body language, speech patterns, and tone to see that he was one hundred percent being genuine when he said this. Leo meant it; he really did love her.

Happy tears threatened to spill over Jay's sore-from-smiling cheeks. Her heart fluttered happily in her chest, and all the butterflies that had been caged in her stomach had been set free to fly as much as they wanted to from now until forever. With a sudden boost of excited confidence, Jay stretched on the tips of her toes and planted a quick kiss on her friend's lips. "O-of course I love you, dummy. I haven't stopped loving you from the day you saved my life. I knew it was meant to be, and I was just hoping you would come to realize it too."

Those words were all it took to reignite the spark in Leo for good. His hands shot to his hips, and he thrust his chest forward with a wink. "Aha! Just as I thought, all da ladies love Leo." He leaned closer to Jay, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into him. His voice came out husky and teasing in her ear. "Just like a moth to a flame."

Jay, though flustered, rolled her eyes and summoned a small flame on her fingers, pinching his butt with a smirk. Both she and Leo were immune to getting burned by flames as long as they knew it was coming or it was their own, but when Leo was too focused on trying to be sexy, he was fair game to getting a surprise."Ay, mami!" he cried out, causing Jay to erupt into a giggle fit.

"Come on, Hot Shot. Let's go clean up the bunker... and maybe finish what we started while we're at it."

Chapter Text

------

The Nakamura household was quiet and would have almost been closer to absolute silence had it not been for the muffled sound of a heated conversation coming from the master bedroom. The dark, wooden door of the room was shut tight. Two voices, one of a woman and one of a man, argued back and forth, interspersed with the sound of occasional shuffling.

Outside of the master bedroom,  a young boy who couldn't possibly be much older than twelve years old stood pressed against the wall for a brace. He was small and mousy to the point of looking much younger than he was. His black hair was straight and hung slightly into his eyes that were dark and wide with distress. Well, one of them was. The other was missing completely, covered up by a pitch-black eyepatch. He clung to a scrappy blanket and an even worse for wear teddy bear who sported a matching eyepatch. His bottom lip quivered as the arguing grew louder.

Suddenly, the heavy door swung open, nearly clobbering the young boy. Luckily for him, he was used to sneaking around at night and listening in on his parents fighting. This led to him developing the ability to dodge just out of sight, or, in this case, out of the way of angrily-slammed doors.  Out stomped the boy's parents; first a tall figure making their way towards the front door followed closely by a shorter figure who decided to go towards the kitchen instead, perhaps to cook away their frustrations. 

T he taller figure was the boy's mother. She had choppy hair the color of raw obsidian and golden eyes that looked as if they had recently been polished. Those eyes were sharp and cunning, reminiscent of a fox's. The woman held herself with a strange mixture of strong, unwavering authority and languid indifference, causing her to emanate an energy that could only be described as both sides of a coin. A small suitcase swung from one of her white-knuckled fists.  This struck the boy as unusual; never in all of their fights had either one of his parents packed a bag. Why did this fight seem different?

Discarding his blanket and bear, the boy raced after his mother. He extended one of his arms, reaching towards his mother's suitcase urgently. "Mom, where are you going? Mom?"

The woman hardly spared her son so much as a glance, keeping her pace to the front door and drawing her suitcase closer to her side. Her voice was just as convoluted as her outward character. It was warm and lilting yet several sharp flecks of ice cut through. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Ethan?" 

Ethan flinched as the ice shards pierced his skin."No! I mean, yes, b-but where are you going? Why isn't dad going with you? C-can I come with you?" 

Ethan's mother stopped, her scarlet red-lipsticked lips curling into a half-smile. She swiveled her head and leaned down, coming to eye level with her son. His eyes searched hers, trying to find any glimmer of warmth that suggested that no matter where his mother traveled to, she would always come home to him. He was met with that impossible-to-read wall that had always been there. That wall was the very thing that barricaded him from the relationship a mother and son should have: the closeness, the tenderness, and the love. "Ethan, what have I told you?" His mother's voice flowed from her lips like water over jagged stones. It made Ethan flinch once more.

Tears began to form at the edges of Ethan's eye, threatening to spill over. Slowly, as much as he refused to acknowledge it, he was beginning to understand the severity of this situation. His mother had reached a new level of flippancy towards him and when she got like this with anything...  Panic was worming its way through his guts.  When he finally mustered the backbone to speak again, his  voice trembled nearly as much as his body.  "A-always find the balance..." 

For a split second, the expression on Ethan's mother's face exerted genuine pride in her son.. or was that... love? No matter the true identity of the emotion on the woman's face, it was gone as soon as it had appeared and was replaced with that frivolous grin once more. "Such a smart boy. You're sure to bring some good to this family someday. As for me... well, I've overstayed my welcome, and there is no balance in that. Goodbye, Ethan." 

With that final statement, a note of finality lingered in the air. Ethan's mother ruffled her son's hair, mussing it about his face and standing back to her original height. There were no more looks back, no hesitation, and no remorse as she made her way to the door. Turning the doorknob, she made one step out the doorway before Ethan came back to the Earth that was falling apart around him and scrambled after her.

" Don't leave me!"

It was as if a rogue gust of arctic wind had frozen his mother in place. She stood completely still with one foot still out of the doorway. Her body was rigid. 

Ethan stopped in his tracks, his knees shaking as he stared hopefully at the form of his departing mother. Had she gone through a change of heart in the very short time between her encounter with Ethan and opening the door? Had she realized that Ethan couldn't possibly bear the idea of not seeing her every day, hugging her tightly, and making her smile? Had she decided to stay after all and work each day towards becoming the mother she could have been all along? Why was she so stiff...? 

" Mom...?" 

With a suddenness that took Ethan back, his mother's head snapped back to stare at him with a fire in her gaze. Except this wasn't his mother's face anymore. The face was of someone else he knew and cared deeply for, and the initial recognition transformed into horror. His mouth gaped, all the saliva dissipated. When he spoke, his voice was more fractured than broken glass.

"N-no... I can't lose you too... You can't leave me. You can't leave me! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

---------

Ethan's body jolted and forced him into a sitting position. Cold sweat coated his skin, plastered his hair to his forehead, and drenched his clothes. The thin blanket that had been resting lightly over him was crumpled into a pile at his feet. The eyepatch-wearing teddybear that had formerly been resting in Ethan's arms had been launched across his bedroom and was now resting pathetically by his closet door. 

Shivers racked Ethan's body; his lungs burned with every gasping inhale and exhale. His good eye was watery and unfocused, and the area where his left eye would have been twinged slightly. He felt around frantically for his nightstand, bumping a half-empty water bottle and sending it careening to the ground where its contents spilled onto the hardwood floor. Paying no mind to the newly developed mess, Ethan's searching fingers found their target: his eyepatch. Slipping the black fabric over his head with trembling fingers, he felt the tiniest bit more secure.

Though the eyepatch improved Ethan's stability slightly, he was still very much in the midst of a panic attack spurred by the night terror that was fresh in his mind. He could still picture the face that wasn't his mother's when he closed his eye.

Memories often resurface. Ethan Nakamura knew this fact well... much too well. His nights were plagued with horrid night terrors manifesting in the form of events that had happened so long ago, he felt as if he should have been able to completely wipe them from his mind by now. Memories such as losing his eye, being bullied at school... and losing his mother. Alas, there were just some things he couldn't forget no matter how exhaustively he tried and how desperately he wished. 

The nights hadn't always been restless for Ethan, but tonight was certainly one of the rough ones. The memories sprung forward and sunk their teeth into his subconscious, not letting go until Ethan could muster the strength to wake once more, thus restarting the cycle for the next night. They had been so bad lately that they were beginning to affect Ethan in his waking life. His ability to focus was almost entirely absent as his mind always seemed to wander back to those dark places. The lack of peaceful sleep had installed dark, drooping eye bags on Ethan's face, and worry lines were slowly etching their way into his features. Panic attacks had also become an unwelcome regular for Ethan though this was surely the worst one he had ever been thrown into.

I can't keep going on like this. Not on my own. I need to talk to someone. Right now.

Ethan leaned over his bed, spotting his phone lying face down on the floor (thankfully far enough away to have missed being splashed with the spilled water.) It was connected to his charger that was sitting on the edge of his bed, so he yanked the wire and reeled the electronic into his hands.

It took several tries, but eventually, Ethan was able to input his password without error. The moment the dimly lit screen flashed to the home screen, Ethan slammed his finger on the contacts app. He wasn't a very social person and typically kept to himself whilst at school and home for that matter, but he did have a few people in his contacts nonetheless. Completely frenzied, Ethan scrolled rapidly through the names, hoping to find one that just made sense.

The first name in the contacts was one of Ethan's few "friends" Alabaster C. Torrington. Scratch that. Ethan didn't really consider him as much as a friend, rather an ally in the way that he knew that Alabaster would have his back in a fight but would simply "peace out" if Ethan were to ever come to him in emotional distress. Alabaster also tended to be a bit of a conspiracist, seeming to believe that everyone was either out to get him or would be out to get him in due time. He held everyone other than his younger sister at an arm's length, and Ethan doubted that would ever change. The guy had trust issues, end of story.

The next contact sent Ethan into utter confusion as to why he even had them for a split second before the anxiety crashed back over him. The contact read Clovis with no last name and no notes, and Ethan was surprised he could even remember the guy if he was honest with himself. He and Clovis shared many classes though Clovis was younger than him by at least one grade. The kid was rather intelligent, especially when it came to history, literature, and art which led to him being drafted into the more "advanced" classes by his teachers. Alabaster always quipped that the real reason was that Clovis's teachers were just so over him that they transferred him to the other teachers so they could catch a break. 

Clovis was a nice enough guy. In fact, he was one of the sweetest people that Ethan had ever spoken to (though that wasn't really saying much.) The problem was that he suffered from a severe form of narcolepsy. The guy could hardly stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time, and he always ended up falling asleep in weird places and positions. He'd probably be willing to hear Ethan out but knowing him, it would be AGES before Ethan received so much as a "k" in response. In fact, did Clovis even HAVE a phone? Whose number was this?

Ethan shook his head to attempt to clear his thoughts. This did not work, of course, but he continued down the list of contacts regardless.

Mr. Nakamura was out of the question. Ethan loved and respected his father just fine, but the man refused to talk about any part of the past. He claimed that dwelling on the events of the past attracted bad energy to the household, and Ethan certainly didn't need any more of that in his life. Besides, his father was slumbering peacefully down the hallway, and it felt selfish to disturb him for such a humiliating reason.

The second to last spot on the contact list was taken up by Alabaster's witchy little sister Lou Ellen Blackstone. Technically, they were half-siblings, hence the difference in last names, but Alabaster loved Lou Ellen so genuinely that no one could truly see any difference.

Ethan liked Lou Ellen well enough despite the fact that she was even odder than her brother was. She was invested deeply in her paganistic religion, and she always carried a deck of tarot cards that she had been gifted by her mother. She was constantly pleading to read Ethan's future or try to contact his soulmate from another plane of existence, but he couldn't say he believed in it all that much. Besides, if it WERE real, he wasn't so sure that revealing the universe's secrets all willy nilly like that would ever result in anything good. He was far too cautious to take that chance. Besides, it was incredibly probable that Alabaster would kill him if he ever found out that Ethan was texting his little sister so late at night, even if he had no ulterior motive. 

Just as Ethan reached the final contact, another wave of nauseating panic flooded over him. His shoulders tensed, his eye snapped shut, and he bit down harshly on his lip as he slammed his finger down on the message button. Mustering what coordination he had left, Ethan typed out a text message and promptly pushed send without taking the time to look it over for any mistakes or errors. Having done that, Ethan resorted to curling into a tight, little ball. His arms coiled around his legs, and he buried his face in his knees as the flood of negativity just kept coming. Tide after tide of this debilitating feeling washed over every part of Ethan's mind, body, and soul, rendering him a shivering, sobbing mess on his mattress once more. He could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into the helplessness he had felt in his dream. He was a kid again, watching his mother leave him once more, but it wasn't even her... It was-- 

No, no, no... Don't leave...

As his tears began seeping into his pajama pants, Ethan's phone suddenly began to vibrate loudly. Ethan nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden sound, his pulse spiking worse than it had been before, but his phone didn't seem to notice that it had almost sent him into cardiac arrest. It did a little dance across his mattress with each ring, the screen lighting up with a familiar name and picture across it. Eventually, it tumbled off the bed and began making a horrid rumbling noise on the wooden floor that was sure to wake up any little monsters that had been living under Ethan's bed. 

Ethan clambered on his hands and knees to the edge of the bed, stretching as far as he could without actually leaving his bed to reach for his phone. His fingertips grazed the very edge of the ringing device, pushing it further away and causing Ethan to tumble onto the floor very ungracefully. The impact felt as if it shook the room, but after a moment's pause where no shouting came from Mr. Nakamura's room, it seemed that Ethan hadn't been loud enough to wake him. He breathed a quick sigh of relief before sitting up and grabbing at his phone. The phone flew into the air, and Ethan juggled it between his hands for sometime clumsily before finally getting a good enough grip to answer it at the final ring.

A very groggy voice met his ear, full of late-night huskiness and very apparent confusion. "Ethan?"

The voice belonged to none other than the one person who had proven themself to Ethan time and time again. They were the person who Ethan could say with full confidence was the pillar of strength in his life. They were always there for Ethan through the highs and lows of life, and they never failed to bring a sense of security and safety whenever they were with him. 

Luke Castellan.

The two boys had first met when Ethan had had to transfer to yet another school. Starting over at a new school was always an equal amount of terrifying and annoying and doing it alone was that much worse. When Ethan first walked into the building, the burning, judgemental glares of everyone in the building were impossible to ignore. The crushing weight of an oncoming anxiety attack made its way front and foremost in Ethan's mind. His knees began to knock together, his hands clammed up, and his teeth grit together. This school would be the same as all the rest of them. He'd never be welcome no matter where he went. He was simply cursed to always be on the worst side of the scale. 

And then there was Luke.

Luke was seen by many as the golden boy of the school. He was always going out of his way to defend younger kids or kids who were being bullied and ridiculed or otherwise didn't fit in. He was tall, muscular, and handsome. With his short-cropped hair and cerulean eyes, Luke was very pleasing to the eye. He was almost as close as one could get to looking like the perfect storybook hero minus one crucial detail: his scar.

Luke had a ghastly scar that cut down from his eye all the way down to his chin which marred the nearly perfect image. Luke detested his scar, but he never tried to hide it as Ethan did with his eye. Luke was strong in that way, and it shone through in the way people looked at him. People never spoke badly of Luke; in fact, they admired him. People looked at Ethan like he was just another weird kid in the crowd. 

As any proper golden boy would, Luke had been the first one to give him a warm welcome. When he had extended a hand and looked at Ethan's face, there was not a hint of animosity. And there never was. From that moment forward, Luke and Ethan had been nearly inseparable. Ethan felt such a strong pull of loyalty to Luke that he couldn't explain, and Luke had never shown any signs of being bothered by it. In fact, Ethan didn't mean to sound self-important, but he was pretty sure that Luke needed him just as much as Ethan needed him even if he never said it out loud. 

Ethan and Luke were a part of a symbiotic relationship of sorts. Luke was a bit of a dreamer but not in a head-in-the-clouds sort of way. His dreams involved reputation, power, and respect. He was incredibly ambitious to the point where he would often find himself in trouble for it. Ethan was the one who would weigh in on the pros and cons of whether or not going through Luke's plans would be worth it. Luke didn't listen to a lot of people but for some reason, he was always willing to hear Ethan out. 

At the same time, Ethan needed a confident, stable, and driven force to look up to. His father was a passive man who preferred to stay in the kitchen and cook away his troubles in the form of traditional meals from his culture, but Luke was honest with Ethan. He reminded him how things truly were and kept his head firmly on his shoulders. Ethan was prone to getting lost in the past, worrying that he wasn't good enough, and Luke was always there to make him smile and bring him back up to the light.

It was just a simple fact that there was no one who knew and understood Ethan's struggles like Luke. Like Ethan, Luke had also had a parent walk out on him. His father had been out of the picture since he was a baby, and Luke had only met the guy one time when he was eight. He wouldn't ever go into detail about it, even if Ethan asked nicely. On top of that, Luke's mother had gone through a severe mental break way back when his father had left. This resulted in Luke having to take the role of the more mature and responsible one in the family, growing up far too soon. 

In some ways, Ethan felt like he was selfish and pathetic for dwelling so heavily on his own loss when it seemed like Luke had gone through so much more and was coming out on top of it all. Luke never made him feel stupid though. Luke made him feel... safe.

Oh, shit! I'm caught up in my head again! And I never gave Luke a response. Why does this always happen?

"H-hi! Hello! Hey!" Ethan's voice was uncontrolled, coming out in an uncharacteristically high pitch. He internally cursed himself for his slipup and hoped that Luke would be too tired to notice.

Ethan's best friend chuckled. It seemed like Ethan's luck was at an all-time low tonight. Luke definitely heard that voice malfunction. Rats. "Hi hello hey to you too, man. Now you wanna tell me what that text was all about? Did you mean to send it to a different person, or are you just feeling extra risque tonight?" 

Ethan, who had been climbing back onto his bed from his fated fall, stopped mid leg raise and blinked. "W-what?"

Luke laughed again, causing Ethan to relax just the tiniest bit. He'd always appreciated the sound of Luke's laugh. It was warm and rumbly like the sound of distant thunder rumbling muffled under a blanket. It wrapped around Ethan, creating a protective shield between him and everything that could ever wish to make him unhappy. "Do you even know what you sent me?"

It took Ethan longer than he'd like to admit to realize that Luke could not see him shaking his head from side to side. "N-no actually. Let me check quick--" He brought his phone away from his face for further inspection, tapping the messenger app. Once it booted up, Ethan's finger hovered over Luke's name. His eye had caught the picture he had set for Luke's contact.

The picture was from one of his and Luke's many hangouts together. This one had been at a summer camp the two had gone to together. Once they'd arrived, Luke had convinced Ethan to sneak out with him, and the two boys went for an adventure by the light of the moon. They went searching for frogs and salamanders along the riverside and when the night grew darker, they laid down in the grass to watch the fireflies compete with the stars in the sky over who could shine brighter.

When Luke and Ethan were eventually found by one of the camp counselors, they were chided thoroughly. Neither of them were truly listening though. They kept exchanging glances and snickering under their breath. They were forced to sit apart from each other at the campfire that night while everyone sang songs and told ghost stories. Ethan usually hated to be away from Luke's side but sitting where he had been placed, he could look at Luke and admire his features in the firelight. 

Luke was genuinely enjoying himself. He led the songs, belting out the lyrics with unabashedness Ethan could only dream of possessing. Every once in a while, Luke looked his way, and his eyes glinted happily. 

Ethan knew that it was rare that Luke ever let go of his stress and ambitions long enough to have this much fun, and he wanted to capture it forever. Technically no one was supposed to have their phones while enjoying camp activities but surely this had to be an exception. As sneakily as he could muster, Ethan lined up a shot and snapped a picture. 

The picture was blurry, pixelated, and out of focus, but it was perfect. Luke's eyes were closed in pure bliss, and he smiled candidly as he tilted his head back with laughter. He looked so happy, and that was what landed it as one of Ethan's treasures. It was truly the picture that painted Luke in the light that Ethan saw him. Luke had never seen it obviously. He had no idea that Ethan had even taken it.

"Ethan?"

Dammit. He needed to stop doing this.

"S-sorry, sorry. I had some crud on my fingers. My phone didn't appreciate it much."

Even though it was an innocent enough lie, Ethan still felt guilty for lying to Luke in the first place. Truly what other choice did he have? He wasn't about to confess to his best friend that he was constantly getting distracted just by hearing his voice or seeing his smile. That was too... weird. Besides, Luke always bought the excuses no matter how silly they sounded. He never doubted Ethan's credibility for a second. He could almost perfectly picture Luke's rolling eyes and good-natured grin through the phone. "Gonna make an educated guess here and say that tonight's midnight snack was daifuku. Am I right, or am I right? You don't have to tell me because I have a feeling I already know."

Ethan smiled, wriggling in happiness like a puppy who had just been told he was a good boy. For some reason, simply knowing that Luke actually paid attention to him and remembered little things about him like his favorite at-home snack made him absolutely giddy. "Hey, you can't blame me. My dad makes the sakura ones better than anyone else in the family"

Of course, that was a given. Ethan didn't really have anyone else in the family. Obviously his mother was no longer a present force in his life, and the rest of the family on his father's side had completely shunned Mr. Nakamura. They felt as if he had dishonored them for having Ethan out of wedlock (with a foreigner no less,) and Ethan's mother leaving was the cherry on top of the dishonor sundae. 

Luke yawned powerfully, startling Ethan slightly. It was completely understandable though. It was one in the morning on a school night, and Luke worked several part-time jobs on top of it. Of course he was tired. Chalk that up to the list of things he could feel guilty about later. "Yeah, you keep telling me that. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to come over sometime soon and finally try these legendary daifuku things for myself." The blond snorted, and Ethan could hear him flop back against something sturdy. "All my mom knows how to make is pb&j and kool-aid. She's started trying to make cookies lately, but as you could probably guess, she always manages to burn them. Seriously considering running away."

Ethan knew that Luke had probably meant that last part as a joke, but the idea of his best friend leaving his mentally unstable mother (and him) behind and running away made his heart sink through the mattress and hit the floor. He frowned, chewing on his bottom lip apprehensively. "Don't say that, Luke. Your mom might be a little... eccentric, but she loves you, and she would miss you so much if you left her. In fact, I don't know what she'd do without you around..." He lowered his voice so Luke couldn't hear him. "Or what I would do..."

Luke let out a long-suffering sigh, but he didn't argue. "Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Silence took over. It wasn't unbearable or awkward, it was just... quiet. The only sound Ethan could hear was Luke breathing evenly. Absentmindedly, he synced up his own breathing to Luke's. It was as if the other boy was right there, lying beside him. This brought a certain serenity over Ethan, and he closed his eye, resting his head back on the wall.

The silence couldn't last forever.

"Did you look at that message yet?" Luke piped up, causing Ethan to jump.

"Shit!" Ethan tapped quickly on Luke's icon, leaving no room for him to grow distracted by Luke's face again. The chat history popped onto the screen, revealing the two boys' casual texting sessions. 

Both of the boys had very distinct typing styles from each other, giving a glimpse into their two differing personalities. Ethan was always sure to employ proper grammar and punctuation, and his spelling was always immaculate. He never used emojis, stickers, or gifs, and his tone was usually serious and proper. His texting style was almost reminiscent of an email one might get from their boss, and it was a wonder that he didn't sign his name at the end of each message.

Luke, on the other hand, seemed to have a phobia of capital letters, sending long messages as opposed to thirty small messages, and first grade English. He would often type things in such shorthand that Ethan would have to search the internet or ask for clarification before responding. Luke also believed in emoji supremacy, never sending a text without at least one thrown in there somewhere. That sort of immaturity from anyone else bothered Ethan to no bounds, but for some reason when Luke did it, he found it almost endearing. 

Their chats were nothing too special (if you asked anyone other than Ethan.) Usually, it involved Luke forgetting about homework and needing Ethan's help, Luke asking for Ethan's advice on plans that were full to the brim of poor choices, and Luke sharing songs he liked. There were a few rogue images of funny cats, memes that made absolutely no sense to Ethan, and late-night philosophical discussions here and there, but otherwise, nothing particularly stood out... until the message that had been sent most recently from Ethan's phone.

"i need u right now"

All of the blood drained from Ethan's face, and he swayed as pure embarrassment washed over him. How could he have sent that? What conclusion was Luke supposed to take from that? Ethan had had low moments before, but this was a brand new all-time low."O-oh my God!"  

"Yeah, I had a similar reaction," Luke laughed, causing the blood to rise back to Ethan's face much quicker than was probably healthy. Now his face was no longer white as a sheet of paper; it was as red as a sun-ripened tomato." So... did you mean to send that to me?" 

Words tumbled out of Ethan's mouth before he could stop them. His mind and mouth seemed to be on maximum overdrive now, but that didn't mean they were working together. Scratch that, they were working together... against Ethan. "Y-yes! I-I mean no! I mean yes, but no!"

Luke paused, clearly taken aback by the onslaught of words that had just come from his usually composed and collected best friend's mouth. That and he was most likely still recovering from being woken up so early in the morning. "Ethan, not to be annoying, but that was definitely three different answers. I was kind of hoping for just one."

Whatever almightly being is up there, please strike me down now, Ethan prayed inwardly. "Y-yeah, I guess it kind of was... S-sorry, just... C-can I have a minute?"

Luke shifted again, and Ethan could hear him grinning mischievously. "You may. In fact, just because I'm such a good guy, I'll even give you several." It was very clear he was proud of that one. 

Smug bastard. Ethan laughed softly. "Th-thank you..." he took a deep breath and allowed it to relax his overly tense body when he exhaled. He swallowed his quickly gathering spit, finally able to somewhat replicate his usual composure before daring to speak again. "Okay... I think I'm ready now..."

"Take your time."

Ethan couldn't stifle a somewhat flustered smile from breaking through his calm facade. Thank God for the anonymity of cellphone conversations. "What I meant to say was yes, I did mean to text you, but I didn't mean for my message to come out like... that." Hopefully, that flimsy explanation would be good enough for Luke as usual.

Apparently, Luke was not so easily convinced when it came to this excuse in particular. Just Ethan's luck. He snorted loudly. It became very clear to Ethan at this moment that Luke was finding this whole situation quite amusing. "Ethan, I gotta say that it would be much easier for me to buy that if we were talking face to face."

"No, I meant--"

"Your message seemed crystal clear to me. I mean, don't get me wrong; I definitely noticed that it was typed differently than how you type normally, and, you know, you don't usually send me stuff like that." 

"I didn't--"

"So, come clean, dude. Did you, like, drunk text me or something? Did you finally sneak some of your dad's sake? I always figured you were a lightweight, but I had no idea that drinking put you in the mood. Or that you thought of me like--"

"Luke!" 

Ethan's voice came out much sharper than he had intended, sounding fragile but dangerous like broken glass shattering on the pavement, but he couldn't help it. His face had reddened even deeper which he hadn't known was possible prior to this moment. Tears of frustration had welled up in his eye, threatening to spill over, and his bottom lip trembled. He hated when Luke was like this. Sometimes he talked more than he listened. Couldn't he tell that Ethan was already humiliated? This wasn't something he wanted to joke about. He had reached out to Luke desperately hoping for help, and now he was getting ridiculed. Usually, he could sit back and take the teasing with a quiet, good-natured smile, but this topic was much too sensitive, even for Ethan. 

Luke had fallen silent immediately. This time, the silence was painful. Ethan could no longer hear Luke's steady breathing. In fact, it was as if Luke had stopped breathing altogether. This made Ethan feel almost worse, but he couldn't have sat through any more of the teasing if he had wanted to.

Swallowing his saliva once again, Ethan looked down at his phone which had gone quiet. Miraculously, Luke had not hung up on him for his outburst, but he hadn't said another word. Ethan knew he was waiting on an explanation and dragging it out for any longer would be just as detrimental to Luke as it would be for him. His voice softened drastically, vulnerability and hopelessness creeping in. "Please. I... I meant it when I said I needed you."

Another painful pause lulled the conversation. When finally spoke again, his voice was slow and gentle. "I'm here. Talk to me, Ethan." 

Those words were all Ethan had wanted to hear from the moment he had first jolted awake from his nightmare. A heavy sigh of relief escaped his lips, and a few hot teardrops fell from his wet lashes. He wiped them away from his eye and took another shaky breath. "I... had a nightmare... A bad one..." he managed.

Luke's voice was uncharacteristically tender. The sound of it was like Luke was resting a hand on Ethan's shoulder through the phone, squeezing it not too hard but just firm enough to let him know that he was here and listening. "I'm sorry, Ethan..."

Ethan gulped, all of the prior feelings of fear, sadness, and helplessness tumbling out with his words. "Yeah... It was... It was really bad. Worse than any other ones I've had. It shook me up, and I think I might have had a panic attack in my sleep or something. I woke up, and I couldn't breathe, couldn't stop shaking, couldn't stop crying, and I just... I needed someone... someone to be there for me."

Luke was quiet for a long time before blowing out a long breath. "God, Ethan, if I would have known I wouldn't have joked around like that. I'm sorry if I made anything worse than it already was..." On another thought, he added quietly. "I never want to hurt you. Ever."

Forcing a chuckle, Ethan tried to reassure Luke. "No, no, you're fine, Luke. I would have reacted the same way. I think anyone would have with a text like that." Would I though? If Luke had sent me that text, what would I have done? How would I have felt? Probably would have assumed it was a prank. That thought bothered him more than it should have.

"Well... hopefully I'm not wrong when I say this, but you sound alright now. Are you feeling any better?" 

Ethan blinked, taking a moment to do a quick review over his current state of body and mind. Ever since h had finally released all of that pent-up anxiety, his breathing had become more even. His tears had tapered off, leaving the ghosts of tear trails down his cheek. His body was relaxed against his mattress. Even the grip on his phone had become less of a death grip. "Yeah... Yeah, I am actually." He smiled, closing his eye and turning his head slightly into his pillow to hide it. I guess just hearing your voice helped."

There was yet another pause.

Oh. My. God. Did I really just say that? What the fuck, Ethan? 

But Luke didn't seem disgusted or creeped out. There was no malice when he replied, and his voice took on a bravado that would make any actor proud. "I was unaware I had that ability, but now that I had come into terms with this new, profound power, there's no telling what I could use it for. Good? Evil? The world won't know what's coming for them when the silver-tongued Castellan boy makes his way into the mainstream. But will I be able to harness this power? Will I be able to control my voice so that I don't cause the ladies to leave their men for me? Only time and training will tell, but by God, I'm willing to put in the effort." 

A genuine laugh burst past Ethan's lips. His cheeks hurt from all of the smiling he was doing, but he couldn't seem to stop. 

Luke's voice softened, reverting back to that slow and gentle tone and tempo. When he spoke, he was more sincere than Ethan had ever heard him before. "...but for now I'm just glad that I could help you..." 

Ethan blushed, and he clutched his pillow closer to his chest. "You always do. Why do you think I texted you?" 

"I'm flattered, Eth. For what it's worth, I feel the same. About you, I mean. You've helped me get through a lot. Probably more than you know. And I'm grateful even if I don't always show it in the best way. I should probably work on that more now that I think about it... I appreciate you. Really."

Ethan's heart pounded, his voice was little more than a whisper. "Thank you..."

"Now go to your door."

Confusion settled over Ethan's features, and he blinked. "Wait, what? Why? It's one in the morning, and it's cold outside."

"Just do it. For me. Please. It'll be good, I promise." 

Not exactly the exact circumstances, but Ethan had definitely been in a situation similar to this before. Luke would beg and plead for him to do something or other, Ethan would do it out of loyalty and his eagerness to please his best friend, and... he would become the butt of yet another one of Luke's famous pranks. Luke wasn't always a golden boy; he liked mischief and mayhem just as much as any good teenage boy did. Usually, it was harmless and in good fun, but at this time of night, Ethan was unsure if he wanted to take that chance. The only thing that kept Ethan from denying his request vehemently, ending the call, and going back to sleep was the genuineness in Luke's voice. That was different from usual when it came to pranks. Maybe Luke really did have something good planned.

"Fine... I trust you. Don't betray that trust." 

Luke chuckled, causing Ethan to simultaneously trust him more and less. "I wouldn't dream of it. Now hurry it up, Nakamura."

Ethan rolled his eyes and threw his legs over the bed and hopping off the mattress. He landed directly in the puddle of water that he had spilled earlier. The cold liquid seeped into his socks, causing him to cringe and stick out his tongue. "Bleh," he groaned. 

"What happened?" Luke questioned in a tone that was so concerned Ethan just had to giggle. 

"Nothing, nothing," Ethan reassured his friend, shaking his feet to dry them as best as he could. "I'm going to mute you until I get to the door just so you know, so don't say anything important." Luke acknowledged this with an excited "okay," and Ethan muted him. Having done that, he waltzed over to his door, pulling it open and peering out the doorway.

The hallway was pitch black aside from the moonlight that pooled in from the cracks in the shutters of the windows. The wooden floor shone from the light, illuminating the way to the front door. Ethan padded out into the hall silently. Each step was calculated, and he wove around to avoid any particularly creaky floorboards. As he passed his father's room, he was extra cautious, hardly daring to breathe.

Ethan had mastered the art of sneaking around long ago from the midnight escapades that Luke and Alabaster would drag him on. Never had he been caught by his father, and tonight would be no different. After the threat was dodged, Ethan relaxed and released his breath, walking more casually to the front door. once there, he stopped and unmuted his phone. Quietly, he addressed Luke. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Luke's voice was a very welcome sound after the deafening silence of the sleepy house. "Ooh, Ethan's got jokes. Alright, funny guy, are you at your door?"

"Yes."

"Cool. Now open it."

As if the words had been the only boost necessary to get Ethan to function, he turned the doorknob and pulled open the door with vigor... and there he was.

"Hey, Ethan," Luke greeted his best friend, a crooked smile curling up his lip on the side of his face where his scar was. He stood on Ethan's doorstep, holding his phone to his ear. Past Luke, across the road, Luke's car sat humming in the night. The headlights cut across the road, and the exhaust puffed out into the cold in misty clouds. 

Ethan was dumbfounded, but he couldn't deny the happy hop-skip his heart did when he realized who he was looking at. Clutching his phone to his chest, he stared at Luke with a wide eye. "Oh my God, Luke! How long have you been out here?!"

Luke hung up the phone, sliding it into his jeans pocket and placing his arms behind his head leisurely. "Well, I could like and say I just got here, but in all honesty, I left the house the moment I got your text." 

All Ethan could do was stare open-mouthed at Luke. This went on for a long while until Luke smirked, dipped his head, and looked back into Ethan's eye. "Listen, we could just stand here in the doorway letting cold air into your house all night, or you could come sit in my car with me, my heater, and Now That's What I Call Classic Rock coming through my awesome sound setup."

Ethan seemed to consider these options for a second, throwing a glance back into his house. He could hear the sound of his father snoring softly from his bedroom. The decision was made. Ethan stepped outside, closing the door behind him as gently as he could muster with his shaking hands. "Let's go."

Luke smiled hugely, leading the way back to his car. It was a dilapidated old thing with a horrid half silver and half bronze paint job, but it was Luke's pride and joy. He would never tell anyone where he got it, but Ethan was fairly sure it had come from the junkyard of a very shady guy that Luke often met with against Ethan's protests. He couldn't recall his name, but he was pretty sure that it started with a "K." Luke had driven the thing from the moment he could drive, and it had been through its share of bumps and bruises. For this reason, Luke had named it "Backbiter." 

The two boys climbed into the hunk of metal with Luke in the driver's seat and Ethan in the passenger seat. "You look good for having gone through a traumatic journey within your subconscious mind. Kudos to you," Luke joked, his gorgeous blue eyes trailing lazily over Ethan's figure. This made Ethan feel incredibly sheepish, though he couldn't say why. He took in Luke's appearance timidly.

The golden boy shone just as bright if not brighter in the moonlight than he did in the sunlight. The moon had a way of bringing every little chiseled aspect of Luke's physique to the front stage, and the way his eyes reflected the light took Ethan's breath away. Even Luke's scar which looked so ghastly in the sunlight looked almost peaceful resting on Luke's face in the night. In general, Luke looked powerful in the moonlight. He was strong like a marble pillar of strength, and the night showed that. To Luke, the nighttime was his golden hour.

"You're not so bad yourself," Ethan remarked quietly, and he truly meant it.

Luke broke through Ethan's dreamy state of admiration. "Gotta say I'm a big fan of the pajama pants. What even are those things on the pattern, scales? A broken wheel?" 

Ethan shook his head to clear his thoughts, brushing off his pajama pants indignantly. "Well, I don't typically dress up when I go to sleep." He ushed down at Luke's footwear in amusement. "What about you? Do those slippers have wings on them?" 

The blond dipped his head good-naturedly, throwing his hands up with a smile. "Okay, okay, you got me. I don't usually wear these though. They're a gift from my old man." His voice dripped venomously for a split second, and his eyes grew stormy and dangerous, almost sparking like lightning. When he blinked, his expression returned to normal, and he looked back up at Ethan amiably as if nothing had happened. "They're eyesores, aren't they? You can't blame me though. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I didn't put on my usual cool guy shoes. Hope that's all good with you."

Ethan knew that Luke was just trying to joke around, but he couldn't help from feeling guilty. It was one in the morning, and Luke had gotten dressed, driven all the way to Ethan's house, and proceeded to sit outside his house and talk to him until he was calm this whole time. If there was ever an instance that proved just how good of a friend Luke was, this would be it. "You didn't have to come here, you know..."

Instantly Luke's eye flashed, shining through the darkness. They were so intense they took Ethan's breath away. "I know, but you obviously needed me here." He grinned playfully. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't show up?" 

Friend... Yes, that was what Luke and Ethan were, so why did Ethan's heart sink in his chest as the word hung in the air. That was new... wasn't it? Had it always felt so... sharp to hear that word from Luke's mouth? Stop. Stop thinking.

Luke began fiddling with Ethan's car seat, mumbling curses under his breath as he jerked at a lever. "Luke, what are you--" Ethan cut off with a gasp as his seat's back flew down, sending him sprawling into the back of the car on his back. Luke soon followed suit, flying back towards Ethan and laughing.

"Oops, sorry. Guess I could have warned you. I just figured it would be more comfortable to talk like this, you know, considering it is the time where bedbugs bite, and kids sleep tight or whatever." Luke shifted onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow, looking at Ethan intently for a moment before softening his gaze and lowering his voice. "So... you wanna talk about it?"

Ethan did not turn to Luke. He couldn't, so he simply stayed flat on his back, crossed his hands on his chest, and looked up at the car's ceiling. There were holes and tears in the cloth part of the ceiling as well as the initials "A.C.T," "L.E.B," "L.C," and "E.N" written in crude sharpie. The sunroof was closed but uncovered, allowing the moonlight to flood down onto the two boys. "I... I don't know." 

"You don't have to obviously. If it's personal, I get it. Some things are better left unsaid, and hey, I know that better than anyone, but..." Luke trailed off, reaching out the hand that was not being used to support him and taking Ethan's shoulder with a gentle but firm grasp. This minuscule gesture was so comforting that Ethan's shoulder relaxed greatly without any further ushering. How did Luke do that? What was it about Luke that made Ethan feel so... loved? "You know that you can tell anything, and I'll always be there to listen. No judgment. Only you and me." 

Ethan searched Luke's eyes, looking for any trace of the usual mischievous nature, any sign that Luke was ready to store anything Ethan said to joke about it on a later date. Finding only genuine concern in his serious gaze, Ethan knew that Luke was ready to listen. He closed his eye, taking in one more shaking breath and beginning to speak.

Recounting the dream wasn't nearly as traumatizing as going through it in the first place, but it was definitely still a raw and open wound in his mind. He spoke slowly and unsteadily, and his senses came alive. He could hear the sound of the muffled arguing. He could taste the bile rising in his throat. He could feel the burning tear dripping down his face. And he could see his mother stepping out of his life forever, but her face...

Throughout Ethan's tale, Luke offered words of consolation and comfort, listening quietly and with rapt attention the whole time. When Ethan trailed off, he squeezed the smaller boy's arm with a featherlight touch, reminding that he was still there, and he was still listening.

Ethan turned his head ever so slightly and had he not been so exhausted from recounting his dream, he would have widened his eye in surprise. When did the two friends get so close together? Their noses were almost touching, only an inch or two away from each other. Ethan was ninety-nine percent sure that they had not been this close together when he had begun his story. He could see his own reflection swimming in Luke's eyes and feel his warm breaths on his face. "Layla" by Dereck and the Dominoes played softly, hanging in the air around the two boys.

Suddenly, everything was just too overwhelming. Ethan's whole body felt burning hot. His pulse spiked sharply. His mouth was dry, opening and closing like a fish out of water. He couldn't hide it any longer. "It was you... It was your face, Luke..." 

A tense silence fell over the car, and even Luke's CD skipped for a few painful moments, allowing Ethan to keep going. 

"All that talk about you running away... I know you probably don't mean it, but it hurts! It hurts so bad. I can feel it in my chest like... like you're ripping my heart out and tearing it to pieces.," Ethan's voice rose shrilly, and tears flooded down his face freely as he relived the very moment in his nightmare which had stung him the most. The image of his best friend walking through the doorway of Ethan's like and not even bothering to look back after all they had been through together. Ethan had always wondered how different his life would have been had his mother stuck around, but Luke was a whole other story. If Luke were to leave right now, there was no telling just how quickly Ethan's life would crumble to pieces. "You're... you're my best friend, Luke, and I... I just... After my mom left, I just..." The strength sapped out of Ethan's body, and his voice softened so drastically it was hardly audible. He looked down, allowing his tears to fall onto the car seat beneath him. "I just can't lose another person. Not you. Never you..."

Luke seemed to be too stunned to move for a long while. He stared at Ethan, his expression unreadable. When he finally moved, Ethan flinched reflexively, but he didn't have to. Luke would never hurt him, and he knew that. Luke's hand cupped Ethan's face. He gently brushed away the tears from Ethan's good eye, looking deep into its depths. 

And the next thing Ethan knew, they were kissing.

Luke's lips were pressed against Ethan's softer pair firmly but not forcefully. They lingered for one second, two, then pulled away, leaving Ethan shocked to his core. For once, his ever-spinning mind was blank. Not a single troubled thought made its way forward. His lips tingled where Luke's had been only moments before, and he brought a hand up to brush his fingers across them as if he couldn't even begin to process what had just happened.

Luke didn't give him any time to. He took Ethan's hand in his own, drawing it away from Ethan's lips and towards his own. He placed a slow and tender kiss on the tips of his fingers and continued to look at him with those intense blue eyes. Even he looked a bit surprised by his actions but not at all regretful as he placed Ethan's heart on his chest and held it there so that he could feel his steady heartbeat. When he finally spoke, his voice was filled to the brim with a passion that Ethan could only pray he was not imagining. "Ethan, listen to me. You mean the world to me and more. You're the person that I think about all the time, even when I'm not trying to. Your smile is one of my favorite things in the world, and you deserve to show it more often. That's why I'm hoping that when I say this next part, I'll get to look at that smile." 

Luke brought Ethan's hand back to his side, wrapping his own arms around the smaller boy's torso and pulling him in close. He rested his head on top of Ethan's as his friend's face pressed into his chest. "I'm not going anywhere... not without you by my side."

For a long moment, the two friends sat like this. Ethan was rigid in Luke's arms as if he couldn't believe he was truly there. Eventually, his body relaxed and slowly but surely his arms rose to wrap themselves around Luke's back in return. His fingers clutched at Luke as if he might disappear into the night if he were to loosen his grip. He shivered as more tears, tears of joy, tumbled onto Luke's shirt. "I'm glad..." he whispered. "I'm so glad..." 

"Me too," Luke said through a soft grin. "Very."

When the two boys finally pulled apart with reluctance that was blatantly obvious, it took only a moment's hesitation before Ethan lunged forward and pressed another quick and inexperienced kiss against Luke's lips. Though he was sure he looked like a mess, he smiled brighter than he's smiled in all seventeen years of his life thus far. "I love you," he murmured, sniffling. 

One single tear escaped from Luke as he looked fondly at Ethan. "I love you too." He allowed the tear to reach the edge of his scar before he wiped it away and cranked his seat back to its proper place. "Enough of this sappiness though. What say you we go on a late-night adventure before your old man wakes from his slumber?" 

Ethan immediately fixed his seat, pressing another quick kiss on Luke's scarred cheek. He would never grow tired of this new activity: kissing his best friend... his boyfriend. "Usually I'd say that sounds like a terrible idea but right about now, I'd be willing to do anything as long as it was with you." He tentatively cuddled against Luke's shoulder as Luke shifted his car into drive. As Backbiter's tires began to spin, the taller boy's hand slipped down to Ethan's thigh, squeezing it.

"Living After Midnight" by Judas Priest began playing from the radio, and Luke twisted the knob that controlled the volume all the way up. He lowered all of the windows of his car, allowing the song to blast into the quiet neighborhood. Luke slammed his foot on the gas pedal and gave Ethan one last playful look. With that, the two sped off into the night, their laughs echoing joining together over the sound of Backbiter's engine.

Chapter Text

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Anyone who has ever been put in charge knows just how big of a responsibility it is to lead. Whether it be coworkers at a job, group projects at a school, or even siblings at home when parents are away, being in charge is simply not a task many can handle without cracking under pressure or throwing in the towel. When it comes to being the head counselor of a compact cabin chock-full of ADHD  demigods all no older than sixteen, there truly is no competition for which leadership role can put even people with the strongest of will to the test.

Being the sole provider and role model to a crew of impressionable, young demigods is a responsibility that takes its toll on one's mind, body, and soul to the extremes. Nearly all demigods are forced to grow up much too quickly due to the chaotic twists and turns that their lives tend to take, but this fact can be said doubly for those demigods who are chosen to lead, protect, and care for their cabinmates above all else. Perhaps the greatest example of this saddening but no less true phenomenon is that of Will Solace and the Apollo cabin. 

Will had been inducted into the cabin at a very young age when his mother Naomi Solace began taking her career as a rising alt-country singer more seriously. Though the mother and son had always been fairly close, the constant strain of the concerts and crowds made it rather difficult for Will to experience a normal childhood. (As if he'd had a chance to begin with. Demigods never had normal childhoods due to their godly parentage.) When Naomi's popularity continued to grow, and she began touring around the south, it became far too dangerous for Will to accompany her as murderous monsters were always drawn to the sweet scent of sunshine in his demigod blood. 

Though the parting had been teary-eyed, Will knew that the decision to place her only son in the care of Camp Half-Blood had not been an easy one for Naomi to make. He'd always been a responsible child, so he plastered on a brave face, took a deep breath, and promised to keep in touch so long as Naomi promised to send him a signed copy of every album she released. Both parties had kept their word with Will Iris-messaging his mother every week, and Naomi sending her platinum records with tear-splotched marker messages of how proud she was written on the covers to her son. 

At the time, Will had been the youngest member of the cabin and had been treated as such. He was the pretty boy everyone cooed over with his sun-kissed, freckle-splashed cheeks, eyes the color of sparkling sapphires, and golden waves atop his head. He was the type of kid that everyone wanted to squeeze the chubby cheeks of (which Will hated with a passion.) It didn't take too long for everyone to see just how deceiving looks could be when the little cherub of a demigod took instantly to tending to even the most serious and gory of wounds. (Demigods happen to get those a lot for some reason.) Even in his first days of learning in the infirmary under the close watch of the former head counselor Lee Fletcher, Will showed greater potential than everyone else in the cabin. He was modest about this though and truly only cared about providing the best care for his comrades that he could.

In time, Will was considered the camp's most formidable healer. Everyone who came to him always left in better shape than they had been in when they arrived, and even the most terrified and trembling demigod felt safe under his care. It wasn't just his impressive skills in healing that made Will a valued member of Camp Half-Blood. The son of Apollo had a great personality which he had inherited (alongside his good looks) from his mother. 

Will was sort of like a relaxed cat lying luxuriously in the sun. He was a very calm and collected guy the majority of the time, going whichever way the flow would take him. He had the extraordinary ability to diffuse even the tensest of situations, and the whole camp felt comfortable around him due to his unthreatening aura (until it came to athletics in which he was not afraid to pummel his opponents into the mud... and then heal them later.)  Everyone always gossiped about how exceptional of a cabin counselor he would be in time, but unfortunately, no one, especially not Will, knew just how soon that very statement would become reality. 

Before Will, there had been two other Apollo cabin counselors in his time at camp. The first counselor had been a great one for sure, one of the best. Lee Fletcher was his name, and he dedicated all of his time and energy to the camp and his cabin in the best way he could. Teaching archery lessons, leading the sing-a-longs at the campfire, and tending to the injured efficiently, Lee had made a name as one of the most active counselors when it came to camp activities. With his sandy blond hair and sky blue eyes, he was almost like a friendly golden retriever watching over his family of pups. Unfortunately, Lee had met his end much too quickly in battle (as many demigods do) with the club of a giant to the head. 

After Lee, the next oldest in line had been Michael Yew. If Lee had been like a golden retriever, Michael had been more like a weasel. At a stunted 4'6 in height with sharp and pointy features and an equally as terrifying bark and bite, Michael was definitely a vastly different counselor than Lee had been. It was his way or the highway, and he made sure everyone unfortunate to be in his vicinity knew that whether they wanted to or not (typically they didn't, though that meant nothing to Michael.) Despite his short fuse (pun intended,) Michael truly did care deeply for his cabin and would stop at nothing to make sure they were safe at all times. In this way, he had met his end when he refused to leave a booby-trapped bridge as his siblings retreated, sacrificing himself for the good of the camp and leaving the Apollo cabin without a counselor yet again.

This double catastrophe of counselor deaths left the Apollo cabin in a shadow of what it once was. The sunshiney sparks of hope that Lee and Michael and brought to the cabin had all but fizzled out, leaving it up to the next counselor to strike the match once more. As tradition goes, the counselor of the cabin was either the oldest of the cabin or a cabinmate who had been chosen by the oldest member to take their place. In this case, at fifteen years old, Will Solace was now the oldest member of the cabin and accepted his role as cabin counselor with steely determination.

While Lee and Michael had been sparks, Will was a roaring inferno. His empathy, drive, and countless other good qualities of leadership allowed him to give his siblings the boost they needed to return to a semblance of normalcy without Lee and Michael. Under Will's leadership, the Apollo cabin's sunny rays returned at full power, soaking the camp in warmth and unabashed joy once again. 

Of course, due to this acceptance of a new role, Will began to change. As said previously, being the cabin counselor was a great responsibility, and with great responsibilities comes great development in character. Will became even more mature than he had been, the childlike glint in his eyes hardening to a confident and dedicated light. As he forced himself to train harder and harder to prevent his siblings from ever having to lose a counselor in battle again, his muscles grew taut and sinewy. (There were even rumors that Will had gone out and gotten a tattoo on his pectoral from the Iris counselor Butch Walker.) The essence of a cat lazing in the sun luxuriously was now more like that of a cat lying with one eye open, relaxed but ready to jump into action at the drop of a hat when need be.

Because Lee and Michael had succumbed to the early deaths that all demigods recognized as a possibility and prayed would never happen to them, Will had to wipe away his tears and put on a brave face to show his siblings that he wasn't planning on going anywhere soon. To that promise, he held firm... perhaps too firm. Will could hardly remember the last time he had left the camp for anything other than a battle, Capture the Flag in the woods on Fridays, or to help some lost and confused pizza delivery guy find his way back to his truck. 

Will hadn't always been such a homebody. Before the untimely deaths of his older brothers, he had often returned to his old home with his mother in Austin, Texas during the school months. He would tag along on Naomi's concerts and try to catch up with his school work for as long as he could muster, but his attendance at camp was now imperative all 365 days of the year since he was both the camp's finest healer and the leader of his siblings. After all, the rest of his siblings were even younger than he was, so putting any of them in charge was surely not going to harbor any good results. And no one could reattach severed limbs or help deliver baby satyr-wind nymph hybrids as Will could. 

Despite this setback, Will Iris Messaged Naomi whenever he could find the time, but the sparse chats never really made up enough quality time to repair the newly created divide between the mother and son. 

Will also had that nasty habit that many parental figures develop of caring for others much more than he cared for himself. He'd often go days without sleeping just to make sure that everyone in the infirmary was comfortable and taken care of and that his siblings were always in bed before the harpies made their rounds. Often he would skip meals or forget to drink water, but he had absolutely no issue in reminding everyone else to stay healthy and hydrated. He was always contributing suggestions in an attempt to find solutions to whatever problems popped up in the camp, and if someone asked him for his help, he would put whatever he was doing aside and immediately give it 200% of his attention and assist in any way possible. Every counselor meeting without fail, a fight or scuffle of some sort always broke out among the other stressed and agitated teenagers, and Will was always there to mediate the situation so that no one got stabbed. 

The son of Apollo was also the most qualified person to guide any new demigods during their first terrifying days of camp. Due to his gentle and kind nature, he was the type of person who could make even the most traumatized young demigod feel safe and at home under his watch until they were comfortable enough to explore the godly part of their lives without a pillar of support to lean back on.

From archery training to music lessons to basic first aid, it seemed like Will's responsibilities never ceased; only growing more and more in number each day. It was seldom that he ever took a minute for himself to simply relax and recuperate. This was also reflected in his personal relationships outside of his family. Nobody loved their siblings more than Will did, but Will didn't exactly have many strong friendships outside of his counselor duties. He often had to turn down his close friends (whom he had grown up with before the war against Kronos) Cecil Markowitz and Lou Ellen Blackstone's desperate pleas for some much-needed friend time. Despite their protests, Will simply continued to work and work. 

There was no time for breaks. No time for lollygagging, having fun, relaxing, or living life outside of the role he was thrown into at such a young age. If you asked Will, there was no time at all, but there comes a time where every person must take a break, and Will was teetering closer and closer as the time went on. 

---------

Ugh, you would think with how fussy Austin is about his saxophone, he would know how to clean up after himself better when he's done in the infirmary. I've seen the Hermes cabin in better shape than this... and that's saying something! Will marched across the infirmary, a tub of sudsy lukewarm water sloshing about in the tin bucket he carried in his arms. He placed the bucket on the edge of one of the examining tables and touched his finger suspiciously to the surface, retracting almost immediately and sticking out his tongue in disgust. Blegh! I thought I told him to sort the medicine cabinet. What in the Hades could he have been doing in here that made everything so sticky? With a heavy sigh, he opened a nearby drawer and fished out a pair of rubber gloves, slipping them on over his hands and retrieving a sponge from the bucket. Scratch that; I don't even want to know.

The pristine infirmary in the Big House was currently a disaster in Will's eyes, though it looked just the same as it usually did from any normal person's point of view. There were a few empty medicine bottles strewn about, and the examination table was concerningly sticky, but there was nothing to be stressed about... unless you were Will, in which case there was always a reason to be stressed. The head counselor let out a huff of air that rustled his low-hanging hair as he began to scrub the table dutifully to rid it from its sticky situation. 

Many people in camp wondered why Will seemed to give the infirmary a complete washdown every single day because although demigods were always getting hurt and thus leaking all sorts of bodily fluids all over the place, the Apollo cabin was very good at keeping up with the mess under Will's careful direction. A popular conspiracy that local troublemakers Connor and Travis Stoll had started was that Will disappeared to clean the infirmary so often because it was the only time he could truly take time for himself. It was true that not many people can see their quality "alone time" as scrubbing every inch of a hospital setting, but Will was different. He found comfort in the intimidating medical instruments, cold, metal tables, and goofy posters of cartoon satyrs reminding demigods to never climb the lava wall without a pair of flame-resistant boots. It was his sanctuary where he could take a breath and pretend as though he knew how it felt to relax until someone burst through the doors with their internal organs on the exterior part of their body, and he would have to put himself back into focus mode. 

Today seemed quieter, more peaceful than usual. Of course, Will could hear the muffled sounds of a volleyball game taking place on the court nearby the Big House and the clashing and clanging of sword against armor in the arena across the river (that had to be the Ares cabin out there. No one else had battle cries that carried this far.) but it seemed less... chaotic than usual. Perhaps it was the scorching heat from the summer sun, draining all of the ADHD and unbridled, rambunctious energy from the members of the camp. Will personally thought it felt good, spreading through his muscles like a warm blanket of power. He always felt better when he knew his father Apollo was watching over him. 

No matter what the cause of the (nearly) peaceful afternoon was, it did not last long. It was cut off just as many of Will's alone times had the tendency of doing. There was a solid, rhythmic knocking on the door of the infirmary, and Will hardly managed to contain the heavy sigh that threatened to escape his lips. "Come in," he called, praying to the gods that it wasn't another Hephaestus kid missing a digit due to their latest invention going wrong. He could only take reattaching so many fingers and toes in a week before it got rather annoying, and the youngest and scrappiest member of the cabin Harley was really starting to test his patience. 

Will dipped the sponge in the bucket and squeezed it out, returning to scrubbing at the table without looking up. His acute, attuned-to-disaster hearing picked up the noise of what sounded like flip-flops padding across the floor towards him. They stopped somewhere slightly behind Will, and a tall shadow loomed over the much smaller Apollo cabin counselor. Percy? he thought only somewhat curiously. No, couldn't be. I don't smell that salty sea air he always has on him. In fact, it almost smells like... wine? No, that can't be. Grapes maybe? Fresh from a vine almost. Mr. D...?

"What's up, Doc?"  

The voice that spoke was deep and rumbly, but not in the grumpy old man way that the camp director Mr. D's voice was. It was more like rolling thunder in the far-off distance: strong but unthreatening. Frankly, it was not a voice that Will recognized off the top of his head, and that was unusual. He knew everyone in camp... or so he had thought. 

Turning his head sharply which caused his wavey hair to tousle into his eyes, Will took in a good look at the visitor. His eyes widened in surprise, but not because he didn't know them. He knew this person, he just hadn't seen him, really seen him in such a long time. 

Pollux? 

Pollux was the sole child of the camp director, who doubled as the god of wine, Dionysus. He had once been one in a pair of twins, but his brother Castor, like Lee and Michael, had met a gruesome and untimely end. This had left Pollux alone which had definitely made a deep impact on him in more ways than one. 

For one, Pollux and Castor had looked like little cherubs in the past with their chubby faces, soft and curly blond hair, and matching violet eyes the color of ripe grapes in a vineyard. Will had never been able to tell the two apart from little more than Castor's left-tilting smile and Pollux's right-tilting smile. After the death of his twin, Pollux had gone through a complete transformation as a person. His once pudgy frame had lost its baby fat, being replaced with solid, sinewy muscles that resulted from the endless days of training and sparring that Pollux committed to in his brother's name. Scars littered the once soft skin of Pollux's body, forming roadmaps to unknown destinations. 

He had hacked his pretty curls away, shaving the sides of his head and leaving only a tuft of blond hair in the middle that dipped down into his face slightly. Deep, dark circles were etched underneath Pollux's violet eyes that seemed much less vibrant now and had lost the playfulness they had once glimmered with. He was studded up and down with piercings all over his body, and there had been a few times where Will was pretty confident that he had seen more than a couple of tattoos on the older boy whilst tending to his wounds from training at one point.

Currently, Pollux was wearing a camp shirt with the sleeves cut off haphazardly, exposing his muscular biceps and the scars on his arm where he had broken it severely in The Battle of Manhattan. Will hadn't been sure he was going to be able to save it, but he managed to with a lot of nectar, ambrosia, and prayers to the gods late at night when no one was listening. Pollux's jeans were ripped (definitely do-it-yourself style,) and a chain hung from one of the pockets.

"Pollux," Will exclaimed brilliantly after standing and staring at Pollux for quite some time in silence, spurning a good-natured chuckle from the older counselor. 

"Yeah," Pollux agreed, nodding his head. "That's me. And you're Will. I think we've been acquainted once or twice before." 

This was obviously meant as a joke, but he wasn't that far off, Will thought. Apart from counselor meetings where Pollux kept to himself and a few training aftermaths, Will hardly ever saw Pollux. The only time he had ever really held a conversation with him was when he had cared for him after The Battle of Manhattan and even then the exchanges had been brief and strictly health-related. 

"I suppose we have," Will replied slowly, removing the rubber gloves from his hands and looking Pollux up and down (this time from the point of view of a medical professional and not some starstruck teenager.) "What brings you here? Did you get hurt in training? I heard the Ares cabin down there, and I know how reckless they can be. Or are you not feeling well? The heat can definitely upset some stomachs, and dehydration is no joke either--" 

Pollux laughed again, his lips curling into that tilted smile Will remembered from before the loss of Castor. He leaned back leisurely against the examining table behind him. "Slow down there, Sparky. I just came to visit. No need to worry." 

Will blinked several times. This was definitely not normal. Counselors were usually very friendly with each other, but he and Pollux...? Definitely not. There was no animosity, but there was no connection either. "You... did?" 

Putting his hands up in a "you caught me" motion, Pollux shrugged. "Eh, I guess I had an ulterior motive." 

Will blinked again, suddenly feeling very small as his blue eyes met Pollux's violet ones. The twins' eyes had always been very intense, making many people so uncomfortable that they would turn away when speaking to them. Up close and personal, Will was beginning to understand that. Swallowing quickly, words began to spew out of Will's mouth. "What I do for you can? I mean, what can you do for me? I mean--" 

That smile is just as crooked as I remember it...

"Gods, calm down, Solace. I'm not here to sell you anything or convince you to help me hide a body or anything like that. I just had a sort of proposition, I guess you could say." Pollux cocked a pierced eyebrow at Will. "You interested?"

Suddenly, the summer heat felt too hot... at least in Will's cheeks. No, wait. That was just the blood rushing to his face. Did he have a rapid onset fever? That was no good. 

"Depends on what you mean," Will managed at last, trying not to self-diagnose himself in his head as his heart began to race, and his palms grew sweaty. 

Without any sort of warning, Pollux clapped a firm and battle-worn hand onto Will's shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly in surprise. "Relax," the son of Dionysus murmured, looking into Will's eyes reassuringly. It was clear that he truly meant no harm, so Will took a deep breath and nodded. 

Pleased with Will's cooperation, Pollux fished in his back pocket until he pulled out two slips of laminated paper and extended them out for Will to examine. "Here's the deal: I go to Coachella every year with... a friend. Clovis. It's Clovis. He's the friend. Well, Clovis isn't here. Right now, I mean. He's not dead. Chiron sent him and that emo Hades kid to Camp Jupiter for some sort of camp mediation thing."

Will stayed quiet. There had been mediation between camps? Nico went? Why hadn't he noticed? Was Clovis making sure that Nico was following his strict doctor's orders? Why in the Hades would anyone send Clovis out of camp anyway? And what did any of this have to do with him? 

Obviously attempting to throw Will another line, Pollux spoke slowly. "A little birdie told me that you might be in need of a break." 

Blink blink.

"I don't follow." 

Pollux shook his head from side to side, his tuft of blond hair swooshing in front of his eyes. "Man, you really are focused on your duties, huh? I'm asking if you want to go in Clovis's place. You know... with me. To Coachella. Because I still have two tickets."

Blink blink blink. 

"I'm sorry, what?" 

Patiently, Pollux opened his mouth to repeat himself yet again, but Will held up his hand to stop him before he could start. "Sorry, I heard what you said, I just... I'm sorry, I guess I don't understand. You want me to go with you?" Surely that couldn't be right.

But Pollux simply nodded. "That is what I said, yes." 

Will stared at him questioningly. This was far from making any sense. "But... why? We've never... well, we've rarely talked. Isn't there, I don't know, someone else who can go?" 

The older counselor raised an eyebrow in bewilderment, turning on his heel slightly to head back towards the door and looking over his shoulder. "Wow, I kinda thought that any child of Apollo would jump on this offer, but I guess not. Weird. Thought you guys were all about music, dancing, and recreational drugs... wait, maybe that last part isn't an Apollo thing. Sorry, I was never good in Greek mythology class. Annabeth and Malcolm are sort of boring to listen to."

Always the brilliant one, Will flailed his arms a bit like a child who was not getting their way. "No, no, I am! I've always wanted to go to a music festival ever since my mom taught me what one was, but I never got a chance to go with her. But again, why me?" 

Pollux shrugged casually, resting back against the examination table once more now that he knew he had Will's attention. "Why not? I already said that Clovis can't go, so why waste a perfectly good ticket?" 

He's got me there... Will frowned. "I... I appreciate it. I really do, but I could never... I can't just leave. My cabin needs me. The infirmary needs me. The camp needs me." He stopped there, beginning to realize to he had stepped over the line of a responsible caretaker and into the boundary of self-absorption. Taking in Pollux's unswayed expression, he backtracked slightly. "Not to say that they don't need you, I just... What I mean is that I just don't think I would be able to go. I have so many responsibilities." And I'll leave it at that. Nice going, Motor Mouth. 

Slowly, Pollux shook his head once more and raised his hand to stop Will from starting again. "Hey, hey. Listen, I already talked to my old man about it, and he gave you his express permission to come with me." 

Will raised his eyebrows. Mr. D actually allowed for a demigod to have fun? Who was this stranger, and what had he done with the crotchety and vengeful old god who laughed at the sight of crying babies and refused to get the name of anyone he knew correct out of spite? "He... did?" 

A cheeky, Chesire cat-like grin spread over Pollux's features. "Well... I guess his exact words were something along the lines of "who in the Hades is Will Solace?" but it was all in the subtext and body language, I swear." Extending the hand with the tickets once more, he looked into Will's eyes expectantly, hopefully even. "So... will you join me? It would mean a lot to me, and I think you would really like it." 

A moment of silence passed where Will searched desperately in his mind for any other reason to say no before his eyes landed on a small line of text on the tickets. Aha! His escape! "Pollux, these tickets say you have to be eighteen to even attend without a guardian. Neither of us are eighteen, and I highly doubt that Mr. D is going to chaperone for you. I don't even think he can with his restrictions and all. We can't go." 

"That is literally the worst excuse you could try with me," Pollux chided Will playfully with a roll of those intense violet eyes. "My pops is the literal god of parties, so it's not like he doesn't have his ways, and, believe it or not, he actually does care about his kids. There are little things I can get away with by throwing some names and my allowance around. You'd be amazed by the shenanigans I get up to." With that final admission of being a deviant, Pollux winked mischievously. This made Will flustered... concerningly flustered. 

Hesitating, Will weighed his options. On the one hand, as he had said, he had always wanted to go to a music festival. What true Apollo kid wouldn't? The music, the dancing, the all-around pure joy and excitement in the air as people connected with nature and harmony... But on the other hand that felt disproportionately heavier, Will was a head counselor. Pollux may not have siblings to care for anymore, but Will did... a lot of them, and they relied on him. And who would take over the infirmary if something were to go wrong (and they always did.) None of his siblings nor any of the other campers in Camp Half-Blood were as adept at healing as he was. There were so many horrible possibilities flashing through his mind. And yet... there was genuine hope in those violet eyes... 

"Grr... okay! Fine. I'll go with you," Will snapped, reaching for the ticket. 

Pollux's entire face lit up, and as he passed the ticket to the smaller boy, he interlocked his fingers through Will's. "Great! This is great! Thanks, Solace!" 

As if it weren't already reaching concerning levels, more blush flooded Will's cheeks. He stared at his hand in Pollux's marveling at how small and soft it looked compared to the other boy's. And just how well it fit there. Stop that. "I should be the one thanking you... I think? So... thank you?" 

Without warning, Pollux threw his arms around Will. It was a very good thing that from this angle, the taller boy could no longer see Will's face. Fifty shades of red. "You won't regret this, I promise. But you might wanna start packing your bags. We leave tomorrow if you didn't read the date on the tickets." 

With that final statement, Pollux detached himself and trotted over to the door with much more energy than he had had walking in. He looked over his shoulder one more time at Will, seemingly not noticing the malfunctioning son of Apollo's face. "See you tomorrow, Solace!" 

Fainting had never been a thing that Will was prone to doing, but at this moment in time, he felt damn near close. 

---------

After recovering from the initial shock that was Hurricane Pollux, Will went ahead and did the responsible thing by checking in with Chiron. The gentle centaur wasn't exactly the one in charge, but in the current state of overstimulation that Will was in, he'd much rather take his chances with Chiron than being dragged into a game of pinochle with Mr. D (who always cheated.) He had expected Chiron to be horrified about the prospect of losing his most valued healer for a few days, but he was shocked to see that he was, in fact, the complete opposite. 

The centaur was ecstatic, claiming that he had been hoping that Will would ask to get out soon as he deserved it for all of the hard work that he put into his duties. He reassured the bewildered (and slightly hurt) boy that everything at camp would be just fine and just to enjoy himself. With that, he gave his express permission and hustled Will back to his cabin to begin packing for his weekend expedition. 

Once in the cabin, Will gathered his crew of siblings around his bunk and announced that he would be leaving. He had expected tearful protests, but all of his siblings seemed to be... relieved. His most sassy sister Victoria even had the nerve to be all dramatic with a "Thank the gods. I was beginning to think your social life was officially dead." Despite this blatant and heartless betrayal from his half-siblings, Will allowed them to help him pack everything he would need for the road ahead. The majority of their suggested luggage was reasonable such as bug spray, sunblock, and snacks for the road, but a few of the items were discarded. (Will really didn't think that the signed copy of Michael Bublé's Christmas hits was necessary.) 

Bright and early in the morning (much more early than Will would have deemed possible for Pollux) the Dionysus counselor was at the door for the Apollo cabin with a suitcase and a goofy grin on his face. Will gave each of his siblings a hug and a kiss on the cheek (even Victoria though she put up a very good fight) and definitely didn't cry when he told them goodbye. There was absolutely no evidence. 

First, Pollux said after greeting Will much more warmly than Will had expected from the intimidating guy, they had to make a pit stop at the Big House to tell Mr. D goodbye. They picked up a quick and early breakfast from the dryads who were just a little groggy in the roots along the way as well as grabbing a few discreet weapons just in case there were monsters though Pollux assured Will he'd never seen any in all the years of attending. (Unless you considered some of the people there who acted way out of pocket. Yes, those were monsters, he supposed.) 

Upon arrival at the Big House, Chiron seemed a bit more teary-eyed than he had been the day before when Will had asked for permission which made him feel a little smug. Despite the tears, he gave each of the boys a hug and a small pack of ambrosia. With that, he ushered them reluctantly to Mr. D's room who simply gave Pollux a grunt of acknowledgment and a large wad of cash. This made Will gasp in utter disbelief, but Pollux dismissed it with a shrug as if this was a normal occurrence. Perhaps Mr. D truly did care for his son... financially at least.

Now, it was go time. Right on the dot, Argus arrived at the entrance of the camp in his dilapidated surferesque van and honked twice despite the two boys being right there waiting for him. Pollux immediately hopped into the passenger seat which caused Argus to roll his eyes (and if you've ever seen a man with eyes covering his entire body roll his eyes... well, it's interesting, to say the least.) Will, on the other hand, opted to climb politely into the back with the luggage, looking wistfully out the window at Camp Half-Blood as it receded into the distance. He felt a nagging tug in his chest saying that he should still be there, and right about now would be the time his cabin would wake up for cabin inspection and breakfast. Would they really be okay without him? 

"They're going to be okay, you know." 

It was as if Pollux was reading his mind. Will turned his head lethargically to look at Pollux with sad, droopy eyes. The older boy was turned around in his seat, his hands resting on the shoulder of his seat. A pair of dark shades sat atop his head, and there was a pair of old, bedraggled earbuds hanging around his neck. Will had no idea where he had gotten them and why he was even allowed to have them in the first place as using technology attracted monsters to demigods like flies to honey, but he chose not to question it. Perhaps it was a gift from his father to say "Hey, I'm aware of your existence. Now stop bothering me."

"Do you really think so?" Will asked softly, resting his chin on the palms of his hands. 

"I know so." Pollux shot Will a bright grin that was so powerful that Will felt it spreading onto his own face. The excitement exerting from Pollux seemed to bubble up against Will's chest, and suddenly he felt just a bit better. He was going to Coachella! This was every Apollo kid's dream, and he had Pollux to thank for that. "Aw, now that's what I like to see. Smiling is a good look on you." Pollux popped one of the earbuds into his ear and handed another to Will. "Now how do you feel about Black Sabbath?" 

---------

Argus arrived at the airport in record speed it seemed, though it may have just seemed faster because Will had gotten lost in Pollux's music before promptly falling asleep with his head on Pollux's seat. When Argus honked the horn, it shocked him awake only to see Pollux looking at him with half-lidded eyes and a lazy smile etched upon his lips just a few centimeters away from his face. Will apologized profusely and gave Pollux back his earbud while Pollux simply stated he had no idea why Will was apologizing, thanked Argus for the ride, and began collecting his luggage.

The airport went much smoother than Will had anticipated with the only monster they had to deal with being the monstrous line for the plane they were boarding. In the meantime, they loaded up on airport snacks and when it finally grew time to board the plane, Pollux took the reigns and guided Will through the procedures. 

Will had never been on an airplane. He and his mother always road around in an old, rickety truck or, at times, a rental bus, but those did not come anywhere near flying through the sky. Will had chosen the window seat with childlike adamance and was utterly mystified by the clouds the entire flight (though Pollux tried to convince him that the movie he was watching was much more interesting.) Once or twice Will fell prey to the demon that was airplane food, but he made a mental note that he would never be so foolish again. After several hours, they landed smoothly, and the two boys stepped out into a Californian airport.  

It took a few moments for them to gather themselves and stretch, but after they had their feet planted firmly on the ground, Pollux grabbed their luggage and tossed them into a cab that waved at Pollux and drove off. Will was highly distressed at this, having only kept his fanny pack of essentials on him, but Pollux waved his worries off by reassuring him that the cab driver was a friend who would take their belongings back to the hotel they would be staying at later that night. With that, Pollux took Will by the hand and pulled him along to the rental car he had purchased, and they began their drive to Coachella.

Will was worried that it would be too late for any festivities and wondered if they should just go home for the day and wait for tomorrow, but Pollux assured him that Coachella began around eleven and lasted until midnight or one in the morning depending on what day it was and how crazy things were. This did not really reassure Will, but he gave in and relaxed as Pollux sang along to the radio in a surprisingly beautiful voice that did not match his appearance in the slightest. At first, Will refrained from singing along, but when Black Parade by My Chemical Romance played, he had no choice but to join in. He had never been the best singer (in fact, he might be one of the worst in camp,) but Pollux simply laughed and bumped shoulders with Will as they met in an off-key duet. 

When they finally arrived at Coachella, Will was absolutely stunned by the immense size of the event. There were seven large stages, all playing live music from bands, singers, and more, and there were many incredible statues and other art pieces set out as well. People were everywhere, dancing, singing, jumping around, letting loose, and genuinely having a good time. There were lights and colors everywhere, assaulting the eye in the most pleasant and stimulating of ways, and music blared everywhere you stood. On top of that, delicious scents of foods that the dryads could never hope to prepare (mostly because they only prepared healthy food) wafted through the air and took hold of everyone's noses. 

For a moment, all Will could do was just stand there with his mouth agape and his eyes wide with wonder, but after a little nudge from Pollux, he was absolutely ready to begin exploring. 

The two demigods had an amazing time, mingling with the crowd and joining them in their states of utter freedom and enjoyment. Will found quite a few new songs he would have to bring back to the campfire and some art pieces that Kayla was sure to go gaga over. Pollux was a great guide, always making sure that Will was by his side (in fact, he never really stopped holding his hand.) He provided water when the heat grew to be too much (even for an Apollo kid,) and he was always willing to sit and take a breather with Will so that the counselor wouldn't get too overstimulated by all of the action assaulting his senses. Best of all, Pollux was an authentically fun person to be around. 

It seemed like the Dionysus kid knew all of the lyrics to every song in existence, able to change his tone of voice and emotion to fit any song that happened to be played no matter what genre. His dance moves weren't bad either. In fact, they were quite impressive. He told jokes that had Will doubling over in laughter, stories that made Will gasp and giggle, and smiled like there was truly no other way to be in this place. Will found himself relaxing greatly in his presence, trusting him (and enjoying his company) more and more as the time went on. 

Just a few days ago, if someone had waltzed into the infirmary and told Will that he would be in California at Coachella with Pollux soon, he would have offered to take their temperature. Now that he was really here, experiencing his biggest dream, he wouldn't have had it any other way. It was such luck that Clovis had been called off to Camp Jupiter with Nico like that. To think, it would have been him instead of Will right now.

Hmm, I guess I never really thought that over too much... Clovis...? At Coachella...?

At a particularly loud live concert, Will plugged his ears and blinked sharply to ground himself. He bumped Pollux with his hip, and Pollux immediately turned to him with that 100-watt smile of his. "You doing okay, Solace?" 

Will nodded but motioned to an area that wasn't so crowded in the distance near a large statue of an astronaut. Pollux caught his drift, using his height to his advantage as he shimmied his way through the crowd like a very funky Moses. When the two reached the area and Will could finally hear himself think again, he let out a small sigh of relief and spoke what was on his mind. "You know, I can't even begin to imagine Clovis enjoying something like this," he confessed, thinking about the sleepy head (pun intended) counselor of the Hypnos cabin. The guy liked to sleep far too much, and it was usually a struggle just to get him out of bed for breakfast in the morning. Will simply could not fathom the idea of him lasting two seconds in Coachella.

Pollux snorted, pointing a finger at Will's chest. "You clearly don't know him then."

Will frowned at Pollux's finger, brushing it away. "The guy who sleeps all day every day and can barely speak two sentences without slipping away to dreamland? No, I don't suppose I do. Enlighten me. What does Clovis find appealing about Coachella?" 

Pollux's eyes grew wistful as he thought aloud. "His favorite part is the artwork what with him being an artist himself and everything. Well, a painter more like, but that qualifies obviously. He could spend hours in the artists' areas. In fact, he does. I almost have to drag him away to make sure he has some real fun."

That's... unexpected. How come I never knew that? Will blinked. "Clovis is a painter?" Will the Brilliant had struck again. Someday he would learn to simply shut up, but that day was clearly not today. 

The son of Dionysus laughed, still seeming to be thinking of good memories. "Oh yeah. Really profound shit. Usually, he paints concepts based on his dreams or those three AM thoughts that he bothers me about in the dining pavilion and the campfire. Lots of colors and shit." His eyes sparkled. "And he's a big fan of music on top of that. You've never seen him get going when he heard a good beat drop. The kid's got moves. Not great moves but moves nonetheless."

For a split second, images of Clovis attempting (and emphasis on attempting) to do some of the wild dance moves Will had seen some of the people doing today invaded his mind, and he couldn't help but giggle. Still, out of politeness, he covered his mouth to muffle it. "Wow, I would have never guessed there was that much to him." 

Smiling fondly, Pollux let his gaze drift across the crowd. "Listen, he might seem like a simple enough guy, and not a lot of people give him the time of day, but he's great. Really. One of the best."

Ouch. Why did my heart twinge like that? Did I have too much caffeine earlier? Whatever, now is not the time for any problems to start flaring up... or was that... jealousy? But... why? 

"I'm sure he's great," Will replied a little bit too quickly, causing Pollux to blink questioning. However, the older boy opted not to ask about it. 

"Why don't we take a break from the craziness over here and take in some more of the art? I'm pretty sure I saw a statue of a dog riding a skateboard over there." 

Will dipped his head in agreement, following Pollux as he began the trek to the aforementioned dog that was probably way cooler than Will was being right now. He squeezed Pollux's hand once, twice, and then loosened his grip and looked down at the grass as they walked. Why do I feel so weird? Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all... No. No! I came here to have fun, and I have been doing just that. I'm not going to ruin this for myself or Pollux! Whatever is wrong with me can wait until we get back to the hotel. Now shape up, emotions. I'm about to see a dog on a skateboard. 

---------

A few more hours had passed, and the sun was beginning to dip down into the horizon. Coachella was still going in full swing, but Will was definitely beginning to feel a little sluggish as if his body just now recognized that being tired and hungry were things it could do. His stomach rumbled as the two walked through a quieter section of the festival, and Pollux with those overly pierced ears managed to pick it up as embarrassing as it was. He chuckled, stopping to give Will a sympathetic glance. 

"Yeah, that's the one thing about festivals. You have so much fun that you forget to do basic human necessities like eating. Lucky for you, I always come prepared with extra drachma... and dollars. There's a taco stand run by a friendly Scythian dracaena named Ssssssunflower here every year, and her tacos are legendary. Want me to score you one?"

Will held up his hands in protest. It had been his own fault he hadn't packed a granola bar or something into his fanny pack, and besides, Pollux had done so much for him already. He could surely wait until they returned to the hotel. "You don't have to do that, Pollux." 

"No, but I want to," Pollux beamed. 

Gods, maybe this kid should have been an Apollo kid. No, nope. That would be weird. But still... I can't ever remember a time where he smiled this much, even before Castor... A darker side of Will took over his thoughts for a split second. Does he smile like this around Clovis?

Will's stomach growled again, more urgently this time, cutting off the tracks of the random Clovis hate train that had apparently left the station just today. 

"Besides, your stomach seemed to disagree with that." 

Equally embarrassed by his caterwauling stomach and his out-of-place thoughts, Will covered his gut self-consciously. "Yeah, I guess you're right." 

Pollux nodded ever so patiently. Will had never met a demigod who had as much patience as Pollux. Perhaps it came with age? He's only a year older than you, stupid. Oh yeah. Gods you're mean today. "I'll go get us some tacos. You just go chill on the grass over there and try not to get kidnapped. Just kidding. Probably. Be right back." With that, Pollux began jogging towards a taco stand in the far distance. He stopped to look over his shoulder and wave at Will once, and then he melted into the crowd of people. 

Now Will was alone. Maybe that was for the best. He needed to collect himself for a moment so that he didn't keep thinking these... thoughts. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes with a sigh, reveling in the feeling of his tan skin soaking up the sun's rays. I'm so glad I agreed to this, Will began to think cautiously, hoping that his brain would behave itself. This is the most fun I've had in years. Maybe even in my life. And it's all because of Pollux. 

Though they had just begun talking the day before, Will felt as if he had known Pollux for years. Technically, they had. Neither of them had ever made a move to talk to each other before though. Or maybe Pollux had tried to talk to me, and I didn't notice because I was so busy? Oh, gods, could we have been friends way sooner if I just relaxed a little? Maybe everyone's right; I am missing out. 

Will shook his head, setting his jaw determinedly. Well, not anymore. From now on, I'm gonna get out there and live my life. I'm gonna talk to my friends and hang out with them and maybeevengoonacanoeridewithPolluxifhe'sokaywiththat--

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Will's face, blocking out the sun's dying rays. One of his blue eyes popped open to see a beautiful young Black woman in bright yellow clothing and round-rimmed glasses peering down at him amicably. Her hair was mostly covered by a matching yellow headwrap with pretty floral designs on it, but a few pieces of her charcoal-colored hair hung out from it, no doubt having been danced free from the wrap. Her eyes were dark and warm like a cup of coffee with milk swirling in the depths. She reminded Will slightly of Nico's sister Hazel who was equally as beautiful and kind-looking so long as you stayed on her good side. 

Having noticed that Will was awake, the woman began to speak. "Hey, sorry to bother you, dude, but you're the one who's been walking around with that guy with all the piercings right? And those wicked purple eyes?"

It was as if all the healing Will had just done to get over those feelings he had had earlier had been thrown to the side. Instantly, he felt defensive, narrowing his eyes at the woman with distrust. "Who's asking?" he growled in an uncharacteristically gruff voice. 

The lady held up her hands in a symbol of peace, looking none too threatened by Will's show of aggression. "No need to get worked up, man. I promise I'm not one of those festival creeps your guardians probably warned you about. I'm just a free spirit who loves music, like you." 

There was no hint of malice in this woman's voice, so Will allowed himself to relax, wondering why he had gotten all bothered in the first place. He shuffled slightly, looking down at the ground in shame at how he had treated this stranger. "Sorry. It's just my first time here."

The lady smiled and nodded knowingly. "I could tell." 

Will blushed, allowing his hair to fall into his face slightly. Was it that obvious? 

"Hey, it's all good man. Just keep an eye on your belongings and go wherever the flow takes you. You'll be just fine, especially since you're here with a friend!" said the woman empathetically, flashing another bright smile at Will through his hair hideaway. Nothing about this woman radiated any sort of negativity. Her vibes were all sunshine and rainbows. Will had half a mind to consider the possibility that she could be some wayward demigod of Iris or perhaps even Apollo. She had a very similar character to his sister Kayla, and it made his heart fill with a mixture of nostalgic comfort. 

Before Will could say anything in response, the woman spoke again, knocking her palm against her head softly and then placing her hands on her knees as she bent down to look at Will eye-to-eye with a mildly apologetic look in her eyes. "Sorry! I have a tendency to get off track, but I actually did come over here for a reason, believe it or not. Like I asked before, you were with that purple-eyed blond guy, right?" 

Will blew a puff of air at his hair to rid it from his and nodded slowly. He was warming up to this woman, but he still had the right mind to stay on guard at least a little bit. He had no idea what relation this stranger had to Pollux and though there probably wasn't any bad blood (Will wasn't sure this lady was capable of hurting so much as a fly) it was better to stay safe than sorry.

"He didn't dip, did he? I would be a total bummer if he did." 

The suspicion and defensiveness began bubbling in the cauldron of his chest once more. Maybe it would be better if this woman was angry with Pollux for some reason. Will wasn't so sure how comfortable he was with her being close to his new friend. He felt a strange... claim to him as if because he had spent the day with Pollux, he was different than this woman. "He just went to get some supposedly legendary tacos for us. He should be back any minute now... probably." 

Those coffee-colored eyes sparkled excitedly, and the woman's smile didn't falter. "Oh, that's stellar! I've been meaning to talk to him all day. He dropped something when he was here last year with that other guy who had the goofy slippers on. Things were so crazy last year though, and he must have been leaving when he dropped it because I didn't see him or the other guy the rest of the festival. I've been hanging onto it since then hoping that I would run into him again by fate or something so that I could return this thing to its owner. And whaddya know? I did! Crazy how the world works." Motioning to the empty grass beside Will, she continued. "You care if I pop a squat here until he comes back?" 

Will shrugged, still feeling... odd. Still, this woman clearly meant no harm. There was no reasonable argument to tell her to go away, and Will wasn't a cold-hearted person... usually. "Be my guest."

"Gladly!" 

With a whump, the lady allowed herself to fall back on the grass, stretching out her arms and legs, taking a deep breath, and letting it out appreciatively. "Doesn't the sun just feel amazing?" she asked, not nearly quiet enough to be to herself. She arched her back in a stretch, wriggled in content. 

That I can agree with, Will thought, tilting his head back to look at the colors of melting sorbet in the sky as the sun set deeper and deeper. The dying rays were just strong enough to warm his skin, but the slightest of nighttime breezes fluffed his hair ever so lightly.

The two sat in peaceful, comfortable silence for a few moments before Will could no longer stand the question that had formulated in his mind the moment the lady had explained her mission. "So, what exactly is this destiny item you mentioned? What did P-- my friend drop?" When did I start calling Pollux my friend? Weird. 

"Oh, yeah! Guess I could have shown you, so I didn't leave you sitting on a cliffhanger, huh? Sorry, my dude!" The lady fished in the small smiley face-shaped handbag she had been carrying on her for a moment before pulling out a black leather necklace with a collection of beads on it. Each of the beads was handpainted with colorful symbols though these beads were scuffed heavily, and the leather seemed to be darker in some areas as if stained by some sort of rusty substance. 

Will immediately recognized the necklace as one of the ones that were handed out to every demigod after they reached the end of their first summer at Camp Half-Blood (if they survived, that is.) Pollux had dropped this? Was it his? If so, then how was it that Will could remember him wearing his today? Had he gotten a replacement after he had returned home last year? That seemed unlikely. Mr. D would have given him an earful for causing him any sort of mild inconvenience. It was more likely that Mr. D would have told him "tough luck," and Pollux would have been left without one from then on. 

There was a slim chance that it was Clovis's, and Pollux had simply been hanging onto it for him at the time. The Hypnos campers were a tough topic to tackle when it came to camp necklaces due to their severe narcolepsy. Will and the other Apollo campers often debated with Chiron about switching to a bracelet alternative or at least offering them so that if a sleepy camper fell asleep in a strange position as they tended to do, they wouldn't get choked to death in their sleep by their necklace in some freak accident. But still, Will was pretty sure that Clovis had his necklace at the campfire the night before he had left with Pollux... Then whose necklace was it?

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? You look like you're thinkin' pretty hard there, but don't strain your brain."

The festival-goer's words cut through Will's meandering train of thought and brought him back down to earth (ironically.) He blinked a few times to reign his focus back into the task at hand and gave the woman an apologetic look.  "Sorry, sorry. I was just trying to think of why my friend would have had that on him..." On a spur-of-the-moment idea, Will extended his palm. "Here, why don't you let me hang onto it for now. I'll put it in my fanny pack so you don't have to worry about it anymore. It was really good of you to hang onto it for so long. If this is really his, I'm sure he'll be really happy to see it back."

"Be my guest, man," the lady replied, handing over the necklace with more trust than Will had expected. "Say, what exactly brought you here by the way? What's your scene? The art? The music? The smell of sweaty people in dire need of deodorant from every angle? Spill the beans."

Deciding to just go ahead with his instincts and trust this woman, Will began to tell his tale of being dragged into a free Coachella ticket with a boy he hardly knew prior to yesterday. This story seemed to open the floodgates, and Will opened up about his siblings and mother (leaving out certain details of the demigod variety.) The woman simply smiled and nodded, putting in her two cents wherever it was required. 

This was new. Will was used to being the go-to therapist for... well, pretty much everyone in the camp. Almost everyone, including Mr. D, had been in his cabin to rant and vent about their problems to him though he never really asked. Despite this, he always listened and tried to help wherever he could though the mind and the body were two entirely different animals, and to be frank, Will much preferred to set a broken arm than listen to Leo's girl troubles. It felt nice to be on the talker's end for once. His work-worn shoulders were beginning to release the tension he hadn't known was there but had surely built up over the many years of shenanigans he had dealt with. He'd needed this far more than he'd even considered. 

Eventually, when the sun was nearly completely gone beneath the horizons, Pollux finally stepped back into view with two delectably-scented paper bags in his muscled arms. Will hardly noticed him at first, still very engaged in conversation with the festival-goer, but when Pollux cleared his throat, Will snapped back to attention. 

"I see you've made a friend," Pollux grunted amiably, nodding his head to the woman next to Will who had also sat up to see the identity of the looming shadow figure. 

"Oh, awesome! You're back!" Will surged to his feet, his mouth watering at the spicy scent of the Mexican food in Pollux's arms. "That smells great." 

"Sure does!" The festival-goer exclaimed, licking her lips and standing to speak to Pollux. "I saw you at Coachella last year. Do you recognize me?" 

Pollux smirked, taking in the girl's appearance appreciatively. "How could I forget? You had some wicked dance moves."

"You weren't too shabby yourself"

As if on command, Will immediately moved over to stand beside Pollux almost possessively. He may have had a friendly conversation with this woman, but that didn't mean there weren't still some rooted feelings leftover. I wish I knew why I'm acting so... weird. Maybe I just miss my friends at camp... I wish I could just chill out, but why is she looking at him like that? Does she think he's hot or something? Does he think she's hot? Why do I care?!

While Will was trapped in a battle with his thoughts, the lady and Pollux chattered amongst themselves obliviously, having a grand old time and not bothering to notice that Will's inner turmoil. Eventually, the woman's lazy gaze trailed back to Will, and she switched subjects immediately. "He's not the sleepy guy that was with you last time, right?" 

"Yeah, my regular couldn't come this year. This is Will. He's a friend of mine."

Will's fluttering heart felt both swollen and deflated at that word. Friend. On one hand, he was incredibly flattered (and relieved) that Pollux thought highly enough of him to consider him a friend, but something about being called "friend" just didn't sit right... 

The next sentence that flowed from the lady's mouth was directed at Will again. "Well, you're very lucky to have such a radical guide to the party scene. I hope you're having tons of fun because your buddy here is certainly the one who could do that for you."

You think I don't know that? Will simply nodded, stepping closer to the taller boy. Absent-mindedly, his fingers brushed against Pollux's, causing him to blush and his brows to furrow slightly. "Yeah, we're having a lot of fun. Together." Stop being weird. You're being weird. 

Pollux looked down at Will questioningly but didn't move his hand away. Before he could ask Will why he was being so... not Will, a voice called out loudly from across the grass. When the trio looked up, a tan woman with long, scarlet hair in a braid was waving to the lady. She was holding a bag of some sort of food and ushering to it pointedly. 

A fond smile curled up the lady's lips, and she gave the other woman a thumbs-up to signal she would be over there soon. "Sorry dudes, my girlfriend must have been looking for me and bought some of that orange chicken I'm in love with to lure me back. Well, mission accomplished. Kudos to her. I gotta go. It was nice to meet you both. Good vibes all around!" Without another word, she gave each of the boys a hug and dashed off to her girlfriend excitedly (much like a dog who was happy to see its owner after a long day's work.) Neither of the demigods managed to get in even a polite goodbye. 

For a moment, Will and Pollux were left recovering from the high-energy encounter. Will, noticing just how closely he was standing to Pollux, backed off slightly and hoped that Pollux hadn't noticed or been bothered. Pollux didn't ask though and simply turned to look at him with eyes that sparkled in the dimming light. "She was nice."

"Y-yeah," Will murmured. "Thanks for getting that food. It really does smell close to godly... even though you did take forever to bring it back," he added in mock irritation. 

Pollux feigned hurt, bumping Will's shoulder good-naturedly. "You've got some nerve, Solace. The lines for this stuff usually wrap around the area. You're just lucky I have friends in high places, little mister impatient." He looked up, noticing a few stray stars beginning to become visible in the darkening sky. "For that comment, I think I'm going to make you wait a little longer for your Crunch Wrap Supreme. Let's head back to the hotel and pop a squat on something comfier than grass to enjoy this feast of kings. What say you, o great counselor of Apollo?"

Will huffed, sticking up his nose and crossing his arms. "I say that your idea isn't terrible, but don't the festivities continue until like... midnight? Aren't we going to miss some of the concerts?" 

Pollux shrugged. "As a festival first-timer, you really don't wanna stay past sundown. Trust me on that one. Now quit your yapping and help this old man carry the burdens you have forced him to purchase with his measly life earnings," the son of Dionysus jested, hunching his back like an old man and taking on a frail lilt to his voice. 

Taking one of the paper bags (that were still incredibly warm,) Will stuck his tongue out at his friend as he began to lead the way to where they had parked. "Oh, please. You're only a year older than me, and you're definitely spoiled rotten in the money department. Don't think I didn't see Mr. D slip you that fat wad of cash." 

A genuine laugh rumbled out of Pollux, causing Will to fill up with a warm and happy feeling. He liked seeing Pollux enjoying himself. It made him feel happy too. "Okay, you got me there. Onwards, companion. To the resting place of the mightiest of demigod heroes!" 

---------

It was pretty dark by the time the two made it to the hotel, but that could have been partially due to the fact that they pulled into some restaurant's parking lot and gorged themselves on the tacos before they had even gotten to the right street. The savory smell had won over their strength of will, and they couldn't wait any longer to chow down. Besides, on the corner the restaurant sat on, a man in an old, snazzy suit was playing the saxophone, and Will, like any good for anything Apollo kid, couldn't resist sitting and watching after the two boys had finished eating. 

The man reminded Will of Austin down to the way he tapped his foot as he played, lost in the music he was making. Due to this revelation, Will pleaded with Pollux (and definitely didn't use that adorable, freckled baby-face of his) to tip the musician extra. The man tipped his hat in thanks and continued blowing his beautiful notes into the night. 

After listening to a few songs, Pollux managed to drag Will away and back to the car where they finally drove to their destination. Along the way, the topic of Pollux's comfortability and knowledge of places outside of camp arose. Will was ever so curious as to why Pollux could leave the camp without, I don't know, being ripped a new one by his father? It was absolutely perplexing to Will who hardly even had the time to consider stepping foot outside of the camp without the fear of the camp director finding out looming overhead.  

"I just don't get it, Pollux. You just seem so... travel savvy," Will stated, looking out the window at the blurring scenery outside of the car. The night air felt cool on his face and blew his hair around haphazardly. "That's not typically a phrase that people use to describe demigods, you know." 

Pollux adjusted his mirror, his other hand's fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel to the beat of the alt-rock song that played through the fizzling speakers of the rental car. "Trust me, I know," Pollux responded with a snort. "I wasn't always like that. I mean, I always went to my mom's during the school months, but other than that I was a homebody... camp-body? Whatever. But, things change, you know? I was tired of rotting in my bed all day long at camp, looking up at the same ceiling every single day of my life. I wanted to see the sights..." he trailed off for a moment before correcting himself. "He wanted to see the sights. Castor, I mean. I didn't really care either way. After he passed, I guess... I don't know. I didn't want his dream to die with him."

Will blinked. This was the first time that Pollux had brought up his deceased twin in the past two days. He had almost forgotten which made him feel pretty stupid and guilty. Surely it was not so easy for Pollux to forget. He stayed silent, not knowing what to say. He was thankful when Pollux continued without any ushering.

"Now that I'm the only one in my cabin and coming up on adulthood, I can pretty much go wherever I want whenever I want as long as I let Dad know and promise to be careful," Pollux's eyes clouded over in deep thought. "Actually, I've been really thinking about the future lately. Have you heard about New Athens? It's like the New Rome that the Camp Jupiter campers have but for us. Annabeth and Chiron have been working on it for ages now, and they tell me it should be ready by my eighteenth birthday... I'm definitely planning on it. It would be so nice to just... start over." 

Will's eyes widened in alarm, a sharp pain stabbing through his chest. After all these years of never speaking to the lonesome son of Dionysus, they spontaneously go on a trip, have a great deal of fun, and become friends, and now Pollux was thinking about moving... and soon? This seemed cruel. "I guess... I guess I never thought that far ahead..." Will lowered his eyes, resting his cheek on his palms. "I hope it all goes well for you. I mean, I'm sure it will, but... you know. Well wishes and everything." 

"Thanks, Will," Pollux replied softly, and when Will's eyes flitted to look at him, Pollux was already giving him a warm and grateful look that made his body heat up from his head to his toes. He turned away and stayed silent the rest of the car ride to the hotel. Thankfully, that wasn't an incredibly long time. 

The check-in was virtually painless in the way that Pollux did everything. Will wasn't entirely sure how the seventeen-year-old managed to book a hotel room anyways, but he chose not to bring it up. Most likely, it was more of that "love" Mr. D was sharing with his son. Better to leave it a family secret. 

After checking in, Pollux handed Will a keycard and led the way down the hall to an elevator. Will was wary as he had heard many tales of terror about demigods getting trapped in elevators with monsters, but Pollux seemed unbothered, and frankly, Will was beginning to grow tired. He couldn't wait to allow his body to sink into that uncomfortable hotel mattress and drift away to dreamland. Side-eyeing Pollux, Will decided to push his luck. "I feel like I know the answer, but that's not going to stop me from asking: how in the world did you even afford a room here?" 

Seemingly delighted by Will's blunt curiosity, Pollux grinned cheekily and leaned in towards his friend's ear. Clapping a hand on his shoulder, he whispered. "I used my dad's name." He pulled away, giving Will shivers at the closeness and the heat of his breath on his sensitive ear. "Besides, I got the cheapest room." 

As the two boys exited the elevator at a floor that was fairly high up and began walking down another hallway, Will couldn't help but observe the muffled sounds of multiple parties going on around the floor. Bass thumping, cheers and whoops erupting from people, and the occasional shattering or glass which was only mildly concerning after being exposed to the events of Coachella. He could only hope they would turn in for the night soon because he was not in the mood to sleep with a pillow over his head again. Though Will supposed it wasn't unusual for him. Sometimes Apollo kids get struck with the insane urge to sing at the drop of a hat, and this urge usually struck in the early morning much like the crowing of a rooster. Though Apollo was the god of music, not all of his kids were... gifted singers to put it mildly. The pillow-over-the-face sleeping technique was one Will had employed before and would use again if push came to shove. 

This hotel was definitely fancy. The carpets had deep, wine-red carpeting that felt soft and cushy under Will's tired feet. Presumably expensive works of art were hung along the walls in protective glass cases, and there were security cameras virtually everywhere to ensure the safety of the important guests who were likely rooming here. Again, Will wondered, but again, he remained quiet. 

Finally, the duo arrived at their hotel room's door, and Pollux wasted no time in making use of his key card. Dramatically, he swung the door wide open and extended his arms theatrically with a bow. "After you, Solace." 

Will rolled his eyes, flicking Pollux's nose as he stepped into the room. Immediately, his eyes widened in awe. Growing up a country bumpkin, Will's former house with his mother had been quite modest and rustic. Even back at camp, the Apollo cabin felt crowded and cramped most of the time. This hotel room was absolutely grandiose in comparison. From the plush carpeting to the impressive television set, to the stereo system that almost brought tears to Will's eye, this room was incredible. There was one noticeable predicament though: there was only one bed. It was a large bed sure, and by the gods, it looked comfortable, but there were two tired demigods who needed a place to sleep tonight... 

Pollux seemed to noticed Will's lingering stare on the bed and raised his hand dutifully. "I'll sleep in the tub," he offered in a tone that suggested he could be joking or completely serious depending on how Will responded. The image of Pollux splayed out and snoring in a bathtub with a towel thrown over him was something that Will could honestly picture as normal. 

The son of Apollo snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "You know, a normal person might have offered to sleep on the floor."

Pollux tilted his head and gave his companion a lopsided grin to match. He looked a lot like some sort of a scruffy street dog who was much friendlier than it looked. "In case you haven't noticed by now, I'm not a normal person. Tubs are quite comfy." 

Will giggled but then trailed off, looking down at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "No, you can share the bed with me. I don't mind." 

Pollux tilted his head to the other side. "Are you sure? I really don't mind the tub... or the floor if you'd rather me be normal." 

Swallowing his spit, Will nodded and looked back up with an attempt at a reassuring smile. He had no idea how successful it was, so he gave a spoken response on top of it. "Of course. I'm used to waking up with my younger siblings sleeping next to me anyways." And that was the truth. Demigods and nightmares were an inseparable mix, and since Will was the oldest, his siblings often clambered into bed with him at night to feel safe from the monsters that haunted their sleep. Of course, Pollux was far from being anything like Will's half-siblings in his eyes...Oh shit, I shouldn't have said that.

Too late, Will thought about how mentioning sharing a bed with a sibling could have affected Pollux, and the older boy's grin faltered. Will flinched. It hadn't been his intention to sound insensitive, especially since he knew the pain of losing a sibling all too well. "Well, thanks. I'll try to stick to my side of the bed." 

Will opened his mouth to apologize, but Pollux cut him off, grabbing his suitcase and motioning towards the large bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower and wash some of that music festival grunge off of me. You don't have to use the bathroom right now, do you?" 

Will opened and closed his mouth, considering another attempt at an apology before giving up and shaking his head. "All yours," he murmured, feeling the sting of tears forming in his eyes. 

Pollux dipped his head curtly and, having gathered up some clothes and toiletries, disappeared into the bathroom. The door closed behind him, and Will was left alone. He walked over to the bed, sitting down stiffly. He let out a hefty sigh, flipping his hair out of his eyes. Enough feeling sorry for yourself. You didn't mean to hurt Pollux, and he probably just needs some time to himself for a while. Think positively. You had a great day today.

And that was the truth. Will couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun aside from maybe touring Texas with his mother. Though Pollux may look like just another angsty teenager who had discovered Hot Topic and Spencers at a young age and based their entire personality on it, he was actually more than that. Pollux was warm and sweet like hot chocolate and a fuzzy blanket on a cold winter's day. He had the ability to make Will laugh to the point of doubling over, and it was clear that he had a fondness for music and the fine arts (which Will always appreciated.) He was generous and friendly and quite frankly one of the most pleasant people that Will had ever spent time with. 

As Will smiled to himself, thinking about his new friend, his heartbeat fluttered like a butterfly taking flight. Why had it taken him so long to talk to Pollux? He remembered seeing him for as long as he had been at camp, but he had only spoken to him when caring for him at The Battle of Manhattan, and Pollux had been inconsolable and reckless that day. In fact, it didn't seem like much of anyone ever spoke to Pollux other than Mr. D (and Clovis, supposedly.) 

Before the battle, Castor and Pollux had been inseparable. They could usually be found hand-in-hand, picking strawberries in the field and causing the vines to grow healthily and steadily. After Castor's death, Pollux always seemed to be alone. He kept his distance from others and remained silent and brooding at counselor duties. For the most part, he never left his cabin unless absolutely necessary, but every so often the new campers would whisper about a scary, older demigod they had never seen before sitting amongst the strawberries with a wistful gaze. He never attended the campfires anymore either, though he and Castor's goofy duets had always been a hit amongst the others. 

Will hung his head, allowing his hair to fall back into his eyes. He knew how being alone felt... well, not in the same way that Pollux did, he corrected himself. He had never truly been completely alone, but he had surely felt that way. After Lee and Michael had died in such short succession from each other, Will had felt distant. He had busied himself with healer and newly appointed counselor duties so that his mind was never given the chance to think about his deceased brothers too much. It worked for him and kept him from slipping into that lonely miserable spiral of grief that came with losing one's family member, but Pollux didn't have that sort of escape. 

Was he constantly haunted by the death of his twin? Could he ever escape...?

"Will."

Will must have been caught up in his thoughts for far longer than he had assumed. He blinked himself back to Earth and looked up at Pollux who was standing in the doorway with a towel around his waist. Clouds of steam puffed out from the bathroom. Pollux's tuft of hair was wet, dripping water droplets down his toned and battle-scarred chest. The son of Apollo's face was ablaze, but he couldn't look away from Pollux's form. Pollux raised a pierced eyebrow and repeated Will's name.

Tearing his gaze away from Pollux's muscular body, Will stammered. "S-sorry, sorry, I was just... thinking about something. What did you say?"

Pollux's intense violet eyes felt as though they were burning holes into Will's face as the older boy stared at him for a moment. His expression was unreadable, but it was clear that he was trying to figure out what had gotten into Will. Maybe it was better for him to not know the answer to that one. "I was just wondering if you brought any clothes to sleep in. We did a lot of jumping around in the sun today, so your clothes are probably as grungy as mine were. And besides, sleeping in jeans is not comfortable and frankly should be punishable by law." 

Thank the gods for his comedic timing... Will chuckled "They're not that bad when you've gone three days without sleeping. Jeans are pretty much the comfiest thing in the world at that point." 

Pollux smirked, flipping his soaked hair out of his face with a puff of air. "For a healer, you really don't take care of yourself, huh?" he asked teasingly. 

Will almost protested before realizing that Pollux was definitely right. He could take care of anyone but himself it seemed. Even Nico di Angelo was an easier patient than him. "I guess you're right," he admitted begrudgingly. "I've always just been more preoccupied with others." 

The son of Dionysus blinked slowly like a cat who was considering a mouse. "Well, you do realize that you can't help anyone if you don't help yourself first. What good is it gonna do if you starve yourself or become so exhausted that, gods forbid, you fall asleep in your jeans? You matter too, you know." 

Will's cheeks flushed, and he half-heartedly attempted to cover them with his hands. "I-I know that."

"So, did you bring pajamas?"

Sighing in defeat, Will replied, "No." He knew well that this admission of defeat was only verifying Pollux's point. 

Instead of making fun of him, Pollux simply smiled fondly. "No worries. You can borrow one of my shirts. It should be big enough to work for you. I brought extras." He tossed his head in the direction of his suitcase invitingly. "What's mine is yours." 

Under his palms, Will's face burned brightly (no literally, of course. He had gotten over his habit of glowing with light whenever he was embarrassed when he was nine after Michael had picked on him for it. Thanks, Michael.) "I'll be fine, honestly." 

Pollux crinkled his nose. "Yeah, but you stink so do it anyways. It's not like my clothes are sacred or anything. Cas and I used to wear each other's clothes all the time." His voice cracked a bit towards the end of his sentence, but he managed to save face. 

Not wanting to upset Pollux further, Will agreed hurriedly. At this, Pollux smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way." He padded barefoot across the carpet and began digging through his suitcase. It didn't take him very long before he found what he had been searching for and tossed a large, baggy T-shirt at Will's face. The son of Apollo caught it clumsily (all that practice Victoria had given him from her tantrums of throwing things in the infirmary had paid off. Maybe annoying half-siblings weren't all bad.) He unfurled the T-shirt to see what was on it.

It was white, which was a stark contrast to Pollux's primarily darker-colored wardrobe. Across the front in large, yellow bubble letters, it read "Here comes the sun." Clearly, it was an homage to the Beatles' song by the same name. Will looked to Pollux with big, blue eyes. Was this a coincidence or a joke?

Pollux shrugged, completely unbothered. "It's something I've had lying around forever. I hardly ever wear it, but I thought it was fitting." 

Will smiled, absent-mindedly holding the shirt to his chest tightly. "I'd never peg you as a Beatles fan."

A good-natured grin was given in return. "Yeah, well don't go spreading it around. Wouldn't want to tarnish my reputation." 

Will rolled his eyes. "They're not that bad, you know." 

"You would be the one to say that." 

"What's that supposed to mean," Will asked, cocking an eyebrow and jutting out his hip defiantly. 

"Just that you're a total Apollo kid stereotype... and that you have just as terrible taste in music as I do." 

Will feigned offense, slapping a hand to his chest as a theater kid would. "I can't believe you would say such a thing about me!" 

Pollux rolled his eyes as if he were fed up with Will, but there was definitely a great deal of fondness in them. "Sorry, sorry, I'll be nice." He made his way over to the bed, flopping down on the soft, inviting mattress and scooting until his back was pressed up against the fluffy pillows. Leisurely, he placed his arms behind his head. "I'd see what's on TV, but I don't feel like fighting a monster on my vacation." 

Sitting this close to Pollux, Will couldn't help but let his eyes trail down Pollux's muscular body again. They stopped right at his waistline where the towel was slipping very precariously...

"Go take a shower, stinky," Pollux commanded, pointing at Will accusingly. He softened his voice the next time he spoke, patting the spot next to him. "I'll be waiting for you..." 

And right about now is where I take my leave... Will thought, blushing deeply. Flustered, he swallowed his spit and nodded in acknowledgment. He determinedly kept his mouth shut for he knew that if he should try to make an attempt to say something clever, it would come out weird, and it would make things weird, and he was weird, and why was everything so weird right now?

Dipping into the bathroom where the last remaining puffs of steam were dissipating into nothingness, Will rid himself of his clothes very quickly. He looked at his naked form in the foggy mirror and noticed that Coachella had indeed taken its toll on his appearance. He was scruffier than usual with his hair looking disheveled and sweat-plastered as opposed to soft and fluffy as it usually did. His skin had soaked up a great deal of sunlight, darkening a small shade to a deeper tan than it had been before. (In fact, Will was pretty sure he had never been pale a day in his life. Thanks, Apollo.) Unfortunately, Pollux was also right. With the mixture of sweat, body odor that even the deodorant he had been smuggled by an Aphrodite camper could not deter, and the leftover smell of the spiced meat of the taco he had had earlier had mixed together to create a not-so-pretty scent. He was a stinky boy. 

Twisting the knob on the shower to its highest temperature, Will allowed the water to run for a bit before he stepped in slowly and allowed his body to be enveloped by the hot water spraying down on him. He let out a deeply satisfied sigh as he relished in the heat cascading over his worn muscles. Layers of sweat and grime were rinsed away down the drain, and Will was already beginning to feel like a new demigod. He tilted his head back to allow the water to tumble down his chest. Though his body was greatly relaxed, his mind had other ideas, hyperfixating on the image of Pollux and his stupid towel. He tried to change the focus of his thoughts to something a little less... Pollux, but to no avail. Thank the gods I'm in the shower or things might be a little awkward to explain...

---------

After the gods-sent time of washing and relaxing in the shower, Will knew that the time for tomfoolery was over and that he should be getting to bed so that he could be well-rested for the events of tomorrow. After he was thoroughly dried off, he grabbed Pollux's shirt and slipped it on over his head. As Pollux was much bigger than he was, the shirt went down nearly past his knees. (Thankfully, it was long enough to cover his lower extremities because Will hadn't thought ahead to bring in something to wear underneath the shirt.) He felt pretty exposed and whole-heartedly embarrassed about this, but he hoped that Pollux wouldn't notice. (Considering how things were going, that may prove to be difficult.) 

Once Will was dressed, he brushed his teeth and hair as he would if he were at the camp, getting ready to bed down for the night. As he dragged the brush through his tangled waves, he absent-mindedly hummed "Here Comes the Sun" under his breath. When he was finally prim, polished, and prepared for bed, he took a deep breath and mustered up all the confidence he could find. Opening the door and preparing to make a fool out of himself again, his eyes landed upon Pollux... who fast asleep in the bed.

Breathing a sigh of relief and relaxing greatly, Will noticed that Pollux had changed out of the towel (thank the gods) and into a black tank top and boxers that had bunches of grapes on them. 

Fitting, Will thought with a snicker. 

Pollux had turned the air conditioner on, and the room was crisp and cool (almost cold.) The lights were still on as if Pollux hadn't been anticipating falling asleep yet, and his ratty earbuds were still lodged in his ears. He had clearly fallen asleep listening to his music. He must have been far more exhausted than Will had figured. 

There was nothing to worry about now. Will tossed his dirty clothes onto the pile that Pollux had already gotten started near the foot of the bed. (Maybe his godly parent was actually Hermes. Those kids could never keep their cabin clean for more than five minutes.) He retrieved a "Do Not Disturb" sign from the desk drawer and hung it on the door handle. Finally, he turned off the lights and walked over to the window, shutting the curtains and walking back to the side of the bed that Pollux was not taking up. As his eyes drifted over Pollux's sleeping form, he realized that the older boy was shivering slightly. Instinctively, he covered Pollux with the blanket that was provided and almost didn't manage to stop himself from kissing the top of Pollux's head like he would have done for his siblings. 

Gods, what am I doing? I gotta quit putting myself in these situations or I'm never gonna survive this weekend... Blushing furiously for nearly succumbing to his regular role of being the caregiver, he mentally cursed himself and returned to his side of the bed. He sat down on the mattress after turning the bedside lamp on and reached into his discarded fanny pack to retrieve a small, laminated paper from it. It was a print of a painting of him splashing in the lake at camp with all of his younger siblings. Rachel Dare had painted it as a birthday gift for him the year prior, and it was one of his most prized possessions. He brushed over the print wistfully before turning to look at Pollux.

Though Pollux was older than him by a year and much bigger in stature, he looked almost small right now, curled up in the blanket. His blond hair had fallen into his closed eyes, and his lips were slightly parted as he breathed softly. He looked so vulnerable, very much unlike his usual tough and angsty exterior. 

Will looked back down at the print and frowned. He had already lost two of his siblings, and it would certainly break him to lose another, but Pollux had lost his twin. Castor had been with Pollux since before day one. Sleeping alone must feel so foreign to him. He must feel so... incomplete. 

Setting the print down gently on the bedside table, Will turned the lamp off and twisted his upper body towards Pollux. Ever so gently as not to disturb Pollux, he brushed the messy tuft of hair away from the Dionysus counselor's eyes and caressed his face. Pollux shifted slightly, nuzzling into Will's hand, still fast asleep. Will smiled warmly, beginning to retract his hand. He was stopped by Pollux's own hand that slowly slithered up to grasp Will's, holding it firmly in place. 

Oh gods, oh Hades, oh Tartarus, what do I do?! Will's panicked thoughts jumped into action. His chest rose and fell sharply, and his heart pounded. He blushed deeply, not knowing what he could possibly do to retrieve his hand without waking Pollux. (Even fast asleep, the guy had a firm grip.)  It seemed like there was only one option... he simply had to give in.

Slowly and ever-so-carefully, Will laid down beside Pollux, facing the older boy and allowing him to hold his hand to his face. He didn't know how long it took (it felt like days though being a theater kid at heart, it was probably closer to fifteen minutes) but eventually, he drifted off to sleep to the sound of Pollux's soft breathing and his own thumping heartbeat. 

---------

The two slept in this position for some time presumably, but when Will's eyes flickered open drowsily, he felt a distinct lack of warmth on his hand where Pollux's face had been burrowed. In fact, there was a complete absence of another body in bed beside Will. Pollux was no longer laying next to him. 

Still not entirely awake, Will pushed himself up into a sitting position gradually and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His arm was fast asleep, and the nerves were beginning to tingle annoyingly. He did a few windmills in an attempt to get the blood flowing again and looked around the hotel room in search of his companion. He hadn't abandoned him, had he? That would be bad. Will still hadn't given him back that necklace yet. 

Aha!

The door to the balcony was open, and the curtains waved rhythmically in the nighttime breeze. Good, so he didn't leave, Will thought with a rush of reassurance though a part of him knew that Pollux was not the type of guy to do such a thing to someone who had never been so far away from home. He retrieved the necklace from his fanny pack and walked over to the balcony slowly. Just because he hadn't left didn't mean that something wasn't wrong. He still felt rather uneasy as he pushed past the curtains and dipped into the night. 

Pollux was standing there, looking over the railing. His tuft of hair flounced softly in the wind. Something about the way he was postured was starkly different than how he usually carried himself. He looked like he had looked in the bed: small and vulnerable. Something was definitely wrong. Had something happened at the festival that Pollux hadn't told Will? 

"Pollux?" the son of Apollo managed, looking out at Pollux questioningly. His voice was raspy with the traces of the deep slumber he had been in and lilted off at the end in concern.

Pollux turned sharply, his hand reaching instinctively to where he usually carried his sword. When he realized that it was only Will, he relaxed greatly. "Gods, Solace, you scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry," Will apologized, dipping his head. "Is... something wrong?" Maybe he woke up and realized how we were laying... That would be humiliating. He doesn't hate me, does he? Gods, I hope not. I was just trying to help.

The Dionysus counselor's eyes shifted back to stare unfocused into the distance, and Will noticed that they looked deeply haunted. "Nah, I just... had a nightmare. Needed some fresh air." he inhaled deeply and let it out with a long-suffering sigh. "Usually Clovis is here to take away the nightmares and make sure I get a good night's sleep but... you know." 

He's not here and you are, Will finished in his head gloomily. Demigod nightmares were no joke and usually took several days to recover from and even then, they still found a way to lodge themselves into your memory and rise up whenever it was least convenient. With the help of the Hypnos cabin residents, usually, the nightmares could be prevented entirely or solved with a little memory alteration and good rest, but Will was not like them. He was a healer, sure, but he could only mend the external wounds; wounds that could be seen with the naked eye and solved with bandages, nectar, and ambrosia. What Pollux spoke of was not something Will could treat, and he felt completely and utterly useless. What he wouldn't give to be able to help ease his friend's pain.

Standing silently for a moment and pondering what to do, Will came to the only conclusion he could think of. He walked over to Pollux, extending his hand with the camp necklace laced through his fingers. 

Pollux squinted through the darkness with tired eyes questioningly. 

"That lady from earlier," Will explained. "She gave me this. She said you dropped it last year, and she's been carrying it ever since, hoping she could return it to you. I forgot I had it in my bag. Sorry." He dipped his head apologetically. 

Pollux looked highly confused as if he couldn't imagine that he had ever let his guard down enough at a festival to drop anything. Will dropped the necklace into his hand and watched in surprise as the older boy's eyes widened in recognition and grew immensely distressed. His hand shook violently, and his breaths came in quick, shallow pants. He looked like a wild animal backed into a corner. Almost as if he had been shocked back to action, he pushed past Will and walked quickly into the room, mumbling to himself. "Castor's necklace... Oh gods, I have to get this back to him. He needs it."

Will blinked in alarm, spinning on his heel and chasing after Pollux. The necklace had been Castor's. Of course Pollux carried it around. How had he been so clueless? He'd sent Pollux into some sort of an episode. This was his fault. "W-wait, Pollux--" 

Pollux stopped, holding the necklace to his chest as if realization had flooded over him and knocked him back to his senses. "He's... h-he--" His whole demeanor changed as if he had just awoken from a dream. His shoulders sagged heavily in defeat, and his usually vibrant eyes grew misty with tears. With a trembling lip, he walked over to the bed like a zombie and sat down. "Right... Sorry. Sometimes I just... I forget that..." Pollux's voice cracked sharply into a hoarse whisper. "He's not here anymore."

A stab of empathy shot through Will's heart. He walked over to the bed and sat beside his friend, placing a hand on his shaking shoulder. What could he do? What could he say? Nothing Pollux hadn't heard before surely. "I'm so sorry..." he breathed finally.

"I am too..."

It was silent for a painstakingly long moment. Suddenly, it was as if the foundation that had been holding strong for so long was broken, and Pollux crumpled in on himself. Sobs racked his body powerfully, and he fell against Will's chest. 

Instinctively, Will wrapped his arms around Pollux's back and brushed his hand through the crying boy's hair comfortingly. He shushed Pollux gently, murmuring small affirmations to him as he rubbed his back. Hot, wet tears soaked through Will's borrowed shirt, sparking tears in Will's own eyes to tremble. He couldn't break down now though, not when Pollux needed him. 

"I miss him!" Pollux wailed, sounding much like a lost child crying out to his mother. "I miss him so much!" 

Flashes of the memories Will had with Lee and Michael tore through his vision, and his voice shook unsteadily. He had been bottling up his grief for far too long, and his own reserve was threatening to break. But he couldn't. He couldn't... "I know. I know..." he managed. What else could he say? He missed his brothers. 

The two boys held each other for a long time. After only the gods knew how much time passed, Pollux slumped into Will with a sigh. Slowly, he began to collect himself to cease crying just long enough to speak. His voice was muffled by Will's chest. "Will, you should have never had to become a counselor so early. Lee and Michael should still be here with you." 

Will buried his face in Pollux's hair. "You should have never had to give a speech at your own twin's funeral." 

Pollux's fingers clenched on Will's borrowed shirt for just a second before it seemed as though all of the pent-up anger and sadness fell away from his body. "Yeah... Yeah..."

Again, the two remained like this for a while until Pollux drew back and wiped his eyes. He looked at Will's earnest face. No tears had fallen. He had been strong. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this," he muttered, his voice husky with tears. "I brought you here to relax, not to take care of me. You know that, right? That I'm not just using you." He looked up at Will seriously, his brows furrowed.

Will nodded with conviction. "Of course. I never thought that for a second, and, for what it's worth, this is the first time I've been able to let it all go and enjoy myself in forever. All because of you." And he meant it. His voice was steady and sure.

Pollux smiled that crooked smile of his, sniffling once. "I'm glad. You deserve it." He looked down at his hands soberly. "After Castor died, I was a wreck. I could barely find the motivation to get myself out of bed some days. I'd go days without showering, eating, drinking water, leaving the cabin, but you?" He looked up at Will, his gaze full to the brim with the warmest and fondest genuine admiration. "You've been through so much, and I haven't seen you crumble even a little bit. You just keep going and going each day, helping everyone and just being... amazing. I'm in awe, really. You inspire me to keep going. You always have. You're this ray of sunshine in my otherwise shadowy life, and I just... There's nothing I can say or do to show you how much that means to me, and I can't even begin to thank you. I just..." He hesitated before seemingly making a split-second decision. "I think I want to..."

Suddenly, the son of Dionysus leaned forward. His eyes were closed, and his lips were slightly parted. 

Holy Hades, he's going to kiss me! Will's ever-so-helpful voice in his head shrieked in a mixture of giddiness and absolute terror. And I think-- I think I want to kiss him too! But... this isn't right. "W-wait! Stop!"

Pollux did as he was commanded, though he looked quite crestfallen. That alone did not make Will feel any better about his last-minute decision, but he knew that he couldn't do this. It wouldn't be right or fair for that matter as much as he desperately wanted it. "I-it's not that I don't want to because I..." he swallowed thickly. "I really want to, b-but..." He couldn't let this unanswered question drag out any longer. It had been haunting him the entire trip, and if there were ever a time to ask it, it was now. 

"Aren'tyouandClovis dating?" Will asked, all in one breath.

Blush coated Will's face as Pollux sat in utter confusion for a minute as he processed before bursting into unhinged laughter. In gasping breathes between his laughs, he managed to choke out a response. "Me and Clovis? You thought-- ha ha ha!'

After getting over the initial shock of being laughed at, Will frowned in confusion. "You mean... you're not?" 

"Gods, this is too good!" Pollux guffawed. "No! No, not at all! Clovis is more like my therapist than anything else, and besides, I'm pretty sure he and that di Angelo kid have something going on. Haven't you ever seen that sappy goof at the counselor meetings? He may seem like he's asleep, but he's really sneaking peeks at Mr. Ghost King." Seemingly getting over the hilarity of the situation, he softened his voice and looked at Will fondly. "No, I much prefer to gaze at the sun than to dream a little dream."

Will blushed even deeper. (A new personal record.) 

"Now, are you gonna let me kiss you, or am I going to have to give you another heartfelt speech?" Pollux questioned teasingly, cocking an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

The son of Apollo's grin burst forth, and he leaned forward, pressing his lips to Pollux's. At first, the kiss was a bit awkward as Will had no prior experience (There was no time to practice kissing when he was saving lives.) and he was willing to bet that Pollux didn't get around much either, but it soon came to them naturally. The two melted into each over's soft and warm bodies. 

Will felt as though the sun was blazing across his face and coursing through his veins like fire. He hadn't realized just how much he had wanted this, but now that it was happening, it was all he wanted to do for as long as time would allow it. 

When they finally pulled apart, Pollux was crying again. Will reached up, wiping his tears away in nervous concern. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong? Are you having second thoughts?" 

Pollux shook his head, taking Will's hand and pressing it to his cheek. "No... I'm just really, really happy." He exhaled deeply and laid back on the bed, dragging Will with him. The son of Apollo sidled up against Pollux, nuzzling into his strong chest as his firm hands held him close. "Maybe I will stick around after all. I think I might have found someone worth living for," he murmured, kissing the top of Will's forehead. 

Will beamed brightly like the sun. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." Snuggling even closer, he breathed in Pollux's scent deeply. He could get used to this. "You'll never be alone again, I promise. I... I love you Pollux.' 

Pollux smiled, squeezing Will tightly. "I love you too... sunshine."