reflection ● jason grace

Michael trips

"No." She stood. "Still gone."

Michael touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Dars."

She shook him off, feeling more confined than comforted. "Nothing you could do about it." She tilted her head. "We should explore."

"No."

She looked down at the darkness. There was something compelling about it. Something drawing her in. It was definitely magical, she decided. And they had to come back to camp with something other than bad news.

Because the truth was, every demigod and creature they talked to was saying the same thing: Atticus Blake was raising an army, and Krios would rise in one year. They tried for two months to find someone willing to contest those odds, but everyone thought that the legion had its head underwater.

And things at camp didn't look much better. In reality, Leila didn't want Daria to go on this quest. She had vehemently opposed it, along with Jason whose word was starting to carry more weight around camp since Daniel was...incapacitated.

But Daria was tired of people treating her like she had suddenly lost all her brain cells. Why should she have to apologize for getting a hold of her anxiety? She wasn't trapped in her mind anymore; even if she thought of the bad things, she could push through.

"Why not?" She asked. She kissed his cheek, mostly for persuasion. "Just until we can't see the light anymore, then we can come right back."

Michael grimaced. "I know you don't need my permission."

"You're technically my centurion," she reminded him even though that couldn't be farther from the truth. "So yeah, I do."

He rolled his eyes, not believing her for a second. "Whatever. Draw your swords."

She tapped her rings together. The tunnel was narrow. Monsters would either come from ahead of her or behind her – Daria didn't need any of her senses to realize that.

They crept along the path. It didn't seem to end. She passed another entrance on her left and then one on her right. Just as the sunlight was facing away, she turned around sharply. Michael nearly stumbled into one of her swords. "Will you stop breathing so loud?"

She couldn't see his face, and he was silent for a few seconds. Then, "Gods, Daria, you are so annoying."

"You say that like you haven't been pining after me for years." She motioned towards the darkness. "Up for an adventure?"

"No," he said firmly, and Daria groaned inwardly. "I mean it this time. You don't know what's down there. Don't be stupid."

"It works for you, doesn't it?" She sassed back. "Or would you rather I shut this down?"

Michael rolled his eyes. Or at least, that's what she figured he was doing. He took her by the wrist and all but dragged her away. "You can complain to your bestie Daniel. Let's go."

"Do not call him that," Daria said, amazed. She sheathed one of her swords so she didn't stab him. "He's not my best friend. He's not even my friend friend."

"You are the only one who tolerates him though," Michael replied. He let go of her to jump up, hauling himself up over the pit. He offered her a hand, which she would normally decline, but she had no other option.

It reminded her of the volcano. In private, she asked Jason if it was him that saved her. It made sense. He could fly, he could easily have helped her. Except, he admitted, I'd passed out by then. Whoever saved you, it wasn't me.

Daria looked at his face. "You have an idea, don't you?"

He raised his eyebrows, making her realize that he was much harder to break now. "No," he said. "Let's stop talking about it. I'm just glad you're alive."

When she broke out of her thoughts, she noticed Michael staring. "What?"

His chocolate eyes glittered and his mouth was set. No matter how frankly, hot, Michael was, there was something so eerily familiar about him. Like they were the same puzzle piece instead of ones that fit together.

"You're really rash, you know that?"

Then there was this part of him that wasn't similar at all. This...carefully respectful tone that he used with her sometimes, like she was better than him, like they couldn't be more different.

"I've been told," she said slowly, unsure of where this was going.

Anyway, back to Michael. "You're really cute, you know that?"

She smirked. For now, this would do. "I've been told."

He kissed her for a moment. "Okay." He kissed her again, longer than the last, and a bit rougher too. "As long as someone told you, I guess."

"You know," she pulled away for a second. Wondering what they were doing about to make out in the middle of a forest. Oh well. They would be back in hell in a few more days. No time for that there. "You technically haven't told me that."

He hummed. "That's because I don't think you're cute."

"Ouch, and you want me to kiss you after that?"

"I'd call you beautiful," he grinned tackily but confidently. "And anyone who doesn't tell you that is a liar."

There were no butterflies in Daria's stomach like there were for Reyna; it was more of a hurricane. Much more rugged around the edges. "That was cheesy as fuck, Michael." She leaned in close to him, able to feel his breath mix with hers. "Say it again."

The gang comes back next chapter I promise! Also this part is all Daria's POV

Nathan: What's your biggest fear?

Daria: Being alone.

Nathan, pulling a tarantula out of a box: Guess again.

-M