starshine- luke castellan x oc

cleanup duty

Percy was adjusting well to life at Camp Half-Blood. I was holding off on asking him my long list of questions, wanting to give him as much time as he needed. He was staying in cabin eleven with Luke, who told me he was having trouble with being unclaimed, wanting to know who his dad was.

I knew how that felt better than anyone. When I came to camp I was just five years old, I wasn't claimed by my mother until I was fifteen. 

"We're almost there, Gab, just a few more steps." Lucy, my statyr protector, encouraged me. 

We had traveled for six days by foot to get to camp. I had been found by Lucy after the foster home I had been staying in was revealed to have been run by what I had just learned was a manticore. 

It was all so new and scary to me, Lucy was trying her best to keep us safe, but neither of us were fighters. She was hurt, and I was nearing exhaustion; and now we had a cyclops on our tails. We were close to safety, so close. 

"That's it Gabrielle, run now!"  Lucy yelled from behind me. 

I didn't look back, I just ran until the cabins came into view. I had never been to a camp before, but Lucy had decribed it so vividly to me I knew I was in the right place. 

"Lucy we did it!" I turned to tell my new friend. 

I was greeted with an empty space. 

"Lucy?" 

Losing a satyr protector I had known for a week was nothing compared to losing your mother, but I still felt pity for the boy. If I could help him find who his godly parent was, then I would feel like I was doing something, at least. 

***

"Are you right or left eye dominant?" I asked the blone boy before me. 

He gave me a dumb look. 

"I knew that was stupid to ask." I said, before shoving him. He stopped his fall with his left foot, meaning he was left foot dominant. 

I handed him a leftie bow, "Your left foot dominant so my best guess is that's your good eye, too." 

I adjusted his stance and instructed him quickly on how to aim. It shouldn't take much explaining, if his dad was Apollo then his natural shooting ability would come out without any insruction. 

"Any luck out here?" Luke asked. 

I turned to look at the tall boy as he walked up the hill to the range. The Sun was shining across his face, emphasizing his defined features even more.  I shook my head, trying to clear it of those thoughts. 

As if Atremis heard my thoughts, the arrow Percy was shooting came flying back at us. 

"How did that even.... nevermind" 

"Should I try again?" Percy asked. 

"No!" We all shouted. 

***

After the long day of trying to help Percy find his calling, we were still right where we had started. I tried to encourage him, but it was hard to do so while still maintaining my mortal backstory. 

I eventually gave up, going for a walk along the river. I liked being under the stars, and the moon. It gave me a place to think.

"You should be careful walking out here alone. I hear there's some unsavory folk that hangout around these woods." 

I turned to see Luke standing in a ray of moonlight. If I had thought he looked good in the golden Sun, the moonlight was something else. It was like Artemis was taunting me, daring me to think about the boy in a way I had vowed not to. 

"I'm pretty tough." I answered. 

"Yeah, so you've said." 

We walked beside each other in silence, our hands brushing against each other's. I thought about the lie I had told Luke. If I came clean now, maybe he wouldn't be upset that I lied. I had the chance to explain why I had, and surely he'd understand. 

If I told him the truth, I could better help Percy; and telling Luke this truth about my past was something that I could do while staying within the bounds of my oath. 

I sat down on a rock beside the water. 

"I lied to you before.... About being a mortal." I looked up at him. 

Luke sat beside me on the rock, giving me a look. 

"Why would you lie?" He asked. 

I took a deep breath, "When I was at camp, I spent a long time unclaimed. I used to beg my parent, whoever they may be, to claim me every night. I spent the years trying everything to get my parent to notice me. I had never been on a losing capture the flag team, I completed the obstacle course the fastest of anyone, I swam the mile faster than all of cabin three. Everyone respected me. Then I got claimed by my mother and everyone seemed to forget how awesome they had thought I was." 

"Who was your mom?" 

"Aphrodite." I spoke, looking to his face for a reaction, finding none. 

"She claimed me after I had gotten a love letter from a boy in cabin five, I guess that was all I had to do to get her attention. Two years later, she sent me on a quest personally. I failed, and I felt even worse about myself. I was angry, too. At her mostly, but at myself a little, too. Then that Summer we took a trip to Olympus and I took the oath and joined the hunt." 

Luke put his hand over mine comfortingly, "I know what that feels like." 

I laced my fingers through his and gave his hand a squeeze. 

"It makes sense that your mom is Aphrodite." 

"Why, because I can't use a sword?" 

"Because you're beautiful." Luke whispered. 

I think somewhere, my mother just popped a bottle of champage.