Umm, so this song came up on my playlist and I wrote this right away without a plan and now I'm crying? Okay. I hope that's a good sign for this story, and if so enjoy! I apologise to those who were happy with this day's previous Thalia and Luke fluff for shattering the illusion.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and the universe of PJO. Also notice how when Luke refers to visiting Annabeth, it's canon and not my idea. Thank you.

Love You Better

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down
And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now
I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind
I'll do it all for you in time
And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now, now

-Ed Sheeran, Lego House

"I'm used to having bad dreams and night terrors," Thalia said. "But this is by far the worst one that's ever come up."

Luke flinched and rubbed his hair awkwardly.

"Maybe this is a figment of your imagination," Luke said. "Maybe you want this to be true and created this yourself."

"I've been a demigod long enough to know the different between a dream and a divine intervention," Thalia said. "Seriously, where are we? How are you making this happen? Why are you doing this Luke- don't you realise that this could lead your Kronos to a shortcut to my brain?"

"That's not what I'm trying to do Thalia," Luke said. "And no, I made sure to be careful. Kronos isn't here right now. I wouldn't forget to protect you. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Talk, then," Thalia said.

It was surprising how, despite the fact that they were in a world he'd created and he'd made up, Thalia had all the power. He wasn't used to seeing her mad and that threw him off. Thalia wasn't used to seeing him evil and scarred with the symbol of Kronos hanging around his neck, but she was angry and disappointed and betrayed enough for those emotions to take the upper hand.

"I was thinking… about how much happier I was when I wasn't with Kronos. When I wasn't leading this army. When I wasn't… When this wasn't happening. You know, in simpler times. Like when you and I were running around, when we had Annabeth with us… those were good times."

"They were," Thalia said. She'd filed them in her 'good memory' drawer a long time ago, despite the fact that they included Luke.

"I want to go back to that," Luke said. "What if we ran away again?"

Thalia's jaw dropped before she frowned and got mad. "Luke, I'm the leader of the Hunt. I can't just leave, and if I could, it wouldn't be to go off with you."

"Thalia I know what it sounds like, but I've really been thinking about it," Luke said. "When all these things happened- with, with Atlas and the Ophiotaurus and the Golden Fleece… I wanted you back. I wanted us to be together again. I didn't want to hurt you, to force you to make impossible choices- I thought it would be easy."

"Like it was for you?" Thalia asked.

Luke ignored it.

"I've learned, you know," Luke said. "I have. I know that I should have been protecting you and listening to you and honouring you in a gentler way that you'd have wanted. I know that I should have thought about you more, not always because I wanted revenge or because I was heartbroken. I think… I think I could love you better now, Thalia. Just help me get out of this place I'm in. Let's just run away."

Thalia started laughing. She didn't care if she was cruel, she was being honest. Honesty had always been her best policy. If everybody's feelings ended up under the soles of her feet, she didn't consider it her problem anymore. She had to look out for herself, not just the entire world, anymore.

"You think you could love me better?" Thalia asked. "Is that literally what you just said, Luke? You think you could love me better… That's great! No, really, it is. But have you asked yourself –wait, no, more important, have you asked me- if I want to be loved by you in any way shape or form?"

Luke looked at Thalia, dumbfound. "I don't think it's ever been a choice, Thalia. It's always been this way."

"Save it."

"You know it's true," Luke said.

"I also that once upon a time I would have followed you to the ends of the earth because you were my best friend and I loved you. I know that I've managed to let go of the past and considering how hard that exploit was, it won't be happening again," Thalia said.

"Thalia…"

"I don't owe you anything," Thalia said.

"Thalia, I'm begging you…"

"I should have pushed you off that cliff harder," Thalia said.

"Thalia, didn't you ever wonder how I survived?" Luke asked.

"I'm done with you," Thalia said. "I'm done running with you, I'm done exploring with you. As a matter of fact, I'm even done with this conversation."

Luke looked like a puppy left out in the cold. "That's what Annabeth said too."

"You went and bothered Annabeth?" Thalia exploded. "Luke, leave the kid out of this! This is between you and me, you know. Annabeth may have been your friend, but it's me you're pining after right now, me. Didn't you even think about the danger you might have put her in by going to find her? How much I would have killed you if you'd had actually taken her? Didn't you even- I can't even deal with you right now. I'm looking at a stranger, and it's not even my fault. None of this is, and I won't dish out to fix your mistakes."

Luke started crying, which would have shocked Thalia any other day but right now she was just too angry. She wasn't in the mood to read Luke properly. She could read her patron Artemis, her sisters the hunters, her cousins Percy and Nico. Her enemies? Their emotions didn't bother Thalia. She came up on the totem pole before them now; she had to take care of herself.

"I had to try before it was too late," Luke said.

"It's been too late for a long time," Thalia said. Somehow saying it calmed her down. "Don't you understand Luke? You say you'd love us better, Annabeth and I. But it's hard for us to even think that you loved us at all now. It's hard for me to think that you loved me at all."

"I did," Luke said. "I did love you."

"Well as is said and done, Luke," Thalia said. "And I believe in actions more than words and abstract concepts. We had something special. You say it was love. I don't see it anymore. I'm going to have to ask you to end this dream and to never try this again."

"Thalia, think," Luke said. "Think about why Kronos would have made me invulnerable- why he'd make my body so strong. Think about why he's giving me enough power to do things like this, like reaching out to you in dreams. Please, Thalia. Please. Think."

"I think I've done enough of that," Thalia said. "I'm going to have to ask you again: end this dream and never try this again."

Luke looked at her for a second, shaking his head.

"You'll regret this," Luke said.

"I don't think so," Thalia said. "Because there's only one intelligent thing you've said in this entire conversation: you should have loved me better. See you in hell."

She notched an arrow from her bow and shot it towards Luke. His eyes sprawled, his lip quivered in hurt, and he raised his arms to defend himself. Thalia woke up.