So-sa, this is my HOO Valentines one-shot! And you know what that means. Fluff and shippy stuff! Yay! So lets see. Percabeth, Jasper, Caleo, Frazel, Grover/Juniper, Coach/Milly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes of Olympus or any of it's characters, alive or dead.
(Let's assume that this after the Giant War, and all of the 7 lived, and all of my pairings lived, and Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood joined forces and melded their two camps together. Basically the ending we are wishing for but probably won't happen.)
"...I don't get it." The satyr said blankly, looking at the heroes sitting around him. Hazel sighed with exasperation.
"What's there not to get, Coach?" she asked. "It's a holiday..."
"Where people give other people cards." Piper continued.
"And candy," Leo added. "Gotta remember the candy."
"Right." Annabeth said. "And they say nice things to eachother."
"And give them hugs." Percy said.
"And maybe flowers." Frank chimed in.
"Chocolates are good too." Jason said.
"Just like we told you five other times." Nico said irritably.
"But it doesn't make sense!" Coach Hedge protested. "A whole day for gushy stuff? Who thought of that brilliant idea?"
"Actually." Annabeth said. "It's in honor of St . Valentine. See-"
"It's just a nice little holiday." Leo broke in, smiling cheerfully, avoiding Annabeth's death glare. "So just get Milly something nice, like card or some candy or something and you're all good!"
"I don't give candy." the Coach huffed. "That's something flower pickers do." He brightened up a bit. "Can I get her a weapon?"
"Unless you decorate it with flowers." Percy said. "And probably baby proof it, no."
"That is, unless you want your wife to kill you." Jason said. The Coach sighed. With Millie feeling as she was lately, she probably would kill him if he didn't do something nice for Valentine's day.
Millie was 8 -almost 9- month pregnant, and was acting like any 8 month pregnant women would. The normally cheery, helpful, peppy, wind spirit was grouchy, snappish, and constantly sending her husband out to get strange food. The other day, she had slipped it to the Coach that she expected something for Valentines Day. Having no idea what that was, he had turned to the 7, plus Nico, for help. They were all sitting near the basketball court, trying to explain it to the satyr.
"PIPER!" Lacy called, standing on the porch of the Aphrodite Cabin. "WE NEED YOU HELP AGAIN!"
"I'm coming Lacy!" Piper yelled back. "Give me a second!" Lacey nodded her blonde pig tailed head vigorously, and stepped back into the pink house.
"Alright." Piper said, turning back to her friends. "I gotta go. You guys try your best to explain it to him, and if he still doesn't get it in fifteen minutes, bring him to one of my siblings. Just not Drew." She added hastily. "She'll give him the wrong idea completely."
The others gave murmurs of agreement as she walked away. They looked at eachother once she had disappeared from view, not quite sure what to so next. Piper had been their appointed leader in their explanation, as she was the daughter of Aphrodite.
"So, you were saying." the Coach said, leaning on his bat. "A day for weapons, fighting, and killing right?"
The remaining 7 demigods groaned, and several of them put their heads in their hands.
I entered the pink house, ready for the explosion of noise and colour. I wasn't disappointed. Everybody was running around in a flurry of activity.
"HI PIPER!" Amy, a 13 year sister of mine yelled to me from across the room. "DID LACY TELL YOU WE NEEDED HELP? GUYS, PIPER'S HERE!"
"Piper!" Mictchell said running up to me. "Thank goodness! We really need your help!" I sighed inwardly, ready for the next colour clash catastrophe, or decoration debacle.
The Aphrodite Cabin had taken it upon themselves to organize the first ever Roman/Greece, Valentines Day. Or, as many liked to call it Eros/Cupid Day. And since I'm the head counselor, I am in charge of everything. Put that on top of helping the Coach...Well.
An Aphrodite kid was really busy this time of year.
"What's the problem?" I asked, trying not to sound exasperated. Lacy bounded up to us and sighed.
"It's Drew." she said, sounding resigned. "She's not being...helpful exactly."
"You could say that." Mitchell agreed.
"Oh, is she being difficult again?" I asked, a bit surprised. Of course, Drew wasn't exactly eager for me to become the new counselor, and usually hates doing anything with me involved. But, she's been better lately, and I thought maybe she was sorted out now.
"Well...No." Lacy said after a minute. "But...I think you should go and see." I followed Lacy and Mitchell, puzzled as to what could be happening. They led me to the bathroom. I looked at them, not sure what to do, and Lacey motioned towards the door. I tried the handle, and found it locked.
"Oh, is she hogging the bathroom again?" I asked, ducking as Lily threw Amby a paper mache heart.
"No, just listen." Mitchell murmured quietly. I pressed my ear up against the wood door, and strained my ears, trying to catch some sound. After a few minutes, I heard soft sobbing.
I drew back, as if the door repelled me. "Is that...Drew? Is she-"
"Yup." Lacy answered. "She went in there fifteen minutes ago, and hasn't come out yet. Mitchell and I went to see what was wrong and," she gestured to the door again. "Well, you heard."
"What should I do?" I asked, biting my hair worriedly. As the head counselor, I had to make sure all of my siblings were happy. Even if they were people like Drew, who wore expensive perfume to archery practice, and spent twenty minutes brushing their hair.
"Charm speak her." Mitchell suggested. "Tell her to come out."
"No way!" I exclaimed, shaking my head. "That's wrong. Plus, my charm speak doesn't work on her. How about I just ask her what's wrong?"
"You can try," Lacy said doubtfully. "But I don't think she'll let you in."
I shrugged. "I can at least try. By the way, Lacy step to the right." She obliged, a bit startled, as a bag of streamers whizzed by her.
"Sorry!" Jaz called. "Hey Kaelie, did you catch it?" Across the room, Kaelie gave a thumbs up.
"Okay, good luck." Mitchell said. "Lacy and I have to go help Tessa with snacks."
"Thanks." I said as my two friends melted away into the crowd.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Drew? Are you in there?" (A/N I just had a memory flash of Frozen.) I heard a scrambling noise before she responded.
"Oh yeah. I'm fine though. Just putting on some makeup." Her voice was slightly shaky, but if I hadn't heard the crying, I would have believed her. "What do you want?"
"Drew, I heard the crying." I said with a sigh. There was silence. "Can you let me in." After a moment, the door swung open slowly. Drew stood in the doorway.
I saw a few tear tracks on her face, and parts of her black hair were just slightly disheveled, but otherwise, I don't think you could guess that she was upset.
"Come on, quick." she said, gesturing for me to enter. After I did so, she closed and locked the door. "Well, what do you want?" she asked, and crossed her arms.
I hesitated. Maybe she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe I should just leave...Then I noticed that Drew's nails were bit to stubs, instead of styled and painted as usual. Then I saw the dark circles under her eyes. How long has she been like this? Has she been crying in the bathroom for weeks, and I didn't notice?
"Why?" I asked shortly. Drew looked confused for a second.
"Why what?" she asked. I gestured to her nails and face. She looked to the ground. "None of your business."
"It is sorta my business." I shot back at her. After a few minutes of silence, I sighed. "Fine. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. Just remember, it's not good to bottle up your emotions."
I turned to exit, but Drew gave a sharp, "Wait!"
Drew put her face in her hands. "Just...Don't judge okay. Or tell anyone else." I nodded as Drew sat down on the floor, her back against the wall. She sighed.
"Have you ever noticed that I stay here year round?" She began, playing with the edges of her vintage red shirt.
"Well, I didn't really think about it really." I said as I sat down next to her. " A lot of people seem to do that."
"Do you ever wonder why they do?" Drew asked, looking me in the eye. "It's because they don't have anywhere else to go to." I looked up at her as she wiped away a few tears. I wasn't going to pressure her to keep talking. If she wanted to continue, she would.
Sure enough after a few seconds she said, "My dad died last year. Exactly 365 days ago, but it feels like just yesterday, and I still cry myself to sleep every night, and like you've seen, I chew my fingernails, and..."
"He died on Valentines Day?" I asked. I knew that probably wasn't sensitive, but it seems wrong to me.
"Ironic right?" Drew said with a wry smile. "He was a florist. That's what caught Mom's attention." She turned to face me directly. "That's why I'm so...Jealous of you Piper. And then, being counselor was all I had left. I knew I could have been better at it, but...And then, you come and...And now I feel like I don't have a home at all."
I sat there for a moment, troubled. Why hadn't I known this before? What should I do? Slowly, I hugged Drew, letting her cry onto my shoulder.
"Okay, I still don't understand." the Coach said tiredly. The seven demigods sighed. They had spent the last five minutes trying to make the Coach understand.
Only ten more minutes left, was the thought circulating in most of their minds.
"Okay, he's not getting the romantic love bit." Leo said, making a mini car out spare parts absently.
"So, let's try sibling kind of love." Jason finished. "Good idea Leo."
"No problem..."Leo mumbled, closing his eyes slowly.
"Okay, so sibling love." Hazel continued as Leo seemingly fell asleep. "What do you know about it?"
"Nothing really." the Coach said, looking as if he was about to follow Leo into dream world. "I don't have any brothers or sisters. Hey, Canadian cupcake. You don't have any either! You know what I'm talking about right?!"
"Canadian cupcake?" Frank asked. "That would be me right? Well, I don't have any real siblings, or any half-siblings I'm close to, that's true. But I understand sibling love, because, I see it every day when I walk into the other cabins, and I sorta have it because of my friends."
"You dandelion pickers are full of fluff and rainbows." the Coach said unhappily. "I've had enough of this gushy stuff." He stood to get up, but Nico and Hazel immediately pushed him back down.
"We want Milly to have a good Valentines." Hazel said sternly. "And that revolves around you."
"So, sit down." Nico finished. The Coach sat back down grumbling.
"Can't I at least hit Valdez with my bat?" he asked. "Let out a bit of steam, wake him up. Win win situation."
Frank and Nico looked like they were seriously considering it, but Hazel and Jason shook their heads.
"No Coach." Jason said wearily. "I'll wake him up in a few minutes."
"Hey," Hazel said looking around. "Where's Percy and Annabeth?"
"They left 2 minutes ago." Frank answered.
"Really?" Jason asked. "Why did they get to go?"
"They had to go do some stuff." Nico said, brushing back the lank hair that was falling into his eyes. "Something to do with Grover and Juniper."
Leo, who had been woken up earlier in the conversation, clapped his hands and said, "Okay, we have ten more minutes to kill. Let's try to get this satyr to understand Eros day."
Percy walked towards the strawberry patch, his hand in Annabeth's, their arms swinging.
"Should we have stayed?" Percy asked, pointing back towards the basketball court without looking.
"They'll be fine." Annabeth said, brushing away the concern. "It can't be so hard to explain this to him."
"Yeah, well, they better hurry up, because if he doesn't get something for Milly soon, she's gonna kill him."
"For sure."
The two grinned at eachother. They couldn't help remembering last Valentines Day, the one they spent alone. Percy missing, Annabeth in shambles searching everywhere for him. Just thinking about it made them hold each other's hand tighter. Of course if we were thinking about bad experiences, there was that one that made it so that Percy and Annabeth would never be able to let go of eachother at all. They had been through so much together at this point. If they left each other's side, the memories would come flashing back. The memories of the never ending pit, it's horrible creatures, it's evil red glow. Even it's name was cold and deadly. Tartarus.
Tearing ourselves away from angst and horror, let's return back to that sunny Valentines Day, where those two best friends and lovers where racing eachother to the strawberry patch hand in hand.
As they neared their destination, they could see a a satyr and green tinted girl sitting hand and hand among the lush green grass and foliage, and the ripe red berries.
Percy looked proudly at his friend. He had come a long way from when they first met. He wasn't the scrawny scruffy awkward kid anymore, who used to make his best friend laugh by attempting to play the pan pipes. He was a grown warrior know. A veteran of a few battles, a few of them with the Earth itself. He was a leader, a brave soldier. But even though much has changed, he was much the same boy in a few ways. He was still loyal, brave, faithful friend. He was Grover.
Annabeth felt much the same way. This was the boy who had saved her life as a child, saved it so many times. The one who would try to tell her bedtime stories after a long day of travelling. This mature man was the same person, and it was hard to believe.
Grover turned around, smiling slightly, his arm around Juniper.
"Why are you two staring at me?" he asked, amused.
"No reason." Annabeth said, swinging herself around the sit next to Juniper, flashing her a smile.
"Just thinking." Percy agreed. "Lost in thought."
"Well, I'm glad you're snapped out of it now!" Juniper said cheerfully. "Annabeth, what are you wearing tonight?"
"Just this." Annabeth said with a grin.
"Aren't we supposed to dress up?" Juniper asked puzzled.
"I don't know Juniper, I'm not the person to ask." Annabeth said with a shake of her head. "But I can help you with your hair."
"Thanks!" Juniper said happily.
Percy and Grover smiled at eachother over the girl's heads. Juniper and Annabeth had become very good friends over time, and they were glad for it.
"What have you guys been doing?" Grover asked, fingering his pipes.
"Trying to explain Valentines Day to a bloodthirsty satyr." Percy replied.
"Oh, the Coach." Grover said, sharing a bemused look with Juniper. The Coach a bit of a joke with the forest creatures, but Juniper and Grover liked him well enough. "He'll get it. Just give him a bit of time."
Annabeth checked her watch. "He has about six more minutes left before they hand him over to the Aphrodite kids."
All five demigods groaned as the Coach gave them yet another blank look.
"Only five more minutes." Leo mumbled to himself. "Only five more."
"Your crazy satyr!" Frank cried out, his head in his hands. "What don't you understand about love?"
"I get love Zhang." the Coach said, leaning back on the bench. "Love is when a mother lion kills a deer for her baby. That's love."
"Deer don't live..." Jason started, but trailed off. "You know what, never mind." He turned to Hazel and Frank. "Good luck you two. I'm going to find Piper."
"I'm coming with!" Leo cried jumping up. "Not to find Piper though. Calypso and I need to finish a bike repair before tonight."
"Wait!" Hazel said jumping up. "We need-"
"You'll be fine!" Leo said. "You got Nico," Nico gave him a sarcastic look. "And Frank!" Frank flashed him a smiled. Leo lowered his voice. "Only five minutes left anyway."
As Leo and Jason walked away, Hazel and Frank exchanged nervous looks before turning back to the Coach. "So, let's try friendship love."
Jason ran out to the Mess Hall, where the Aphrodite kids were setting up. The Venus kids were helping them. It was a good combination, Jason thought to himself. Greek and Roman.
The Greeks gave the creativity and the Romans gave the order. It worked out quite well.
Jason spotted Piper by the feather she liked to wear in her hair. She was setting up snacks while talking and laughing with one of her sisters. Wait...Was that Drew? Yup, there was no mistaking the pink eyeliner and designer clothes.
"Hey Pipes." Jason said, jogging up to her.
"Hi." she said giving him a radiant smile.
"Are you...Having a good time with Drew?" he asked, whispering, his head close to her ear.
"Yup." she said with her normal volume. "She's actually pretty fun." After Jason gave her an incredulous look, she shot him a glare and pulled him aside, with a smiling glance at Drew.
"Look." she said once they were out of earshot. "She doesn't have that happy a story, and if you can work past her outer shell, she's great."
"If you say so." Jason said shrugging.
"How's it going with the Coach?" she asked, leaning against a wall.
"They got about 4 more minutes." Jason replied. "And they're counting down the seconds."
"That bad?" she asked wincing.
"Yeah." Jason said rubbing his neck. "I'm sure he'll get it soon."
"Hopefully." Piper agreed. "By the way, Thalia stopped by. She's over by the border if want to see her."
Thalia coming over was a rare treat, so Jason brightened right away. "Yeah, I'll see you later tonight Pipes."
"See you!" she said, waving him away. "By the way, remember, be nice to Drew."
"Got it!" he called over his shoulder say he ran over to the pine tree at the borders. He saw Annabeth and Percy talking with Grover and Juniper on his way, and waved hello as he went.
He saw the spiky haired hunter as he neared the borders. She had her bow slung over one shoulder, and her quiver on the other. She was looking out of the borders, as if she could see something else there nobody else could. She absently stroking the guard dragon who nibbling on the dyed blue tips of her hair.
When she heard Jason approaching, she turned around and flashed him a smile,her electric blue eyes crackling, her freckles standing out on his skin.
"Hey little brother." she greeted him.
"Technically older now that you don't age." he reminded.
"Nah, I'm still older." she said with a shrug. "I'm more mature anyway." She ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Says the girl who still likes to shock people for fun." he said, sounding mock annoyed.
"I can do it, why waste the power." Thalia grinned. Jason smiled right back. It was nice to see his sister. Thalia and him. Him and Thalia. They were a small family, but a proper family.
Leo walked into the forest, whistling with his hands in his pocket. he followed the signs that he and Calypso had put up on the trees. This way to Bunker 9. Leo and Calyspo's Baker Garage.
He approached the metal door cheerfully. He had done some tinkering and it was now fully visible at all times. It also opened with just a hand on the door. As the door swung open, Leo smiled at the metal dragon head attached to the wall. After they had got home from the Argo ll, Leo had installed him into the Bunker.
"Hey buddy." Leo greeted the head. "How many repairs do I have to do today?" Festus whirred and clunked, telling him only one.
"Thanks." Leo said, grabbing his wrench. "I think I can get it done before tonight." Leo heard singing from deep inside the workshop. The song was about freedom, and the blue sky, and the sound of birds twittering.
"Hey!" Leo called. "Not that the song isn't pretty, but do you think you could help me with the repairs?"
"Why, can't you do it yourself?"a girl called back.
"I could." Leo amended. "But it's more fun when you help."
"Aw, that's sweet." Calypso said, entering with a basket of bread. "Sure I'll help." She put down the basket on a work table. "Let's get to it Repair Boy."
"Well come on then Island Girl." Leo said grabbing her by the hand, both of them laughing.
"So, he's not getting the friendship part." Nico deadpanned.
"It doesn't really make sense." the Coach said, defending himself. "You pick a person, and you're say, "I like this one.""
"It's good to have friends." Frank wearily. "An investment in your future."
"Well, there's that." the Coach admitted. Hazel swatted Frank.
"Having friends isn't about getting stuff." she scolded. "Anyway, Nico, will you be okay here for another two minutes? I have to feed Arion."
"I'm coming with you." Frank said immediately.
"I'll be fine." Nico said with a wry grin. "Me and the Coach. Great fun."
"It's only two minutes." Hazel said smiling slightly. "Okay, see you guys." With that she and Frank left, faster then Arion himself.
Hazel entered the stable with Frank close behind her. She breathed in the scent of hay and sugar cubes and hair. The stables were one of her favourite places in the whole camp.
As she came up to Arion, he shook his mane with excitement. He neighed, and she had the feeling he was saying something like, The human girl has come to feed me again! Hurray!
Hazel smiled at her friend. He was that, her friend. She could never really call him her pet, he was too free spirited. And they had been through enough to be able to call him her friend.
"Do you want to feed him?" Hazel said grinning at Frank. She laughed as he backed away. She knew he was slightly afraid of the horse.
"Come here." she laughed. He walked up to her slowly, eyeing Arion. "Hold out our hand." He obliged and she put a carrot into his palm.
"I thought he eats gold." Frank said, closing his hand around the vegetable.
"He'll eat carrots too if he's hungry." Hazel said. "So just hold out your hand." Frank hesitated and she shook her head amused. "I won't let him eat your arm if that's what you're thinking."
Frank cautiously held out his hand, and quick as lightning, Arion took the carrot between his lips and munched it. Frank pulled back his hand as Hazel laughed.
"Di Angelos." the Coach said eagerly. "You're no pansy sniffer! You'll tell me what this day is really about!"
"It's about love." Nico said shortly.
"Oh, you're as bad as the rest of them." the Coach groaned. Nico sighed and faced the Coach.
"Okay, look." he said. "Most people call this day Cupid Day. But I met Cupid, and he doesn't represent this day at all." Nico stood to get up. "Think of it as Aphrodite Day."
Nico walked away, and without looking back said, "Fifteen minutes are up. If you're confused go to Piper's siblings." The Coach didn't though. He just sat there, thinking about what Nico said.
12 hours later...
The 8 demigods, and girl Titan, stood nervously outside the door, pacing.
"I hope everything went well." Hazel said nervously.
"I'm sure it did." Annabeth reassured.
"I hope they took our suggestions on names."Piper said excited.
"Not Leo's." Calypso smirked.
"What's wrong with Leo McSizzle Jr.?" Leo protested.
"Everything." Frank and Nico said at the same time. As all the friends laughed, the Coach stepped outside, grinning like mad.
"You guys can come in now." he said quietly."But you Cupcakes better be careful." All of them nodded vigorously. The Coach waved them inside.
A tired Milly smiled at them from the white bed, holding four tiny bundles."Come on see." she whispered. The demigods gathered around the bed.
Milly showed them her babies proudly.
"This is Drew-Rachel." she said pointing at a tiny little girl with goat feet. "Reyna-Thalia." A baby girl that seemed to flicker in and out of sight like the wind. "Charlie." A young male satyr. "And Sammy." Another wind spirit, but this one a boy.
"They're adorable." Calypso cooed.
"Pretty cute babies." Jason agreed.
"I get it now." the Coach said suddenly. "What you cupcakes were trying to tell me the other day."
The friends looked at eachother satisfied.
"Happy Aphrodite Day!" They cheered. Milly hushed them.
"Happy Aphrodite Day!" They said quieter.
Fin! Sorry this was so late, but it's still Valentines, so it works!
Peace and Pixies
~Pixiedustmagic