𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐄

'pushing and pulling'✓

-chapter seven-

A pink hairbrush hit the wall of her cabin the moment Amelia stepped out of it. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. The wish to turn around and hide under her blanket resurfaced. All hell broke loose in camp as soon as it became clear that war was about to start on Olympus. Somebody had stolen the master bolt, somebody who obviously had it out for the gods. Somebody who most certainly wasn't the silly boy she had trained with and taught the last two weeks. Yet Zeus deemed him suspicious enough.

Most of the cabins were deserted but the silence did not fool her. The moment she entered the dining pavilion she felt the air buzzing with tension. With how thick it hung over all of them she could soon cut it with a knife. Amelia put some food on her plate and sat down next to Michael who gave her a half-hearted smile and ruffed her hair. Dawn shot her a look, she wanted to talk. Amelia did not.

With one look over her shoulder she found her boyfriend standing next to the fire offering with Jenna at his side. Excusing herself she grabbed her plate and made her way over. She gave him a kiss on the cheek as greeting and his tense shoulders eased a bit. "And how's life at camp treating you so far? I do hope Luke is behaving himself or do I have to tell him off?" She wiggled her brows and Luke rolled his eyes in return. It did not slip past her that even he could not hide a small smile.

Jenna laughed. There was something carefree about children. They said what was on their mind and couldn't see how the world did not have enough space for people to have good and honest hearts. A warmth spread in her chest at the sound, it was almost melodic.

"He's not a dog!" she giggled.

"He isn't?" Amelia looked her boyfriend up and down then shrugged. "He is doing the tricks I taught him very well for that." The girl laughed at Luke and he just took it keeping his eyes on her. A few curls were hanging in his face, but they didn't hide the adoration in his eyes. Damn those deep puppy eyes of him and her body for immediately reacting to it. He had a thing for seeing her being so domestic with children and she had absolutely no problem playing into it. Amelia reached up and pushed his curls back up. Her own eyes ghosted over his lips, but she refused to give into him. If he wanted a kiss, he'd work for it.

"What will you give up then?" she turned towards the girl. Totally not trying to ignore the fluttering of her stomach. Jenna began to explain how she hated breakfast and would just give up one of her pancakes because she wouldn't be able to eat it if she wanted to. That was not exactly the way it worked but Amelia let the girl live with it. "How long have you two been together?"

She eyed Luke from the side. One of his arms had found its way around her waist and was caressing free skin. Tease.

"Soon four years. That campfire seems like a lifetime ago now, doesnt it?" she asked rhetorical. Luke hummed still not averting his eyes.

Somebody was being needy today. It would be a long day of stolen glances and touches then. Not that she would say no if he would steal her away to the woods for a private moment. No, Amelia, bad Amelia. Stop thinking about your boyfriend while you're talking to a kid.

"You two act like an old married couple." Jenna stated before using feathered steps to hop over to the Hermes cabins table again. Still unclaimed the poor girl was.

Sometimes in a certain light Amelia thought she saw a little resemblance between the girl and Michael. The blonde curls, piercing blue eyes, tanned skin and overall behaviour did speak for it. Jenna did look the part, but their father had been silent ever since- well ever since that dream.

"Stop that. I can see you drifting away." Luke rubbed her side in circles not allowing her thoughts to continue. Before she could answer a plate shattered on cabin ten's table. Luke detangled his arm from her putting his plate down and bolted over. Thanks to his fast reaction he caught Connor Stoll before he reached the already standing son of Dionysus. The two were all too happy to use the excuse of taking sides in the war to settle their childish conflict with each other. She didn't let her eyes linger to see what else happened. If she knew one thing, it was that Luke could handle himself. Grumbling Amelia took her fork and threw her fruits into the fire.