Thalia woke back in her cabin. The husky that had followed her was sleeping quietly on the floor beside her bed. She stood quietly, wondering what actually happened the night before.
"Was it all just a dream? I hope so." She muttered, her face turning crimson. There was a knock on her door. She looked down and realized that her clothes were ripped from her midnight run through the forest and groaned, she answered the door hesitantly, only showing her head. Annabeth smiled at her from the other side of the door.
"Morning Thalia." The blonde greeted,
"Annabeth. We need to go shopping as soon as possible." Thalia decided,
"Why?" Annabeth asked,
"'Cause I have no clothes." Thalia answered.
"Oh, yeah. That makes sense, Chiron's back now so I'll ask him. Maybe he'll say yes if Percy comes. I'll ask him first." Annabeth said thoughtfully.
"Good. I'm just going to stay here for now, my clothes aren't in the best shape at the moment." Thalia informed her,
"Oh? What happened?" Annabeth asked worriedly,
"I freaked out in here last night and took off running. Tree branches aren't exactly kind to clothing when you hit them." Thalia answered. Annabeth smirked.
"You went and saw Percy didn't you?" she asked,
"I didn't mean to. This cabin just seems like it wants me dead, and it freaked me out in the middle of the night so I ran. I just ended up at his house and passed out." Thalia defended.
"Whatever. But he did carry you back and tuck you in?" Annabeth teased.
"Go! Ask Chiron if we can go clothes shopping since I have none." Thalia ignored her comment and sent the daughter of Athena away.
Thalia had to borrow Annabeth's clothes. They were a few sizes too small in certain areas but would work for the short trip into the city and back. Percy collected her at the bottom of Half-Blood hill, Annabeth wasn't allowed to go. Chiron had told her that Percy could take Thalia to purchase clothing but that the group should remain as small as possible, Annabeth wasn't needed so she couldn't come. Thalia followed the mysterious guardian away from camp quietly. Whenever she caught sight of his face, or more accurately the lips she had traced while half-asleep, her face turned crimson.
"Thalia. You've not said a word since we left, did I do something to incur the silent treatment?" Percy asked suddenly.
"N-no. I'm just embarrassed." Thalia answered,
"Why?" Percy asked,
"I um, forget about it." Thalia muttered, Percy's hand landed on her shoulder gently.
"I do not 'forget about it' when a friend is troubled Thalia. Speak to me." Percy said, his voice still smoothed her nerves and sounded like velvet but it was somewhat colder and more distant than it had been.
"I-I'm sorry for troubling you last night." Thalia blurted out, his voice sounding cold toward her just seemed wrong in ways she couldn't identify.
"It was fine. You did not mean to find my home correct? Then do not worry about it, it was no trouble." Percy responded, his voice was still cold and formal.
"But I did something to trouble you! Otherwise you wouldn't be so, so-" she was cut off,
"So what?" Percy asked, his voice had gone even colder, Thalia shivered,
"Just stop. You were so friendly before, and then I did something and now you're all cold and distant to me. I don't like it." Thalia protested,
"Then perhaps you should define what that action was and take steps to make it right." Percy told her, his voice had lost any trace of friendship toward her. Thalia wanted to slap him, punch him, make him forgive her by force. That's what she did, it was part of who she was. But something told her that if she tried she would only drive him farther away. And his figure scared her when he was tensed for a fight, as if she instinctually knew she couldn't beat him.
"I'm sorry Percy. I really am." Thalia muttered, his eyes seemed warmer for a second before they were cold again.
"I know Thalia, but I can't just overlook what you saw. I won't let you be dragged into a war I couldn't finish." He whispered, she barely heard him but didn't ask him what it meant, she wasn't meant to hear it in the first place.
Clothes shopping was easy. Thalia walked in, found a brand of jeans she liked, and tried on different sizes until she found the one that fit her. Then she picked up a pile of the jeans and carried them to the counter, where Percy paid for them emotionlessly. She glared at the female cashier at their first stop hatefully, the girl was staring at Percy dreamily.
"Hey, is your brother available?" the oblivious mortal whispered to her,
"Not my brother." Thalia answered, the cashier paled and retreated behind her register before quietly informing Percy of the price. After all, what reason would a boy have to buy a girl clothes if she wasn't his sister, other than being her boyfriend? Thalia was ok with the mortals thinking she and Percy were an item, it would take too long to correct them anyway. They headed back to camp both blushing like fools after Percy had been forced to purchase her underwear. He had insisted on waiting outside the store, saying no self-respecting man would dare be seen in an underwear store. It didn't help that he was physically fifteen going on sixteen. Every eye in the store turned to him as he was dragged inside. He winced and handed over the cash with a bead of sweat breaking out on his forehead. A mature woman opened her mouth to scold him as the cashier accepted his money, before she could say anything he had told the cashier to keep the change and was making a beeline for the door. Matters were only made worse when Thalia realized the bag was slightly translucent. Percy's façade had broken though, so Thalia was happy. Until he took all of the bags and dropped them into his own backpack, they all fit inside somehow, but she wasn't willing to hand him the translucent bag.
"Would you rather everyone in camp see it than just putting it in my bag?" Percy asked, Thalia blushed and glared at him threateningly. He didn't break eye contact as he dropped the bag into his seemingly endless pack. He tossed it to her and hurried back into the forest as soon as they were across the boundary.