A/N: I decided to add to the meager handful of femmslash stories in this category. If this offends you, then I suggest you click the back button. Bold is Thalia, and italics is Zoë.
When we first met, I thought she was Artemis herself; cold and aloof.
When the Hunters first found her and her friends, they were filthy, but, even though her face was darkened with grime, her electric blue eyes were still bright.
Her eyes were as dark as the night sky, as dark as her inky black hair.
She frustrated me to no end.
She was a haughty bitch.
She refused to leave her friends and join the Hunt.
She dared to offer me a position with her and the Hunters.
I didn't understand why she chose the boy over us, over me. Didn't she see what a great opportunity this was for her?
She didn't seem to get why I refused her offer. She didn't understand; it wasn't about Luke, it wasn't about Annabeth, it was about her. We were fire and ice; total opposites.
I suppose her refusal was for the best; we were polar opposites, yet we were both leaders. Having two people like us working together wouldn't end well.
Everything about her screamed "Ice Queen".
She was fiery and fierce.
She always wore a blank mask, never letting her emotions show no matter how pissed she became.
She never bothered hiding her feelings; they were etched clearly across her face.
She was careful and calm, always weighing the consequences before taking action.
She tended to rush into a situation without thinking; she was headstrong and stubborn.
Even she had a breaking point; eventually she'd explode and ice daggers would slice you open.
Her short temper was unleashed nearly every day. When she got angry, she burned anyone and everyone.
I hated her.
She infuriated me just by being in the room.
She could take my breath away with one glance.
She made my heart pound like a drum just by breathing the same air as I did.
She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.
Her eyes could outshine the brightest stars.
I never told her how I felt.
She never knew the extent of my feelings; though after one particularly heated argument, Artemis's eyes seemed to gleam with a knowing glint. If she ever knew anything, she never said so.
Leaving was probably the hardest thing I'd ever done, but I couldn't abandon Annabeth and Luke.
I offered her another chance to join the Hunt, and this time, she almost accepted. But, her stubborn nature won and she declined again, choosing to leave with the boy and the little girl. Her leaving left a bitter taste in my mouth.
After I was turned back to a human, I ran into her again. We fought as usual; I saw how the girl, Bianca's eyes lit up when she caught sight of Zoё. Anger rushed through my veins; Zoё was mine.
My heart seemed to stop beating when I saw her again; she was no longer the scrawny child I had saved years ago; she was a young woman with a hint of childhood still etched along her cheeks. The only thing that remained the same were her eyes; still as bright as ever.
Seeing her lying there, pale and broken, I was torn between hitting something and breaking down into tears. She looked so helpless and frail. Even as she breathes her last breath, her eyes are locked onto mine, and I see the words neither of us ever spoke out loud. My chest hurts, and I feel like I've been trampled on by a Hellhound. No. Nononononononon. NO! NONONO! Zoë! Don't, come back! Please, come back! It's too late; those dark orbs are glazed over.
Everything hurts. Her eyes are so beautiful, deep pools of blue that could drown the strongest swimmer. I feel so warm. Thalia. So beautiful. Her name is the last thing to run through my mind before the warmth overtakes me completely.
She's gone. I hate myself for never telling her, never letting her know the truth. I am the worst kind of monster. Never spoken out loud, but I heard her last words, her true last words.
I love you.
I love you too Zoë Nightshade.