Kiss of Death

Chapter 1

"My first kiss went a little like this"

I smirked, turning up the radio in Luke's new car. He looked back at me, his eyebrows waggling in amusement.

"This song?" He asked me with an 'are you serious' look.

I shrugged, "Why not? Too many memories?" I teased him, turning the notch a tad bit higher so that the car was practically vibrating to the beat. I leaned my head against the window of his sports car. I would tell you the name of what kind of car he had, if I knew anything about cars.

"She won't ever get enough, once she gets a little touch, if I had it my way you know that I'd make her say"

"Too many memories," he nodded, keeping his hands on the wheels but turning his attention to me. I fluttered my eyelashes at him, watching him look at me.

Memories of drunk nights, memories of trying to remember what we did. Memories of kisses, salty and sweet. Sorrowful and savory. Memories of more then just little touches, in more then just a few places. Memories: some to remember and others better left forgotten.

Luke had been back for 28 days now, but who's counting? And ever since he's been back, he's been different. He's spent more time with me, did gentlemanly things for me, and never missed a chance to tell me he loves me.

After the lingering silence from his end, my laughter filled the car. "Ok I know I'm extremely sexy and It's probably hard to look away, but can you focus on the road Luke?" My voice came out light and airy, I was almost teasing him. But for me it was my attempt to go back to normal. I'll never be the same after his death, never. But we're trying to pick up from where we left off in our relationship. It was the most soothing thing for both of us.

"I'm not staring at you, I'm staring at the bug on your forehead…"He started focusing his eyes to the top of my head.

I screamed, "Oh my freaking gods Luke I swear to Zeus if you don't get this thing off my forehead!" I started, and stopped at Luke's chuckles.

"Really? That's all it takes to make you scream?" He teased, his eyes reverting to the road. He reached a hand out, ticking my sides though he couldn't see where he was tickling. Through the window of his car the sun shown, bringing out the specks of gold in his sandy blonde hair.

"Shut…up" I said crossing my arms as my cheeks turned pink. I tucked my platinum hair behind my ear, turning down the radio and turning up the air conditioning. Even if it was late August, it was 90 degrees today.

"Ok…I know you said memories. Which ones?" I asked him resting back on the black leather of his seat.

Luke's sandy eyebrow raised, but his eyes didn't leave the road as we drove faster down the highway. "You wanna talk memories?"

I did. I wanted to talk to him, because while he was gone I had to relive all of the memories of him without anyone to talk to about them. And now he was here, I wanted to talk. It could be healing.

"Ok, favorite kiss?" I asked him, not waiting for him to decide if he wanted to answer or not. I had a favorite already in mind, our first.

Luke was silent for a long moment, and for a second I was afraid I was going to get the silent treatment. But when his lips opened he talked quietly, as if he wasn't sure how I would take it. "Our last."

I knew he didn't mean our most recent, which would be 20 minutes ago and took place at the gas station. Why he didn't get gas before we left Zeus only knows why. But I knew he meant the kiss before he died. Or I liked to call it, the kiss of death.

"Our last kiss?" I whispered, wondering why my voice decided to lower itself. It was as if I forgot how to talk, because he sent be back to the memory. But I wasn't going to relive the moments of him dying. I was too weak for that. Or maybe now I was strong enough to resist.

"You remember?" I asked him, regaining confidence in my voice. I was no longer broken. No I was not letting this break me, shake me anymore. I wasn't going to let the past mess with my future. Determination spiked itself through my system, giving me a surge to do this. Talk about it.

"I remember…"He said to me ruefully. He kept driving, heading off the highway as the car slowed down. He turned the radio completely down, blocking out the echo of Justin Timberlake. Luke did that cute thing where he flipped his hair, before turning to look at me for a second. His blue eyes swam with mixed feelings, not sure if he should comfort me or keep going.

"Tell me." I said to him, closing my eyelids and resting back as the car came to a complete stop. I counted 7 seconds before we began to move again.

Luke's face looked pained, then relived that he could remember out loud. "You sure?" he asked glancing back to me. I could've been asleep, or dead, resting on the car seat and saying nothing in response.

"I just disarmed you, and you were on the ground crying. You looked awful, and your hair was stained with blood I remembered that. It smelled like blood. And then you told me something. You said that I promised and that I loved you."

Luke stopped, turning the corner on a street I didn't recognize. "Keep going," I said softly to him, wanting to hear it from him.

"Then I snapped out of it, and I blinked a few times. I almost forgot where I was. And I couldn't remember my name for a split second. Then it all hit me really hard, and then I felt really guilty. And drained, I finally got my body back from Kronos and I was so tired. I wanted it all to stop."

We turned another corner, before continuing to drive to the mystery destination Luke was taking me to. We stopped again, and I had opened my eyes to see the glow of a red light and Luke's blue eyes on me.

I closed my eyes again, and he kept going. "And then I picked you up, you were so light. I remembered wondering if you we're eating. I kissed your forehead, not caring that you had a small trickle of blood running down it. You gave me a smile back, but it was so small that I knew you we're forcing it for my sake. You didn't look ok, I felt like it was my fault. I knew it was my fault. And then…" Luke closed his eyes and at the same moment we were lucky that mine had opened. In that same instant an old forest green Chevy came right at us, and I reached over grabbing the wheel and swerving us from clashing. It would have been a messy accident that I would've had to Charmspeak us out of. Even if we both we're immortal, that wouldn't get us out of legal trouble.

"Luke what the hell keep you eyes on the road!" I yelled at him, once we were in the clear and both breathing heavy to the hum of the car. I heart beat slowly descended until it was normal again.

"Hey sorry I was remembering!" He yelled back defensively, moving my manicured hands and taking the wheel back protectively. His new car was his new baby. And I was and I quote, never aloud to drive it. Which was dumb because who do you think paid for it? I'll give you a hint, she know nothing about cars. " Plus he should've been watching out for me!"

"Always blaming someone," I mumbled, using one arm to rest myself on the window, turning my torso so that I was facing Luke. I rolled my ice blue eyes noticeably, not giving a damn if Luke saw or not.

"What?" He called back to me, keeping his temper down to a sizzle. We both have been making a significant effort to not fight since he came back. Not that we have been succeeding perfectly, but its sort of getting there.

"Nothing Luke!" I said to him exasperated, I brushed back my hair, sitting up and looking forward again. "And plus Luke your car is like bright red and like crazy expensive, it's kinda hard to miss. He was paying attention you weren't." I could've ended it, but I wanted the last word.

"Look, if its bright red then he should see it and move out of my way!"

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever Luke," I said as it silenced us both. I was content, I had the last word. But I think Luke was silent in thought, thinking of something to retort me with.

I heard him sigh, giving up and letting me win. Point Tess, but who was keeping score?

I was quiet again, before taking another small breath, "Can you finish?" I quietly asked him, it was a small request. But I really wanted to hear the rest.

Luke sighed, taking one hand off the wheel and combing it through his unkept hair. "Ok let's see, I picked you up. I kissed your forehead, and you we're bloody. Oh yeah, then I placed my lips on yours. And we kissed. And I remembered thinking to myself 'man this is the last time you're going to kiss her' and I felt so terrible about it. Yet I couldn't stop kissing you, stalling having to say goodbye.

Then that was it, Percy ended up interrupting us and bought Kronos back," every time he said his name I saw him shudder, "and then that was it. I didn't kiss you again until 28 days ago."

I sighed, "Yeah. I guess that's it." I said, pausing, before turning back on the radio. I turned the nob slowly up, until the current song filled Luke's car. I rested back on the leather seat, listening.

"She hears the angels out on the streets

Tonight as she walks right by oh they sing so softly

They sing "oohh whooah, oohh whooah, oohh whooah

Loves right behind you oohh whooah"

I smile, listening to the song I faintly recognized. I felt like it was speaking to me though, just a little bit. But love wasn't right behind me, it was right beside me. But I did remember thinking I heard angles in the streets when I first met him. I smiled, and I saw Luke glace to me to see what I was smiling about but I said nothing in response to him. Because I was smiling about nothing. Nothing at all.

"That's why I'm telling her

I wanna love you more

Than all of the things you wanted

Than all of the things your not"

"You listening too?" Luke asked me, turning it up. White Dress-Parachute came up on the touch screen of the car. So that was the name, I sort of remembered listening to it before.

"Mhm, I am." I said to him, nodding simply. I listened to the rest of the song, which was just a repeat of the chorus. But the lyrics filled my ears.

"Love you." He reminded me, even know he told me this morning. And he told me at breakfast. And he told me an hour ago. I don't think it mattered how many times he told me. What mattered was that I knew. And that he told me. Because you never know when it would be the last time you told someone.

"Love you too," I responded. Telling him once again, and hoping and knowing it wouldn't be the last time I would tell him.

Hoping and knowing that he would never forget.