THE HOLLOW MAN
It started with a whisper.
"Come closer."
Mia bolted upright in bed, her breath caught in her throat. The room was dark except for the dim glow of the streetlights outside. Beside her, Jake was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.
Had she imagined it?
She held her breath, listening.
Silence.
Mia let out a shaky exhale and laid back down, pulling the covers up to her chin. She was probably just tired. But just as sleep began to take her—
"I’m waiting."
The voice was right beside her ear.
She jerked up so fast her head spun. Her hands trembled as she reached for the bedside lamp, flicking it on. The room was empty.
Jake groaned and turned over. “Babe, what the hell?”
“There’s—” She hesitated. She couldn’t explain it. Couldn’t make him believe.
Nothing,” she muttered, turning off the light.
But it wasn’t nothing.
The whispers continued each night, growing bolder. The air felt heavy, suffocating. Shadows shifted in the corners of the room. And then—she saw him.
A shape.
Tall. Wrong.
It stood in the corner, limbs too long, torso stretched unnaturally thin. Its face was a smudge of darkness, an absence where features should be. It did not move. It did not breathe. It only watched.
Mia shut her eyes, whispering, “Not real, not real, not real.”
When she opened them again—he was closer.
She screamed.
Jake jolted awake, cursing. “Mia, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“There’s someone—” She pointed.
But the corner was empty.
“Mia, you need to sleep,” he sighed, pulling her into his arms. “You’re just freaking yourself out.”
But she wasn’t.
Because each night, the Hollow Man crept closer.
She refused to sleep. The lights stayed on. But the whispers only grew louder.
"Let me in."
Then, Mia made a mistake.
She whispered back.
"Who are you?"
The room collapsed into silence. The air turned rancid, thick with the smell of rot.
Then, slowly—it grinned.
The lights flickered.
Mia choked on a scream as her body seized, her back arching violently. Her skin rippled and split, as if something inside her was crawling its way out.
Jake watched in horror as deep, jagged cuts tore open across her stomach, something moving beneath the flesh. Her veins bulged, black and swollen, spreading like a spiderweb under her skin.
“MIA!” He lunged for her—
Her jaw snapped open.
Too wide.
Unnatural.
Her tongue split down the middle, peeling apart like rotting fruit. Her teeth sharpened before his eyes, jagged like broken glass.
Her fingers clawed at her own face, peeling away strips of skin. The flesh sloughed off in wet chunks, exposing muscle and bone.
Jake gagged. Something was pushing out from inside her.
He grabbed her wrists, trying to hold her together, but her body buckled and ripped apart, spilling blood, viscera, and something else—something dark, shifting, wrong.
The Hollow Man stepped out of her, shedding her body like a useless husk. Jake’s mouth opened in a silent scream as the creature turned toward him—
And Mia’s skinless face grinned back.
Then, the lights went out.
(Sorry this took so long, my lovelys. I hope this lives up to expectations and let me know what you want to write! Love you xx(
((Idk why I'm doing this lol)) Main Navigation Center AO3 Incorrect quotes My AO3
Illegal Elemental Masters au: Ninjago - Status: Incomplete (On Haitus!) -Short summary: Elemental powers are considered illegal so every elemental master is locked up. Yet a new evil is brewing on the horizon, and Jay needs all the help he can get. -WARNINGS: None
Merged Masters: Ninjago - Status: Incomplete (On Haitus!) -Short summary: Takes place in the future, the ninja have merged with their elements. Yet they are missing one of the ninja and after (accidently) adopting some children, they set out to find their missing member. Oh, and also there is another great evil. (Surprise Suprise!) -WARNINGS: None (so far)
Over and Over again: Linked Universe - Status: Incomplete (Currently in progress!) -Short summary: Dark Link got his hands on a powerful artifact and now its up to Four to try and stop Dink and get out of the loop. -WARNINGS: Death, Gore, Major Characters Death, EXTREMLY whumpt/angsty.
Universe's Great book of LU fics: Linked Universe - Status: Always updating. (No ending) -Short summary: Just a bunch of short, mini fics around the LU links. -WARNINGS: Extreme crack, some may be dark/angsty tho!
Might I offer you some Colorful fics in these trying times?: Linked Universe & Four Swords/Four Swords Adventures - Status: Always updating. (No ending) -Short summary: Just a bunch of short, mini fics around Four (LU) or the Colors (links). Most of the fics are Red-centered -WARNINGS: Some are pretty angsty!
Flipping through the different perspectives: Linked Universe - Status: Coming soon!! -Short summary: Each chapter is centered around a different Link and each take place within different AUs. -WARNINGS: Unsure quite yet.
Bonked Universe: Linked Universe - Status: Complete! -Short summary: Four and Sky are hit with a brick and I take a crack-y approach to it. -WARNINGS: None!
There is No Story: There is no Game - Status: Complete! -Short summary: You, the reader, has stumbled upon a mysterious book within the AO3 archives... -WARNINGS: None!
PJO in Amphibia: Percy Jackson & Amphibia - Status: Incomplete (On haitus) -Short summary: Percy, Annabeth and Grover are all strange in a new, strange world full of talking anphibians! -WARNINGS: Spoilers for Amphibia!, Death (spoilers), some gore and unnatural creatures/descriptions
This is too good to not comment on.
So, I wanted to talk about how well this was played out. (I know, I’m not supposed to be posting often, but this is just to good to not talk about.
So first off, I love the style of the writing. The description really help you see it clearly in your mind. The charcters are also really well played out and the interactions between all of them are very nice. I also liked the interview part, where Annabeth and Percy truly show both their cleverness and confidence (well, more in Annabeths case. But that writing is really BOLD!)
And yes, I could go on and on. But its late and I need to turn in. Yes I may keep talking about this, but the style and just how its portrayed… This is probably one of the best fics I’ve read before.
Oh and I can’t forget about the embarrassment scenes and how the author had action and with these small scenes to make you relate to the character more than if they were just blandish.
Okay, thats enough, but fellow Percabeth enjoyers, Read this. Its good.
this is a hunger games au that has languished in my google docs for like six years. fear not, the fic is already done so i will update once a week! if you enjoyed, please reblog because this took a lot of work!
ao3 link
She volunteered, of course. The floorboards of the wooden scaffolding creaked beneath her feet, and the autumn sun cast a harsh glare through the square and offered little warmth. Standing in front of the crowd, the look on her father’s face, helpless and accusatory, stuck out even among the sea of faces. Annabeth clenched her hands at her sides and tried to quell the guilt and disgust churning in the pit of her stomach.
None of the boys volunteered, but Annabeth recognized the name that was drawn: Luke. He walked up to the scaffolding stiffly, his pale eyes colder than normal, without acknowledging her even though they’d known each other since they were children at the Academy. Not that she cared. After all, no one was really friends with anyone else in District 2. In all likelihood, Annabeth would be the one stepping over his corpse if he somehow managed to last that long. She was here to win.
Keep reading
I wanna make a pjo story (when I have the time) but I don’t know what plot to do. But this is my reader and I want to know your ideas, any idea is welcomed
I wanna know what kind of ideas come in your minds when you see this, any idea and the one that will inspire me the most I will do it (when I have the time)
Please comment your ideas
“Hey, firecracker,” a voice—unmistakable, to you, at least —calls from behind, and you instantly knew who it was. “Need to talk to you.”
There was only one person that would call you that nickname. Luke Castellan, the bane of your existence, thought it was extremely funny to remind you of that one time you almost burnt down the pavilion. The moment they figured out it was you; you had earned the nickname you dreaded so much. He loved reminding you of embarrassing stuff you did. You desperately wanted to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off his face. What did he even want? Didn’t he have something better to do than to bother you?
He leaned against one of the posts in the arena, eyebrows raised expectantly. He just needed a change from training the newbies. He wanted to go all out, and the best person to do that with was sadly you. Well, at least the satisfaction he’d get from beating you—because he would beat you, obviously, was totally worth it.
You sighed, “What?”
“Need a sparring partner, that's all,” he said, a smirk still tugging at the corner of his lips, now accompanied by a raised eyebrow. “And I'd rather have you than anyone in this camp.”
“That sounded too nice for your standards... Are you that desperate?” Your eyes narrowed; you were skeptical.
“Desperate to beat your ass, yes," he said, an easy laugh breaking past the steely look on his face. Luke was aware of the fact that he often annoyed you, and maybe he liked it just a little. "Besides, I wanna try some new sword techniques I came up with. So, whaddya say? Pretty please?" His head tilted a little when he said that, he was giving you that look.
You were silent, biting your lips just like you always did when you were focused. After a moment, you gave in. “Fine,” you said. Maybe you’d benefit from this, too.
"That’s my girl," he said as he casually walked toward you. "I promise not to go easy on you. If you feel like you're gonna trip and impale yourself with my sword, just say the word, alright?" A smirk flitted past his lips, though his words seemed genuine enough. Luke knew you would never stop being rivals. But the feeling of respect he had for you was real. He trusted you and even cared for you, but he’d rather commit war crimes than admit that.
“Fuck you,” you spat as you got into your signature fighting stance. Maybe this was a mistake, but if you gave up already, he’d think you’d gotten cold feet.
“If you ask nicely.”
That smug bastard. You hated him with all your heart. You hated his stupid smile and the way he made everyone around him feel comfortable, even you. You hated the butterflies he gave you. You hated his guts.
With a smooth slashing motion towards his torso, you started the fight. He blocked it with ease. Without a further word, Luke went in towards you with a quick and precise strike, sword arm extended forward in a tight grip with the tip aimed towards your sternum. He wanted to overwhelm you, thinking you hadn’t improved since the last time you sparred. But oh, was he wrong.
You’ve been watching him, his rather aggressive style of fighting, and the look in his eyes when he tried a certain move for a long time now. You’ve fought him many times before, and you were getting the hang of it. You’ve been training a lot, and while he was busy with the new campers, you had developed your own, unique fighting style. He knew you as a pretty good fighter, who could almost keep up with him on a good day. Almost. But now, you’d surpass his expectations. You blocked his hit, your body moving smoothly like liquid. Instead of using all your strength to try and withstand his attacks, you just gave in. Let loose. You used the force of his hit and channeled it, transferring it into your own with ease. He did not see that coming.
You'd always had a strong sense of intuition and your body would respond accordingly, as if it had a mind of its own. Luke was quick to counter, his body leaning back with a fluid motion to avoid any of your quick strikes, all the while trying to find an opening. The back-and-forth movement that was once just a spar has now become a deadly dance of swords, the two of you constantly in motion, no pause in sight. There is a certain excitement in the air, almost a spark that has ignited your mutual hostility and aggression.
Your movements were fluid as if you could predict all of Luke's moves in advance. You were a master of timing, of anticipating all of the demigod's strikes. Not once could he match your fluidity, his movements jerky compared to your graceful flow. There was something about the way you both fought so elegantly that made you feel like you were part of an agile performance, each of you matching the other's movements perfectly. It felt less like a fight and more like an art.
Yet even as you moved with effortless ease, the clash of swords kept you both on your toes, your bodies moving in such perfect sync that neither could find a flaw in the other's defense. Your movements almost appeared as if you were both working together, but this was not the case—in fact, Luke was becoming more frustrated by the second as he strained to find a way to slip past your guard.
“You’ve improved,” he breathed out while you fought. “I like it.” The way he said that sent shivers up your spine. It was embarrassing how these words affected you so hard that you made a small mistake. It was a mistake that could happen to even the best swordsmen in history, but a mistake nonetheless. And it led to his sword held at your throat. You fucked up. And he made you feel it, the cold tip of his sword gently tapping your chin, forcing you to look up at him. You prayed that he didn’t notice the color on your cheeks.
“You're distracted too easily.” He looked serious for once, that glint of smugness had left his eyes for just a moment. “I win again.” And there it was again, that stupid smile of his. He dropped his sword and held out a hand to help you up. You let him pull you up, trying to ignore the butterflies in your stomach. “Did you get what you wanted out of this fight?” You asked, and he nodded. “Much better than trying to teach the newbies not to drop their swords while fighting.”
“Good,” you turned to walk away, but he grabbed your wrist. “Same time tomorrow?”
You could’ve said no, could’ve walked away, could’ve done ANYTHING, but instead, you looked at him and said, “Sure thing.”
First fic contribution to Perachel Bingo Week. Check out more perachel fics from bingo week here
PERCY
Percy breathed deeply as soon as he felt the air of Montauk, with its rich and salty tang surround him. The anxiety he felt under his skin calmed a little as the waves happily lapped against his feet. He couldn't help the nostalgic smile. Rachel joined him soon after as he instinctively tensed. She must have noticed it because she remained silent, letting him work his thoughts out for himself, and he had never been more grateful for anything else.
A wave roared in his ears as his thoughts spiraled, and he had to suppress the sensation. He did not need another flood on his hands. The past few months had been rough, and Percy's powers had been all over the place, and he couldn't rein them in no matter what he did. His Dad and Triton had both tried to make it better, but ever since the Pit , Percy had a feeling it would be permanent. Before then, he had felt as close to the sea as he possibly could. He had been able to call upon it, however, and whenever he pleased, but now it was something else, something more. The sea, the ocean, was under his skin, raging and churning for a release. Another reason why he was here.
He has been at home, a rare moment of calm with his mom and Paul. After all the trouble he had made them go through with his nightmares, lack of sleep, out of control powers, and not to mention his paranoia. Fates must have seen that and gone: You thought, LOL NO. Because the next second, his phone had buzzed with a text from Rachel: I saw it. He didn't need further explanation than that.He shot her a quick reply, turned off his phone and grabbed Paul's keys.Before any of them could ask , he was out of the door, phone in his pocket. Yes, he had begun using a phone. Because they stayed away now, the monsters ,because he was the one who was-
"Percy, can you help keep the sand in place?" He was cut off from his darker thoughts by Rachel's words and on instinct he complied. He had barely been able to hear what she said over how soothing her voice sounded. He could feel the sand keep itself in place in response to his will; Rachel had a habit of drawing in the sand, a habit he really really liked. He had once set off waves upon waves over her sand drawings just to see her awed reaction at finding her drawing undisturbed. He had liked that too. He had spent the entire day showcasing different stuff he could do with his powers to her. Annabeth and Thalia would have called him a showoff but he had enjoyed it and Rach had too so he didn't see a problem.
She wasn't in awe like the first time she had seen it but she was still smiling and he would do just about anything to see that soft smile. Rachel had always laughed a lot, always kept a very expressive face which he had learned was her small way of rebelling against her father who had done everything he could to forcefully turn Rachel into some poised lady. "Like a mannequin" she had once told him and he had felt a surge of anger and a vicious need to strangle the man. But he was glad he could do something, even something so small that could genuinely make her smile. It made him smile too.
"Wouldn't want to disturb the new masterpiece." Percy told her as he watched her scrunch her nose, something he thought was really adorable and very endearing; which was tame compared to the usual mess of feelings he felt around her; Somedays she looked so beautiful, it was hard to look at her. Looking at her like this, at them like this, he wished he could keep this moment going forever. Him finally free from wars with only college to worry about, and the Oracle now having gone silent with Apollo being punished or whatever. But he wasn't the same, not after all that and he didn't know if Rachel had it in her to keep looking at him after what she had seen, after all, Annabeth's wailing screams were still fresh in his mind, a scar that wouldn't fade but Rachel's fear would break him, he knew that much. So he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and waited for everything to go wrong as it always did.
RACHEL
To Rachel, he had always looked out of this world. Ever since she had met him on the Hoover dam. Steady gaze, sea green eyes, a flash of blue. Percy had been her gateway to a whole new world ever since. But today gazing at the sea, his eyes softly glowing, the way he stood, he looked like something more. Rachel would have said he looked like a God, but she had met Gods, more so she had felt the essence of Gods taking over her to communicate through her, yet Percy had always felt like more. She had seen the way he had kept everyone at bay after the war, all of the seven, even Grover. Even Annabeth, especially Annabeth. She knew they had called things off soon after they had reunited in New Rome. She had seen it after all. But Percy could never keep her at bay, no more than she could keep him. They had seen and known things about each other through their visions, things so intimate, in a way no one ever could or ever should. Even when the Oracle's power was out of control, she could always rely on it to show her Percy, where he was, what he did or was about to do. Ever since she had met him, he had become her anchor. All her dreams started and ended with visions of him. She knew it was like that for him, too, at least sometimes. They had shared dreams before. She had really liked it, having him there. Because Rachel had been afraid, there was a lot to fear even in her dreams, but if Percy was there , everything would be alright. She would be safe, always. Even her father had accepted that.
So she and Percy had done what they always did. Sit together in silence doing their own things occasionally talking about the most random of things, a lot of words left unsaid but understood. Until yesterday when she had seen him in the pit, seen everything unfold in the pit. Rachel wasn't sure if she could understand it all even though she had been learning up on Greek lore and such and despite Chiron telling her ,"Some things are beyond the realm of possibility Ms.Dare." She would always believe in her own eyes, in what she saw for the sake of all the times she had not and how it had cost her. She had been afraid, she had been shaking, and she had been crying which always happened after a violent vision but this time it wasn't the vision that set it off. The raw fear and worry gripping her heart was not for herself but all for Perseus Jackson. The things he went through, his screams, his desperation, how close he had come to death, the heart wrenching way his face had contorted when he saw Annabeth's horrified face. She hadn't been able to shake it off, not the tears nor the shivering. Until she couldn’t stop the urge to talk to him. I saw it, she had texted him, her fingers shaky knowing she couldn't trust herself to speak. It hadn't stopped until his reply a few long moments after , which had felt like forever then. Montauk. I will pick you up.
Now here they were, with her drawing the most inane things and him keeping the sand in place for her. She had always loved that. The way he cherished all her drawings and her words, prophetic or otherwise. She could see him warring with himself, his powers growing stronger than ever; the reason why they were at the sea. She could wait for him to be ready, to be okay with having this conversation, she didn't want to push him, she never would. She was alright even if they didn't speak a word of it and instead spent the whole day here, like this, at peace.
He must have been resigned to having this talk because his voice turned soft as he asked, "What did you see, Red?" Her heart did the little dance it always did when he called her that . For all his love of the color blue he had ways said called her Red softly and fondly. She wished she could have controlled herself better, stopped the tears threatening to spill as she muttered just as softly, "Everything." She managed to choke out. Now they would talk in fears and in truths and a litany of promises, of assurances which would have to be enough.
"Why are you here then?" Why are you not running away in fear, in horror like they all do.
Labored breaths mingled with wavering voices.
"Where else is there to go? And I wanted to be here." Where could I go but to you who knows all of me and who I know all of. I am not afraid. I want to be here, Perce.
Choked tears, heavy voices, with emotions and impulses.
"I am not okay. I will never be okay ever again, Red ." I am a monster now, and I will always be a monster.
Waves thrashed as the sea churned on itself.
"You don't have to be okay. You just need to be alive, to be willing to live. It will get better because you have to make it better. Everyone else is like that too, Perce." You are not a monster, you are human, the best of humans. If you are the monster, then the world is hell, full of devils. But you are not. It's alright and it will be okay. You have to believe it will, with me, with everyone else.
Calm words, a chant, a prophecy.
"You saw it all, you know what I did, how I enjoyed it, Rach. Don’t defend me." I know what I am, you don't have to fool yourself into believing something else, Red.
The sea raged and raged.
"It was hell, you were in hell, you were going through the worst of situations, you were going to die, Annabeth was going to die, you were being tortured. Of course you were happy to get the upper hand. You didn't cross some line, Percy, Perseus, you held back infact. You showed mercy." You gave everything to save Annabeth, to save everyone. You have given so much too much and you are still so good.
The waves toppled over one another. Strongly then, slowly.
Sea green eyes finally met emerald ones. A look full of nothing and everything as long left unsaid words beat against each other, the waves of the sea matching the pace.
Her words, fears bared for him to see, as his own were.
"You should be the one angry, I couldn't help you, I couldn't help anyone, save anyone." Rachel was the one who had been useless through all of it. All she had done was deliver a message Annabeth had sent and worry and worry and worry about Percy, the camp and the fate of the world. The gift broke down when they needed it the most and she had tried and tried to will it to work, to start. She had started with prayers to Apollo and then ended with curses.
"That's not true, Red. You told Reyna what she needed to do to unite the camps, to face Gaea. You delivered the message. In a way your prophecy saved us all, Red." Percy was sure they couldn't have made it without Rachel, they never did when it came to great prophecies. And deep down he couldn't help the relief that she hadn't been roped into a fight or a quest. She had sacrificed enough already.
The waves thrashed once, twice, thrice more before dissolving into a harmonic calm.
PERCY
That was how he had found himself kissing Rachel.Overwhelmed and high on emotions, the both of them. He would have said more, thought this through, but he couldn't think with her soft lips moving against his own.
He relished in the familiar warmth of it and he didn't want to let go.
Sloppy makeout, sand drawings and surfing, both of them together, happy and relaxed for the first time in a long time. That's how the day had gone and Percy couldn't help but be giddy about this, about them. It was one of the best and happiest days he had ever had and maybe he was wrong about never being okay; he had a feeling with Rachel by his side along with his family, both mortal and godly, he would be okay, eventually. He had to be.
As Percy took Rachel back to the car, both of them looked back and he was sure they had the same hunch, the same shared feeling: There would be trouble ahead with newer prophecies, with Gods, and they both had a lot of explaining to do to his family, to her family, to a probably human Apollo but it could all wait a little while longer, a bit more till there were no words left unsaid.
Pairing: Luke Castellan x Reader
Summary: You thought that Luke Castellan, your best friend, did not reciprocate your feelings for him. To cope, you wrote letters addressed to him and kept them in a box. What happens when one of your sisters finds it? Inspired by 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' (fluff, best friends to lovers; you thought it was unreciprocated feelings, happy ending).
Note: Ahh, I'm so happy the show got renewed for season 2.
Word count: 3.3k
You were deeply convinced your fate was tied to one with eternal lovelorn.
Three years ago, you arrived at Camp Half-Blood and settled into the Hermes cabin before you were claimed by your Godly parent. It was there that you met Luke Castellan - one of your soon-to-be best friends. Though, you knew you were doomed from your first glance into his eyes. Then came his friendly smile and an offer of a handshake, where his hand engulfed yours.
At first, you thought that silly little crush would dissipate. But over time, as you became close friends with the Hermes cabin counselor, you were almost convinced he was faultless. You seemed to adore every little thing about him. Along with the fondness that grew in your heart was also self-pity. At one point, even looking at him hurt because you knew he did not return your feelings.
Hence, the letters.
In between your memories of Luke were letters you wrote throughout those years just to cope with the unreciprocated feeling. It was painful, but what else could you do? You truly believed confessing would put your friendship at risk. Neither did you feel like dealing with the heartache of a rejection. So you never uttered any of your feelings to him, continuing to imprint it on lined papers instead.
You scowled as the pen you were using ran out of ink, leaving the latest edition of unspoken words unfinished. Wordlessly, you fold the incomplete letter into an envelope and shove it into the turquoise box you bought while returning from a quest once. You neatly put the box under your bed.
“Y/N, it’s time to head out,” one of your sisters repeated. Two minutes ago, people were starting to leave, so those on cleaning duties could clean up your cabin. Since you were mid-writing, you hastily asked for a few more seconds. Now, you were the only one left besides two of your sisters.
“Yes, sorry,” you quickly muttered, exiting the cabin and almost immediately bumped into Luke. “Hey, what are you doing here?” you asked.
“I’m here for you. I thought we should hang out,” Luke answered ever so casually. Yet, your heart swelled at the thought that he was there for you. Before you could reply, you two were interrupted by another camper, who told you that one of your other best friends needed you and that it was an emergency.
“I’m so sorry, we’re gonna have to take a rain check on that hangout,” you informed Luke. You slowly started walking backward and away from him. “I’ll see you later, though?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Come find me whenever you’re done, yeah?” Luke requested, hoping to spend time with you later. His soft look made you pause mid-step, almost as if your foot had been cemented to the stones beneath. You nodded absentmindedly before snapping out of that state to comfort your friend.
After two hours of listening to your friend and comforting them, you finally left their cabin to search for Luke, who previously told you to find him after. However, around half an hour later, you slowly gave up at the thought of doing so, feeling almost defeated.
As you turned to head back to your cabin, you spotted the Hermes counselor exiting his. You called out his name, watching his back stiffen before he turned to you. You ignored the odd behavior and recalled, “I’m free now if you’re down to hang out.”
“I’m so sorry, but I’m really busy right now.”
“Uhm, well, I guess I’ll just meet you at our spot whenever you’re done then?” you suggested. You and Luke fell into a routine of star-gazing every night.
Laying under the dark sky that painted your whole horizon often made you feel small. But something about that was so calming, especially considering most of the time, you were suffocated by the weight and duties of being a Demigod. You wondered if it was the moment or if it was Luke’ presence that aided your momentary peace.
“I really, really can’t tonight, I have a lot of things to do.”
“Oh… that’s okay. I’ll see you around?” you replied, watching as Luke fidgeted and gulped while attempting to look normal. It was futile, really, because being best friends meant you could sense when the slightest thing was even off. He nodded, and you retreated to your cabin with thoughts swirling in your head.
Then came the next few torturous and confusing days. For the last two years, Luke would always approach you - almost daily, and vice versa. Being best friends with Luke has been wonderful. Every day together felt like a blessing.
Now, it seemed almost like he was avoiding you. He would find a new excuse whenever you approached. He wouldn’t even look in your direction. Yesterday, you made eye contact with him, and he turned away abruptly, facing his back towards you.
You had enough after day three. You went to your cabin after dinner and reached under your bed with one hand. You did not want to, but this would perhaps be your first-ever letter of anguish about Luke Castellan.
The box…where is the box?
You peered under your bed, mouth hanging open when your eyes could not spot it either. You looked up and around, hoping maybe you had misplaced it somewhere, even though part of you knew you had put it under your bed. You have always done so.
“Hey, have you seen a turquoise box?” you asked your sister as she walked by.
“Oh, the rectangle one, about this big?” your sister reconfirmed, using her hand to show you the size she indicated.
“Yes, that one.”
“Oh, I gave it to Luke.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I was cleaning the cabin three days ago, accidentally knocked it over and saw letters addressed to him. He was right by the door, so I thought maybe I should just deliver them to him.”
Blood drained from your face, and your heart plummeted. Anything else your sister seemed to be talking about started sounding like murmurs, and you could not focus on a word she was saying. Your worst nightmare seemed to have arrived. Somehow, your friendship with him had ended without you knowing. No wonder he has been avoiding you these past few days. He has read them all.
“I need to go,” you quickly muttered, storming out of your cabin. You could feel your body slightly shaking from the panic. No amount of Demigod training had prepared you for moments like these. Then you saw Luke walking over you…with the box in his hands. You took a deep breath and practically forced your voice box to work.
“Listen, Luke—”
“I didn’t think you’d buy birthday gifts that early, Y/N,” he interrupted.
“What?” you questioned and observed the sweet smile gracing his Adonis-like face.
“This?” he gestured to the box. “Your sister gave it to me and said it was from you. Though I thought I should give it back ‘cause it’s not my birthday yet, you might have wanted to give it to me yourself.”
“Oh…” it was the only thing you could utter as it dawned on you what he had perceived the situation as. “Wait, so you haven’t opened it?” you clarified.
“Nope.”
“...So we’re ok?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?” your mouth hung slightly agape at his words. As you scrunch your eyebrows, you could see how his fingers fidget somewhat, almost as if he could tell you would bring his odd behavior up.
“You’ve been acting really odd the last few days, Luke. It had me worried. I thought I did something wrong. It seems like you were avoiding me.”
“I was just really busy with counselor duties,” he dismissed it. However, something about it made you a bit hesitant to believe his words. You did it anyway, nevertheless. You blamed it on your stupid heart.
“Yeah, but—” you stopped, not wanting to stir anything. “Ok then, I’m going to put this away, but I’ll see you later, yeah? Maybe we can finally not rain check again?” You hated how hopeful you sounded. You’re glad that the sun had set a few minutes ago, blessing you with enough degree of darkness to hide your facial expressions from being as evident as they would be in daylight.
“Of course, I’ll see you later, Y/N,” despite the dark and only dim lights from nearby, you noticed there was something different about him. Luke was wearing a nervous smile, almost sheepish like a schoolboy. There was a glimmer of amazement in his eyes like he was in disbelief. Though it was definitely overpowered by a glaring degree of warmth. He was looking at you like all those writers have written down in the books you have read before - something along the lines of adoration and love.
You shook those thoughts away again, refusing to somehow fool yourself into believing he could reciprocate those feelings.
“Yeah, see you,” you muttered, hand gripping tightly on the box as you took it from his hold. As soon as you reached your cabin, you opened the box to peer inside. You immediately sighed in relief upon seeing the copious amount of letters with your handwriting on them, all with Luke’s name on the front.
However, your eyes landed on one unfamiliar one. It had your name on it, written in a familiar wonky handwriting that you have always found endearing.
You sat on your bed, taking the letter out delicately, almost in disbelief. Then, dread overtook any other emotion. Was this Luke’s way of letting you down easy? By pretending to not have read any of your letters and rejecting you through the form that you express your love to him? — you had to physically shake your head at that thought.
You took the letter out of its envelope and started reading:
‘Dear Y/N,
This is probably the 40th time I tried writing this letter. It feels impossible to try and convey everything onto one piece of paper.
You deserve someone to at least view you as their muse rather than always being the writer.
Hence why, for the past few days, I had to physically drag myself away from you every time you tried approaching me because I knew if I didn’t, I would just end up spilling my feelings out right then. I knew if I even looked at you, I would have just abandoned this letter idea and run to you. You should have seen me yesterday. When we made eye contact, I had to turn away from you because having the knowledge of you liking me back was enough to knock all the air out of my lungs. I was a flustered mess from just that eye contact.
I doubt my words could rival what you have written about me. You once wrote how it hurts to love someone this much and to always be the poet but never the poem. Well, I’d like to thank you for making me your poems. However, now it is your turn. Allow me to be your poet.
You occupy my mind like it’s your castle. If I had to name everything I love about you, this letter would never end. But for starters, here are some of the first times:
The first time Chiron introduced you to the Hermes cabin, I could not take my eyes off you. Chris had to nudge me away. Just from that alone, a part of me knew I was in trouble. I think I came to the conclusion that I did not want to hold anybody else’s hand after just shaking yours.
2.5 years back during a campfire in June, even when the fire had died and the air grew cold, our voices still filled the air. Conversations just flow when I am with you. I remember never wanting that moment to end. Then you started talking about constellations and told me about the ones above us. Right there and then was the first time I had the urge to kiss you, and to show you that I was just as obsessed with you as you were with stars.
The first time I realized I was in love with you was while coming back from a quest 2 years ago. I remember feeling so numb coming back. The world almost seemed monotone, and I wondered for a second, what if I had made one wrong move? Just as I returned to camp, you bolted and hugged me. Somehow, it felt like I had just taken my first bit of fresh air after drowning for so long. I vividly recall shutting my eyes as I hugged you back because I felt like I was finally home. I remember never wanting to be away or out of your hold as others approached and rushed to get me into the infirmary for checkups.
It was only when I was lying on the infirmary bed that it hit me like a train that lost control. A large proportion of why I fought so hard was to come back to you. You’re my best friend, Y/N, and my place of solace and peace. Then came the realization that I was in love with you. I remember everybody else’s voice drowning out as I focused on that thought. It was strangely calming, as if my heart had known all along but was waiting for my head to catch up. Then I remember just smiling as I looked at the ceiling, unafraid of the new feeling.
Last year, the day we went on a quest together lapsed with Valentine’s Day. Every moment felt extra sweet. Us sitting on the train, staring outside the window together like a couple going on a trip. My mind savoured the small things like you falling asleep on my shoulder with my coat around you and us holding hands as we walked through the crowd to not get lost among couples - which I like to imagine that others had thought we were one as well. It was the first time I allowed myself to pretend this is how it would feel like if you were mine and how our lives together would be if we were not Demigods.
I thought for sure you would have realized something by the way I was staring and acting around you that I was irrevocably in love with you. After reading your letters, I realized that you did see it. But you refused to believe that I could ever be in love with you. Well, I hope my letters will reverse all your doubts, because Y/N, it is so easy to fall in love with you.
In fact, the world I built up in my head during last year’s quest had consumed my thoughts enough to make me frown at the idea of returning to camp, where it would not just be the two of us anymore. Loving you has never been something I was afraid of. Loving you has been an honour every single day, even if you never knew of it.
It’s also somewhat funny that I was heavily lovesick while you were lovelorn. But I promise, Y/N, that from this second on, I intend to make you know that you are loved and that I am so deeply in love with you.
Again, I never intended for you to wait for three days, but I ended up throwing away every letter I started because I felt like none had suffice. I didn’t want to mess it up and give you something less than you deserved. I wanted to do something nice for you. I promise I’ll make it up for those three days if you allow me to. But one chance is all I need.
If you are willing to give me that chance, you know where to find me.
Sincerely,
Luke Castellan’
Upon reading his last words, you immediately left your cabin with the letter in hand. You jogged to the spot where the two of you would always meet to stargaze together. Almost instantly, you saw his tall figure under the moonlight. As if he could sense your presence, the Hermes boy turned around and gave you a sweet smile.
“You meant it?” you asked as you raised the letter up, slowly approaching him.
“Every single word, including all the unspoken ones I intend on telling you from now on,” the way he said it felt like he was swearing it on his own heart. “In fact, I would have written more down, but I knew I was keeping you waiting for too long,” he explained as you stopped right before him.
Something about this moment felt cathartic. Three years of dancing around unspoken words and yearning led to this moment. Luke grabbed your hand and rubbed his thumb over your knuckle. You peered up at him, and it was then that you finally accepted what his looks meant: he was in love with you, and there was no doubt about that. There was no more denial on your end that Luke Castellan was enamored with you.
“Will you let me be your poet, Y/N?” he breathlessly referenced the words you and him had both previously written like he had been waiting for this for a lifetime.
“Of course,” you answered almost without hesitation, watching his eyes soften even more, if possible.
“Is it ok if I ask you another question?” he asked again, his other hand caressing your cheek.
“Yeah?” Your face flushed as you saw his brown eyes dart to your lips.
“Can I kiss you?”
This time, you didn’t say anything. You’ve written down way too many words in the past three years. You decided actions would speak louder in this case. So you pulled Luke down by his camp necklace, hands gripping the beads on it as you tiptoed up to reach his lips.
Luke physically melted as he brought one hand to your waist to hold you up as he leaned down from the height difference. Everything Luke had imagined before could not match the kiss he was finally sharing with you - the kiss that seemed to seal his lips into a spell that would forever leave them unable to belong to anyone else. It felt like heaven and hell combined because he knew that this was going to ruin him forever, and every second he spent with his eyes shut would be one where he had this feeling and moment sown behind his eyelids.
You had the same line of thoughts. The wait was long, but you felt like it was worth it. Under the stars, you may feel small. But standing there next to Luke, you finally realize it doesn’t matter. Because he was holding you like you were the only thing that mattered.
You were his sun, moon, and everything in between - no constellations could ever measure to you.
--------------------
masterlist
Join my Luke Castellan taglist
taglist: @nininehaaa @perseus-jackass @tanifsblog @bubbly0 @hinata7346