Bound by Fates (ABO PJO AU)

Chapter 7: Morning after ( Nothing spicy. Get your minds out of the gutter,guys)

A/N: I don't own PJO. Uncle Rick does. I just play with the characters.

" Speech"

Thoughts, dreams, visions

'Flashback '

Spencer sat down on the edge of the bed, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the fabric of the comforter as she stared at the floor. The tension had slightly eased from her shoulders, but there was still a clear heaviness in the air, something lingering just below the surface. Louis stood nearby, watching her carefully, unsure if he should give her more space or stay close.

"You don’t have to stay," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper. "I’m fine. Really." Fine,my arse.

However,Louis didn’t move. "I don’t think you’re fine," he said gently, his tone leaving no room for argument. "But that’s okay. You don’t have to be fine right now. You don’t have to be anything other than you."

Spencer sighed, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment. "I don’t even know who that is anymore," she admitted. "I feel like I’m… losing myself."

Louis’s heart clenched at her words. He hated seeing her like this,so uncertain, so fragile. The strong, determined girl he had come to know and care for was still in there, but right now, she was buried beneath layers of fear and doubt. He wanted to reach out, to help her find her way back, but he knew he couldn’t force it.

"You’re still you," he said softly, sitting down next to her. "Even when you feel lost, you’re still Spencer. And no matter what, I’ll be here to help you remember that."

She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she turned her head slightly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "Why do you care so much?" she asked, her voice barely audible. "I’ve been a bloody mess since the beginning of the bond, and I’ve probably caused you more trouble than I’m worth."

Louis shook his head, his brow furrowing in disbelief. "Don’t say that," he murmured softly as if talking to a wounded,scared animal. "You’re not trouble. You’re worth everything to me. The bond doesn’t make me care about you,it’s not just some forced connection. I want to be here, with you. Even if things aren’t easy."

Spencer looked down at her hands, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. The bond was something she had tried to distance herself from, a tether she wasn’t ready to fully embrace. But hearing Louis talk about it like this, like he wasn’t trapped in it but willingly staying by her side, made her heart ache in a different way.

"I’m scared," she whispered after a moment, her voice cracking slightly. "I’m scared of what’s going to happen if I let you in… if I let myself feel all of this."

Louis reached out slowly, his hand hovering near hers before gently resting on top of it. He didn’t squeeze, didn’t push,just let his presence be known, his touch light as a feather. "I get that," he said quietly. "I know you’re scared. But I’m not going anywhere, Spence. I’m not going to give up on us because things are hard." I swear it to the gods. I'm not going to leave you.

Spencer’s breath hitched at his comment, and for a moment, she thought she might start crying. But no tears came,only the overwhelming weight of her emotions, that threatened to spill over like a dam that was about to break. She had never been good at sharing her feelings, at being vulnerable. But with Louis, it was different. He didn’t demand anything from her, didn’t expect her to have all the answers. He was just… there.

She looked up at him after a moment, her gaze soft but still uncertain. "You’re too good to me," she said, her voice barely audible.

Louis smiled, a small but genuine expression. "I don’t think that’s possible," he replied, his voice warm. "But I’ll take it as a compliment."