#Jackson fluff

[kpopimaginings]

Family Man - Jackson Wang

A/N: I got a request about Jackson getting married and having a family and it gave me an excuse to write this little scenario.

Jackson was, and had always been, an incredibly hard worker, this was something you knew when you agreed to date him. There were times you'd be left home alone while he worked, and when you had then got engaged you didn't expect this to change. However, as your relationship had grown more and more serious you were being invited to more work events with him. After you married, you were essentially a full-time wife. Jackson had urged you to quit your job in favour of travelling the word with him. What you hadn't expected was for him to announce he was taking a hiatus from music when you found out you were expecting your daughter, Ellie.

Very quickly his world came to revolve around the tiny human the two of you had made together. He couldn't stop himself writing music and did manage to come up with a whole new albums worth of material inspired by his girls, but he kept his work close to home. By the time he was ready to tour again, your baby was a walking, talking toddler and the two of you were going along with him.

You had your doubts at first, thinking that touring with his family was going to be difficult or distracting, but Jackson made it work. You would normally take Ellie exploring, letting her see the world and learn new things, until one day, Jackson approached you with a different plan.

So, that evening you found yourself side of stage with Ellie in your arms, a pair of large yellow headphones to block the sound. With a good luck kiss from each of you, Jackson took to the stage.

There was something strange about seeing him perform again. You hadn't watched him since finding out you were pregnant, so being there again, with your daughter in your arms felt really special. You had worried she would be bored or wouldn't react well, but she was thoroughly engrossed in watching her father perform.

At a break in the set list, Jackson grabbed his handheld mic and addressed the audience. "Now, you guys won't know this, but tonight is a really special show for me, as there is someone here I'd like to introduce you to."

He quickly ran to the side of the stage to where you were. "Can I take her?" he asked you.

"If she wants you to," you replied. You knew full well that Jackson's Instagram was full of the two of you, so it's not like she was a secret.

"You wanna come with Daddy, angel?" he asked, holding his arms out. She very happily leaned towards him and you passed her over.

"Everyone," he said back into his mic. "This is my very special guest tonight, Ellie Wang. Ellie, do you want to say hi?"

He held the mic in front of her and she leant in towards it. "Hi!" she said happily with a little wave.

You heard some cheers and coos from the audience.

"Good girl," Jackson said, placing a kiss on her cheek. "This is the first time Ellie has been to one of my shows, so I'm super excited to have her here. Are you having fun?" he added looking back to her.

"Yeah, I'm with Mummy," she told the mic in front of her, sounding delighted by the whole thing.

"Do you wanna go back to her?" he asked, but she shook her head before burying her face in his shoulder.

He chuckled and continued to talk to the crowd while bouncing her, asking if they followed him on Instagram and telling little stories behind some of his photos.

"Ok," he said eventually, "Daddy needs to sing again, so it's time to go back to Mummy. Can you say goodbye to all my friends here?"

This time there were no words from her, but she did continue to wave until they reached you again.

Jackson had the biggest grin on his face as he passed Ellie back you. "I love you, girls."

"We love you too, now get back out there," you told him, before urging your daughter to clap for him as he went back.

As if you weren't already proud enough of your husband, watching the way he so seamlessly slid from dad, to husband, to performer, you knew that this was going to work. He could be 'Jackson Wang from China' and your family man.

NAVIGATION  |  GOT7 MASTERLIST

[jae-bummer]

Give Me That Chance

Request: Good morning! If requests are still open, can I get #17 with Jackson Wang please? Thank you for all your writing efforts and allowing us to submit ideas. ♥️

Prompt:

17) Your friend (who is already dating one of the members) sets you up with your bias.

Pairing: Got7 Jackson x Reader

Genre: Fluff

.

"Try on the pants, Y/N," your friend, Cass, hissed from across the clothing rack.

"I don't even like pants," you muttered, flipping quickly through the bell bottoms she had been trying to talk you into.

"Fine," she sighed. "What about this top?"

She held up something much smaller and slinkier than you would normally wear, causing you to make a face.

"Why not try something new?" she beckoned. "It's much more fun than what your brain is telling you it is."

"How would you know that?" you hummed. "My brain is very convincing."

Cass paused with a huff to check her phone. Looking back up at you, she lifted a brow. "You have approximately ten minutes to find something and try it on."

"Why ten minutes?" you asked, looking up in confusion. If you remembered correctly, you had both cleared your calendars for the day to spend some time together.

"Yugy-" she started, but you immediately scoffed.

"You're really bailing on me for Yugyeom?" you sighed. While a small ember of anger sat heavily in your gut, you understood on some level. With his unconventional job and complicated schedules, Cass had to take what time she could. It still didn't make the burn sting any less.

"Not bailing," she said, tilting her head. "You are more than welcome to join us-"

"No thank you," you nodded. If you had to awkwardly stand by while they swapped spit again, you would simply vomit on both of them.

"You're not going to be a third wheel if that's what you're thinking."

Of course that was what you were thinking.

"Jacks-"

You lifted a hand. "I'll stop you there."

"Oh come oooon," she groaned, following you as you walked away from the pants you hadn't wanted anyway. "If you just gave him a chance."

"He has one volume, Cass," you said, spinning around. "And it's loud."

"You've just never been around him in a nice, calm setting," she coaxed.

"Because you've only ever invited me to parties he's hosted," you said with an eye roll. "Why is he hosting so many parties anyway?"

She shrugged.

"I know he means well," you nodded. "He's just...a lot."

"Maybe you could use a lot," she sighed. "Haven't you ever thought of pushing your own boundaries? Having someone who could be a safe place for you AND provide encouragement when you were presented with opportunities that you weren't necessarily comfortable with?"

You blinked at her, trying to formulate a response. She wasn't totally off base, and you couldn't help but be annoyed by it.

Wiggling her brows, she lifted up the top you had hoped she abandoned. "Be a little reckless, Y/N."

Groaning, you snatched the garment from her. "Fine."

..

You pulled helplessly at the crisscrossing straps of the shirt you were wearing. It was complicated and took you at least ten minutes to figure out how to wear (based solely on trial and error). Now that you were in it, you couldn't lie to yourself. It was hot.

"Cass?" you called from the dressing room. "Do you want to see?"

After waiting for a few seconds in silence, you gripped the curtain door and slid it open.

"Well, damn," a voice that you weren't expecting growled.

Your eyes grew wide as you stared at someone you hadn't expected to see so soon. Jackson.

Squeaking, you stepped backward and yanked the curtain closed.

"Good to see you too," he chuckled.

You remained still, wrapping your arms around yourself protectively. Where was Cass?

"If it's not too much of an intrusion," Jackson chimed, pulling at the curtain. You looked up, scandalized, but quickly calmed as you saw he had a hand covering his eyes. "I would really like to stare at you a little longer in that."

You closed your eyes and scoffed. He was impossible, but you appreciated the ask for consent. Letting out a calming exhale, you opened your eyes again and dropped your arms.

Peeking through a gap he made in his fingers, he let out a low whistle. "Y/N, I didn't realize you could even look like that."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" you snapped, mildly offended but not entirely sure for what reason.

"I didn't mean it negatively!" he laughed, putting his hands up between the two of you. "I've just never seen you dressed in anything like this before."

"Jackson," you groaned, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Why are you here and what have you done with Cass?"

"Cass invited me here," he grinned. "She said you wanted to shop, but she had a dinner thing planned with Yugyeom."

Traitor.

"If my vote matters at all," he hummed, still unable to take his eyes off of you. "We should invest in that top."

Not long after you had closed the "door" of the dressing room, Jackson appeared at least another five times, announcing his presence with a "psst." Throwing clothes at you with each visit, it wasn't long before you were convinced you had modeled every piece of clothing the store had to offer.

Including the pants you had wanted nothing to do with.

After every outfit change and minutes of prolonged complaining, Jackson was generous with his compliments. When he didn't particularly like a style, he made sure to praise your own appearance and make sure you didn't feel like your body was the issue.

It was honestly one of the sweetest and most fun experiences you had ever had.

Once it was all over, he had even pulled his wallet out to pay. After a heated whisper-shout conversation at the counter, he eventually gave in only when you said you would get ice cream with him afterwards (and allow for him to treat of course).

...

You begrudgingly held the shopping bag at your side and held an ice cream cone in your opposite hand.

"This is so fun," Jackson smiled, walking happily beside you. It was difficult to be grumpy with someone so positive fluttering around you, but you were still a little irritated with the ambush.

"Mmm," you grumbled, licking the ice cream before it started to dribble down your hand.

"What flavor did you get?" he asked. Before you could answer, he took a bite out of the top of your scoop.

"Jacks!" you gasped, trying to decide if his action was gross or amusing. You guessed it depended on his oral hygiene.

"Mm chocolate chip cookie dough," he nodded. "Solid choice."

You let out a surprised, but small chuckle.

"Want some?" he asked, tilting his own ice cream your way.

"I'm good," you smirked, shaking your head.

"Suit yourself," he sighed, taking another long lick. "It's cream cheese and it's delicious."

Against your better judgement, you found yourself staring a little too hard at Jackson's actions. Sure, you had always taken him as Yugyeom's annoying friend, but you couldn't deny just how attractive he was. His focus in the direction of his ice cream cone only amplified that.

Get yourself together, Y/N.

Finally shaking the embarrassingly sexy cobwebs from your mind, you looked up to find Jackson watching you, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"What?" you croaked.

"You sure you don't want a taste?" he prodded, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

You weren't entirely certain if he was still talking about the ice cream or not.

"No thank you," you tried to say calmly, but felt your voice crack on the words.

Chuckling to himself, he motioned toward the opposite end of the food court. "Do you see them?"

Narrowing your eyes, you tried to pay attention to the couple he pointed out. They were a little older than you, both staring at each other lovingly over a romantic meal of Subway.

"I do."

"What do you think their story is?"

You shook your head and looked at Jackson again. "What do you mean?"

"Are you telling me you've never made-up backstories for complete strangers before?" he asked, lifting his brows.

"I-well, not-" you stuttered. You supposed you had, but it had never been pointed out so plainly before.

"There are so many joys in this life you have yet to experience," Jackson clucked, taking your mumbling as a "no." "I'm glad we're on this date so I can show you."

"This isn't a date," you said, rushing the words out.

Patting your knee with his free hand, he looked at you knowingly.

Shit, this was kind of a date now, wasn't it?

"Now, back to business," he insisted. "Tell me what you think about the guy."

Letting out a sigh, you decided to play his game. "I dunno. Clean cut, good looking, probably makes okay money."

"Now that we've established that you do have eyes and can see out of them," he laughed. "Tell me what you think about him, Y/N. What does he do in his spare time? Do you think that's his only girlfriend?"

"I'm sorry, what?" you gasped. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"While I'm a monogamous creature myself," he hummed. "Most guys around our age are not."

You furrowed your brow, trying to see across the food court to get a better look at the guy. "You know, he does kind of look like a dick."

"My thoughts exactly," he laughed. "I bet he works in Sales at his company. He thinks he's the hot shot. This girl works at the office with him and he finally sweet talked her into casually hanging out this weekend."

Jackson grinned from ear to ear before turning toward you. In the course of your conversation, you had both finished your food. "Now here's a question."

You crossed your arms, fixing him with a stare. Trying not to smile, you nodded your head, waiting to hear more commentary.

"What would people say if they were giving us a backstory?"

Your heart fluttered at the question. Opening your mouth to rush out something sarcastic, you paused. The way he looked at you was so open. You knew you had snubbed him so many times before, did he really deserve your attitude now?

"You first," you said quietly.

"Well," he started, making a show of assessing you, then himself. "I see a guy who has liked someone since the moment he met them."

Your mouth popped into an "o" shape of surprise. You knew Jackson harbored what you assumed was a schoolyard crush on you, but you had never considered taking him seriously. How could you when he was the definition of unseriousness?

He watched your reaction, his own expression unreadable. "And that someone is giving themselves every reason they can think of not to like him back."

You took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He wasn't wrong.

"Good assessment," you cringed.

During all of this talking, you weren't sure when your annoyance morphed into enjoyment. You instantly acknowledged Jackson being the cause for that change.

"So why is that?" he asked, tilting his head. "What's there not to like?"

"Do you really want the answer to that?" you teased.

"Okay, maybe not," he laughed. "I know when I'm pressing my luck and I don't really want hurt feelings today."

"Jacks," you sighed, shaking your head. A mental switch had flipped. "I guess I've never really given you a chance, have I?"

"Not even a tiny one," he smiled. He was so good natured; you weren't sure why he would even continue to try with you.

"What if..." you said slowly, trying to find your courage. "What if maybe I gave you a chance?"

He lifted his brows. It was your time to surprise him.

"A chance?" he said quietly. "Really? Outside of playing dress up? Outside of you watching me sensually lick-"

"Jackson!" you laughed, putting your hand on his knee to stop him. "This chance is fading quickly."

Jackson glanced down at where you touched him. Just as you were about to pull away, he set his hand atop of yours and interlaced your fingers. "Okay, okay."

His smiled was the biggest you had ever seen, especially considering you had witnessed him happily drunk on many occasions.

"Give me that chance."

[blu-joons]

Holding Your Baby For The First Time ~ Jackson Wang

A quick thanks came from both of you as the door to your delivery suite closed, with the midwifes checking over everything to make sure that the two of you could be left alone, with Jackson immediately pulling his chair across closer towards you.

His hand reached out straight away to brush over the top of your daughter’s head as she rested on your chest. He was in awe as he studied her, struggling to believe that something so small was his, and for the rest of his life too.

“Isn’t she just the sweetest?” You asked Jackson as your eyes watched over him and the delicate touch that he had as he brushed over her head.

“My heart has never felt so full,” Jackson whispered in reply.

From the moment he found out that you were pregnant, Jackson had had a smile on his face. He couldn’t wait for it all, and now that your daughter had finally arrived, he couldn’t wait for the many adventures that the three of you were about to go on.

It had been the best and the worst time of his life watching you in labour. There were plenty of times when Jackson wanted to help you, take the pain away, but he just couldn’t. He couldn’t wait for her to arrive, getting more and more excited with every passing minute though.

“Look at how perfectly she fits with you too,” Jackson laughed as his eyes continued to stare, “I can’t believe how incredible you are, you were amazing Y/N.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” you quickly assured Jackson.

His head shook back across at you, he knew that you were tough enough to do it yourself. He had wanted to do more if anything, make sure that you knew that he was there.

“I’ve had her for quite a while,” you told Jackson as you brought your hand up to rest against her back. “Do you want to hold her for a little while? She can’t spend the rest of the day on me, she needs to be with you too.”

“Are you sure?” Jackson quizzed, the confidence draining out of him as he reminded himself once again of just how small your daughter was on you.

Your head nodded as you slowly sat yourself upright, placing both of your hands onto your daughter to bring her properly into your hold. Jackson pulled himself even closer to you as he held his arms out, allowing you to slowly place your daughter into his hold.

“You’ve held a baby before, you’ve got this,” you told him as a sharp intake of breath came from him as soon as he felt your daughter touch him, worried that something bad might happen.

Jackson took a deep breath in as your arms slowly let her go, leaving her just in Jackson’s hold. “There feels like there’s so much more responsibility when you’re holding your child,” Jackson told you, shuffling back in his chair slightly.

Despite how nervous he was, he soon settled, staring down at your daughter with a wide smile on his face. It was the moment that Jackson had dreamt of several times whilst you were pregnant, impatiently waiting for the day when he’d be able to hold his daughter for the first time and let her know exactly who he was and how much he loved her.

You expected nothing less from Jackson as he looked across to you momentarily. “How does it feel to finally hold your daughter for the first time?”

“Surreal,” he chuckled, keeping his voice nice and quiet to make sure that he didn’t disturb her sleep. “I’ve pictured this so many times, and yet not a single dream that I’ve had compares to just how magical it actually feels to finally be able to hold her.”

You pushed yourself further up your bed too to be able to sit properly in front of the two of them. “I wish we could just stay like this together; I don’t think I’ve ever seen your smile as wide as it is right now holding onto her.”

His heart was racing, feeling as if he needed someone to pinch him to make sure that what was happening was really real. He couldn’t believe it, no matter how many times he looked at your daughter, it all still felt as if it was far too good to be true for Jackson.

“You’re never going to let her go now, are you?” You asked Jackson, noticing the obsession in his eyes.

His head shook back across at you straight away, “I don’t plan on ever letting her go. Even when she’s an adult, no boy will ever get to hold onto her.”

“You can’t hold her forever, even though you’d like to Jackson.”

His eyebrows raised across at you, making sure that you weren’t doubting him. During the many times when he spoke to your bump whilst cuddled up to you, he made sure that they knew that he was going to protect them.

“I’ve done a good enough job of protecting you,” he proudly smiled, “protecting my daughter should be the easiest job in the world.”

Your smile grew as Jackson spoke, refusing to underestimate just how protective he could be when he wanted to. He wasn’t wrong, he had always kept you safe, keeping his arm wrapped around you as much as he possibly could, especially when he began to worry that you were going to get hurt by something, or even worse, someone.

“You look like a natural by the way,” you spoke as silence fell between the two of you. “If you want my opinion, then you’ve definitely got the hot dad aesthetic well and truly down, the two of you look adorable together.”

Another quiet laugh came from Jackson, “I probably look exhausted Y/N, I’ve not slept in three days worrying about you going into labour. My hair has never felt as knotty, and my face probably makes me look ten years older.”

“It’s good preparation for all the sleepless nights that are about to come our way,” you teased, “if you think it’s bad now, you just wait for a week or two.”

“I have a feeling I’ll survive,” Jackson replied to you, “mainly because I’m already finding it pretty impossible to say no to this face. I mean look how cute she is, it’s unfair that someone can already look so adorable when they’ve only been here for an hour.”

You couldn’t deny that your daughter was sweet, although the two of you might be a little bias, even the midwifes had given the two of you plenty of compliments too.

“You know if you want to rest after everything, I can keep an eye on Y/D/N,” Jackson told you as he watched you shuffle.

You couldn’t deny that you were exhausted, everyone had told you to prepare for labour, but you had never prepared yourself for just how hard it was. The only thing that kept you going was Jackson beside you, who never let you get yourself down once.

“All she’s doing is sleeping, that’s what you should be doing too after how hard you’ve worked over the past couple of days,” Jackson assured you. “If anything happens, or one of the midwifes comes back in then I’ll make sure to wake you, I won’t let you miss out on anything if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Your head nodded as you began to rest back, “are you sure that you’re going to be alright if I close my eyes for a while?”

“Of course. The two of us will be just fine.”

---

Masterlist

[justgot7reactionsandsenarios0]

Stunt Man

Pairing: Jackson Wang x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 1927

Summary: Being friends with the Got7 boys means getting roped into dance parctices with them, it’s all fun and games at first everyone is laughing and joking until Jackson makes a wrong move and injures himself. You’re with him every step of the way.

Masterlist              Buy me a Coffee

Thank you to @got7paradisejust4u​ for helping me with this go give her some love :D

It was a relatively chill day, the sun was shining, people were out enjoying the weather, and it was just generally a lovely day. It was lovely enough to spend the day outside but your friends Jackson, Yugyeom, Mark and Bambam have you stuck inside the studio, wanting to practice some dances ready for their upcoming shows. Why you were there, you never know, but it was nice to have them for company as they always know how to make you laugh and how to include you. Though you found yourself not the best at dancing in comparison to the boys, you still enjoyed it when they practiced their routines with you, and always cheering you on, calling you the 8th member of the group. This is something that became a regular occurance after becoming friends with Bambam, who introduced you to the rest of the boys. You couldn’t help but fall for one of them, Jackson, he intrigued you, he challenged you, he made you laugh and he just stood out to you in comparison with everyone else. But out of respect to your best friend, Bam, you never acted on your little crush, supressing it as much as you could so there was no way you feelings could get in the way of anything, so you weren’t biased when they bickered, or played games. You’ve only been in the studio for an hour before they start their usual antics, teasing each other about a move they had one, or even just the way the looked when they danced. There was never a dull moment and it made you grateful that arguements were very rare, only playful ones, where you knew how to stop them before they got out of hand and either Bam or Jackson get pissy and turn into little whiny babies. However, as it was a chill day, they were on their best behavior for a change.

“Hey, Y/N! How about you swap with Yugyeom for this dance routine? You know his parts right?” Mark teased, holding his younger in a light chokehold, ruffling up his hair as you get up to your feet, ready to step in as Jinyoung, Jaebum and Youngjae walk in, confused as to why Yugyeom was sitting down and you’re in his spot for ‘NaNaNa’. However, they shrug it off laughing as they put down their bags and continue to join the dance, teasing you that you weren’t tall enough so it threw them off. “Fine, let Yugyeom back in then!” you bite, knowing you shouldn’t with these lot as they start laughing at you, shaking their heads, “No, you have better footwork!” Jinyoung remarks, sending playful daggers to the youngest, who pouts in return, crossing his arms before poking his little tongue out. “Then stop complaining!” you retaliate. Within seconds of the song ending, and before you could even catch your breath from laughing and dancing at the same time, yugyeom comes from behind you, running up and sweeping you up onto his shoulders, “Hey, now she’s tall enough!” he excplaimed as you held on tight, scared he was going to drop you or even fall with you on his shoulders. “Put her down, we don’t need any accidents!” Jaebum shouts, in a half serious tone, but Yugyeom does as he’s told to ensure he doesn’t get a scolding later on if he did hurt you, or himself, better yet, both of you. “You’ve jinxed it now Jae,” you wink at him as he shakes his head with a grin, “Don’t now Y/N, touch wood!”.

The new choreography for one of their new songs included some stunts that were always left for either Mark and/or Jackson to do mainly. They had years of practice for this and we’re always happy to do so. You found yourself so suprised each time they did a stunt, though you knew they could do it, you always worried that something would go wrong, especially with Jackson. He could get very cocky if he was in one of his hyper moods, trying to do many stunts in a row and your heart would be in your throat each time, trying not to run to him to stop him from doing it again after he’s just done it a couple of times. Despite that, you always had faith in them, to be careful. Until this very moment. They had previously discussed about including a stunt in one of their songs, and though they were completely in agreement for it, you always wished that they’d change their mind as Jackson started to show off, as he does it once, jumping off Jaebum’s back, doing a flip then spinning to do a back flip. Your heart raced as they did it a first time, but he did a safe landing, putting you at slight ease but of course, they felt the need to go over it a few more times. You already noticed that Jackson had jumped wrongly, landing awkwardly to spin, but as he goes to do a back flip again, his ankle folds awkwardly on his landing, causing his leg to slip underneath him and the sound of a crack was loud enough to wake a sleeping baby, not long followed by him screaming in agony. “Jackson!” you cried as you ran to him, kneeling at his side as he clutched his leg, obvious broken bones on the leg he landed on. “Call 911!” you cried as you try to comfort him, running your fingers through his hair as you try to ensure that he wasn’t hurt anywhere else. Your heart broke at the sight of him in pain as the others panicked around him, running to find someone as Jaebum makes the call for an ambulence. “Y/N, please don’t leave me!” Jackson cries through the pain as you shake your head, holding onto him tight as you promise to stay by his side.

After what felt like a lifetime wait for the ambulence to turn up, you clutched onto Jackson’s hand as they move him onto a stretcher, manouvering him down the building into the ambulence. You insisted to stay with him for the journey as he cries for you, fighting with the nurses to let you on with him. “He needs me, please?!”. After hearing scream in pain for you, they felt as though they had better let you do so, holding onto his hand and careessing it with your thumb as you reassure him that everything was going to be okay. Within minutes, he’s getting rushed into the emergency room, the heavy doors closing behind as you’re forced to leave him and wait. You couldn’t help but pace around the waiting room as the boys tried to help reassure you that he was going to be okay, but the look of worry on their face showed they didn’t even believe their own words. “Why have you always got to include stupid stunts in your choreography?!” your voice breaks as the tears you tried holding back turned into floods. Your sudden outburst even broke the other’s composure as they try to hug you, but you weren’t having it. You knew something was going to go wrong. “Y/N, please calm down,” Jinyoung pleads, finally being able to get you to let him hug you as you sobbed into his chest, wishing things had gone a different way, “He’s going to be okay, I promise,” he reassures as you snake your arms around his waist, holding him there in a hug for emotional support, you needed something to keep you in line, to calm down. However you struggled to even forgive them for letting anything happen. You understood that it’s a part of being an idol, especially athletic ones like Mark and Jackson, who get given these jobs, but you wanted to turn back time, to make sure they had never agreed to do such things.

For what felt like hours, you sat in the waiting room, still clinging onto Jinyoung who kept you calm through humming songs for you, caressing your hair. That all came to a halt when you noticed the Doctor coming through the doors, not even giving him a chance to even open his mouth, you’re at his feet, begging him that Jackson’s okay. “Gentlemen, Miss Y/L/N, I have good news and bad news... Mr Wang is okay in himself, though he’s broken a couple of bones in his leg, and has had to have a cast put on his leg to make sure that his bones heal properly. I’ll write a formal letter to your company to keep him from extensive activities until he’s completely healed”. Your breathing stops from the news, but you found your so relieved that he was okay, tears fall from your eyes again, grabbing the doctor’s arm before he could walk away, “Let me see him, please?”, “Of course, follow me” the doctor says, directing you to the room as the members follow not far behind, letting you go in first to ease your mind after your meltdown. “Hey Jackson, how are you feeling?” you ask, trying to hold back tears, though he could tell you’ve been crying for him. He shrugs as he smiles, cracking a joke and teasing, as he usually would, “You’re crying like something extremely bad happened to me. It’s only a broken leg,” he teased as he swipes a tear from your cheek, you nuzzle into his hand on your face as he smiles even more, “Didn’t know you cared so much about me~”. You couldn’t believe the cheek on him as you tap his arm, cracking a laugh soon afterwards, making him exaggerate the pain there instead of his leg.

For about half hour, you just sat there talking to him, the boys coming in and out of the room, offering refreshements, and apologising to their brother, but they all knew it was an accident. “Hey guys, mind leaving me with Y/N a minute please?” Jackson asked, as they respect his wishes, walking out one by one, you were confused by his sudden request, furrowing your eyebrows at him as he waves goodbye to them before switching his attention to you. “Hey, come sit on this side of the bed with me” he requests, holding your hand as you walk around to the otherside of the bed, shuffling onto it next to him as he asked, still oblivious to what he was planning. “I can’t thank you enough for being there for me always, you’re amazing, Y/N. And I can’t help but admit how much I love you, not just as a best friend, but I LOVE you, more than you could ever imagine” your eyes fill up from his sweet talking, as you couldn’t believe what he was saying, out of all the times he could’ve confessed he had to chose now. You smile at him as he wraps an arm around you, pulling you into a cuddle as he kisses your forehead, “I can’t go another day without needing you to be mine, so will you do an injured, handsome, funny guy a favour, and be my girlfriend?” he teased again but in a genuine way as you nod, relieved that all of these years, you couldn’t believe he felt the same way for you. A kiss was shared as the members run into the room, quietly screaming and getting all excited at the sudden events. “Hyung finally confessed!!” Yugyeom cheered as the others congratulate the new relationship. Happy that the sunshines after a thunderstorm.

[demigods-posts]

i think that percy and annabeth's relationship is so healing for both of them. like, our girl has severe abandonment issues but managed to pull the guy whose fatal flaw is unwavering loyalty. and our boy has severe self-esteem issues but managed to pull the girl who consistently chooses him. i love these two so much.

[indecisivemuch]

Apples

Pairing: Luke Castellan x Reader

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

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

Word count: 3.1k

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Catch,” you tossed your apple at Luke. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You’re cold, right?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What? When?”

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

“Since when?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You’re such a dork.”

“Yet you still proposed to me.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

masterlist

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[supercutszns]

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

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

true colours; luke castellan

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

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

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

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

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

This year, there were two. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(You came in fifteenth.)

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

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

“You alright there, sunshine?” 

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

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

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

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

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

“Hey, Castellan!” Someone calls. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You haven’t talked to him since. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Lee!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No to the first, yes to the second.”

You wish you said no to both. 

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

He will not. Stop. Looking at you. 

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

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

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

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

Luke, calling your name. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Why are you ignoring me?” He asks. 

“I’m not—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There’s a lull.

“What?” You blink stupidly. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Not even a little.”

“But you’ve got so many other—”

“I want you.”

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

"Your knee is fine!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She's given you two more rainbows.

[rose-pearls]

The perils of love

Summary: being in love with Luke seemed to be a bad idea as you realise that he doesn't seem to be interested. But as you get ready to move on from love entirely your father decides to appear and two people fall for you.

Main Taglist : @avada-kedavra-bitch-187, @nyx2021, @thestarspangledcaptain, @kmc1989 (open)

Part 2

Luke Castellan, everyone knew him at camp either for his sword skills or just his kind smiles for every camper that walked into the Hermes cabin. You had fallen for him the moment you met him, sweet brown eyes and a kind smile had you into a puddle. 

You had been twelve, wandering around the Hermes cabin, waiting desperately for your parent to claim you but the days went by, and you still were there. The little girls crush however didn’t went by but grew stronger every day you saw the boy who slowly turned into a man that had all the girls going crazy over him.  

He had been kind to you but there was always a look that you couldn’t decipher, until today that was.

“So, where is your number one fan Luke?”, you hear Chris say in a teasing tone and after a moment you hear Chris say your name, as if to make it clear it was you. 

“I don’t know and frankly I don’t have the time to care right now,” Luke says after letting out a sigh, but you felt your chest tighten at the words. Chris snorts at the words and you don’t expect what he says next.

“You know that there is a betting pool as to when the both of you are going to date,” you don’t know how Luke reacts, as you are practically one with the wall, but you hear him snort.

“Please, she is a sweet girl, but I would never date her. I don’t know how to explain it but sometimes she can just be a little-”, he seems to be trying to find his words and as you wait for it you feel tears brimming in your eyes at his previous statement.

“Clingy? I mean she is practically everywhere you are.”, the words are like a bullet to your heart, particularly when you hear Luke agree.

“I know right, I mean I know that she is still part of the Hermes cabin as she hasn’t been claimed yet but still,” you try to blink the tears away, not willing to cry as you hear the words being said by the man you had always looked up to. 

“Maybe she will never be claimed, I mean after three years,” Chris says, and you can hear the grimace in his voice, he says it with such carelessness as if you haven’t been thinking about the same thing every night for the past three years, wondering what was wrong with you.

“We’ll see what happens I guess, but maybe it would be good for her to be in another cabin,” Luke says, he looks like he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, but Chris adds one last phrase to their conversation.

“Or better for you,” there is a quiet hum of agreement and that is the only thing you need before leaving the cabin quietly, the book that you had come for quickly forgotten.

You knew it was pitiful, the fact that they all seemed to know that you liked the Hermes boy and that they all pitied you for it. Because in the end the boy would never go for you, he had a hundred girls waiting for him and yet here you were hoping for the impossible.

Tears are brimming in your eyes, but you quickly brush them away, not wanting to cry after what had happened, you needed to be strong now. It was time for you to get over that stupid crush and get on with your life, maybe if you trained more your godly parent would finally recognize you and claim you.

“What are you doing here all alone?”, you suddenly hear someone say behind you and you turn around to find Annabeth looking at you with worried eyes.

“Thinking, the lake always seems to sooth me,” you say, the words coming a bit weaker than you intended them too. The girl simply nods at your words before sitting down next to you.

“What about you?”, you quietly ask her, and she lets out a sigh.

“Needed to get out a little bit, I can only strategise so much before going crazy,” she says with a small smile, and you can’t help but smile at her words.

“I’m sure your strategy will be incredible, as always,” you tell her and she simply nods, looking too far into her thoughts.

“Chiron is thinking of splitting up the Hermes cabin,” she suddenly says, and you turn to look at her in surprise.

“Really? How so?”, you can’t help but ask, wondering if this is maybe your chance to get a bit away from a certain Hermes boy.

“He thinks that the unclaimed children and children of minor gods should get the chance to chose in which team they want to be,” she looks conflicted, and you can understand why, this could mean less people for the blue team, her team.

“It seems like a kind gesture,” you can’t help but say and Annabeth nods in agreement.

“It is, although he could’ve said it sooner, now we all need to find a different strategy and we are going crazy with figuring out who will be on our team,” she seems overwhelmed, and you can’t help but put your hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down.

“Hey, calm down it will all be alright,” you tell her, and she takes a deep breath before slowly nodding in agreement.

“I know, I just don’t want to lose,” she says with a pout, and you can finally see the twelve-year-old she really is, that childlike excitement at the thought of capture the flag.

The both of you are deep in thought before her voice breaks the silence, her voice small as she talks.

“Which team are you choosing?”, it was probably a valid question to ask, you were unclaimed so you could technically choose which team to be on, but you just couldn’t get the previous conversation you had heard out of your head.

“The fact that you aren’t saying anything makes me think that you are going to go on the red team,” it seems like she is trying to tease you but there is some sort of hurt woven into her words.

“Don’t take it personally,” you can’t help but say, as much as you would’ve liked staying on the blue team you just couldn’t bear to be that close to Luke after what you had heard. You didn’t know what you would be doing tonight as you were sleeping in the same cabin as always, but he wouldn’t pay attention to you not unless you went to him.

“Did something happened with Luke?”, the carefully asked question makes you look at Annabeth with wide eyes, she had an understanding look in her eyes and you couldn’t help but curse the fact that she was Athena’s daughter.

“Nothing happened, I just realised that maybe I should get to know other people and that maybe it would get me out of my comfort zone,” there are a lot of things unsaid, Annabeth knows it too. Luckily, she doesn’t know of the conversation you had heard, or the fact that the words had cut you deeper than you could’ve ever thought they would. 

“You should probably tell Chiron and the red team, I heard that they were planning a strategy evening to talk about what they were going to do tomorrow,” you try to find anger in Annabeth’s eyes but there is only understanding and a lingering sadness that seems to disappear as you get up.

“Good idea, I will be doing that right now. Good luck on the strategy and don’t drive yourself crazy Annabeth you will do great,” you tell her, and a sweet smile appears on her lips as she nods slowly making you smile at her.

“Don’t be a stranger!”, she yells as you are about to leave, and you turn around to smile at her.

“I won’t!”, she looks reassured at the words before turning back to the water, leaving you to go towards Chiron office. 

--

“A little birdie told me you were on the red team,” you hear someone say and turn around to find Clarisse smirking at you.

“Would that little birdie be Chiron?”, you ask, feeling breathless after trying to stab the dummy about a hundredth time with your sword.

“I don’t reveal my sources princess,” she says with a smirk while you feel your cheeks heat up, you tell yourself it’s because of the work out you just did.

“We have a meeting tonight, after dinner at the Ares cabin,” she says while looking around the rink before picking up a sword.

“I’ll be there,” you tell her, expecting the girl to leave you alone but she just comes closer to you.

“After that there is a movie night and a sleepover, one of the Aphrodite kids managed to convince Chiron to allow it,” the words leave you confused for a moment, how would you even have a movie night with all these people.

“Only a few people are invited for that part,” she clarifies, and you feel breathless at the sight of her warm brown eyes, seemingly forgetting about other brown eyes.

“How come I am invited?”, you can’t help but ask, wondering why the Ares girl suddenly seemed sweet to you when she was practically attacking anyone else. 

“Don’t ask too many questions or you’ll be uninvited princess,” the nickname rolls of her tongue in a way that makes your cheeks go red, once again.

“Fine I’ll stop asking questions and just come with my pajama’s,” you tell her, and a satisfied grin makes his way on her lips.

“Good, now back to serious stuff you were holding your sword the wrong way,” she says like it’s a fact, as if she was pointing out that the sky was blue.

“No, I wasn’t!”, you can’t help but say looking at her with wide eyes.

“Yes, it is, let me help you fix it. I need the best people on my team after all,” you get ready to object but as you feel her get behind you putting her hand over yours on the sword to put your hand correctly you find yourself speechless.

The next hour is spent fighting against each other, but you can’t stop laughing as Clarisse tells you stories of her siblings to try and distract you, which ultimately works as you often end up on your ass. You don’t even seem to notice another pair of brown eyes looking at you, farther away, brows furrowed as he looks at the scene in front of him.

--

“Welcome to the exclusive sleepover,” you hear a soft voice say and you turn around to find Silena smiling kindly at you, two glasses in her hands before giving one to you.

“Thank you, guess they really were exclusive as I had never heard of them before,” you say, feeling a bit nervous as you look around the room only to find Clarisse in a heated discussion with another Aphrodite girl.

“Clarisse only invites people that she trusts or likes, which isn’t many, but she does cares for them,” Silena smiles at the Ares girl in front of you and you can’t help but do the same, Clarisse always seemed to be angry but in that moment, she seemed far more softer.

“I’m glad she trusts me,” you say, somehow missing the look Silena gives you, a look of confusion as you seem to have missed her clue on Clarisse liking you.

Clarisse had always been discrete about it, but Silena had caught her looking at you far too often to not know about it. Her fingers always seemed to itch when you were sword fighting, as if she was itching to get your posture right and to be able to touch you even for just a few seconds. You only had eyes for the Castellan boy, or it seemed that way until yesterday when Chiron told them that you would be on their team. Silena didn’t ask much of her mother but in that moment, she couldn’t help but ask her mother for help to get the both of you together. Clarisse deserved her happy ending and you deserved someone who would love you for who you were.

She gets woken from her thoughts as she hears Clarisse talking to you, there is a nervousness in her gestures as she pushes her hair behind her ear, but you don’t seem to realize it as you recount a story. Silena quietly gets up from her spot, and sends and encouraging look towards Clarisse, who seems a bit more at ease now. 

--

Capture the flag is a mess, more than the last time but you try not to let your mind wander too long. A boy that you think is from the Hephaestus cabin runs towards you and you sigh in annoyance before starting to fight against him, quickly ‘killing’ him and making him surrender. 

You had been tasked with trying to find the blue flag, but it seemed as if Annabeth had found a really good spot this time, and she had put more people in defense. After a while you wondered if you had the wrong hunch until you saw something blue flickering in the reflection of your sword. As you turned to look behind you, you saw the blue flag but weirdly there was no one around it.

“This feels like a trap,” you can’t help but whisper under your breath as you try to hide behind the bushes but a blade against your neck makes you stop in your steps.

“Sorry, but I need to do this,” you hear someone say and you turn around to find a sheepish Percy looking at you.

“Hi Percy,” you say with a kind smile and the boy smiles back, looking reassured that you aren’t mad or swinging your sword at him.

“How are you doing?”, you can’t help but ask, you hadn’t seen him since he had been claimed by Poseidon, but the boy seemed healthy.

“Good, well as good as you can when you learn that your father is one of the big three’s and that your life will be a hellhole,” he says with a roll of his eyes, and you can’t help but snort.

“Still as sarcastic I see,” you can’t help but say while laughing and a sheepish grin forms itself on his lips.

“Can’t help it,” he says while shrugging his shoulders.

“It’s a shame you aren’t on our team,” he says quietly, and you smile softly, the two of you had talked a lot when he had arrived, and you felt close to him.

“Maybe next time,” you tell him and the boy smiles at the answer before asking you a question and the two of you talk for a moment before you hear a battle cry and see the red team suddenly making their way in the clearing, the blue team also appearing.

Percy and you look at each other with wide eyes before you take out your sword.

“If you don’t say anything about this, I won’t say anything,” Percy nods quickly and the both of you break away from the tree you were behind before joining your team as Percy joins his.

An Apollo girl comes running towards you, but you quickly manage to disarm her, others following behind her, but you are in such a haze that you don’t realize how close you are getting to the flag. That is until you are met with a familiar blade, Luke’s. 

The boy is looking at you, slightly out of breath from the fighting just like you.

“You can always abandon now sweetheart,” he says and can’t help but blush slightly at the familiar nickname. 

“No chance Castellan, give me your worst,” this seems to make the boy laugh before he quickly wields his swords, yours clashing against his in familiar movements. You had fought many times against Luke as he had taught you how to fight but you had a new trick up your sleeve that Clarisse had taught you. She had told you that his left leg was his weakness, a bruise that had never really fully recovered. 

So, when the opportunity presents itself, you wield your sword against his left leg, making sure not to hurt him too much. But as you hit the spot Luke winces in pain and his sword leaves his hand. You don’t think at that point and simply continue straight to the flag, whispering a soft ‘sorry’ as you go to the Hermes boy.

You manage to take the flag before seeing Percy coming towards you with his sword, you expect the hit, but he seems transfixed, looking at something above you. There is a loud silence, on a battlefield that was filled with battle cries just a second ago.

Chiron’s voice suddenly comes up, suddenly saying your name.

“Daughter of Zeus, king of the gods,” the rest of his words are lost as you look up, only to see the symbol of Zeus above your head, your father’s symbol.

You didn’t know how to feel, you had been waiting for so long but now that it was happening you just felt lost. Why was he claiming you right now?

“Congratulations! Seems like we are cousins now,” you suddenly hear Percy say, he has a bright smile on his lips, but there is also sadness in his eyes. It takes you a few seconds to understand why, you were now a child of the big three, which meant your life was about to be a hellhole as Percy had said.

“Always though there was something familiar between the two of us,” you try to say in a teasing tone, but it falls flat, Percy nodding in understanding.

As you turn around to look at the rest of the camp you see Luke looking at you with wide brown eyes, as if he was seeing you for the first time. You turn your gaze towards Clarisse who is looking at you with a proud smile and something else that you can’t quite understand.

There was surely a lot of trouble coming but not the one you were expecting, it would be far more complicated than monsters or a father that decided to appear after fifteen years. Matters of the heart were after all the most complicated of all, particularly between a daughter of Zeus, a daughter of Ares and a son of Hermes. 

[lecsainz]

A headcanon of Percy Jackson x reader daughter of Zeus, where he has been in love since the first day he saw her, and he had also recently arrived at the camp, please

˒ ⌕ SHE IS LIKE THUNDER

parings: percy jackson x zeus!reader

an:I know I disappeared, forgive me 🤧, but picture me writing this at 3 AM, dying of sleepiness after watching the last episode of PJO, AND ANNIE USED THE NICKNAME 😭 THIS EPISODE IS STILL TOO MUCH FOR ME TO PROCESS!!!!

summary: the one where you're a daughter of zeus, exploring your relationship with percy.

( my last work || my last work for riodanverse || go to main masterlist )

You and Percy crossed paths during one of your training sessions. Luke was giving Percy a tour of the camp, and when Percy laid eyes on you, he halted abruptly, as if struck by lightning. For some inexplicable reason, he felt an urgent need to know who you were, as if the gods themselves demanded it.

Percy's eyes widened as he observed you from across the training grounds. "Who's that?" he asked, pointing a finger in your direction. Luke suppressed a chuckle, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Her? Oh, that's Y/N, daughter of Zeus." Percy squinted, trying to decipher your actions, as you accidentally summoned a small lightning bolt that fizzled out near your feet. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Does that happen often?" Luke grinned. "Only when she's particularly excited, which, by the way, is most of the time. You should see her during thunderstorms!" Percy blinked, watching as you waved sheepishly, causing another faint spark to crackle in the air.

You and Percy found common ground in venting about the gods upon his arrival.

"Hey, little thunder, how's it going?" Percy grinned. "Don't call me that," you replied, trying to keep a straight face. "I'm good too, thanks for asking, Lightning Rod," Percy joked, emphasizing his newfound nickname for you.

Attempts at using your powers together proved futile, as water and electricity didn't exactly make for a harmonious combination.

According to Percy, Cabin 3 was way too big for just him, and assuming you felt the same way about Cabin 1, he started a tradition. At 12:00, he'd show up at your cabin, asking to share it, turning into a routine of hosting pajama parties in each other's cabins.

After you discovered that your half-sister, Thalia, had been turned into a pine tree to save her, Percy couldn't resist teasing you about it.

"Do you think your dad would turn you into, what, a fountain? Or maybe a cherry blossom tree would suit you?" Percy grinned, enjoying the opportunity to rib you. "Jackson, shut up," you retorted, rolling your eyes at his antics. Later, when Grover and Annabeth intervened, trying to keep you two from frying each other, Percy couldn't resist a parting shot. He had soaked you with water from a nearby forest stream during the mission, leaving you drenched and fueling your desire to electrocute him. "Next time you want to electrocute Percy, make sure I'm not around," Annabeth teased as they separated you, noticing your soaked state. Grover, being the peacekeeper, started singing the song of friendship, encouraging both of you to hug it out and apologize. Percy, however, observed that you were shivering from the cold as you walked. Realizing this, he handed you his jacket, concerned. "You'll catch a cold if you stay wet like this," he said, offering you warmth amidst the chilly aftermath of your water-based altercation.

Since neither you nor Percy admit to having feelings for each other, you find yourselves in constant teasing and banter.

During a mission, you two start a squabble because you want to lead everything, and he just wants to do his thing or isn't paying attention to what you're saying. Grover and Annabeth exchange glances, seeking a way to mediate.

It takes a long time before you muster the courage to admit you have feelings for the son of Poseidon. You decide to confess first because, knowing Percy, it would take ages if you waited for him.

"Percy, I need to talk in case we don't get out of here." "Spark Plug, we're getting out of here; trust me." "I like you, Seaweed Brain." He stands there in shock, mouth hanging open, unable to believe that you like him back.

After Percy managed to confess that he also liked you, you enjoyed teasing him about his stunned reaction. But deep down, you were terrified that he might have said he didn't like you back.

Percy becomes incredibly protective of you.

"Touch her, and you'll be dead."

You love stormy days and spend hours on the beach with Percy because he can control the water, ensuring you both stay dry.

"Isn't it beautiful?" "What, little storm?" You pause, gazing out at the tumultuous sea, the waves crashing against the shore. "It's like the ocean is in harmony with this storm. It's as if they understand each other, finding peace in the chaos." "Maybe," Percy finally responds, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Maybe storms and the sea have a way of finding peace in chaos because they understand that even in the wildest moments, there's a certain kind of order."

You appreciate the profound simplicity of his words, and in that moment, he wraps his arms around you from behind, resting his head on your shoulder. For the first time in a long while, you feel at home

[kpopimaginings]

Someone Like You - Jackson Wang

A/N: This wasn’t requested, just a little idea that popped into my head! (And Jackson friends-to-lovers is my weakness)

You hated this. Jackson was your best friend, so you loved that he could come to you with anything, but when it was yet another person who wasn't right for him, you hated it.

Jackson had always had such a big heart, but he let people in too easily sometimes. He would fall so quickly that often whoever he was seeing didn't feel the same way. Or, unfortunately, in some cases they were interested for the wrong reasons.

Whatever it was that caused it, things would always end with a heartbroken Jackson crying to you about it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" you asked Jackson.

The minute he turned up at your door with red eyes you knew. You pulled him to your sofa where you were now sat with a crying Jackson leaning on your shoulder.

"I just don't get it," he sobbed. "What do I do wrong?"

"I don't know, Jacks," you said, trying to comfort him. "You're perfect as far as I'm concerned."

He let out a chuckle and a sniff as he sat up and tried to clean his face. "I'm sure I don't look perfect."

You fought the urge inside you to tell Jackson exactly how perfect he was to you. You'd had a crush on him for a while that you just couldn't shake, but right now he needed a friend.

"What did she say?" you asked, trying to get to the bottom of the heartbreak so you could comfort your friend.

He gave a little shrug and shook his head. "She didn't like me," he muttered.

"Then you didn't do anything wrong," you explained.

"No, it's not..."

You could tell he wanted to tell you what had happened but was struggling to get the words out. Sitting silently you let him take his time.

"She liked the idea of me, of my job, my money," he admitted softly.

"This is why I said before you get too attached they need to meet me and/or your mum. We'll be your screening process!"

Instead of answering he leant into you again, this time wrapping his arms around you. You happily returned the embrace, giving him a comforting squeeze.

"Why can't I just find someone who likes me for me? Who will be there for me like I want to be there for them?"

You sucked in a deep breath as you bit your tongue yet again. Honestly, without confessing you didn't know what to say.

"Someone who..." Jackson looked up at you then, his puppy eyes so watery you felt a twinge in your heart. "Someone like you."

Well that comment was doing nothing to quell your crush. The pair of you seemed to freeze in the moment, each second guessing what the other might be thinking.

Without warning, Jackson threw caution to the wind and leant up, pressing his lips to yours.

Your common sense kicked in quickly and you pulled back.

"Wait," you said.

Jackson swore under his breath and withdrew completely.

"No, wait," you encouraged.

"I always fuck up, see, it's just who I am."

"Jackson," you snapped.

He stopped what he was saying and looked at you.

"You have no idea how much I want to kiss you back-"

"But?" he interrupted with a sigh, knowing it was coming.

"But, are you sure this is the right time? You just got out of a relationship. I'm here for you completely, but I don't want to be a rebound."

"Wait, wait. Hold on, can we back up? You said you want to kiss me? You arent objecting because you dont like me back?"

You chuckled. "You know that wasn't the important bit of what I said."

"Ok, but..." he pried, trying to get more information out of you.

"Fine, I've had a crush on you for ages, but you've needed me there, well, we've needed each other, and I wasn't going to risk that by confessing. I know what you've been through the last couple of years and I wasn't about to let you struggle alone because of a dumb crush."

"You're literally everything I said I wanted," Jackson explained, now edging closer to you again. "You've been there for me through everything, and honestly, I feel a connection with you beyond what I've felt with any other friend. You should know I will always care about you more than a rebound." He gently took your hand. "Maybe I went about this the wrong way, but I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you too," you admitted. "Just, maybe, let's take it a bit slower?"

Jackson nodded enthusiastically.

With a smile you leant in a pecked a quick kiss to his cheek before pulling him back in to rest against you.

"Feeling happier now?" you asked him.

"Yes," he replied simply and snuggled his head against you.

You couldn't help the smile that grew on your face as you held Jackson close. Never again would have you have to worry about him turning up on your doorstep heartbroken. You were planning on taking good care of his heart now you knew he was willing to let you in.

NAVIGATION  |  GOT7 MASTERLIST

[jae-bummer]

My Idol 3: Part Seven

My Idol From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My Idol is a South Korean competitive reality dating game show. It currently airs on Saturday nights on Jae-bummer’s blog. First broadcast in 2016, the show offers the opportunity for a lucky fan to go on seven blind dates with seven idols. The idol plans the date with the show throwing in a specific mission to complete during the day. At the end of the initial dates, the show opens up an audience vote to decide what four idols will move on to the second date.

My Idol 3: The Series

.

Looking up moodily at your night shift body guard, you waited in silence for him to open your room.

"No hello?" Insu teased, tilting his head. "How was your day? I've missed you terribly?"

"Hello, Insu," you grumbled, crossing your arms. "How was your day? I have missed you terribly."

"Well," he clucked. "It doesn't sound genuine when I have to prompt you."

"Can I please just go inside?" you whined, rubbing your forehead to ease the oncoming headache.

"Sure," he nodded. Letting the tension ease from your shoulders, you took a deep breath in an attempt to calm your nerves. "But it'll cost you."

"I have a sneaking suspicion that you're not talking about money," you groaned.

"Not at all," he smiled easily. "Money's worthless. You're time, however, is valuable."

"What do you want?"

"Grab your ice bucket," he said gently. "Let's go for a walk."

"I don't want to go for a walk," you pouted. "I've walked enough today. And ridden a bike. And fallen off that bike. And then thought my date died."

Insu nodded politely. "I think you need to decompress."

"I'm perfectly capable of decompressing in the comfort of my bed," you muttered.

"Where you can thought spiral through every hypothetical way you could have reacted on your date?" he smirked. "Perfect idea. Have a great night!"

"You're a little too perceptive for your own good," you grumbled. "Has anyone ever told you that before?"

"I read people for a living, Y/N," sighed. "You're just one of the lucky ones I like."

"I don't see why," you lamented, not proud of yourself, but searching for solace nonetheless. "I'm a walking disaster."

"Hardly," he said, tapping your room key against the door. Shouldering it open, he waited for you to pass him and go in. "Now come on. I'll even give you five minutes for a bathroom break before I expect to see you back out here."

Sliding into your room, you glanced at him over your shoulder. "How charitable."

After spending at least ten minutes sat on the sink, totally not thought spiraling, Insu's fourth round of knocking finally pushed you to hop off the counter. Snagging the ice bucket from beside you, you shuffled back toward the door and yanked it open. Chewing on your lip, you narrowed your eyes at the dastardly man.

"That was much longer than five minutes."

"Should've come in after me," you sighed, breezing past him. "What if I had passed out on the toilet? Some body guard you are."

"I'm here to protect you from other people," he chuckled. "Not from yourself."

"Comforting," you deadpanned. "I'll remember that the next time I feel faint."

The two of you walked down the hallway in companionable silence for a moment, giving you time to let your eyes wander from door to door. You were curious who was hidden where and if they were all comfortable with the current arrangements. Now you had three men, three celebrities, locked up for what could be weeks. They'd be missing crucial schedules, studio time, and dance practices...all because of you.

"You have no control over what fans do," Insu said quietly, seeming to have read your mind.

"Get out of my head," you huffed, glaring over your shoulder at him.

"I don't have to be in your head to know you're going through it," he hummed. "I can tell by your body language."

"Please, enlighten me," you sighed, coming to a halt and spinning toward him. "What is my body saying?"

You tried to ignore the up and down assessment he gave you.

"Your shoulders are tense," he noted. "You're either chewing on your lip or the inside of your cheek at any give time. Your arms are wrapped so tightly around the ice bucket, you-"

"Okay, okay," you accepted. "Apparently my body is talkative. I get it."

Turning back around, you started your trek again.

"I'm here to listen," Insu prompted from behind you. "If you want to talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about," you alleged. "Plus I'm sure Hyuk gave you the full report."

"I did have to set three of his fingers," Insu confessed. "But he didn't get into specifics."

Whirling around again, your eyes were wide. "He didn't go to the hospital?"

"Not if he can avoid it," he smirked. "It's kind of the nature of the business."

"Great," you gasped, throwing your hands in the air, ice bucket included. "So I've been the cause for two people's physical injuries, my apartment being torn apart, AND everyone being held up in hotel rooms like some kind of fancy prison."

"Hey," Insu said quietly, taking slow steps to close the distance between the two of you. You hadn't noticed it previously, but you were breathing heavily and tears may or may not have started to escape your eyes.

Placing his hands lightly on your shoulders, he slid his fingers carefully down to your elbows and then back up again. "You're not responsible for any of that."

"I am," you whined. You were on the brink of becoming a blubbering mess. "I'm the unlikable one. Fans don't like me. That's why all of this is happening. I'm supposed to be better. I'm supposed to be more deserving."

"Come here," Insu said gruffly, pulling you against him. Wrapping his arms around your shoulders, he placed a hand gently on the back of your head. "With the fan-bases these guys have, no one will ever be good enough. It's not personal."

"They made it personal," you squeaked into his suit. While you weren't proud of your breakdown, you were enjoying the unexpected safety Insu provided. "They took away everything."

"They didn't," he insisted. "They can't take away how you react to the situation, and you've been doing well. Better than anyone can expect, really."

Pulling away from him, you caught Insu's eyes. "Why are you being so sweet?"

"I can't comfort a friend in need?" he smiled, patting your head absently before stepping back.

"We're friends?" you chirped, quietly pleased by this development.

"I guess we are," Insu hummed, seeming surprised by his own words.

You smiled softly at him, allowing this new, bubbly feeling to float through you. If not watched carefully, you knew it could be dangerous, and you already had enough boy-related problems on your hands.

"Y/N?" a familiar voice questioned from behind you.

Turning around, you couldn't help but feel the moment between you and Insu had been snuffed out. You were only mildly horrified with yourself as you felt a slight disappointment at another person joining the conversation until you realized who it was.

"Jungkook!" you grinned. It took everything in you not to greet him with a big hug.

He seemed to have no qualms though.

"Y/N!" he breathed, an easy smile filling his face. Crossing the hallway, he pulled you in for a hug. Wrapping his arms around your waist, he tucked you into his frame, enveloping you in warmth.

"It's so good to see you," he whispered into your hair.

"It's good to see you too," you sighed, leaning back to get a better look at him, but remaining in his arms. He looked as handsome as ever.

Clearing his throat behind you, Insu made his presence abundantly clear.

Stepping away from Jungkook, you felt heat creep up your neck. You glanced behind Jungkook, his won bodyguard giving an awkward wave.

"Sorry," Jungkook winced, nodding briefly to Insu. Focusing on you again, he grinned. "How are you?"

"I've been better," you admitted. "I'm hoping they filled you in when they moved you here?"

"A little bit," he grimaced. "Y/N, I am so sorry. I can't believe anyone would do that, let alone someone who would call themselves a fan of any of us."

"They killed my fish," you blurted, not realizing how much that thought burdened you.

"What?" he gasped, his eyes growing wide. He pulled you in for another hug. "You've been through so much."

"Y/N," Insu grunted behind you. "It's best we get going."

"Right," you nodded, stepping away from Jungkook. If the producers saw the two of you fraternizing in the hallway, it likely wouldn't go over well.

"I'm glad I saw you," Jungkook nodded, eyes bright. "Even if it was only for a minute."

You smirked before glancing to your feet. "I didn't get to ask, but you're doing okay?"

"I'm doing great," he chimed. "I've gotten more sleep than I have in years. And three meals a day! Can you even imagine?"

You let out an unexpected laugh. "That's a relief to hear. I'm glad you're resting well."

"So are the other guys," he nodded, somehow knowing that would comfort you. "Just to clarify. We're all taking this in stride."

"You've talked to them?" you asked, tilting your head.

"Hongseok and I get meals together downstairs sometimes," he said, an idea lighting up his expression. "You should meet with us!"

"Y/N," Insu cautioned. His quiet reminder that you've dallied too long.

"We should," you agreed before squeezing his bicep lightly. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Jungkook hummed, giving the cutest nose scrunch.

Taking a deep breath, you continued down the hallway past him, willing yourself not to look back. You hadn't realized how reassuring his presence would be. He was the only one who hadn't really been privy to the nightmare this experience had become, so it was such a relief to touch base. Plus he confirmed that he and Hongseok were doing just fine. You hoped he would begin including San in their shared meals as well.

Walking into the ice room in a bit of a daze, it took you a moment to realize how quiet Insu was being.

Turning to look at him as you filled your bucket, you were surprised when he didn't make eye contact. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said shortly.

"Apparently not," you chuckled nervously, feeling his mood change rolling off him in waves.

"We wasted too much time," he muttered. "We could've both gotten in trouble."

"It was just a quick conversation," you reasoned. "It wasn't really a big deal."

"Every minute you are outside of the safety of your room is a big deal," he said, glaring.

"Whoa," you winced, tucking your now full ice bucket back under your arm. "Down, tiger."

"I'm not going to endanger you just so some celebrity can get in his five minutes," he grumbled, looking anywhere but at you. "I'm sure that little stunt added quite the points in his favor."

"Insu," you whispered, recoiling from him as if you had been slapped. "Jungkook isn't like that."

"Right," he scoffed, turning around and leading you back into the hall.

Normally you walked in front of your body guard, but this time, he was stomping in front of you.

What was his issue?

Was he...jealous?

"Someone got really grumpy, rather quickly," you muttered, arriving at your door. Stepping in your way, Insu glared down at you.

"Just watch yourself, okay?" he said sternly. "These guys sell a fantasy every day. They're good at it."

"Heaven forbid someone genuinely likes me," you huffed.

"I didn't say they couldn't," he shot back. "All I'm saying is-"

"Yeah, yeah," you groaned. "Poor little Y/N, manipulated by the heart throb. I get it."

"Y/N," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I'm saying at all."

"Then come out with it!" you gasped. This day had been far too long and complicated for your liking. You were ready to hide under your blankets and never come out.

"I care about your well being!" he burst, his hands curling into fists as he let them drop to his sides. "I don't want to see you hurt!"

You chewed on his comment for a moment, watching as he continued to stare at you, frustration painted across his handsome face. "Why, Insu?"

"I told you earlier, I like you, Y/N," he struggled. "You don't want to see people you favor falling into situations where they're not watching out for themselves."

"You said you couldn't protect me from myself," you said quietly. "Remember?"

Insu let out a small grunt. "Stubborn."

"Exhausted," you corrected. "Thoroughly done. Burned out. Let me into my room."

Smacking your room's key card against the keypad, Insu backed into door. Keeping it open wide as you walked past, you could feel his eyes boring into you from behind.

"Goodnight," you huffed.

Without saying a word, he stepped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him.

..

Your next date wasn't until the following evening, giving you plenty of time to stew in your disaster of a date, the situation with Insu, and the small rendezvous with Jungkook. Saying you were confused and irritable was an understatement.

You were already in the thick of things with three different idols and had four more to go. You couldn't go throwing Insu into the situation when your heart and mind were completely disoriented. You had never navigated anything quite this intense in your life.

Jungkook had pure intentions, of that you were sure. That's why Insu's outburst had shaken you so much. He didn't know anything about these guys, and it was clear in the way he was acting. That being said, you couldn't help that it had sewed the smallest seed of doubt in your mind. He was right, idols were well-versed in giving the illusion of attainability. Surely they weren't putting on an act just to win the competition...were they? The cameras weren't even around when you had bumped into Jungkook. He had no reason to be so caring if that were the case.

"Damnit, Insu," you hissed, knowing this would dwell in the back of your head. How dare he open that door when you were already feeling like you were going crazy.

Lost in thought, you yanked open the door of your hotel room right after you heard a knock. Hyuk had dropped you off for makeup and hair not long ago with the promise of your date starting soon. It was going to be a formal evening, so you were dressed exceptionally well (at least to your own standards). Shimmying out your shoulders, you tried to focus on the task at hand. You would have fun tonight, even if it killed you.

Glancing up from your uncomfortable shoes, you were taking aback at seeing Insu again so quickly.

"What are you doing here?" you croaked, unintentionally sounding annoyed by his mere presence.

Insu's eyebrows shot up. "This is an evening date. Am I not your night shift bodyguard?"

Right. Somehow it had completely evaded you that he would be the one escorting you this evening.

"Perfect," you muttered, shaking your head. This was just great.

Barging your way around him, you started down the hall, trying to calm your anxiety. It was hard enough jumping into another blind date, let alone with your moody body guard in tow.

Stepping into the elevator, you scooted as far away from him as you could. Maybe it was a bit immature, but you were emotionally frazzled before you had even blown up at each other last night. It was to be expected that you were still a little bit raw.

Punching at the button for the lobby, Insu became a statue beside you. Remaining quiet, it wasn't until the end of the elevator ride that he finally spoke up. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," you managed, not allowing for his kind words to melt the ice that had frozen around you.

"Y/N," he sighed, turning slightly toward you. "Surely you can understand where I was coming from-"

"Doubling down is not the optimal move here," you grumbled, holding up a hand in the air between you. "I'm trying to get into a good mental space to handle this date. I really don't want to talk about last night."

"Can we talk later?" he asked, tilting his head.

"No."

"Y/N-"

"I'll think about it," you groaned. "Okay? Just give me some space for tonight."

Giving a curt nod, Insu stepped back into his position beside you.

It wasn't long before the elevator doors slid open, exposing you to the commotion that was the hotel lobby. Taking a deep breath, you stepped from the small space. Furrowing your brows, you were surprised to see a handsome man, dressed in a full suit in front of you. The cameras were on and waiting for your arrival.

"Wow," his surprisingly gravely voice purred. Reaching out to take your hand, he smiled. "You must be Y/N."

"I am," you said cautiously.

"I'm Got7's Jackson," he smiled. "And you are absolutely gorgeous."

You tried to ignore the sharp intake of breath from behind you.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

[heartss4val]

𐑺 ˖ ࣪ ࿐ྂ I WANNA BE YOURS | percy jackson x gn!reader

percy jackson looks at you like you were the one who put the stars in the sky.

the son of poseidon gazes at you with so much awe and admiration in his eyes that most people would think you had just defeated a minotaur with your bare hands, or cured cancer or saved the world from total destruction, something that would be remembered for centuries to come. but in reality, all you did was toss a few nuts to the squirrels that scurried around camp. percy jackson looks at you in such a way that even aphrodite herself would point and squeal.

though, he'd never admit to that. the only telltale sign of his infatuation is the rosy tint that creeps up the tips of his ears every time you you pass by, and his lips that struggle to stay in a straight line whenever you flash him that smile—the one that makes his heart leap up and into his throat. even after four years of friendship, percy still hasn't figured out how to sit next to you and not be totally in love with everything you do.

it's as though you have some sort of magic power over him—a power that he's powerless to resist. and as much as he'd like to deny it, he secretly revels in the feeling.

but percy jackson would never confess his desires for you—not when kronos is still actively seeking to wipe out the demigod population. he can't afford to display any signs of weakness.

but it's worth it, he thinks, to risk everything just to wrap his arms around you and plant a kiss on your lips that would set the world on fire. yet he knows he can't—not without endangering you. not without putting you in harm's way. so why is it so unbearable to imagine life without you, when you were never really his to begin with?

and in those moments, when his mind is consumed with thoughts of you, memories of your touch and your gaze playing on repeat in his mind, he's left thinking, 'did i imagine it?' did he dream up the way your touch lingered on his arm as you adjusted his armor? the way you looked at him across the dining pavilion before turning away, as if you'd been caught in the act of something secret and sweet? he must have, right? because you would never look at someone like him with such tenderness. not at someone hot-headed and impulsive, someone with so many rough edges. no, you couldn't have looked at him like that. it must all be in his head.

you couldn't have looked at him the same way he looks at you.

despite his best efforts to conceal it, percy's convinced that everyone can see right through him. he knows that everyone can see right through him. the teasing from his fellow campers has been relentless—nicknames hurled his way, each one more unflattering than the last. romeo, hopeless romantic, loverboy..

loverboy.

he's no loverboy. not some kind of lovesick puppy at the mercy of some unattainable crush. no, that nickname is only reserved for the truly whipped, those who are wrapped around someone's finger, glued to their side at all times. he's no..

and then his head snaps up at the sound of your voice, suddenly alert. and there you are, all dazzling and gorgeous, a beacon in a sea of identical orange t-shirts and jeans. you stand out as though a spotlight has been trained on you alone. which is weird because to most people you're just another camper. albeit, an incredibly beautiful camper, but still, just a camper. so why is he so infatuated with you, specifically?

maybe he is a loverboy.

the realization hits him like a ton of bricks, and he almost groans out loud. can't he just carve his heart out and be done with it at this point? isn't that what the poets do?

but since he never really cared for those dead old men taught in school, like edward allan poe or whatever his name was, he'll settle for just daydreaming now. he'll settle for stolen glances across the room and the brush of your hands as you reach for a book. he'll settle for relishing in your little touches and how your lips shine in blueberry chapstick until he's ready. he'll admire the curve of your nose and the triumphant hugs you give him after your team wins capture the flag. he'll settle for it until it's not enough anymore. he'll settle for it until he needs more.

[waitingonher]

because i love you — [hoo boys headcanons]

summary: your "thing" with the hoo boys!

author's note: in honor of the pjo series coming out today,,have this rlly rlly short draft from earlier this year! xoxo

percy jackson — doodling on him

“give me your hand.”

“yes ma’am.”

minutes pass as you doodle gods know what onto percy’s hand. you always resort to this whenever the camp head counselor's meeting begins late—which seems to be every meeting—and giving percy "tattoos" certainly kills time. last meeting, you drew a can of beans and the time before that, was a bouquet of tulips. so honestly his guess being a pair of socks this time isn’t too far of a reach.

“okay, done,” you release his hand, a proud smile gracing your features, “cute right?”

he quirks a brow upon seeing the drawing, “is that…” percy turns his head to the side, gaining better perspective, “is that a flying fish?” 

“wow, you’re good,” you say, giving him a nod of approval, “although, last time you did say that my can of beans looked like a roll of toilet paper…” 

your boyfriend throws his hands in the air, “in my defense, you used a shitty pen so it was hard to tell.” 

“whatever.” 

jason grace — sewing your initials on his clothes

“hi love,” jason says, plopping down beside you on the couch. you give him a bright smile as he places a gentle kiss on your head, “almost done?” 

nodding proudly, you hold up his pair of jeans to show him your work: your initials sewn onto a corner of his back pocket, “yup, just finished actually! what do you think of the color? i think you bought the thread for me on our second date. but i totally forgot i had it until i went digging in my supply box.” 

a grin plasters itself on jason’s face as he nods his head in realization, “i knew the color seemed familiar. i remember wondering why a tiny spool of thread was so expensive. but it’s perfect, i love it,” he kisses your cheek, “all my friends are gonna be so jealous that they don’t have their girlfriends’ initials sewn onto their clothes.” 

you laugh as you imagine jason vehemently bragging about his jeans to all his friends, “tell them i’m charging $50 if they want me to do theirs,” you wink. 

“we’d make more than the stolls’ and their smuggling business if we did that,” he laughs, admiring your work once more. who knew that having your initials on his pants would have such an affect on him, “also, can you do my sweaters and my other jeans?"

you raise a brow, "i might have to start charging you at this point."

leo valdez — impromptu fashion shows

“wow!” you clap enthusiastically, “your outfit even puts paris fashion week outfits to shame!” yes, because a rainbow checkered crop top with a humongous green tutu and a pink boa paired with insanely skinny stilettos beats any and all high fashion runway outfits, “now, leo valdez, can you give us a few words about your new clothing line? and possibly a bit about what it’s like to be so amazingly talented?” you inquire, raising an invisible microphone to his mouth. 

leo oh-so humbly bows and rises with a proud grin, “thank you, thank you, but i honestly must give all credit towards my beautiful muse, y/n, she’s the inspiration behind my new line. and about being so talented, it really is such hard work to be this naturally gifted.”

“ooh, do tell about this ‘y/n.’ i’ve never heard of her but she does sound absolutely gorgeous!” you exclaim, keeping up with the act. 

your boyfriend nods firmly, “oh yes, she’s very, very, very beautiful,” adding a playful wink, “but i must say, she has the worst morning breath i’ve ever encountered!” 

your smile drops and you squint your eyes, “i’m going to choke you with that stupid ugly boa if you don’t take that back right now.” 

“uh ma’am,” leo backs up nervously, clutching his boa, “i’m going to have to call security if you threaten me again.” 

"i'm seriously going to kill you."

[demigods-posts]

can we please discuss how percy asks annabeth to kiss him in tlo? and then annabeth tells him that she'll consider it if he survives the war? and then she proceeds to fight to keep him alive? to the point of taking a poison knife in the arm to protect him? and then she goes to find him after the war? and intiates the kiss? homegirl had goals.

[indecisivemuch]

Scandalous

Pairing: Luke Castellan x Reader

Summary: The reveal of a scandalous detail about yours and Luke's relationship left you both flustered and everybody else gaping. Inspired by one line from So It Goes - Taylor Swift (fluff, established relationship).

Warning: allusions to sex, but no explicit details.

Word count: 2k

You and Luke have been going out for well over a year now. Yet, he never failed to make you feel like it would be an eternal honeymoon phase: whispers of sweet words about a lifetime’s worth of promises, delicate and sacred touches, looks filling in for unspoken words.

Loving Luke was as easy as having a daily routine - so natural and almost like a grounding thing from the life of a Demigod.

Currently, Luke was training with Percy. You were not too far away either, sparring with Clarisse. Despite the area being occupied by many other Demigods engaging in similar activities, Luke could not help but frequently glance over at you.

Luke has always been mesmerized by the way you combat, which he metaphorically compared to a ballerina. So precise, yet deadly. Every move was with intention and purpose. 

The way sweat glided down the side of your face, your cheeks flushed from fighting, eyes darting with strategy, heavy pants in between dodging and attacking your opponent, the smirk hinted on your face - all of it made Luke’s mind grow flustered. Somehow, he found everything you do attractive.

If he was honest, his mind seemed to be doing nothing lately but think of you, especially when you’re not beside him. The memories he has harvested over your time together only transformed his brain into a cinema, which constantly played montages of you. Every morning, he’d wake up from a dream about you to the sight of you in his arms - that is before he had to sneak out of your cabin back to his. You constantly occupy every cell in his mind, like an uncontainable virus spreading. Yet, for some reason, he was not scared. He welcomed this feeling with his whole arms wide open.

You broke eye contact with Clarisse to look at Luke. Almost instantly, your eyes melted into ones filled with adoration and his own eyes mirrored the same emotions - if not tenfold. 

You were absolutely enamored with how Luke looked at you. Even before dating each other, people have mentioned the eyes he was giving you. But being oblivious, you did not see what they were talking about. However, it all became clear when you started dating. You started noticing how he would look at you like you were a rare artwork he would most likely never see again or a shooting star - a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence kind of thing that left him in awe all the time. He would do it so endearingly as if it would help to absorb every detail of you and imprint them into his memory. His looks have always made you feel loved - like you were the only thing that mattered to him, as if he has not told you this verbally and through actions already. Usually, you’d feel slightly insecure if somebody was staring so intensely at you, but he did it in a way that made you feel like your flaws were created to be loved for. 

However, a gasp escaped your lips as Luke was showered by a wave of the ocean. Everybody else also drew their attention to the head of Hermes’ cabin and the newly claimed Poseidon kid.

When Luke looked back at Percy, he was faced with a sheepish grin.

“I had to get your attention somehow. I tried calling your name like ten times already,” Percy shrugged his shoulder with feigned innocence, but the glint of mischief told Luke that the kid was anything but feeling guilty about soaking him from head to toe. 

“Percy,” Luke groaned as he could feel the fabric of his clothes cling to his body. Percy bashfully chuckled and offered another sheepish look to the counselor who was meant to train him. 

The cool water did offer a temporary fix to the boiling summer heat. But mixing that with sweat, combat, and Luke's long-sleeved shirt underneath was disastrous. The Hermes boy sighed as he slowly took off the bright orange camp shirt. After struggling slightly, he managed to pull the shirt off from over his head. However, the gray shirt he was wearing underneath got pulled up more than slightly from the extra friction between wet fabrics, revealing the majority of his back to Percy and others. 

He did not think much of it until gasps - including yours - could be heard as this happened. Chris even whistled as he and everybody else spotted what Luke did not notice.

“What?” Luke asked as he pulled down his gray shirt and started wringing his camp t-shirt, trying to rid it from being as wet as possible. 

“Damn, did you get mauled by a minotaur or something?” Percy asked. 

Almost immediately, Luke paled at Percy’s words as he realized what the kid was talking about.

Indeed, as Luke’s gray shirt underneath got pulled up, which revealed the majority of his back, this had also put on display the scratches down his back left from nights that he spent with you. Some were evidently old and healing, as seen by how Luke’s skin was patching itself up and matching closer to his skin tone. Others were somewhat freshly red, while a few were like wounds being reopened. To make matters worse, they could spot the occasional crescent shape bruises that were indentations of your nails. 

Considering your guys’ relationship was not a secret, there was no room to deny it if somebody pointed fingers at you. You blushed as people now averted their eyes to you as if this was the most scandalous thing all year. Clarisse and Chris, on the other hand, were both smirking. 

The whole camp knew you were the one who left those scratches there, and you sincerely wish you could dig a hole to hide yourself from all the attention right now.

Luke’s eyes darted to you, and you offered him an awkward smile as your face grew a darker shade of red.

“No, seriously, dude, you gotta get it checked out at the infirmary. How did that even happen?” Percy only continued, somehow actually clueless about the cause of those marks. You could see Annabeth sending Percy a somewhat side-eye from nearby at his words while Grover let out a deep sigh. 

You started approaching the two, hoping you could intervene and save the both of you from this situation.

“Uhm…well,” Luke started, unsure how to even answer the kid or divert the attention elsewhere as his cheeks flushed and ears tinted pink from trying to ignore memories of what you two had done the night before.

The Hermes boy has jokingly sweet-talked you before on how he might walk out shirtless after one of your rendezvous to show off the marks you left on him. Never would you two think that that idea would ever happen like this.

“Yeah, I reckon you should get that checked out,” you decided to say as you reached Luke, settling your hand on Luke’s lower back and greeting Percy. “Thank you for worrying about him.”

“Yeah, no problem. I mean, it must have been quite a minotaur to land that much of a number on him,” Percy somehow carried on and was utterly oblivious to Clarisse and Chris, who almost bursted out laughing at his latest comment. You, on the other hand, squinted your eyes at the kid. You turned to Luke and you could see it in his eyes that the boy was on the verge of laughing as well. You were sure he would have done so if it were not for your glare.

“Well, we best go heal those wounds now, right Luke?” you gave your boyfriend a look, hoping he would get the message to play along.

“Right,” he agreed almost instantly. 

“Alright, bye, Percy,” you hastily spoke, before dragging Luke by his hand away from everybody's eyes.

“Bye guys,” you could hear the kid’s voice as the both of you retreated. It felt like a walk of shame as the semi-crowd parted ways for you two to leave the scene. You immediately let out a deep breath as soon as nobody was near anymore.

“Gods, that was so embarrassing. The kid basically repeatedly called me a minotaur.”

“I mean…you can be my minotaur?” Luke cheekily jested, trying to tease you a bit more over the situation.

“Oh, no, no, no, we’re not making that a thing. No, absolutely not are you ever gonna make that a nickname,” Luke only laughed at your reaction before wrapping his arms around your shoulders and bringing you into a hug. As he did so, you wrapped both your arms around his waist, face colliding with his chest the way it would usually do when you guys cuddle. He gave you a few peppered kisses on your forehead, close to your hairline. 

“They’re never gonna let us live that down, will they?” You asked after letting out a muffled groan against his chest.

“Nope,” Luke admitted. Despite the Hermes boy usually easing away your worries, even he knew this would be the talk around camp for a while. Nevertheless, he unwrapped his arms around you and cupped your face with both hands. Using his callus-filled hands, yet gentle touch, he soothed your furrowed eyebrows by rubbing over them to urge you from scowling.

“But…you know what? I’m kind of glad this happened. Sure, it might be awkward and a tad bit embarrassing. But now, they finally get to see how lucky I am to have been given a chance by such a gorgeous and sweet Demigod. And…” he paused, giving you a quick kiss. “This way, any guy potentially still after you know to keep their hands off.” He cheekily winked at you after saying so. 

Gods, you remember how jealous Luke would get before you were together. It was lowkey hot to see him so riled up. Though, after the both of you got together, you have always reassured him that you had eyes on him and only him. 

“I guess that also means any girls still thinking they could steal you from me would know they have no chance?” you questioned, smiling ear to ear when he nodded eagerly at your words.

“Exactly. That’s a win-win in my book. I’m not embarrassed they saw what you left on me. They could talk for all I care. So stop worrying, or else you’ll start getting wrinkles,” he lightly flicked the area between your furrowed eyebrows. As you were about to complain, he quickly kissed you right where he previously flicked you, and that immediately melted away any bit of feigned irritation you had with him. He chuckled at the sight of your furrowed eyebrows untangling itself.

“Thank you,” you muttered, showing your gratitude towards Luke. 

If Luke had a superpower, it would probably be calming you down. He has always managed to tame your emotions whenever they were drowning you. He was like an anchor to you, always grounded you during chaotic times. Sometimes, you wonder how you got so lucky. 

You peered up at him sweetly, and the look alone made him lean down to capture your lips with his again. You chuckled at his action and kissed him back with just as much passion as he was leaving on your lips. Your hands started playing with the hair close to the nape of his neck. He let out a content sigh while still showing your lips just how much he loved them and you. However, he abruptly pulled away before dropping a question. 

“Are we really going to the infirmary?” Luke hesitantly asked, bringing up your words from earlier. He watched as you gave him an amused look.

“What did you think?” As soon as his eyes met yours, he knew exactly what you wanted. He gave you a sheepish grin before the two of you quietly giggled to each other before walking further away from the training grounds.

Let's just say you two did not follow through with your words of going to the infirmary, and neither were you tending to his “wounds”.

——————————

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[supercutszns]

a place with you; luke castellan

wc: 2.8k (got a little carried away whoops)

pairing: luke castellan x f! reader

synopsis: luke is used to people coming in and out of hermes’ cabin without a second thought. so when you’re having a hard time adjusting to camp life, he doesn’t expect you to stick by his side, even after you’re claimed.

warnings/notes: shy reader going through a tough time, hurt/comfort, pining, kisses, fluff, potential ooc luke i don’t know what i’m doing, most of this is prob inaccurate lol, i got wayyy too attatched to this i am sorry, title inspired by dragon eyes by adrianne lenker

Luke Castellan is the son of a messenger. He’s used to delivering, passing things along, letting them enter his life and leave him. Sometimes it makes him angry. At his father, at the world, at himself.

So when you passed through the Hermes cabin for the inevitable few weeks before getting claimed by your Godly parent, the last thing Luke expected was for you to stay.

When you first got to camp you were terrified. Luke remembers that much. He can still picture you in Chiron’s towering shadow as he led you up to Hermes cabin. He gave you the usual spiel about the cabin, the land of the unclaimed, but it clearly hadn’t quelled your nerves. You were wringing your fingers together when Luke first spotted you, your eyes blown wide in what he knew as shock and a sort of . . . grief. For a life you’d left for what Luke knows as a life you’d never really have. He’d seen it in so many campers before you. He’d see it many times after.

“This is Luke, Hermes’ head counsellor and one of Camp Half-Blood’s finest,” Chiron pointed him out to you at the entrance. After Chiron introduced you, Luke held your name in his memory. Not because there was anything particularly intriguing about you at first, to be honest, because he’d seen a lot of people like you that needed help settling in (although maybe not many his age). It was harder for some people to adjust than most. He knew that better than anyone.

“Nice to meet you,” he stuck out his hand for you to shake after Chiron left. “I’m Luke.”

You sniffed, shaking it without looking at him. You were so, so embarrassed. This whole time you’d been too stupidly overwhelmed to process anything. Why was this so hard for you? Was it this hard for everyone? “Hi,” you managed, and that was it.

Now, weeks after your first meeting, you’ve concluded that it was not, in fact, this hard for everyone. The camp is crowded but full of life. You’ve never seen more happy kids in your life. There’s a sense of community on the wind.

So why can’t you feel it? Why is it so hard to connect with people? To participate in the fun? Everywhere you look there’s people but it’s all just so . . . lonely. You don’t fit. You’re lost.

Luke wakes up at night when the cabin door creaks open. He’s already tossing, so it’s no surprise he catches it. Unfortunately, he’s supposed to be a good counsellor—sneaking out at night is against the rules, and you’ve gotta reign the strays back in before they cause a ruckus. Sure, Luke’s not exactly a stickler for the law, but the least he owes is to make sure everyone’s safe.

Groaning, he draws himself out of the comfort of his bunk but doesn’t get far when he spots a familiar silhouette slipping out the door. He knows it’s you. He’s been hearing crying at night, and this is confirming his suspicions. It makes him ache in a million different places. Every time he thought about approaching you he shut himself down almost instantly, because who the hell wants some random guy coming up to them in the middle of the night and drawing attention?

This time, though, he’s a little worried.

It’s chilly tonight but not too bad, especially when you’re huddled up in a ball on a hill in front of the lake, grass tickling your ankles. Your tears keep you warm.

It’s a sorrow that feels bottomless. You don’t know what’s gotten into you. You don’t know why everything’s so hard.

There’s a scuffling of shoes, and your name is carried to you on the heels of a breeze. Oh God. There’s someone else here.

You sniff and smear your tears on the palms of your hands the best you can but a little part of you only wants to cry more now that you’re all anxious, and you only have a few seconds to collect yourself before you turn around and see Luke, your cabin leader, with furrowed brows. “Oh, h-hi, Luke.” It’s hard to ignore the splinter in your voice. You curse yourself a thousand times.

“Hey,” he says hesitantly, eyeing you in a way that makes you feel entirely exposed. “You, uh, you know you’re not technically supposed to be out here, right?”

You start to scramble to your feet with an apology on your tongue but surprisingly he laughs, a gentle sound, and beckons you to sit back down. “No, no, I’m not gonna get you in trouble or anything, just . . . letting you know.”

It’s uncertain if you should keep sitting, but you decide to because well, you’re already down here, and things can’t go lower than this. Luke comes to sit next to you and you stare out into the sea like your life depends on it. “Wanna talk about why you’re out here?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“I mean,” Luke sighs, scooting a little closer to you. “Most people don’t up and leave in the middle of the night because they’re having a great time.”

The answer is too hard to say so you don’t reply.

Again, Luke sighs, and you try not to look at the shadow the moon casts on his admittedly handsome face. “It’s hard settling in, I know. It happens to a lot of people. I’ve . . . I’ve seen a lot of them, and it doesn’t get any easier.”

“Well it sure seems easier,” you snap, and your self-control flies away before you can stop it. “I have no idea why I can’t just suck it up and fit in here. Everyone seems so happy and it’s driving me nuts because I’m just so confused on why I can’t—why I can’t—process any of it.” Tears burn your eyes. “I’m just miserable. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

In the corner of your view, Luke’s face falls. “I’m your guide, you know that, right? I can help you.”

You sniff, embarrassingly pathetic. “I know.”

He comes even closer. “So why didn’t you ask?”

“Because I—I don’t know, you’re busy all the time with all the people in there, so I’m sure your job’s already stressful as is, so—”

“My job is to help you,” he says, a hand on your shoulder. “That’s what I signed up for. If you need something, I’m the one to ask.”

“I’m not sure you signed up for me crying like a baby,” you swallow, the ripples of the lake blurring together. “I mean, I’m like, older than half the kids here, and they’re all so much better than me. I’m not good at a—anything, and I’ve tried it all, and nobody’s claimed me yet, and I feel so weird and old and alone and . . .” It’s too much to think about so you dig the heels of your palms into your eyes, hoping the sting wards off the thoughts. “What if I’m nothing? Why am I here?”

You’re crying again, hiccuping into your hands. Shame sears into you. Luke’s arm curls around your shoulders and you realize how cold you are when he’s warm, so warm, and you want to cry even harder. You don’t even know him, but it’s the most tenderness you’ve received in what feels like years. “Hey, deep breaths,” he murmurs, rubbing your arm with his other hand. “It’s okay. Look at me.”

It takes a ridiculous amount of strength to heed him. His hand catches your cheek and you can’t bear to pull away. Something strange rustles in your stomach.

Luke’s taught instinct when faced with situations like these is to reassure that the Gods always have a plan. But he doesn’t feel like much of a liar tonight. Both his hands steady your face towards his, your skin damp and cold beneath his thumb. “It's not your fault. It always takes a little bit of time for people to get claimed, it’s never . . . well, you can never tell.”

“What if I don’t get claimed?” You say it so quiet you can pretend it was imaginary.

His eyes crinkle at the sides when he says, “Well, Hermes’ll always have a place for you.”

I’ll, Luke wants to say, I’ll. His father is not responsible for his cabin’s kindness.

“No one really prepares you for how overwhelming this is,” he continues, thumb rubbing the apple of your cheek. Your vision is clearer now, and Gods, he is handsome, isn’t he? Even when his eyes are forlorn. “It’s harder in a way when you’re older. More to leave behind. Less to look forward to. It’s easier when you have a friend. Or a great cabin head.” He tilts his head with a faint smile, “Lucky for you, I’m both.”

It almost makes you laugh, and that’s enough. “It’ll get easier,” he promises softly. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Your cheeks burn. It’s hard to keep his gaze, so you blot at your eyes with your hands as Luke gently slides his off your face. “Thank you. Sorry for, um, all that. And the crying.”

He chuckles, “Don’t even worry about it.” You watch him rise in the throes of starlight. He offers you a hand. “Aren’t you cold?” He asks after pulling you up, and you sheepishly nod your head. He tosses you a sweater he’s been wearing, and it smells like firewood. Nostalgic, in a way. “I’m gonna poke around for some tea. Wait for me back at the cabin.”

Before he leaves, he squeezes your arm and that thing happens again in your stomach. “No need to be embarrassed, by the way. You can come to me anytime. I’m probably less busy than I look.” As he walked away, he added, “And don’t worry about the crying. You’re pretty either way.”

Either way. The tea doesn’t seem important anymore because your face is on fire.

Time reveals that Luke is right. He is a great cabin leader and a friend, and it’s hard to tell which he’s better at. You fall in with him right away. Soon enough, you’re drawn into your new life, so slowly you barely realize it’s happening. The days get shorter and you start wishing they were longer. The nights get easier. And when they’re not, Luke tucks you into his bunk and folds you in his arms until you drift off. You pick up a bow. A sword. Luke tells you to straighten your shoulders with a hand on the small of your back, and you swear it always lingers. You braid garlands of carnations for your cabin mates and they wear them with pride. It’s warm, your cheeks hurt from smiling, and things start to feel like home.

Until you’re claimed.

Now you’re a ghost in Hermes cabin, another empty bunk to be filled, and Luke stares at it until he can remember every last detail of what it looked like when it was yours. A beautiful, gentle daughter of Demeter, no longer in arms’ reach. He should’ve seen it coming.

He sees you with your siblings all the time. You’re so happy and he envies it. You belong there, he knows that, the way your face lights up at the dinner table and how you giggle when your half-sister presents you a flower. But sometimes your eyes wander, and something inside them dulls, until you look at him, too.

Luke’s place at camp is to be nothing but a funnel for lost campers to find their home. He’s a temporary stop in everybody’s journey. He’d made peace with it a long time ago. But here you are, messing it all up, because you still don’t leave him.

You beg him to give you another sword-fighting lesson. You sit next to him at bonfires. You pick him for partner camp activities. It doesn’t matter how many younger boys want to latch onto him for guidance—he sees you heading towards him, and he can’t imagine choosing anyone else.

But you’re always whisked away by your siblings, separated at meals and in sleep and in activities so it’s never, ever enough. Why did he delude himself into thinking you’d stay forever?

After weeks of distance from you, he’s elated when you have even a fraction of a conversation. “Hey, Luke!” You call out to him, and he finds you instantly. You’ve broken away from your siblings to get to him.

“Hey,” he smiles, and hopes he doesn’t look too pleased.

You lean a little towards his ear, and you smell like every wonderful thing in the world. “Can we hang out tonight? On the hill?” You’re a little bashful when you say it and it’s entirely endearing. Even now, you’re still so unsure. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” he says almost instantly, and it makes you look less nervous. “Yes. Absolutely. But don’t get caught breaking curfew now, you hooligan.”

Someone calls your name and you give a curt, playful nod. “Yes sir, camp counsellor sir!” He carries your laugh close to his heart until night falls.

You’re already there when he arrives, a vision in the moonlight before he even sees your face. “Hey, angel.”

When you turn around you look flustered. He won’t pretend like it doesn’t flatter him. “H—hi, uh, hello.”

There’s a moment where the world is still. The two of you, alone, for the first time in ages.

He sits down next to you, and it’s like the first time all over again. You get to talking, about your days, your anecdotes, your cabins. The strangeness of it all. “It’s so weird waking up in the morning and not having you yapping in my ear,” you remark, and he teasingly pushes your shoulder.

“Well, one of us has to be the talker, and it’s clearly not you,” he retorts.

You fiddle with blades of grass between your fingertips, weaving them together. “I’ll have you know I had a cabin-wide conversation about Capture The Flag yesterday, and I contributed greatly.”

“Oh, really?” He grins, knocking your elbow to steal your attention. “Look at you, coming out of your shell. I’m so proud.”

It’s hard to hold his gaze for more than a second. You’re afraid you’ll do something stupid if he keeps looking at you like that, but you almost want to. “Oh, shut up.”

He puts a hand on your shoulder. “No, I’m serious. I’m proud.” His eyes rake over your face. “You’re flourishing. You found your place.”

You can’t stop yourself from saying, “I kind of miss my old one.”

There’s a way he studies your expression that makes you feel utterly helpless. You wish you could dish it back to him, but you know you just look awestruck whenever you stare at him for so long. He’s quieter when he replies, “I miss it, too. A lot. Sometimes, I—” His face scrunches up like he just tasted something sour. “Nevermind.”

Frowning, you prod, “What? What is it?”

He sighs and turns to the horizon. This is the first time you’ve ever seen him struggle. “Sometimes, I wish you hadn’t been claimed. Sorry, that’s . . . that’s awful, I know.”

His surprise is evident when you say, “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t either.”

He turns back to you. “Really?”

“Really,” you nod, staring at the beads on his necklace. “You’re the only reason I’ve adjusted here at all.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“It’s true. And I miss you.” A few months ago you would’ve kicked yourself for saying this. But Luke has a way of inspiring confidence in people.

“I miss you, too. So much.” He gently prys the grass you’ve been weaving out of your hands, now a small necklace. “But look at how talented you are. I’ll tell you, I’m lucky you’re still sticking around. For most people, Hermes is touch-and-go.”

Luke leans forward to tie the garland around your neck, and your pulse picks up. “This isn’t about Hermes, Luke,” you try to be firm but it comes out soft. “It’s about you.”

His hands stop fiddling and rest on your neck. When he speaks, you can feel his breath on you. And you have no idea that he’s been waiting to hear that his whole life. “What’s about me?”

It’s not fair, your inability to string sentences together only worsens right when a beautiful boy is this close to you. “Hermes isn’t—it’s not special because of your father, it’s special because of you.”

There is nothing else you can possibly think of saying with the way his fingers trace up your neck and hold your jaw. “Yeah, well,” he murmurs, “The only reason anything in my life is special is because of you.”

You don’t know if it’s a lie or not; you don’t care. His nose nudges yours. There’s a moment where you wonder if this is as close to Elysium you’ll ever get. Then he slips a hand to the back of your neck and pulls you to his mouth.

He kisses you in a near fury, then when he knows you’re not going anywhere, it’s the gentlest thing you know. It’s hard to believe this is even happening. Your hands weave through his curls but he holds you steady, and thank the Gods for that because you’re pretty sure you’re melting. You kiss again, and again, and again, until you genuinely think you’re going to pass out and you have to pull away.

“Aw, look at you,” he murmurs when you can’t meet his eyes, a playful lilt in his voice. “Still so nervous.”

“Would you shut up?” You press your face into the crook of his neck with a huge smile.

He kisses the top of your head. “Love to, angel.”

Luke Castellan is the son of a messenger. He’s supposed to believe he’s bringing the best of humanity to the Gods and glory above.

But screw the Gods. He’s keeping this one for himself.