Hey everyone! This is based on an idea that came to me a little while ago, but unfortunately it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I thought I'd upload it anyway, so here it is! Reviews and constructive criticisms are always welcomed, but no flames, please. So, enough of my rambling! I hope everyone likes it. :)
When he won't get in the water, they tease him.
No one has ever bothered to ask Archie what makes him so afraid, but deep down the warrior knows that even if someone did, he wouldn't tell them. His explanation would certainly yield either unwanted laughter or unwanted sympathy, and quite honestly Archie doesn't want to have to deal with either.
He's never been a very social person.
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When the others all head to the beach, Archie pretends to be sick, thanking the gods that his teammates have temporarily forgotten his immunity. Whenever he's left alone like this, Archie is always surprised to rediscover how quiet the brownstone is without all of the yelling, laughing and complaints. Sometimes the silence scares him. Sometimes everything scares him.
With Cronus always on the prowl, Archie beginning to hate being alone.
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There are several fears that plague Archie on a day to day basis. Centipedes. Small spaces. Any of his teammates dying. Thunder. Atlanta hating him. Being kicked off the team. Having to go back to the hellhole that he grew up in. Drowning.
The last fear isn't his worst, but it's the only one he makes public.
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Archie's drowned before. Not in an actual body of water of course-not yet, anyway- but in almost everything else imaginable.
In fear, every time he meets Cronus.
In regret, every time he says something stupid that makes Atlanta storm off in a huff, or misses the perfect opportunity to tell her how he really feels.
In sadness, when his mother died. He was only four years old, but he remembers it like it was yesterday.
In pain. Physical and emotional. Too many times to count.
In humiliation, when he was twelve years old and tried to ask a girl out for the first time. She laughed. Since then, Archie has added rejection to his ever-growing list of fears.
In both nausea and rage, having to watch the only girl he's ever loved kissing a lying, cheating half-goat scumbag on the field outside the school- the very same scumbag who tried to destroy new Olympia shortly afterwards. And again when that Pan apologized, and Atlanta actually forgave him.
The list goes on.
It's no wonder that Archie is afraid of water.
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When the others finally return from the beach soaked, sun burnt, and exhausted with goofy smiles plastered across their faces, the warrior thinks that maybe someday he will go to the beach with them. And he will get in the water.
And he won't be afraid.
His eyes scan the room and rest on Atlanta, whose face suddenly flashes with recognition just before she shoots him an accusatory glare.
"You said you felt sick." She narrows her eyes. "You can't get sick, dork."
Archie grins and breaks into a run, dashing out the door and into the street, hearing the huntress sprinting not far behind him and getting closer every second. He stops suddenly once he reaches the grass on the other side of the road, and Atlanta crashes into him, unprepared for the abrupt end to the chase. Archie spins around and grabs her wrists, falling to the ground and taking her with him. The two of them wrestle for the briefest of moments, ending with Archie straddling Atlanta and pinning her down.
He smirks.
"I won."
Atlanta rolls her eyes and small smile creeps across her face.
"I let you."
They stay like that a moment longer than they have to, breathing heavily, something unnamable passing between them. Atlanta is the first to move, shoving Archie off of herself and leaping to her feet.
"Race you to the park!"
She takes off. Archie jumps up and follows, grinning stupidly. Now he looks as if he's just been swimming himself, and his sure that he must've absorbed at least half of the water from Atlanta's clothes. He utters a silent prayer that Atlanta won't try to push him in the pond like she did the last time they went to the park together.
Someday, he will swim. But not today. Archie's never been good at managing any of his emotions- fear included. But still, every now and then Archie manages to find something that he wouldn't mind drowning in.
Like Atlanta's eyes.