Worth the Struggle

Chapter 7: Happily Ever After or Whatever

There wasn't a soul around camp. Nobody on the basketball court, or in the strawberry fields, or near the cabins. Everyone was gathered in the arena, solemn looks on their faces. My mum was crying into Luke's shoulder as Annabeth wept into his chest. Grover snuffled beside his girlfriend Juniper. Even Clarisse in the crowd looked glum. Chiron was performing some kind of eulogy that I was being presumed dead because of how long I'd been gone. A tiny sadistic part of me wanted to hear what kinds of things he'd say about me, but I couldn't put my mum through that, she already looked bad enough.

I walked out into the middle of the arena, stopping Chiron mid-word, and drawing everyone's attention. I worried people would rush me as smiles spread over their faces, so I ran to my mum before they could reach me. She screamed my name and grabbed me so tight I could breathe. I held her as she cried, soothing her hair and chanting 'I'm sorry'. I hadn't thought of how much losing me would hurt her. Annabeth stared like she couldn't believe I was back, so I beckoned her over. She hugged me tightly too, and I had two crying girls hanging on me. I looked to Luke who just looked genuinely happy to see me.

Chiron herded the campers out of the arena, giving me privacy with my friends. Annabeth blubbered that Tyson was crying too hysterically so he was still down in cabin three. I explained what happened as she let me go and moved back to Luke, trying not to show how jealous that made me was difficult. I just kept a hold of my mum when she tried to move away. I glided over meeting Hermes at the end, that was a separate conversation I wanted to have with Luke. My mum huffed about 'some pretty girl' keeping me away, but I just laughed that she nursed me to health and helped me off the island. Technically, it was the gods who didn't say anything, but they wanted to be sure I came back.

"Well, you did, that's all I care about." She gushed. "I'm happy to have you back, you ever scare me like that again and you'll be in big trouble mister."

Chiron chuckled, reminding her I must be tired and asking Luke to make sure I got to our cabin without losing consciousness. I thought that was a little extreme, but wanted some alone time with Luke. My mum agreed that I looked pale and let me go off with Luke. The first thing I did was thank him for looking after her while I was gone. His cheeks coloured as he brushed it off, he said she was lovely to him when she didn't really need to be. I disagreed, he'd done enough to earn my respect, others should treat him the same way. He seemed stunned by that but didn't have time to comment as I walked in the cabin and was attacked by my half-brother.

"Percy, you're back, I thought you died," Tyson cried. "I would have missed you so much, brother."

It took longer to calm him down than my mum, but Tyson was always very emotional. It took a lot of convincing that I was tired from the trip here and not completely recovered before Tyson left. He promised to tell everyone that you were fine and play with the Hundred-Handed One. Luke told me Clarisse's quest went swimmingly, they fought the Kampe guard. Annabeth had found Dedalus, who was convinced by her resourcefulness and Luke changing sides to give her Ariadne's string and go against Kronos. My mum took Grover to follow Pan, who bestowed the gift of the wild to him and vanished. He was truly dead now, like the last of the wild places in the world.

"I - I need to talk to you about something, a promise I made to Calypso before I left." I stuttered, blushing and fumbling over my words in embarrassment. Luke said nothing but didn't look like he wanted to hear it. "Look, I'm just going to talk, so I can say this without getting so embarrassed I can't. I didn't know how long I was gone, but every night you were in my dreams. I couldn't forget how you'd kissed me, even when Calypso kissed me it wasn't the same. I got these tingles and shivers when you kissed me. When I opened up to her about what I felt and thought she guessed I was in love with you, and I might be, I don't really know what it is I'm feeling, but I promised her I'd say that to you, so I am. I think I'm in love with you. And I liked it when you kissed me, so if you ever wanted to again -"