#he's not that short Percy. stop ignoring he's there

[pain-is-too-tired]

I don't think we talk enough about one the last things Michael did before he died was third wheel percabeth.

[xoxochb]

Hi so I absolutely love your writing so I was thinking it being reader’s birthday and their wearing a blue dress then when Percy sees it he goes feral

take your time no rush also ignore my horrible grammar

the man was too stunned to speak

——— ౨ৎ ⊹ ࣪ ˖

“keep your eyes closed.”

percy frowns, though nonetheless he keeps his eyes shut tight, even covering his eyes with his hands for safer matters. “shouldn’t I be the one giving you a surprise? y’know since it’s your birthday ‘n all? I don’t know though, don’t quote me on that.”

“stop complaining. you’ll love it.”

“will I? are you gonna surprise me with lingerie again?”

“what?” your brows furrow. “no. this is better than that.”

“than seeing you half naked? you’re funny.”

you roll your eyes, sliding up the second strap to your dress. you take one look down at yourself, patting down the flow-y skirt portion and removing it of any possible wrinkles. you bite down your bottom lip before looking back at yourself boyfriend who still has his eyes closed.

“kay, you ready?”

“for ten minutes, sweet girl.”

you scowl. you walk to percy’s sit at the edge of the bed, standing between his legs. you put your hands over his, not yet removing them.

“sure?”

he hums. impatiently toying with your fingers. “can I open my eyes now?”

“sure.” you shrug.

eagerly, he opens his eyes and takes both your hands and his off of his face. and shit you were right. percy can’t seem to find the correct words to describe the sight before him.

“do ya like it?”

he doesn’t respond. because what was there to say? firstly, not only were you wearing a sundress— aka total kryptonite to men— it was blue. a blue fucking sundress. he hopes the whimper leaving his lips was only his imagination.

though when the lightest laugh falls from your own he presumes it was not. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I- this… fuck. are you trying to kill me?”

you ponder for a moment before shrugging.

“you- I mean- you look great! more than great!” he thinks for a second before continuing, “beautiful— gorgeous!”

“you flatter me.”

you take his remaining silence as an opportunity to settle yourself onto one of his thighs, his hardness feeling prominent. you wrap your arms around his shoulders to stabilize yourself. you take in a short, shaky breath, and your poor panties are already drenched and you haven’t yet done anything.

but slowly, you start to move your hips along him, the friction sending a shiver down your spine.

“percy.”

“continue.”

and you do. his hands rest over the fabric of your dress, running his fingers along it lightly, before slipping them underneath to feel your skin. while his hands explore, in difference to that, his lips find your neck and stay put there.

with his hands on your hips, he’s able to better guide you along him, increasing your pace with your thighs tightening around his as heat pools your core. you fist a handful of his shirt between your palms, tugging it slightly.

you, on your own now, roll your hips more frequently, enjoying the friction you get out of it, the feeling between his jeans and your wet panties having you feral. you’re going to need more than this.

“perce, I- I…” you can’t find the right words. though he reads your mind and understands.

“hey, you started this, not me.”

“shut the fuck up.”

“love to.” he tugs at your dress. “lemme get this off and my mouth is shut.”

that’s an offer you will not pass on.

༯ @stilessflannel I already had this started w thigh riding n you asked for it so I just finished it on here I hope you don’t mind :)

[poppitron360]

Thinking about names having power in the Riordanverse- because it’s exactly the kind of literature motif that I LOVE.

Thinking about “Leo” being short for “Leonidas” who was a Spartan King who sacrificed his life fighting to save his people in the Battle of Thermopylae.

Leo, similarly, gave his own life to stop Gaea and save the world.

That comparison has already been made before, but there’s more-

Leo rejects the name “Leonidas” and chooses to go by “Leo”- in a way, rejecting the fate he’s assigned to. And he doesn’t suffer that fate in the end. He lives.

Yeah, names have power. But what you choose to name yourself has even more power. For example, the fact that Thalia rejected the last name “Grace” because it associated her with her mother, but then taking it back up again when she found out Jason was alive. And Leo chose to not go by “Leonidas” and he also chose to take the physician’s cure and come back.

And here we get onto what Calypso’s doing. By calling him something that he asked to not be called, she is taking away that agency of choice. She is taking away that power.

It’s a small moment, but it REALLY bugs me. Because, like Leo, I go by a shortened version of a longer name, and often one of the ways bullies used to hold power over me was by calling me by my full name repeatedly, even after I asked them to stop. It’s also a way a lot of transphobes hold power over trans people- by deadnaming. By taking away the power of their name, their choice, their identity, who they are, who they’ve built themselves to be, and their right to control all of that.

Now, I’m NOT saying Calypso is going as far as deadnaming Leo, but it’s a similar premise. It’s a manipulation tactic used to knock people down.

Now friendly nicknames -e.g. “Seaweed Brain”- are different, because Percy consents to it. It’s a term of affection between them (and notice how it’s different when Thalia used it. It’s a name that symbolises percabeth’s love, and it’s a name only Annabeth can use). But this is a name, while said in a jokey, banter-y manner, that Leo has SPECIFICALLY ASKED to not be called. And she does it anyway, ignoring the boundary he’s set, ignoring his choice to shape his own identity, ignoring everything that symbolised INCLUDING the fact that it’s literally Leo saying “I choose life” by rejecting the name that fated him to death. It’s just a big red flag for me. And if you put that on top of the fact that she also physically hurt him in this (enough to make him say “ow”) then you just get a whole host of Reasons Why This is NOT Leo’s “Happy Ending”- which the narrative paints it out to be.

[lafleshlumpeater]

hey!! for the luke castellan x child of posideon!reader could you do an enmities to lovers type of trope where he teases and flirts with the reader a lot? possibly fem reader? tysm!!

Ofc!! Thanks for requesting- it’s a little short but i hope that’s okay <3

Warnings: luke calling r nicknames (love, doll), enemies to lovers (?), mentions of weapons, teasing, flirting, fem!reader- lmk if i missed any

(also, so sorry this is so late)

part two luke castellan masterlist

“You’re back isn’t straight, love.”

Rolling your eyes, you grudgingly straightened your back, desperately ignoring the irritatingly cocky smirk of the platinum- blond behind you. All you were trying to do was teach one of the younger kids from the Apollo cabin how to use a bow and arrow, after seeing him almost shoot himself in the eye whilst examining the contraption. Not spotting any of the campers you knew who were more experienced in the field of archery, and lack of anything else to do had driven you to do this. And you regretted it bitterly, when out of nowhere, appeared the one person who learnt all the right buttons to push just so he could push them to his fancy. Luke Castellan.

You didn’t know what it was- a short while after your brother had been claimed, you had arrived to camp and no sooner than that Poseidon had claimed you too. Ever since then, Luke had befriended Percy and the two got along like a house on fire while all he strived to do with you, on the other hand, was to tease and flirt and mock to the point where you were pulling your hair out and Luke remained coolly satisfied, that smug smile which would make anyone with eyes go weak in the knees residing in his sculpted features.

Not acknowledging him still, you gently took the elbow of the young (and clearly naive) Apollo camper, guiding it where he felt most comfortable and it was most convenient for the task at hand. As the younger camper drew the arrow back under your mentoring, his eyes focused solely on the target metres away, Luke tutted once again.

“Feet shoulder- width apart, Nick. Your tutor not doing a good job, huh?”

“Tutor not doing a good job, huh?”

“What was that?”

You bit your tongue after imitating the taller boy under your breath. Why did you let him get to you so much?

It was so infuriating how he was the one person who could break through your usually- cool demeanour, causing you to lose it within minutes.

The curious Nick lost concentration, arms going limp at his sides. He looked up at you, eyes quizzical and bright with amusement. “Is that your boyfriend?”

“He is not my boyfriend,” you hiss, praying Luke hadn’t heard. “If anything, he’s the opposite. Alright, back straight, shoulders-”

“I asked a question, doll,” Luke called out obnoxiously, which in return painted your cheeks an embarrassing red. “Did you just mimic me?”

“Yes I did,” you snap, fist tightening around an arrow. “Now will you shut up? I’m not your love, or your doll, or anything in between!”

Luke remained quiet throughout your rant- not absent of his signature, sly smirk, or at least, signature when it came to you. His eyes were light, flecks of grey gracing his irises as they glinted with familiarity- of mischief. You stopped, wondering why when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“Hey,” Percy grins at Luke, charming as ever before turning back to you. “Was it you who was yelling? I could have sworn-”

Both of you reply at the same time, you with a flustered “No,” and Luke a confident, arrogant: “Yes”. Percy raised a puzzled eyebrow, eyes narrowed and flicking between the two of you in suspicion.

“I’ll see you later,” Luke drawled, thankfully breaking the uncomfortable silence under your brother’s scrutinising gaze. “I gotta shower.” He fistbumped a still- bewildered Percy, turning his back to the three of you- not before throwing you a wink over his shoulder. Nick’s eyes widen in understanding.

Before his mouth can open, you nudge him, sending him an intimidating glare.

taglist: @quickslvxrr @bibliophile-dendrophile

READ: this account stands with palestine, and so— i require everyone who interacts to educate themselves, and support/donate. READ THESE; 1 and 2, HELP HERE, BOYCOTT. silence is complicity, do not scroll past this.

[slu7formen]

luke castellan x fem!reader

Luke’s had a crush on you for longer than he can remember, and after Chris decided to play one sided cupid, he decides to ask you out.

warnings: use of yn, kinda shy!luke and loser!luke but we love it <3, fluff

₊˚⊹♡

Luke led Percy, the new kid, through the dusty maze of Camp Half-Blood. Percy peppered Luke with questions once in a while. "So, who are those hulking dudes with Clarisse?" Percy asked.

Luke chuckled. "Those are the Ares kids, her half-brothers. But don’t worry, they're all bark and no bite... actually, they do bite."

As they rounded a corner, the sounds of clashing metal and grunts reached their ears. Luke stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze snagging on a particular figure in the training field.

There, bathed in sunlight, you were training. Your form, clad in the simple camp T-shirt and shorts, moved with the fluid grace of a warrior dancer. Every swing of your practice sword, every parry, was a testament to your skills that stood out. Your hair whipped around your face as you disarmed your opponent with a swift kick.

Percy, oblivious to Luke's sudden paralysis, glanced between him and the scene playing out on the field. "Who's that?" he asked, curiosity creasing his brow.

Luke cleared his throat, trying to dispel the sudden fog clouding his brain. "That's-, uh, yn" Luke stammered, his voice rougher than usual. “Aphrodite´s kid. Don´t let her looks fool you, though. She´s a hell of a warrior”

Percy nodded, but his gaze remained firmly on you. You were now sheathing your celestial bronze sword, a bead of sweat clinging to your temple. As you reached for a nearby water flask, you brushed the hair from your face, the gesture casual yet captivating.

Luke found himself staring again, just like he does every time he looks at you from afar, mesmerized by the way the sunlight seemed to follow your tiniest movements. He was so lost in the moment that he barely registered the volleyball hurtling towards him.

"Yo, Luke! Catch!" someone yelled. Luke, still mesmerized, couldn't react in time. The ball connected with a resounding thump right in his gut.

He doubled over with a groan, clutching his stomach. A familiar chuckle reached his ears as Chris strolled over containing a hysterical laugh.

"Sorry man, had to snap you out of that trance" Chris said with a smack to Luke’s back.

Luke's face burned hotter. He hadn't realized how blatantly obvious he'd been. Straightening up, he attempted to mask his flustered expression. "Shut up, I wasn't in a trance" he retorted, his voice a shade higher than usual.

“You totally were” Chris poked him playfully. “You are every time you look at her.”

“Okay, okay” Luke swatted Chris’s hand away, “stop touching me.”

Chris, ignoring his protests, squeezed his arm with mock sympathy. “Aw, don’t be a baby.”

“I’m not a baby,—”

"When did the mighty Luke Castellan become all weak and whiny for a girl?" Chris teased, playfully tousling Luke's hair.

Luke swatted his hand away again. "Hey! I'm not—!"

“Hey” a causal feminine voice cut him off.

Luke freezes. You stood mere inches away, your smile widening at the sight of his flustered expression. "H-hey" he managed, his voice barely confident, and shaky.

Chris stifled a snort, his shoulders shaking with barely contained laughter. Luke shot him a withering glare, silently pleading for him to cut it out.

“You alright?” you ask, "I saw the, uh..." You paused, gesturing vaguely with your hand in the direction of Chris. "The volleyball-, greeting?" you ask, a confused but fun expression on your face.

"Yeah, I'm fine" he offered, his voice strained. "Just a love tap, I guess." Another pointed glance in Chris' direction revealed him struggling for composure.

"Looks like you're busy" you said, your gaze flickering to Percy, who stood awkwardly to the side. You offered him a warm smile.

"Right, yeah" Luke stammered, finally managing to tear his gaze away from you. He remembered Percy standing awkwardly beside him. "Percy, this is yn, Aprhrodite´s cabin" he gestured towards you, his voice regaining a semblance of normalcy. "yn, this is Percy, the new camper."

"Nice to meet you" you greeted him, your voice laced with a kindness that put Percy instantly at ease.

"Nice to meet you too" Percy stammered back, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"You're lucky," you continued, turning back to Luke, your eyes sparkling. "Luke’s the best counselor around, especially for new campers."

Luke felt a familiar heat rise in his cheeks at your praise. He always struggled with compliments, especially when they came from you. "Ah, don't listen to her" he stammered, deflecting awkwardly.

"Oh, don't be so humble" you teased, your playful tone sending shivers down his spine. "You know you are. You helped me out a lot when I was new."

Your words hung in the air, causing another wave of warmth to flood his cheeks. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. But he forced himself to focus, so he turned to Percy. "yn's always around the training field," he began, his voice a touch higher than normal. "So if you ever need a sparring partner or just someone to answer questions, you can find her here."

You raised an eyebrow playfully. "Coming from 'Best Swordsman' himself" you said, a teasing lilt in your voice.

His cheeks burned even hotter, but a genuine chuckle escaped his lips. "Alright," he conceded, his lips curving into a small, charming smile. "that might be true."

"Humble much?" Chris chimed in, ever the opportunist. He tossed the ball towards Luke's head, light and playful.

Luke turned around to Chris, “Dude” he calls. He hears your slight giggle from behind.

"Well, I gotta get back to training" you sighed, a hint of regret in your voice. You turned towards Percy, your smile warm and genuine. "Percy, if you ever need anything and Luke's not around, you can just look for me, okay?"

Percy, still a bit overwhelmed by the new environment, managed a hesitant nod. "Okay, thanks" he mumbled, a shy smile gracing his features.

"I'll see you around then" you chirped, offering him a final wave of encouragement. "Good luck with everything, alright?" As you turned to walk away, with a final glance towards Luke over your shoulder, a hint of something unspoken lingering in your eyes. "Bye, Luke."

The simple farewell hung in the air long after you'd disappeared. Chris nudged Luke's arm with a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "You're so into her, man" he declared, barely containing his smile.

Luke groaned. "Shut up" he muttered, his voice betraying a hint of amusement.

They continued walking. "I mean it! You were practically stuttering" Chris exclaimed, his voice laced with mock horror as he reenacted Luke's awkward greeting. "'Uh, h-hi yn, uh-, y-yeah, I'm camp's best swordsman'"

"Okay, I do not act like that" Luke protested, his voice laced with mock indignation. He glanced down at Percy, a playful glint in his eyes. "Help me out here. Do I really talk like that?"

"Well," he admitted with a shrug, "maybe a little."

Luke groaned, rolling his eyes dramatically. He playfully shoved Chris, who burst into fresh laughter. "See!" Chris crowed. "Even new kids thinks you’re like a lovesick puppy around her."

Luke shot a playful glare at Percy. "Don't listen to him, he’s full of crap” he muttered, though a hint of a smile played on his lips.

"Seriously, though," Chris continued, his voice turning serious for a moment. "Just ask her out already. She'll say yes."

Luke hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle. "I don't know, man" he trailed off, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Chris slung an arm around Luke's shoulder. "Dude, you've been practically drooling over her since forever. And trust me, she's totally noticed. You gotta take a chance. Besides, I have a feelings she feels the same way." Chris added. He suddenly launched into a dramatic impersonation, his voice taking on a high-pitched tone. "'Oh, bye Luke,' " he whined, twirling a nonexistent strand of hair around his finger and swaying his hips in a comical exaggeration. "'He's the best counselor at camp, oh! He helped me sooo much!'"

Luke cringed, his face burning a mixture of laughter and embarrassment. "Okay, that´s enough". Chris's words, though delivered in a ridiculous way, struck a chord within Luke. He looked down at his shoes, suddenly feeling doubtful. "I just don't know..." he mumbled, the confidence Chris had tried to instill in him wavering. "What if she says no?"

Chris stopped his antics, his playful grin softening into a reassuring smile. He patted Luke on the back. "What if she says yes?" he countered. "Stop overthinking it, man. Go for it."

Luke chuckled, the sound laced with a hint of nervousness. Chris's teasing, although annoying, had pushed him to confront his feelings. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and met Chris's gaze.

"Fine, fine" he conceded. "I'll give it a shot. But if she says no," he warned, his voice laced with seriousness, "I'm blaming it all on you."

Chris threw his head back and roared with laughter. "The risk I'm willing to take for you, my friend"

Luke shoved him playfully, a grin plastered on his face. "Yeah, yeah, now scoot," he urged, gesturing towards the direction Chris had come from. "I gotta keep showing Percy around."

Chris mock saluted him. "Aye aye, Captain! Good luck!" he chirped, throwing a wink Luke's way before sauntering off, leaving him alone with Percy.

A blush crept up Luke's neck as he turned back to Percy. "Sorry about that" he mumbled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, he was sure a twelve year old wasn’t entirely interested in Luke’s love interest.

Percy didn’t seem to care. "Honestly," he admitted, "that's the most normal thing I've witnessed today. So," he continued, his curiosity piqued, "what's next?"

The flickering firelight danced across Luke's face, casting long, flickering shadows as he stared intently into the flames. He wasn't really seeing or listening anything around him – his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and anxieties, all centered around you.

All day, he’s had you on his mind, a constant reminder of the decision he'd almost made. Since that first glimpse of you years ago by the lake, you'd become a captivating melody in the symphony of his life. Unlike other Aphrodite children, rumored to be arrogant or aloof, you possessed a genuine warmth that never failed to draw him in. Braiding little girls' hair with a gentle smile, your actions were a window into your kind soul.

It had been a long day, filled with his usual camp duties and a nagging restlessness that he couldn't quite shake. Chris's words echoed in his head, a constant reminder of the decision he still hadn't made. Should he really take a chance? Could you possibly be interested in him?

A deep sigh escaped his lips. He glanced up, his gaze drawn towards the sound of laughter that sent a familiar shiver down his spine. There you were, surrounded by your friends. Your face glowed in the warm light, illuminated by the cheerful flames that danced around you.

A sudden sense of purpose washed over him. He couldn't stay silent anymore. But a fresh wave of fear washed over him too, as he considered the setting. Here, surrounded by campers that could hear, was hardly the ideal place to confess his feelings.

He stood up, sticking a marshmallow to the end of the stick he was holding and walked closer to the fire. And he stood there, a solitary figure amidst the chatter and laughter, his mind racing with a thousand different scenarios. Just as he was about to convince himself to wait for another opportunity, a soft footstep beside him startled him out of his thoughts. He kept his eyes trained on the fire, afraid to look up, afraid his nervousness would be telegraphed in his gaze.

Because he knew, it was you.

A small, shy smile played on your lips as you looked at him, your eyes reflecting the flickering flames. "Hey," you said softly. "You okay?"

Your sudden presence sent a jolt through Luke. His heart, already hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs, stuttered in its beat. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to appear composed.

"Yeah, I'm alright" he managed, his voice a touch hoarse. "Just needed a little distraction."

He turned slightly, his gaze locking onto yours. The firelight danced in your eyes, casting playful shadows across your face. He found himself mesmerized, lost in the warmth of your smile and the depths of your gaze.

"Too many counselor duties?" you teased gently.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, the sound laced with a nervous tension. "Can get pretty tough sometimes, you know" he admitted, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Responsibility and all that."

He turned back to you, his eyes meeting yours again. This time, he held the gaze a beat longer, the air crackling with a sudden, unspoken energy. He felt himself drawn to you, captivated by the beauty of your features.

"I understand" you whisper. There was a subtle shift in your posture, a subtle lean closer that mirrored his own. "How's Percy doing?" you asked, changing the subject, leaning your own marshmallow into the fire.

"He's holding up well" Luke responded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Just, like everyone does when we arrive here."

You breathed out a small smile. "That's good to hear." A moment of comfortable silence followed, broken only by the crackling fire and the occasional chirp of crickets. “Any ideas on who his father might be?" you finally asked, your voice filled with curiosity.

Luke pondered your question, his gaze flickering between the flames and your inquisitive face. "Honestly, no clue yet" he admitted, shaking his head slightly. "He doesn't quite fit in with any of the cabins. But we'll figure it out."

"Poor kid" you murmured, a flicker of sympathy crossing your features. "I really hope he doesn't end up unclaimed."

As if sensing the shift in mood, Luke shifted his position, his body turning slightly more towards you. The warmth of your presence radiated beside him.

"Don't worry" he said softly. "He'll be alright. We'll make sure of it."

You nodded silently, blowing gently on your marshmallow to cool it down a little. The playful banter had momentarily distracted you from the nervous tension that had been building in Luke's chest.

A playful smirk tugged at Luke's lips. "Actually," he began, his voice laced with a hint of amusement, "he reminds me a little bit of you."

Your head snapped up, a surprised laugh escaping your lips. "What? Why?"

He chuckled at your reaction, clearly enjoying the playful exchange. "I don't know," he feigned contemplation, drawing out the suspense before shrugging lightly. "He just gives off the same 'new and confused' vibe you had when you first arrived at camp." He says, "And," he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper, "he seems to have a knack for getting himself into trouble just like a certain someone I know."

You swatted him lightly on the arm, a playful frown creasing your forehead. "Hey" you exclaimed, feigning offense. "When did I ever get myself into trouble?"

Luke scoffed. "Oh, come on, don't be so modest" he countered, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I still remember how you managed to get into that fight with that Ares kid."

"Well, he wouldn't leave me alone" you mumbled, your voice laced with a hint of defiance. "Someone had to teach him a lesson."

“And your solution was to throw Pegasus' shit at him?" he asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

"Well," you stammered, trying to defend yourself, but the vividness of the memory left little room for argument. "Yeah, okay" you finally admitted with a small defeated voice.

Luke shook his head in mock disapproval, a warm smile playing on his lips. "Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you" he joked, a sly grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"No one's asking you to stay" you countered playfully, returning his teasing smile. "You're free to leave anytime."

Luke's laugh filled the air once more, a welcome sound that calmed the nervous butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

"Wouldn't dream of it" he replied, his voice turning a touch softer. And he didn’t mean to say it, but it came out unwarranted. He met your gaze, holding it for a beat longer than usual.

You noticed the shift in his demeanor, a subtle change. You let out a small, nervous chuckle, breaking eye contact and turning your gaze back towards the dancing flames.

Luke couldn't help but notice your nervous gesture, but instead of taking it as a sign of rejection, he interpreted it as a reaction to his own sudden boldness, even though his heart was down his ass.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to take the plunge. There was no turning back now. "Hey," he began softly, his voice barely a whisper above the crackling fire. "Can I ask you something?"

You met his gaze, a nervous flutter in your stomach mirrored by the rapid beat of your heart. Tentatively, you tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, a self-conscious gesture that only accentuated your beauty in Luke's eyes.

"Yeah, sure" you replied.

Luke cleared his throat again, trying to mask the nervous tremor in his voice. "I, uh," he stammered, "I-, I was wondering if you... would like to go out with me? Sometime?"

The nervousness in his voice was impossible to miss, but it was the spark of hope in his eyes that truly captured your attention. You couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for him. There he was, this strong, capable counselor, reduced to a blushing mess in front of you.

At that moment, the world around him seemed to fade away. All that existed was you. The oversized grey sweatshirt you wore hung loosely on your frame, making you appear smaller, more vulnerable. Even without makeup, your beauty was undeniable, a captivating mix of strength and softness that had him completely enthralled.

You looked at him. Silence stretched between you, thick with anticipation. Luke held his breath, his palms slick with nervous sweat. The world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for your answer.

Then, slowly, the corners of your lips began to curve upwards. A smile. A genuine, radiant smile that lit up your entire face and sent a wave of warmth through him.

Luke's heart leaped in his chest, but before he could react, a soft laugh escaped your lips. The sound washed over him, chasing away his anxieties and replacing them with a soaring sense of elation. The blush creeping up your cheeks confirmed it – he wasn't imagining it.

He rushed to speak, the words tumbling out in a jumbled mess. "I know that-, this is something you're kinda used to" he stammered, his voice laced with nervousness. "Getting asked out, I mean. It's just... I don't know, I- you-"

He stopped mid-sentence, frustration causing him to sigh in defeat. He squeezed his eyes shut, muttering a defeated, "Shit" under his breath. Which only made you laugh harder.

It was like a symphony to his ears. He couldn't help but smile back, even with the butterflies doing a frantic tap dance in his stomach. "Sorry" he mumbled sheepishly.

"Don't – don't be sorry” you chuckled, waving your hand dismissively. "You're good." The laughter subsided, leaving a comfortable silence in its wake. But to Luke's anxious mind, the silence stretched into an eternity, filled with the dread of having somehow messed this whole thing up.

Just as despair threatened to engulf him, you spoke. "Yes" you said, your voice soft but firm. "I'd love to."

Luke stared at you, momentarily speechless. His brain, overloaded with disbelief and unexpected joy, struggled to form a coherent response.

"Really?" he finally managed. It was a question loaded with disbelief and pure, unadulterated happiness.

"Yeah" you laughed, nodding your head as if he'd asked the most ridiculous and obvious question. "When?" you countered, playfully turning the tables on him.

"Uh..." He trailed off, running a hand through his hair in a fluster. "Shit, sorry," he stammered again. "I just – I didn't think you'd actually say yes, so I haven't really thought that far ahead." His confession only made you laugh harder.

A nervous laugh escaped Luke's lips as he ran a hand through his hair. Honestly, he couldn't believe his own luck.

"I'll give you some time to think about it if you want” you said, your voice laced with amusement and comfort.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. That sounds good" he stammered, his flustered response betraying the excitement bubbling over in his chest.

The comfortable silence stretched between you, punctuated only by the crackling fire and the occasional pop of a burning marshmallow. You both seemed content to simply bask in the warmth of the fire and the newfound connection you shared.

Just as Luke was about to break the comfortable silence, a voice cut through the air. "Hey, yn!" a familiar voice called out.

You turned your head towards the sound, a smile gracing your lips. "Right, uh..." you trailed off, turning back to Luke. "I gotta get back."

A brief pang of disappointment shot through Luke, but it was quickly overshadowed by the excitement bubbling within him.

"Go ahead” he replied with a smirk. "Don't keep her waiting."

You took a step back, but before turning to leave, you locked eyes with him.

"Don't keep me waiting" you said, your voice soft but firm.

The playful challenge in your words sent a new wave of butterflies fluttering in his stomach and lower.

A bigger smile stretched across Luke's face as he watched you walk away, the firelight casting a warm glow on your figure. "I won't”.

[huggybearhughes43]

Haha I am LOVING the Hughes brother series…. Can I just request one with only jack? But not only smut. Some angst too. Like they fall asleep together at the lake house after doing that. And Quinn and Luke find them the next morning but don’t say anything. They just ignore the both of them Nd are super rude towards her, so they all are at family dinner and Quinn speaks up saying stuff towards her basically exposing what she was doing and she gets up and leaves but then you can get the rest!!

Kiss me hard before you go

Jack Hughes x Fem! Reader

Okay I changed up the end cus I might write more chapters but yeah. Also, last part until I clear out my inbox! Here’s pt1, pt2, and pt3

Warnings- All the Hughes brothers x reader, Jack Hughes smut, angst, soft sex, raw dawgin, a lotta crying and not the good kind

Summary- After a long day with the boys, Jack tells the reader that he found a girl he really likes but wants to have one last time with her before him and the girl get serious. Quinn doesn’t take it too well when he finds Jack and the reader in bed together.

Word count- 2.1k

It had been three hours since Trevor and Cole arrived. The two insisted on spending the day on the boat, in which the brothers couldn’t refuse. I sit by myself on the back of the boat with Quinn driving and the other four boys at the front. The noon sun shined on my face, resulting in me putting my book over my face to block the sun out. Quinn stops the boat and makes his way to me without me realizing. The touch of his soft hands on my arm startles me, I take the book off my face and furrow my brows. “What?” He smiles down at me. “You’re sitting on the anchor.” A small “oh” falls off my lips as I stand up.

He drops the anchor into the water and then closes the seat I was sitting on so I can sit on it once again. I grab a towel I packed and lay it out on the back tail of the boat. Before I lay down on the towel I pull Quinn’s shirt off of myself, followed by my shorts. I hear a faint whistle come from Trevor’s way, resulting in me flipping him off before laying on the towel. The boys are in the water in the beat of a heart, but for some reason Quinn stays. I’m quietly reading my book when I feel a presence next to me.

“What’re you reading?” He practically lays his head on my shoulder to look at the book. “I’m re-reading Percy Jackson.” I show him the cover then go back to reading. “Why aren’t you in the water with everyone else?” He moves his head on my shoulder to look at me, “I’d rather be up here with you.” I close my book and look at him, “I wish I never did this” Quinn furrows his brows, “what? Why?” I gnaw at my bottom of my lip before I tell him. “I know you know that I liked you but did you really know how long?”

Quinn takes a breath, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I don’t think I do.” I stare into his eyes before looking away. “Since the day we met.” I mumble. “Y/n, fifteen years?” I shrug at his words, “now I’ve ruined it.” Quinn’s eyes go soft and he rubs his jaw. “You think about our happiness too much” I look at him and frown, “what?” “I mean, even if you do something that hurts our feelings, we’ll get over it. That’s how much we love you, y/n.” I smile as he talks, “thank you.” We stare at each other for a short moment before Quinn leans in. The kiss was soft and thoughtful.

“Ugh, stop making out.” We jump away from each other, a smile cracking on my lips when I realize it was just Jack. “Could you be any louder?” Quinn shakes his head and Jack scoffs, “could you be any more obvious?” The other boys follow Jack suite, getting back on the boat. Quinn sits with me for a moment more in silence, “just remember what I said, okay?” I look at him and nod before he stands up, joining his brothers back on the inside of the boat.

After the five hour mark, at two in the afternoon, the boat ride was miserable. I didn’t want to say anything because the boys were having fun but my skin felt tight from the sun and the heat was making me nauseous. Luke got back on the boat for a reason that’s unknown and noticed my state almost immediately. “Y/n, are you okay?” My head was leaned back in the seat with a cold water bottle pressed to my neck. “Overheated.” “Still don’t wanna get in the lake?” I shake my head without even looking at him. “I’ll tell the guys, won’t mention your name, promise.” I smile at his gentle words, “thank you, Lukey”

I didn’t know what Luke told them but the boys were back on the boat in minutes. Quinn was behind the wheel, taking us back to the docks. I was the first one who rushed off of the boat the second we were tied to the dock. The sun tight skin was uncomfortable as I rushed inside. I run up to Luke and I’s shared room to change into a tube top and loose shorts to ease the pain of the burnt skin. I sigh as I make my way downstairs, regretting not wearing sun cream. The boys goofed their way into the living room next to the kitchen.

I walk past Ellen and she gasps. “Oh honey, I have cream upstairs in my room. It’ll help the burn, come on.” I nod and follow her back up to the stairs. Ellen was like a second mom to me, she took care of me that way. So when she asked me to take the shirt off I was wearing I did so without second thought. I pulled it off as Ellen grabbed the cream out of her drawers. She rubs it into her hands before smothering it against my sunscreen. My heart skipped a beat when the door swung open. My arms instinctively fly to cover my chest, a huff of almost relief fell from my lips realizing it was just Jack. Ellen scoffs and turns me to face away from her son, “didn’t I ever teach you to knock?” He rubs his neck and shakes his head, “sorry mom, I’ll come back later.” He turns and leaves, closing the door behind him.

Ellen finishes up with my back, my skin already feeling more than better. I put my shirt back on before thanking her and leaving the room. The rest of the day goes as normal as one would think. The boys hung out around the pool while Jim grilled dinner, I stayed in with Ellen so I didn’t harm my skin any further. But what I couldn’t help but notice the lingering stares from the middle brother anytime he comes inside. Even during dinner he couldn’t keep his eyes off of me, which of course Quinn took a notice to. I decided to help with the dishes afterwards, Jack jumping to voluntarily help me.

He stands beside me and I can’t help but speak up. “What’s going on with you, J?” I look up at him. He shrugs, “nothing” I roll my eyes with a soft scoff, “you’re such a bad liar.” He finishes up the dishes and sighs, “if you come up to my room later I’ll tell you-“ “trying to get into my pants?” Jack laughs and shakes his head, “no but that would definitely be a plus if you let me.” I roll my eyes and nod, “yeah, I’ll be up there later.” I dry my hands and sit down on the couch.

Once the boys starting going to bed one by one, I decide it’s my time to as well. Jack mentions that he’s going up to his room and I follow up by saying the same. Jacks already on his bed when I enter his room, closing the door behind me. I sit on the side of his bed with my arms crossed. “Okay, I’ve been going over what I was gonna say and you were right.” He smiles cheekily and I scoff. “But listen! I have a reason.” “Uh huh, and that reason is…?” I look at him with a raised brow. “So there’s this girl, right?” “There’s a girl and you want to get into my pants?” I look at him confused. “Listen!” He urges “I’m listening.”

“I just- before me and her get serious, you know? I really like her, but you- shit I’ve liked you for years.” I can’t help but laugh at his words. He scoffs, “stop laughing!” I pinch my lips to stop myself from even smiling and I nod my head, “fine, fine, okay.” I giggle, agreeing to help him. He smiles and grasps my hips, pulling me onto his lap. “You’re so lucky I love you.” I whisper before kissing him softly, “I know” he mumbles against my lips. It was weird coming from Jack, he was normally fast paced and sloppy but now he was soft. I guessed he just knew that this would be the last time we were able to be together like this.

Jack moves me so I’m the one with my head pressed against the pillows while he hovered above me. His hands pull at my top before pulling it off of my head, his head dipping down to my bare chest. He presses soft kisses all over my chest before sucking faint marks over my breasts. He carefully nips at my nipples, pulling them into his mouth before kissing down my stomach. I never thought I’d see this side of Jack, soft and caring. He loops his fingers in my shorts, pulling them down as well as my panties. Before he had the chance to do anything, I pull him up to connect our lips.

He pulls away for a moment to rid of his own shirt before connecting our lips again. My hands roam over his chest and forth down to rest on his abs. Jack sits up, ridding himself of the rest of his clothes. He presses his head to the nape of my neck before lining himself up. My wetness served as a lubricant, helping him slip inside of me. I let out a content sigh when he bottoms out, causing him to laugh softly against my neck. “Shut up” he smirks against my neck, “yes ma’am.” And before I even have the chance to respond, he retracts his hips and snaps them back into mine. With each thrust, a moan like gasp falls from my lips.

Jack reaches his hand down in between us, pressing his thumb to my clit. With the feeling of him circling my sensitive bud, my cunt clenches around his dick. The feeling makes him groan against my neck, “I’m gonna cum” he whispers. I nod with my eyes pinched shut, “me too.” With just a few more thrusts, he lets go and releases deep inside of me. The feeling sends me over the edge, my juices coating him. I look down at him and when our eyes meet, a smile cracks onto my lips. He slowly pulls out and lays down next to me, pulling me into his arms. I reach down to the floor, stealing jacks shirt to pull over myself. I lay back in his arms. Without another word, we both fall soundly asleep.

The sound of a scoff wakes me up, I look towards the door to see an obviously pissed off Quinn. I look back down at Jack, he was still sound asleep. I look back at Quinn and he looked as if he were trying to kill me with his look. I roll my eyes and stand up, walking up to Quinn to push him out of the room. I follow him quick suits, “what’s your problem?” I whisper yell to him when we both walk into his room. “What’s my problem? Are you just trying to play with our feelings?” I look at him dumbfounded before anger floods my face. “This is the exact fucking reason I said I regret doing this, the reason I can’t date any of you!” “You regret doing it? Then why’d you go and do it again?” I stare at the oldest brother with a disgusted look on my face.

“What happened with what you said earlier? Huh? That even if I hurt your feelings you’d get over because that’s how much you love me? Or were you talking about your brothers forgiving me if I got with you?” His silence gives me my answer and I just shake my head, “go fuck yourself.” I say in a fit of rage before storming out of his room, making my way to my shared one with Luke. Luke’s sound asleep when I rush in, the sound of my heavy foot steps and quiet sobs wake him up.

“Y/n? What’s wrong?” He asks, holding his arms out for me to crawl into without another word. He holds he as I cry into his chest, I knew even if I told him that he wouldn’t be mad at me in a million years. But still, if I tried to tell him the sobs would muffle my words and he wouldn’t even be able to tell me. He runs his hands over my hair in attempt to soothe me. “It’s okay, y/n, just tell me later. Everything’s going to be okay, I promise.” My sobs die off as I slowly fall asleep in Luke’s arms. He doesn’t stop his comforting motions until he was sure I was asleep. Luke lays down as ultimately falls asleep with me, still holding me close.

[rainyvalentines]

Reckless Serenade

pairings…clarisse la rue x daughter of poseidon

description…the dolphins love clarisse

warnings…fluff

requested…no but someone recommended an idea

w/c…335 words 1814 characters

an…hope you like it! sorry its kinda short!

Today was gorgeous the birds were singing and the weather was amazing. You went down to the beach to go swimming.

When you got there you saw dolphins swimming around and playing. You started talking to them as they chirped your way.

Clarisse walks up and holds your waist. “Who you talking you?”

“The dolphins!”

“What do you mean? They can’t speak”

“I’m poseidons daughter dummy!”

“Oh yeah I kinda forgot”

“Whatever! They said you’re really pretty” You say teasing Clarisse.

“Wait really?” Her face flushed red as she looked at you.

“Mhm! They love your hair!” She hides her face in the crook of your neck.

“Shut up..” She mumbles softly. “They didn’t say that!”

“I’m being honest! They did!” You giggle as the dolphins swim away and its just you two standing at the beach. “Even if they didn’t say it I think your pretty!”

“God I hate you”

“I love you too!” You run your hands through her hair. “Wanna go swimming?”

“Sure, I don’t have a bathing suit though”

“I have some spares” You both run back to your cabin where you see Percy. “Hey Percy! Me and Clarisse are going swimming!” You knew your brother and girlfriend didn’t like eachother but you didn’t care.

“Alright, I’ll be here when you get back.”

“Okay! See you soon” You grab the bathing suits and get changed in the bathroom. You both walk back to the beach.

“You look really pretty Clar!”

“So do you princess” Her hand was wrapped around your waist holding you close to her. You both got into the water.

You splashed water at her as you giggled loudly. You both had a water fight until you got tired. Once you stopped she picked you up and carried you back to cabin 3.

“Percy! We’re back!!”

“Okay!”

You get changed into one of Clarisse’s hoodies and a pair of shorts. You cuddle on your bed ignoring Percy doing whatever he was doing.

“Love you Clar..”

“Love you too princess”

[kamaluhkhan]

we were wild and fluorescent (come home to my heart)

pairing: conrad fisher x fem!reader

summary: you come back to cousins beach after a few years away. conrad is not particularly happy that you're back - and you aren't particularly thrilled, either. too bad there's a history (chemistry?) neither of you can deny.

warnings: nostalgia + fluff + a bit of a *steamy* ending ; mentions of sex; swearing; conrad and reader drink alcohol; reader is a competitive swimmer + deals with a lot of pressure; complicated family dynamics (reader has two younger siblings + is eldest daughter); pop culture references (it book/movie, percy jackson series), this chapter is very long + ending is a little cheesy !!

tags: @stargirlsirius-recs, @ifilwtmfc, @qwertyb2577, @allnrsnz, @baconeggndcheez, @peanutbelley, @imogen-skye, @geekinthefuschiahair, @tvije, @drikawinchester, @maybankslover, @junnniiieee07, @elcpsstuff, @fangirl-kimora, @redbierd, @starkeylover, @serrendiipty, @jackierose902109, @lonelywitchv2, @c4rpediem-s, @teensyflowur, @peteronesgf, @percysaidnever

a/n: i literally cannot express how much it means to me that people are reading + enjoying my work!! thank you endlessly for following this story. this chapter is mostly fluff with a lot of banter between the reader and conrad + nostalgia. i'm thinking this will be the last part (....unless?) so i hope you enjoy it :)

part one | part two | part three

on a summer afternoon / i get to thinkin' 'bout the hazy days / under august shade that i used to spend with you (khai dreams, “sunkissed”)

now — summer age 18

you’re already frustrated when you walk over to the beck house, and when the person you least want to answer the door opens it, your mood goes from bad to worse.

"hey. is jere home?" you ask, peering behind conrad to see if someone else, anyone else is there. this is the first time since your argument that you and he were alone together, and you really don't want to look him in the eye. he doesn't look too thrilled to see you standing on his porch, either. he looks at you with tired eyes, wearing a black, short-sleeved rashguard and hair dripping wet. 

"no, sorry." 

"how about steven?"

conrad shakes his head and droplets of water go flying. he says something about prep for the debutante ball.

you exhale sharply, upset that your backup plan just fell through. "okay, bye."

you start walking away, but conrad calls your name. 

"everything okay?"

you're surprised by his follow-up question — suspicious, even. given the harsh words you'd exchanged the last time you were together, you assumed that conrad didn't very much care to prolong a conversation with you, much less whether or not you were okay. whatever his intentions are, you don't really have time to go down this road. 

"everything's fine," you answer loudly, still forging ahead.

"come on, y/n. i know you." 

your hands clench into fists at his words and you finally stop in your tracks. 

"conrad," you huff, turning around to face him. "i really don't have time for this." 

"look, i'm not…." conrad sighs, running a hand through his wet hair. "i'm not trying to start anything. you seem a little stressed, and if there's anything i can do….just, let me be there for you."

conrad used to always be there for you in situations like these, and you ignored the sharp pain in your heart earlier when you decided he couldn't be this time. you really, really, really want to stay mad at him — you certainly have enough reasons to be for several lifetimes — but the gentleness of conrad's tone calms you down as much as it throws you off. instinctively, you feel your hands unclench, your heartbeat slow down. 

“so, what’s wrong?”

you sigh. your siblings had planned an overnight trip with their friends at a campground about 3 hours away. they were meant to leave this afternoon, but the chaperones just cancelled — one had car trouble and the other a work emergency. now, they didn’t have a ride or adult supervision, which left you to come up with an alternative, lest you want to spend the rest of your summer drying your siblings’ tears and dealing with a lengthy guilt trip from your mother (who, conveniently, has plans this weekend and can’t reschedule). you left that last part out of your story to conrad, explaining only the basic components of your dilemma.

“but, it’s fine. i’ll sort something out.” as you wait for conrad to respond, you’re already running through a few other alternatives in your mind. you’re just in the middle of estimating the amount of money you would spend on gas when conrad says:

"well, i can come with you." 

you quirk your eyebrow at him. “yeah, you don’t need —”

“you’ll need two cars — and two drivers — to get them there, right? i'm not doing anything right now, or tomorrow.”

“it’s not your problem, conrad. i’ll figure something out —”

“look, you have three options," he interrupts, tilting his head at you. "one, you take two trips yourself to get them all there, which means you’d spend around 10 hours driving each way and waste a ton of money on gas.”

you stiffen. 

you hate that he knows exactly how your brain works….

“two, the twins have to cancel their trip, and you spend the rest of the summer with your siblings upset at you and your mom suggesting that you’re a bad sister, which is not true.”

you hate that he understands exactly the situation you’re in….

“three, you let me help you.”

….and you hate that he always insists on being helpful.

that was the real reason that you didn’t want to ask conrad — because you suspected that he might offer to help regardless of the tension between you two. the conrad you remember was always concerned with doing the right thing, no matter what, and despite how different he’s acting this summer, you knew that caring boy was still there, deep down.

sometimes, you hate being right — it can get a bit tedious.

conrad waits for you to answer, but he obviously knows you well enough to guess your decision. you don’t find the prospect of camping with conrad particularly appealing, but you’re desperate.

you tell conrad to be ready to leave in an hour, before walking back to your place to tell your siblings the good news.

a little over an hour later, your siblings, their friends — devi, khadija, kai, and leo — and all the camping supplies are split in between your and conrad’s cars. you decided to divide the group into threes: you’d drive your sister, khadija and leo; and conrad would drive your brother, devi, and kai. once everyone’s buckled in, you and conrad close the trunk of your respective cars and turn to each other.

“so, we’ve got a spot booked at stardust falls, but the plan is to stop halfway —”

“at sophie’s for a bite to eat,” conrad finishes, a smile creeping on his face. “i know the drill.”

you bite back a smile yourself before nodding at him and getting in the driver's seat.

as your sister cues up a playlist — you had just made her watch lemonade mouth so she was currently obsessed with hayley kiyoko and her music — you get lost in memories of summers past. 

it was a tradition, many years ago: your siblings were too young to join, so for one weekend in late august it was you, conrad, jeremiah, belly, and steven with susannah and laurel, the seven of you piled into a minivan for an overnight camping trip. you spent the drive blasting music and singing along, playing ‘i spy’ while gorging on goldfish crackers and sunny d. about halfway through, there would be a pit stop to refill the gas tank, stock up on snacks, and get something to eat from the nearby diner. you would always get waffles with extra whipped cream and conrad would get chocolate chip pancakes, and you’d always split the food between you. once you got to stardust falls, you’d spend the afternoon swimming and sunbathing, and the night roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, stargazing and whispering until sunrise. 

as much as you loved laurel and susannah, you and conrad would dream of getting your driver’s licence and being able to continue the tradition with just the kids. you never got the chance; it was only five years ago, when you were the same age as your siblings now, that you had gone on your last camping trip to the same location. 

it seems your dreams were finally coming true — just not in the way you expected.

when you get to sophie’s diner, you’re relieved to have a chance to stretch your legs. the eight of you get a familiar booth in the right corner and you find yourself squeezed between devi and the window. the waiter distributes menus to everyone, and it isn’t until you look down that you see it: your initials next to ‘CF’. last time you were here, the five of you all carved your initials onto the table when the moms weren’t looking. you forgot that you’d placed yours right next to conrad’s; to be fair, you were always sitting next to each other. now he’s at the other end of the table on the opposite side, examining the menu carefully even after being here so many times. 

this time, you just get a coffee and steal some bacon from your brother; conrad doesn’t get anything, claiming he isn’t hungry, until your sister offers him the rest of her french toast, which he practically inhales. after, you and conrad fill up on gas while your siblings and their friends go into the store for some snacks. 

“hey, can you get me some sour patch kids?” you ask your brother, handing him a $5 bill. your brother nods and starts walking away; you glance at conrad, then add: “and some m&m’s, too!” to which your brother offers a thumbs up. 

“thanks,” conrad says. he removes the nozzle and sticks it into the gas tank; you do the same, and for a few moments, there’s nothing but silence between you.

“does listening to the lightning thief musical on repeat make your brother a theatre kid?” 

you turn to face conrad, who’s already looking at you with a lopsided smile. 

“i think it makes him more of a percy jackson kid,” you decide.

“well, he has good taste. i didn’t even know there was a percy jackson musical,” conrad adds. 

“i know, right?” you gush. “my brother and kai went to see it off broadway, and of course i had to chaperone, but i’m so glad i did because how, in the name of all the gods, did we not know this existed?”

conrad laughs. “we would have been obsessed,” he agrees. 

you smile, feeling yourself hit by another wave of nostalgia. 

when you were younger, you, conrad, jeremiah, steven, and belly loved the percy jackson series, rotating the books between the five of you until everyone had read them, the covers well-worn and sand stuck between the pages. so, for belly’s 9th birthday, laurel wrote out a prophecy with an elaborate quest for the five of you to go on - something about searching for poseidon's missing trident - while susannah used the time to fashion the backyard into your very own camp half-blood. you each got ‘assigned’ a godly parent: apollo for jeremiah, ever the sunshine boy; hermes for steven, the trickster of the group; aphrodite for belly, who looked at the world with rose coloured glasses; poseidon for you, because you loved the water; and athena for conrad, wise beyond his years. 

yes, your heart did skip a beat, because of what a perfect coincidence — that conrad was essentially the annabeth to your percy. when would the two of you share the best underwater kiss of all time? 

after a fun-filled afternoon, you each took home a necklace filled with clay beads, as was tradition at the fictional camp half-blood. even after summer ended, you would always wear yours in between swim competitions and practice. somewhere along the way, you misplaced it; it was probably left on the chlorine soaked floor of a locker room. you wondered if the others still had theirs, if conrad even remembered. 

he’s looking at you now with such wistfulness, you have a feeling he does. when he looks at you like that, it’s easy to forget that you’re mad at him and he broke your heart. scratch that: you’re mad at him because he broke your heart. 

and, not that it solves everything between you, but he’s here and didn’t have to be, and that maybe possibly heals something inside you. 

before you can continue the conversation, a sudden click indicates that the gas tanks are full, just in time for your siblings and their friends to exit the convenience store, carrying a significant haul of snacks and drinks. 

your brother hands you the sour patch kids and m&m’s, and you toss the bag of m&m’s at conrad, which he catches effortlessly. you rip open the package with your teeth and stuff a few of the sour candies in your mouth as everyone piles back into their respective cars.

you open the door to get in the driver’s seat, but the passenger side is empty. that’s when you notice that your sister and devi were still walking back from the store, taking their time. your sister laughs a little louder than usual, her smile a bit brighter when devi bends down to steal a sip of her drink. she’s wearing a jacket that you’ve never seen and probably belongs to devi, and your sister’s pair of sunglasses now rests on devi’s head. technically the sunglasses were yours, before you passed them down to your sister, but still — it’s adorable. devi winks at your sister before slipping into the backseat of conrad's car. your sister sighs contently before freezing at the realisation that you witnessed the moment between them.

"what?" she asks, a little flustered.

something makes you glance over your shoulder at conrad, who you now realise had seen the interaction between your sister and devi as well. beside him, the door to the driver’s side is also open, but he doesn’t get in. instead, conrad raises his eyebrows at you and smiles knowingly.

“nothing,” you say, smiling back at conrad, then at your sister. “but hurry up, if you want to make it to the falls before sundown.”

your sister mumbles something and gets in the car, while you check the route one more time. you tell conrad which one has the least amount of traffic, and soon enough, you’re on the road again.

conrad follows closely behind you, never allowing more than a car between before catching up. you glance in the rearview mirror and see your brother belting the words to what you assume is the percy jackson musical, and conrad is even bopping his head along. in your car, your sister is busy reading the song of achilles while the others in the back are relatively quiet. 

“so what’s going on with you and discount james dean?” your sister suddenly asks. she puts her book down, reaches over into the cupholder to grab a few sour patch kids. 

you laugh at the nickname, even if the answer disappoints you, just a bit.

“nothing.” 

out of the corner of your eye, you can glimpse your sister roll her eyes. 

“that seems to be your favourite word today,” she notes.

“fine, how about this for a change of pace….there was definitely something earlier between you and devi.”  

your sister’s jaw drops and she turns around to see if her friends heard, but khadija is asleep and leo has his headphones on, looking down at his phone.

“y/n!” 

“what!” you mock her incredulous tone. “you’re not fooling anyone.”

“i’m not…we’re not…” your sister stumbles over her words, turning her head sharply to face out the window. she plays with the sleeve of devi’s jacket, which she’s still wearing despite it almost being 85 degrees. the same music as before fills the space, and hayley kiyoko sings about girls liking girls as you wait for your sister to answer. 

she finally sighs when the song ends. “i like her, okay? but we’re just friends.”

at her words, you’re overwhelmed by an eerie sense of deja vu. if you could have done things differently, maybe you would have. and maybe, just maybe, you can help your sister have a better outcome — whatever that means for her. 

“look, kid, i know it feels like the end of the world, but you have options,” you promise. “one, you tell her and she doesn’t feel the same way; your relationship is forever ruined and your other friends have to choose sides —”

“y/n! seriously?”

“i’m just preparing you for the worst case scenario,” you defend, exiting the highway. “the best case scenario is that you tell her how you feel, or she feels the same way and beats you to it, and it all works out. and there is, of course, the secret third option.”

“what’s that?”

you shrug. “easy. you never cross that line.” you follow the signs that lead you to your destination.

“and bottle up my feelings forever,” your sister grumbles. “is that what you and conrad did?”

you make a right into the campground and put the car in park; conrad’s car pulls up next to you a few seconds later. you turn off the engine.

“not exactly.”

_________________________________________

you and conrad unpack the trunks as your siblings and their friends set up their tents. you hear their giddy banter as they plan how to spend the rest of the afternoon, as well as the sleeping arrangements. you smile to yourself when you hear devi suggest that she and your sister share a tent. the cars are pretty much empty except for some food to keep away animals, but you notice that not everything made the trip.

you double check your car, then conrad’s, before calling over your brother.

“yo, what happened to my bag?” you ask him. 

“i thought it was your swim stuff, so i took it out of the trunk,” he explains. “did you need it?”

“oh no, no. it just had all my clothes, my sleeping bag and my tent,” you say sarcastically. “no big deal.”

your brother gives you a thumbs up, clearly not getting the message. he seems more interested in kai, who's currently unpacking his guitar.

“cool,” he says before walking back to his friends. 

you huff and close your trunk. at least there is some balance in the universe: the mosquito repellant was in your bag, and your brother is usually their favourite meal. you always have afterbite, or you would have, if you had your stuff with you. 

thankfully, you had your bathing suit underneath your clothes, and you could sleep in the backseat, even if it wasn’t the most comfortable…

“everything okay?” conrad sneaks up behind you.

“turns out none of my stuff is here.” you shrug. “but it’s fine.”

“i mean, we could share my stuff,” conrad offers, lifting up his bag. knowing him, he’s probably overprepared and carefully packed, even with only an hour’s notice.

you look at him for a second. 

“let’s sort that out later, yeah?” you decide, ignoring how the prospect of wearing his clothes, sharing a tent with him, makes your heart beat faster. “i’m itching to go for a swim.”

taking advantage of the late afternoon sun, you all slather on sunscreen, throw on colourful swimsuits with sunglasses, and relax near the water. it’s only a short walk away from where you’d set up camp, and all your tents (well, except yours) are still in view. your brother, leo, and khadija are sitting down on their towels while playing cards. kai has borrowed your sister’s copy of the song of achilles to read. your sister and devi are, splashing each other in the water. conrad is reading a worn of stephen king’s it, a bottle of lemonade resting next to him.    

khadija brought her wireless speaker, and out of all your siblings’ friends, you’re thankful that she has the best taste in music. “this is the day” by the the plays in the background of everyone’s laughter and playful banter. you swim idly in the water, let your skin absorb the sunlight, and take it all in.

as much as you were stressed this morning, you’re practically floating with joy now. you feel like a kid again — and it finally feels like summer. 

your eyes land on conrad once more. he sits in the shade and you’re craving a sip of his drink, so you get out of the water and settle down next to him like it’s the most natural thing for you to do. you’re dripping on his towel, but he doesn’t seem to care; he hands you the bottle of lemonade without a word. you take a sip, surprised that it’s slightly bitter. 

“does this have vodka in it?” you cough. 

“yeah,” conrad answers, putting his book down. he takes off his sunglasses and rests them on his head. “i can get you something else, if you want.”

you shake your head and take another sip. “it’s fine. just don’t let the kids drink any alcohol, okay?”

“i won’t.” he offer you a wry smile. “but you know they’re not kids, right? they’re teenagers.”

“it feels weird calling them teenagers,” you say. he’s sitting up with his knees bent, and you lay down next to him, but not before stealing his sunglasses to shield your eyes. the sun moved slightly, and starts to peek through the leaves of the tree that was providing shade.

“just because we grew up, doesn’t mean they have to," you add once you're comfortable. 

conrad hums. you tilt your head to look at him and notice his eyes lingering on the tattoo below the band of your lime green bikini top. you smile — he blushes, then looks away. conrad takes the lemonade bottle back from you and swallows a mouthful. you close your eyes, let the sun wash over you.

“my mom told me you got into stanford,” he says suddenly. “that’s really cool that you get to go to california. just like you wanted, right?”

“i thought you hated horror,” you say, referencing the book you saw him reading earlier. you desperately want to change the subject — your father is still pushing princeton because of their swim team rankings, and your mother is too busy spending her free time in bars to really care. needless to say, where you’re going to college isn’t a topic you want to discuss, unless you’re looking to ruin this perfect sunny afternoon.

conrad just looks at you for a second before playing along.

“i usually do, but this guy on my football team wouldn’t shut up about stephen king, so i thought i’d give it a try. you’ve read it?”

“no, but i saw the movies. i cried so much in it: chapter two, like i was practically choking on tears in the middle of this dark theatre. my ex had no idea why i was crying so much.”

“why did you cry so much?”

you open your eyes. it takes you a beat to respond, because you never really thought about it that deeply. by now, the song has changed to david bowie’s ‘heroes,’ and watching your siblings and their friends goof off in the middle of summer makes you feel like a background character in a coming of age movie, when five years ago you would have been one of the main characters. you miss those days, almost as much as you miss what you had with the boy next to you.

“because it reminded me of this,” you admit. 

conrad lets out a small chuckle. “did i miss the summer where we fought a killer clown?”

“no, smart ass,” you shove his leg playfully. “but there were other things that were just as intimidating. like, parents who were jerks with soul-crushing expectations, and younger siblings who needed to be taken care of. drinking problems, cancer diagnoses, divorces. just…everything, you know? it was summer, we were kids, and things were just scary sometimes, but we always faced it together. and, then…”

“we grew up,” conrad finishes. 

“yeah,” you muse. you lift the sunglasses off your face to look at conrad, and he’s already gazing down at you. if you closed your eyes again, you could imagine laurel and susannah sitting by the water and gossiping, steven and jeremiah diving underwater to try and catch a fish with their bare hands, and belly laying in the sun while reading a romance novel she's probably too young to read. but all you see now is conrad, smiling at you softly with the golden sunlight shining behind him, and it makes your heart ache. 

belly mentioned that they hadn't been back here since you stopped coming to cousins. because it wasn't the same.

your voice drops to a whisper. “i'm sorry i ruined it."

"don't give yourself so much credit." his smile at you sadly. "we both made things messy; i should be sorry, too."

"are you?" 

he hesitates, finishes off the bottle of lemonade. 

"yeah," he finally says. "i'm sorry."

and it doesn’t feel like enough, but instead of worrying about what would happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after, you just focus on today. you relax back down on the towel next to conrad, and let the sunshine and sounds of summer fun wash over you.

the afternoon fades into the evening, and once everyone's dry, you get started on dinner, then dessert.

it's so familiar: the warm glow of the campfire, the smell of burnt marshmallows, the slight itch on your skin from where a mosquito must have bitten you, the pressure of conrad's knee pressed against yours. 

you get up for more graham crackers, and your sister follows you. 

"so, i hear you and conrad are sharing a tent," she teases. "you're welcome."

"why would i thank you?" you wonder, biting into a graham cracker. 

a wicked smile appears on your sister's face. "well, i was the one who told our dear brother that you wouldn't need your bag. i figured your boyfriend would have everything you need."

"conrad's not my boyfriend," you remind her, a little annoyed. you and conrad made nice earlier, but the peace between you is precarious. you aren't particularly thrilled to be in a situation where you're confined to close quarters together — much less now that you know it's been fabricated by your own sister.

"so then why are you and conrad sleeping together in a one person tent?" she challenges, crossing her arms.

"do you want me to sleep outside and get eaten by werewolves?" 

your sister rolls her eyes, but you notice how she shudders just a little bit. 

"those don't exist," she declares, her voice a little shaky. your sister is old enough to know that monsters aren't real, but you still get a kick out of scaring her - especially when she's done something to frustrate you.

"oh, sure they do," you reply easily. conrad arrives at the table next to you just in time, probably to check on those graham crackers you'd promised to get. "stardust falls is crawling with werewolves, right con?"

"no," he answers. your sister sighs with relief too soon, because conrad continues. "only on the full moon…." he makes a big show of pulling down his sleeve and checking his watch. "which is tonight, if i remember correctly." 

"but, don't worry," you wink at your sister. "devi will protect you."

there's a moment of silence between the three of you, before you and conrad burst out laughing. 

"you guys are the worst!" your sister groans. you and conrad are still laughing as she grabs an unopened bag of marshmallows and snatches the pack of graham crackers from you before storming away. 

"thanks,” you say once you’ve both calmed down. 

he grins at you, reaching over to grab an orange. “my pleasure.” 

you smile back at him before walking back to the campfire, already feeling warmth spread through your chest.

_________________________________________

when the night is at its darkest, everyone decides that it’s probably time for bed. you triple check to make sure the fire is out and all the food is away, and then everyone goes into their tent — with you as the exception.

you and conrad never circled back to whether or not you’d be staying in the tent with him, so you end up staying out by the water. 

there’s still some rustling and whispers from the tents behind you, but mostly you’re left with the soft trill of crickets, and what sounds like an owl in the distance. you’re still wearing your bikini top and cutoff shorts, even though there’s a cool breeze near the water, because you didn’t really have another option. conrad was right earlier — it’s a full moon, and you’re thankful that it provides some light. the sky is clear enough that you can also see the stars. you’re so lost in looking for constellations that you’re startled by the sudden appearance of shadow right next to you.

“shit, conrad. you gave me a heart attack!” you exclaim, just loud enough for conrad to hear and quiet enough to not wake the others.

“sorry,” he whispers back, sitting down next to you with a lantern. “i couldn’t sleep.” conrad tilts his head up. “but, i come bearing gifts.”

conrad hands you one of the mugs he’s holding — not the usual thermos you’d bring for camping, but ones that you’d find in the kitchen back at the beach house.  

in the dim light, you see that it’s your favorite mug, the same mug you’d dropped during your argument a few weeks ago. the cracked porcelain is so carefully repaired, you wouldn’t have known it was broken. 

“thanks,” you whisper. you take a sip of the lukewarm hot chocolate, but the warmth that spreads through your body is from conrad’s gesture more than anything.

conrad nods and points up at the stars. “find anything good?”

you launch into a detailed explanation of what constellations you’ve found so far — and, when that’s over, you continue making up stories like you’re david attenborough narrating a nature documentary. sure, it’s ridiculous to use a very serious british accent to suggest that king kong and godzilla are immortalised in the night sky, but it makes conrad chuckle, and you decide that’s worth all the stars in the universe.

in between stories, conrad asks: "are you cold?" 

conrad already knows the answer, because he passes you a light jacket without you saying a word. you shrug it on, and practically sink into the familiar fabric.

"so you're the one who had my varsity jacket," you realize. it smells like him now: lemon and sandalwood. 

conrad smiles sheepishly and shrugs. "it's a good jacket — what was i supposed to do, not wear it? you left it last summer."

last summer. 

the words hang heavy between you. 

 “y/n —”

“con —”

you both stop, waiting for the other to continue. there have been enough moments this summer where you’ve cut your heart open and conrad just watched you bleed. a part of you wanted him to do the same, even though you know how much it hurts. 

“why did you come back that night?” he asks. conrad is usually confident, sturdy, reliable; right now, though, he’s the most timid you’ve ever seen him.

“i needed to.”

“why?” he presses.

you bite the inside of your cheek, remembering yourself a year ago and all the pressure you felt, from your parents and coaches. you used to love swimming, and you realized too late how much competing took over your life. things weren’t perfect at home, either, but you were trying your best to guard that truth from your siblings. ironically, that was part of the reason you had distanced yourself from conrad in the months prior: you knew he would worry, and you didn't want to burden him.

you tell bits and pieces of this to conrad, cutting yourself open once more.

“i felt like i was drowning,” you admit. “i tried so hard to hide it —  just keep swimming, right? but it got to be too much. so last summer, when i had a meet nearby, i just had to see you, because i knew that you were the one person in the world who would jump in and save me.”

“i didn’t know.” is all conrad says for a moment. you don’t add anything, because you find yourself in the same position as always: vulnerable, pouring your heart out.

“what you said on the fourth — you were right,” conrad sighs. “when you came last summer, i was already mad at you for not coming back to cousins for so long, and then you were leaving again and i was hurt. and - it’s fucked up, but i wanted to hurt you, too.”

“mission accomplished,” you laugh sadly.

“i shouldn’t have said what i said that morning last summer, and i shouldn’t have ignored you after.”

“you shouldn’t have ignored me this summer, either” you add. you can’t help calling him out for his shitty behaviour lately as well.

“hey, you ignored me, too,” he points out. “and, yeah, maybe i deserved it. there’s just a lot going on and….” conrad trails off, his gaze fixed on something in the distance, where a sliver of golden sunlight peeks through the horizon. you and conrad must have been talking for hours because morning is now just around the corner. “i know i was a jerk. just please know how sorry i am — for everything.” 

you’re about to say something, but you can’t seem to find the right words. i'm sorry too didn't feel like enough. instead, you reach out and grab conrad’s hand. it’s cold in yours, but you don’t care.

“i can’t lose you,” conrad whispers, almost choking on the words. he squeezes your hand. “i can’t lose you, too.”

“i’m here, connie,” you whisper back. with your other hand, you brush some hair out of his eyes before using your thumb to wipe a stray tear from his cheek.  “and i’m really glad you’re here, too.”

throughout the entire conversation, you and conrad had moved closer together — now, your shoulders are touching and your left leg is bent over his right one. 

“did you mean what you said on the fourth?” conrad asks, his eyes searching yours. “do you regret that night?”

“i’m guessing you mean the us-having-sex part?” you reply, a gentle smirk on your face. 

conrad nods. he’s blinking faster than usual, and you can tell he’s anxious to hear your answer.

“if it ruined things between us, then i would,” you admit. you realize then that your hand is still on his cheek; you remove it, but keep the other intertwined with his. “tell me it didn’t ruin things between us, and maybe i’ll change my mind. i mean, do you regret it?”

conrad smiles at you, his shoulders relaxing. “no. that’s one thing i don’t think i’ll ever regret. that’s another thing you were right about — that night meant something to me. it meant everything.”

your heart skips a beat at the way he looks at you, tenderly, waiting for you to say something.

"yeah, me too. or, me neither. i mean, i’m sorry -” now, it’s your turn to stumble over your words, nerves getting the better of you - you take a deep breath to calm yourself. “i’m sorry for not being here; i’m sorry for hurting you; and i’m sorry for making you feel like i didn’t care, because that’s further from the truth.”

“i appreciate it,” conrad replies sincerely. “but i think we’ve apologized to each other enough for one night.”

you laugh. “yeah, i guess you’re right about that one. have any alternatives, fisher?”

conrad reaches up to caress your cheek, a gentle gesture that contrasts the mischievous smirk on his face. his eyes fall to your lips, then back to yours. “i can think of a few —”

you kiss him before he finishes his sentence.

maybe you'd never shared an underwater kiss, but kissing conrad feels as dynamic and unpredictable as the ocean. 

when you kissed last summer, it was like a wave breaking onto the shore: the built up anticipation finally coming to fruition. 

earlier this summer, at nicole’s party, kissing him felt dangerous, like swimming out into the turbulent water and realizing you’re in too deep. 

right now, his lips on yours feel like floating in water on a warm summer day. 

conrad slips his hand underneath your jacket, and you shiver when he touches your bare skin, right under the band of your bikini top where your tattoo is. you shift ever so slightly and suddenly you're tangled in his lap, feeling him strong and sturdy beneath you. one of your hands is on his thigh, while the other tangles into his hair. you tug the strands just the way you remember him liking it; he groans and kisses you with more intensity, a calm sea gradually becoming more rough.

once you’ve run out of air, you pull apart ever-so-slightly, appreciating his swollen lips, pink cheeks, and tousled hair in the early morning sunlight. you could do this for hours — drowning in him — and you're about to do it again, too, before you’re shocked back into reality.

“i knew it!” you hear your sister yell in the distance. she then adds something about your brother owing her ten dollars. you make a mental note to get them back later for betting on your love life. 

conrad laughs against your lips, then pulls away. you get up and offer him your hand, which he accepts with a smile. 

“you might wanna…” you gesture towards his messy hair, and he blushes even more despite how much he enjoyed it earlier. 

“right.” he clears his throat, runs a hand through his hair to tame it. 

“i’m gonna go get started on breakfast,” you say before walking a few steps closer to the campsite. 

you turn back around to conrad, who was frozen in place, looking at you carefully. his posture is stiffer than before, and it takes you a second to realize why: he’d been here before. he’d watched you leave one too many times.

not this time, though. this time, you reach out your hand — a peace offering, a promise. 

summer will end soon, and maybe you aren’t quite sure what the future holds once it does.

“so, are you coming with me or not?” 

but you do know this: when you get back to the beach house, you’ll go surfing with the fisher boys, watch movies and eat sour candy with belly, play video games with steven and jere. you’ll sneak out to meet conrad, then watch the sunrise together. the five of you will have bonfires on the beach, maybe even inviting your siblings and their friends, and roast marshmallows. susannah will host another pool party and you’ll feel conrad’s arm wrapped around your waist; he’ll kiss your cheek, sitting on the edge of the pool, and you'll jump in the water, bringing him under with you, before kissing him back. 

you'll spend one particular night in conrad's bedroom, hands and lips all over each other, trying to keep quiet, and when you search his drawers for a condom, you'll find the same necklace that you, jeremiah, steven, and belly were gifted. it holds faded clay beads painted with various symbols - a turquoise trident, a crashing wave, a rainbow, a starfish. you'll think back to how the tradition started at belly's percy jackson themed birthday, when you and conrad were 11, and susannah would give one to each of you at the end of each summer. there will be a sharp pain in your heart when you notice that some beads are missing, the years don't add up, but you'll realize, prompted by conrad's deep voice calling you back to bed, that you might be able to make up for lost time.

you'll soak up as much sunshine as you can. you’ll squeeze out every ounce of summer, and then some. you'll dust off old traditions, and make some new ones, too. you'll fill those necklaces with more clay beads.

and you'll always - always - come back home.

[ameagrice]

Capsize

Percy Jackson x fem reader

chapter thirty-two I see trouble on the way.

There wasn’t an exact word to describe the way Chiron looked at you, that summer. Months and years down the line, you still couldn’t place it. That weary look, like watching something play out that you can’t really put a stop to. Of course, then you couldn’t have known. Not amongst friends, at your cabin table.

“Barbecue chicken wings!”

The food sprouted on the plate, a magic you’d never grown used to seeing. Newcomer Clarissa, a girl with extravagant blue hair, blinked, jaw-dropped.

“Twenty barbecue chicken wings!”

“Greedy-guts,” Annabeth chided beside you, munching on a side of lettuce.

You shoved three wings in your mouth at once, side-eying her. “You’re eating rabbit food.”

Your eyes lifted to the head table, where Chiron talked with an expressionless face to the new guy beside him, in an orange colour of the fruit itself. “I don’t like him.”

“You haven’t even talked to him,” Annabeth stabbed her fries with a fork.

“I don’t have to. Something’s off.”

Your sister groaned at your side, reaching for one of your chicken wings. Your mouth gaped, a sound of protest that she ignored. “Don’t start with ‘the vibes are off’ again.”

“Vibes are very important!” You rebutted.

He happened to be a man in at least his early to mid-fifties, short as anything and skinny, too, with a mess of dark-grey stubble around his jaw and a thin layer of hair on his head. Talking to Chiron, he might have looked like any random convict. But you weren’t convinced he was harmless.

“Seriously, though. The vibes are off. Don’t you think? You’ve been here all summer with him haven’t you?”

Annabeth’s bright eyes raised to the man in question for a fraction of a second, before lowering to her food, pushing fries around with the fork in her grip. “Quintus is…difficult. You should be careful with what you say around him. Especially you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“It means,” she lowered her tone, as if it was a super-secret secret. “I don’t trust him…particularly, and I know you always have a lot to say. Besides, something’s happening, can’t you feel it? Nobody trusts Quintus the way we should, since he came out of nowhere. Somebody mentioned the Oracle and he went crazy, he shut ‘em down. You have to keep your mouth shut this year, okay? Don’t disrespect the Gods, and don’t talk back to him.”

Being serious wasn’t in your nature, but you tried, for your sister’s sake. “Sure.”

“I’m serious.”

“No, you’re Annabeth.” Clarissa choked on her food, while Annabeth rolled her eyes.

It was a total pain that, not long after arriving, you had cabin inspection. A bore, grinding your nerves that you had to clean a cabin full of mess that wasn’t even yours—but Annabeth told you to quit whining, so you did, figuring you’d annoyed her enough already. Every afternoon for the first week, a senior counsellor came around with a checklist for every cabin. Thanks to your team efforts, you got the hot, clean showers first every time. Unfortunately for Percy, he fell somewhere around the middle-bottom league. You asked for snacks in return for your cleaning efforts, putting your home skills to use. Your best friend carried through on his promise—goods from the cabin store delivered promptly to your cabin every week.

Somewhere between the end of the first week and the weekend, you dipped your fingers in the lake water, watching the dark trailing swirls as you moved. Your ankle gently tapped Percy’s in the water, sitting at the end of the walkway. You can’t help noticing how much more grown up he looks this year. Older than you—you can’t seem to shed your baby face and freckles. Eyebrow waxing and tinting can only do so much.

“You know,” you say quietly, into the evening stars. “I think the Oracle wants to see me.”

Percy remains quiet at your confession. In the water’s reflection, you watch him nod. Maybe he thought this was a continuation of your want to see the future, carried through from last season. This time is very different, you want to tell him. Because this time, you feel it in your body that your time is here.

Dark curls gently sway with the movement of his nod. Even at fifteen years old, Percy respects your wishes, even if he doesn’t agree with them. “Want me to come with you?” Just being there is enough for him. There are no questions, with Percy. He understands you, and the way you talk. There is a mutual understanding that he’s there if you want, and there anyway. There is an underlying message in his words: I’m here if you need me to be.

“Yeah,” you dip your head, to your fingers laying just beside each others, not touching. “I’d like that.”

Intuition as a demigod means a lot. It can help the demigod avoid dangerous situations, or get them to act appropriately in time. In a few years from now, walking, lonely, along a shoreline yearning for someone who isn’t there, you’ll remember this moment, and question your own sanity. On the other side of the water will be a boy, sitting and praying on his knees in the sand, for your return. You’ll feel a million miles away yet so close, just the way you do now. This moment, in the present, feels so prominent and so odd that you commit it to memory, for later. Later always comes too soon. You shouldn’t get so caught up in the past, you hear a woman’s voice telling you. You want to scream until your throat feels raw; so why is the past always catching up to me? We live in memories; they shape you, they guide you—maybe that’s why you eventually feel so lost.

The next day, you kick yourself into action. You set about making a sword from scratch in the armoury (and bribing some Hecate kids to charm it for you, to a bracelet, or something. You haven’t quite decided yet). Something in the style of Percy’s sword would be beneficial.

“Do you think there’s a reason why my sword works so well with you?” The boy mutters, hanging upside down on the dock at night, cicadas singing all around. “Back at the school, I mean. You just…used it like it weighed nothing. It came to you.”

There probably is a reason. Chiron would know. But for now, you’re young, and you don’t care.

You go down to the training arena the next evening and watch newcomer Quintus fight against Percy—practicing. The older man might try to come across as harmless, and friendly, but there’s something you really can’t place your finger on.

“Good try,” the man nods. “But your guard is too low, Percy.”

Said boy parries back, undeterred. “Have you always been a swordsman?”

“I’ve been many things.”

And if that wasn’t strange enough, the purple insignia on his neck was. In the shape of a bird, the symbol sat against his stark skin like a terrible bruise. A reminder, he called it, when Percy asked. You decide you don’t want to know much more. You’ve made your mind up about the man.

The evening that you’ve made up your mind on going to the Oracle, something strange is in the air. It feels different, like it had when Ares met you in the diner your first quest, and the way it had when you ran away from home. Something was changing—had changed. When you raise your eyes to Chiron, talking with an animated Connor Stoll at his table, he raises his gaze like he’d been expecting you. He knows that you feel something is wrong, and you know that he understands what you mean. It’s a sure sign that this isn’t you being paranoid—this is real. Something is coming, and you wish you could avoid it with all your heart. Chiron shakes his head, curls jostling at his shoulders, a silent warning for you to be quiet—to let it be. He’s handling it.

In the middle of the dining place, striking across the floor, sits the crack where Nico di Angelo brought forth the dead. Since then, he’s been missing. And nobody will let you look for him. His grief showed his true colours, a hidden talent buried deep down. If Bianca hadn’t have passed, poor Nico would be here, and happy. He’d be safe.

Annabeth jokingly digs her hand into your side. Ticklish, you almost elbow her. “Shift it! I’m starving!” You draw your eyes away from the past, though it’s staring you right in the face.

You fall asleep that night with your fingers still against the edge of the curtain that stops right above your pillow, playing with it to watch the stars above camp. When you manage to drift off, feeling heavy and tired, you only hear words in the darkness.

“An exchange. A soul for a soul. A soul that should have died already. Someone who has cheated death.”

You can’t help but think, that’s you.

So you pull on a jacket and shoes, and slip from your cabin, trailing across camp in the quiet of night, taking in the sheer silence. In the distance, Festus snored and the Golden Fleece glowed, but that passed as you took the steps to the Big House, creaking under your feet. The lights inside are on, as they always are—the Big House is never closed. And somebody is always awake.

Unfortunately, tonight, the someone you want is not awake. Mr. D. is. You’re about to turn around when he blinks up from his magazine at the table, and waves his hand briefly. The door flies open, whacking the wall unapologetically. You stand, in mismatched socks and a saggy jacket, unimpressed.

“Where’s the manager?” You ask, folding your arms.

“That would be me.”

You scoff, stepping inside. “Bullshit.”

Inside, the lights are on, the house like a beacon. It smells of alcohol and coffee, though Mr. D. can’t drink ethanol. The scent lingers with him, like the smell of Cola. He sits in a too-big, starry shirt with red cheeks and bright orange pants. A fashion icon, on a different planet. A warm breeze drifts in from the open doorway, brushing your bare legs. The animal on the wall, above the chair where a clock also sits, stares at you, judging.

“I really need to speak to Chiron.”

“Not Quintus?” He lazily raises his brows. You laugh through your nose, shoving your hands inside your pockets. As you begin to walk the space, you blink at the dirt on your shoes, thinking.

“No. I’d rather jump off a cliff.” You stop. Pulling out a chair at the table, you sit heavily, legs outstretched, an arm over the back of the chair. You don’t look up. “I had a dream about that kid, Nico. He isn’t lost—he’s following someone’s orders. And we need to go get him. Someone wants to exchange lives—a soul for a soul. They said, someone who has skipped out on death.”

Silence fills the space. You look up, from your shoes. Mr. D. shrugs. “Okay?”

Fury fills you. “Okay? That’s all you got? Call for a quest!” You exclaim, getting to your feet. “Help Nico! A soul for a soul clearly means me. Did you just ignore the last quest altogether? How many times did I nearly die?”

His watery eyes blink, face unbothered. Mr. D. leans back on the sofa, flicking his magazine again. He hums. “How should I know?”

“You should! You should know these things. Please just…help me out, here. Get Chiron to call for a quest. Let me talk to the Oracle. We can save Nico! We can fix this! He’s a kid…he shouldn’t be out there alone. Someone is clearly controlling him. And personally, I think it’s a god.”

Now, he looks up. Those eyes harden. He doesn’t do anything, but the air shifts, changes, and you hate it. “Do you, now?”

“Yes,” you sigh slowly, watching carefully. Men can be unpredictable, you’ve learned that. Gods? A little bit more so. “Just…let me do this. Let me fix things before they get worse. Please.”

You plead the same way with Chiron, later that morning. “I know this is meant for me. This is my quest. My chance. Chiron, I swear. I feel this in my bones. We have to do something, because something big is happening. Nico needs somebody to help him, and someone powerful has risen. I’ve dreamt it. I feel it. And I know that you do, too. If you don’t believe me, let me talk to the Oracle! Talk to Percy. He knows about this. He knows how I feel about it all—!”

“Stop.” Chiron utters quietly. He cuts your rising tone in half, and you fall silent, waiting. He looks at you the same way that he has since you arrived—like you’re headed for your grave, and he’s trying to stop it. He sits looking out across the porch, across camp. “Go back to your cabin. Inspection’s due to start, is it not? I’m sure Annabeth would like your help—”

And…you finally snap. You swipe a hand over your hair, tugging on the ends. “Why does nobody listen to me?! I know that you can feel something is wrong. I know. If you’d just let me talk to the Oracle. Just this once. And I’ll stop. If nothing happens, I’ll leave it all alone,” you step forward, so you’re leaning on the railing, breathing deeply, waiting for his reaction. “We both know, though, that something will happen. You’re just scared of it.”

Later, you’ll realise, looking at a young boy on a rooftop, just why Chiron was scared. He was scared for all you heroes, then and always. Heroes die terrible deaths; they get hurt, and they don’t recover. They live difficult but happy lives. It’s the hard parts, he doesn’t like.

“We don’t all die,” you urge. “We don’t all suffer. If you let me do this, I’ll come back from wherever I’ll go. I’ll bring Nico back. I’ll fix all of this! You have to trust me on this one. I’ve had dreams. Nightmares. I know what’s coming, and what will happen if I don’t do something. You’ve always said that intuition is right, as a demigod. Isn’t that one of the first things you told me? Told Percy? Right now, my intuition is telling me that I have to do this! Please believe me.”

Waiting for his response is more nerve-wracking than spilling your thoughts to him at a million miles an hour. He holds a thousand-yard stare, like he’s seeing past you. Who is he seeing, you wonder? Which hero do you remind him of?

Chiron inhaled heavily, exhaling slowly. He looks tired. “You remind me…so much of your mother. So persistent to do the right thing. Not always the good thing, but the right. You young heroes…I will think about it. We have more pressing matters, right now. An Aethiopian Drakon was spotted this morning walking the camp border. We know Luke has made plans to invade, and my guess is this is the start of that idea. Quintus has suggested we have a round of war games tonight. You should tell Annabeth and Sienna, they’ll want to prepare no doubt…”

At breakfast, Quintus announces the war games after dinner. Annabeth yaps about how long it’s been since the last one. Clarissa tiredly asks what the war games are like. The conversation with Chiron plays on your mind while you scrape your offerings into the fire. A bit of toasted bagel and strawberries. The brightness of the flames reflect off your plate, grateful that you’re late to breakfast and there’s nobody waiting behind you.

“Help me get what I want, mom. We both know I’m meant for this. Let me save Nico. Let me save us.”

Whether she’ll listen—whether she even heard—is one thing, and carrying out on your wishes is another. A part of you wants to think about all the times she didn’t help you. But another part thinks of all the times she did, and you have a slither of hope that Athena will hear your desperation and help you out.

You remind me so much of your mother. You have lots in common, then. Maybe she’ll realise you’re more alike than either of you thought.

You turn and cast your gaze across the pavilion. Connor and Travis are throwing food across the table, so you’re not going there. At your table, Annabeth is staring at the sky like it’s the answer to all her problems. Silena Beauregard is sobbing her heart out at her haircut, so you’ll avoid her today. Finally, Percy and Grover. Percy in typical fashion of creased blue tee and jeans, and Grover chewing on lettuce, his horns poking through his curly hair. At the head table, Chiron is standing, not in the wheelchair, tall and…already watching. Maybe he does it on purpose—he just leaves. Campers shouldn’t sit at other tables, sitting with your own cabin is a where you should be.

You approach Percy, anyway, slinking onto the bench. Grover smiles at you, and you can’t tell if you’re paranoid or if Chiron has mentioned your talk this morning. Maybe you’re losing it—because you swore, hands down, that you talked to Mr. D. last night, and according to Chiron, he isn’t even at camp.

“What are we talkin’ about?” You pick at your bagel, eyeing Percy’s much more appealing chocolate pop tarts.

“Chiron wants Percy to convince me,” Grover utters, spearing his breakfast with a fork.

“Convince you of what?”

A plate smacks down on the table, rattling the dishes already there. Annabeth climbs over the bench and plonks down, reaching over you to steal one of Percy’s pop tarts. You have half a mind to snatch it back.

“I’ll tell you what it’s about,” Annabeth said. “The Labyrinth.”

You look between the three of them. “Labyrinth? Are we talking, like, Theseus’s Labyrinth? Ariadne, and shit?”

“Exactly that.”

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Percy hushes. “Either of you.”

“We all need to talk!” Annabeth insists.

“But the rules…” he frowns.

You shove the rest of your bagel in your mouth. “Rules-shmules. Cut to the point—I had a dream about Nico di Angelo, and he’s working with some psycho to exchange souls. He’s being controlled by someone. Last night, the Apollo kids went out to get rid of the drakon in the woods. I’ve had a weird feeling for weeks now that something’s coming and something has changed, and all of this is happening after Luke came up with the plans to invade and take over. Coincidence? I think not. We need to do something.”

Annabeth hums. “When you pair all that with the fact that Grover’s in trouble, and the Labyrinth we found this summer over in the woods? It’s all connected. It has to be. I think the only way we can figure it all out is by going into the Labyrinth. It didn’t appear for no reason, right? Clarisse found it by total accident, and we’ve been trying to investigate it all summer. We only get so far, though…”

“So,” Percy prodded. “It’s not under the king’s palace in Crete anymore. It’s actually under some random building in America?”

“It was never just under the palace, though,” you think aloud. “It was sprawling. It existed for so long before Theseus went inside that it just…adapted. Changed. If it grew there, chances are it isn’t just under some building in America. It’s probably everywhere. Just like Olympus moves with societal changes, and how an Underworld entrance is in L.A.”

“So, is the Labyrinth a part of the Underworld?”

It’s Annabeth’s turn to be confused. Grover shook his curly head. “No. There are probably passages leading down to the Underworld in the maze, but they’re not totally connected. Think of them as…alleys between streets. The Labyrinth is basically just under the surface of the mortal world, like a second skin. It’s been growing for thousands of years. It’s connected everything everywhere. You can get practically anywhere using the Labyrinth.”

It only occurs to you, then, that, “The Labyrinth that opened in camp…is Luke’s way in. It’s how he’s going to invade everywhere. He’s got it all planned to a T. Luke must have connections in camp, because the entrance to the Labyinth wasn’t here a few months ago. Someone has to be feeding him information on how it works, where it starts and ends. How to get inside. But who?”

It all clicks into place perfectly.

You’re your mother’s daughter, alright.

As it so happened, Chiron wanted Grover to explore the maze. Clarisse spent the summer inside of it, trying to get a feel for where it led to, the entrances and exits. It’s always changing, according to her, and she got lost a couple times. Chris Rodriguez went insane down there, says Annabeth. He’s still insane. But no other advancements have been made. Because nobody can find the entrances outside, or the exits inside. Grover still wants to find the god, Pan, and believes that the maze might be the only way to find him. But Grover is Grover, and he knows how he feels, so the maze isn’t a match. Annabeth urges him to go and keep looking. But…everyone knows something is wrong. Off.

When Quintus cleared his throat far too many times to be a sore throat, Annabeth got the hint and took you over with her to your own table.

“Convince him, will you?” She asks Percy, linking her arm with yours to pull your unwilling self along. “Talk to him.”

You eye Quintus and try to decide whether you’re a paranoid schizophrenic. Mr. D. would tell you straight. But he’s not here, and so says Annabeth, he never was. There’s excitement and unsettlement buzzing in your body, like you’re gearing up for something you don’t know about just yet. Sometimes, the body knows before the brain does, and it’s never wrong.

That evening, Quintus ordered the Capture The Flag armour to be handed out. Suited up and waiting for his orders, everyone crowded as the sun began to set, burning orange over the treeline. The mood among the campers was a lot more serious than when you played Capture The Flag.

“Right!” Quintus said, standing on the head table. “Gather round.” He dressed in black leather and bronze armour, like something from the past and the future mixed into one. Throwing in his greying hair into the mix was like seeing a ghost. The giant puppy (supposedly dangerous) that was Mrs O’Leary bounded and barked around Quintus, eating scraps off the floor. “You will be in teams of two—WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN DECIDED.” People began to grab at their friends and scream names, until he yelled over them.

“Awwwww!” Came a chorus of disappointment.

“The goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying.”

You lean over subtly to Percy, though you can’t just whisper in his ear anymore, he’s got so tall. “We do that every day.”

“The wreath is wrapped in the silk package tied to the backs of the monsters. There are six of these monsters, each has a silk package. Your goal is to find the wreath before the other teams. And…of course, you will have to slay the monster to get it, and not die.”

“Neat,” you mutter. It sounds straight forward enough. Around you, people agreed.

“I will now announce your partners. There’ll be no switching. No complaining. And NO trading.”

He went on to list the pairs, from a terrified Grover and spooked Tyson, to Clarisse and Joan, to Annabeth and Mason, to Connor and Travis, and you and Percy.

Percy grinned at you. “Nice.”

You shoulder-barged him so hard his armour turned ski-whif. You twirled your dagger between your fingers with what you could describe as utter skill, heading into the woods. The teams spread out, some walking, some sprinting. Percy held his sword at his side, and you were almost jealous of it. It was still light when you got into the woods properly but the height and density of the trees made it darker and colder than it really was.

“I spy with my little eye,” Percy spun in a circle. “Uhhhh…something beginning with T.”

“Trees.” You side-eyed him.

“Smarty-pants. Your turn.”

“I spy with my little eye, something beginning with P.” You hone in on the distant scuttling.

Percy gasps dramatically. “It’s a Percy!”

Your hand flies for his sword-side wrist. “No—package. Run!”

If this were a fun game, you might have run after the package strapped to the back of the creature. However…you were really quite scared. These creatures were huge, bigger than normal monsters, scorpions altered with huge pincers and poison dripping from their sides. When one came, three more followed. How on earth were you supposed to fight them all off? You nearly tripped over backward as Percy yanked on your armour. You scrambled to keep up with him, dirt flicking up off the ground. Another creature came out from that way, too, leaving you back-to-back with Percy.

“They don’t look happy,” he said.

“Absolutely not,” you agree.

You move slowly to be side-by-side instead, moving in the one direction the monsters aren’t keeping you stuck in. Your feet shift back, the ground declining. Percy, in front of you, trusts you to guide him, deflecting a hiss of poison with the flat of his sword just in time to catch it before it landed on your face. You exhale slowly, reaching your dagger hand behind you, catching on the side of a large rock, taller than the both of you, and one on the other side. The space between the two is slim, but with the creatures closing in on you, any sort of coverage is better than none.

“Bit tight there, no?” Percy suggests nervously, reaching his free hand up to his shoulder where your hand rests up on his armour, guiding.

“Cover is cover, man. Oh, that’s a bit steep—”

Before you can say another word, the ground under your feet gives way. All the breath leaves your lungs in the sudden, unexpected fall. Percy yells, shocked, falling backward into pure darkness. You land on hard ground, your armour taking most of the impact. Slightly winded, you sit up and rely on Percy to help you up, staring at the hole you fell through, the light sky and scorpions peering down to you. The boy next to you breathes frantically, panicking.

It couldn’t get any worse, right?

Wrong. You watch in total disbelief, the hole knitting together and closing up to leave you both in the pitch black. The make of Percy’s sword provides a tiny glimmer of a glow, casting between your faces—his wide-eyed, unblinking and yours terrified.

“Percy—”

“Don’t panic. It’s—it’s fine.”

Your voice rises to a high pitch. “Where are we?!”

“Well, we’re in a hole.” His voice shakes in response.

It’s freezing down here, and damp. You take a step back, dropping your dagger. It clatters and echoes in both directions. Your palms fly back as you lean and hit a wall, sliding them across dewy concrete. A breeze blows from one direction, whistling, all the way down to the other. The space doesn’t feel tight. When you reach your hand out to find Percy in the darkness, you can’t feel him.

“Are you there?” You whisper, throat tightening.

“Right here,” he gulps, and warm fingertips land in your hair. You slide your hand up to meet his wrist and don’t let go. His pulse flutters furiously under your tight fingers. “The whole woods, and four monsters come right to us. We’re like magnets.”

“Just you, man. Son of Poseidon ‘n all.”

“Glad you find this funny.”

“I’m glad you’re glad.”

As the two of you calm down ever so slightly, you push off the wall, still holding Percy, and reach for his sword, turning the material’s dim light this way and that. It doesn’t do much. “What is this? Maintenance tunnels?”

You want to laugh. But something weak and nervous has settled on your chest. “Percy…I think we’re in the Labyrinth.” The ground beneath your feet feels like brickwork, jolty, uneven. “Safe from scorpions, anyway.”

“This is new. Has to be. We would have known if there were caves here. Surely?…”

You nod, sniffing. “Definitely.” You thought of the crack made by Nico in the dining pavilion. Had the two of you made this? But how? It didn’t seem right. You lower your hand from Percy’s sword, and he slides his hand down…into your own clammy palm, off his wrist. Eyes widening, you don’t question it. He keeps his hand there. Percy shifts the sword light.

“It’s a long room,” he mutters.

“It’s not a room,” you realise. “It’s a corridor.” The darkness felt emptier in front and behind, and you had the terrible, crawling feeling that something was watching. If this was the maze, it would make sense: the maze is alive, after all.

He took a step forward, slipping your hand away. “Don’t!” You cried, a little too loudly, partially out of worry for danger but mostly so as not to be left alone. “Don’t go down there. We need to just…find an exit. We need to get out.”

If he sensed your panic—which, being Percy, he definitely did—he tried to calm you. “It’s okay,” he tried, somewhat soft. “It’s right—there…oh.”

You tried to think rationally under the rising terror. If this really was the maze, who was the maker? You sift through hours of books and facts and history mentally in seconds, working at a thousand mental miles an hour. The original maker, would have been Daedalus—the father of Icarus. Ancient Greeks and their creations…

“There has to be some sort of exit here,” you utter, trailing your hand up the wall. You let go of Percy’s and brush both across the dewy walls. “A mark, maybe? Daedalus was a creator. All creator’s leave their trademark, I think. If we’re talking Ancient Greece then it’s probably a Greek letter or…sign…something.” You liked to assume the trademark would be something to feel, and close by. You heard Percy copying you without question. You know one another by now, and how each other works. You often lead—Percy often follows. It’s a level of trust you’ve had no choice but to build on over the years. Act first, question later.

His unsure tone came forth in the darkness. “I’m not—”

“Got it!” A eureka! moment brings relief, and a bit of weight falls from your shoulders. A dented brick in the wall, in the shape of the ancient Delta—a small L. It began to glow bright blue when you pressed into it. You’d have smiled if you weren’t so worried. The roof slid open, dirt falling in atop of you. You’d been expecting scorpions and sunlight, not…stars, and the dark sky. Elatedness turns into sheer and utter bafflement. Metal ladder rungs speared out of the wall, to the opening in the ceiling. People were screaming your names, some distantly, some close by. Percy glanced nervously to you, and nodded to the ladder.

Humid air greeted you. Up on the surface, the ground closed over again, like it had never fallen open in the first place. Percy, crouched, brushed his hand over the place there should have been a gash. Nothing.

“Where the hell have you two been?” Clarisse rounded into your space, face like fury. “We’ve been looking forever!” She demanded.

Maybe it was how you shook, leaning against the rock. It might have been the paleness of Percy’s face.

“We were only gone five minutes,” he said.

Chiron trotted up, followed by Annabeth and a new camper. “You guys okay?” She asked, breathing deep.

“We’re fine,” Percy got to his feet. “We fell into a hole.” People looked skeptically to him, but you opened your mouth.

“Honest.” Chiron looked like his worst fears were coming to life. “We were out here just fighting those scorpions and then the ground just opened. Didn’t feel that long down there, but obviously…”

“You’ve been missing for nearly three hours,” Chiron ran a hand over his face. “The game is over.”

“Yeah,” Annabeth piped up. “We nearly won. Until Tyson fell on me.”

You eyed the golden laurels Clarisse wore. Usually, she’d brag and flaunt in typical Ares-kid fashion. This time, the girl stood judging. “It just opened?” She repeated.

“Chiron, maybe we should talk about this somewhere else? At the Big House?” Said Annabeth.

Clarisse pushed further into the circle. “You found it, didn’t you? You went into the maze!”

You turned your head in a short tilt, scoffing. “Yeah. Yeah, we found it…”

Campers grew rowdy, yelling questions and firing anxiety. Chiron held his hand up and it grew quiet. “Tonight is not the right time, and this is not the right place.” He stared at the giant rock formations like they were dangerous. “All of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. You played well, but it’s well past curfew!”

There was a lot of complaining and mumbling, but campers dwindled and retreated to their cabins, no doubt going to talk about your missing evening with Percy.

“That explains what Luke is after,” Clarisse shrugged.

You froze. “So I was right, this morning—we found Luke’s invasion route into camp?”

If looks could kill, you’d be back in that hole. Annabeth nodded, staring at you. Clarisse popped off on a spiralling theory, and Percy pressed his hand into your shoulder. Chiron had turned grey, face stony.

You didn’t know, then.

You’d just just started digging your own grave.

taglist:

@bl6o6dy @embersparklz @lilyevanswhore

@rottenstyx @rory-cakes @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual

@marshmallow12435 @lantsovheiress @distinguishedmakerpandapatrol

@twsssmlmaa @gayandfairycore @padsfirewhisky @emu281

@charlesswife @jessiegerl @tojismassivemantiddies @mata0-0mata @jccc1000

@xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @nothankyou138 @i-love-books-and-the-bible

@obxstiles @mxltifxnd0m @ryujinraven

[isaacarellanesismyhusband]

★ fluff | † angst | ‡ sad | !! suggestive

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‼️THIS MASTERLIST IS NOT GONNA BE UPDATED ANYMORE, PLEASE CHECK THE MEGALIST ↓↓↓‼️

¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡ megalist ¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡

Draco Malfoy (harry potter) +check the other masterlist too

i’m always trying, but it’s never enough ★

you’ve been too busy for me ★

y/n(she/her) and Draco don't get to spend much time together, and when they do they get detention

Fred Weasley (harry potter) +check the other masterlist too

september back to Hogwarts-writing prompts

well, i suppose we’ll just have to share them ★

Fred is definitely the type to want his partner to get along with George’s partner

tu sais que je t'aime bien, non? | p2 ★

you should pick where all my rings go ★

Fred always wears his unusual rings and y/n(she/her) is obsessed with them and like to move them around and play with them when he's not looking. So one day she does it and she moves her favorite ring of his to his ring finger and he's absolutely obsessed with it and won't stop thinking about it

i don’t think i should pick favorites ★

y/n(she/her) has a crush on her best friend's older brother

i know | p2 ★

Fred falls for Sirius's daughter

seems like deja vu to me | p2 ★

Fred always tries to flirt with her and impress her but she just acts annoyed, just like how James was with Lily

told you I'd keep you warm ★

y/n(she/her) is always cold in general and especially when she sleeps and one night she's in the twins room and it's too late for her to go back to her common room so she stays and ends up in Fred's bed and he's really warm and after that night she can barely sleep without him

just don’t get us caught ★

what’s wrong? too shy to look at me now? ★

just Fred basically teasing short!y/n(she/her)

alright, Weasley, impress me ★

i like it best when it’s pink ★

y/n(she/her) is Nymphadora Tonks younger sister and she's also a metamorphmagus and this makes Fred really interested in her

they don’t deserve you, you know ★

y/n(she/her) came from a family of Gryffindors but she ended up in Slytherin and her family hates her for it, but throughout all her time at Hogwarts Fred has always been there for her

don’t get used to it ★

i wouldn’t let you get in trouble ★

i'll be here when you come back ★

during their firework show, when they leave, Fred quickly stops and goes over to y/n(she/her) and finally admits to how much he loves her

Loki Laufeyson (mcu)

tell me to move, and I will ★

after yet another argument, Loki pins y/n(she/her) against a wall, frustration turning to something else as their eyes lock

i’m not asking you to be perfect ★‡

Loki’s eyes flash with anger, but his voice softens when he sees the tears in y/n(she/her)'s eyes

Percy Jackson (percy jackson and the olympians) +check the other masterlist too

it was too late... you were in love ★

you were in love with Percy Jackson, and there was no going back from that

why not me? †‡

Percy is dating Annabeth but y/n(she/her) has been Percy's only best friend, besides Grover, and she's had a crush on him for years now, even before they knew he was a demigod

Luke Castellan (percy jackson and the olympians)

i just… i care, okay? ★

one moment you’re arguing, and the next Luke pulls you close, his lips brushing yours

guess we’re not fake dating anymore ★

y/n(she/her) is a daughter of Hades and so people kinda ignore her and are mean and usually she's fine with it and doesn't care but it's slowly starting to catch up to her and Luke sees this and generally feels bad so he offers to fake date her but then they both end up realizing they actually like each other

Nic Sheff (beautiful boy)

i don’t want to mess this up †★

Timothée Chalamet +check the other masterlist too

are you... are you gonna be okay? †‡

Timmy and author!y/n(she/her) are fake dating for pr, but he ends up falling in love with her

Walker Scobell +check the other masterlist too

hi ★

Walker and y/n(she/her) meet at an event and it's just love at first sight (with a lil awkwardness)

it's okay... you're okay ★†‡

Walker is there to reassure y/n(she/her) that she has every right to feel how she feels after a fight with her absent father

mind if I sit? ★

Aryan Simhadri

can I kiss you? ★

Aryan and y/n(she/her) meet some of Aryan's fans who want pictures with him. y/n feels a little nervous, so Aryan hugs her and gently kisses her to make her feel better

i’m here for you ‡★†

short blurb about Aryan holding y/n(she/her) while she's crying

cut! ★

aryan and y/n(she/her) are staring in a rom com together

Sam Golbach

I love you too ★

just a cozy little moment with Sam

[juneberrie]

CROISSANT KIND OF LOVE

☕️ barista!percy jackson

summary percy sees a super cute girl at the coffee shop he works at & decides to shoot his shot

author's note this has been sitting in my drafts for like over a month wtf

word count 0.6k

warnings fem!reader

percy glanced up as the door opened with a merry jingle and nearly dropped the steaming hot cup of coffee.

"percy, you're staring," his co-worker laughed and nudged the younger boy. he startled and put the coffee down.

"who is that? 's she a regular?" he asked, staring at the girl who'd just come in. she stood in line with two other girls. one of them pointed at the menu and said something while she nodded.

"no, don't think so," his co-worker replied. "i haven't seen her around before." they started to make their way over to the register, before turning to percy with a smug smirk on their face. "y'wanna take them?"

percy looked back at the girl and nodded quickly, handing off the order to his co-worker, who simply laughed.

"hi! welcome to jesse's coffee. i'm percy; what can i get for you?" percy said.

"hi, percy!" the girl smiled. "i'm y/n, this is maya and rio." her two friends waved. rio whispered something into y/n's ear, winked at percy, and pulled maya away to find a table. y/n turned and yelled to her friends, "real subtle, guys." she turned back to percy, shaking her head with a soft smile on her face. "ignore them, they're stupid."

percy laughed awkwardly and willed himself not to blush. "so, what're.. uh- what will y'all be having?" Y'ALL??? where did that come from? leo would have a field day when he found out...

fortunately, y/n didn't seem to know that y'all wasn't a part of his regular vocabulary. she rattled off her and her friends' orders, pointing at the chalkboard menu behind him. he nodded and smiled.

"alright, your total is $18.14," he said. she nodded and pulled out her wallet. she placed a couple of bills on the counter between them, eyes flitting across the numbers on the corner.

"shit. i'm a dollar short," she sighed. "uh, i guess i won't have the croissant..." she looked longingly at the buttery pastry in the display.

"hey, it's fine! you can have the croissant, i'll pay for it," percy offered. she snapped her head back at him.

"wait, for real?" her face split into a big grin, and percy's heart skipped a beat. "oh my gosh, thank you so much!"

"of course," percy smiled. "anything fo- anything else?" gods, why was he suddenly so awkward?

"i think that's it!"

"great, so uh. it'll be around like, uh." he looked around and back at the order. "fifteen-ish minutes?"

"cool," she smiled. she walked back over to her friends, who kept looking at percy, giggling and poking her.

fifteen minutes later, percy took a deep breath and scribbled the last number onto a napkin, slipping it into the brown paper bag that held her croissants.

"y/n?" he yelled out. she walked up the counter, friends in tow, and smiled that beautiful smile.

"thank you," she gushed, picking up her croissant and her drink. she turned to leave but quickly turned back to face percy. "have a nice day, percy!"

he smiled back and his eyes followed her as she left the cafe. when she was outside, the trio of girls stopped at the crosswalk. y/n reached into her paper bag and pulled out the croissant... and the napkin that percy has impulsively scribbled his number on.

she nudged her friends and one of them snatched the napkin out of her hands. the three seemed to have a discussion—though percy couldn't tell if it was giddy or heated. one of them grabbed y/n and shook her shoulder lightly. she threw her head back in a laugh and turned back to the cafe. the crosswalk light turned green and her friend started to tug her away. she grinned at percy and mouthed, thank you.

[once-upon-an-imagine]

Hi, hello! I hope you are doing fine and are happy! I got to know you from your Charlie Weasley fics and I wanted to hop in here!

Charlie had always seemed to me as someone chill most of the time, but when Bill or anyone mentions his s/o or crush, he would become sooo red that his siblings would make fun of him by teasing him how he gives lovesick smiles etc.

I was hoping to hear your thoughts and it would be amazing if you wrote something short and sweet!

Don't forget to take cate of yourself, love you😊🥰

hiiii, love! 😊😊 I hope you're having a great day today too! AHHH thank you so much for liking my Charlie stories! I love writing for him! oh my God! I love this plot so much! 🥰🥰🥰🥰 I feel like this is DEFINITELY something that would happen to Charlie! love you too! ❤️❤️

"Oi, Charlie, isn't that your girlfriend?" Bill asked, pointing your way in Diagon Alley.

"What? Charlie has a girlfriend?" George and Fred asked at the same time.

"I don't have a girlfriend!" he glared at them and then at Bill. "She's not my girlfriend!"

"Oh, but you know who I'm talking about" Bill smirked as Ginny giggled being carried on her oldest brother's back.

"Are you sure? Your face is turning red" she chuckled.

"Ginny!"

"They're not wrong" Percy pointed out. "You talk about her non-stop, and the two of you are practically glued together when in school-"

"That is not true!"

"She's coming this way!" Ron alerted him.

"Charlie?" you asked, smiling. You recognized Bill, Percy and you could never not notice the twins. "Hi, I thought that was you" you said walking over to him and hugging him.

"H-hi, love" he said, hugging you and kissing your cheek, trying his best to ignore, Bill's smirk. "F-fancy meeting you here" he stuttered.

"Yeah, it was a bit hard to miss all the redheads" you chuckled. "Hi, Bill, Percy" you nodded their way. "George, Fred" you told them. "And I don't believe I know you two" you said, looking at Ginny and Ron.

"Oh, right" Bill said. "This is Ron, he's starting next year" he informed you. "And this little rascal is Ginny" he told you.

"You're really pretty" Ginny smiled at you, making you feel your cheeks burning.

"Oh, thank you! So are you" you smiled.

"Are you Charlie's girlfriend?"

"RON!"

"Oh, um- n-no" you chuckled, nervously. "We're just f-friends" you explained.

"Um, guys, why don't we go find mum and dad" Bill said, pulling Ron along with him.

"But we wanna stay-" the twins started.

"NOW!" Bill instructed, making all of them follow the oldest Weasly and leaving you and Charlie alone.

"Sorry about that" Charlie said, with his face still flushed.

"It's alright" you insisted. "Your family is awesome" you told him.

"Live with them for eighteen years and then get back to me" he said. "Hey, um... would you maybe like to uh- I don't know, go get some ice cream or something? Sometime?" he asked, nervously, placing his hand on the back of his neck.

"Well, I'm not doing anything right now" you told him.

"R-really?" he chuckled, feeling releived.

"Yeah" you said, as he held your hand and walked you in the opposite direction of his family.

"Mate, see? Now they're going to get ice cream. Without us!" Ron complained to Bill.

[xoxochb]

⋆·˚ ༘ * loverboy and hatergirl

warnings: short short pairing: percy jackson x daughter of ares

“I’m going to twist your head to the opposite side if you don’t stop staring at me”

percy laughs at your morbid dialogue. “then I’ll lay on my other side so I can still be facing you”

you roll your eyes and return to your book. percy however keeps his eyes trained on you. the way your hair falls into place like dominoes, your lips slightly parted, your eyes getting heavy with sleep- yet you remain reading your story- your hands holding the book so delicately. how could he possibly leave you alone when you were looking this gorgeous? he takes the book from your grasp and places it on the nightstand, ignoring your homicidal gaze

“I was reading that!” you argue

“you can read it tomorrow”

percy wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you to lay atop him. in your sleepy state you refrain from arguing further

“if I slept at my cabin I bet none of my siblings would take my book away” you mumble into percy’s neck

“that’s because your siblings don’t care about you like I do. you need to sleep”

you sigh and nuzzle yourself further into percy’s skin, therefore proving his point that you were indeed exhausted

“percy?”

“yeah?”

“I hate you”

percy softly laughs and places a tender kiss to the top of your head, his arms tightening around your frame

“I love you too”

[gardenialver]

Ice Cream

synopsis - just a mundane ice cream date

content - fluff, licking not in a sexual context, reader is implied not to be American born

"For my lady," Your boyfriend passed you a plastic cup and a spoon. "Thanks babe." You smiled taking your first spoonful of ice cream. Exiting the ice cream shop the two of you conversed, situating yourselves on a nearby bench.

There was no one in the park and you relished that, maybe you might get an earful from Chiron later about skipping class but really what difference would it make, you'd be returning to your mother land for post secondary and if that didn't work you could always go to some college in Greece.

Plus the backup back up plan was to stay with your mom in her castle so really what troubles were there. "You and Percy aren't even related so why do you also exclusively eat blue food?" Leo nudged your thigh.

"Close enough lineage, step siblings, half siblings, whatever we are" You stuck your tongue out, "Anyways it's not like I exclusively eat blue food, I also eat green and purple so I don't get what your point is." "Yeah but you only eat it if it looks pretty."

You mocked him and he poked at your stomach making your flinch. "ACK! HEY!" Your brows furrowed at him and he chuckled to himself. You rolled your eyes and turned your back to him.

"Hermosa~ I'm sorry" He tried to coax you but you continued to ignore him. He kept persisting on getting you to pay attention to him but his attempts continued to fail as you focused on your own dessert.

"Your ice cream looks good," Was all you noted, mockingly turning around as if to act like you've forgiven him before turning around once again.

When your eyes moved to the corner to peer at him instead of his face you were met with his wild mix of flavours. Flinching slightly you grumbled and fully spun around to face him, taking a lick of his ice cream.

"Wait yours is good," You said with wide eyes while covering your mouth. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?" You pushed him while rolling your eyes, "Be happy you didn't pick an area close to water." He deadpanned at you, "I picked this spot because there's no water here."

Jabbing him with your elbow you stole another lick. And the two of you just sort of continued nudge-fighting each other. There was a bit of a chill and immediately you stopped nudging your boyfriend and sunk into his side.

"Why did it get cold all of a sudden," You complained and he dropped a hand on your thigh making you yelp from the sudden impact. He then began to rub vigorously while heating up his palms. "This is so stupid Valdez"

"I'm never warming you up again, your fault for wearing shorts." Still his arm wrapped around you and pulled you in to place a kiss to your temple. "Romantic much," You pushed at his chin teasingly.

He rolled his eyes, "AGH" He yelled making you fall backwards, "Huh? Huh? What?" He showed you his hands and you pursed your lips, "You scared me cause your ice cream is melting?"

"Yes it's getting sticky and gooey everywhere," You made a 'see' face at him and he widened his eyes as if to say 'so what help me'. With a sigh you raised his hands above your face and licked off the melted ice cream off his fingers and palm.

"There are you happy?" But at this point your boyfriend was bright red, "Th-that felt really sensual" Looking at his flustered appearance, even the tips of his hair had begun to flicker about in embarrassment.

Amused you decided to tease him a little further. "You did this on purpose huh baby?" By now he was blazing and you could feel the heat radiating off of him, "If you wanted me to lick your fingers you could've just asked,"

You leaned in closer to him and watched his adam's apple bob as he gulped. Getting closer you placed a quick kiss to his nose and backed off laughing away. "I'm never buying you ice cream again." He grumbled but you leaned into his warmth, "Of course you are." "Of course I am," He murmured placed his own kiss.

[wheelsvoid]

NEW WORLDS ; PJO

⇢ you suddenly arrive in the percy jackson world, at the start of the titan’s curse

masterlist

genre: platonic, angst

word count: 1,537

warnings: panic attacks, weapons, violence

fanart by frostbite studios

original plot rights go to rick riordan

When I could see again, I was back on my feet. Sound buzzed in my ears—the sounds of voices, music, laughter and anything that I should not have been hearing after passing out on the sidewalk.

I examined my surroundings; kids my age or younger were bustling around in what looked to be a school gym. Some were dancing, others were just talking in small groups, and some were keeping to themselves.

How did I get here?

I heard voices close to me, and nearly jumped out of my skin when they addressed me.

"Y/N?" A high pitched voice came from my right, and I turned to see a small boy, around my height, with olive skin and dark silky hair. The boy was shuffling trading cards in his hands, looking at me expectantly. Next to him, a girl stood with a scowl on her face that seemed to be slowly fading as she looked at me with concern. She wore a green cap on her head, which seemed to be covering part of her face. I assumed it was done on purpose.

I wasn't stupid; I knew this scene looked scarily familiar to one I had read—no! That was ridiculous. There's no way.

"Are you okay, Y/N?" The girl asked. I felt a chill run down my spine. They knew my name. I didn't even have a second to panic further before the boy spoke.

"I was asking you which one was your favourite." He said, holding out the cards. I eyed them cautiously, as if they might melt in his hands, and I would wake from a strange dream in Westover Hall. Because Westover Hall didn't exist. This wasn't real.

"Um..." I stuttered, glancing around with nervous breaths slowly leaving my lungs.

"Y/N," the girl persisted, placing a hand on my shoulder, "are you all right?"

"I just—" I looked through hazy vision, my eyes scanning the room as I held back my emotions and tried to wake up.

A new group entered the room through a set of double doors.

Wake up, Y/N!

I saw two girls and two boys. One girl had bright blonde hair, which was wildly curly but beautiful all the same. I avoided looking her in the eyes. Another girl had short, spiky dark hair. She looked tougher than the first, and more in charge than the others. One of the boys had a red cap over his curly hair, and his eyes scanned the room as he seemed to be searching for something. The last boy had tan skin and a mop of dark hair on his head, he seemed to be listening to the other boy who was speaking about something that I couldn't hear.

But I knew how this story went. I didn't want to believe it, but if I was right, I knew exactly what they were talking about.

The boy with the red cap—if I was right—would soon spot the two siblings to my right. I ignored the siblings, despite how desperately I wanted to ask them for their names for confirmation. I ignored them despite how hard they were trying to get my attention.

The boy in the red cap laid his eyes on the trio across the gym. He nodded, and began speaking. The others followed his line of sight.

I was sure I was going to pass out, but I couldn't do that just yet. This wasn't enough confirmation to panic. Not nearly enough.

Wake up!

A few more words were spoken before the boy without the red cap—I decided to call him Boy 1 because I would absolutely not be calling him the name of who I thought it was—began to walk forwards, but the girl with spiky hair stopped him.

Her eyes found something across the room, nearby the siblings and me. I felt a sense of panic return, recalling the lines of a certain book that I hadn't gotten a chance to reread before passing out. Slowly, I turned my head and made eye contact with the meanest looking man I had ever seen.

Wake up!

No matter how many times I tried to assure myself I was dreaming, I couldn't get past how real this all felt.

I looked back to the kids on the other side of the gym. If they were who I thought they were, I felt safer keeping an eye on them and their progress rather than the man who looked ready to kill.

They seemed to be arguing over something stupid, but through my panic, I couldn't remember what it was. I was sure it wasn't too important, given that I remembered all the major plot points with ease.

Plot points? You're dreaming!

I heard a yelp, my eyes followed the spiky hair girl who dragged Red Cap to the dance floor. "You can if I'm leading," I remembered the line clear as day now. "Come on, goat boy."

The blonde smiled, and Boy 1 frowned in confusion. I watched in a daze as the scene played on. I felt glued to the floor. Should I warn them? Was this even real?

If I could brush off the panic like it was nothing, I would have. Then the presumably di Angelo siblings wouldn't have to attempt to calm me down as I tried to stop my slight hyperventilating, and the man I assumed to be Dr. Thorn wouldn't have forcefully snatched mine and Nico's arms and yanked us out of the room, leaving Bianca fo trail after us as she tried her best to get him to stop.

I focused on Dr. Thorn's grip on my arm, feeling the tightness and the pain. The sound of the music drifted away, replaced by Nico and Bianca's poor attempts at calling for help and gaining freedom.

This was real, I realized. This was all real.

I regained some sense of awareness by the time we made it to what I assumed was the main entry hall, and Dr. Thorn scuttled away in a dark corner, hidden. I knew this part. I just had to wait for him to show up.

Footsteps echoed in the halls. In a flash, Percy Jackson shoved a door open, spinning around to examine the room. His eyes landed on me and the di Angelos.

Percy slowly made his way towards the small group. He lowered his sword. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." None of us said anything in response. I just stared at Percy's sword, watching the celestial bronze glow dimly, my jaw dropped. "My name's Percy," I nearly passed out at that, "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

I glanced up, looking behind Percy and my eyes widening as I remembered something a second too late. "Percy, look out!" I pointed. I heard a growl, which made it clear that Dr. Thorn was upset with me revealing his hiding place before he decided to make his presence known. But he was fast, and he attacked all the same.

Percy stumbled as a black spike grazed his shoulder, going straight through his jacket before pinning him to the wall. I felt guilt wash over me, but could he really defeat a manticore on his own anyway? Were my efforts to warn him futile?

Percy slashed with his sword, but it only sliced through air. "Yes, Perseus Jackson" Dr. Thorn chuckled, his French accent thick, "I know who you are."

I felt the panic return as Percy tried to free his shoulder. I knew it was poisoned, and I knew Percy was realizing it too, even through his hazy vision that he was sure to have.

A dark silhouette now moved toward them. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. I stared with wide eyes—because for the longest time I had dreamed of meeting Percy and Annabeth and Nico, and here I was, but Dr. Thorn was here too. I knew other monsters lurked around the world, searching for demigods on the daily.

I blinked back tears; I wanted to go home.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym," Dr. Thorn said. "I hate middle school dances."

Percy tried to swing his sword again, but the monster was just out of reach.

WHIIIISH! A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. I knew where it would land, and despite the knowledge that it wouldn't actually hit Bianca, I pulled the girl closer to me in a moment of fright. 

Bianca yelped in surprise, her wide eyes staring at the black spike in the wall.

"All four of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."

I knew this story. I knew he wasn't bluffing. It took everything in me not to cry out, I just wanted to go home to my mother.

(if you liked this, it’s also a wattpad story. it’s called Madness, and my username is the same. just thought i’d share some of it here)

[mcshizzle-the-fire-boy]

short fanfic ig?

It hurt.

it hurt when Nico realized that he never had liked Percy.

that on it's own didn't hurt, but the fact that he thought he'd had a crush on Percy when really he was just alone and in pain and he liked the comfort of another human being.

which made Nico think that maybe he couldn't feel love.

maybe he was heartless or gross.

he'd never have someone like how Leo had Jason, or Percy had Annabeth, or Hazel had Frank, or Reyna had Thalia.

his face felt warm and his heart hammered as he slumped against the wall in his cabin, feeling his throat begin to close up and his eyes sting.

he curled himself up, shaking, trying to take deep breaths.

no one could hear him cry. It would be to embarassing.

he shuddered, feeling a tear trace down his face.

he remembered how he felt special when he'd liked Percy. but that wasn't real.

he didn't know why it was upsetting him so much.

he didn't know why he was being so overdramatic, why he was crying and shaking in his cabin when he could be of worth.

he didn't know why he was being useless.

the thought forced a sob from his chest, shaking his core as more tears spilt from his face.

he remembered what Will had told him.

"you're having a panic attack" said Will's soft voice in the back of his head.

the same thing that was happening a now had also happened a while ago, after Nico had had another Tarturus flash back.

he breathed deeply through his nose, trying to calm himself down while trying to remember the advice Will had given him.

"go to your happy place, Di Angelo. Try to think of things that make you smile. or laugh. or just feel good".

Will had told him this while rubbing his back in a rythmatic way, tracing invisible circles on his spine.

he remembered that Will had started awkwardly laughing and apologizing for being a dork with horrible advice.

Will had always been there, though Nico didn't know why. Will was constantly looking after Nico though Nico didn't return said generosity.

and yet Will went out of his way to talk to Nico.

to text Nico through the demigod safe phones Leo had desinged.

to make him laugh or smile.

Nico's breathing began to steady slightly, and instead of a clogged throat it just felt dry. he wiped the tears off of his face, feeling his breath shudder.

his heart began to regulate, but spiked again when he heard a knock at the door.

he tried answering, but instead of saying yes, he just made a weird gargling groan with his throat.

the doorknob twisted and the door creaked open, revealing Will Solace who was scanning the cabin for Nico.

"Nico"? he called, his voice startlingly loud compared to the lulled silence of cabin thirteen.

"hey" Nico croaked, now sounding less like a dying frog and more like he had a tissue in his mouth, muffling his words.

"Nico"? Will raised his eyebrows, "what are you doing on the floor"? he creaks the door open further, washing Nico in slivery moonlight.

Will's eyes widen and his surprised expression melts to concern.

"before you ask, I'm fine" Nico mumbles as Will closes the door behind himself and sits next to Nico.

"you've got to stop doing that, you know. I'm a doctor. I know when people are in pain, whether that's physical or mental".

Nico scoffs. "you're more like a school nurse".

"plus, you have red splotches around your eyes. You've been crying" Will adds, ignoring Nico's sarcastic comment.

"well... everyone cries" Nico mutters.

Will sighs.

"why"?

Nico arches an eyebrow.

"I dunno. You're the "doctor". You should know better then me" he answers, rolling his eyes.

"not that, dumbass. why are you crying"? he jabs his finger into Nico's ribs playfully.

another shuddering breath. Silence.

"you don't have to tell me. I know you're apprehensive when it comes to trust. No pressure, Di Angelo", Will says gently.

deep breath.

"I feel..." he looks down at his hands, scars jagged like lightning bolts.

"sometimes I feel like I'm uncapable of... love, I guess".

"what"? will asks incredulously, his eyebrows shooting up to his scalp.

"sorry" he says in a gentler tone, averting his eyes, "but you aren't, Nico. Love doesn't have to be romantic".

"I know, but that's the thing. I want to feel... attached to someone. But I just... I don't... I don't know? like it feels like no one wants to be attached to me, and I'm scared to be attached to someone, because I've lost people before and I'm scared it'll happen again because it's horrible. And what if I mess up? And what's it supposed to feel like? I've never really truely liked someone, even when I thought I did. So was it fake? am I fake"?

Nico stops, realizing just how overdramatic he was being.

Will breathes deeply, chewing his lip like he does when thinking.

"Nico... how do you know"?

"what"?

"how do you know that no one wants to be attached to you"?

Nico's eyes widen, and he looks down awkwardly.

"maybe... maybe the person you liked before, you really did like, just not love. They're different things. Sometimes when you like someone, it's almost just like friendship with added steps. When you love someone, it's so many more steps, so many steps that it clouds the friendship aspect, though it's still there", Will says, his eyes trained on Nico's.

"maybe".... Nico whispers, trailing off into silence.

"Will"?

"yeah"?

Nico paused, but asks carefully, "have you ever loved someone like that"?

The corners of Will's lips curve upwards, his dimples reappearing.

"yeah".

Nico nods, not knowing exactly how to say what he wants to, but knowing exactly what it would sound like.

"thanks for talking to me, Di Angelo. I mean it".

Nico smiles, which hurts his cheeks slightly.

"thanks for listening", he replies as he rests his head on Will's shoulder, listening to the sound of his heavy breathing.