Luke

I see her crying in the snow at first. That's what breaks my heart. Well one of the many things.

I've been sitting in this coffee shop for hours, but I refused to leave until closing.

All because I fiercely believed Thalia would come. Even if I can't win her back I at least need to explain what happened that night.

It's complicated. See, one night we were at a party together. We normally don't go to them, but it's our senior year we decided why not? So we went.

We didn't get drunk or smoke pot. Nothing like that, we just danced. But we like... did that awkward we've-been-a-couple-for-so-long-we're-totally-cool-with-grinding, kind of dancing.

We somehow escaped the smoke infested environment of our friends basement and maneuvered into a privet room. Just us, and it was very... very dark.

I ran my hands along her arms and kissed her, like usual. And as usual our kisses got like really intense.

I don't want to be graphic or anything, but I'm really glad she doesn't have a gag reflex otherwise our tongues would have done some very... Uh, yeah far too graphic. Right! Moving along.

So we're kissing or face sucking and like normal I slipped my hands under the hem of her shirt. Thinking nothing of it I traced her spine. She always likes it when I do that. But um... She kind of nailed me in the balls, then shoved me into a wall, shouted that I was a perv, and ran away.

Pathetic. I know, but what are you going to do when your girlfriend is a trainer?

She dumped me via text message. And I'm not going to lie, I was a broken wreck.

Like shattered into a million and one pieces.

So today when I called her, I just hoped she wouldn't cuss me out.

And she didn't, she's coming to see me. That was all I allowed myself to think these long hours I've waited. Now I see her crying in the snow. Because she knows I'd be sitting outside where a few couples still linger.

I feel so stupid. Of course I should have been outside. I'm always outside. She always laughs when I'm never cold or hot from being outside for hours on end. I should have waited for her outside.

So I quickly hop out of my chair and race to the door.

"I got your favorite waiting whenever you're ready to come inside, Locks." I tell her. I've missed using that name for her too.

See in sixth grade she dyed her hair purple, But certain strands of hair didn't dye entirely and she looked like she had a botched dye job. I've never let it down, I've called her Locks ever since.

"Luke..." She whispers wiping tears off her cheeks.

"C'mon Locks, we need to talk." She nods and follows into the coffee shop.

She sits down at the table I'd been saving for us. I wait for her to say something, because she always says something. But she's not saying anything, she's just looking around the shop and it frustrates me.

"Thalia... Can you talk to me?"

"I thought you'd be the one explaining." She replies. Just as snarky as ever. "What happened that night?" She asks.

"I think you need to tell me that." I say, "What went wrong? Tell me what I did."

"It's complicated."

"I was there, Thalia please." I wish for once Thalia would actually tell me what's wrong and maybe, when the time comes, listen to what I have to say. I know it's dumb, but it would be nice...

"You went too far Luke." She says folding her arms.

"With the kissing." I say.

"It wasn't just that I guess."

"Tell me what went wrong."

She sighs, "I thought... I thought you wanted to..."

"Have sex?"

"Yeah." She says shyly.

I sigh now, "Thalia-"

"Don't give me that crap Luke." She says harshly, "If I hadn't stopped you-"

"I wouldn't have done anything Thalia!"

"Yeah, sure Luke! The way you talk about it! I know that you've done it before! I know you think nothing of it but I do-"

"Thalia, stop you're not listening to me-"

"I can't believe I came." She rolls her eyes before abruptly standing up. She runs out of the shop. So I obviously run after her.

"Thalia!" I call after her repeatedly until she almost runs into the street nearly getting run over by a car. She screams jumping back to the side walk as the car honks at her. She slides down to the ground easily, as if she were melting ice.

I catch up to her and kneel down. God I hate seeing her tears.

"Please... Please stop." She cries softly.

"I'm afraid I can't... You know what's shit about being in love with you?"

"What you ass?" She asks angrily.

"It's that when you say something rude about me it's always true. But you are the only one who can make me realize it." I try to wipe a tear from her cheek but she smacks my hand away, "Okay so I won't touch you. But at least look at me."

She turns her head to look into my eyes, God I love her eyes.

"I don't know what would have happened. And I don't think sex is a big deal. It is to you and it's not to me. But you know what? You mean everything to me. And if you didn't want to have sex I wouldn't have forced you too, not only because you would have beat my ass into a corner. But because I care about you.

"I don't want you hurting, Locks. I hate seeing you cry. I couldn't stand not knowing where you were when you had a cold. I almost died when you got your appendix taken out. And I haven't stopped feeling like shit whenever I see you, because I can't stand you getting hurt. Especially because of me.

"I want you to know I still love you. I still and always will, because you're the first person to show me that love isn't about sex and kissing. It's about two people who want to be together and don't want to ever be away from one another.

"So do you forgive me?" Please say yes, or at least... Please say something.

She doesn't say anything. She just looks at me, "Did you want to? I mean... That night?"

"Locks... I'm not even going to lie. I always want you. Always. But it's not always like that. Sometimes I just want to be around you. I did want to, because I want to do it with you. But I know I won't do anything until you're ready. Or we're married."

She looks down at her hands, "Can I believe you?"

"I don't know, Locks, that's your part not mine."

She wipes her hands off on her jeans, then she looks straight ahead right into my very being. She's looking for a lie, she won't find one.

When she sees that, she does something I never expected to happen. She lunges forward plunging her face into my jacket.

"I've missed you." She says.

I return the gesture by pulling her closer, "Are we doing this?"

She looks up again, crying still but her tears have transformed into happiness, "We're doing this. We're going to be young and reckless and... and... and... We're going to be in love because that's what teenagers do." Then she surprises me again because she kisses me, hard. She tugs on my hair and I hold onto her back.

"Merry Christmas." She whispers into my lips.

"Merry Christmas." We sit in the snow until our jeans are soaked through. Just kissing without any anger or resentment.

"Come with me." She says. I don't ask her where. She just leads me through town until I know where we're going. Percy's.

"Are you sure Locks? Don't they hate me?"

"Let them hate you. I'll protect you."

"Now I feel better." I tell her before she kisses me again. I don't want to initiate our kisses. It wouldn't feel right. I want to give her the power now.

She used to have this thing where she wanted the guy to be all chivalry and stronger than her. But ah... Then she got over it. It happened to just be a phase. I don't mind. Anything she wants to do I'm all for it. Just as long as she's okay with it, I'm okay with it.

When we get up to Percy's apartment I know I'm going to be in some deep shit. Her friends are very protective of her. Especially her little brother.

"You're sure?" I ask.

"I'm sure." She says again tugging me into the apartment.

"Hi Thalia." Mrs. Jackson greets. "And Luke, what a surprise."

"Hi Mrs. Jackson." I greet softly. We walk into the kitchen where I'm greeted with shock and detest. Surprisingly, a bit of curiosity to match.

No one says anything as Thalia makes us cups of blue hot chocolate. I sip it awkwardly. God this is weird. Every boy in the room stares me down. And that one girl on the end I've never met before looks at me with a joyful smile before she sees something that's caught her eye.

"You have a piano?" She asks walking toward it.

"Yeah." Percy says still glaring at me, "I tried to learn but never did."

"Strange." I say looking at the girl, "It's a secret talent of mine. Do you play?"

"Yes." She says, "Would you play with me?"

"Sure." I say taking a seat on the bench beside her. "Do you know any Christmas songs?" She shakes her head.

"Here." Mrs. Jackson pulls up sheet music on her ipad and places it on the stand.

"Oh that's easy." She says. Which it really isn't. But it's easy enough. It's Welcome Christmas from How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

As we play the others around us join in song when they know the words. I try to join in their song but I can't stay focused on the piano and sing at the same time.

So I play until the end of the song, when everyone is singing loud enough for the whole complex to hear us celebrating.

"You're really good." She tells me.

"So are you." I offer my hand, "Luke."

"Piper. It's nice to meet you." I haven't been treated so politely by one of Thalia's friends in the months we've been apart. She must be new.

I nod when Thalia comes up behind me and kisses my jaw, "I always love hearing you play."

I lean back and kiss her, "I love having you around."

"That makes two." She tells me.

"So are you a thing or...?" Leo asks.

"We're a thing." Thalia says.

"And we approve of this?" Jason asks.

"We do." Thalia says again giving him a reassuring smile.

"Alright." Percy says with a shrug.

"Okay..." Annabeth says awkwardly turning back into Percy's arms.

"If you're happy." Frank says taking Hazel back to the table.

"So... Are we cool?" I ask Jason.

"That depends on you." He responds.

"Don't be rude pretty boy." Piper laughs. Pretty boy?

"I'm not being rude. There's just... history."

"History is a load of crap. Learn from it but forgive it remember?"

"I'm not a ten year old Pipes." He laughs a bit but it's clearly for her sake.

"Then, that lesson should have stuck in your mind, huh pretty boy?" Jason sighs while Piper laughs, "I'm right."

"Yeah, sure." Jason says, "C'mon Hazel still wants to tell you about the time she spent Christmas in Canada." Piper gets up to regain her seat.

"Are they a thing?" I ask Thalia.

"Yes." She says.

"They're cute."

"Yeah, but I like us better."

"I love us, Locks." I kiss her this time before we rejoin the group.

And it's the weirdest thing... They accept me again. And I can't help but feel, loved.