#luke castellan x reader fluff

[lukesandromeda]

hard to sleep - luke castellan x reader

summary : luke convinces you to sleep in his cabin and it results in you helping him recover from a nightmare.

warnings: mostly fluff but a bit of angst - reader thinks luke is having a wet dream - luke is sad and scared 💔 my baby

a/n: not proofread and it's 1:38 am and i wrote this in only one hour so we'll see what it looks like later ig - couldn’t think of a title but when it doubt gracie it out

You'd sworn you'd try. You'd sworn you'd try to sleep in the crowded Hermes cabin tonight for Luke. You'd been hanging over his hips in a straddling position that was void of any real contact, just holding your body above him as you sat on your knees.

The two of you had been swapping kisses in between locked lips and smiles and giggles that escaped and found solace in each other's mouths.

"Stay," he'd whispered against your lips when you pulled away to get a breath of air.

You kissed back, breathlessly panting into his mouth. "No, thanks."

He pulled away, and you waited for a moment for him to catch his breath before you leaned in to kiss him again. This time, though, he caught you with palms flat against your chest and pushed you back for a second. He bit back a smile as he saw the look of petulance on your face and then he ran a thumb over your lips.

You parted them, and he accepted that as an invite to slip the thumb over the curve of your bottom lip. He sighed as he watched your immediate act of obedience, and then he huffed, "Stay."

You pouted, and gods help you, Luke mirrored it by tugging his bottom lip through his teeth to mock you. You huffed, brows furrowing at his expression. The silent exchange brought a lazy smile to his lips, his big brown eyes tracing over your lips. "Stay."

You rolled your eyes as you protested in a small, lazy voice, "I don't like it in here."

"Thanks," he retorted as he adjusted his hold on your hips.

"Welcome."

"Angel, don't you love me?"

Your eyes took in his face and you rolled your eyes when you saw the look of what you thought was mock desperation. "Sometimes."

"Mhm?" he grinned at your faux look of indifference.

"Yeah."

"Is loving me sometimes enough to get you to stay in my cabin tonight?"

You shrugged. "Sleeping in your cabin isn't exactly my favorite."

He shrugged back. "Shucks."

You wanted to slap him on the face, and you'd raised your hand to do so. However, unfortunately, (fortunate, actually, if you were being honest,) Luke was already taking both of your hands to his lips and pressing soft kisses to each knuckle on both hands.

"Your cabin is packed. And loud. I never get any sleep in here."

"Get that melanie shit. Helps you sleep." He suggested.

"Melatonin," you corrected absentmindedly. Your thighs were starting to ache from the job of holding your body weight above his, so you gently settled on his hips. He made a noise of approval, hands squeezing your hips.

"Sleep in here tonight. Please." He begged. "Try for me. I need you tonight."

You rolled your eyes as if your heart wasn't fluttering from the sweet words. You opened your mouth to protest, but the asshole cut you off with a, "Baby, try for me."

A soft, gentle hum escaped from your sealed lips, approving the pet name and the tone he used it with.

A few moments passed as you started into the stupid, wide, boyish brown eyes that were glossy and begging you to stay.

"Fine," you mumbled in a tone of annoyance, and there was a grin on his lips before yours were on them instead.

When your eyes flutter open, it takes you a few moments to realize that it's still night. You blink for a few moments before your vision is clear enough to catch a comprehensible glance at Luke's bedside table alarm clock. 2:47 am.

You blink a few other times before groaning, eyes finding the ceiling as your cloudy mind identifies what woke you up.

It doesn't come to a conclusion.

You begin to shrug it off. Maybe an animal made a particularly loud sound from outside. Maybe Luke kicked you in his sleep. Maybe—what was that?

After looking to the side, you noticed Luke was still in bed with you. But it took you a while to notice that. Because he was practically hanging off the edge of the bed, as far as possible from you. This discovery leads you to acknowledge how damn cold it is without his body heat, but then your mind thinks back to what just happened.

Luke moaned.

Luke had moaned in his sleep.

You shiver. You knew Luke was dirty. Gross. It pained you to even consider what was going on his dreams right now.

You rolled over to face the opposite direction, closing your eyes and letting your mind begin to lull you back into sleep.

"Ah," you hear from Luke. You roll your eyes and turn over to stare at the back of his perverted head.

That's when you realize that his 'perverted' head is shaking. Desperately back and forth.

You blink, squinting when you release how tense his muscles are.

He's sweating, and as shamefully ogle at the sweaty muscles in his shoulders, you notice that said shoulders are shaking.

"Please stop," he whispers weakly, the words kind of slurred and only comprehensible when you take an extra five seconds to decipher them.

You take a deep breath.

Nightmare.

You squeeze your eyes shut in dread.

Sleeping with Luke is always pleasant. He's warm, he's big, he's good at cuddling. The only downside, the common downside, is dealing with his nightmares.

It's not like he was hard to deal with. It didn't give you second hand embarrassment like it would with anyone else. He didn't thrash around and get violent in his sleep. He just got sad. And that's what you found to be difficult.

You sighed, moving closer to him and whispering, "Luke, baby."

"Please stop," he begs, and you take a moment to remind yourself that he's not talking to you.

You touch his shoulder, not going far enough to shake it. You drag a thumb across the blade and lean in and press a kiss to the back of his neck. "Luke."

You hear a whine, and something similar to a sob. You resort to pressing kisses to his upper back, shoulders, neck and head. You mutter his name a few times as you do so until he sits up slowly.

He doesn't dart up straight like others do. He slowly, weakly brings himself into consciousness, as if he's trying to come to terms with something.

Luke sits with knees up, halfway spread and elbows on them. He stares at the wall, blinking away startled and most likely frustrated tears as he takes a few deep breaths before falling back down until he's laying again.

His eyes trace the room until they land on you, and you realize that it's just now that he notices that you're there.

"Oh," he breathes. He looks guilty.

"Hi," you whisper nervously as your cautious eyes trace his face, "you okay, handsome?"

A few moments pass as he returns the inspection of your face before he shrugs weakly. "I'm really tired."

You hum, looking over his body before you pull yourself to sit up, and habitually, he follows suit.

Wordlessly, you crawl over and peel off his damp, sweaty shirt. He lets you, lifting his arms just slightly from your sides. If he wasn't going through emotional turmoil right now, you probably would've made a snarky joke on his laziness and the fact that he's making you do all of the work.

Once you've worked his shirt off, you throw it into his hamper that sits beside his nightstand and then you leave the bed. A look of panic immediately settles onto his features, and he's begging incomprehensible variations of, "Don't go, gods, please don't go."

You exhale as you bring a hand to cup his face, soothingly drawing a half circle on his face. "Two seconds. Gonna grab something."

Reluctantly, he lets you go and watches as you wade into the bathroom. When you come back, you're holding a damp rag that he notices is a bit sudsy.

Sitting down next to him on the bed, you take his hand as you begin to use your free hand to drag the cloth against his skin and scrub at the beads of sweat that coat his skin.

He whines, feeling the harsh pressure against his tense muscles. Your brows knit together in empathy and you whisper, "I know. I know, baby. You're doing good."

He looks up at you, making eye contact as he watches you delicately clean him.

You offer him a sympathetic smile. You know it's more than sympathy—it's empathy. You feel the guilt in your stomach.

Luke opens his mouth, and then closes it. His tongue darts out to moisten his lips, and he hesitantly pulls his eyes away from yours and watches as his abdominal muscles jerk and twitch beneath the rag. He mewls and you shush him gently with words of encouragement.

Finally, his eyes close when you begin to wipe his face. You wipe underneath his eyes, wincing as he exhales shakily. You collect the mix of tears and sweat from his chiseled cheek bones. You use the rag on his hairline and you put your hands in his hair to massage his scalp. Subsequently, this releases the tension in his brows.

His eyes close when you toss the rag onto the bedside table and go back to him. You open your arms, and he pouts. He pouts like he needed it. He pouts like he's so incredibly moved by your act of kindness. You let out a sound of approval when he crawls into your arms and wraps his around your waist, settling onto your upper body. He breathes shakily into your neck and you lean down to press a kiss to his hairline.

You don't ask him what happened, what the dream was about. You instead smile when he tells you that he loves you and you respond with, "I love you, too, Luke.”

And he nods as if he's so incredibly relieved to hear that.

It shocks you how fast he can fall asleep in your arms after an intense nightmare.

[bruisedboys]

luke castellan x fem!reader

I think we need to talk about possessive!luke castellan and his shy!gf …

luke who likes to mark you up with love bites!! he desperately needs everyone to know you’re his, and he can’t give you his last name (yet. he plans to as soon as you’re both ready) so he makes do with love marks instead … he’ll have you pressed against the mattress, his thumb pushing gently into the hollow of your throat to hold you still. you’re breathless underneath him as his mouth works away at the juncture between your neck and shoulder. and the lovely sounds you make when he does it just egg him on further! not to mention how pretty your neck looks when he’s finished.

luke who buys you a necklace with his initials and tells you you’re not allowed to ever take it off … he’s half joking and half super serious but you smile softly and tell him you wouldn’t want to take it off, anyway. and luke hopes the time never comes when you do want to, because he really likes how his initials look dangling over your sternum. it makes him dizzy every time he catches a glimpse.

luke who loves when you cling to him!! especially in public or at big group events, you’ll often cling to his arm or his waist in your shyness. and he loves it, something about being your protector stirs a feeling in his chest that he can’t explain. of course, he’d let you do your own thing if you wanted, but you don’t want to. you seem to want to be latched onto him as much as he wants to be latched onto you. he’ll always have a strong arm around your shoulders or waist, or have his bicep hooked between your soft hands. even when he’s talking to his friends he’s got you glued to his side.

luke who’s super handsy and touchy because he’s just so so obsessed with you! in public he tones it down (for your sake, of course. if it was up to him you’d be in his lap 24/7), but when you’re alone he’s so grabby and needy, tugging you by your belt loops to give you a kiss, hauling you into his chest by the hips to wrap you in a hug, pinning you against the wall to tease you (and then make up for it by slathering you in kisses).

luke who’s just so sickeningly obsessed with his shy girl, and he has to make sure that everyone, especially you, knows you’re his forever <3

[xoxovanillq]

STARGIRL

Pairing- Charlie Bushnell x reader

Warnings- Secret dating, Charlie calls reader his girl once at the end, but gn other than that

You laid there in his bed, head on his chest, his scent surrounding you. The cold metal of his rings rested on an exposed bit of your lower, his hand moving up and down in a soothing motion.

Everything was just, simpler, when you were with Charlie. No decisions, nothing to worry you. Well, that was when the two of you were alone. The two of you figured it was best to keep your relationship a secret, not wanting to have to deal with press or anything like that, but it also meant that friends and family couldn’t even know.

“Charlie?” You ask softly, reaching a hand out to find his. Grabbing it softly, you turn your head up, chin now resting on his chest, looking up at him.  Your fingers find his rings, sliding them up and down his fingers.

“Yeah?” He responds, voice low and gruff due to tiredness.

“When are we gonna go public?” You ask, nervous to what his reaction will be. You hear him sigh, and your heart drops in your chest.

“Sweetheart, you know I’m a bit nervous about that, but I think I’d be okay telling close friends and family, if that’s what you want.” He says sweetly, he was always so sweet with you. You shift your body, sitting up in his lap so you can see him better, taking both of his hands in yours so you can continue to mess with his rings.

“I only want it if it’s what you want.” You reply, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Then let’s do it, we can invite the group over and watch a movie or something. Then we can break it to them.” You nod as he speaks before settling back down with your head on his chest.

“So that means I’m staying the night?” You ask hopefully, earning a laugh from him.

“Well, it wouldn’t make sense for you to go home just to come back in the morning, so I guess you have to.”  He says with a smile, poking your sides to make you laugh.

You lay downstairs beside Charlie the next day, cuddle down on the couch close to him with the rest of the group around you. The two of you kept apart enough to not raise suspicions, but you held hands under the blanket. His cold rings felt nice against your hot skin. You could feel the nervous energy radiating from him as the credits came to a close and everyone started chatting. 

“You ready?” He whispers in your ear, watching intently as you nod. He clears his throat a bit, watching as people look over at you.

“Um, I know this is a little random, but we’re dating, and kinda have been for a few months.” You say quickly, Charlie squeezes your hand under the table for some support. You hear a small giggle come from both Leah and Dior, both your heads snapping over to look at them.

“We all knew something was up with you guys, but we’re happy for you, and not just because it means you two will stop ditching us randomly while we’re hanging out.” Dior says, spurring Charlie to squeeze your hand in relief.

“Were we really that obvious?” You ask, causing laughter from everyone once more.

“I think that’s your answer baby.”

Later that night, you were lying in Charlie’s bed again when he suddenly got up, walking to his dresser and retrieving something.

“What’s that?” You ask as he walks back, sitting beside you in bed. He opens his hands, revealing a gold chain with a little “C” dangling from it.

“It’s kind of a dumb idea, but I thought you might want to wear it.” He says sheepishly, a little nervous to see your reaction.

“Are you joking? I’d love to, that’s so sweet.” You say softly, turning so he can clip the necklace around your neck.

“Now everyone knows you’re my girl.”

[psychesalcove]

ֶָ֢ "it's nice that your voice was the first thing i heard today,"

hiiii! can i request a luke castellan x fem reader fic, the scenario being luke just woke up after the quest gone wrong (when he got the scar on his face) and reader is the first one he hears. she’s aphrodite’s daughter but she’s the one cleaning his wound in the infirmary. you can spin it however you like💗 just want some luke castellan fluff (w/ a bit of angst💗) where he confides in reader, and he cries but hides it by nuzzling in her neck, she’s just a comforting gf that feels her neck become damp.

luke castellan x daughter of aphrodte reader

my writes are completely race and body type friendly! feel free to interact my loves:)

part of psyches, 'in memory of those who chose the sea' event

-> want to participate in the event?

an: babes this is suchhh a cute idea for luke omg!! i love detailed asks its amazing n' your ideas are stunning, bueatiful, and everything!! i had so much fun writing this, hope you enjoy! and again, sorry for not writing sooner, i was camping with my family and had no wifi lmao 😓 love ya 🩷 ps. I also did like a lot of writing for this,, so I hope u don't mind lovie!!

you hummed quietly to yourself as you wrapped up a child of ares arm; according to them, they had gotten distracted and accidentally went up against a sword. you patted their arm to signify you were finished. once they got up, you walked over to will.

'how's he doing?' you asked, leaning against the counter will was sitting at. luke, your boyfriend, had a rough go of it on a recent quest. you weren't all sure of what happened; as he passed out before he could get a coherent sentence said. you did catch some words: hermes. hurts. and some other ones that you couldn't quite make out.

will looked up from the pile of paperwork he was reading. 'better. he's still not 100%; but he's making recovery. i'm not exactly sure when he'll wake up,' he explained, briefly scanning the paperwork to make sure he said the correct information.

you hummed, eyes also going down to the paperwork to scan it over. 'do you think i should be with him, when he wakes up?' you asked, eyes going up to meet wills.

'i'll give you the rest of the day off, how about that?' he asked, though it sounded more like a statement. he could probably sense your anxiety about luke and his wellbeing. 'i think he'll be happy to see you,' will gave you a soft smile before his attention went back to his paper.

you thanked him and quickly made your way over to the back of the infirmary; where the private cots were. you gently pulled back the curtain and was met with the same sight that you saw last. luke was laying on the bed, bandages wrapped around his face due to the injury that was on his eye.

you quickly sat down in a chair, prepared to spend however long you would need to wait for luke to wake up.

—

as you looked out the window at camp; a light squeeze on your hand drew your attention back to luke. you smiled softly when you saw him staring back at you, even with one eye. 'hi hon,' you whispered gently, hand squeezing his back.

he didn't say anything, instead smiling a little at you as a response. you took that as he didn't want to talk; especially about the quest he just got back from. you opted to ask a question on a different topic.

'd'you want a hug?'you whispered again, hand still in his. all you got in response was a light nod of the head, a nod you would've missed if you weren't pouring all your attention into him. you removed your hand from his and quickly wrapped your arms around him, holding luke in a protective embrace.

his head quickly found its way to your neck; both of you being mindful of the bandages still on his face. as soon as both of you settled into the hold, lukes shoulders started shaking lightly. in cue, you felt wetness on your neck, along with lukes heavy breathing drying the wetness; though the tears were quickly being replaced by new ones.

you tightened your grip around him. luke rarely cried: you assumed it was the pressure of being a good role model for the younger campers, or even who he associated with at camp. you shuttered lightly at the thought of what must have happened on that quest for him to react like this.

before you could attempt comforting him, he spoke through his quiet sobs. 'im, i'm really sorry for this,' you heard him mumble quietly as his breath picked up even more.

you shook your head softly at him. 'luke, hon. you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. quests can be hard, they're made to be. its okay to be scared of them. it's natural, completely normal.' you said, hand starting to rub small circles onto his upper back in an attempt to comfort him.

you couldn't tell how long the two of you stayed in that position; you holding onto him like he was your lifeline and luke holding back just as hard. slowly though, his sobs started to subside, and his breathing returned to normal. throughout him crying, you decided not to try and get him to stop, knowing that this crying session was long overdue.

luke seemed to think that he calmed down enough, as he gently pulled out of the embrace. as the two of you stared at eachother, he opened his mouth. 'it's nice that your voice was the first thing i heard today,' he said, a small joking tone to it.

you smiled lightly. 'are you okay?' you asked, ignoring his past comment; knowing it was probably a way to steer the conversation around what just happened.

he sighed deeply, the eye that wasnt covered closing as he layed down again. 'yeah. m'sorry about my, uh. episode. the quest was just a lot.' he chuckled, opening his eye again. 'i love you,'he added, flashing you a quick smile.

you sighed, grabbing his hand and brining it into your embrace again. 'it's okay to have episodes like that love. it's human; you should honestly do it more often.'you hummed gently, rubbing circles onto his knuckles.

luke only nodded lightly in response; seemingly drifting off to sleep once again.

'i love you to, luke.' you mused, pushing up out of the chair and pressing a gentle kiss to his noninjured side of his face.

[isaacarellanesismyhusband]

i guess i’m a fool sometimes

pair: Luke Castellan x reader

requested by anonymous

Hii could you do Luke Castellan x reader where it's kinda based off the song Kiss Her You Fool And could reader be from Hades cabin too

masterlist | navigation

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You were standing by the edge of the campfire, arms crossed, watching the flames dance against the dark sky. The evening air was cool, but not cold enough to chase anyone inside. Your cabin—Hades' cabin—was used to the cold anyway.

Luke stood beside you, just close enough that you could feel his warmth but not enough to touch. He'd been quiet for a while, his usual smooth confidence replaced with something unsure, almost awkward. You caught him glancing at you, like he was trying to figure out what to say.

"You okay?" you asked, breaking the silence.

He looked at you, his eyes catching the firelight, making them seem even more intense. "Yeah, I’m fine." He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Just... thinking."

You raised an eyebrow, not convinced. "About?"

Luke shifted, rubbing the back of his neck. “You.”

You blinked, taken off guard. “Me?”

“Yeah,” he said, taking a small step closer. “I’ve been... well, I’ve been trying to figure out how to say something. But I’m messing it up.”

You stared at him, confused. Luke was never this uncertain. He was Luke Castellan—the guy who always had a plan, who always knew what to say to get people on his side. Seeing him struggle like this made your heart race a little.

"Just say it," you urged quietly, hoping that whatever he was about to say wouldn't make things weird.

Luke took a deep breath, looking down at the ground for a second before meeting your eyes again. His expression was serious now, all hesitation gone.

“I like you, y/n. A lot. And I’ve been wanting to do this for a while.” His voice dropped lower, and before you could ask what he meant, he stepped closer, closing the gap between you two.

Your breath hitched as his hand gently cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing your skin lightly.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper. His face was inches from yours now, and your heart was beating so fast you thought it might burst out of your chest.

Instead of answering with words, you nodded, your breath catching in your throat.

Luke didn’t waste another second. His lips pressed against yours, soft but sure, like he'd been holding back for far too long. The world around you seemed to disappear, the only thing you could focus on was him—his touch, his warmth, the way his hand slipped behind your neck, pulling you closer.

When you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless, the fire crackling quietly in the background.

"About time," you whispered, a teasing smile playing on your lips.

Luke chuckled, his forehead resting against yours. "Yeah, I guess I’m a fool sometimes."

"Only sometimes," you teased back.

He grinned and pulled you in for another kiss, no more hesitation between you two now.

[xoxoavenger]

Coward

pairing: Luke Castellan x Fem!Reader

summary: Luke goes out of his way to prove to Annabeth he's not a coward (requested by messages for my birthday celebration but I changed the request a lil bit)

word count: 595

warnings: sooo much fluff

birthday celebration (even tho my birthday was a couple days ago) main masterlist

Luke's pretty sure there's something wrong with him.

"There's something wrong with you." Annabeth says as she stands next to him. He flinches with the bow in his arms, the arrow hitting the hay next to the target. He puts it down and turns to her, frowning.

"Please, bestow upon me your wisdom." He snarks, even though he had just been thinking the same thing. He knows that Annabeth knows he's lying, but he would rather shoot himself in the foot than admit his problem.

"Really, Luke?" She has her arms crossed, and the two stare each other down in silence as everyone begins to leave. Neither speaks until everyone has begun the trek to the pavilion.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Luke lies, copying her stance.

"Come on!" Annabeth cries, outraged at her brother's stubbornness. "She likes you back, so why are you being such a coward?" They begin to walk to the pavilion for dinner at a slow pace so they can talk.

"Oh my gods." Luke rolls his eyes, annoyed now that he's being called a coward. "We don't know that she likes me, first of all, and even if we did know that she liked me, we don't know if she wants a relationship."

"Luke," Annabeth groans, resisting the urge to run a hand down her face.

"Annabeth, I don't want to talk about this." Luke is starting to get peeved as well, and this conversation is clearly getting nowhere.

"Because you're a coward." Annabeth teases, and Luke thinks he may explode.

"I am not a coward." He seethes as they come up to the pavilion. Annabeth just won't let it go, however.

"Really? Because refusing to ask out a girl that clearly likes you seems pretty cowardly to me." Annabeth knows what she's doing, but Luke is too angry to see through her plan.

"Fine!" Luke explodes, turning to her. "You think I'm a coward? Would a coward do this?" He stomps toward Y/N's table, where her back is to him. He's a little amped up, his heart racing, so he feels smooth as he leans on the table in between her and her sibling.

"Luke?" She mutters, shocked that he was suddenly right next to her. Their faces were right next each other, and her heart was racing with the proximity.

"Y/N," He smiles, and she melts just a little bit. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the beach with me after dinner?" In the moment were they're just staring at each other he starts to lose his nerve. Maybe he is cowardly.

"I'd love to." She answers quietly, feeling her cheeks heat up. He nods, winks, then leaves, listening to her siblings start to gush over the interaction.

"Think I solved your problem." Annabeth is smirking smugly as he walks past her, and he pauses as he realizes that her plan all along had been to push him hard enough to finally ask Y/N out.

"You conniving little-"

"You asked her out, didn't you?" She still looks just so happy, and if Luke wasn't also happy from his upcoming date he would probably tell her to meet him at the sparring mats.

"Told you I'm not a coward." He says, getting in line for food.

"Yeah, you really showed me." Annabeth can't herself, and Luke just takes a deep breath, because he loves his sister. "Except really, I'm the one who showed you."

Luke may have to throw Annabeth into the ocean before he goes on his date. Just to prove he's not a coward.

//

tags: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187  @one-sweet-gubler

[randommultifandomrants]

Being a girl is pt.2: deciding you’ve read enough fics for the moment and swiping out of the app just to re-open tumblr or open wattpad/ao3

[xoxochb]

fuck babe you’re so hot when you’re just ink on paper

[florasheart]

I DON’T WANT SMUT I WANT FLUFF OR SOME GOOD ASS ANGST GOD DAMN IT

[valsverse]

thinking about the small ways the pjo boys instinctively show their love for you..

the way percy jackson's sword fighting naturally slows to a hesitant crawl whenever he's sparring with you. his once swift and fluid motions seem to falter, as if he's unsure of how much force to use. his sword moves in hesitant, awkward jabs, accompanied by a small, sheepish smile that seems to say, "i don't want to hurt you, but i also don't want to lose."

the way jason grace covers the sharp corner of the table when you reach under to get something, ensuring that your head wouldn't accidentally collide with the unforgiving edge. you feel the warmth of his hand hovering just inches above your head, and the faint smile on his lips reveals his satisfaction in keeping you safe. he's a protector, that one.

the way leo valdez taps three times on the dinner table whenever he wants to catch your attention. perhaps it's his way of saying, 'i'm thinking of you.' or, i can't wait to see you after this.' you're never quite certain of the exact meaning, but regardless, you often find yourself twirling your daggers three times before going into battle, a sweet tribute to leo.

the way luke castellan's lip twitches ever so slightly every time you enter into the room. it's a subtle movement, almost imperceptible, but you're certain it's there by the way he catches your eye, and tilts his head to the door, a silent invitation for you to join him.

[indecisivemuch]

Apples

Pairing: Luke Castellan x Reader

Summary: You tossed an apple to Luke without knowing the meaning of it in Greek Mythology (fluff, friends to lovers, happy ending)

Note: Just wanted to write something lighthearted and funny. Since I saw somewhere that apparently throwing an apple at someone means something in Greek Mythology, thought I should use it as a prompt.

Word count: 3.1k

You have been at Camp Half-Blood for a year. Within that time, you’ve been claimed by your Godly parent, learned so many things about Greek mythology, and, best of all, made friends who understood exactly what you were going through and all whom you loved dearly. 

One of them was Luke Castellan. You two were relatively close friends, though you swore he treated you differently than he would with others at camp. But you didn’t want to be foolish and assumed it was something. That didn’t mean you don’t treat him differently than you would with other campers though. You have always had a soft spot for Luke in your heart. You weren’t exactly sure when it happened, but you found yourself thinking about him too often.

“Anyway, Percy. Don’t worry too much, honestly. We all have been through what you’re currently going through. You’ll fit right in, yeah?” the younger boy offered you a lope-sided smile as you patted his back and stood up. 

“Alright, boys, I have to go now, but I’ll see you later,” you said before grabbing your plate, which would have been empty if it wasn’t for the apple you hadn’t eaten. The rest of the table - which included Chris, Luke, and Percy - said their goodbyes before chattering again as you walked away. However, you halted as you changed your mind about wasting the apple.

You turned back to look at the group before calling out, “Hey, Castellan.” However, you were slightly caught off guard to see Luke already having his eyes on you.

Luke swore that you have always had him mesmerized. If he even heard a whisper of your voice, his head would immediately try to locate you. To make matters worse, Chris even started calling Luke a “lost puppy” when he realized how your departure would always leave Luke like one. 

“Catch,” you tossed your apple at Luke. 

Multiple heads turned in your direction as the red apple hurled through the air before landing neatly in Luke’s hands. The Hermes cabin counselor had his eyes glued onto the fruit that was in his palms. You almost halted in your steps from his and other camper’s reactions. Some started whispering to their friends, pointing at you. You even heard one gasp. But you ignored them, finding it strange that people cared so much about such a small interaction.

“You can have it. I don’t think I’ll have time to eat it,” with that, you vanished from the scene, leaving at least half of the camp agape, including Luke and your friends. 

Then, the strangest of things happened for the next few days. It started with Luke already stationed outside when you exited your cabin the morning after. He cheekily presented you with one singular flower in his hand, and you took it with playful words, “Ooh, what did I do to deserve this special treatment today?”

“Nothing, just thought I should show how much I appreciate you,” Luke put his arm over your shoulder as the two of you made your way to the dining pavilion. You could feel your cheeks flushing at his action. He has never done this before. With his arms around you, the sides of your bodies brushed as the two of you walked. You noticed almost immediately how every other person would have their eyes on the two of you. But you ignored the attention and focused on Luke instead.

The sweet actions didn’t stop at flowers or more physical touches. For the next three days, Luke was stuck to your hip. So it was quite strange that you have not spotted the Hermes cabin counselor in the last two hours. Hence why you were spending some time with Clarisse, another close friend of yours. However, you felt an arm swinging around your shoulders, and you instantly recognized who it was from the familiar touch.

“Hey, Clarisse, can I borrow Y/N real quick?” Luke asked, quickly muttering a “thank you” when your friend nodded. “So, I have something to give you…” your face must have shown how surprised you were because he chuckled at your reaction. However, when the boy pulled his gift out from his cargo pocket, your mouth fell slightly agape at the reveal. 

Luke must have misinterpreted your reaction because he started nervously rambling, his voice a few octaves higher, “It’s not much, but honestly, this is all I can do with my arts and crafts skills. I’m just not really good with that y-”

“It’s perfect, Luke. Thank you so much!” you gave him a brief hug, but it was enough to stun him for a second. Luke felt this urgent sense of craving from how your bodies fit for a second. It’s as if he was made to hold you. He almost pulled you back into another hug but had to force himself to regain composure. Nevertheless, that didn’t last long because his eyes softened again at the sight of you trying on the bracelet he made. The beads in your favorite color, crafted with care, wrapped around your wrist perfectly, and you wonder how he knew just the right size to make it.

The truth was Luke had to ask Clarisse to steal one of your bracelets just so he could make a bracelet of the correct size. But you didn't need to know that, though - according to him.

The next night, there was a social gathering near the campfire. Luke reapproached the location with a hoodie in hand. Earlier, Luke excused himself to fetch the clothing item that was now in his hand that was meant for you. However, his brows scrunched as he spotted another figure next to you, sitting in the spot that he previously occupied. You were laughing at something they said. The way your laugh echoed in his head usually sounded like a lullaby or the enchanting voice of a siren. But right now, the idea that someone else elicited the same laugh made him want to hurl behind the bush he was standing next to.

Little did he know you were zoning out from whatever the other boy was speaking about, thus the fake laugh to not blow your cover. You were distracted just thinking about Luke and everything he has done so far - offering his portion of dessert to you because he knew it was your favorite; him winning Capture the Flag and ignoring everybody else to go hug you first, then having his eyes on you and only you afterwards; sneaking out of camp to go buy the items you mentioned once that you wish you had at camp and so on. 

Your mind quickly reminded you that the boy sitting next to you was still talking to you. However, when you snapped out of your thoughts again, you realized now he was looking at you expectantly and you scrambled your mind for a reply.

Thank Gods Luke plopped down on your other side, saving you from having to admit to the other boy that you were not listening to him. “Hey, you’re back,” you commented. Luke’s arm automatically threw itself around your shoulder and tugged you to him slightly. Your body leaned on the Hermes cabin counselor ever so naturally at this before you turned to him. Luke quickly set his clothing on your lap, and you stared at it questioningly.

“You’re cold, right?”

“Oh, yeah,” your cheeks flushed again at how he knew without you telling him. You shivered maybe once or twice earlier due to the night air lowering the temperature, but it was so brief you were sure nobody had noticed. As you put on the hoodie, Luke averted his gaze from you to the guy on your other side. 

The Hermes cabin counselor arched one of his eyebrows in a challenging manner. Almost immediately, his ‘opponent’ slightly raised both of his hands. Luke internally snickered at the quick motion of surrender. 

“My bad, man,” you heard the other boy say as you managed to put your head through the clothing item and pull it down. Luke was physically preening at the other boy’s words and departure. Meanwhile, you were distracted by how you were engulfed by the smell of Luke from his hoodie. Your height difference also meant you were swimming in it, but it felt so comfortable.

“What was that?” you asked once the other boy was gone. 

“Nothing…” even the most oblivious person could see that Luke was lying. But, once again, you did not question his actions and carried on with the gathering. You could also feel other campers staring at the two of you, but you ignored that as well. 

That night - like every other night since four days ago - he walked you back to your cabin. You were honestly completely smitten by the attention he has given you, not that you would admit that to him. You were still not sure what caused the change, but you were still elated about it. Maybe he did return your feelings? Either way, everything felt perfect lately, and you went to sleep that night feeling like the stars aligned for you.

“I guess congratulations are in order?” Percy spoke up as you lined up for food the following day. 

“What do you mean?” you asked, taking the plate of food. Today’s meal consisted of mac n’ cheese, steak, and an apple. 

“You’re engaged?” you almost dropped your plate at that and gave the son of Poseidon a questioning look. “You proposed to Luke like a week ago?”

“What? When?”

“When you threw him the apple? That is considered a marriage proposal.”

“Since when?”

“Uh, in Ancient Greek culture, it’s considered a marriage proposal if a man throws an apple at a lady. But, I mean, it’s the 21st century, so I guess it can work both ways.” Percy finally took a plate of food for himself. “And if the recipient catches it, it’s considered an acceptance.”

“You saw this and knew this whole time without telling me?!?” 

“I thought you knew! And you two seem so smitten already, so I thought you did it on purpose.”

“Percy, no! Is this a well-known thing? Do you think other people who saw it too thought I proposed to Luke as well?” Seeing Percy’s look and how he was fumbling with his words, you quickly requested, “Actually, no, don’t answer that.” 

The two of you walked over to Luke and Chris with plates in hand. You picked up the apple on your plate and placed it on the table. 

“Luke, we need to talk,” You deliberately placed the fruit there, hoping the boy would get a hint about the topic you wanted to discuss. Luke’s eyes flicked from the fruit to you. Though the hint of amusement in his eyes and a sheepish grin made you realize he knew all along. Luke stood up and followed you out of sight and hearing distance from other campers whose eyes were trailing after the two of you.

“You knew what it meant, and you didn’t tell me?” You broke the silence as soon as you two were far away enough. 

“Listen, I appreciate your proposal. But, it’s a little bit fast, don’t you think?” Luke teased, and you instantly hit his arm at that, causing the boy to flinch slightly, but the smile on his face told you he was anything but mad at your action.

“But you caught it. So, technically, you said yes,” you rebutted, sighing as you rubbed your face, “My Gods, does everybody at camp think we’re engaged? Wait, is this a substitute for an engagement ring? Did you give this to me because of that?” you pointed to the bracelet Luke gave you, your mind now understanding Clarisse’s teasing and her implications. You could see the way Luke was stifling a laugh. He settled with saying something else when he saw the pure panic on your face.

“Sweetheart, calm down.” the nickname successfully silenced you. You hated how it made you feel, but you would not mind hearing that daily. “No, it’s not an engagement ring.”

“Oh, so were you doing all of these romantic gestures and gifts on purpose to make fun of me and the situation?” you asked, though it was more with a lighthearted tone than one of temper. However, something shifted because the expression on Luke’s face changed from one of humor to earnestness.

“No, I didn’t do all this to make fun of the situation or you…” Luke’s voice fell off as tried to find the right words to say next. In that split second, Luke took a deep breath, and you could see how nervous he suddenly became, though he still kept a light tone. “I did it because I took it as a chance to maybe…win you over, and it also gives me an advantage because it fended off many other guys.” 

Undoubtedly, you were frozen in place, unable to register the words he was saying and the implications they bear. Neither did the boy in front of you act like the Luke you usually know - somebody who was usually confident, outgoing, always having his way with words. No, the person in front of you could not even hold eye contact, the pink hue on his cheeks now spreading to the tip of his ears as he shifted left and right. Luke broke the silence first, giving away the nerves that were gnawing him away from your lack of response.

“How about this? I’ll say ‘no’ to your mind-blowing marriage proposal for now,” you lightheartedly hit him again, rolling your eyes playfully. Seeing a positive reaction from you, Luke let out a small breath of relief, but the nerves quickly overtook again as he mustered up all the courage to utter his counter proposal: “But maybe we could start with something slower like going on a date? — Or I’ll even settle with you allowing me to try and ‘woo’ you.” Luke added the last bit as insurance, in case you didn’t want to take up on the date. Part of his mind wanted to scowl at himself for seeming so desperate - but Gods, he has always been a desperate man when it comes to you. 

“You’re such a dork.”

“Yet you still proposed to me.”

“You’ll never let me live that down, will you?” Luke only shook his head in response. Once again, you haven’t responded to his offer. Luke could see that you were in deep thought, the cogs turning in your head as you digested what he just said.

“You mean it? That you wanna go on a date? That you wanna “woo” me and sweep me off my feet?” you questioned. Despite the humor in your voice, there was also a hint of vulnerability and cautiousness. “Does this mean what you’ve been doing for the past few days…they are all genuine?”

“Is it that hard to believe that I like you? I don’t think you even fully understand the feelings I have for you. I’ve had my eyes on you for a year now, which is the entire time I know you, and I’m afraid I can’t see that changing any time soon.” Luke had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from saying more because he was sure he would never stop talking about you if he could. Maybe those unspoken words ought to be things Luke would disclose in the future. If you give him the chance, he will ensure you hear everything he adored about you.

“Well, that’s good then, ‘cause I happen to like you too,” your words made Luke’s eyes snap to yours, almost in disbelief. 

Luke felt as if his heart was blocking his airway by the way it was thumping so hard in his chest to the point he could feel the vibration in his neck. He held his breath over your confession and the way you were looking at him. Oh, Luke was convinced he was utterly doomed because how could he be so affected by one single look. He was suddenly unsure whether he would be able to handle your affections or ever live without it if it was taken from him. He’d spend the rest of eternity like a deprived man.

“Aw, look who is nervous now,” you teased, deciding to somewhat torture him and get him back for teasing you earlier. “I did not think I had this kind of effect on you, Castellan,” you approached him slowly, keeping eye contact with his now dilated pupils. 

“I mean…all I did was say a couple of words and you’re all tongue tied. What would happen to you if I do this?” you swiftly grabbed Luke’s camp beads and pulled him down, eliminating a significant amount of space between your faces, though not completely. To steady himself during your action, Luke’s hands steadied on your hips and stumbled slightly, though you did not mind the touch.

You never knew it was possible for his face to flush even more, but it did. Luke gulped and your eyes casted down on the way his Adam’s apple moved when he did so. The way he reacted to you only intoxicated you with power even more. You glanced upwards a bit, eyes observing his lips for a split second before looking back up at his eyes. You smirked when you caught his eyes flickering back to yours from your lips as well. 

Just as you were about to close the distance, Luke pulled back just a bit, finally able to speak, though his words were heavy warnings, “If this happens—” Luke stopped, unsure he should let you know. Luke shook his head lightly as his eyes traced over your features before continuing, “If we kiss, there is no going back for me. I don’t think I could just…forget about it. So, please, just be sure before you do it.” Your eyes softened at his words.

“I promise, Luke. I am sure,” you muttered, though Luke knew you meant the words by heart from the way you were looking at him. 

You finally pulled the boy down again using his camp necklace. 

As your lips touched Luke’s, he let out a content sigh. His hands clung onto your hips, pulling you flush against his own body while you caressed both sides of his face in your hands. Luke felt like the world was swallowing him whole. The boy now knew what your lips tasted like, and it felt like an addiction. He could feel his heart waving white flags at that moment, completely surrendering to you. He was right before. There was no going back from this. 

But oh, if Luke knew an apple was all it took, he would have tossed one to you himself.

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

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[lukesandromeda]

౨ৎ kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor

l. castellan

content : fluff, a little teeeeeensy bit of angst but you’d have to squint, cussing, canon plot line luke

pairing : luke castellan x fem!reader

She took my fingers to her mouth / The kind of thing that makes you proud / That nothing else had ever / Worked out, worked out / And lately I've tried other things / But nothing can capture the sting / Of the venom she’s gonna spit out right now

Kiss me on the mouth / And love me like a sailor / And when you get a taste / Can you tell me what’s my flavor? / I don’t believe in God / But I believe that you're my savior

I know that you’ve been worried / But the truth is in my favor / And when we're getting dirty I forget all that is wrong / I sleep so I can see you cause I hate to wait so long / I sleep so I can see you and I hate to wait so long

luke had a way of finding you, no matter where you were. it’s 1:07 a.m.—or, so says your watch that’s already wet with lake water, which, by the way, isn’t digital because chiron insisted you’d be found and mauled if you did in fact get a digital one—and luke has somehow found you out at the lake. 

you don’t realize at first, obviously, because you’re completely submerged in water. but when you finally feel the last bit of composure slipping out from your closed mouth in the crystal water, you swim as fast as you could to the top and breathed out. your head is dizzy from the panting that follows closely after, and you squeeze your eyes shut and relish in the feeling of the breathlessness you get when you have your time alone. the time you spend to swim, to clear your mind. 

“yo, is that a mermaid?” you hear from behind you. the voice is dramatic and sarcastic, and familiar and homelike. you turn around, biting back your grin as you swim to the edge of the dock. 

luke’s sitting with his feet in the water, his sweatpants rolled up around his knees so he can do this without getting them wet in a way that makes you giggle as you wade into his presence. 

“something funny?” he asks, tilting his head. 

you shake your head, looking up at him. he  stands, holding out his hand for you to take as he helps you out of the water. he holds up a finger, as if to say, ‘one second,’ walks away to where he has his bag and shoes, and comes back with a towel. you go to take it from him, but he tsks. you put your arms down and smile sheepishly as he wraps it around you carefully, pulling it snug over your shoulders and pulling away when he’s done. 

“you know it’s 1:30 a.m, right?” luke prompts. 

you look down at your watch. “1:10.”

he smiles, pulling his phone out of his pocket and tapping on the lock screen to show that it was, in fact, 1:30. luke wasn’t necessarily allowed to have a cell phone, just like every other demigod wasn’t, but even though he’s camp halfblood’s golden boy, he’s still a child of hermes. it’s in his blood to break the rules, even if only a little bit. 

you look down at your watch, frowning. “huh. stupid piece of shit.”

“it’s damaged by the water, probably,” luke points out, hands gently pulling you toward him. you stumble until you’re standing in front of him, watching his face as he grabs your hand and removes the watch from your wrist. his fingers rub in the red marks and dents the watch leaves, and he takes the watch in his hand. “i’ll take this to the hephaestus cabin for you tomorrow, okay?”

you nod, smiling as he finally looks back at you. you bathe in the feeling his eye contact gives you, and after a few seconds, your smile mirrors onto his face, too.

“shouldn’t be out here so late,” luke said as his forehead creased. he watched you in concentration, looking down at you as if he was trying to memorize everything about you. “come back with me?”

immediately you nod, eyes widening at the thought of him letting you sneak into his cabin. usually, as much as he wanted you to, he didn’t let you because he was too worried about getting caught and “wouldn’t forgive himself” if you were on clean up duty for the next two weeks. 

“come on, then, you prune,” he jokes in a silky voice, fingers moving against the wrinkled skin on your fingers that have become that way from the swimming you’ve been doing. 

he wraps his hand in yours and squeezes it, grabbing his bag and slipping on his shoes. you follow him to his cabin where the two of you sneakily get past his sleeping siblings to the counselor’s bedroom, (his), and he shuts the door softly once you make it there. 

he hangs his backpack on the door and slips off his shoes, running his hand through his tussled curls. he turns to face you, looking down at you for a moment, smiling when you shiver at the water running down your body. 

his hand trails to your shoulder, lifting it to your face where he presses the back of his pointer finger to your face. he crinkles his nose and smiles when he feels the droplets of lake water drip onto his skin. “you need a shower?”

“you saying i stink, castellan?” you questioned in sarcasm, earning a scoff that soothes out into a chuckle. 

“yup. terrible.”

you put on a faux offended look as he urges you to go to his dresser and grab what you need. 

luke has a drawer dedicated to your clothes in his room, mostly things you’ve left behind in there from your time being together. however, you only grab everything but a sweatshirt, turning to him and smirking when he realizes what you’re up to. 

“yeah, yeah,” he muttered, walking to his closet. “grabbin’ you my hoodie, don’t worry.”

you grin when he places it in your hands. luke guides you by the small of your back in the direction of the bathroom and you enter, closing the door, not bothering got lock it.

looking down at the hoodie, you blush when you realize it smells like him. you put your clothes down and get in the shower. you use his tropical shampoo and conditioner that you’re always praising when you run your hands through his hair, and you use the complimentary body wash that you inhale dramatically when you’re resting your head in his neck. 

you dry yourself off with a fresh towel that smells like his laundry detergent, similar to the smell of his hoodie. after changing into the clothes, you open the door to find luke laying face first on the bed, sprawled out. grinning, you tip toe to the side and tap on his shoulder. 

he only grunts out a response. 

“move over, you boulder,” you scold as you give his shoulder a half hearted shove. 

he groans, rolling over onto his back as he moves to his side of the bed. you climb into the covers and squeal when he wraps his muscular arm around you, pulling you close to him. he turns so he can face you. “hi.”

“hi,” you echo, bringing your hand to the back of his neck where you let your fingernails scratch gently. 

he lets out a hum of approval, looking down at you. “missed you.”

“yeah?”

luke nods. “yeah. s’much.”

he leans in and plasters a kiss on the crown of your head. he pulls away, giving you the opportunity to look up at him in adoration. he reaches his hand up and traces your lips with his fingertip, smiling when you flex them to kiss it. 

“c’mere,” he groans, grabbing the back of your head and guiding it to his. he captures your lips in a soft and gentle kiss. you close your eyes and savor the feeling of him smiling against your lips when you dig your hands deep into his hair. 

when he finally pulls away, he looks down at you with so much adoration written over his features it makes your heart jump. “y’taste like the ocean.”

“i was swimming in the sound,” you defend, and he shrugs. 

“i wasn’t complaining.”

and then he tugs you back in for another kiss. 

you pull away from the kiss and look up at him through your tears. you try at a smile because luke looks like the boy he was when you were in this position countless times before, except when it was in his bed of his cabin instead of the princess andromeda state room. 

your skin is rosy and a little bit dry from bathing in the cruise ship life luke has provided you with when you agreed to help him take down the gods. since then, it’s been the two of you and no one else. 

however, he’s constantly overworking himself. he did it before even at camp, but now it’s constant training and sometimes fighting other demigods when they’d stumble upon the ship. 

today, particularly, luke had got into a fight with a brother of ethan nakamura’s when he’d come to save ethan. the fight was ugly and bloody, resulting in the brother ending up over the ship. luckily, he wasn’t dead and had swum back to the boat he’d brought out there, but you couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear when you looked at your boyfriend’s bloody hands when he’d returned to the stateroom. 

“i—i’m sorry,” he’d said as you looked at him with fear. “he was tryin’ to kill me. he’s okay.”

you let him lead you to his bed where he sat down at the edge and pulled you in between his legs, watching you with guilt as you patched his wounds, occasionally wincing when antiseptic broke through his pain tolerance. 

“i know you worry about me, angel,” he whispered, his sweet brown eyes looking up at yours with patience, “believe me, i do. gods, you’re so perfect.”

you shook your head, blinking the tears that threatened to spill over your waterline away. “you hurt yourself so much, luke, it scares me.”

“i know,” he responded firmly, grabbing your hands and stopping them for a moment. he held them in his, looking up at you desperately. “i promise you, i wouldn’t ever think of doing anything reckless enough to take me away from you. i don’t wanna lose you either, sweetheart.”

you watched him for a few moments before he continued, “ ‘m always gonna come back to you. no matter what.” 

you smiled for a moment more before going back to cleaning his wounds. he watched as your brows furrowed, whispering, “i promise, i’m with you.”

you watched him, bringing your hand up to his cheek and dragging your thumb across it. you nodded. 

“yeah?” he asked, a boyish smile appearing on his face. 

“yeah.” you echoed. 

now, he looks down at your lips again. “y’taste like the ocean.”

you shake your head. “that’s pool water.”

“same thing?” he asks, silently asking for you to agree to disagree before your argument skills come out. 

“yeah, sure,” you agree, letting him guide you by the back of your head to kiss you softly again.

[xoxovanillq]

WORLDS COLLIDE

i. meeting

Luke Castellan x f!reader

Warnings- Trust issues, Kissing, She/Her pronouns.

Word count- 1.5k

“Dude, have you seen the new girl yet?” Chris questions. Luke and him are sitting in their respective bunks in the Hermes cabin, taking the opportunity of an empty cabin to chat.

“No, not yet. Should I see her?” Luke responds, his tone inquisitive.

“Yeah, I mean, she’s like, exactly your type.” Chris replies, laying back in his bunk, turning his head to face Luke.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll see her soon.” He replies, laying back in his bunk with a sigh.

You trudged into the Hermes cabin, exhausted, and ready to go to bed. It had been a long day, being the new kid at your age felt weird, especially with kids running around with more knowledge of this stuff than you. Everyone was somewhat nice, which was relieving, but no one  really caught your eye, well, until that night.

You laid in your bunk, looking up a bit to see a tall boy, dark curls falling into his face as he quietly studied you.

“You new?” He asks, his voice deep and rich, causing your heart to pound a small bit faster. The boy was pretty, tall, a little bit unsure of himself, but it was kinda cute.

“Mhm, was it that obvious?” You reply, your exhaustion convened through your voice.

“No, no! Not at all! Listen, uh, I’m Luke.” He says with a small smile, moving closer and extending his hand for you to shake.

“Y/N, and it’s all good.” You say, taking his hand and shaking it. You find yourself lingering in the warmth of his hand, reluctant to let go. When you release his hand, you smile softly, enjoying the small connection the two of you had made.

“Well, I should let you rest, but it was really nice to meet you.” He says, smiling as you nod, he then turns away, walking back to his bunk bed.

Luke’s heart pounded as he laid in bed that night, still thrilled after the excitement of your meeting. Chris had been right, you were his dream girl, perfect, exactly who he had always wanted. He couldn’t wait to see you again, to hear your voice, to see your glowing smile. He felt like a giddy schoolboy with a crush, desperate for your attention.

He dreamed of you that night, of holding your hand, guiding you through life at camp. He hadn't ever fallen for someone like this, so fast, so desperate for attention.

When he woke up that morning, he was still desperately excited to see you, wanting nothing more to see your smile yet again.

“Hey, Y/N, right?” He pipes up, sliding up beside you at the archery grounds. He didn't know why he bothered to check on your name, it had been in his thoughts for hours, ever since you told him.

“Yeah, it’s really good to see you again.” You emphasize the really, realizing that you may be starting to form a crush on the boy you had met only days ago.

“Yeah, yeah, um, you- you too.” God, he needed to get it together. He smiled, his heart warming as you smiled back. He watched you for a few minutes, looking at your aim. “Hey,” he suddenly piped up, “can I help you with your position a bit?”

“Oh, that would be amazing.” He quickly stepped up behind you, hands on yours as he moved your body little by little. His breath was hot on your neck, the smell of toothpaste, his shampoo, sun lotion, and sweat filled your nostrils, his own version of summer in a scent. It made you want to burrow your face into his neck, take in his musk.

“Alright, just aim, and shoot.” His voice brings you out of your dreamy haze. You shake your head a little, then release the arrow. He watches it soar through the air, hitting the target with precision. “Good job.” He praises, his voice light. making your insides heat up with both embarrassment and excitement.

“Thank you, really, you don’t know how much better you’ve made this all for me already.” You say with a light chuckle, all he could think about was how much better you had already made his life, just by existing.

“Hey, um, I know this is really random, but the lake, um, there’s a- a dock on it, and I wanna know if you’d want to go watch the sunset on it? Like, with me?” His heart pounds in his chest as he speaks. He was so scared to be rejected, maybe it was lingering fear, that finally trusting something would backfire on him.

“I- I’d actually love to, um, would it just be us?” You ask timidly, fearing that your feelings would be revealed too much, scaring him off.

“Yeah, if that’s alright with you and all.” He replies, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Dude, you actually scored a date with her? She’s been here for like, 3 days, and all the guys are already on her.” Chris said after Luke had relayed the events of your encounter.

“Yeah, I think she’s into me too, I mean, she checked to see if we’d be alone, so that’s a score.” He says with a light chuckle before taking a bite of his dinner. He looked up to see you chatting excitedly with a few girls you had made friends with. It made him happy to see you happy, especially with your new friends.

“Just keep her close, all the other guys here would pounce on her in a heartbeat.” Chris adds, unknowing of how this seemed to spike Luke’s trust issues. He tried to push the thought away, but it was always there, lingering in the back of his head, even as he got ready to meet you.

There he sat, about 15 minutes before sunset, on the dock, fluffing his curls up while waiting for you. He hadn’t dressed up much, just wearing cargos and a black hoodie considering that it would get chilly as the sun went down. His jaw almost dropped when he saw you walk up. You wore a lace cami, pink with lace trim and a little bow, along with light wash, flared jeans.

“Holy shit, you are making feel really under-dressed. You look stunning.” He commented, eyes fixed on the way your eyes seemed to sparkle, even in the low light, as you took your seat beside him.

“I didn’t know what the dress code was for this, so I figured dressing nice would be the better option.” In all reality, you were hoping he’d give you his hoodie at some point in the night. “You look nice too, I mean, you always do.” You say softly, a blush forming across your face as you did.

“Thanks, thanks, uh, can I- is it okay- is it okay if I hold your hand?” He asks tentatively, the way he stumbles over his words makes your heart flutter a bit.

“Yeah, of course.” Your voice is low and quiet, you reach out to take a hold of his hand, shifting a bit closer to him, shoulder pressed to his. Your head leans a bit, and he nods, as if giving you approval to put it in his shoulder. The two of you sat there for a little while in silence, watching the colors of the sun set over the lake. Rich oranges and cotton candy pinks reflected on the lake’s surface. Luke could feel you shiver slightly, and it gave him an idea.

“Hey, if you’re cold, you can have my hoodie.” He offers, looking into your eyes. God, he loved your eyes, all the different colored specks, he could get lost in them forever.

“Oh, yeah, um, if it isn’t too much trouble.” You respond, almost shyly. He quickly takes his hoodie off, his shirt pulling up a bit, giving you a tantalizing glance at his abs. He hands it to you with a smile, and before you put it on, you reach over to fix his curls, now a bit messy.

Luke couldn’t believe this was happening, I mean, he was laying on the dock, watching the sunset with you, you were wearing his sweatshirt, and he was pretty sure you felt the same way about him. As the sun finally set, the stars coming out to light up the sky, he finally decided to make his move.

“Listen, I might be reading this wrong, but I really like you, and-” You cut him off, your lips finally pressing to his. Luke’s body melted, one hand going to your waist, the other to the back of your head to deepen the kiss. He wanted to be as close to you as possible, to melt into you, to burrow inside your heart and live there forever. He almost panicked when you pulled away, clutching your waist in a desperate attempt to keep you close. You just giggled, settling with your head in his lap.

“I think you’ve got your answer, Castellan.”

[psychesalcove]

hii!! ur writing is so cute,

for the celebration i would love a blurb for luke castellan with the quote ֶָ֢ "the first second i saw you i couldn't get over how beautiful you were."

thank u!!

✧.* luke castellan x gn reader (not possessed by kronos au)

part of psyches, 'in memory of those who chose the sea' event !

-> want to participate in the event?

— my posts are completely race and body type friendly (unless stated in title) so no descriptive words here of someone's skin tone or body shape!! feel free to interact:)

it was a night after capture the flag, which meant campfire night. it was definitely a camp favorite event—especially since you don't have to participate if you don't wish.

which is why you found yourself sitting with your siblings on your designated bench and staring off into the orange flames. the sky around the camp boundaries were filled with all different types of constellations, as the gods would clear light pollution for demigods.

as you countined staring into the roaring flames, one of your siblings nudged your shoulder. "babe, your boyfriend over there is looking for you," they said smirking lightly when they saw your cheeks turn a deep shade of pink. they nudged you softly again when you made no move to get up, signaling to you to do so.

you thanked your sibling for their notice of luke before standing up and walking over to where he was; which was on the very outskirts of the forest surrounding camp.

"hi, hon," you said a you walked up to him.

he smiled. "hello to you as well, love." luke met you halfway from where you were and took his hand in yours. "i wanna show you a little something i found in the woods, that okay?" he asked as he practically (gently) dragged you twords the forest.

you mumbled out a quiet yes in return, letting luke drag you to wherever it was he was taking you.

and, that's now you managed to end up by a small creek with fireflies everywhere. you gasped silently as you took in your surroundings. "gods, i never knew there where places like this in here," you said as you walked closer up to the running water.

"not many campers do," luke said, walking up to where you were standing. "they all think of it as simple battlegrounds, and don't usally try to find the small pockets of pretty things,"

you snored. "trying to be poetic here, are you luke?"

he rolled his eyes at you playfully. "you can't blame me, it is really pretty here," he took a seat on the edge of the waterway, waving a hand in the air to tell you to sit as well.

as the two of you sat in silence, you thoughts wondered to how a person's beauty could compare to this. "luke?" you mused, breaking the blanket of silence that was over you two.

he hummed lightly in response, eyes moving from the water to you. you continued staring off into the water, but you countined with your question. "have you ever met someone that reminded you of a place like this?"

he tilted his head to the side. "like you, love?" he asked, brining a hand to rest atop of yours.

"i don't really see how i remind you of a place like this," you countined, gesturing to the water with your hand that wasn't taken.

luke chuckled lightly. "my love, the first second i saw you i couldn't get over how beautiful you were," he countined. "to me, you're much, much more pretty than this, gods, i don't think i could really compare you to anything, you're just, perfect."

before you could disagree, he kept talking. "places like this will always have things that people won't like that much, the bugs for instance," he was right, you thought. mosquitoes are really annoying. "but, you,? there's nothing to dislike about you. i could, and have, gone on for hours and hours about you; to the point were travis threated to prank me every day if i didn't shut up about you. you're the best thing that has ever, and will, happen to me my love." he moved closer you and brought and arm around your shoulder.

"so yeah, i have met someone who reminded me of an even better place than this. and they remind me of home."

[isaacarellanesismyhusband]

Luke Castellan masterlist nav. megalist

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️fluff▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

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

i guess i’m a fool sometimes

worth a shot?

x Percy Jackson

we’re not fighting

x Percy Jackson

[supercutszns]

Luke x reader where a girl, daughter of Aphrodite, flirts with him and insults the reader, causing her to avoid Luke, but later he manages to find her and confesses that he actually likes them... I don't know if they should already be together or not, but I believe in you!!! you write very well :ooo

Sorry if the idea is bad or you wouldn't want to write something like that, if that's the case please pretend you never read this 🤡🤡🫶

true colours; luke castellan

wc + pairing: 3.6k, luke castellan x child of iris! reader

synopsis: everyone wants luke castellan, including you. curse your mother for getting your hopes up.

warnings: friends to lovers, reader is very insecure, bullying, lee fletcher & will solace cameo!! some angst with a fluffy ending

notes: thank you for the request!! as always this is longer than i anticipated but hope you like it :) i also combined it with another request for a child of iris reader (i also identify as a child of iris sometimes so i lovee writing for them) also i’m pretty sure lee + a lot of parts of this are ooc sorry but i havent read the books in about a year so hopefully everything’s fairly accurate!🌈

You knew this summer would be different because your mother sent her wishes twice as much. On the first day of July, when children flood into Camp Half-Blood like a hive of wild bees, a rainbow always lights up the sky. 

This year, there were two. 

As a child of Iris you’re technically supposed to be in the Hermes cabin. But your love for art, for music, for fun, has made you a particular favourite of the Apollo cabin. Most of your friends are there. They tolerate you singing in your soft, often unsure voice. They love when you catch sunlight and filter it into prisms of colour on their cabin walls. 

You’d probably move in there permanently if it weren’t for Hermes. Or rather, his son.

Over the last few months, in the sticky summer heat, your mother knew you would fall in love. 

It's not any surprise you love Luke. Everyone loves Luke. A fact that's becoming more obvious every passing day. 

It used to bother you less. You’ve always been his meagre, hopeless friend, never any real competition to these girls. You’d basically taken yourself out of the running and instead decided to pine after him in the very back of your mind. A safe, deluded fantasy that would never happen. 

Until recently, where it seems less like a fantasy and more like a terrifying possibility. 

Over the past few weeks Luke has gone out of his way to be sweet to you. Or at least you think so. He’s spent extra time talking to you at lunch, laughing at your half-formed jokes almost in earnest. At bonfires he saves you a seat, grabs you a marshmallow on occasion. You even made him a friendship bracelet of sorts—admittedly a little ugly—but he’s never taken it off. Not since the day you gave it to him. 

Not to mention helping you last week before the archery competition. His hands lingering over yours as he steadied your bow, the curls of his breath on the back of your neck when he stood behind you. 

“Don’t be nervous,” he says, a tinge of mirth in his voice. “You just steady your aim and first is as good as yours.”

(You came in fifteenth.)

You don’t want to say that it’s him weakening your aim, making your pulse beat out of your neck. His nose brushes against the back of your jaw as he leans forward and you smell the pine on his skin. Is this friendly? Is he this close on purpose? Are you delusional?

It’s all you’ve been thinking about these past few days. So when Luke Castellan’s endless admirers come to the forefront of your mind, you feel like all those moments of potential buildup have been ripped away. 

“You alright there, sunshine?” 

He takes you out of your spiral with a teasing lilt you love. When you look at him, his face is a shimmering warmth, complete with boyish smile. 

“Yep,” you reply, trying to ignore the nickname making your insides flutter even though you know he’s saying it ironically.

You’ve always had a gift for identifying colour. It’s the thing you pay attention to most. Something inherited from your mother, you suppose. So you’ve memorized the way Luke’s eyes melt in the sunlight. How his scar blends with his pinking cheeks when it’s hot outside. You never told him, and you probably never will, but you’ve painted him from memory quite a few times in the Apollo cabin—always with the excuse that you were practicing. It's so blatantly obvious you're in love with him there's no point in your friends bringing it up.  

The two of you are meandering around camp before dinner, a tradition Luke started early on in the summer. You talk about high points of your day (mostly you) or share nuggets of gossip you’ve heard around camp (mostly him). It's the thing you looked forward to every morning. A time when his words are just for you. 

Idle chatter flows as you keep walking. Sometimes your arm brushes his and you have the embarrassing urge to tug yours away. You do your best not to stare at him too long or laugh too loud at his jokes. 

“Hey, Castellan!” Someone calls. 

Luke’s head turns. Your heart plummets. A beautiful girl, Aphrodite cabin, you think, is heading towards you. She’s all honey-spun hair and dazzling pink lips, and it’s obvious she knows it. You don’t know her name. But Luke does. 

They fall into conversation the second she arrives. It’s just greetings, pleasantries, but there’s a coy smile on the girl’s face that betrays any sense of disinterest. “Heard you’re not too keen on pairing up with us for the Chariot Race next week. What gives?” Her tone is pouty and playful as she taps Luke’s shoulder. She side-eyes you, lips curling imperceptibly. “I’m sure you’ll have a better chance with us.”

He lets out a strained chuckle. “Dunno, just thought it was fine to switch it up.”

Just like that, you’re out of the loop again. More of her friends flock after her, and soon Luke is tangled in a whole other world. They’re all glowing with a kind of righteousness you only get when you’re popular. You know Luke has friends, tons of them. He's the leader of the cabin with the most campers. Not to mention assertive and gorgeous. His presence is so inviting it’s a challenge not to fall in love with him. 

So you can’t blame this girl, the one that keeps touching his arm and giggling. It’s not like you’ve staked your claim on Luke—no one even knows you exist. As much as you want him to be yours, you know you’ll never stop someone from taking him first. It’s your fatal flaw, you think. Cowardice. 

You end up sidelined completely. Watching him swathed in people more charismatic than you plants an ache deep inside you. All your wishful thinking feels sour now, a pipe dream, a bedtime story to help you sleep better. Somehow it hurts more knowing that it’s nobody’s fault but yours. These people can’t be doing this on purpose. It’s just who they are. It’s who you are—always a step behind, always daydreaming. You are your mother’s daughter, after all. Just a prism reflecting everyone around you. 

Eventually, one of the boys in the group takes notice of you. He’s not nearly as captivating as Luke is—you don’t find the colours of his eyes hold as much depth. There’s also a haughtiness when he looks at you. He sneers, “What the hell do you have on your face?”

It draws the attention of others in the group. You feel like a naked sculpture in an art gallery. “Uh, what?” You stammer. 

Some of them purse their lips. The girl with Luke lets a laugh slip. You’re pretty sure you look like an idiot, waiting there with your brows wrinkled in a daze. Their gazes keep flicking over to your cheek, so your hand flies up there before you can delay any more. When you press your fingers to the side of your face, they come away tacky and pink. Mortification constricts you.

Paint. It’s leftover, half-dried paint. The colour of Luke’s cheeks in the sun. 

“Oh,” you say dumbly. It’s drowned by snickers. All you can do is find Luke, the only face you know, and ask, “Why didn’t you tell me?” without sounding too hurt. 

You know you failed when your voice comes out wrong and his ebony brows push together. “I thought it looked—”

He never gets to finish because the golden girl laughs a little louder, the pink tones in her face a little darker. “Oh my Gods, you’re that Iris kid that’s always singing, right?” She giggles sharply, cornflower eyes darting between her friends. There’s something in there you can’t quite pick up on, until it flushes the pupils of all her friends, and they all grin with a secret knowledge they want you to see. “You’re, like, really good!” The girl simpers, but her bottom lip pulls between her teeth to soften another laugh. 

“Oh, so good!” Another friend piles on. 

Their passive-aggressive chuckles start to sound like hail on a window. You shift further away from them. Dirt slides beneath your shoe, and you long to kick up more of it, displace yourself, disappear. 

You don’t look at Luke. The giggly, flaxen girl has already turned back to him, and you’re sure he’s enthralled once more. You try to stir up the image of Luke’s closeness during archery practice, the lilac bruise on his knuckles when he angled your bow, but it doesn’t take. Now, it feels like you’ve dreamed it. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Luke leaning down to catch a whisper from the Aphrodite girl’s ear. The boy that first commented on your cheek leans closer to you again. He’s suffocatingly smug when he grins, “Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you go … wash that off? You don’t want to look like that at dinner.” He snorts. “For an Iris kid, you really aren’t good at taking a message.” 

If you were a more confident person, maybe you’d point out how that didn’t really make sense, or how stupid it sounded coming out of his mouth. But the sentiment of it wounds you, and you’re weak enough as is. 

"Guess you're right," you mumble. You wipe your face of paint as you leave. The memory of Luke’s skin stains you until you wash your hands off in the sink. 

You haven’t talked to him since. 

It’s been a few days of you avoiding him, and it’s hard to explain to anyone why you’ve been doing it. How do you tell the truth? Luke Castellan is a work of art and you are … a weird doodle, or something. Despite your adoration, you know there’s no reason he should feel the same for you. Everyone loves him for a reason. Everyone must ignore you for one, too. 

“Why haven’t you been talking to Luke?”

The question breaks your concentrated silence in the Apollo cabin. You’ve been sitting here for a while now, humming to yourself over a mostly blank canvas. The cabin is dusted with a lilac haze, thanks to your manipulation of the light streaming through the windows. Helps you feel less like you’re at camp and more like you’re in a fairytale. 

“Helloooo, lady, I asked you a question.”

You begrudgingly look up. Lee Fletcher, head of the Apollo cabin, is at the mouth of the cabin, gazing at all your supplies strewn about the floor like they’re a bunch of unsavoury substances. “It looks like a hurricane came in here. Now why aren’t you talking to Luke?”

“How do you know I’m not talking to him?” You mutter as Lee sits beside you. 

“Uh, because you’ve been sleeping here multiple nights in a row and you never do that. And you don’t sit with him at dinner. And whenever we see him you drag me in the other direction—”

“Lee!”

“I’m just saying, you should probably talk about it. My beautiful voice can heal wounds, yes, but not of the heart.” He splays a hand across his chest in mock theatrics.

You don’t say anything. The familiar weight of the brush against your fingertips is far more comforting than trying to talk, so you busy yourself with your canvas again. “He waits for you, you know,” Lee continues, quieter. “In the morning. And before dinner. He always asks if you’re here.”

“Oh,” you say, and your wavering voice betrays your expression. But you think of everyone else at camp, their gleaming smiles and their celebrated parents, their own cabins and friends and dreams, how you don’t seem to have any of those. You think of the girl whispering in Luke’s ear. All her shades of beauty. You know it’s wrong to compare yourself, to be jealous. You’re just … sad.

The cabin darkens from a lilac to an imperceptibly gloomier shade. A blue sort of longing gets caught in your throat, blurring the colours on your canvas. But you keep your brush steady, focused on the scratch of its bristles so you don’t have to hear what you say next. 

“I think I love him, Lee.” And then, “But I don’t think he loves me.”

There’s no sound except the scraping of your brush when it’s run out of paint, and a sniffle when a tear rolls down your cheek. 

“Oh,” Lee fills the silence the way you did just moments before. Then he says your name, laced with pity, and hugs you on the floor of his lavender cabin. 

“You want to help me lead the bonfire song tonight?” He asks after a minute. “Or at least … come to the bonfire song?” 

“No to the first, yes to the second.”

You wish you said no to both. 

The spot you choose after dinner is right next to the fire so you can distract yourself with the golden flecks of flame. Fire is so fluid, so complex, from a colour perspective. But no matter how close you get, the searing warmth can’t hide Luke’s gaze peering over the embers. 

He will not. Stop. Looking at you. 

The singing from the Apollo kids usually soothes you but tonight it’s just making you anxious. All this attention so close to you. Will Solace has been sitting next to you this whole time, your unofficial assigned companion for the night thanks to Lee. One of his siblings beckons him over, and he shoots you an apologetic look, hesitating. "Just go," you wave off kindly. "It's all good." He's not entirely convinced, and you aren't either, but he squeezes your shoulder with thanks and leaves you anyway.

Now you’re acutely aware the space next to you is wide open. And so is Luke, it seems. There’s an awkward moment where your gazes slide over each other and he weaves out of his current crowd towards you. So you do the most mature, sound thing you could possibly do in this situation:

You say you have to go to the bathroom to no one in particular and get out of there. 

It’s dark, but you’ve got sharper eyes than most. Soon the noise of the campfire is behind you. You traipse through the camp towards the bathroom,but you don’t get far before you hear something that makes your stomach drop in the worst and best way. 

Luke, calling your name. 

At first you think you can get away with not hearing him. Then he calls a second, a third, a fourth time, punctuated with, “Come on, I know you can hear me, can you just turn around?”

He’s got longer legs than you so the next time he speaks it’s practically in your ear. “Hey, just look at me. Please. I want to talk to you.”

There’s something so tender in his voice that it makes you cave immediately. But you already feel so fragile, you can feel the tears behind your eyes. You know you won’t have the strength to talk to him. 

His hand curls gently around your wrist and it sends warmth all the way up your arm. He says your name again, softer, and you love the way it sounds. You can’t meet his eyes, but you already know what he looks like. Even in the dark you picture him crystal clear. 

“Look at me,” he repeats. “I just—I need to know what I did wrong.”

His dark eyes are full and apprehensive when you heed him. You notice how much you’ve missed studying his face—the slight bunch of his brows, the tensing in his jaw. And you almost delude yourself that he’s missed you just as much, the way he squeezes your wrist and rakes over your expression.

“Why are you ignoring me?” He asks. 

“I’m not—”

“You are. I know you. Just tell me why.” 

He looks so sweet, so earnest, and it kills you. You think of the way he looked when all his friends made fun of you. It all comes up before you can help it. 

“Do you always let me walk around looking like an idiot?” You ask bitingly, staring at the floor. “The thing, with the paint on my cheek—why didn’t you tell me? I looked so stupid and all your friends just laughed at me!” 

His face falls. “I tried to tell you, I thought—”

“It’s okay to say you don’t like me, or that you’re embarrassed, or whatever, but I …” You swallow, tears thick on your lower lashes. “Everyone makes fun of me. I don’t know why you don’t.”

“Because I do like you,” he states, hand moving up to your forearm. 

“Don’t say that,” you whisper. “You’re so much … better, you know you are, and I don’t want your pity, or your spare time. I just—I made something up in my head that wasn’t there and I only noticed it the other day after you talked to that girl and that guy made fun of me and I’m really, really sorry—”

“It looked cute. I was trying to say I didn’t tell you about the paint because I thought it was cute.”

There’s a lull.

“What?” You blink stupidly. 

“I know I should’ve told you about it, but I swear I was going to before dinner, I didn’t think we’d run into anyone before then.” His cheeks tinge red. “I had this whole dumb thing planned out where I’d wipe it off your cheek and tell you how cute it was once you got embarassed. I was waiting to tell you. I was thinking about it the whole time.”

His hand on your arm is a frighteningly grounding thing. You're dumbstruck by that alone. Your lips part, but all that comes out is, “Why?”

A gentle laugh tumbles out of his throat. “Why do you think?”

His other hand comes up to brush your cheekbone, where the paint had been, and you can imagine him doing it to you on that day. How you'd probably react just the way he said you would, the way you are now. A warm orange glow blooming in your chest. “But the girl—”

“She tried whispering to me how much she liked my bracelet,” he smiles fondly. “Told her you made it for me. It shut her up. I don’t know what that guy said to you but I chewed ‘em all out the second you left. They knew I wasn’t happy. I tried looking for you but you were gone. I don't like them, you know."

You don’t know what to say. It’s too difficult, too uncertain for you to jump the gun on this. So you just stare at all the shifting colours on his face as he moves closer to you. All this time going over his every detail, and there's still more to be enthralled by.

“I found the paintings,” he says, voice so close you can feel it brushing your skin. “The ones of me. I was looking for you in the Apollo cabin a week ago and you left one out. I knew it was yours because ... I mean, there’s no one in the world that can make me look that … beautiful.” 

The last word is apprehensive but it’s spoken with an unimaginable tenderness. He looks a little teary himself. You think you’re dreaming. “I knew I had to tell you after that. I’ve been trying to tell you. But you started pulling away from me so I thought I was making it all up.”

“Tell me what?” It’s a ghost of a question between you, an impossible thing, but the hand on your arm slips around to your back and he presses it there with such certainty. 

“You’re really gonna make me say it?” He cocks his head, but you nod. “I’m in love with you, I think.”

The words cascade over you in ribbons of warmth. Your brain feels fuzzy, seperate from the rest of your body. Your mouth opens multiple times but you can’t seem to control what comes out. “Luke, are you joking?”

“Not even a little.”

“But you’ve got so many other—”

“I want you.”

“I am literally the most incompetent person alive; I can’t sing, I can’t talk to people, I have a weird knee—”

"Your knee is fine!"

"I'm just saying, this makes no sense from an outsider perspective, it's—"

“Okay, clearly the telling thing isn’t working so I guess I’m just gonna have to kiss you.”

It happens so quickly you don’t have any time to think (probably for the better). You let out a surprised “oh” before his mouth silences you, stopping every other thought. He’s gentle, thumb still rubbing your cheekbone, other hand still firm at your waist. You want to panic—where should you put your hands? How do you know you’re doing this right? But he steadies you, the way he always does, and you give in. 

He starts to smile against your lips. You’re almost positive the intensity of your heartbeat could summon a storm. When he pulls away, he kisses the corners of your mouth and you think you’re going to evaporate. “I don’t think I’m very good at this,” you whisper.

“You’re perfect.” He grins a little when your hands tentatively tug at a curl on the nape of his neck. “And none of that stuff you say is true. I mean, you’re definitely a better singer than me.”

Leaning close to your ear, he warbles out a song you know but gets the words horribly wrong anyways. You can’t help but laugh. “Okay, maybe you have a point.”

He hums and chuckles with you. You swear the moon gets brighter when he wraps his arms around your waist to kiss the side of your face. “Next time you paint me, I want to be there when you do it.”

You blush harder than you ever have in your life. “Only if you try painting me,” you say quietly.

“Of course. You’re very pretty, so I’m sure my horrible artistic skills won’t even make you look bad.”

Luke lets you press your face into the crook of his neck. You soak it up for all it’s worth. 

In the morning, you wake up in the same position. Your nose tucked against his collarbone, the shade of pink you love freckled across his cheeks. You can't wait to paint him again.

When you look out the window, you say a silent, grateful prayer to your mother.

She's given you two more rainbows.