No Strings Attached

10

"Then, is that loud sound you made also related to your dad? Or are you just super skilled at whistling or something?" This made her laugh, and it was then that I decided I would try to get her to do that as often as I could.

"Yes it is, unfortunately I don't think there's anything I'm super skilled at that I didn't get from my dad."

"I'm sure tha-" I tried to reassure her, put into words how she's already showed me more kindness in the few minutes since we met than most people have my entire life, but she cut me off.

"It's alright Leo, really, it doesn't bother me," her eyes said something else but I decided not to press it, knowing how annoying it can be, "besides, you were on your way to the pavilion right? You must be hungry then, let's go." I agreed and so we went on our way, she released a thankful sigh for me letting the subject go.

-

I had just offered myself up for the quest that would set me on this journey. I might have acted all brave back there, but as soon as I left the amphitheater my hands started shaking and I had to lean on the wall or else my knees would have given out. I was terrified.

"So you are an idiot," I heard a voice come up from besides me. Y/N.

I tried straightening up, shoving my hands into my pockets to hide the shaking. If she noticed my distress, which I'm sure she did, she didn't say anything.

"W-what do you mean?" I tried nonchalantly but my voice was very clearly shaking.

"It's... nothing, it's nothing," she sighed, it was clear that she wanted to say something else but she didn't, instead grabbing my arm and pulling me along with her, "c'mon, if you're gonna go on a quest you're gonna need some supplies."

I let her lead me along the camp grounds as there hung a thick silence in the air, making me uncomfortable. This is exactly why I hate them, there are things up in the air, unsaid. That is why I cleared me throat, breaking the awful quietness that surrounded us, "so where are we going?"

She shut me down, "To get stuff."

"Well, what stuff?" I tried again.

"You'll see," she shut me down again. There was no edge to her voice, she wasn't trying to be harsh for as far as I could tell, but it still made me flinch. And then it was quiet again.

Eventually we arrived at a small store which we entered through the side door. This was the first thing I've seen since I got here that completely resembled something that could've come from an ordinary summer camp. It was just a camp store, the normalness of it eased some of the tension from my shoulders.

I figured out weeks later that she hadn't just taken me along to get questing stuff, no, she decided to take me here after she saw me freaking out. In that moment she gave me the biggest gift she could have, normalcy.

"Here," she said while handing me a backpack, "I'll help you grab anything you need. Also don't worry about money, since it's for a quest Chiron won't mind, and if there's anything that isn't covered under 'questing materials' I'll cover it for you."

"I-, wha-, thank you!" I barely managed to get the words out, why was she being so nice to me? She shoved a toothbrush, toothpaste, a little bottle of hand soap, a couple of bright orange camp t-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here, and a notebook and pencil set into the bag.

"Yeah don't thank me yet, I'll probably be the one having to fix you up if you come back, speaking of, I'll get you the first aid stuff later. I need to get the ambrosia and nectar from a special cabinet and I don't have my keys on me right now." But the last part of what she said fell onto deaf ears, me only being able to focus on that one word, 'if'.