Cross My Heart | Jason Grace x Male OC

Chapter 7: That's The Thing About Illicit Affairs

If Dionysus's cabin was meant to reflect the whole 'party god' aspect, it was doing a terrible job. Amias immediately felt out of place in the dimly lit space. It also didn't help that his new big brother Pollux was extremely depressed. 

Depressed might actually be an understatement. The blonde was certainly no Dakota, that's for sure. He sat alone at the campfire and didn't respond to any of Amias's attempts at friendly banter. He also seemed to stare right through Amias, like he was seeing someone else instead, then looking confused when it was just him. It really freaked Amias out. What happened to make this kid like this? Sure, the Titan war had just happened a few months prior, but the other campers seemed to be coping alright.

Amias finally got his answer when they retired to the cabin for the night. As mentioned, the cabin was dark and mostly empty, except for a few bunk beds. The walls were decorated in the same grape vines that covered the Big House, except these were dry and bore no fruit. Tragedy and Comedy masks hung above the bunks, along with a few other props, like swords. Amias had a feeling the blades were just as sharp as any other.

He picked the bed closest to the door. It had a trunk in front, which would be great if Amias had any personal belongings. All he currently had on him was his bow and quiver, which were too big to fit in the trunk, and his spear, which already came in watch form. He also had various knives stashed away in his jacket pockets, a gun strapped to his belt, and a set of twin daggers in his boots. You can never be too prepared, is what he said when Pollux gave him an odd look. 

But when he sat on the empty bunk and Pollux continued to stare, he started to feel uneasy. 

"Is this like... a special bunk?" Amias asked. "Do I need to earn it?"

Pollux finally seemed to remember where he was. "No, no." He shook his head. "It's just... That was Castor's bed."

Whatever sense Amias had left after today told him it would be wise to tread lightly from then on. "Was?"

With a heavy sigh, Pollux took a seat on his own bunk, the springs creaking beneath his weight. It was a long time before he spoke again.

"Castor was my twin brother. We lost him a little over a year ago. He fought bravely."

Another long moment passed, and Amias debated with himself whether or not he should console this stranger, but then Pollux spoke. "You remind me of him."

Great. Dead brothers. Amias wondered if it was too late to switch cabins. Sure, there wasn't one for his grandmother here, but maybe the Hermes cabin would be better. As soon as the thought occurred, Amias pushed it away. With his luck, there was probably some crazy son of Hermes who put a curse on the entire cabin.

"Did he also have a questionable weapon collection?"

Pollux gave a sad half-smile. "No. But he had a similar attitude. All self-righteous and sarcastic."

Amias didn't point out the fact that they had known each other for a maximum of two hours. And really, what teenage demigod isn't a little sassy? That's one of the fundamental truths of the universe. Reyna is the most serious person he knows, and even she can be a drama queen sometimes.

Pollux let Amias shower first since he was knew. He lent Amias some old clothes to wear which were slightly too big. He didn't bother asking if they also belonged to a dead kid. He decided he didn't want to know.

Laying in his new bunk, Amias decided Camp Jupiter wasn't so bad. Sure, it was exhausting having to wake up day after day and go through extensive legion training, but at least he could eventually retire somewhere safe. Earlier, Annabeth seemed like she had never heard of legacies before. He wondered if that meant the Greeks don't live as long. Or maybe they just go into hiding. Either way, Amias much preferred the tight knit community of the Fifth Cohort. This empty cabin didn't feel like home at all.