Another Love ─── L. Castellan

xxxvi. water sucks, i want a new dad

"I'm sorry," I muttered, leaning into him and wrapping my arms around his waist. He reciprocated the action, before I pressed a kiss to his jaw. "The reason you hate Cyclops'. It has something to do with how Thalia really died, doesn't it?"

"The night Grover was escorting us to camp, he got confused, took some wrong turns. You know Grover?" I nodded. I did know Grover. "Well, the worst wrong turn was into a Cyclops' lair in Brooklyn."

"They've got a Cyclops in Brooklyn?" I asked.

"You wouldn't believe how many, but that's not the point. This Cyclops, he tricked us. He managed to split us up inside this maze of corridors in an old house in Flatbush. And he could sound like anyone. He lured us, one at a time. Thalia thought she was running to save me. I thought that Annabeth screamed for help. It sounded like we were being tortured and killed, straight out of a horror movie."

"Gods..."

"The Cyclops tried to lure Annabeth with her father and she stabbed him in the foot, freed Thalia and we managed to get out," Luke shook his head again, sighing as a cold wind blew around us. "It was his fault we took so long getting to camp. All the monsters who'd been chasing us had time to catch up. That's really why Thalia died. If it hadn't been for that Cyclops, she'd still be alive today. She would have been happy at Camp Half-Blood."

We sat on the deck, watching the Hercules constellation rise in the night sky as I came to a conclusion.

"You and Thalia had a thing, didn't you?"

"What?" He yelped, and the tenseness was broken as I laughed at his shocked face.

"You did, didn't you?"

"How...? What...?" I giggled, pressing a kiss to his shell shocked face as I brushed past him to get some rest. "Why are you like this?"

"You're a good looking guy. Everyone has a crush on you, so I'm going to assume that Thalia did as well and you guys were alone together for so long that I'm sure you kissed at one point." I shrugged, not massively fussed about it. "I'm adding her to the list.

"Firstly, it's alarming that you know that from one tiny conversation. Secondly, not everyone has a crush on me," Luke protested, scrambling to his feet as I nodded. "Thirdly, get rid of the list Andi."

"No, it's funny and yes, they have massive crushes on you."

"Oh yeah. Like who?"

"We've had this conversation, babe. Multiple times." Luke spluttered out an accusation, following after me. "When we begin to tell people we're dating, there's gonna be tears. I could bet on that fact."

"That's dramatic."

"I'm adding Thalia to the list." I stopped, grinning up at my much taller boyfriend as he glared. "So, was I right, did you kiss?"

"We did. Like, a week before she died and then you know, she died." Luke pointed out, before narrowing his eyes. "I don't like that you know so much."

"It's a talent." I beamed. "I'm adding the list to the folder of fun stories I have on you, like you got turned into a guinea pig, and your car got stolen despite being the son of thieves."

"So it's like that, is it?"

"Yeah. Got to keep you on your toes, old man."

"I'm really not that much older than you."

"Still a year and a half older."

"I will break up with you." Luke deadpanned, as I grinned once more. "Who needs stressful quests, when you have a girlfriend, who likes to bully you? I'll get more grey hairs from you than the titan."