𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒 - luke castellan.

iii, venus the explorer

v e n u s  t h e  e x p l o r e r
venus.

━━━━━━━

Venus watched with a small smile as Luke raised his sword in victory, before she looked at Percy, her smile falling. Something was wrong. He's crying. She stepped down, only taking a step closer before Annabeth appeared and pushed him into the water.

"What is wrong with you?" Percy yelled at Annabeth, gaining everyone's attention. She watched as his wounds disappeared.

"I don't understand," Percy said and then she and Annabeth looked above him. She stepped closer to Annabeth while staring.

"Your dad's calling," Annabeth smiled. Venus looked at her and then at Percy and then at Luke, who looked... mad?

Chiron had selected the most compelling candidates. One that Venus wasn't selected for. Why would I? She gripped the dove in her hands, holding it captive and not letting it go.

"Tell my mother that I want more pearls," She said to it. "Will you tell her? Please?" She asked the dove.

"Or do I have to burn you to ask for a pearl necklace?" She asked, rolling her eyes and then watching as the dove's boba eyes widened.

"Oh, you understand me?" She asked and then chuckled before letting it go.

"Someone will find you crazy for talking to animals," Percy's voice scared her, and she turned around, quickly.

"Maybe," she said, shrugging. "So, who'd you pick for the quest?" She asked.

"Annabeth, Grover, and... you." He said she stared at him.

"Seriously?" She asked, not believing him. 

He nodded, "yeah," he said and her eyes widened. She expected him to pick Luke but she?

"Why me?" She asked, confused.

"I think it's time for you to prove yourself," He said. He remembered when Clarisse called her 'beauty with no brains' he also heard many teenagers talking bad about her.

Venus's brows furrowed and she looked at the ground.

She sat beside Luke, by the lake, as they threw rocks into the water.

"I don't understand, why he chose me," Venus said, still not getting her head wrapped around the thought.

"It was the right choice. It's finally time to show who you really are, dove. How long will you let people believe that you are nothing except the useless daughter of Aphrodite?" Luke asked, looking at her.

"I doubt I'll be helpful." She said, raising her hand to throw the rock into the water when he grabbed it and turned her to face him.

"Stop. Underestimating. Yourself." He said, strictly. She blinked, tears gathering in her eyes but not at his tone. 

She knew that he and Percy were right. She had to prove herself. She needed to stop being known as 'beauty no brains' or as 'useless' or as any of the names the bullies called her. She needed to stop the cycle and she needed to prove to her mother that if she doesn't care about Venus, Venus will find a way to make herself be seen.

He reached forward wiping a tear and then leaned in. Her eyes closed, waiting. Her lips parted, their breaths mingling before he finally kissed her. she dropped the rock and held onto his nape, pulling him close before tilting her head to deepen the kiss.

They pulled away, breathless, after a while and she slowly opened her eyes to look into his.

"You're perfect, Venus. Never forget that."