#sorry if there is a technical term. the god in the cupboard did not wish me to know at the time :( | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

k1nky-fool · 9 months ago

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The Better Half

Prologue Part I: The Better Half

Clarisse la Rue x OC: Jolene Concord

Summary: Jolene has managed to get the gods on Olympus to agree to bringing adult demigods back to Camp Half-Blood to help teach their younger siblings how to survive outside camp once they leave. Of course, asking such a big favor of the gods comes with a steep price.

Warnings: Technically aged-up characters, but since the Riordanverse spans almost 2 decades and there is a canon adult Clarisse, I'd say I've earned the right to think she's pretty, dammit! A healthy mix of callback characters and OCs, and plenty of angst to come.

Masterlist

By the unfortunate looks of things, none of the kids had been told about what was being planned. Several kids gathered near the porch of the big house as she was helped by a kind centaur that knew she’d have some trouble carrying her bags, and had stumbled upon her with the Party Ponies in New Orleans. The rest of the group was excited to see Camp Half-Blood again.

“I see you made some friends on your way.” It had been a long time since she’d heard his voice in person. “Welcome back Jolene.”

“Chiron, you know I’ve been going by Jo since long before I ever got here.” She laughed. “It’s good to see you, big boy.”

“Woah, why are you back?” She really should have expected the question from him, but maybe just a part of Jo wished Mr. D had anything else to say to her after all these years, even after what happened on Olympus.

“Good to see you too, dad.” Jo strained her features into a passive aggressive smile before turning back to Chiron with a much more relaxed expression. “Imogen, thank you for helping me with my bags, but you can go enjoy yourself with the party now. Don’t hold yourself back on my account.”

“We’ll see you again, right?” Imogen asked.

“As if I could miss Mardi Gras next year.” Jo feigned offense with a laugh.

“You ran into the Party Ponies.” Chiron noted with a small note of reminiscing.

Jo was off. “Sorry I’m late, I was in New Orleans, after Mardi Gras, and I knew I didn’t have a lot of time before my flight, but it was canceled! So I found the Party Ponies and I know centaurs can get across continents in a matter of hours, figured they’d be nice if I had something for them. But I remembered a massive commercial corn field that’s really been a problem for satyrs in the area, somethin’ about local pollinators gettin’ sick— and I told the ponies that if they got me to Half-Blood Hill before my appointment here, I’d teach ‘em how to make corn liquor and we could take out an invasive corn field. In hindsight, that was a bad idea, because we got drunk to celebrate their first batch, and when we made the shot for Half-Blood Hill, we ended up in Detroit.”

“Quite the adventure.” He nodded.

“Anyway, that’s my own fault, and I’m here now, so let’s talk counselors.” Jo smiled, heading into the big house with Chiron following closest behind. She took a seat at the table, grabbing a few snacks from the cupboard where she remembered Mr. D’s good stuff being ‘off limits.’ At least until she plied him with a bribe under Zues’s nose. “So, Camp Half-Blood is facing an itty bitty crisis.”

“A small crisis would be an appropriate term.” Chiron said. “I remember your presentation to the gods two summers ago, and I must say, that was quite the show.”

Jo knew Chiron was there, but she never saw him. The only security she’d had over the last few months was that she believed that Chiron hadn’t seen that fiasco. The problem wasn’t Zeus’s approval; sure, Jo was glad that the program had been approved for the first five years, but she knew as well as Chiron did that it had come with an ominous threat.

Chiron knew as well as she did that the world was dangerous, and he’d done so much to teach them what he knew, but the world has been changing. Young demigods need to learn more than just how to fight monsters.

“I’ve been in contact with several demigods across the world, even. Camp Half-Blood isn’t the only demigod sanctuary lookin’ to hiring staff counselors. I’ve spoken to a lot of half-bloods that would be willing to come back here to help out their little siblings.”

“Who have you been in contact with?” Chiron asked.

“Well, of course your favorite forbidden children said they’d be willing to at least stop by periodically to help out. Percy Jackson, and Nico di Angelo. But I managed to get an answer from Ruby Hendricks, Katie Gardener, Clarisse la Rue, Annabeth Chase, Jack Garcia, Nyssa Barrera, Nora Kingsman, Emily Schwartz, Butch Walker, Lilly Kandale, Willow Henderson, Laurel Victor, Jacob Lewis, Chiara Benvenuti, and Beatrice Herald.” Jo listed off. “From the looks of things, you have your pick.”

“Do we really need one for every cabin?” Mr. D asked.

“Probably not, but from the looks of things, it couldn’t hurt.” Jo gestured vaguely to the clearly busy camp. “Ever since you’ve got the new cabins gods have decided they suddenly don’t have that much of a space issue here at Camp Half-blood. I don’t know about you, but I probably wouldn’t be worried about having kids if I knew they’d be taken care of and my cabin can hold up to 20 at a time.”

Chiron and Mr. D looked at each other with a knowing stare.

“I’m not far off the mark from the look of y’all.” Jo laughed. “Listen, I don’t want the counselors to rain on y’all’s parade, but it’s clear with only thirty years left on Mr. D’s sentence here, you’ll have your hands more than full, Chiron. And who knows when any gods are gonna add another few bunks to their cabin to make room for yet another few bundles of joy.”

If there was anything Jo knew she was good at, it was talking people into doing things. Thankfully, this was probably the most charitable thing Jo has ever tried to do, so maybe talking someone sensible and kind like Chiron into this would be a little easier.

“Why are you doing this?” Mr. D finally asked in defiance. “Come on, you were never any kind of goody-two-shoes at camp. In fact, I remember well how you would blackmail me into giving you extra snacks and even a permanent gift from me.”

“I’ll give you that, I was a rough kid, but I will say as soon as I got to Ireland, that gift came in handy.” Jo patted her shoulder where the mark was left. “Still dumb enough to get a hangover or two, but it helped when I got poisoned by a chimera in Seattle five years ago.”

“What changed?” Mr. D asked again.

Jo didn’t want to be the one to tell him, so she did the next best thing. She took a tiny jewelry box out of her pocket and placed it on the table. “I’ll need that back.” Mr. D took the box and opened it, finding an item she knew he recognized, but would pretend not to.

“Just some camp beads?” He scoffed.

“Chrissy Callaghan is dead.” Jo told them. “She wanted me to return her camp necklace to her mother in person.”

All of the color drained from Chiron’s face as he realized exactly what Chrissy’s death meant to Jo. “I am so sorry, Jolene.”

“Not easy to get hold of Athena.” Mr. D taunted.

“Sorry to disappoint my father, but I ain’t smart enough to cook up this plan. The whole program was Chrissy and Annabeth’s idea.” Jo explained. “Chrissy stumbled onto a Lamia nest in Arizona. She got out the first time, but they caught her scent. She set a hotel room on fire, and got me out alive, down the fire escape, but she didn’t make it out.”

“Seems like a lot to go through if you just wanted to return her necklace to her mom.” Mr. D noted.

“Well, I reckon she’d be a lot happier if the program she’s been working on for five years actually follows through.” Jo responded, taking the box back. “As far as I’m concerned, the necklace is second priority for now.”

“You said Chrissy and Annabeth have been working on this for five years?” Chiron finally interjected. “How far have you come?”

“Meaning I’ve got seventeen demigods waiting for the call to come back to Camp Half-Blood.” Jo said. “That’s why I came here before the summer campers got here, so you had a little more time to prep. And you know that Zeus approved it for the first five years to test its validity. The only thing standing in the way is your answer, Chiron.”

“The only thing I’m concerned about is how these new counselors will handle meeting up with each other. I can think of a few demigods on that list that maybe shouldn’t be encouraged to compete with one another.” Chiron said.

“Listen, we’re all a lot older now. We’ve grown out of the petty cabin feuds we were obsessed with when we were kids.” Jo said. “Though, it would help if maybe you didn’t encourage the counselors to fight each other, like keeping them out of capture the flag and chariot races. Though, don’t blame us if some of ‘em wanna compete in their own exclusive events. But we’ll keep it sportsmanlike. After all, this is a job we can lose if we’re too stupid with it.”

“I will consider that on a case by case basis.” He warned.

“Fair enough.” She nodded.

“In the meantime, I will have their accommodations ready by tomorrow morning. We can discuss which cabins we need counselors for to know who we must call.”

“Sounds great to me. Could I take a look around camp while we talk? It’s been a while and I can tell a lot has changed since I was last here.”

“I’m happy to give you the tour one more time.” Chiron smiled, inviting her to come down to the cabins.

“Ever since Percy made his demands, the Zeus and Poseidon cabins have been well populated. So, I do believe Percy and Ruby would have their work cut out for them.” Chiron noted as they passed the first three cabins.

“I’ll note that. Anybody that doesn’t need a counselor?” Jo asked.

“Apollo’s cabin has been sparse for a while. The youngest in cabin 7 is already sixteen, but I suspect there will be more in a few years.” Chiron noted.

“Definitely sounds like some kids that need to learn about life outside of camp.” She figured.

“The only cabin that is currently empty is cabin 13.” He explained.

“Any idea why?”

“Hades has never been much of a social butterfly. I wouldn’t expect another demigod in cabin 13 for another decade, but I’ve been wrong before.” Chiron figured. “I will announce the program at dinner tonight. You may introduce yourself to your younger siblings if you’d like.”

“Thanks. I’m sure they’ll be excited that they’re the first to know about something for once.” Jo laughed, bidding him farewell until dinner.

The cabin was just as mellow and pretty as Jo remembered it. “What’s up with you?” It was still February so there were only three kids in cabin 12, while cabins 1 and 3 had been pretty full.

“I’m Jo Concord. I’m the first of seventeen counselors that will be returning to camp in order to help y’all learn how to survive after you leave Camp Half-Blood.” She explained.

“Aren’t we already learning how to fight?” The oldest asked.

“Yeah, but do any of y’all know how to find an apartment that you can defend from monsters?” Jo asked the group. “Any of y’all know how to hold a job or go to college with everything from gods to monsters betting against you?”

It was a harsh reality that life would get a lot harder after leaving camp. And Jo knew first hand just how much they hated thinking about it.

“Everyone is getting a counselor?” The youngest one asked, she looked no older than twelve years old.

“Everyone.” She assured. “Chiron’s gonna announce everyone else’s counselors at dinner.”

“Wait, I know the name Jolene Concord.” The oldest said. “When I first got to camp, the counselor was Jo Concord. You were seventeen back then.”

Jo took a closer look at the teenage boy. He himself was about sixteen, and he looked vaguely familiar. “Evan Tiffany?” The boy she remembered was only eleven years old, but the curly black hair, and blue, nearly purple, eyes stared back at her. “Oh my gods, you’re so big now, Evan!”

He swooped her up into a hug, now being several inches taller than her. “You almost took my head off with a sword on my first day!”

“I felt so bad, you were terrified of me for the rest of the year.” Jo recalled.

“I just steered clear of you anytime someone gave you a sword.” He defended. “I only ever trusted you when you had a doru spear.”

“Always needed a double side.” She shrugged. “How many campers here in the summer?”

“Seven total, so four more.” Evan answered. “I guess Mr. D’s managed to slip away from camp plenty during his sentence.”

“Well, it was a sentence not to drink, not a sentence not to have any kids.” Jo figured. “Who are y'all?”

“Amy Jefferson.” The youngest said.

“Enzo Malbec.” The other boy said. “So you survived five years outside of camp?”

“Had the help of an Athena kid, Chrissy Callaghan. We found an apartment in Denver that we could defend and monsters didn’t mess with us. But when we started gathering demigods to agree to come back to Camp Half-Blood, she didn’t make it past Phoenix.” Jo explained. “But we’re going to be here for you. It took a lot of work for this to be possible, and damn it, we didn’t give up.”

“How many survive outside of camp?” Enzo asked.

She knew this question was coming. Didn’t make it any easier to tell them the truth. “Not many, Enzo. But that’s why we’re coming. We’ve seen just how bad it gets out there for us, and we’re done leaving y’all to the wolves. You’ll learn from plenty of demigods that can show you the ropes, and even teach you things about your godly gifts you never even knew about.”

“Like what?” Amy asked curiously.

“Dionysus is a god of what was once called Maniae. Spirits of insanity, madness, and frenzy. You think children of Hecate or Hypnos are the only ones who can create hallucinations?” Jo asked, making it sound as though her voice was coming from all sides of the cabin but the place she was standing.

“Alright, that’s pretty cool.” Enzo admitted.

“That’s just the start of it.” Jo clapped in excitement.

Chiron took to the front of the mess at dinner, and made the announcement that Camp Half-Blood Alumni would be returning to be counselors for their home cabins. He started by announcing that he had spent his afternoon Iris messaging Alumni for the position, and he started with cabin 20, working his way up.

Cabin 20 didn’t remember Beatrice, which was understandable since the oldest was maybe fourteen. He made his way through the list to varying levels of excitement and chatter amongst the campers at their tables. At least until Chiron announced that Butch Walker would be returning to Cabin 14, and the table erupted into cheers and celebration. He announced Jo for Cabin 12, and Enzo, Amy and Evan gave her a competitive cheer since she was the first one here.

The rest of the remaining cabins tried to out-cheer the last, however Cabin 6 seemed genuinely ecstatic that Annabeth Chase was coming back. As was Cabin 5 for Clarisse la Rue. Cabin 3 was already praying that if Annabeth was coming that meant their favorite problem child had to be coming too. As soon as Chiron announced that Percy Jackson was coming to camp, all Styx broke loose at table 3. Table 1 was disappointed that their favorite problem children were off the roster for reasons outside Jo’s control. However, some clearly still remembered Ruby Hendricks

The counselors would be arriving tomorrow. It had been a while since Jo had seen some of those demigods. Jo had found Clarisse in Seattle well before she ever met up with Chrissy. It’s been almost five years since she’d seen her, and it didn’t help that the last time they’d even spoken to each other, Jo was four bottles of wine deep into trying to heal the chimera sting that nearly killed her. It worked. Wine to a child of Dionysus is pretty much a panacea. Which apparently, isn’t the kind of thing that therapists like to hear.

When Jo went to bed, it made sense that she’d wake up well after Annabeth got here, dragging a bleary-eyed Percy behind her. She was already holding a Q and A session with her cabin while Percy was giving sword pointers to a large group of his siblings.

Surprisingly, Lilly Kendale arrived before nine am. She said she set the date on her calendar a day early, so she’d panic and think she’d missed it and arrive on time. Which was the exact kind of trick Jo knew her siblings would need.

Most had arrived by noon, but as per usual, Beatrice Herald arrived in style, in her hearse and in full Addams family uniform. “Bea, whose funeral is it?” Jo called out.

“I haven’t decided yet.” She deadpanned as she walked briskly past her without even looking in her direction.

Nyssa Barrera and Clarisse la Rue were the only two left by four pm, but Nyssa arrived before the sun set. Clarisse was still nowhere to be seen. Jo wandered her way up to the big house’s porch from the galley with a snatched bottle of strawberry wine.

Mr. D noticed her fairly quickly, but he noticed the bottle before he knew who was holding it. “Oh no, what do you want for it?” He asked.

Jo chuckled, grabbing two glasses from the cabinet and filled them both. “Just to share it. I’ll ask you before I get the bottle if I want something from you.” She reasoned, offering him a glass. “If I want a good drinking buddy, I better have a good offering.”

Mr. D inspected the wine label. “Strawberry?” He asked unimpressed.

“It’s gotta be whatever I’ll miss the most right?” Jo defended. “I like strawberry wine, so you’re gonna put up with it. Consider yourself lucky I didn’t find a honey wine in there.”

“Honey? Are you sure you’re my kid?” He joked, taking the offered glass.

“Well you seemed pretty certain once I got here.” Jo said. “If I recall correctly, you said ‘Oh Styx, that one’s mine, isn’t it?’ and you claimed me as soon as I told you my name. Then you immediately forgot my name.”

“I’ve got a lot of kids.” Mr. D shrugged. Jo knew a little more about him than he liked to believe. After she’d left camp, she realized that forgetting names made it a lot less hard to accept when they were dead.

“I’m certain all your kids in the last sixty years have had the same curse.” Jo said, pouring herself and Dionysus another glass of wine. “We all get to know you when none of us could ever understand you. And we never understand you until long after we’ve left you behind.”

“Really? How’s that?” He asked cautiously.

“Wine to us is like healing. It doesn’t fog up the mind and interfere with our judgment like it does for everyone else.” Jo said, watching the pink liquid in her glass closely as the light reflected off the tiny, dancing bubbles. “We become the most honest versions of ourselves, sure, sometimes we still need help standing up straight, but there’s some kind of wisdom that comes to us when wine is involved. The biggest thing is that none of us can actually drink legally in this country until at least three years after we leave camp. But just a little after that we start to get it.”

“Get what?” He probed.

“Why you try not to get attached.” Jo stated. “I’ve only lived five years outside of camp, and I’ve had to say my last words to a lot of friends. But you’ve been alive for centuries. How could we even judge you when we know how much it hurts after just a couple decades? And right now, you don’t even got the wine to get you through the day. Zeus really didn’t think of the real world implications of keeping the God of alcohol, joyous gatherings, ecstasy, and insanity dry and out of his domain. In hindsight it seems cruel. Not just to you, but to your domain.” Dionysus stared at her with a skepticism she hadn’t seen before. “What?”

“Nothing- it’s just… You’re the first person in sixty years that bothered to see it from my eyes.” He said.

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re not off the hook yet.” Jo eyed him. “You could afford to be a little nicer to your kids. I know it hurts, but if you’re treating them like disposable byproducts of you getting laid, can you really expect any of us to give a flying biscuit when you’re in pain?”

“Then what was all that about?” He whined.

“Because I wanna show you it’s possible to show some damn empathy, even for someone you’re pissed off at.” Jo explained. “Look, I get it, this whole ‘drying out’ thing is cruel and stupid. I’ll swear off flying and call Zeus out for that any day, but you gotta put in some effort too if you don’t want your kids to resent you. Give ‘em just some basic empathy, and maybe they’ll give you the benefit of doubt. The best thing is, it’s free, and you don’t gotta manifest it.”

“So really what changed is that you’re old enough to drink in this country.” Mr. D figured.

“I’ll be the first to admit, wine solved a lot of problems that I thought were just weird teenage things, but were actually godly gifts out of control because I couldn’t drink the medicine for it legally.” Jo recalled. “In fact Chrissy and I pawned almost thirty drachmas to go into a fund for Cabin 12 kids to go to Ireland for college so they can drink their scent away from monsters for at least the first three years of their education. Turns out solid gold, greek coins are pretty coveted by coin collectors. Some of those drachmas have been in circulation for almost three thousand years.”

“You always were clever as soon as you had a scheme.” Mr. D reminisced, the wine clearly influencing his attitude. “Speaking of which, how’s that mark treating you?”

“You mean the best thing I ever asked you for?” Jo asked, pulling up her sleeve and showing off the tattoo that he’d left when he bestowed the gift upon her. It was a long thyrsus symbol with spiraling ribbons, framing the staff. “So long as I remember to invoke it, it hasn’t failed me. I could be black out drunk, and just a small invocation later, I’m sober as the day I was born.”

“Means I did a good job.” He huffed proudly.

“Yeah, sure thing, buddy.” Jo laughed, pouring the last of the wine between them. “Only one left is Clarisse.”

“What, are you sad she's not here yet?” He jabbed.

“I’m just surprised she’s late.” Jo defended.

Mr. D wasn’t buying it, and she should have known. “Oh, come on! You sure it’s not because you used to have a crush on her?”

“You can shut your trap, old man.” Jo finished off her glass of wine in a fast swig. Clarisse was four years older than Jo. So she didn’t even know Clarisse’s name until the age gap was from thirteen to sixteen, turning seventeen. Every kid gets starry-eyed about someone older than them, but of course Clarisse wouldn’t ever look her way because that would be weird. It wasn’t until they met after camp that it really developed into a crush, and Jo wasn’t even dating Chrissy yet.

Clarisse was the one that saved her from the chimera in Seattle. She also went to a liquor store and bought every bottle of wine she could carry to help heal her. Jo was eighteen, and Clarisse was twenty-one. They hadn’t seen each other since then.

“You know the drunker you get, the better I can hear your thoughts.” Mr. D giggled into his glass.

“There ain’t no way you ain’t lying.” She called his bluff.

“You got a crush on la Rue!” Mr. D taunted in song.

“You’re still lying. Ain’t no way you can hear my thoughts.” Jo doubled down.

“Am I interrupting something here?”

Jo all but jumped out of her skin. “Clarisse! Welcome back!”

“Any reason you’re loud?” She took a step back.

“I’m drunk.” Jo said the first thing that came to mind.

“What’d you ask him for this time?”

Mr. D abruptly stood like his legs moved on their own. Jo figured that must have been the diagnosis from the pale terror on his face. She could feel emotions around him, clouding him like a drowning victim. Almost as suddenly as it had started, it all disappeared. The fear on his face never went away, but that only told Jo that he was now consciously hiding it from her.

“I have to go.” He said dry and quick as though he knew standing around for too long would give Jo more clues as to what was suddenly so wrong.

He disappeared into the air, leaving barely a trace he was ever there in the first place.

“What was that about?” Clarisse asked.

Jo was fixated on only one thing. “He left the wine.”

Clarisse cleared the last step and noted it with her. “Maybe Zeus saw it?”

“I’m allowed to give him stuff, I’m a demigod. It’s a general offering to keep myself in the good favor of a god, my father, no less.” Jo defended herself. “No, Zeus knows this is well within the rules. If that’s his problem, then it’s his own fault for lettin’ me back into camp, knowing I would empathize with my dad.”

“So what could scare him like that?” Clarisse asked. Apparently, she didn’t have to be a Dionysian Empath to see he was terrified of something.

“There ain’t much that could…” It was all Jo knew for sure.

“Well, that’s a wonderful start to the job.” Clarisse jabbed.

She joked back. “You’re late.”

“Hit a harpy nest in Virginia Beach.” Clarisse explained. “Lost my bike off a cliff, so I had to take the train, but we know how fun public transportation is.”

Jo hissed through her teeth. “What was on the train?”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, but I got here in one piece.” She shrugged. “Cabin 5 waiting for me?”

“We’ve got our own rooms.” Jo mentioned.

“Oh, hell yea.” Clarisse headed back down the hill to the Cabins and Jo didn’t have anything better to do but join her. They got down the hill a ways when she noticed everyone sitting around the bonfire. Or rather who wasn’t there. “That’s Annabeth.” She noticed first. “I thought-”

Clarisse stopped as soon as she looked at Jo. “Chrissy didn’t make it past Arizona.”

“Jo, that was a year ago.” She said like it could deny the truth. “You’ve been doing this alone for a year?”

“Chrissy taught me a lot.” Jo shrugged.

“Why didn’t you call me?” Clarisse asked. “I would have dropped everything-”

“That’s why I couldn’t.” Jo said, making her go silent. “We needed you in Florida. Sea Monsters crawling up the shores of Miami isn’t exactly the kind of thing I pull you away from.”

“But you being defenseless across the Continental United States is the kind of thing I would drop it for!” Clarisse argued.

“I ain’t defenseless!” Jo yelled back at her, but she immediately regretted it. “I’m sorry, Clarisse, but I can handle myself. I’d be pretty useless if I couldn’t learn from the best.”

“She was one of the best.” Clarisse recalled.

“Chrissy didn’t teach me how to fight.” Jo said, giving Clarisse a bit of a surprise. “Sure, she taught me how to think through a fight. But I’d say you kicking my ass for weeks taught me how to survive a fight.”

“I only ever kicked your ass until you kicked mine.” She defended. “I’d say I was a little freaked out by you, even after I left camp.”

“Sorry, I didn’t have control over it back then.” Jo apologized. “If I had to kick your ass now, I’d be a little more tasteful with my use of the hallucinations.”

“How about we just avoid trying to kill each other.” Clarisse laughed. “Leave that to the kids.”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

Percy was standing in the middle of the circle, next to the fire, arguing that the distance between the St. Louis arch and the Mississippi river was in fact short enough for him to jump, while Annabeth waited patiently to prove him wrong.

“Percy, you would have had to jump over the entire highway as a twelve-year-old.” Annabeth argued. “The only reasonable explanation is that the water came to meet you. Which would not be surprising at all.”

“So he’s still insane, huh?” Clarisse announced her arrival as Cabin 5 excitedly brought her to sit with them.

Jo wished she’d grabbed another bottle of wine as Chiron started announcements on who got the first shower privileges from inspection, and the camp activities for tomorrow. Which included the good, old fashioned, Capture the Flag to celebrate the arrival of the new cabin counselors.

“Our new camp counselors may advise their cabins, but they will not be participating in the battle.” Chiron said. “You may split up to divide yourselves amongst your teams.”

“I don’t suppose you were the Capture the Flag wiz of Cabin 12 while you were here?” Enzo leaned over and whispered to her.

“Nope, I’m your sibling. That just means I know everyone, and what they’re best at.” Jo nudged him. “For Capture the Flag, you’re lookin’ for Annabeth Chase, Cabin 6.” She pointed in her general direction. “Really, what you wanna try to do is get Cabins 6 and 3 to get along. If they’re on different teams, then you’re gonna have a rough time with Cabin 6, but you have a good chance of winning. The idea is to get Cabins 5 and 1 on the same team. Hotheads from Ares and hotheads from Zeus don’t mix well when it comes to strategy, but make all the unearned confidence.”

“We should get Canin 20 on that team too.” Amy interjected.

“Interesting choice.” Jo said. “Elaborate.”

“Hecate’s kids are unmatched in stealth. I think Cabin 6 would be happy for the addition to the team.” Amy explained.

“Good thinking. Now this is a winter game, so everyone will be hurtin’ for numbers. Cabin 12 ain’t exactly a coveted squad, but we’re smart in a way they don’t know. We watch the people. Evan, you’ll need to reach the Athena cabin. Convince them that you can make them a perfect team.” Jo explained to the group. “Enzo, hit Poseiden’s cabin. Tell them that Cabin 6 could use their help. Play a little into the ego, but not too much. They tend to be a little more self aware than Zeus’s kids. And We’ll leave Cabin 20 to Amy. It was your idea, and you clearly know them the best. Do what you gotta.”

The three of them split off to do their various tasks, and Jo couldn’t help but be proud of them. She knew first hand that her siblings were very often labeled ‘twelfth place.’ It was hard to feel like you could stand out when everyone else was doing victory laps around you in every feat of physical strength that Camp Half-Blood tested. But there was strength in knowing how to find the strongest people to surround yourself with. As good as Clarisse was, Annabeth was always twelve steps ahead of her.

Maybe twelve steps was enough to get Jo’s siblings out of twelfth place.

However, that was until the eldest camper from Cabin 5, swept up Enzo on his way to talk to the Cabin 3 kids. Jo looked to Clarisse from across the fire, to find she was already looking back. Alright, she didn’t have the patience to play games.

Jo just got up, and made the walk across the loose dirt. “Alright, what’s your play?”

“Nothing, I just told my little siblings how it is.” Clarisse shrugged. “The way to win Capture the Flag is to make a good team. If you want the perfect team, then Cabin 12 knows how to make it.”

So they were just playing the same game. Jo caught Enzo’s eye, only a few feet away so she was sure he would hear, and gave him a smile and a sure nod. “Under one condition.” Jo said.

Clarisse didn’t look impressed. “Sure, what do you want?”

“Y’all gotta work with Cabin 6.” Jo smiled with excitement.

“What?” Clarisse stood to speak a little quieter to Jo. “I don’t know if Cabin 5 will be too happy about that plan.”

“The faster they learn that they can’t afford to be divided outside camp, the better off they’ll be once they leave here.” Jo whispered back. “They gotta learn to see past another demigod’s parents to survive out there.”

Clarisse watched her expression for a second, but conceded, taking a step back.

“Y’all want the perfect team, right?” Jo asked, turning to the rest of the cabin. “Then Cabin 12 will take the recruiting from here.”

Clarisse thought it through before turning to her siblings. “Well, it’s up to you guys.” She told them. “It depends on how much you trust Cabin 12 and the army they give you.”

The oldest kid, who Amy had said was named Kyle, called for a cabin huddle to discuss it. When it finally broke up, he asked a question. “What’s the plan?”

Enzo piped up excitedly. “The mind of Athena and the army of Ares. That’s a deadly combination, and it would secure victory, but it would mean you have to follow orders from Cabin 6. Strategy only gets you so far if your army is weak. With their strategy, your strength, and Cabin 12 keeping you both in line,” Enzo pointed at each accusingly and Cabin 6 in the distance, “Cabins 1 and 3 don’t stand a chance.”

At the very least, Jo was certain that he was her sibling. Cabins were weird like that. Especially when there were a lot of kids sharing one space, like-minded siblings always tended to cluster together in their own groups. When Jo was a kid, there were maybe three groups of sure siblings in Cabin 12. Hers tended to enjoy flying under the radar to avoid trouble while getting away with a lot of stuff they really shouldn’t have been doing.

“I’ve also got some other ideas.” Jo clapped. “There’s an odd number of cabins, but if we make Cabins 1 and 3 work together, they’re bound to mess up. Give them the extra cabin, and make ‘em feel safe, and I’ll tell you which eight will make your perfect team.”

Kyle shrugged. “Alright, tell us who to get.”

With Cabin 5 on the job, getting the rest of the team would be easy. However, Jo figured she’d need to convince Annabeth and Cabin 6 with a different technique. “Small change of plan, Evan. But mostly I need to inform our potential allies before they make an uninformed choice.”

“What’s this about, Jo?” Annabeth asked.

“Enzo and I ended up speaking to Cabin 5, and they’re prepared to take orders from y’all.” Jo explained. “And they’ve gone off to recruit the other five cabins for our team.”

“Five?” One of the younger kids asked.

“Well, if there’s anything that I’ve learned, it’s that people make mistakes when they think they’re safe.” Jo said. “The idea is to get cabins 1 and 3 to be overconfident in their abilities, while the mind of Athena wields the sword of Ares. And with the other five, I’m confident that Cabin 6 will know exactly what to do with their forces.”

“Who’s on your list?” Annabeth asked.

“Listen, Cabin 12 is here to keep you and Cabin 5 from turning on each other. Y’all don’t bother them and they don’t bother you, or else y’all incur the wrath of the god of insanity.” Jo said right off the bat. “Amy went to recruit Cabin 20. They’re unmatched in their powers of stealth, and Amy figured y’all would know how to use that.”

Several kids immediately began whispering amongst themselves with ideas for that kind of team.

“With Cabin 9, we can get the best defenses for our forces, and Cabin 11 will make great for guard posts. Gods know they’ve got numbers.” She continued, and the chatter grew with more excitement. “Cabin 17 might seem a little cliche, but we gotta face it, they’re great in a pinch, especially if things get bad. Cabin 19 as well, but your sword or spear falling just within reach or just out of reach is crucial when dealing with a team that really just has overpowering force going for ‘em.”

Annabeth turned to the kids, and simply allowed them to make the decision. “It’s up to you guys.”

The cabin was unanimous. If they didn’t want to be on the team, at the very least, they didn’t want to fight it when they had the opportunity to lead it.

The kids got to planning as the counselors stayed back, offering a small tip here and there.

“I haven't fought against Percy in a while, so this'll be fun.” Annabeth noted.

“I'm just surprised the kids are getting along.” Jo said. “Cabin rivalries are centuries old. I know I said this was the best team Camp Half-Blood has ever seen, but its success is entirely dependent on how fast these kids can mature and realize that demigods can't afford to stay divided out in the real world.”

“You really think our parents don't matter after we've left camp?” Annabeth asked, more probing for her thought process than questioning her statement.

“Maybe it's different for me ‘cause my dad's stuck at camp.” Jo admitted. “And maybe it's different for you, being Athena's kid and havin’ more than a snowball's chance in Hades in a fight, but I can't afford to care who your parents are out there. Demigods are my people. If I can't count on my people or they can't count on me, then we're all as good as dead. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the kids learn that, the better off they'll be.”

“Not all Demigods end up in a good place.” Annabeth folded her arms against the cold breeze. “You can't trust everyone.”

“All the more reason for us to be here, then.” Jo stated. “Teach ‘em how to spot someone unstable, untrustworthy, or dangerous.”

“So we're stand-in parents for the gods?” Annabeth asked.

Jo cackled. “I'll note you've been hanging ‘round Percy too much, but I reckon that's called a nanny.”

“So we're demigod nannies.” Annabeth figured. “Fun. Not like we're known for trying to kill each other or anything.”

“We're getting paid to not do that.”

“I know, Chiron offered a nice salary in his Iris message. I just think we have our work cut out for us.” Annabeth said.

“I think deep down, all demigods know we're in this together.” Jo mused. “If we can't trust each other, then who else do we have?”

“Percy always said that if he was a demigod, then the human was always the better half.” Annabeth recalled. “It’s not hard to see why. Just look at how they treat each other. How they treat their kids, and even how they treat strangers. But I don't think centuries of rivalry between Ares and Athena will be washed away with a cute game of Capture the Flag.”

“One day at a time, Annabeth.” Jo assured her. “Sure, maybe it all goes pear-shaped, but that's when it's our turn to do our job. That's when all of our attention has to be on how they should have worked as a team instead of pursuing personal desires.”

“Yeah, we've got our work cut out for us.” Annabeth sighed as the conch sounded off for the kids to go to bed. The kids made their way back to their cabins while the new counselors stayed around chatting. “Jo, I know why I'm here.”

“Listen, I know you mean well, but I'm gettin’ real tired of explaining it-”

“You don't have to; Chiron caught me up.” She said, digging into her pocket. “I actually had something to give you.”

“What's this?” Jo asked.

“It was a gift from Chrissy before I left Camp.” Annabeth said. “She said ‘I'd need it out there,’ and I meant to give it back to her when you found us in Chicago. I figured she'd need it more than I did, but now I think you need it more than either of us.”

The object was an old Zippo lighter, but Jo knew better at this point than to assume it was as simple as it looked. Flipping the lid did nothing, but sparking the flint turned the lighter into a greek kopis that fit her hand perfectly. “I remember her havin’ this at Camp.”

“Yeah, Beckendorf made it. She called it his ‘first masterpiece,’ and named it Psithuros.”

“Whisper.” Jo chuckled. “She always did have a sense of humor.”

“Well, I’d say asking Nyssa to make a sword that’s hidden in a tampon was probably her best bit.” Annabeth mused. “What did she name that one?”

“Aimolypsia. Bloodlust.” Jo cackled, flicking the lid back of the sword and compressing it back into a lighter. “She might’ve lost her life, but she sure as Styx ain’t losin’ her sense of humor.”

“Who knows, maybe she decided to get reincarnated to take a shot at going to Elysium.” Annabeth said hopefully.

“I know she did.” She was sure of it. “In our vows, Chrissy and I promised that we would always find each other, even after death, even if it takes centuries. We included that line because we knew that if we died, we would do everything we could to find each other in Elysium.”

“She’ll probably be another demigod.” Annabeth said. “You’ll probably meet a kid that asks her Cabin 9 friend to make a shield hidden in a maxi-pad.”

Jo nodded. “Yeah, but give it at least a decade. Hopefully by then it won’t hurt as much to know she’d got some big challenge ahead of her.”

“Hopefully by then we’ll be a little more prepared for her than Camp Half-Blood was for Chissy.” Annabeth said. “I might have been the problem child of my siblings, but Chrissy was the wild card. So at least, she’ll be easy to spot.” Annabeth joked.

“Who knows if she’ll even be recognizable?” Jo figured, seeing Clarisse give Percy a playful punch to the arm that definitely hurt as she began heading their way. “Either way, I’ll be ready. Treat every kid with respect and I ain’t gotta worry about hurtin’ her, ya’know?”

“Well, it’s only our first day. I don’t think this will stay easy for long.” Annabeth said as Clarisse joined them.

“Hey, maybe we can get through a year before we have to worry about any fate-altering crisis.” Jo assured her.

“Hate to agree with Wise Girl, but she’s not wrong.” Clarisse said. “The gods take note of big changes at Camp Half-Blood. My father still isn’t a big fan of Percy or Annabeth, and every demigod from here has a long history with angering one god or another. It wouldn’t surprise me if many wanted us to prove our right to be here.”

“Wow, it’s like you're giving them ideas.” Annabeth deadpanned.

“Assume anything I say, my father has thought up well before me.” Clarisse sighed. “As far as I’m concerned, Jo is right. Demigods can’t afford to be divided outside camp. I’d be dead if I couldn’t trust Chrissy or Percy, Jo would be dead if she couldn’t trust me or Chrissy, and the Red Capture the Flag Team will fail if they can’t trust each other.”

“You really matured out there, huh?” Annabeth noted.

“Well an all-out war in the streets of New York definitely makes you reevaluate your priorities.” Clarisse shrugged. “And the next nine years of life after camp convinced me that I’m just happy when I meet another demigod. We don’t get to choose teams outside camp. Usually we only say it if we have time to explain before something is trying to kill us.”

“Well, considering we usually only ever cross paths when a monster is involved, I’d say that makes sense.” Annabeth said. “And a lot of us already know each other, but that won’t last forever. Eventually there will be a generation of young demigods leaving camp that none of us know.”

“Well, then good thing we’re here.” Jo said. “We can make leaving just a little easier. And I don’t know about you, but give me a couple decades, and I’m ready to retire, and get some young demigod to take up the job. If we do our jobs right, our numbers won’t be scarce enough to worry about.”

“Assuming we don’t face any fate-altering crisis.” Annabeth added.

“Don’t jinx us, Annabeth.” Jo nudged her. “I should probably head to bed. I ain’t gotta worry about weird growling sounds outside here, so I’m gonna take advantage of that while I still can.”

“I did miss the absence of creepy knocking on my windows.” Annabeth sighed in agreement.

“I’m just glad I’m out of the military.” Clarrisse deflated, breathing in the peaceful air. “But the amount of explosions I’ve heard has been at a nice zero since getting here.”

The next morning was full of Capture the Flag enthusiasm. At least everyone that was a morning person, of which Jo was not one, especially not after half a bottle of wine and forgetting to invoke her seal.

“Katharos” Jo commanded, and the lingering feeling lightened, but the headache would be a problem until she could get some Ibuprofen or a bite of ambrosia. Or until she drank enough water to subside it, but that always took forever, so she snuck up to the big house and snagged a small brownie-sized chunk and ate it quickly before heading to the mess hall for breakfast.

She couldn’t help but think of what Clarisse said last night. She didn’t even know how right she was, but of course she could only guess about how bad it could get.

Jo almost missed the mess hall offering fire. It was hard to afford a house with a fireplace, and it was even harder to build a fire outside and hope you didn’t get found by something dangerous. So the safe opportunity to ask the gods for something was not wasted. The counselors went after the kids in cabin order and all mumbled something to the fire for a brief moment before letting the next person come up. It seems that growing up gives you a lot more to ask the gods for. And as much as Jo wanted to beg Zeus for mercy, she knew she had a job.

“Athena, I have something that I gotta give you in person.” She said, dumping her entire serving of perfect bacon into the fire. “I know I wasn’t the person that was supposed to make it this far. I’m sure both you and I agree that I shouldn’t-” Jo took a deep breath to stop herself from breaking down. “We both know I shouldn’t have survived this long. But now that I’m here, I gotta be the one to make this work. Please give me the wisdom to make this work, and keep me alive until my work here is done.”

As per usual, there was no immediate reaction from the fire, except what smelled like a baking peach pie from the smoke. Gods answered in their own time, and demigods usually didn’t like the answer. It was never a straight yes or no to your request. It was either a ‘no, but this works better’ or a ‘yes, but this is gonna suck the whole time,’ and Jo wasn’t exactly excited for that, so she really hoped it was a ‘no’ from Athena. Just to save camp from the trouble of being bad for everyone.

Whether she liked it or not, Capture the Flag today was a wonderful way for the counselors to get a baseline for what they had to work with. It made sense why Chiron had chosen Capture the Flag instead of any other number of combat games. It was a challenge of strength, strategy, and teamwork, so it was a good idea for training young demigods how to fight for themselves. Though, several cabins had lost that ‘teamwork’ idea, or threw all caution to the wind with a strategy that sacrifices their team, or thought they could get by on the efforts of their team while they screwed off playing poker deep in the woods with their siblings. Maybe Jo knew a thing or two because she’d done a thing or two. Or a hundred.

As the conch sounded off for everyone to begin preparing for the game, Jo was eager to see how this played out. All of the counselors sat at the edge of the open territory with Chiron as he watched the forest.

“Jo, right?” Someone tapped her shoulder, and she turned to see everyone’s favorite problem, Percy Jackson. “Your first year was the same as Tyson’s.”

The name Tyson rang a bell she hadn’t thought of in a long time. “The cyclops?” she asked, to which he nodded. “Oh, yeah. I feel real bad about how that went back then.”

“Everyone was on edge, but I remember you gave him a cosmic brownie, so I guess you were nicer than others.” Percy noted.

“I was never a big fan of brownies anyway, and he asked for it, so I wasn’t just gonna let it go to waste.” Jo shrugged. “Have you heard from him at all?”

“Tyson? Yeah, He and his wife came to visit for Thanksgiving -I helped my mom make a lot of food- anyway, I heard from Chiron that something happened when you presented your plan on Olympus.” Percy pried.

“Chiron can’t keep his mouth shut, huh?” Jo grumbled.

His hands went up in defense. “I’m kinda just the guy that people call when stuff gets weird, and I’m very persistent when I hear from Chiron that Zeus is mad at someone.”

Jo wasn’t the type to immediately call Percy when something weird happened. If she did that, she’d talk to him more than his wife. She was, however, aware that Percy was more experienced than any other demigod here with gods demanding they prove themselves. She pulled Percy aside, to speak a little more quietly. “Yeah, I ain’t exactly in Zeus’s good graces. What do you know?”

“Chiron didn’t tell me much, but Annabeth did manage to get him to admit that you were on the verge of something ominously dangerous.” He said. “And the only reason he’d know before Annabeth is if it happened while she wasn’t on Olympus for once.”

Jo took a deep breath before she even thought of telling him anything. “I swear if I tell you this and suddenly Annabeth is giving me tips, I won’t promise she will never find you, but that she will never stop finding you, Percy Jackson.”

“Alright, I can keep my mouth shut.” He assured. “Just tell me what this is about.”

It was hard for her to actually say it, but she had to admit it to someone, and the one guy that might actually be able to tell her what to expect was a damn good candidate. “You remember the plan that Chrissy and I showed you in Chicago?”

“Yeah, that’s why we’re all here.” Percy recalled. “I also wasn’t expecting to come here with Annabeth. I’m sorry to hear.”

“When Chrissy and I presented that plan on Olympus that summer, Zeus gave us an ultimatum. If we could not prove the worth of the program in five years, it would be discontinued.”

“That’s pretty tame for Zeus.” Percy noted.

“‘Cause that’s not all.” Jo said. “He said that proving the worth of the program would fall to me and Chrissy alone. Only our performances would be considered, in whatever way every god wanted to test our worth.”

Percy’s eyes snapped to her expression, as if searching for some clue as to how he was supposed to react to that. “Oh, my gods, Jo.”

“And with Chrissy gone-”

“All of that now falls to you.” Percy nodded. “Well, Annabeth said you were a little antsy about a ‘fate-altering crisis’ she didn’t figure out that you were the fate-altering crisis.”

“What did Annabeth tell you?” Jo scoffed, leaning back, and waiting for him to explain himself.

“She just figured you knew more than you were letting on.” Percy said. “And she also figured out that Chiron knew.”

“Is she gonna be able to wear you down?” She asked with impunity.

“Jo, I’m going to tell you something wild.” Percy said, “Annabeth trusts me when I tell her I promised to a friend that I would keep my mouth shut.”

“And what will she do after that?” Jo asked.

“I can never know for sure.” He realized all at once. “But she’ll find out one way or another. If it’s really that important to keep it from Annabeth, I suggest you threaten Chiron too.”

“I’m not worried about Annabeth finding out, I’m worried about Annabeth finding out from you.” Jo said. “If she really wants to press you about it, just tell her to ask me about it. At least I can tell her I don’t need her to interject herself into it. If I need her help, I’ll ask her.”

“I get that.” Percy figured. “Do you remember the exact words Zues used? I know that sounds dumb, but gods never say anything they don't mean to.”

“I- Uhh… ‘As the curators of this institute, you may not shirk responsibility in the event of its failure. ‘You two alone shall be obligated to prove the worth of this initiative. If you both are brave enough to face a trial from each god on this council.’” Jo quoted as she remembered.

“Alright, so I don't know about you, but that sounds an awful lot like you have thirteen trials ahead of you.” Percy said.

“No way, really? I hadn't thought of that.” Jo deadpanned.

“Well, Annabeth always said that Zeus likes to keep things simple.” He remembered.

“Maybe I should have just asked Annabeth.”

“Probably, but this was your choice.” He said quickly. “Now, that motion requires a vote, so do you remember the order they voted in?”

Jo wracked her brain for details, but while she was usually great at drawing details, Olympus always had a way of overwhelming her, and her attention was mostly on Zeus as he did what she thought was sealing her fate.

“Hermes voted first.” She remembered. “Demeter was next. After her… Hera voted no, but since it was a majority, she still has to participate. Then Hephaestus, but I don't remember if Apollo or Artemis voted after him, but I know Apollo voted yes while Artemis voted no. I'm sure Dionysus voted no after them, and Ares, Hades or Aphrodite maybe, no idea what order they voted in. And Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus went last in that order. Your dad voted yes if you're curious.”

“I'm actually a little relieved to hear that.” Percy chuckled. “But honestly, I expected your answer to be ‘no’ so you already have a great start.”

“So you think Hermes will be up first?” Jo asked.

“Hey, if there's anything the king of the gods loves, it's enforcing an arbitrary rule.” Percy said. “That being said, expect Ares to break it.”

“Yeah, figures.” Jo groaned. “Do you think they’ve already started?”

“I think you would know if they started.” Percy said. “When the gods get to testing their kids, they aren’t usually discreet. Zeus will probably give you some ominous warning that it’s time to start fighting for your life.”

“Usually.” Jo repeated with concern.

“Artemis, Athena, and my dad are more likely to be a little more covert, but they’ll follow the rules for one reason or another.” Percy said. “That’s just my experience.”

It occurred to Jo all at once that if there was anyone that could give her an honest idea of what the gods might do, it would be someone that knows them on a strangely honest and personal level. Like Percy. “What do you think they’ll do?”

Percy hissed through his teeth and leaned against the rock, staring up at the treeline. “Hermes loves a time limit. He won’t play around with a test of physical strength, but expect your life to be on the line in every single test.”

“Anybody that won’t try to kill me?”

He didn’t look too optimistic about that question. “Maybe Apollo. He’s always been a pretty chill dude. He’ll probably have some test of character or vulnerability, or poetry… You might have to rap-battle a god.”

That might be enough to get her to give up. “Sweet Styx stew, I hope not.”

“Maybe your dad doesn’t want to kill you?” Percy asked, but he looked over her shoulder to see Mr. D sipping a diet coke while two kids battled right past him without even batting an eye at the kid that fell face-first into the muddy creek bank. “I wouldn’t count on that.”

“So after Hermes was Demeter, what’s she like?”

“Jo, I could give you my best guesses as to what the gods could want from you, but in my experience, dealing with the gods is like dealing with cause and effect.” Percy explained. “Annabeth always said that the stories of the gods are like a guidebook to learning from them. Sure, they’re not going to tell you exactly what to expect, but the themes, and meanings of those stories are the lessons they want you to learn from them. Believe me, it’s better to have the formula than to just guess from someone else’s experience with the gods.”

“So, figure out the stories, and I’ll figure out what they want me to know.” Jo gathered.

“Hey, if they’re gonna test you, I think you should be allowed to study.” Percy gave her a friendly jab.

“Well, as much studying as I can do.” Jo figured. “Speaking of which, I had something I wanted to ask you.”

“Really?” He seemed a little perplexed.

“I suck at swingin’ a sword.” She admitted honestly.

“I remember.” Percy said, and got a reflexive punch in the arm, followed by a sharp hiss in pain. “Why are your fists so bony?”

“I got Chrissy’s sword from Annabeth.” Jo said. “It would make a great secondary weapon if I knew how to use it. When we have some free time, I’d appreciate it if you and Annabeth could help me figure it out.”

If his frozen expression was anything to go by, she had at the very least surprised him. “Yeah, sure. I guess we could help you out.”

“You sure?” She asked.

“Yeah, I guess I’m surprised you didn’t ask Clarisse.” Percy said.

“Well, she uses a spear, so I figured the swordsman would know a little more about swords.” She reasoned, but was a little confused as to why he’d assume that.

“Yeah, cool. I’ll let Annabeth know you want some sword combat pointers.” He said, as they took note of a few Cabin 11 kids rushing down the territory with the blue flag.

“Oh, will you look at that.” He chuckled. “Little thieves snuck it right out from under their noses.”

“You don’t seem all that concerned.” Jo noted.

“That’s because you didn’t count on Cabin 3’s counselor learning from Annabeth Chase.” Percy said.

All at once, a six kids in armor erupted from the ocean waves, blocking off the escape for the kids with the flag. “That’s a flashy trick.” Jo feigned offense. “But good work. Unfortunately, we actually had Annabeth Chase advising the red team.”

Percy’s expression dropped, knowing it wouldn’t look good for long. Jo knew it was coming, so she covered her ears, noting she might have to apologize to Clarisse for Cabin 9’s decision to raise the number of explosions on campus exponentially.

Kids hiding at the border, covered by foliage overgrown by the Cabin 12 kids, emerged and began throwing fireworks -courtesy of Cabin 9- at the shore, kicking up sand and snow alike, while the Cabin 20 kids froze the now flying water into a wall between Percy’s siblings and the sea.

“Now that’s flashy!” Percy accused her right back. Two separate teams of Ares and Athena’s kids fighting together cleared a way for their runners to complete their quest.

The red team had won Capture the Flag.

#percy jackson fanfiction #camp half blood #clarisse la rue #clarisse la rue x oc #clarisse x oc #oc: jo concord

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wiypt-writes · 4 years ago

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Stark Spangled Banner

Ch44: Peanut Butter And Poop

Introducing: Baby Rogers!

Warnings: Bad Language words. Smut! (NSFW) No under 18s. Teeth rotting fluff…

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N: Yeah, I love this chapter. I hope you all do too. And thank @angrybirdcr for the edits. They melted me.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 43

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

March 2020

“Is everything ok?” Steve asked, tiredly. For the fourth time in about two minutes Katie had shifted, next to him, rubbing her hand over her distended belly. She was fed up now, and he wished he could help her get comfy, he really did. But until their baby decided to make an appearance, there wasn’t much more he could do. She had been feeling crappy all day and had thrown a spectacular tantrum at the fact Steve had shaved his stubble. His reasoning being that although she technically had another four weeks to go, she was already at full term size, and if their son arrived, who knew how long it would be before he managed to shave again, but she was having none of it. Steve had simply stood there, calmly whilst she’d ranted and raved about that and everything else she was pissed off about before she’d broken down into tears and apologised, falling into his arms and going on another rant about how shitty she was feeling.

His wife was such a strong person normally, the strongest person Steve knew in fact, but over the last week she’d been up and down mood-wise more than any other time during her pregnancy, and he hated seeing her so uncomfortable and upset. And tonight, she was physically the most uncomfortable he had seen her yet. “Yeah, he’s just kicking.” She sighed, rolling over to face him. “Really hard, Steve. It fucking hurts.” Steve gave her a sympathetic smile as he reached out and pressed his hand to her abdomen, waiting, and then he felt another sharp dig, Katie hissing air out through her teeth.

“Maybe he’s gonna be a footballer.” Steve yawned, attempting to make light of the situation. But it didn’t work. “Well I’m not a football.” She grumbled, pressing her hand to her stomach just above Steve’s. “Pack it in, Buddy, please.”

Co-incidence or not, their baby stopped kicking, but Katie was still restless. She moved again, and again, until finally Steve sat up, flicking on the lamp, his face silently asking her what the issue was. Katie had to smile, there wasn’t a shred of annoyance in his face, despite the fact it was almost one in the morning thanks to her sleep patterns being all over the place. Instead, there was nothing but love and genuine concern across his handsome features and coupled with the fact she was hormonal and just felt a bit shit, she started to cry.

“I’m fed up Steve.” She sniffled. “I’m fat, I had to get Natasha to shave my legs yesterday, I can’t see my feet, I need to pee all the time and…” “Sweetheart,” he chuckled, softly looking down at her, taking his face in her hands, “first off, you’re not fat, you’re pregnant. Very pregnant. With our baby.”

“I know but,” she continued to cry, “I just…”

Whatever it was that she just, Steve never found out as she simply sniffed again and moved so that her head was lay across his lap over the covers of their California king, and he gently stroked her hair. And for a moment he thought he’d managed to sooth her until she gave another groan.

“For fucks sake, I just can’t get comfy.” She sniffled, her sobs coming again as she sat up. “My back and my shoulders…”

Okay, this he could try and help with. Smiling to himself he looked at her. “Assume the position, Doll.” She gave out a watery laugh as she heaved herself over so she was facing away from him. Steve shuffled down so that he was led right behind her and doing the one thing he could to try and get her to feel a little relaxed, he slid his strong hands up her top, his deft fingers gently massaging and rubbing at the spot he knew was sor in her lower back.

“You still feeling funny?” He asked, his fingers working the tight and aching muscles and she nodded.

“Have been all day, but it’s not uncommon apparently. Pepper said she felt iffy for the last four weeks of her pregnancy.” “Four weeks.” Steve mused, his fingers stopping momentarily before he started again. “As if he’s gonna be here in four weeks.” “Well, it could be any time technically. And I hope it is, because frankly, I can’t wait to get him out.” She sighed, as Steve’s hands gently guided her top, well his shirt, over her head so his hands could work at her shoulders and her upper back.

“Hmmm,” he gently swept her hair off her neck so he could plant a soft kiss there. “I can’t wait but I’m gonna miss your bump.” “I’m not,” she scoffed, as his hands crept round to cradle her distended stomach, “and stop feeling him and carry on. Until he’s here this is all about me, remember.” She shrugged her shoulders, emphasizing her message, and he chuckled. “Sorry doll.” Relaxing into his touch, Katie felt herself leaning back against him and then Steve made the best suggestion he had ever made to her in the history of suggestions.

“Why don’t I run you a bath? I know it’s late but Emmy’s at Brooke’s for the evening and it might help.” Katie groaned “God, yes.”

He kissed the back of her neck and threw back the covers, climbing out of the bed, not an inch of tiredness displayed in his body. Despite herself, Katie had to bite back a laugh. He was like a coiled spring at the moment. He had told Rhodey a few weeks ago that he wasn’t travelling anywhere now until the baby was here for fear of missing anything, but as a result that relentless energy which normally went into his work was bubbling inside him, and even his runs every morning and night were doing nothing to help.

Laying back she closed her eyes until she heard him calling and she heaved herself up, taking a moment to steady herself before she rather ungraciously waddled out of the room, one hand pressed to her lower back, the other clamped under the bottom of her bump.

“Give me a hand when you need me to lift you out.” Steve chuckled as he passed her on the hallway and she spun round, glaring at him. “Like last time.” “That’s not funny.”

“No, but it will give me the chance to eye up your naked pregnant body, something I intend to make the most of as it won’t be around for much longer.” “You’re a piece of work, Steven Grant Rogers.” She huffed, as she turned and headed to the bathroom.

Steve settled back on the bed and flicked on the TV. There wasn’t much on but in the end he logged into Netflix and settled for a few re-runs of ‘Brooklyn 99’. The show was absurd, but it was easy watching and he quite liked it, Jake Peralta reminded him in an odd way of a cross between Tony and Thor with his incessant energy and ridiculousness. About halfway through an episode, he was struck with another good idea, and he headed down into the kitchen to make them both a drink, cocoa for him and a ginger and honey tea for Katie. He carried the mug into the bathroom where his wife was slumped in the tub, surrounded by lavender and camomile bubbles, her eyes closed. She looked up at him, one eye open as he walked in, handing her the mug and she let out a soft groan.

“My hero.” She smiled as he dropped a kiss onto her lips before heading back into their room.

It was about another thirty minutes or so when she did call him. He knew she hated this, needing his help, but getting out of the huge tub on her own was simply a physical impossibility. Once he’d helped her out and she was wrapped in a robe, she dropped on the bed, seemingly pacified for a moment until she suddenly wanted peanut butter. Heading into the kitchen, he opened the cupboard and a cold feeling of dread washed over him when he realised they were out.

Fuck, fuck!

He was certain there had been three jars in there this morning. He frantically searched the rest of the kitchen, just in case Katie’s baby-brain had meant she’d stashed it somewhere else, but there as none to be found. Grimacing, he took the stairs two at a time and winced at the look on his wife’s face when he told her she must have eaten it all, before hastily placating her as her eyes watered, reminding her that the twenty-four hour mart was only a five minute drive away.

Which was why he found himself there at twenty-seven minutes past two on a Sunday morning buying six jars of the damned stuff.

Captain America, buying jars of peanut butter at half 2 in the morning for his wife.

Steve smiled to himself, he didn’t give a shit.

“Missus is Pregnant.” He nodded to the man behind the counter, who gave him a look of confusion as he dropped the jars onto the side by the till. The guy laughed, and nodded.

“It was chow-mein with my gal.” He chuckled as Steve handed over the cash. “That was a pain in the ass at four am on a Sunday. Trust me buddy, you got off lightly.”

Thanking his lucky stars that his wife’s craving was, indeed, relatively simple, Steve headed back home and she nearly cried when she took a jar off him and dug in with a spoon. They sat still for another hour, at which point Steve really was ready to fall asleep, and after eating half of a jar in one go, Katie screwed the top back on and set it back on her nightstand, her eyes drooping slightly.

“Think I’m okay now.” She nodded softly and Steve hummed into her hair, reaching up and turning the TV and lamp off and settling them down. She managed about half an hour before she groaned again and heaved herself off to the bathroom, this time for a pee. When she came back she lay facing him, her fingers gently tracing his jaw and he cracked one eye open and they just lay there, watching one another in the dim light.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“What for?”

“Keeping you awake.”

Steve chuckled and leaned forward to give her a soft kiss “Honey, it’s fine.”

And it was, it really was. He would be tired tomorrow, he knew that, but he didn’t care.

He closed his eyes and he was on the verge of sleep, teetering between dozing and being fully under when…

“Steve.” Katie whispered softly, and he grinned as he knew that suggestive tone way too well. “I’m horny, now.” “You really know how to pick your moments, Mrs Rogers.” He sniggered a little, opening his eyes, as his mouth met hers again, the slight taste of the peanut butter made him smile even more as both his lips held her bottom one as the kiss lingered.

“Blame your son.” She murmured as she kissed him again, her hands creeping into the back of his hair, eliciting a soft moan from him.

And that was all it took.

Steve was obliging, and kissed every part of her body he could, taking care to avoid the rather tender chest area. It was slow, soft, as their bodies joined in the ever so familiar dance, tangled in the sheets of the bed. As his wife rode him, her large bump not allowing for any other position, Steve’s hands never left the side of her hips, the pair of them groaning loudly as her release took her over the edge and he followed shortly after. They lay there, gently on the bed together, Katie’s back pressed into his chest, for half an hour or so afterwards. Steve’s hand was strong yet gentle over her waist, his hand caressing the place his son was currently dwelling, thumb stroking her stretched skin in soft arcs. And when he felt her finally relaxed, he took a quick glance at the digital clock on the night stand, giving a slight roll of the eyes as he saw it was almost half four in the morning.

****** Katie woke later that morning at little after eight, trying not to groan at the now quite nasty pain in her back. She didn’t even try to go back to sleep, knowing it was utterly pointless. Instead, leaving Steve flat out, exhausted from the nights activities, she headed into the kitchen to make herself a peppermint tea and stuck a heat pack into the microwave, grabbing another jar of peanut butter.

The pains in her back and lower stomach continued to get progressively worse through the morning and along with them so did Katie’s mood. Emmy had called asking to stay at Brooke’s for a bit longer, which suited Steve as it meant he could give Katie his undivided attention, so he agreed and promised to collect her later in the evening.

As they both stood in the kitchen, Katie trying to decide what she wanted for lunch, eventually settling on meatball subs. They began to cook together, something to take Katie’s mind of feeling so uncomfortable, but as she turned to pass Steve the cheese so he could start loading the bread up, a searing pain flashed across her abdomen causing her to give a loud exclamation and clutch at the counter edge with one hand, dropping the packet of grated cheddar from the other.

“Katie?” Steve turned to face her, frowning “Sweetheart?”

She turned into him, curling her fists into his shirt, pressing her head against his chest, with a groan, her forehead digging into his collarbone. He gently held her back, supporting her as she breathed through the pain.

“I - mm.” Katie’s voice was trembling, a combination of fear and excitement. “I thought it was just cramps but now I think…”

Steve understood immediately. And despite all the classes, all the prep, everything, he suddenly felt really, really nervous “What? Now?”

She looked up into his eyes which were wide, in a combination of anticipation and trepidation and laughed. “I think so, yeah.”

Steve went straight into Captain mode. The maternity bag was loaded into the car, Dr Kellet was called who told them to monitor the contractions in frequency and duration, and a bath was run to try and make Katie more comfortable but it didn’t work.

Neither did a soft walk round the block with Lucky.

Four hours later, Katie was stood, bent over the back of the sofa as Steve rubbed her back, helping her breath through another contraction. They were now coming every thirteen minutes and getting far more painful (thanks to Steve’s impeccable time keeping skills for that one) when Katie noticed him step back slightly as she felt a dampness spread across her legs.

Her waters had gone.

“Baby, I think-“ “I know,” she grit her teeth as the pain subsided again. Steve was already on the phone to Dr Kellet and as he thanked her and placed the phone into his pocket he gently placed his hands on the side of his wife’s hips as she straightened up.

“She’s told us to go in.” A smile flickered on his face and despite the pain and stress she was feeling, Katie couldn’t help but find her heart swelling at the excitement on his face.

Steve called Tony, asking him to collect Emmy, then rang the girl herself who squealed with excitement at the fact her brother was on his way. A quick chat to Jennifer’s mum to explain, the woman wishing them both luck, and Katie was in the car and they were off, making quite possibly the most important journey of their lives. Steve drove carefully but determinedly to the Birthing Centre, his thumb tapping out a nervous rhythm on the steering wheel, casting glances at Katie every chance he got, and by the time they had arrived twenty minutes later the contractions were arriving five minutes apart.

He helped her change and got her settled in their airey room, his hand curling round hers as she lay back on the bed, both of them pleased to see the familiar face of Dr Kellet as she walked into the room just as another contraction hit Katie. Once it had subsided, Dr Kellet smiled moved to examine her.

“Yes, you’re in active labour Mrs Rogers.” The Doctor smiled. “You have a little while to go yet though so, we’ll try and get you a little more comfortable, okay?”

Katie nodded.

“And you still don’t want an epidural?”

“No.” She shook her head firmly, and Steve raised her hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the back of it. She’d been adamant that there were no needles going anywhere near her back, not after what HYDRA had done to her, which broke Steve a little when she’d said that to him, not only at the memory of what she’d been through, but also a the fact she was going to be giving birth with little relief.

Three hours later, however, Katie was seriously questioning her decision. She was on all fours on the bed, desperately trying to find some release that the gas and air wasn’t really providing anymore as Steve rubbed her back, feeling utterly helpless.

“I don’t like you-” Katie groaned, her voice cutting off as another wave of pain washed over me. “I don’t you seeing me like this. I don’t like it, you should go”

Go? Not a chance, Doll, he thought to himself as he glanced up at the midwife who simply smiled at him. He leant down so his lips were by Katie’s ear and she turned her head, burying it into his shoulder, as his arms supported hers. “Katie Marie Rogers, I have seen you throw tantrums that rival the ones a two year old could produce, I’ve seen you with a face full of blood and a broken nose, I’ve watched you crawl through a dirty hole in the floor to disarm a bomb, and come out trembling. I’ve seen you scream the house down after spotting a damned spider, I’ve seen you half dead,” the words caught in his throat at the memory, “I’ve seen you shit faced to the point of puking, not to mention that I’ve seen you in every single position going.”

Katie snorted loudly, before gripping at his arm as another wave crashed over her.

“None of that could ever make me love you any less. And, seeing you here now, about to give birth to our boy, well I couldn’t love you anymore if I tried. I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

She looked up at him through her tears and he wiped at her face with his thumbs, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, before she let out a gasp.

“I need, I need to push.” The panic tone in her voice made Steve glance up at the Doctor as Katie grabbed athis arm. “Steve, I…oh shit, I want to lay back, please, I need-“

“Okay, okay, I got you.” Steve assured her as the Doctor nodded at him to oblige. He gently helped her onto the back as Dr Kellet stood forward.

“You good?” She asked Katie who shot her a scathing look and Steve had to bite back the snort at the fact the Doctor merely raised an eyebrow whereas most people would be quaking in their boots at that infamous Stark glare. Instead, she merely smiled. “Let’s have a look.” Katie grabbed Steve’s hand with a force he didn’t think possible, and it almost made him wince slightly, but he was damned if he was showing her that she was hurting him. As far as he was concerned, she could break every damned finger he had if it meant she was okay, that their son was okay.

“Yep, we’re in business.” The Doctor said, nodding to the midwife that was in the room. “Okay, Mrs Rogers, next time you feel ready to push I want you to do so gently, follow my lead, Steve is gonna help you with your breathing okay?”

And Steve tried, boy did he try. But after twenty minutes of pushing, Katie was pissed off, tired, in agony and just wanted it all to be over.

"You’re doing so well, Sweetheart.” He smiled gently, as he brought her hand up to his lips.

“You are NEVER touching me again.” She grit her teeth and he let out a chuckle, wiping her clammy forehead with one hand.

“Alright, Katie.” The midwife looked at her from the foot of the bed. “Next time, I want a big, strong one. He’s crowning. Chin into your chest…”

“Fuuuuuck…” Katie screamed, another contraction hitting her and she let out a yell, gripping Steve’s hand as she pushed with everything she had.

You’re doing amazing, Katie. Just one more.” Steve dropped a kiss to her forehead, his heart was beating so loud he was sure she would hear it. “Come on, you got this, and I’ve got you, okay?” Another yell, one final push and then…

A piercing scream hit their ears as Katie sagged back on the pillow panting before she looked up, relief crashing over her. Steve was beaming from ear to ear, his eyes wet as he looked at his wife, in awe at how simply amazing and strong she was.

“You did it.” His voice cracked as he kissed her head. “Oh, Baby Girl, you did it.”

“He’s here?” Katie asked, dazed slightly as their baby was placed straight onto her chest, where the buttons at the top of her gown were undone, and instantly the warmth she felt was like nothing she had ever experienced before, her chest filling as she held their baby boy tenderly, tears pouring down her face.

“Oh God.” Steve breathed, his voice cracking, as Jamie was covered with a towel, resting on his wife’s chest, his piercing cries subsiding at the skin to skin contact. Steve rest his head against Katie’s, wiping the tears that had pooled at the end of his nose away, and the pair of them looked down getting their first glimpse of their son.

“Hi, baby!” Katie finally managed to speak, looking down through her tears at the tiny bundle in her arms as his head lay against her chest, making little snuffling noises. “We waited so long for you!”

She finally tore her eyes off the precious bundle and looked up at Steve, his eyes swimming with tears of joy as her own continued to fall down her cheeks. "It’s our boy, Steve.”

“He’s perfect.” Steve whispered again and gently smoothed down the towel with a trembling hand so he could see their baby’s face clearly. Steve instantly noticed he small spattering of dark blonde hair on his head, and there was something distinctly Stark-like about his nose. Then his eyes barely opened, but through them he saw a sliver of beautiful baby blue.

The Soldier’s heart instantly swelled so full he thought it would bust from his chest. He already knew this, but as he looked down at his son, it simply solidified the fact that he would take on the world to protect that little bundle in his wife’s arms, shield or no shield.

They remained wrapped in their own little bubble so much so that neither of them knew what was going on around them. Eventually, their baby was gently taken to the opposite side of the room whilst Katie was cleaned up. He was weighed at 7lb 4, which was, given Steve’s size, rather small but still perfectly healthy. Steve couldn’t help but hover, watching what they were doing with his boy, wincing as they gave him a shot of vitamin K.

“Does he have a name?” The nurse recording his AGPA scores looked up. Steve looked at Katie and she nodded at him.

“James” Steve spoke, his voice croaky. “Jamie.” “Alright.” The nurse scribbled something onto a band which was placed around his wrist before he was wrapped in a clean towel and the midwife looked up at Steve.

“Would you like to take him, Dad?”

Steve nodded, swallowing.“Yeah, yeah I would.” “Okay, well if you’re comfortable doing so, open your shirt, he’ll appreciate the skin to skin contact…”

Steve did was he was told, undoing the four buttons on his dark green Henley and could do nothing but gasp as his son was laid in his arms, tears once more forming in his eyes as he cradled their child to his chest for the first time, awestruck as he brought his lips down to drop gently on his head.

“Hey, Pal.” He whispered unsteadily. “I’m your Dad.”

Katie watched the two of them, more tears springing into her eyes as Steve sat down on the chair next to the bed and she just watched the pair of them, Steve’s eyes not once leaving his boy, who Katie noticed was now trying to burrow into his chest face-first.

“What are you doing, lights too bright for you, Buddy?” He asked softly.

“It’s called rooting.” One of the nurses looked over “He’s wanting to feed. Are you ready to try Mrs Rogers?”

Katie nodded and sat up slightly, as Steve gently handed him over and the midwife helped Katie position him correctly. It took a while, but when he finally latched on and began to suckle, Katie looked down into her baby’s face, trying to memorize the way the tiny hand curled against her skin. Steve leaned close, simply watching, his heart full of a love like nothing he had ever felt before.

“You’re beautiful,” he told Katie suddenly, and she laughed a little, because it was anything but true at that moment in time.

“I think the serum is failing as your eyes are clearly not working properly.” She retorted, glancing up at him.

“I mean it,” he repeated, leaning in to kiss her temple. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And look what you made!”

She glanced down at Jamie, who was feeding enthusiastically and smiled. “What we made…” “Yeah but you cooked him.” Steve’s finger slid under her chin so that she was looking back up at him, and he held her gaze, driving his words home. “Thank you.”

Katie leaned into his touch as his palm caressed her cheek. Carefully, he moved to sit on the bed beside her, guiding her head against his shoulder and gathering his family into very gentle embrace, his eyes not once leaving his baby.

"I love you,” he whispered into her hair - and he didn’t budge from that spot until Jamie was done nursing and Katie was then escorted to the toilet. In there she changed out of the gown and into a pair of pyjamas and returned from the en-suite of their private room, with a tired smile on her face to see that Steve, had dug out a baby grow. Katie watched as he placed their son in the cot by the end of the bed, with infinite tenderness, and the new parents dressed him for the first time.

“I suggest you both get some sleep whilst you can.” Dr Kellet smiled, peering into the cot where Jamie was now yawning, eyes drooping. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you. If you need anything though, just hit the call button and one of the Midwives will come in. Congratulations.” Steve and Katie both thanked her as Katie headed over to the bed, dropping exhaustedly onto it.

“You should go get some rest.” She yawned and Steve shook his head.

“I’m not leaving you.” Steve snapped a quick photo of the sleeping baby before settling on the bed as Katie lay her head on his chest. “Not a chance.”

It wasn’t long before she had fallen asleep, exhausted, and Steve sat up slightly, firing the photo off to Tony, Emmy, Nat and Rhodey. The replies of congratulations flooded in, along with a selfie of Tony, Pepper and Emmy on Tony’s sofa with their thumbs up. Steve snorted, it was almost two am now, but he knew that Tony and Emmy would be too excited to sleep. He placed his phone back on the night stand and settled down next to his wife, his hand straying into her hair. A little sniffling noise came from the cot at the side of the bed and Steve sat up, to check on him, but Jamie was sleeping soundly so he relaxed back, taking a deep breath.

He was in way over his head, and there was no planning for this mission, not one bit. But Steve found he didn’t mind. As he dropped a kiss to Katie’s head, he closed his eyes with a satisfied sigh knowing full well that the 7th March 2020 was a date he was never going to forget.

****

Katie opened her eyes and stared around the unfamiliar room which was lowly lit from a chink of light flooding in under the door. She sat up so quickly that her head spun, and she dropped back against the pillow, taking a deep breath. Then her eyes caught the man in the chair by her bed, and the memory of the night before came back. At some point in the night Jamie had woken for a feed but post it wouldn’t stop fussing and Katie’s half-conscious attempts to soothe him had failed. Steve had at that point stepped in and taken him, insisting that she get some rest as he paced the room with his son, gently rocking him to and fro. Her husband was now leaned back in the chair by her bed fast asleep, their little boy slumbering on his dad’s chest, secured by Steve’s large, gentle hands. Katie felt her heart swell and she grabbed her phone, noting that the time was only a little after 6:30 am, meaning that it was only two hours or so since his feed. She took a quick snap, contemplated taking Jamie back to his crib before she decided he was fine where he was. Steve wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Glancing at her two boys, she sank deeper into her pillow, quietly satisfied, as she drifted back off into a light sleep.

Steve was woken by a soft cry about forty-five minutes later, and despite his best attempts Jamie wouldn’t settle.

“Sorry, Doll.” he looked at Katie as she woke, blinking as she pushed herself up. “I think he’s hungry and I can’t help him in that department.” With a smile she took their baby and began to nurse him again, something Steve didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing. Once he was fed, the midwives appeared and offered them breakfast which they gratefully accepted and then Katie positively moaned when she was told she could shower. She was dried off an and in a clean set of Pyjamas just in time for visiting hours which started at ten.

At one minute past there was a knock on the door to their room.

“Hey Mommy and Daddy!” Pepper peering round the door clutching a huge blue balloon as Tony followed, Morgan in her stroller. The tot squealed when she saw Steve who stood up to greet them as Emmy flew into the room, locking her arms around Steve’s waist. He dropped a kiss to her head and looked up as Natasha stepped in hot on their tail.

”Congratulations Cap.” Tony beamed, shaking Steve’s hand before he pulled him into an embrace. Katie smiled up at her family, Jamie clutched in her arms having just been fed again as Tony moved and stepped up to the bed, kissing the top of his sister’s head as he peered down at his nephew.

“Well done, Kiddo.” he whispered softly and she smiled at him.

Pepper was next to congratulate her, then Natasha and finally Emmy who gave her brother an appraising look. “Hmmm takes after you, Dad.” She smirked up at Steve. “Where else is he gonna get a face like that?” Steve rolled his eyes as he stood up from where he had been crouched saying hello to Morgan. He glanced at Tony who was peering down at his nephew, a huge grin on his face.

“He’s beautiful, guys.” Tony said and Katie smiled up at her brother and he made a gesture with his arms. “Can I?”

Katie nodded, and moved to gently pass him over, and Tony took him in his arms with a soft chuckle.

“Hey, Champ.” He beamed down as Jamie moved softly in his arms, kicking slightly. “How’s it going?”

“How are you feeling?” Pepper asked, looking at Katie.

“Tired but, I’m good.”

“So, does he have a name yet?” Tony looked at Katie and Steve took a deep breath, his arms crossing over his chest. If truth be told, he was a little nervous about revealing the name they had chosen, Bucky wasn’t Tony’s favourite person, but before he could answer he spotted Katie giving Emmy a small wink.

“Horatio Montgomery Rogers.” Katie nodded. “Monty for short.” There was a pause whilst Pepper, Tony and Nat all exchanged a look and Steve bit on his lip.

“That’s…” Tony began, searching for words as he glanced down at the baby in his arms before he finally settled on, “…unusual”

Emmy looked at Katie again before they but out laughing.

“I can’t believe you fell for that, Uncle Tony!” Emmy cackled. “Such an idiot.”

“I resent that.” Tony pouted and Natasha cleared her throat.

“So what is his name?” Nat pressed. Katie looked at Steve and gave him a nod.

“James Anthony Samuel Rogers” Steve took a deep breath as Tony blinked. “Jamie for short.” “James Anthony Samuel.” Tony whispered looking down at Jamie. “James. Anthony?” His eyes locked onto Katie’s, then Steve’s, before they flicked back down to his nephew. “You actually named him after me?”

Katie smiled. “Yeah, guess we did”

“And I was only joking too.” His voice choked as Natasha, stepped forward to peer down at the baby in his arms. “But the James is after Barnes, right?” She looked up. Steve took a deep breath, his eyes flickered to Tony who was simply gazing down at his nephew with adoration as Katie answered.

“There’s so many people we’ve both known or know with the name James.” She shrugged. “Rhodey, half the Howling Commandos, but yes, Bucky was one big reason, another was Grandad Jim.” Tony looked up at her, smiling, his eyes wet. “Yeah, Grandpa Jim was pretty awesome”

“And so is his uncle-slash-grandpa.” She smiled and Tony gave a loud sniffle.

“Wrap it up Kiddo, you’re killing me” He shook his head as he turned to Natasha. “We’ll call that one a draw.”

Steve rolled his eyes, as Natasha shrugged. “Suppose you can’t be wrong all the time, Shell-Head.”

Jamie was passed around, and Emmy finally got to have a hold as she sat in the chair, Steve crouched by her side as she peered down at the baby. But when it was Natasha’s turn, the red head grew almost as emotional as Tony as she held him and he curled his tiny hand around her finger.

“Good job he likes you.” Katie smiled at her, “you know, seeing as you’re gonna be his god-mother and all…” “Me?” Nat’s head whipped up and she looked at Katie, then Steve, her eyes full of tears. “I mean…” “Well, there’s no one else for the job so it kinda falls to you by default.” Steve teased from where he was perched on the arm of the chair.

“You’re such a douche.” Emmy muttered, elbowing Steve in the ribs and Tony’s face split into a grin.

“Kid, you have no idea…did you know his nickname is Spangles?” “Spangles?” she grinned and Steve groaned

“No one calls him Spangles other than Tony, because Tony is an idiot.” Katie shook her head.

At that point, Jamie let out a huge shriek and Natasha promptly crossed the room to hand him back to his momma, who placed him over her shoulder and he nuzzled into her neck, his nose brushing against her jaw line. As she looked around the room, her eyes locked onto Steve’s and he gave her, quite possibly, the most affectionate look she could ever recall him giving her. And at that moment, although they were surrounded by their friends and family, she felt like the only woman in the world.

*****

Thankfully as everything had gone as well as expected they were discharged later that day and they could go home. Steve, having practiced about a billion times, expertly clipped Jamie’s car seat into the base of the Porche SUV they had borrowed from Tony a few weeks ago (the Camero just wasn’t baby friendly) and Katie climbed into the back, positioning herself in the middle seat so she was by their son for the drive home.

Emmy had gone back to Tony’s to give them the evening to settle in, and with Lucky also with them, when Katie and Steve walked into the house, Steve carefully carrying the car seat containing the most precious cargo he had ever carried, it struck them that they were suddenly on their own.

With a baby.

Steve set the car seat on the coffee table in the lounge and the two of them sat on the couch, looking at their baby before they looked at one another, neither of them having a clue what to do next.

Thankfully, a piercing scream from Jamie jolted them out of the stupor and dictated exactly what they needed to do. As Katie set about feeding him, Steve headed into the kitchen to make them something to eat and by eight pm the pair of them were whacked and ready for bed but Jamie had other ideas. It took a lot of pacing, frustrated sighs and prayers but he finally settled a few hours later and the new parents crawled between their sheets, exhausted, frustrated and feeling like they were embarking on a mission which was far bigger than any they had faced before.

*****

Steve heard his wife get up, but didn’t register why. Not at first. He dozed for another half hour or so before he heard a cry and he sat upright, looking around. He blinked, saw the empty crib at the side of the bed and smiled to himself. Swinging his legs out of bed he pulled on a t-shirt and grabbed the bag he’d had waiting for weeks out of the back of his closet before he headed down the stairs.

Katie was sat on the sofa in one of his button downs, her bare legs crossed, munching on a piece of toast when he paused in the door to the lounge taking in the scene. The domesticity of it all hit him for a moment and he felt himself welling up, he’d never in his wildest dreams dared to imagine he would ever be this damned lucky. But here he was, gorgeous wife, beautiful baby…

At that point, Jamie started fussing and she instantly placed her hand on his tummy whilst he lay in the wicker Moses basket in front of her, gently hushing him, all the while a look on her face of infinite tenderness. As he settled she smiled, simply gazing at their boy for a moment before she looked up and smiled at Steve. He walked over to her and dropped a soft, lingering kiss to her lips and she smiled.

“Morning.” She whispered and he smiled against her mouth, kissing her again before his attention turned to his boy and he gently reached into the basket, his finger softly running down his son’s cheek.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” “Could you feed him?” Katie grinned and Steve let out a soft laugh and shook his head.

“No, suppose not.” He looked at Katie and nodded to Jamie “Can I?”

“Steve, honey, he’s your son. Of course you can.” He placed the bag he was holding on the coffee table, Katie still not noticing it, as he reached into the basket and gently picked his son up, cradling him to his chest as Jamie buried his face into his neck, still sleeping. Steve gently moved to sit on the couch and Katie watched the pair of them, smiling softly.

“That’s for you.” He nodded to the Tiffany bag. Katie glanced at, blinking in surprise before she frowned slightly.

“What for?”

“Well it used to be a tradition to buy your wife something after your first child and Tony assured me it still was so…”

She beamed at him and reached over for the bag. As Steve cradled his boy close he watched his wife pull out the blue ring box and open it, her mouth dropping open as she looked at the platinum Eternity band which was studded with sapphires and diamonds.

“It’s beautiful.” She whispered, turning to him and leaning over to give him a soft kiss. “Thank you.” Steve beamed at her and watched as she rejigged the rings on her wedding finger so she could place it in between her wedding and her engagement ring. She flashed her hand at him to show him what it looked like on.

“Looks good.” He smiled “I clearly have good taste.” “Of course you do, you chose me.” ****

“Come here.”

Steve turned to look at Katie who was on the other side of their bedroom and he frowned. “What?”

“Just come here.”

Steve crossed the room towards her where she grabbed the bottle of his aftershave and sprayed an amount to his neck.

“What are you…” he frowned as she stood up to take a deep sniff.

“Oh thank God!” She groaned. “I can sniff you again without feeling sick!”

Steve snorted, and shook his head, a grin on his face as Katie began to spray the Hugo Boss around the room, sniffing and smiling to herself before she stopped and grimaced.

“Oh, that’s…” She looked down at the crib and Steve did the same.

“Oh.” Steve wrinkled his nose

“Your turn, Daddy.” She patted his back. “I’m going for a shower.” Steve looked at her, slightly panicked as Jamie began to let out a soft cry “What, alone?” “Don’t tell me Captain American can’t deal with a bit of poop.”

“It’s not that. I might do it wrong or…” “Steve, relax, what’s the worst that can happen?” She eyed him, as he bit his lip, watching his reaction carefully. Whilst he had been amazing that night in the hospital, once they had gotten home and away from the safety net of midwives, she had fast realised that Steve had suddenly grown incredibly nervous when it came to their baby, asking permission to pick him up, wind him, cuddle him and Katie was keen to nip that in the bud right away. She knew he wanted to help as much as possible and she didn’t want him to constantly be second guessing everything he did.

“I err…” Steve stuttered and she cut him off. “You saw me before.” She shrugged, heading into the en-suite. “You’ll be fine.”

Steve watched her go and then peered down at his son, swallowing slightly before he picked him up and took him into the nursery. As soon as the baby-grow was off, Jamie still crying slightly, Steve suddenly felt completely inadequate. Cursing to himself, he laid Jamie gently on the changing mat, wrinkling his nose and trying to shut out the scream that was ringing round his ears. At that point he was seriously starting to believe that this was worse than facing off against thirty HYDRA agents single headedly. Taking a deep breath and telling himself to get it together, he managed to clean Jamie, get a fresh diaper on, and then once he was dressed again, he picked the baby up.

“Come on, Pall.” He soothed softly, his large hand gently smoothing his son’s back as he walked over to look out of the bedroom window “You know, that there is the best city in the world,” he glanced over the Brooklyn skyline, “one day I’ll show you all the places I used to go, tell you all about my life and the Rogers clan, and who you’re named after. Take you to meet your Grandma…”

He stopped talking as he realised Jamie had fallen silent, and was now relaxed completely against him, his face gently pressed against his shoulder. “Thass ma boy.” He whispered, dropping a kiss to his head. He turned to see Katie was stood in the doorway, her hair damp as she was wrapped in a towel gown.

“See.” she smiled as she crossed the room towards them both. “I told you it would be okay.” She gently smoothed a hand over the baby boy’s head before dropping a kiss to his crown.

“Should I put him down to sleep now?” Steve asked and Katie looked at him.

“Do you want to put him down?”

“Not really.” Steve admitted, with a little smile. “You gonna drop him?” “Shut up.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Of course not.” “Then no, you don’t have to put him down.” Katie smiled “He’s your baby, Steve. If you wanna cuddle him, cuddle him.” “Sorry, I’m fussing again ain’t I?” Steve sighed.

Katie gently stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to her husband’s lips. “Fussing is fine, just don’t doubt yourself. I don’t know what I’m doing any more than you do, but we’ll figure it out.”

Steve smiled, as he gave her a soft kiss. “I still swear you can read minds.”

“No, I can just read you.” She corrected. “Now, before you go get Emmy, can I leave you whilst I take a quick nap? He’s gonna want a feed soon and I’m so tired. ”

Steve looked at his wife, then to his son who was perfectly content, his little nose and mouth now resting firmly against Steve’s collar bone. He smiled back at Katie and gave her another soft kiss.

“Think we’ll be okay.”

**** Chapter 45

**Original Posting**

#stark spangled banner #steve rogers #Katie Stark #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fic #steve rogers x ofc #steve rogers x original female character #mcu #mcu fanfic #chris evans #chris evans characters

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mcatra · 5 years ago

Text

Oh my god they were lab partners pt. 2/2

part one

A03 LINK

Highschool AU fic of Hordak and Entrapta becoming lab partners. Hordak may have accidentally fallen in love with her somewhere along the way.

Hordak's never liked anyone before in his entire life. Not even as friends. So whatever this was? Completely out of his depth.

There was no stopping it- these feelings. It was insane how much her name plagued his thoughts in random places at all times of the day. These symptoms formed in unexpected ways, like how he had thought he was having a heart attack, when really all that happened was that Entrapta smiled at him. Or how his face would heat up and his hands would involuntarily go clammy when she would drag him by the hand to go somewhere.

Hordak had even learnt how to braid. He had gotten pretty good at it too, if the complicated french braids and buns Entrapta was sporting before lab now was of any indication.

It didn't matter though, since she obviously didn't feel the same. She's had dozens of friends before, and he was just one of them. But Entrapta was his first friend- but he's already screwed that up. It's taken him this long to find someone that he can actually tolerate the presence of, and it seemed fate was determined to take that away as well.

So he crushes the feelings deep inside, though they threaten to spill out every few minutes when he's with her. He's fine with being friends, really.

The school holidays was starting, which would give him plenty of time to get over his feelings.

This plan is immediately compromised when Entrapta insists on texting him several times a day.

Entrapta:

yakult is the perfect size of drink but it's not fizzy!! (〒﹏〒)

Hordak:

Perhaps you should try packaging your drinks in smaller sized Yakult bottles.

Entrapta:

:00 yea ur right!! I'll ask my butler to do that be righttt baackkk

Hordak:

A butler?

Entrapta:

yep my parents r always busy working!! Soda pop makes the best lunches ヾ(´ ▽ ` )

[image.attachment]

It's a photo of what seems to be her lunch, bite sized cookies, scones, and of course pink fizzy lemonade in a tiny bottle.

Looking at it, he thinks it's only customary to send a photo of his own lunch.

Hordak: [image.attachment]

Entrapta: ???????‽‽ Σ(°△°|||)︴

Entrapta: NOO9OOOOOO what is THAT ??!!!

He's confused by her response. It was all that Prime stacked their food cupboards with, he didn't see anything wrong about his grey ration bars. It wasn't even the brown kind today.

Hordak: That is my lunch.

Entrapta: (ಥ﹏ಥ) I'm so sorry hordak…

pleaseeee let me come over and deliver U some of my food!!!

He wishes she would, but he can't afford letting Prime see her. There's a reason why he's dodged every request from her to come over.

Hordak: Thank you for your consideration, but that won't be necessary. It gives me enough nutrition for the day.

Entrapta: FINEE but when we get back I'm giving you all the food U can eat!!! I'll even make them big!! Just for you!!

Hordak: I look forward to it.

Entrapta: (≧▽≦) ♥️

Did...Did she just send a heart? What did that mean?

He stares at the screen in disbelief. Every time he thinks he's doing well she sends his mind into overdrive.

Scratch that, what was he supposed to send back?

He falters on a response, anxiously trying to decide one before she got suspicious and asked him why he was taking so long. A solid 5 minutes later, he finally settles on one.

Hordak: :]

---

...

[Incoming video call from Entrapta]

He bolts upright in bed, hair in disarray.

The clock reads 1am. What was she doing calling at this hour? He scrambles to lower the volume, unlocking it in the process, and when he does Entrapta's face fills the screen.

She's in her pajamas, her hair tied up haphazardly into a messy bun on the top of her head. It seemed like she had attempted to recreate the neatly tucked bun that Hordak always did for her, but couldn't quite figure it out.

'Hordak! I've just made the most fascinating discovery- oh sorry, were you sleeping?'

'Ah, no. I wasn't.' He fibs, not wanting her to hang up. He didn't want to admit it, but he missed seeing her face. 'Do go on.'

She digs through a stack of letters, and brings it up triumphantly to the screen.

'I've found some scholarship offers buried in my junk mail!' She chirps through the pixelated video feed.

'Got one from California Institute of Technology, Harvard and MIT! They loved my research papers and scientific breakthroughs!'

He blinks in shock. That was huge.

'Congratulations!' He bursts out- those are incredible opportunities. ‘Which one will you be attending?'

'Oh, that's why I called! I needed help deciding. So I was wondering…' She looked oddly nervous, tapping two fingers together. 'Which university would you be going to?'

Hordak hadn't even applied to any university, let alone receiving offers from Ivy League schools. It had been decided since he was a kid that he would be working for Prime's company right after graduation. He hadn't considered any other alternative before.

'I…have not applied to any yet.'

'What?!’ She cries out, appalled. ‘You should definitely apply! You have more knowledge of cosmic forms than I do, Hordak. Plus your grades have improved exponentially this year- I even made a graph!'

Before he can ask why on earth she had made a graph of his grades she brings out a spreadsheet of his progress.

'According to the numbers you can definitely apply to any of the surrounding schools in the area! Oh but how fun would it be if we could go to the same university?!'

'I can't possibly afford the tuition-'

'Bank loans, and you can work part time! You could even apply for financial assistance. Please come.'

Hordak hesitates, looking at the door behind him. Imp was stirring in the room next door. He lowers his voice.

'I.. I...'

He starts and aborts a few sentences. He clenches his scarred arm unconsciously. Of course he wants to. But he had responsibilities that weighed heavily on his shoulders, and circumstances that a carefree sheltered girl couldn't even comprehend. No amount of optimism or daydreaming could fix his grim reality.

'I can't.' Is all he manages to say.

She looks slightly taken aback, and he can see her trying not to look disappointed.

'..That's okay. I understand.'

A horrible sense of guilt spreads in his stomach. Entrapta changes the topic and they don't bring up the subject again.

---

Entrapta has always had trouble making friends. People usually ignored her when she talked about her interests, or were telling her what she did wrong. Usually it was a missed social cue, or she had used words that were too technical for them to understand.

Hordak was different though. He always listened, understood her technical jargon and offered his own knowledge that sometimes even outweighed her own. She had been curious about this elusive person that everyone was afraid of since she had met him behind the bathroom block. He didn’t seem like the vicious animal that the rumours made him out to be. So on a whim, she had volunteered to be his lab partner.

At first she was just ecstatic to find someone who liked the same things she did, but soon it was more than just the shared love for science. Entrapta had thought for years that the only way she could make friends was allowing them to copy and take her work, but Hordak had showed her otherwise. A shared solidarity for two outcasts.

Even though he showed a tough angry exterior to everyone, with her Hordak was surprisingly kind.

He always did little things for her without prompting. Once she had forgotten to bring her jacket when it was cold and he had wordlessly handed his over for her to wear. Or how he noticed when she hadn't slept that night and bought her an iced coffee from the vending machine. He had even poured it into the lid in an effort to make it the way she liked it.

She began to notice things about him as well, like how he got embarrassed easily, or how despite his old demeanor he could be surprisingly childish. His reactions became even more fascinating than her experiments. Entrapta catalogued them in her mind, keeping track of the emotions he would show. He was always so stoic, the primary emotion being anger or quiet indifference. A few smiles here and there, scattered in between.

However when Hordak laughed for the first time ever, she was caught completely off guard.

When his eyes crinkled into little slits, and his laughter exposed his canines, her brain was shaken only leaving one thought.

Beautiful.

Entrapta had found something more valuable than any discovery she's made in her career as a self made scientist. She wanted to discover more about him, however he never talked about himself, which both enthralled and frustrated her to no end. But graduation was coming soon, and the last thing she wanted was for Hordak to not talk to her anymore like Adora and the others.

She had tried to put off the deadline, ignoring the growing stack of offer letters that could whisk her away to anywhere in the world.

Come with me.

I can't.

Why? Had she misread them this whole time? Did he not want to be with her too? But she was wrong with Adora and her friends, and Catra.

Someone told her once how people cannot be quantified, calculated, predicted. Feelings can be there one day and gone the next. She is no stranger to failure. But it doesn't mean she isn't afraid.

-----

School resumes again for their final term, and Hordak is inwardly thrilled to see his friend in person again. Entrapta waves at him from the school gate, before diving headfirst into all the things that happened over the holidays she couldn’t show over text.

They agree to be lab partners again without hesitation, and fall back into their comfortable friendship.

Soon it’s prom season, and the halls are decorated in banners, posters and flyers. People are pairing off left and right, chattering away about how to ask their dates out.

Hordak never attends these sort of events, he always blatantly refuses to go. However during one of their study sessions in the library, Entrapta tries to convince him to come with her.

‘It’s meaningless to go to such an event. Mingling or dancing is not a productive venture.'

'But it could be fun! I’ve been wanting to conduct a social experiment and it’s the perfect place for it.' She protests. 'Also Prom is imperative to the high school experience.'

He waves her away, unconvinced. It's not like he could afford the tickets anyway, and Prime would never let him go.

'I refuse to squander my time on something so pointless. There will be no further discussion on this.'

She pouts, turning back to her notebook. The sulky charade lasts for a record 10 minutes before she caves and starts running her mouth again.

He's still adamantly against it, but that sentiment gets stopped in its tracks when he catches someone approaching Entrapta.

'Hey, Entrapta was it?' The tall blonde says languidly. ‘Can I speak to you for a moment, over there?’

'Oh, sure!' She says, getting up from her chair. 'Can I get you something?'

'Certainly!'

Hordak listens to the conversation happening behind the bookshelf. He doesn't like the look of them, all greasy smiles and cocky demeanor.

'A date to the prom, please.' They smirk, their tall stature allowing them to lean over her.

Hordaks jaw drops, and the feeling of jealousy flares in the pit of his stomach. He fights the urge to throw that cocky bastard across the room. But the knowledge that he has no right to be angry when he had already turned down her offer kept him rooted to the spot.

Thankfully Entrapta doesn’t seem to get it.

'Oh I'm not organising that.’ She says, tapping her chin. ‘I think Frosta and her prom committee are. Or you could ask our school captain Adora and her prefects, they’ll know who to talk to get tickets.'

They look dumbfounded, but hastily amend their wording.

'No, I meant- will you be my date. To the prom.'

'Me?'

At this point there are marks on the wooden bookshelf from Hordak’s nails. The other person looked almost cocky in their confidence, smirking while waiting for a response.

Of course she’d accept, they were just friends after all, and she didn’t owe him anything. However Entrapta cuts through his spiralling thoughts.

‘Thank you. But I won’t be going.’

Hordak looks up in surprise, shocked at her response. So do they, as Entrapta swiftly passes them and lights up when she spots him behind the shelf. ‘Hordak, there you are!’ She chirps brightly. ‘Come on, I wanted to show you progress photos of my new upgrades with Emily.’

He feels awful as she leads them back to their desks, it seems like he was letting down Entrapta a lot these days. First with the university, and now this. However Hordak is determined to make it up to her, racking his brain for ideas until he remembers the bandaids she had given him years ago.

Cupcakes. Despite not having much he managed to scrounge enough coins to buy ingredients.

Half of them end up charred to a crisp but he manages to salvage a few through enough scraping. With the help of Imp, he manages to frost and decorate them purple and blue to cover up the scorch marks.

Hordak thrusts the cupcakes in her face before class, before realising that he hadn't prepared anything to say.

'I, uh, wanted to..here.' He stammers, dropping them into her palm. 'I made them. For you.'

She looks at the cupcakes, stunned. To his complete and utter horror, Entrapta's eyes start to water.

Oh no. Did he mess up? His mind goes into overdrive in panic, and he looks around frantically for a way to calm her down.

'Were they unsatisfactory? I will try again. Please allow me to dispose of those-' He reaches out to take them back but she pulls it away.

'I love them.’

She wipes her eyes with her sleeve, and she's beaming a crooked smile.

He hesitates, unsure what to make of her reaction.

‘E-Entrapta..I, um…’ He begins, remembering the person in the library. He fishes around in his pocket and pulls out two tickets. ‘Do you want to.. Go to the prom. With me. So you can study people, like you said.’

Entrapta gasps, a long and drawn out one that gets higher in pitch.

‘THANK YOU HORDAK!!’ She squeals, and she practically launches herself into his chest, nearly toppling them over. ‘Of COURSE I will!’

He smiles at this, glad that he had been the one to put that grin on her face. Anything was worth making her happy.

-------

It’s a bad night again. He wants nothing more than to stay in bed but he forces himself to get up, if nothing else to get away from Prime. His older brother had found out about the money he had taken to buy the prom tickets and make the cupcakes. This resulted in having the life beaten out of him while Imp watched, cowering behind the door. He gets his phone taken from him, a clear warning not to talk to Entrapta again.

It’s summer, but Hordak opts for a black turtleneck sweater under his uniform and a baggy jacket. He however can’t disguise the bruises on his face, as usually Prime would avoid making markings that would arouse suspicion.

He can hear his classmates whisper amongst themselves, saying that he’s gotten into a fight and beat the rival gangs in the area. Hordak growls at them menacingly, and they scatter. He watches them go, and for the first time in a long time goes to skip class.

It’s nice out, a cool breeze on the rooftop soothes his skin. He gingerly takes his uniform off, wincing as he peels off the slightly blood stained sleeve.

He should be used to it by now. But it doesn’t get any better.

‘You didn’t reply to my texts.’

Hordak nearly jumped out of his skin, whipping around to see Entrapta. She has a delicate frown on her face, and looks at him up and down.

'You shouldn’t be here.’ He says, turning away.

She doesn't look convinced, and starts to walk towards him. ‘Hordak-’

‘I said, GET OUT!’ He shouts, furiously wrapping his uniform back around his shoulders. ‘The prom’s off. Leave.’

Entrapta disregards his outburst, striding forward to confront him. 'I can’t keep ignoring this, Hordak.’ She catches his wrist easily, looking at his wounds.

'You come to school with these new burns, these bruises, and you never TELL me anything.’ She says, pained. 'People say you got them in fights, but I know you. What really happened?’

He stares at her, but she looks determined. Ever the scientist, always looking for answers to things she didn’t understand.

'You really want to know?’ He growls, tearing his arm from her grip. ‘I am an orphan. My brother Prime got full custody since he’s the only one old enough to earn money to support us. I can’t leave, no matter how much he beats me. My younger brother, Imp. He’s only a toddler- if I go, what happens to him? I couldn’t possibly support the both of us.’

She looks shocked, but doesn’t say anything.

‘He’s ordered me not to talk to you. So that’s what I’m going to do. Don’t make it any harder for me.’ He tries to sound angry, but it comes off more like pleading.

‘No.’ She says simply.

He looks at her, incredulous. ‘Did you not hear what I just said-’

‘No, I heard you.’ She replies, bringing out bandages from her backpack like the first time they had met.

‘I’ve got an idea. I’m breaking you out of there.’

‘You’re what?’

----

Lab Partner: Are you ready??

Hordak: This is such a bad idea.

He’s had no idea how he ended up in this situation. As per instruction via Entrapta’s burner phone, he had packed a getaway bag with their documents for him and Imp, and was waiting for several of her tiny bots surveillancing the area to give the all clear.

Entrapta had temporarily disabled the security cams in the entire neighbourhood, and was currently waiting in the getaway car.

Hordak: I can’t believe I’m turning on my brother.

Lab Partner: Its okay, we can work on that crisis later!!

Lab Partner: I've also got your disguise in the car :))) 💃💃

Prime was still out at work, and it should be a few more hours until he came back. Hordak leads Imp by the hand down the driveway and fastens him into the booster seat of the getaway car.

'He is so cuute!' Entrapta coos, poking his baby brother’s cheek. ‘I’m Entrapta. We’re gonna make sure you’re safe, okay?’

Imp nods, somewhat confused. ‘Entrapta.’ He repeats, and she grins.

They peel out of the driveway, and although Entrapta is a terrifying driver they make it safely to her house outside the city.

When they arrive, he is rendered speechless. Was this a castle? A mansion? The guards out front nod at Entrapta and the security gates open, letting them through.

At least he knows Prime couldn’t possibly follow him here, thanks to Entrapta’s parents security team.

Imp has taken to the place, admiring the many robots she had engineered. Her butler offers him some tiny beverages as he waits for Entrapta to finish whatever she was doing upstairs.

After a while she comes down the stairs and he can practically feel himself stop breathing. She’s gorgeous, dressed in a purple velvet suit, tied together with a vest and a bow tie. Her coattails swish as she walks towards Hordak, who had been stunned into silence.

‘I...ah..’ He stutters. ‘What is this for?’

Imp kicks him in the shin.

‘Uh. Y-you look... exemplary. A magnificent choice of attire.’

‘It’s prom today! Did you forget?’ She grins, whisking him from his seat and plonking him in front of the mirror. ‘We bought the tickets, we may as well go!’

‘But Imp-’

‘-Will be safe. There’s no way he’ll find him here. We’ll be in and out, and be back before he’s even left work.’

Entrapta takes out a makeup brush and some black lipstick, and starts applying it onto his face. For some reason he lets her work, he’s never really been able to say no to her. She styles his hair so some falls across his face. ‘Now for the good part!’ She declares, and brings out a long black dress combined with an inner red cape, with slits on the sides. They’re accompanied by tall black heels and a black clutch.

‘I-I don’t know.’ He says. He’s never worn anything that bold or attention grabbing before, usually choosing clothes that would hide his scarring.

‘Just try it on!’

------

They arrive at the prom arm in arm, and people audibly gasp as they walk down the stairs into the hall. The crowd clears from their path as they make their way down the venue, their stares turning into ones of admiration.

The person from the library shoots them an affronted look, much to Hordak’s satisfaction. Perhaps this wasn’t so bad after all.

Entrapta starts grabbing random food off the tables for Hordak to try. As he eats she starts recording Hordak’s different reactions to each new food into her little recorder.

‘It’s absolutely fascinating how social groups function in peculiar ways! For example,’ She commentates, pointing at her old group of friends. ‘Catra asked Scorpia out to make Adora jealous.’

He watches the brunette antagonize her ex friend, and Adora seemed to be taking the bait. Scorpia watches on, looking disgruntled.

‘Seems like it is working.’

‘No mind, Glimmer’s only Adora’s date to make Bow jealous. But according to my observations, that seems to be less successful.’

He nods, seemed like there was a lot going on in Etheria he had never cared to notice before.

Soon they are interrupted by loud commanding voice on the microphone. It’s Frosta, and she’s announcing the first dance. She looks impossibly small up there behind the podium, which happens when you skip a few grades.

‘Let’s go dance!’

‘I don’t know how to-’

Entrapta drags Hordak onto the dance floor before he can object, joining the other couples paired around them. She puts a hand around his waist, and clasps the other in his.

'Also, Hordak! I got you something.' She says, almost shyly, handing him a box. 'Instead of a corsage...'

He peers inside and in the box is a beautiful purple crystal, embedded onto a necklace. It has some sort of foreign script engraved into it.

‘Wait, is this…’

‘Yep! It’s the crystals we grew together at the lab last term!’ She beamed excitedly. ‘Didn’t they grow so beautifully?’

He turns the crystal in his fingers in awe. It’s been months since the incident with the beaker. ‘What does it say?’

‘O-oh. Um….’

She turns slightly red, embarrassed. Hordak is fascinated, he’s never seen her look like that before. He presses again, curious.

Entrapta mumbles something incoherent, blushing up to her hairline. Her grip tightens on the fabric of his dress as she buries her head into his chest.

‘Loved.’

His eyes widen in shock. She finally looks up, eyes burning with sudden conviction. The rest of the prom seems to fade away into the background.

‘I love you, Hordak.’

Now it was his turn to go completely red- she also looks mortified, so now they were just two embarrassed teens in the middle of the dance floor.

‘I-I love you too!’ He bursts out, awkward and fumbling but finally honest.

‘Really?!’ She says, her hair floofing in excitement, like she can’t believe it. ‘You really do?’

‘Of course-’ and before he can explain the months of agony of being unable to fight his feelings she mashes her face against his.

His knees almost buckle out of pure shock, but can feel himself melt into the kiss, her lips are unimaginably soft. He can feel her smile against his own, and she breaks it, giggling. She goes to say something but he's the one to interrupt her this time, kissing her over and over again as she squeals.

He chuckles at her response, he doesn’t think he’s ever felt this happy.

---

It's been a year since, and they find a cozy apartment in between their universities. Entrapta’s studying engineering at MIT while being cross registered at Harvard.

Meanwhile Hordak studies space science at Columbia University, while working part time.

Hordak had collected all of his and Imp’s legal documents, voice recordings and picture evidence of the abuse and emailed them to Entrapta’s lawyers. Since he turned 18 he was able to win the court case against Prime and take Imp in to be under his legal guardianship. Thankfully he also managed to get a restraining order after a few incidents since Prime was outraged at losing his servants.

‘I’m home.’ He says, opening the door to find Entrapta chasing Emily around the apartment, his younger brother perched on top. She picks up Imp from her bot holding him in her arms.

'Welcome back!' She greets him with a kiss. 'Ready to start our new project?'

Hordak smiles, he's been doing that a lot lately. All the suffering he'd been through was all worthwhile if it brought him to this happy little family. He thumbs his little LUVD necklace which he wears every day.

'Always.'

#she-ra #she ra #entrapdak #spop #entrapta #hordak #she-ra and the princesses of power

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