Percy Jackson/Heroes Of Olympus Headcanons & One-Shots

Just A Tree (Gruniper/Short One-Shot)

Juniper barely saw Grover anymore because of his job. She didn't really get the usual "Honey, I'm home!" and was kinda getting a little... depressed. She cried for days. She refused to wear anything but pyjamas. She hated herself for being so weak, but she couldn't stop thinking of all the ifs she had on her mind.

What if he gets hurt? What if he doesn't love me anymore? What if he's with another dryad or nymph? What if he's with that blueberry bush?! What if-

"Honey, I'm home!"

There it was. The phrase that she barely heard. Grover stepped into their humble little cottage (that, for the record, was barely used) in the woods and shut the door. She looked up from the sofa and smiled weakly. "Hey."

Grover immediately knew something was wrong. Her hair was disheveled, there were dark green droplets on her cheeks and she was watching a drama about a dying patient in her pyjamas while picking at the crumbs from chocolate chip cookies.

He walked to her and turned off the tv. She didn't seem to notice. He sat down beside her, but she refused to meet his eyes. She was internally screaming.

"I've been wanting to see him for so long, and when I do, I don't even feel like looking at him? How pathetic." She was furious at herself.

"So..." Grover said. "What's wrong?"

So this next part might shock you. You'd expect her to mumble incoherently or turn her head away or say nothing at all. Instead, Juniper was very straightforward.

"I'm scared of losing you."

Grover was baffled. "Lose me? Why would you ever think that?"

Juniper's skin turned green. "Because..." she turned away. "You're barely here. And... I'm scared that you might not... love me anymore." She said it softly. "And that," she gulped. "-you might prefer someone else."

Grover was even more baffled now. "Me? Prefer someone else? No way." He shook his head. "Juniper, you are the only one I'd ever want. You know I've gotta be flexible and go everywhere to protect the earth and its nature, right?" he said softly.

"That's the thing! You're so busy with saving the planet that you have things and people to keep you occupied, and you like that. And I'm just... a tree." Juniper said helplessly, not even fighting back the force of green tears.

Grover closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Maybe I am always busy. And maybe you're just a tree. That's right. But let me tell you something. You're the most beautiful tree ever to me, and no matter how many junipers there are in this world, you will always be MY Juniper. And no matter how caught up I am with doing my job, I know my priorities and I will always make time for you. Even if I haven't been doing that lately, I promise that in the future I will. Understand?"

No words were needed. Juniper was silent. She had been overreacting and was paranoid. Of course he wouldn't leave her, she knew him better than that. She loved him and loved her. She gazed into his eyes, nodded and dug her head in his chest.

Understood.