Chapter 15 - Frank
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hazel asked.
Frank nodded. "Very much." He looked out over the vast sea surrounding them that he assumed was the Ionian - its crystalline surface gleaming in the dusk light.
He and Hazel stood at the stern of the Argo II, their fingers laced together, Hazel leaning against him comfortably. The silence that surrounded them was so tranquil, Frank had never felt so at peace. He couldn't see any signs of land, but that didn't faze him. The Gannets drifted lazily over head, once in a while two or three would dive straight into the water, only to re-appear with a silvery fish in their beaks. Frank watched them with awe. He always knew how to shape-shift into different forms, and now he wondered what it would be like to become one of them. Gannets were so interesting. They couldn't just fly - they could swim underwater as well. As Frank watched them soaring overhead, he thought about his shape-shifting abilities. He imagined how his form could bend itself into a particularly different matter, and he pondered whether or not he could try something... different... completely different.
What would that be like?
He stood there, and as he held Hazel's hand, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He imagined becoming a giant Gannet, yet at the same time staying human. He visualized his form transforming into something new, yet staying anchored to his mortal body. He concentrated on where he wanted these actions to occur within him. Suddenly, he began to feel his shoulder blades itching, his back tingling as he began to feel himself transform. Smiling to himself, he allowed his concentration to cut itself short, and the tingling stopped.
"Hazel," he began.
"Yes?" she asked, still gazing out over the Ionian.
"Come here," Frank said. "I've got a surprise for you."
She turned and eyed him suspiciously, but letting his smiles take the best of her, she let Frank guide her to the edge of the port side of the ship. Frank dragged a tall barrel from one of the ship's crates, and stood it at the rail. "Hop on," he said.
"What?" Hazel asked, looking at the barrel fearfully. It stood right at the edge of the ship, its surface level with the safety railing. "What if I fall?"
"I'll catch you of course," Frank answered.
Hazel stared at him hard, and then finally sighed, allowing Frank to boost her up onto the top of the barrel. He then climbed up behind her.
"It really is beautiful, huh?" Frank whispered into ear, wrapping his arms around her waist like a Prom picture, resting his chin on her left shoulder gazing out over the endless sea.
Hazel breathed outward, and reached behind her to stroke Frank's hair. "It really is."
"Do you trust me, Hazel?" Frank asked.
"With my life," Hazel replied almost immediately.
Frank grinned, and said. "Close your eyes."
He felt her smile skeptically, but after a moment, she closed them.
Frank began to rock, back and forth, back and forth, building momentum.
"Frank... what are you...?" Hazel began.
"Keep them closed," Frank advised, then with one heave, holding Hazel tightly, he launched himself off the side of the ship, plunging toward the water below.
Wind whistled in Frank's ears. He could feel the muscles in Hazel's shoulders tense as hard as rocks. She didn't scream though which he was grateful for. He didn't want his concentration to break. As the water raced toward them, he began to visualize what he had before. He imagined himself as a Gannet, but yet still human. The tingling reappeared in his shoulder blades immediately. He anchored his will to them, and propelled all his power forward. All at once, right before they hit the water, Frank felt an electric shock zap through him; suddenly his shirt ripped open, and giant ten foot long Gannet wings erupted from his shoulder blades, catching the wind and pulling them up into a swooping-swallow.
He and Hazel rose high over the water, soaring away from the Argo II, the wind furling through their clothes.
Frank looked himself over quickly. He was still him! His arms still held Hazel tightly to his chest. His legs still trailed behind him. But as he looked over his shoulder, he saw he had massive silvery wings sprouting from his shoulder blades extending to about twenty feet in full length. He grinned to himself in crazy happiness, only to realize Hazel's eyes were still shut tightly.
He put his lips next to her ear. "You can open them now."
He felt Hazel jump in complete shock and he realized she must've opened them. "Frank!" she gasped. "How did... how did you-" she looked over her shoulder to see his face smiling down at her, see his wings stretched to full length, catching the wind. Hazel stared at him, and suddenly to Frank's astonishment, her eyes filled with tears.
He was immediately alarmed. "Did- did I do something wrong?"
"No!" she said. "No, it's just... Frank... you're amazing. Your power is amazing. This is amazing!"
Two hundred feet in the air, she twisted around in his grasp, cupped his cheek and pressed her lips to his, the two sharing the kiss for what seemed like forever.
Frank smiled as she pulled away, spread her arms wide as they soared over the water, and whooped with delight. She laughed and hollered as Frank dove and climbed, (but he made sure not to spin, because he knew how sensitive Hazel's stomach was).
Frank swept low to the water, and Hazel stretched out her hand letting the sea spray refresh her, her hand sliding along the surface of the Ionian. Frank climbed upward once more, and they glided through a great flock of Gannets - thankfully the birds didn't drop any stools on them.
They flew through the clouds hanging low over the water, the mist curling around them, Hazel spreading her arms wide trying to grab hold of their fluffy pillow-like edges.
Frank turned his wings down, and they streaked for the water hundreds of feet below, Frank pulling up once again just before they splashed down. They circled lazily around the Argo II, Hazel enjoying touching the ship's oars as the flew around its massive hull.
They flew up into the sky, the blaze of the sun beginning to set, casting the sky into a wild portrait of red, pink, and orange. They swooped low once more, and stirred up a pod of dolphins. They began jumping out of the water, one after the other, following the pair as they sped along the surface. Hazel laughed with delight as one bumped her outstretched hand, stroking its dorsal fin.
Frank grinned broadly to himself. Never in his entire life had he ever felt this happy; not even when they won the war games back at Camp Jupiter and kicked Octavian's booty.
Finally, he turned them around and gently glided back over to the Argo II. As they neared the ship, Hazel turned her head and kissed Frank's cheek. "Thank you for this," she whispered.
Frank kissed her back in reply. Words weren't necessary for him right now. All he did was stutter when he was nervous. He just let the fact take over that he and Hazel were together, everything was peaceful, the evening was beautiful, and nothing could ever spoil it. They gently touched down on the stern deck where they had originally taken off.
The ship was quiet, everyone still sleeping from the morning's surprises from the Titans. The Gannets were long gone now, and as the sun began to set ever so slowly over the horizon, Frank and Hazel stood together, enjoying their surroundings, enjoying the moment they were immersed in, enjoying everything about this cool summer evening.
They stood together, looking into eachother's eyes. "I love you, Hazel," Frank said. He realized this was the very first time he ever spoke these words - ever in his entire life.
Hazel smiled up at him for what seemed like eternity, until she wrapped her arms around his neck, and nestled her face against his chest. "I love you too, Frank," she murmured.
Had Frank been the same Frank that had set out to free Thanatos a few months back, he would've melted into a puddle on the deck. No girls had ever said those words to him. And hearing them come from Hazel... it was too much for words. It was just to be left unexplained. So Frank let it slide. Life was good.
For now at least...
Hello my friends! Many of you got the answer to the trivia question right, but only one guessed it first. Whoever guesses the answer first recieves a dedication. And that lucky winner, is...... *drum roll* silena4kane!!!!!! ding! ding! ding! ding!
Hope everyone enjoyed this little chapter.
Next trivia question: What was the name of the first and only Automaton that Annabeth activated in The Last Olympian?
Whoever gets it right first gets a dedication for next chapter!
Don't forget to comment and vote!
Until next time!