Jpov
I stepped out of my room to see that both Harper and Lucy had changed, Ashton sitting next to Harper in a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top, which I guessed could be considered sleepwear, but wasn't all that much of a change for him.
"I brought something of Harper's for Libby to wear." Lucy said happily as I flopped onto the couch, prepared to occupy my mind with something other than an overly catchy sound track in the immediate future. "They're around the same size."
The door to Libby's room opened and I heard Ashton make an irritated noise.
"That does not fit." He muttered darkly and I almost laughed at his expression. He looked rather like Charlie, and I glanced in Libby's direction ready to call him ridiculous when I realized that Ashton might have had a point.
Lucy had grabbed Libby a tank top and a pair of shorts and while both girls were about the same height, Harper had always been pretty slender. Tiny was a good word to describe her and it was used fairly often. Libby, who I was used to seeing in scrubs or a T shirt, I was unfortunately beginning to realize was… not.
I quickly looked a way, well aware of the daggers Ashton was glaring at me, and the smirk Lucy had thrown me. Harper's expression was less easy to define, but the word 'idiot' had clearly crossed her mind.
I was beginning to think my sister, might in fact, be evil.
Libby appeared unaware of the silent communication about her however, and was perfectly content to sit in the spot Lucy indicated her to right, which also happened to be next to me. My sister shot me a smug expression that had me making a mental note to murder her later.
Again, Libby seemed not to notice and I settled in, trying to ignore the fact that for the next two hours, I'd have to pretend not to be aware of a tattooed, very pretty blonde in a tank top next to me.
'Yes.' I thought distractedly as the movie started. 'My sister is definitely evil.'
The worst kind of it too.
Ashton's arm was around Harper's shoulders along the back of the couch and I didn't miss the looks he shot me periodically.
It wasn't helpful. The compulsion to mess with Ashton when he got like this was almost an instinct at this point. Even if I'd learned to ignore it for the most part, purely for Harper's sake, that didn't mean it wasn't still there. He'd always taken himself far too seriously. It was extremely easy to wind him up. Not to mention I had a feeling Libby would have found it funny as well.
After what felt like an eternity of discomfort, he left with Harper and Libby, probably to discuss what the hunters had said while Ashton just sat there admiring his fiancée I guess. I couldn't imagine he had much else to do while he was here.
I looked at Lucy.
"What the hell was that?" I asked her angrily and she smiled.
Her expression was the picture of innocence, but I didn't buy it for a second.
"What was what?" she asked and while the question was light, her smile was rapidly shifting into a smirk. "I figured you would be having a rather enjoyable evening…"
"Libby is Harper's fiancé's little sister."
"And she's a total dime."
"Stop using terms you learned from the internet." I snapped and she frowned.
"Well excuse me for trying to help you out." she said defensively, and I felt a wave of indignation wash over me.
"Help me out?"
"You seem to like her a lot."
"Luce…"
"Don't tell me you don't think she's cute." She pressed and I shook my head, feeling suddenly exhausted.
"What I think is irrelevant."
"That's not an answer." She countered with a smirk.
"Libby is not staying Lucy." I said deliberately and her expression fell. "She's only here for the summer."
There was a moment in which an ugly silence permeated the space between us on the couch, bringing with it the all too familiar sense of guilt as I realized she was upset.
"I know that, alright?" She said quietly, but she seemed disappointed as she got to her feet and didn't meet my gaze.
"Then what's with this insane attempt at match making?"
"I don't know." She said looking away with a sigh, sounding oddly deflated, but she turned back to me as she continued. "I guess… I guess I just really like her." She said biting her lip and looking upset. "I know she's not here forever, but she's really nice you know? You and Harper, you're always so busy. You spend so much time together it's like you can read each other's minds. I dunno." she shrugged. "Libby actually talks about normal stuff. Like music and bad television. Not whatever the hell Olympus or the Underworld wants from us next. People don't usually stay at the library very long." she sighed again. "I guess I thought if she had a reason, she might stay longer. Or she might come back and visit."
It took a moment for what she was saying to really sink in, and then a little longer for me to feel as if I actually understood it. I wasn't quite sure, but it sounded as if Lucy was feeling a bit isolated. Maybe even lonely.
"I know I'm not exactly normal." she continued softly. "I know I can see things that most people can't. But I'm not exactly like you and Harper, am I? Sometimes I think you two are more like the gods than you are like mortals, with everything you can do." She let out a hollow, almost guilty laugh at this knowing how much both Harper and I would hate this comparison. "Libby though... I know she's not a mortal. But sometimes, I think she's more like me. I dunno."
She paused, clearly uncertain if she wanted to say what she was about to.
"It's just kind of nice to have someone to talk to that isn't completely paranoid..."
A part of me wanted to argue this, but didn't. What could I say when she was right? Both Harper and I were always waiting for the next disaster, the latest run in with the gods, we were constantly preparing for it. We had to. Sure we could laugh about it sometimes but it was exhausting, and I could see why Lucy, who never got a break from it, might be more sick of it than anybody. Harper and I at least got to leave the library, even if the trips into the mortal world weren't always fun, they were at least different. Kept our minds off of the fact we were constantly waiting for the day the sword might fall. It made returning to the library feel more like coming home rather than back to a fortress. Lucy didn't have even that.
Out of the three of us, Lucy hadn't had a choice in whether or not she stayed in the library and that was the truly messed up thing in this whole situation. That the place she loved so much, and had been her home for years, had taken that from her. I wasn't sure how aware of it she was, or if she thought about it at all, but if it were me, I could see myself seeing this the library less like home and more like a prison.
"Have you considered that maybe you could be the reason she visits?" I asked and Lucy frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Luce, there's no reason why you and Libby can't be friends. In fact, you already kind of are."
She looked uncertain for a moment, then a little hopeful.
"Do you think she'd ever want to hang out? Like, outside the library?"
I stared at her for a moment, so shocked by the question that I almost didn't know what to say.
"Blimey." She muttered. "You don't need to look at me like that. Fine I won't ask."
"No." I said quickly. "No, you should ask her."
She frowned for a moment, and I held my breath, waiting for the panic to set in. For her to start hyperventilating or dissolve into tears. She didn't however. And she didn't make excuses either, or talk about some potential far off situation in the future which was her habit when discussing almost anything outside us three here at the library.
"What's her apartment like?" she asked curiously.
"A lot like your room." I said and she smiled.
"That's cool." She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to herself, and while she looked a little anxious, she also looked a little excited. "Yeah. I'll ask her. Maybe we can have girls night or something."
"Yeah." I agreed too stunned to say anything else.
"While you and Harper are off doing something boring."
"Like usual?"
"Like usual." She said with a smirk.
"Sounds like a good idea."
She nodded, then hesitated before saying.
"It's not the only reason you know."
"What isn't?"
"Wanting to be friends with Libby, it's not the only reason I like it when she's around." She hesitated. "You seem happier around her James."
"I'm not unhappy." I said automatically and she shrugged.
"I know, but you seem happier." she added, emphasizing the end of the word. "More relaxed." She hesitated. "I know Harper is content to wander around these shelves forever and learn everything she possibly can in a single life time. But is that what you want?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you wonder if maybe there's more to life than just keeping up with Harper?" she asked quietly. "I love her as much as you do, but she's getting married. And I'll tell you one thing, Ashton's not gonna live here."
She gestured around the room at random, but her point was clear.
"Harper isn't leaving." I said frowning wondering if this was a source of anxiety for her.
"But she's not staying either." She argued. "She might not be leaving like Libby is, but things aren't staying the way they are now forever. They… they can't."
It was the first time this really seemed to occur to her, and while I expected it to shake her foundation, to end in total disaster, it didn't.
She simply seemed stunned.
"What's your plan, James?" she asked and I faltered.
I could have pretended not to know what she was talking about. It was usually the best way to handle moments of lucidity with her before she inevitably shifted back to her delusion that everything happening around the library was normal, but this felt different. It was as if my sister had been half asleep for the passed few years, wandering around the building with brief moments of clarity only to fall immediately back to sleep. It seemed as if the reality of Harper moving on with her life had slapped her awake after all this time.
It was so surprising, I wasn't sure how to react.
"I dunno."
"Me either." She said quietly. "We should probably try and figure one out though. I feel like I've been here so long…"
Her voice faltered as she, glanced at the world map that was still taking up the majority of the wall behind me.
"I miss Mum."
"You could call her." I suggested. "I've got a number."
"Have you?" she asked uncertainly and I shook my head.
"No. I've sent her a couple of emails, but I haven't talked to her recently." I admitted with a fresh surge of guilt. "But if you want, we could-"
"It's pretty late back home." She said glancing at her phone. "I'm not sure I want to bother her."
"Luce." I said incredulously. "You're not going to-"
"Maybe tomorrow." She said cutting me off, and it was as if all of the progress of the last few minutes had come completely undone.
She seemed to shut down again, started talking to herself about work she needed to get done, and setting the schedule for the next week.
She drifted off towards her room, and I felt my heart sinking, it picked back up a little however when she poked her head through her door and said.
"Do you really think Libby would want to hang out?"
"Yeah," I said honestly. "I do."
"I guess I'll ask her then." She grinned a little shyly and I stared after her.
I wasn't particularly a religious person, even if I knew that gods existed and were out there affecting the world, and Ashton might not have been my favorite person in the world. But when I saw Lucy hesitate, then type something anxiously on her phone and smile as it buzzed with a reply, I was almost entirely convinced, even for just half a second, that his sister was a saint.
She stepped back into her room, still texting and I stared after her for a moment, wondering what in the gods' names was happening, before turning and making my way towards the main hall of the library.
I didn't have much of a goal in mind as I walked, mostly moving out of habit and to have something to do with so much on my mind, but I froze when I spotted Libby sitting at one of the desks, stacks of books and scrolls piled on a desk in front of her. She must have had some sort of idea because she looked completely engrossed in her work, biting one of her pens seemingly without realizing it as she read. It suddenly occurred to me that Ashton might in fact have a point, and that armed, intelligent demigods could also be completely adorable.
"What is going on with you?"
I turned and was shocked to see Harper looking at me suspiciously. She had about a shelf's worth of material floating after her like some bizarre, literary ducklings that had imprinted on her. They'd paused obediently as she'd stopped to look at me, the titles bobbing gently up and down as they hovered in place.
"Did you get hit on the head or something?" she continued, her brow furrowed. "Why are you acting so weird?"
'On second thought,' I considered as she continued to examine me, her eyes narrowed. 'Ashton's still crazy.'
And why hadn't I heard her coming? I'd lost track of how much magic was currently running through me or what exactly it affected, but my senses and situational awareness had been heightened far past the usual for even a demigod. People didn't really sneak up on me…
"Has Lucy ever mentioned leaving the library to you?" I asked and she looked a little surprised at the question.
"You mean as more than a hypothetical?" she asked and I nodded.
"No." she said frowning. "Why?"
"She wants to hang out with Libby. At her apartment." I said uncertainly. "She wants to do a girls night."
I expected her to react in astonishment at this, or at least in some sort of meaningful way, but this was Harper after all.
"Interesting." She said as if she thought it was merely that. Interesting. Not a completely earth shattering development or something to worry about. As if it didn't occur to her to think about the millions of things that could have gone wrong…
She shrugged.
"I bet they'd have fun."
"You really think that's a good idea?"
"It really doesn't matter what I think."
"But-"
"Lucy is an adult." Harper pointed out. "She can decide what she wants to do and where she wants to go. If she feels like she's ready, she's the one that would know."
"But what if something happens Harper?" I asked hearing the apprehension in my own tone.
There was a countless number of ways this situation could end in disaster. Lucy could have a meltdown, try and run off into the Underworld again when facing leaving the library, accidentally end up in the mortal world completely out of her depths and running into monsters.
"She's not a child James." Harper said with a bite of impatience in her tone at this point. "You're not responsible for her."
"Of course, I am." I said incredulously.
I'd always been responsible for my little sister, ever since we were kids. Everything that had happened to her had been because of me.
"No, you're not." Harper said and there was a note of warning in her tone now that told me despite how often we joked around, what she said next was serious. "My brother felt responsible for me, and look how well that turned out."
She gestured towards the library as a whole and gave me a significant look.
"That's different-" I started automatically but she cut me off.
"It really isn't." She said stubbornly. "Lucy's allowed to want to reintegrate into the world James, even if you choose not to, and she should be able to do it at her pace. I'm not saying there won't be hiccups," she added when she caught my expression which I was sure was mutinous. "And yeah I wouldn't just chuck her out into the mortal world by herself, but Libby's not going to let anything happen to Lucy." She assured. "Even if she does freak out." She continued forestalling the argument she no doubt knew was coming. "She could at least manage until we got there. And if they do make plans, we can give her a heads up."
I felt my jaw set at this, but wasn't sure exactly what to argue next. I could tell Harper was thinking, debating on if she wanted to drive the point home when she sighed.
"Look. I know if it were up to you, you'd take everyone you care about and put them into a magically reinforced bubble where nothing and no one could touch them. That's why you're here, isn't it?" She looked around at the library again. "You're allowed to want to protect people James, and after everything you've been through, I understand why you have a hard time letting go. But don't suffocate the ones you love in the process, ok?"
I felt expression shift stubbornly, wanting to argue, but I knew she was right and eventually I relented.
"Fine." I muttered and she nodded. "Gods I hate it when you're right."
"Unfortunate for you as I always am."
"Arrogance doesn't suit you Davis."
"And gawking after girly girls with tattoos doesn't suit you." she said something significant in her tone, and I pang of anxiety go through me that was unlike anything I'd experienced before.
It settled in my stomach and was uniquely uncomfortable. I didn't like it at all.
"I dunno what you're talking about." I muttered irritated, glancing away from her.
But in my peripherals I could see by the look she was giving me she wasn't convinced.
"Right." she said sardonically, as if unable to help herself, added. "You have a very specific type it seems."
This was accompanied by a smirk I liked even less than the anxiety.
"I'm not even dignifying that with a response." I said darkly and she shrugged.
"It's weird." she continued, glancing towards Libby. "I've never seen someone rattle you this much."
"I am not rattled." I said emphatically.
She didn't answer, but arched an eyebrow in plain disbelief.
Even after knowing, and working with her for years at this point, it still amazed me just how little we had to say to each other to be able to communicate. Even if she was technically in charge around here, Harper never really told me or Lucy what to do, not in any real sense anyways. But the warning in her expression was clear, the words 'Don't get attached' sounding uncomfortably from the back of my mind.
"You remember our conversation in Germany, don't you?" she asked and while her tone was light, the question wasn't and it wasn't like her.
This wasn't the sort of thing she would usually care about, or even notice really. Not unless she spotted a problem.
She didn't press the issue however, just gave me a final look before continuing to walk towards her desk. I glanced after her, not entirely sure what to think before, unable to help myself, I looked back at Libby.
I had a feeling that in my inattention, Harper had probably seen far more than I would have liked her to.
Lpov
I wasn't sure how long I'd been reading when I heard the sound of something settling on the table next to me.
I jumped and looked up from my page to see a mug of what looked like coffee. Upon further investigation, I realized it was James who'd set it there.
"Thanks." I said and almost immediately yawned. "What time is it?"
"On your body clock?" he checked his phone. "Three am."
"Gods." I muttered yawning again before reaching for the coffee and taking a sip, only to realize it was shockingly similar to how I would have made it. "How did you-"
"I figured after this afternoon you're probably about as addicted to sugar as Harper is." He said his tone significant as he held up a second mug. "She usually crashes about now."
I looked over at Harper's desk to see she had in fact, fallen asleep on her keyboard, the letters pressing into her cheek.
"Such sophistication." He muttered sarcastically and I grinned.
He walked towards her desk and was just about to set down the mug when Ashton, no doubt as familiar with Harper's habits as James was, came into view. He'd gone to the gym over an hour ago, probably to keep up with training for his team. Going to school in a different time zone than Harper and I, no doubt his 'body clock' as James put it, was several hours behind ours.
He grinned a little when he spotted his fiancée oh so gracefully passed out, but it faded when he spotted the mug in James's hand, and I saw an uncharacteristically cool expression cross his features. It was almost challenging.
Even more surprising. James seemed to back down.
There appeared to be some sort of silent communication between the two and James, admittedly looking irritated, pulled back the mug.
"Wake up Harper." Ashton said nudging her shoulder and Harper jolted awake.
"What-" she started sounding confused looking around.
"Time for bed Bambs."
"What time is it?" she asked yawning.
She glanced at the computer which I assumed had a clock, because she rubbed her eyes and didn't protest when Ashton helped her to her feet.
I half expected her to keep working, but she yawned and stretched before heading to what I assumed was her room, and after another significant look at James, Ashton followed her. It almost looked like a warning, which was unusual for him.
"What was that about?" I asked raising an eyebrow as James, who still looked annoyed, but was managing to hide it pretty well as he fell into a chair across from me.
I hadn't taken Ashton as the sort who got all that jealous. He'd never been possessive of anyone he'd dated as far as I knew, but that whole exchange had just been weird.
"Ashton's convinced Harper doesn't sleep enough." He said tapping his index finger irritably against the handle of the mug.
"That or he just wants a reason to be mad at you." I said and the way his head tilted at the statement, something just under a nod, had me thinking he probably agreed with it, even if he didn't want to go as far as saying it out loud. "Is Ashton always this much of an ass when you're around?"
It was strange. Ashton was generally a nice person. He got along with almost everybody, and seeing him so clearly butt heads with anyone was just bizarre. Looking back though, I wasn't sure James and Ashton had ever really liked each other. Even back at camp.
'Still...' I thought feeling anxious.
Outright hostility, no matter how subtle, was unusual for my brother and seeing it made me a little uncomfortable. I didn't like it when people around me were upset, even worse was when it was with each other.
"Not always." James answered with a shrug, but I had a feeling this was only a partial truth.
"I'm surprised you put up with that." I said with a frown.
Despite his apparent tolerance for people in his immediate circle, I wouldn't say James was a particularly patient person. In fact, he wasn't even all that nice, though it was clear he could be if wanted to.
"Not everyone has a to like each other."
"So you don't like him?"
"Ashton is fine." James responded and while his tone was devoid of emotion, it didn't sound as if he didn't mean it. "I don't hate him, but I don't go out of my way to be around him either. We're just different."
"Isn't that a little awkward?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "Considering he's marrying your best friend?"
"That has nothing to do with me."
"Oh you are no fun." I said in exasperation. "You have an opinion. I know you do."
He was unmoved by this apparently, as his expression remained determinedly blank, but it did nothing to temper my curiosity which I found was growing with each passing second.
"Go on," I pressed, poking his arm on the table between us and he looked confused by the gesture. "Spill."
"You really want to know?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!"
"Why do you care so much what I think about your brother?" he asked and I shrugged.
"I dunno." I said honestly, and it was my turn to hesitate. "You know Harper better than anyone, apart from Ashton obviously. In fact, you probably know her better than Charlie."
Despite the fact that they were twins, I'd gotten the impression that Charlie had never really had an accurate view of his sister, even if it looked as though they got along better these days. Even if Ashton's crush on Harper had been kind of an open secret in the cabin for basically forever, it was also pretty clear most of us didn't really get that pairing. My brother was the sort of guy who could fit in anywhere, make friends with everyone, where as Harper had always been a bit of a monolith. Sure she had friends, but it wasn't surprising to me that the person she seemed to get along with so easily was someone who kept himself as isolated as James.
But maybe that was exactly why it worked.
As much as people laughed at how obvious my brother's feelings about her had been, it wasn't as if Harper was much better. Spending so much time at the basketball court, putting up with that ridiculous nickname. Even agreeing to do him a favor and entertaining my research here, that I'd long since realized was not a typical arrangement for visitors. Maybe Harper needed someone like Ashton to keep her from disappearing too far into the mythological world. To make her remember she cared about things outside this place, that seemed to have an almost inexorable pull to remain the longer you were here. Maybe that was why, despite the fact that both Harper and James could be considered something more than just demigods at this point, mortals could still see her.
He seemed to have debated the statement for a while as I'd been lost in thought, but eventually recalled my attention by saying.
"I think he's lucky Harper gave him a second chance." he said quietly. "After learning Charlie and her father were basically lying to her her entire life, and Ashton knew about it by the end, it sort of wrecked her for a bit. She was gutted, it messed her up for months and I'm not really sure he deserved it at the time." He hesitated and I saw a hint of the icy anger that was so distinct to him enter his gaze. "I'm not sure I could bring myself to be that forgiving."
Something about his tone though, suggested there was more to this than he was admitting however, and I frowned.
"You haven't, have you?" I asked quietly, adding, "Forgiven him," when he looked confused. "For hurting Harper?"
"It doesn't matter what I think."
"James," I said incredulously, knowing him well enough by now to catch the subtext. "It's been years..."
"I don't forgive easily Libby." He said stiffly. "Especially when it comes to the people I care about."
"So what, you don't think he's good enough for Harper?" I asked almost incredulously.
Ashton was more than likely going to end up a pro athlete, a good one too.
"No." he countered his tone calm, and it sounded as if he meant it. "Ashton's fine." He repeated. "He's a good bloke, on track to a good career, he's nice, he loves Harper like crazy and isn't usually an idiot. And in the end, he makes her happy." He shrugged. "That's all that matters."
"But?" I pressed feeling as if this was leading up to something and almost immediately finding I was right.
"But." He continued, sounding almost reluctant to do so. "He's a liability."
"What?" I asked a little confused by the choice of words.
"He's a liability." James repeated. "An access point. Harper's pretty easy to keep track of, she's usually either here, on campus, or with me. Give her enough work and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't move for a week. Lucy too. Ashton, on the other hand, is basically famous and spends most of his time traveling between schools in the mortal world for anyone to come after. Her brother too. But he's smarter than Ashton, and, in my opinion, less likely to be a target."
"So wait," I said shaking my head. "You don't like Ashton, because you think he's a security threat?"
"He is a security threat."
"They're engaged." I said indignantly and he frowned as if he couldn't understand why I emphasized the term.
"Yeah. That makes it even worse."
I stared at him.
"Ashton is access," he continued, sounding undeterred. "One that isn't easily monitored and impossible to control."
"You can't be serious right now."
"I am absolutely serious." He said certainly. "You don't have to get your hands on Harper if you've got something that will bring her to you, and if I was looking for leverage, Ashton would be my play. She wouldn't hesitate to do whatever she had to to get him back." He hesitated for a moment, before saying, almost as if against his better judgement, "I know it doesn't always seem like it, but if something happened to Ashton, Harper would be destroyed. I don't want to see that happen to her again." he said quietly, looking away. "And if someone did get their hands on her because of him…" he hesitated, clearly changing tact midsentence when he saw my expression. "Things around here might get eventful."
"Who thinks like that?" I asked quietly, feeling a little sick. Not just at the thought of what might happen to my brother if James was right, but the implications if something did happen, and the library fell under someone else's control.
But of course James would know who thought like that. He'd seen this sort of thing before. It had been done to him. And the fact he seemed to be able to talk so casually about it made me feel like maybe James was a little less well adjusted than I'd originally thought. Like in his mind, all of this was normal if not the natural order of the world.
Lucy was right, he was completely paranoid. Then again… wasn't that exactly what Hypnos had done? Attacked both Harper and Lucy, knowing no matter how powerful James might be, he couldn't be in two places at once?
Was it paranoia? Or did James have a point?
"I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you Lib," he said easily. "This doesn't really affect you, you'll be back at school by the end of the summer." He pointed out when he saw me starting to protest. "You don't really have to think about it."
I wanted to argue with him, but wasn't quite sure how so said nothing.
Was that what James thought caring about people was? Leverage? Access points? No wonder he had like, one friend.
'Two,' a soft voice reminded me and I tried to ignore the feeling in my stomach that accompanied that realization. 'You know he has at least two.'
I'd gone back to my book, but this thought caused me to glance up and realize that he'd been looking at me.
"What?"
"You look upset."
"No." I said stubbornly, but when he made a noise of obvious disbelief, I sighed. "I'm not upset." I persisted. "The way you see the world is just sort of… disturbing."
"What? Because it's realistic?"
"Because you need like a decade of therapy."
"Why do people keep telling me that?" he asked testily.
"Because it's true."
"Even if it were." He said. "Where am I supposed to go Libby?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"I dunno." I admitted.
Were there any demigods out there that grew up to be mental health professionals?
'If they had, they'd probably make a killing.' I thought a little ruefully. Demigod lives had a tendency to get extremely messed up.
"Can I ask you a weird question?"
"You seem to only ask me weird questions." He said sounding a little weary but not ill tempered, which I figured was enough of an invitation to continue.
"What do you do for fun?"
"For… fun?" he asked skeptically.
"Yeah, fun." I said then smirked. "You know, the concept you're not familiar with."
Something flashed in his eyes, and I was pretty sure it was amusement, but he shut it down pretty quickly.
"You're not gonna let that one go, are you?"
"Never." I said with a grin and he sighed. "Well?" I continued impatiently. "What do you do? Do you have any hobbies?"
"I don't really do anything for fun." He said with a shrug. "I don't have any hobbies, I don't really have the time."
"That's boring." I said frowning, feeling a bit sorry for him but he didn't seem all that upset.
"Sorry to disappoint you Libby, but I'm a pretty boring person."
"You sound like an adult." I said with a laugh.
"You're an adult." He pointed out.
"You know what I mean." I said rolling my eyes and he quirked an eyebrow. "Like and adult adult. All grown up."
"As opposed to what?" he asked skeptically. "One of the fraternity blokes in those personal ads you love so much?"
"Well... yeah." I said shrugging and again, he looked as if he wasn't sure if he should be exhausted or amused by this.
It was weird to think that James wasn't all that much older than me, considering my biggest concern was usually the latest sentence I'd managed to say without thinking. He was always so calm about everything. Sometimes almost scarily so. Considering everything that had happened to him, I guess it would make sense he'd had to grow up fast. It was clear he felt responsible for his sister and maybe even Harper to some extent. It really put things like Hunter and Kelly's immature behavior at the clinic into perspective. Maybe that's why he had so little patience with it. Still... it seemed so exhausting feeling responsible for everyone you cared about. Never getting a break from his insane role of smacking sense into gods that Harper so often provoked, taking care of his sister and trying to control not just the magic in the library, but in himself as well. How long could someone keep going like that before they cracked? And what would happen to him if something did slip?
Was that something a person in his situation survived?
Ice went through me at the thought and I had to push it away.
"At least you have magical abs." I pointed out trying to distract myself with humor. "That makes up for a significant number of deficiencies in the personality department."
"I can't tell if you're serious or not." He said frowning and I grinned.
"You'll never know."
He looked at me for a moment but I continued to smile, determined to out match his usual apathy with enthusiasm and it seemed to work because he seemed to give up.
"I like being outdoors."
"That's a start." I said encouragingly. "We've now narrowed down the list of activities from the entire world to just the whole outside."
He looked as if he wanted to be irritated by this comment, but couldn't quite manage it, and grinned a little as he said.
"You're quite the smart arse, you know that?"
"Yes, but I'm short." I answered with a shrug. "So I get away with it."
"Is that so?"
As usual his tone was even, but his smile had grown seemingly in spite of himself and I nodded.
"Doesn't help much in the intimidation department though, I might have to call you in for that."
"I guess I'll make sure to keep my schedule clear." He said sarcastically.
"I'd appreciate that."
He shook his head and looked away for a moment, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, but when looked back he was still grinning a little.
"You really think you get away with a lot because you're short?" he asked sounding interested and I shrugged.
"More than most people."
"Let's test it."
"What?"
"What's the most messed up thing you can think to say?" He asked and I frowned.
The lack of sleep over the last few nights was starting to hit me. My brain felt stuck, the gears of my mind jammed, and the fact he was looking at me like that wasn't helping. His expression was still vaguely entertained, but something about his gaze was far more intense. Almost as if he'd been caught off guard by a particularly vibrant sunrise, and didn't want to miss a single color as it illuminated the sky.
I thought for a moment, trying to ignore the fact that I was aware of my heart beat at this point, before settling on a series of words.
"Whole sale slaughter." I accompanied the phrase with my best 'trying not to throttle a particularly awful customer' smile and almost instantly he laughed.
"Oh my gods." He said putting his head in his hands. "You're right I cannot take you seriously."
He shook his head again and I saw his jaw set as he tried, and failed, to hide a smile.
"How long have you had this super power?"
"Probably since about freshman year of high school." I said with a shrug. "Everyone kept growing, I uh… didn't."
"And you and your sarcasm have been free to do as you please ever since?"
"I'm a menace."
"Yes I think you might be." He said with a nod causing me to smile.
"Let's see if it works in reverse."
"Sorry?"
"You have to make something sound intimidating." I said and he frowned.
"Exactly, keep doing that." I said pointing at his expression which appeared to surprise him as I scrambled to find a word.
"What do you want me to say?"
I went through a series of possibilities when a memory struck me, and it was so out of the blue I almost laughed.
"Ok I've got something." I said trying to keep a straight face as I recalled our conversation from earlier and his opinions about Hunter.
"What is it?"
"Marshmallow."
He paused for a moment, his expression dubious.
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely." I said with a nod. "I am Ares himself, pissed off and about to take a swing at you."
"You do realize that that has happened before Lib, don't you?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair as he considered me. "Usually in that situation, there isn't a lot of talking."
"Just say the word." I said impatiently and he put his hands up in apparent acquiescence.
"And this is supposed to deescalate a situation with the literal god of war?"
"It's supposed to intimidate him."
"Right." James said with nodding with a gravity was so obviously over the top I almost rolled my eyes.
He then fixed me with a steady look and said.
"Marshmallow."
I about had an asthma attack.
"Are you quite alright?" he asked as I continued to wheeze with laughter.
"I can't." I said waiving away his concern, unable to get more than a few words without falling into another fit. "I can't." I repeated laughing so hard I thought I might have separated a rib. Maybe two.
"You're making me feel a bit ridiculous here." He said as I rested my head on my arms and leaned on the table, still trying to pull myself together.
I couldn't look at him, every time I did, I pictured James and the god facing each other down spaghetti western style, music in the background, only to have James using the word 'marshmallow' as his opening dialogue.
It took several minutes for me to calm down, in which was pretty sure James had been convinced I was deranged.
"Are you finished?" he asked raising an eyebrow as I looked up, and when his eyes met mine, I pressed my lips together to prevent another giggle and nodded.
"That was not convincing at all."
"I'm probably going to be laughing at that for the next few decades." I said with a grin.
"It was not that funny."
"You are wrong."
He stared at me for a moment as I tried, and completely failed, to bite back a smile.
"What?" I asked as he continued to look at me.
"Nothing." He said quietly. "It's just…"
But the sentence faded as he considered me and while a few weeks ago, his expression probably would have unnerved me, it didn't. He didn't look upset, just as if he was thinking and for once, I didn't find the silence uncomfortable. It was oddly peaceful.
"I guess I just wish I knew how to get the same amount of enjoyment out of little things as you do."
"I'm easily amused."
"I've noticed." He said and while there was a hint of his usual sarcasm in his tone, it didn't sound like an insult, and it softened as he continued. "It's something I've always liked about you."
This surprised me.
James was extremely smart, and he didn't have to be in some crazy good school or proving some complex mathematical formula for people to know it. He'd learned to read in multiple languages just from exposure, and was the sort of person who could tell you exactly what part of himself he'd injured with the proper medical terms and what it did after a single visit to the infirmary. His best friend was a child of Athena for Hades sake, and he never seemed to have trouble keeping up with her. He didn't seem like the sort of person to want to be entertained by things like bubble tea or terrible personal ads, and well to be honest, he wasn't. But I'd sort of assumed while he'd thought these things were stupid, he'd been polite enough not to openly say it, more so with the personal ads than the tea. That didn't seem to be the case though, at least not according to him.
I'd always known that I found entertainment in weird things that most people thought were uninteresting, or not worth laughing over as much as I did. Most people, like the Kelly's of the world, either ignored it or made fun of me for it. Some found it irritating. Others, primarily my friends like Anna, found it mildly amusing or thought my reaction was funny. Never once did I think it would be something that anyone would particularly like about me though. Especially not someone like him.
"Why?" I asked with genuine shock and he smiled a little, almost as if he hadn't wanted to.
"I know you might not believe this, seeing as I'm 'unfamiliar with the concept'." He said putting emphasis on the taunt. "But I dunno," he made a noncommittal gesture before his gaze settled on me again. "You seem to have a lot of fun."
"Comes with the territory." I said gesturing towards my hair. "Apparently we do in fact, have more fun."
"Very amusing."
"You're always welcome on the safari." I pointed out.
"The suicidal one?"
"Yes that one." I answered, trying to sound dignified like Harper when he got on her case about something, but it only caused his eyebrow to dart up again, apparently unimpressed at the attempt.
"I sort of figured I was going to have to go." He pointed out. "Make sure you don't get yourself killed trying to cuddle large and monstrous creatures. Don't think your brother would be too pleased about that."
"That, and you sort of need me alive if you really do want to meet Felix and Buttercup."
I was surprised to find that he laughed at this, and not for the first time, I realized that it was impossible to think let alone remember to breathe when he laughed.
"That too."
Something in his tone, and the way he was looking at me had me convinced that James might be the one person on the planet that thought I was legitimately funny, and I wasn't sure what was more amazing. The fact that I could make someone like him laugh, or the feelings attached to this revelation that were rapidly taking hold. I didn't want to look at them too closely. I knew it would be a complete disaster if I did, but I couldn't ignore the fact that they were there.
I knew I should be trying to shut it down, force myself to move on with the conversation, say good night or talk about something, anything, else. But I couldn't help myself.
"Well that sounds like an even trade then." I said happily and he looked confused.
"What is?"
"For the safari." I explained. "You make sure I don't die." I continued gesturing towards him before pointing back at myself. "And I make sure you have fun."