#the tree on the hill

[tending-the-hearth]

the way thalia’s tree LOOKS like a person who has been turned into a tree is destroying my soul

like thalia was turned as she was facing down the monsters, taking her stand in order to let luke, annabeth, and grocer get to camp.

and the way this scene is shown, the trio is leaving camp, so thalia was facing chb as she got transformed. she was watching her family get to safety, and probably didn’t see the monsters who were coming upon her. she was transformed knowing that her brother and sister were okay.

[hermemescabin]

Sort of disappointing how we never got any depth to the relationship between Thalia and Grover after she stopped being a tree. Did all his guilt just disappear when she comes back?

[thesingingnorwegian]

there's a tree on the hill up on half-blood hill that protects us all, and always will

[artfulacrostic]

"As she died, he turned her into a tree, so that she could stand protecting us forever--the way I couldn't do for her."

The Tree On The Hill by Rob Rokicki -- The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

*

whoops i was listening to tlt musical again and took a break from homework to sketch badly lol. i am Not a Visual Artist but i just have sooo many feelings abt Thalia these days w all her mentions in the show, and the tree on the hill absolutely takes me OUT every time so thought i'd share my quick attempt at. art lmao

[allkinds-oftrash]

Relistening to The Lightning Thief musical since I'm back on my PJO shit with the show and after this ep and all the Thalia mentions in the show, Tree on The Hill is KILLING ME

[demigods-posts]

Reasons why The Tree on the Hill from The Lightning Thief musical is an amazing song:

1.) “And no one at camp is safe until we can see the tree on the hill.” How abysmal is it that a demigods life is so dangerous that the only haven they have is a summer camp in Manhattan, New York? 

2.) “I thought I was the only kid of The Big Three gods.” “You are now.” Up until this point of the story, the audience is led to believe that Percy is the only kid of the Big Three gods in ages. Come to find out, there was a child of the Big Three gods that lived before him, but she died protecting her friends. Not only does it make the audience scared for Percy and his future, but it makes us scared for all demigods. The musical portrays this beautifully.

3.) “And maybe if I’d been a little bit braver, maybe if I stayed behind to fight, but ‘maybe’ doesn’t let me go back and save her. ‘Maybe’ doesn’t make it alright.” As Grover sings these lines, I think back to that scene when Percy insists on avenging his mom and fighting the minotaur, and Grover pleads with him to reach the border. He must have known surviving a fight with a minotaur, especially as a untrained demigod, meant a slim chance of survival, yet he watched his friend swallow his fear and fight anyway, probably reminding him of another demigod he knew. This had to have been incredibly traumatic for Grover to relive his darkest moments. 

4.) “As she died, he turned her into a tree so she could stand protecting us, forever.” How is it that even in her dying moments, her father still assigned her a task? I don’t mean to ruin the sentiment of this line, but it makes me wonder if the gods really do care about their children, or if they see them as chess pieces. At least Thalia’s a beacon of safety, for what it’s worth.

5.) “And it’s there reminding me of all I failed to be.” Grover is a protector. It is his job to find demigods and guide them to safety, and each time he succeeds, he has to face the tree that serves as a painful reminder of the one time he didn’t.

Not-so-fun fact: I already did a version of this post, but when I saved it to my drafts, it wasn’t there 😑 So, yippee.

Anyway, this song does an amazing job at highlighting Grover’s role in the story. He is such an important character in the series, and it’s a shame he wasn’t in the HOO series all that much. 

[danikore-does-pole]

Thinking about tree on the hill today

"So she could stand protecting us forever, the way I couldn't do for her" Grover ;-;

how do you think he feels now she's a hunter? Guilty? Relieved? Does he still feel like her protector but knows theres nothing he can do for her anymore?

[sorryiwasasleep]

Thinking about a seven year old Annabeth who starts sitting next to the Pine Tree every night.

“Hey Thalia! Today I…”

The others think it’s cute at first and not doing any harm, so they let her.

She does this for years.

Every night, without fail, after dinner, but before bed, you can find Annabeth Chase sitting at the top of Half-Blood Hill telling a tree about her day.

Telling her best friend.

Luke hates it with a burning passion, but Annabeth just looks so sad, so broken every time he tries to tell her Thalia isn’t listening, that she’s gone, that she was taken from them, so he lets it happen too. Even joins her sometimes.

(And if he gets caught by Chiron after curfew one night in late December screaming and sobbing and physically fighting the tree, cursing at the gods and begging with the bark for it to just be Thalia again, well, he’ll never tell Annabeth that’s for damn sure).

But then Luke goes on his quest.

And it goes horribly.

And he comes back angry, angrier than Annabeth has ever seen him, and scarred and bitter and he barely even looked at her when she visited him in the infirmary, won’t tell her anything at all about the quest, jaw clenched and rage radiating off him. She’s scared by it.

And she’s ten years old at this point and full of logic and she knows it’s silly, but dryads can listen when they’re sleeping in their trees, so she figures it’s not illogical to think that if Thalia is at all still in there, maybe she’s listening too.

She goes up the hill the night Luke is finally back on his feet to talk to Thalia about it.

And Luke is waiting for her.

And she smiles and picks up her pace because she thinks maybe he’s coming around, maybe being out in the world made him think about all the time when they were running and hiding, made him miss Thalia too instead of just his usual anger that she was gone. Maybe he was going to tell them both what happened!

None of those things occur.

Instead, Luke screams at her.

“Thalia is gone, she’s dead. We can’t just sit around and pretend she’s still here. You’re too old to keep doing this Annabeth.” He spits out the words like they hurt. “The gods could have saved her but didn’t because they were cowards, afraid of the threat she might pose, without even considering that they could use threatening.” He finishes his rant with a snarl, his one eye not currently patched glaring up in challenge at the sky.

And it terrifies Annabeth.

She’d started crying right when he raised his voice, but then the things he actually said?

“Y-you don’t mean that Luke. You don’t.” Her words tumble out of her mouth. She’s shaking now, trying to suppress the sobs that want to escape her.

He just scoffs and shakes his head. “I do.” He throws a look of disdain at Thalia’s tree and strolls back down the hill.

She doesn’t understand this. She doesn’t understand why Luke is so angry. What happened to him?

She sits on the hill and sobs and tries to talk to Thalia about it, but the words catch in her throat.

Luke apologizes in the morning and tells her about his quest and Annabeth accepts the apology and is once again awestruck by him, even if he hadn’t completed the goal he was given because he got to fight a dragon.

And Annabeth’s feet take her to the bottom of the hill as they do every night, but she’s stopped by a wave of shame.

And the thought that maybe Luke is right.

Maybe she does need to start moving on.

Make a friend who can talk back.

She stops talking to the Pine Tree.

(And somewhere in a haze Thalia’s dreams get a little less interesting)

[cygnus-is-tired]

[united-under-skyfall]

trying so so hard not to think about grover underwood rn. how he was given the mission of a lifetime and failed brutally, had to watch someone he considered a friend and a ward die right in front of him. how afterwards he was disgraced for it by his elders instead of receiving support, how he had to stay at camp with annabeth and luke even though all of them know what happened, all of them were there, and probably spent years wondering if they didn't hate him, weren't furious every time he refused to meet their eyes, how it probably felt like a confirmation when they found out luke had turned traitor. how he became best friends with percy and lied to him the whole time; knew the whole time that this kid's life was in his hands, that the last time this happened, the camp's forest gained another tree and their death toll rose a little higher. the anxiety of getting closer and closer to camp but never being sure, of seeing thalia's tree while percy fights a minotaur only feet from where she'd died. realizing he's failed, again, except this time he's failed percy and his mother both, because sally jackson is dead and it's all his fault. and then he's on a cross country road trip where half the gods and every monster within a hundred miles of wherever they happen to be are trying to kill them, with two of his best friends in the world who a) are constantly at each other's throats and b) have every reason to hate him. saving sally jackson and having to come to terms with the fact that it's still not enough, not really, because he still can't save thalia, except then something else does (only after he has to watch her die all over again, and their protection with it), and it's his worst mistake thrown back in his face again, living, walking, breathing, and wouldn't this all be easier if she was angry with him? watching his god, that generations of his people have spent literally thousands of years searching for, that embodies everything he cares about, everything he seeks to be, to protect, that they kept alive in a dying world with the sheer power of their dedication and belief, fade in front of his eyes. being given a piece of a dead god's soul and having to just live with that while all his friends (who are children) (who he failed) (who he can't see die again) (who he's going to anyway) are preparing for a war that none of them are sure the world is going to make it out of. and, you know, with all that to consider, maybe it's not all that surprising that pan's gone for good now. maybe that's terrifying. maybe he doesn't know what to do next. just. grover.

[boygirlctommy]

watched percy jackson 👍 i am not going to be normal about grover in all honestly i cant even pretend. we get to see HIS point of view in certain parts?? im going to explode im going to explode im going to explode

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

I am not immune to the pjo regression guys

[lucky-numberme]

watching the Percy Jackson show with my girlfriend who didn't read the books is fun because he gets to feed his inner Greek myth child, and I get to unlock several visceral childhood emotions I didn't even know still existed

[birdiewriteslit]

Hi ! I just love your writing ! ❤️ Also, I was wondering if you could write a story in which the reader is Thalia’s sister and dating Luke. The reader always thought that Luke liked Thalia and thinks that Luke only dates her because she reminds him of Thalia. She shares her doubts with Annabeth who tries to comfort her and Luke overhears their conversation. Then Luke talks to the reader about it reassuring he loves her for her and it’s all fluffy. Also, to add little angst, the reader has been traumatized by Thalia’s “transformation” and beats herself up thinking that it’s her fault that her sister is a tree.

thank you so much! sure, i can do this!!

luke castellan x daughter of zeus!reader

warnings: angst, self doubt, trauma, fluff at the end

sorry if this is bad i haven’t written angst in a hot minute

Your memory of the day you arrived at camp was still as vivid as it was when it happened. You, Grover, Annabeth, Luke, and your little sister were on the run from a horde of monsters, all of them attracted to the strong scent of the daughters of Zeus.

You were sprinting up the hill, breath ragged. Luke, Annabeth, and Grover were ahead of you. “We’re almost there!” Grover shouted. “Just keep running!”

You were exhausted, running for days with no help from any of your godly parents, but you had to keep going.

You looked back to make sure Thalia hadn’t fallen behind, but she had her shield up, showing Medusa’s face to the monsters that were catching up.

“We can’t outrun them!” she yelled. “I can slow them down, go on without me!”

Thalia started to run toward the monsters, but you grabbed her arm. “I can’t let you go. We can make it, please try to keep going.”

“I have to! Aegis will keep them at bay for a little while. It’s me they’re following,” she reasoned, her eyes stormy and unyielding.

“Thalia, don’t. They want me too. I’ll go instead, I won’t let you die for me,” you proposed desperately.

“You’re always doing things for me, let me do this for you. Let me repay my big sister.” She pulled her arm out of your grasp and turned to run at the monsters before you could stop her.

“Come on!” Grover yelled from the top of the hill, Annabeth and Luke now far in front of him. “They’re catching up!”

“I’m not leaving her!” you protested. Grover met you in the middle and grabbed hold of your arm, practically dragging you to camp as you shouted several curses at him. “Let me go!”

“I can’t. My mission is to get you across that border, and I’m not letting two of you die for the rest of us.” Grover was gritting his teeth, struggling to keep hold of you as you made it across the boundary.

You watched in horror as Thalia jabbed with her spear and missed, the Fury’s whip coming down hard and hitting her over the head, knocking her to the ground. She didn’t get up.

The biggest lightning bolt you’d ever seen struck the ground, sending the hellhounds into a panic. The monsters retreated, half victorious, as they only managed to kill one of you.

From the place where Thalia died, a large pine was growing rapidly out of the ground, and a magical force field spread across the woods, strengthening the border you just crossed.

Luke grabbed your shoulder, forcing you to turn away from the scene. His eyes were cast to the ground. He couldn’t look. “Come on,” he said, his voice breaking.

You walked past the strawberry fields with Luke’s arm around your shoulders keeping you stable. You couldn’t say anything. You knew that if you did, you would break down.

Annabeth was sobbing beside Grover, who was leading the three of you to the Big House, where Chiron stood on the porch, looking solemn. You weren’t even shocked by his centaur form. The image of Thalia’s body hitting the ground was still replaying in your mind.

You woke with a start, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Five years later, and you still had nightmares like this. It was always the same scene over and over. You could never escape that night.

You slowly sat up in your bed, pulling the covers back and placing your feet on the cold marble floor. You rubbed at your eyes, sighing as you knelt at your father’s statue in the middle of the cabin.

You never shared this space with Thalia, but you missed her like you had. Sometimes you would dream of her and you when you were small, and you would expect to wake up and see her asleep on the other side of the room.

You stared into the reflecting pool around the statue, barely recognizing who was looking back at you. The girl in the water was tired, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

Looking up at your father’s carved face, you felt that familiar feeling of resentment. He had never helped you. When you were on the run, the only gift he gave was weapons for you and Thalia to defend yourselves with.

After you were claimed, it was like you never existed to him. He never answered your prayers, and he was never there for you when you needed him.

When you needed help facing Ladon on Luke’s quest, he was absent from the sky. You were forced to return to camp, two failures who learned to never rely the gods for help.

Luke was the only one you could relate to in that way. After that quest, you thought of each other differently. Finding that common ground changed your friendship into something more.

Sometimes you wondered if Luke saw Thalia when he looked at you. There would be moments where he would look at you like your sister was staring back, and he would get this sad glint in his eyes.

You certainly didn’t see her in your reflection. You’d looked for so long to find something that reminded you of her, but you could never find something good.

You had an aggression problem, which was about the only thing about you that resembled your sister. The only people you got along with were your boyfriend, Annabeth, and Grover.

Everybody at camp stayed clear of you anyways, as they were afraid of what you might do to them. Of course, you were more powerful than the others, and they were scared of that.

The day was off to a rough start. You were fifteen minutes late for breakfast, and when you entered the pavilion, heads turned. You were used to getting stared at, so you were able to ignore it.

You ate by yourself, keeping your head down. After breakfast, your first activity of the day was Ancient Greek with Annabeth.

You were reading out a boring passage to her when she stopped you at the end of a paragraph. “Are you having nightmares again?” she asked tentatively.

You looked up from the book. “Why do you ask?”

“You were late to breakfast. You’ve been looking so tired this past week. I’m worried. Luke’s worried. He says you’ve been distant,” she analyzed.

You sighed. “Yeah, I’ve been having them again. It’s the same as it’s always been.” You rubbed your hands over your tired eyes. “I can’t get it out of my head.”

“You haven’t told Luke?”

“No, I don’t want to stress him out. Besides, he probably sees enough of Thalia in me. Honestly, I think that’s why he’s with me. We all lost her that night, and he just needs something to remind him of her,” you confessed gloomily, picking at the corners of the pages.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise. “What are you talking about? Luke has liked you as long as I’ve known you. Thalia meant a lot to him, but you’re different from her. You mean something different to him.”

“Do you really think that’s why I’m with you?” Luke said, rounding the corner of the porch and making himself known. He had a hurt expression on his face.

“I’ll leave you alone,” Annabeth said awkwardly, standing up from her chair and hurrying away from the Big House.

“Luke, I-“

“I’m sorry to eavesdrop, but you can’t really think that.” He sat down next to you and pulled your hands away from the book pages. “Annabeth’s right, I’ve liked you forever. Thalia was like a little sister to me. The only time you remind me of her is when you get angry, and I’m not with you because of your anger,” he reassured, trying to make you believe him.

“Why are you with me?” Your voice came out small, and you were afraid of what he would say.

He shook his head, taking your face in his hands. “So many reasons. You’re smart, brave, and resourceful. You’re strong and beautiful. Honestly, you could name anything you don’t like about yourself and I promise you that I would love you regardless.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes,” he said sincerely.

You took a deep breath, ready to be honest with him. “In my nightmares, I see us on the night Thalia died. I see the moment she slipped away from me and I left her to fight on her own. I’m such a bad sister,” you admitted, voice breaking a little.

Luke looked pained at your words. His thumb was quick to wipe away a tear that had fallen. “What happened wasn’t your fault. Thalia was stubborn, once she got an idea in her head she wouldn’t let it go. You know that. If we let you go too, we would’ve lost you both. We couldn’t risk that.”

You were silent, taking in his reasoning and knowing that he was right. You leaned forward and kissed his lips softly. “Thank you, Luke,” you said quietly, resting your forehead against his.

“Of course.” He pushed a stray hair behind your ear. “Do you want me to sleep in your cabin tonight?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright.” Luke pulled away and smiled at you. “What do you say we go zap some Dionysus kids in the strawberry fields?”

“That sounds like a great idea.” You grinned, already feeling much better.

[starkeyboy]

no you can’t catch me now

luke castellan x zeus!reader

imagine you are thalia because this song SCREAMS her

i immediately thought her and my fingers couldn’t stop writing :)

“There's blood on the side of the mountain

There's writing all over the wall

Shadows of us are still dancin'

In every room and every hall”

i laid on the ground as blood soaked the leaves. the screaming of the people i love most, going off to the distance. luke’s face appearing every time i closed my eyes. oh luke. the love of my life. the first. and the last.

i love you luke castellan.

°°°

i ran through the trees, luke and annabeth in front, grover in tow behind me.

“keep running! don’t look back,” grover screamed behind me. i knew deep down that if grover didn’t make it back, his dreams were gone. but he swore to protect us. my running slowed as luke and annabeth didn’t take one look back, grover getting ahead, he noticed i wasn’t in front. grover stopped and looked at me as i stopped.

“go grover,” i said as rain soaked us. grover shook his head and he went to grab my arm. i took a step back as the two up on the hill stopped and screaming my name. i looked at them as i smiled. oh how i loved them.

“no y/n, you’re gonna make it, if we keep running, come on!” he screamed as i took every step back when he fell forward. i heard the monster behind me get closer.

“they don’t want you or them, grover, they want me. that’s all they want,” i yelled over the thunder. i nodded and he shook his head.

“please y/n, run with us to safety” he pleaded. i looked up once as i saw luke running down, to get me, to drag me uphill.

“grover, tell luke i love him. please,” i said as i smiled softly thinking of him. i turned around as everyone’s yell at me grew quiet. lukes running grew faster as i drew my dagger, a gift from dad. the monster close.

“i love you so much” was the last thing i said because before i knew it, i was looking at the monster as it snarled at me.

°°°

lukes pov

i let out an agonizing scream as y/n lied on the grown as the monster ran. i dropped to my knees as tears spilled from my eyes. i felt arms grab onto me as lighting strikes the grown where she laid. roots growing. a tree forming, a pine tree. her favorite tree.

“you wanna know why i love these kind of trees in the woods?” she said as i smiled at her, awed by her fascination of the world. i raised my eyebrows in question. “pine trees are majestic luke. they survive the cold, the heat, the storms. survival at its finest. and they provide beautiful pine cones, which smell amazing,” she smiled at me brightly. when she looked at me, it was like the world paused. it was just me and her.

“i hope one day when i die, i come back as a pine tree, giving me a full life through everything, protecting others as they pass, a shelter for those who need it most.”

the memory of just a day ago repeating in my head for days on end.

everywhere i looked, she was there. in the cabin, the mess hall, the arena. the woods.

“Bet you thought I'd never do it

Thought it'd go over my head

I bet you figured I'd pass with the winter

Be somethin' easy to forget

Oh, you think I'm gone 'cause I left”

the more i trained and the more i picked up fights, you would think i would move on easily. but there was always this one light that brought me back to y/n. always back to the pine tree.

the day we got to camp was the worst day of my life. everyone said camp was a safe place for half-bloods. why did y/n die? why didn’t zeus save her, huh?

camp was no longer called safe when she left us. when she sacrificed her life for us.

“oh, hey,” i heard behind me. i furrowed my eyebrows as i turned to find nobody. “i’m right here, luke, right in front of you.” i looked in front of me and saw the tree.

“y/n?” i whispered in disbelief.

“yeah, honey, it’s me,” she said softly as i felt a caress on my cheek. “you can’t see me but i’m here, i’m not leaving.” i felt a tear fall from my eye as i thought of her.

“i miss you so much,” i let out a sob. i leaned my head on the trunk of the tree. “so much”

“oh luke” she whispered. “i never left you, im here forever for you and with you”

“But I'm in the trees, I'm in the breeze

My footsteps on the ground

You'll see my face in every place

But you can't catch me now

Through wading grass, the months will pass

You'll feel it all around

I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere

But you can't catch me now

No, you can't catch me now”

i grunted as the monster got my cheek, feeling the blood drip off my cheek. i drew my sword and swung at it, but it kept growing stronger.

“fuck you, dad, fuck you,” i growled as i felt my fate. the monster above me now as he dripped of slobber. his mouth opened, emitting fire. i closed my eyes, ready for the impact, but nothing happened. i felt a force and lighting strike happening in front of my eyes. it let me get up and run after hearing her whisper to me.

“run, luke, go!”

°°°

i sat in front of y/n as i planted a new flower for her. i can feel annabeths, grover’s and percy’s eyes on me.

today was the 5th year of her passing and every year, i grow a new flower, whether it be strawberries on accident or not.

“what’s he doing?” i heard percy said.

“planting y/n a new flower. she sacrificed her life 5 years ago today and 5 years ago today we i got the privilege to feel y/ns warmth as her tree gives the camp life. lukes way to thank her is gifting her natures beauty,” annabeth explained.

i sighed as i touched the trunk gently.

“i’m not gonna let anyone hurt you, i promise. im so sorry i couldn’t promise that 5 years ago today,” i whispered as a tear of mine dropped to the ground. i felt arms wrap around me, her familiar scent filling my nose.

“i promised that nobody would hurt you when i died, and i will always fulfill that. because no body can stop me. no body can catch me now,” she said as she touched my scar. the feeling of her touch felt comforting.

“There's blood on the side of the mountain

It's turning a new shade of red

Yeah, sometimes the fire you founded

Don't burn the way you'd expect

Yeah, you thought that this was the end”

y/ns pov

i smiled as i laid on the ground, my blood soaking the hill. the snarl of the monster disappeared. i heard luke behind me scream as i felt arms wrap around me.

“oh darling,” the voice said. “oh darling,” he kept whispering. i closed my eyes as luke filled my head. the arms around me tightening, the wind calming, the rain stopping, the smell of pine filling my nose.

“this isn’t your ending, darling” he said and i was gone.

[cobrakaisb]

call me, beep me, if you want to reach me

summary: percy, annabeth, and grover have some great news about their quest, but something is off about their hypothesis  

word count: 2.8k

featuring: reader and annabeth’s relationship, slightly steamy reader and luke scene, more percabeth crumbs, fluff and angst  

author's note: IM BACKKKKK...this one took me forever, and i am so sorry about that! between finals, coming home from college, and just dealing with life in general it has been a real struggle BUT we are finally back on the luke train 🤩 and trust, these next few parts are about to get real...anyways, enjoy 💗

series masterlist ||| previous ||| next

you run to the top of the hill, calling out to the three kids before they can cross the protective barrier surrounding camp half-blood.

“i just wanted to wish you guys good luck before you leave, although i’m sure you won’t need it,” you explain, walking up to the trio. 

annabeth smiles at you. there’s an excited gleam in her eyes, and you remember how she’s been waiting for this for years -- her chance at glory.

“thanks,” percy mumbles, not really knowing what to say. 

“i just…be safe okay?” you whisper, hands gripping tightly at annabeth’s shoulders while you look directly at her. 

she nods, “i will. i promise.” 

you nod in agreement, lips pursed in a tight line as you struggle to keep your emotions at bay. over the course of your years at camp, the bond between you and annabeth has grown exponentially. you love her like a little sister, one you’d do anything to protect. it scares you to think about her, a twelve year old kid, in the real world with no one looking out for her this time. 

she senses your anguish, and pulls you into a tight hug. you freeze at first, not used to the affection from her, but ultimately wrap your arms around her small frame. the two of you stand there for a minute, embracing each other, but break apart when luke calls out to you from the bottom of the hill. 

“it’s time to go,” he yells, and you imagine his pointed look and crossed arms. luke was just as worried as you, but he found it necessary to hide those feelings, claiming it was best for annabeth’s sake. you disagreed. 

you nod, stepping away from the kids, back towards the chaos of camp, “i’ll see you at the solstice.”

you watch, with your stomach in knots from nerves and a mouth full of anxiety, as the kids step past thalia’s tree and into the world of monsters.      

that was almost four days ago, and still no word from the trio. percy, annabeth, and grover were on their quest to find and return zeus’s master bolt, but the radio silence worries you. while you didn’t expect them to call every day to say good night — they needed to save their dracmas — you at least expected some type of update by now. the lack thereof leaves a nervous feeling in your stomach; something isn’t right, you know it, but you can’t quite determine what. 

“those are called feelings sweetie,” katrina replies when you explain your current predicament to her.

you suck your teeth at her words, shoving her shoulder as you mumble, “shut up.”

“i’m being serious! since when do you care about three twelve year olds? no scratch that, since when do you care about anybody?” she shouts, throwing her hands up. 

you look down at your converse, arms crossing over your bent knees as you sit and look at the rippling water. i care about luke, you think, and all those kids who will never experience a true family thanks to our parents. i care about you, and our friendship. i care about grover, who’s too kind for his own good. the list goes on and on, but you don’t say any of those names out loud. 

instead you respond with, “i care about annabeth.”

katrina openly scoffs at your words, leaning back on her palms. “oh please, i’m talking about that little blonde.” 

you sigh, looking at her over your shoulder. her short hair rustles in the breeze, and the unruly curls from spending the day in the water makes her possess a childlike innocence. if you didn’t know katrina, you’d think she was a sweet girl who’d chew you out for swearing, but you do know her; she’s anything but, and the constant taunting and teasing proves that. 

“there’s something different about percy,” you explain with a shrug. 

“yeah, it’s called your need to play mommy,” she mumbles. 

“oh shut up,” you gripe, getting up from your spot on the dock. you make sure to kick her calf, not too hard, on your way back to hera’s cabin. 

“harder,” luke commands, despite the sweat dripping down both of their faces. 

percy groans, throwing his head back in frustration. they’ve been going at it for hours, practicing various techniques and maneuvers with wooden swords. while percy’s claiming was still new, and his slaying of the minotaur with no experience was still the talk of the camp, it was obvious to everyone that he needed to train. there’s an impending war coming, and the blonde boy has found himself right in the middle of it. 

but he doesn’t even know what it is, you think, stepping into the dirt of the practice arena. 

“give him a break, luke. he needs some hydration,” you exclaim, holding up two refillable water bottles. 

they’re dripping in condensation, the ice from the pavilion already melting in the sweltering heat courtesy of long island summers. luke grumbles something under his breath, probably about how he doesn’t need a break, but takes the bottle from you with a squeeze of your hip. he stays close to your side as he drinks the water, and instead of giving him your attention, you’re busy looking over percy. 

“there’s a cut on your forehead,” you say, pushing back some of his curls to get a better look. 

“yeah, your boyfriend nicked me,” he replies, gesturing to luke with his chin. 

“it was an accident! how many times do i have to tell you?” luke defends.

“a lot more. i’m great at holding grudges,” percy announces, and you roll your eyes. 

“and that’s why you’re becoming friendly with annabeth?” you tease.

luke raises his eyebrows at your statement, looking over at the smaller boy, whose cheeks are suddenly a very dark shade of red. 

“that’s different,” he grumbles, pouring the remaining water on his head. 

“uh huh, right. whatever floats your boat i guess,” you reply, patting his cheek in a motherly fashion. percy swerves with an eye roll fit for a teenager. 

“anyways, i’ll let you guys get back to it,” you announce, turning to face luke. 

you kiss his cheek, and his palm splays across your waist. he gives it a gentle squeeze, a small sign of affection in a hasty moment. you smile at him, leaning into his chest to whisper, “go easy on him.” 

“he’s training with the best swordsman in camp, he knows what to expect,” luke replies, cocky as ever, as you pat his sweaty chest three times before walking away. 

the training arena is packed when you arrive, brimming with younger kids and blaring noisy chatter. they’re all clad in some sort of battle armor: shields, bronze chest plates, and celestial bronze swords. it takes a minute for them to notice your presence, but when they do they part like the red sea. most of them have the sense to keep quiet, watching you with nervous eyes and wary glances, fueled by the words of their older siblings no doubt. others, the more gutsy of the bunch, have the courage to whisper the exact words they heard from their siblings, warning their friends about you and your anger. you, however, are focused on finding the tallest head amongst the group; the one housing messy, onyx curls. 

“he’s up front, helping jimmy with his armor,” a young girl whispers shyly, drawing designs in the dirt with the tip of her sword.

you stop walking, turning to face her. she’s young, no older than eight, and you feel the edges of your hard exterior soften from the sight of her pigtails and pink twinkle toes. you smile softly at her, hoping that it doesn’t scare her off. 

“thank you,” you say, “i love your shoes.” she smiles at your words, giggling quietly to herself as a small blush coats her cheeks. 

just as she goes to answer, luke appears at your side with, who you can only assume, is jimmy. you smile softly at him, ready to explain why you’re here in the first place, but luke beats you to it:

“let me just give them some instructions, then we can talk, okay?” he whispers, his free hand taking its place on the small of your back.

you hum in agreement, watching fondly as he takes charge of the large group of young demigods. he instructs them to practice the methods he just demonstrated in pairs, explaining that he’ll be walking around to give feedback once he’s done talking to you. as the kids partner up, he leads you to the side of the arena, where he finally meets your gaze with a raised brow. 

“what?” you ask, crossing your arms at his confused stare. 

“you never come here while i’m teaching lessons,” he answers.

“well, maybe i’m starting to,” you reply. 

luke scoffs at your words, “no shot. what’s really going on?” 

“i could be!” 

“but you’re not. you hate their judgy, beady, little eyes. so, what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours to make you seek me out while i’m in the middle of lessons?” he continues, his fingers playing with the waistband of your shorts. 

you take a deep breath, meeting his chocolate brown eyes on the exhale, and state your concerns: “i’m worried. why haven’t we heard from them yet? it’s been days, and it’s not like annabeth to keep us completely in the dark.” 

luke sighs at your words, “i’m sure they’re fine.” 

you raise your eyebrows at his unexpected answer. this is luke, the same guy who refused to let you and annabeth out of his sight during capture the flag, talking? not a chance. 

“so you’re not worried, at all?” you ask, searching for the true reason behind his lack of worry. 

luke clenches his jaw at your words, looking away from you as he stares off into the distance. his eyebrows furrow, and you can see something flicker across his face. you don’t know what it is, but you know he’s battling something within himself. 

“luke?” you ask softly, resting your hand on his bicep. 

he shakes his head, a carefree smile taking over his face as he says, “it’s annabeth. she’s the smartest, most careful person i know. nothing’s wrong.” 

you eye him warily, and nod your head slowly, “right. i guess i’m just overthinking.” 

luke smiles, a teasing look in his eyes as he nudges your foot with his own. you look up at him, a breathy laugh escaping your lips as you meet his playful gaze. 

“you always are,” he mumbles, followed by a loud laugh as you shove his shoulder. 

he plants a quick kiss on your temple, hands rubbing up and down your sides before whispering, “i’ll stop by your cabin tonight. once they’re all tucked in.” 

you hum in agreement, watching as he departs from your side and heads to the closest duo to provide feedback.  

****

the door creaks open, and luke slips inside before the harpies register the noise. you’re already awake, patiently waiting for him on the singular cot in the cabin. the eternal flames of the fire pit burn brightly, leaving dangerous shadows on your face, illuminating the storm brewing inside. 

“you’re late,” you quip, not even bothering to look up from your book. 

you’re laying on your stomach, propped up on your forearms with a paperback book in your hands. you’re in your usual sleep attire, shorts and a tank top, and luke has to physically hold back a groan. he’s never wanted you so badly in his life, but instead of expressing that desire, he apologizes for his actions.

“some of the younger campers were arguing, you know i had to settle that,” he whispers, burying his face between your neck and left shoulder. 

luke kisses your bare skin, slightly warmed from all the sun you’ve been getting recently. your head tilts, giving him access to more skin, and he doesn’t deny that. his lips move to your neck, leaving more than a few marks. 

“careful. hera’s watching,” you tease, closing the cover of your book. 

“let her,” he mumbles, practically moaning when you thread your fingers through his hair. 

“oh you’d love that,” you taunt, tugging on his curls. 

luke’s right arm wraps around your waist, flipping you onto your back, while his left pushes your book to the floor. your mouth falls open in shock, and you gasp quietly. he smirks at your expression, feeling satisfied to have you speechless. before you can ruin the moment, he captures your mouth with his. 

the kiss is rough, all tongue and teeth. his left hand settles next to your head, while his right tugs your hips closer to his. your fingers are still lodged into his curls, and you use them to keep his face pressed against yours. he pulls back, gasping for air, but keeps his forehead planted against your skin. before he can reconnect your lips, you’re kissing all over his face.

“missed you,” you murmur in between kisses. 

luke sighs, relaxing into your arms as the tension from camp counselor duties and other activities leaves his body. he knows eventually he’s going to have to tell you. he thinks it will be something like ripping off a band aid. but, for now, when he has you so eagerly in his arms, and he’s content with baring the brunt of the burden. besides, the kids aren’t even close to figuring out the truth, he’s sure of it. 

****

“we know who stole the bolt,” percy announces, nothing but confidence in his voice. 

luke falters, but only for a second, before asking, “how do you know?”

immediately, annabeth starts rambling. she mentions an encounter with ares, how he knows who the thief is, but was clearly covering for them. as she talks, luke realize that their suspicions are anything but correct, in fact, they’re so far into leftfield it’d be considered a homerun. yet, he runs with it, not willing to give himself up.

“so who would ares cover for?” annabeth finishes, waiting for luke to answer. 

“his favorite daughter. clarisse is the lightning thief,” he answers, making sure to sound shocked by their groundbreaking discovery. 

“chrion’s got to arrest her, find out what she knows. there’s more to this than just the bolt, something bigger,” percy explains.

luke and annabeth share a look of uncertainty, one that percy picks up on because he quickly adds, “don't ask me how i know, you’ve just got to trust me.” 

as luke is about to assure the kids that he’ll get to it straight away, you walk into the office. 

“talking to yourself again, castellan? i knew you were crazy but not this off the rocker,” you tease, stepping closer to his side. 

as you approach, you see the faces of annabeth and percy in the mist. you smile at the sight of them. while they look tired, they seem pretty intact and much better off than you expected.

“how’s your quest going?” you ask, hoping to hear some positive news. 

“not too bad. between ares, the chimera and medusa, i’d say we’re doing pretty good,” percy exclaims.

your eyes widen at his words, and you look to luke to see what his reaction is, but he’s not even looking at you. instead he’s watching the two demigods arguing about which monster occurred each day. he smirks at the sight of them, gently bumping his hip with yours before saying, “what is this?”

“what?” annabeth answers, confusion written all over her face. 

“since when did you guys turn into an old married couple?” luke continues to tease, and you smile at the kids’ shocked faces. percy blushes at luke’s comment, and annabeth makes a point to avoid your gaze.

“not to change the subject, but we need your advice luke. we’re going to vegas and…” before percy can say another word, the iris message cuts out, the connective screen dissipating along with the rainbow that brought it here.

“well that was entertaining,” you joke, turning to face your boyfriend. 

you expect him to laugh at your words, but his face is set into a hard line. his arms are crossed and jaw clenched as he stares at the spot where annabeth and percy’s faces were previously occupying. his thoughts are clearly running a mile a minute, and you step into his line of sight, calling out to him. 

“they think they know who the lightning thief is,” he grumbles, gaze still distant and cold. 

“what? who?” you ask, stepping closer to him. while it’s only the two of you in the room, you don’t want to risk anyone else hearing; this isn’t the sort of thing that should be spread around camp, even if you hate the majority of the people here. 

“clarisse,” he starts, “but they’re wrong.” 

“how do you know?” you ask, nothing but confusion plastered all over your face. 

“because it’s actually me,” luke replies, finally meeting your gaze.

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