Hey there! Welcome back!
I'm not dead. I just had a couple of rough weeks.
Also, yes, I have been dreading posting this chapter because it's the final one, and I had so much fun writing this story, and getting your feedback, that I kind of feel like I'm ending part of my life with it. But you deserve to know the ending to this story, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
No, I am not even going to shed light on the fact that I rewrote this last chapter like four times before I felt like it was perfect.
For all of you who have followed and favorited this story, thank you so much!
Reviews, huh?
celestial. bi, oh my gosh, you and I have the same sweet tooth, I need that in my life! Thank you and I hope you enjoy this final chapter!
Unknown, this is the last chapter, dove. I hope you liked it!
CrazedFnatic, I don't know, you tell me! Read on!
Kayga, darling, angst and loving is my main specialty. I have this headcanon that Nico is either the bratty young sibling and the serious and stern older sibling and there is no in-between. (personality-wise, I mean. No, still not over Bianca)
Dommie, how did I get hotter? Global warming. But my feet are still cold. Matching my heart. Soulmate? Didn't you use to say that about Keira? Fck off xD. If you want a wedding scene so badly, plan ours. Duh. Have at it, since I've had enough with your spamming for the last two weeks.
Nyne, No I'm not dead, jeez! A person disappears for 3 weeks and is immediately thought dead. Have the last one!
Disclaimer: No, I do not own PJO, HOO, or any other amazing creations from Uncle Rick. He does. If I ever get to meet him will I shake his hand and punch him in the jaw? Yes. Yes, I will.
PS: Do NOT bitch if this chapter turns out to be enormous.
ON THE FIC!
His lips touching her skin were sin. Passionate and hot, like the words she would use to describe everything about him: his looks, his personality, his fire-ridden soul... His fire burned her without leaving a scar, his soul touched her without leaving his body.
"I love you..." his voice was hoarse.
"I know..." her response was feeble, as she was afraid if she talked too loudly, the moment would be lost.
He showered her with kisses. His hands shed her of her clothing slowly, like a present he was seeing for the first time. His cheeks, roughened by the gentle scruff he hadn't time to shave, gave her goosebumps. Her hands stripped him a lot faster, shaking with anticipation and longing. They missed each other's hold.
It had been a long time since they parted. But now, kissing and touching and grinding, she felt complete. His deeper voice in her ears, his hands on her body, his heat covering her... it was her haven. And he felt as if he was about to burst. Her hands in his hair, tugging and massaging, her soft moans begging him to move faster, to push harder, to go deeper... it did things to him. Her body was his fantasy, her mind his world. He loved her inside and out, from head to toe, and so much love was hard to fit inside one heart alone.
He splayed kisses down her torso, going lower and lower each time. His hands spread her naked thighs and he smirked up at her, before resuming his task. She moaned out his name, grinding against him. His low chuckle vibrated through her body, only causing her to whimper.
"Miss Cassandra…"
Oh, and the way he called her name! He was never formal with her. Respectful, yes, always, but just her name. And her name on those sinful lips…
"Miss?"
Miss? What is this? What was going on?
"Miss Cassandra!"
"What?!" she growled, looking up to the voice.
She was in a large white room, sitting at the head of a long marble table. On the sides were three people each and, counting with herself and the two guards siding the doors, there were nine people inside the room. She glared at the one nearest to her, a woman of severe manners and pale features.
"Miss Cassandra, if you would be so kind to stop daydreaming and listen to the norms Sir Lotr is saying…" she showed her her displeasure, and the brunette rolled her eyes and motioned with her hand, declaring "Proceed."
"As I was saying, Lady Cassandra…" the chubby man bowed lightly and continued his list. And Cassandra immediately lost interest.
It wasn't as if what the man was saying wasn't important, it was! She was merely distracted by the time. The day had come, and it was special. She made an effort to listen to the never-ending endeavors of the man, letting out sounds – he didn't deserve words – whenever appropriate. She dismissed them all after the meeting, reckoning Rosaline – the woman who had called for her attention earlier – to show them to the door. She stood up and walked to the large window, looking down.
It was breathtaking. Vibrant green trees, white-stoned paths that connected the village below her, and the pure and simple life that they led; Andalasia was perfect in every way, and she tried her hardest to keep it that way. She could hear voices, laughter, and songs from the streets. Not too long ago, she would be down there with them, singing and dancing and living life to the fullest.
But not anymore.
As soon as she was crowned Queen, paperwork was the only thing filling her days. Meetings, arrangements, political and social norms, everything she thought boring. There were days when all she wanted was to go back to her old life, fighting nymphs and almost dying, but then she remembered everything she belonged to. And while her soul longed for freedom, her heart knew she was where she needed to be.
Three years had gone by since Grover and Juniper had discovered the location of Andalasia, and a feeling of melancholy had hit Cassandra. Her home, her true home, was waiting for her. When she first stepped foot there, her friends had been there with her. Support came from all of them, especially from Leo. They helped her get her life together and learn what she needed about her kingdom.
They stayed for two months. The happiest months of her life. But they too had responsibilities to attend to, so they left. But they came back. But with the passing time, their visits became fewer, and she was left to rule her kingdom. Leo tried to visit more, but he too had his life to live.
She had last seen him half a year ago when he said he would be going on a quest. She hadn't heard from him since. But she dreamed about his return, of their times together… Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and dusted off her hands. She could see her reflection, piercing dulled eyes staring back at her. Dark lips, grown-out hair pinned in a thick braid with locks of hair molding her face – like her mother used to wear. Black pants and brown boots, with a purple surcoat that opened over the navel and dragged behind her and the two pieces of jewelry she always carried: her tiara and a choker that belonged to her mother.
"Lady Cassandra?" Rosaline cracked the door open and peeked inside.
"Yes, Rosa?" the brunette took a deep breath.
"Are you alright?" She asked, walking inside the room and next to the young woman.
"Yeah, just… reminiscing." She forced a smile.
"Do you wish to talk about it?" Rosaline tried, placing a hand over her shoulder.
"No, thank you." She wiped her eyes and looked up. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"You have a visitor." She motioned to the door "May I let him in, or would you rather receive him in the throne room?"
"No, it's okay. Let him in." she nodded and shook herself as Rosaline walked to the door.
"You may enter." And she left.
"Ciao Cassandra."
"Nico!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly and running to hug him "You're here! What are you doing here?"
"I missed you too…" he chuckled softly "Can we talk?"
"Is everything okay?" she frowned.
"Yeah, it's just…" he scratched the back of his neck "Let's sit down and talk."
"Of course." She led him to the table and sat him next to her "What is going on? What brings you here?"
"Oh, it's nothing special… Let's talk about you first! How have you been? It's been a while…"
"Nico…" she pushed.
"Please. Indulge me. Let's just… make small talk for a little. I missed you."
"I missed you too…" she sighed "Okay. I've been good. I mean, it's been a bit boring, with all this political nonsense, but that's the way it is when you rule a kingdom. I'm still developing and learning. There was a storm a couple of weeks ago, and I only figured out I was the one causing it when I broke the headboard of my bed."
"A storm?" Nico raised an eyebrow "That's impressive."
"Yeah. There's this one dude that every time I go to town tries to ask me out. And a couple of the members of the Council keep trying to marry me off with one of their children." She pointed out. "What about you? How's Camp?"
"Everything is good. Grover and Juniper had another kid. Percy and Annabeth are mad with each other right now, but it will pass."
"What happened?" she frowned.
"Something about Percy sabotaging Annabeth's boss because he was messing with her works and the City Hall's." he explained, "She's happy she doesn't have to deal with his shit anymore, but she doesn't agree with what he did."
"That's messed up." She noted "What else? How's Will?"
"Will… is fine. It's because of him that I came here, actually." He pushed himself up.
"Do tell."
"I want to ask you something, Cassandra."
"Yes?"
"Would you mind if we all came here?" he tried "To… do something?"
"Nico, what is going on?"
"You know Will and I moved in together about two months ago, right?" She nodded. "And I want to be with him, and you know that, so I was wondering if I could... borrow your kingdom for a day or two? And the privacy that comes along with it?"
"What is going on, Nico."
"... I want to propose to Will."
"WHAT?!" She shrieked, and Nico flinched. "I'm sorry. What?!"
"Is that a yes or no?" he tried.
"It's a fuck yeah!" she pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh, congratulations! But... don't you think it's a bit early? I mean... you're young, Nico, and so is Will. You have time, and Will is not going anywhere."
"I don't want to wait for the rest of my life to start, Cassandra. I want to take the first step for once." he gulped, "And hopefully, if he says yes, I can ask you to let me borrow your kingdom again."
"Of course he's going to say yes, stupid, he adores you." she raised an eyebrow. "You want to ask me if you and Will can marry here in Andalasia?"
"Yes."
"Nico, of course you can! I'll be more than happy to have you!" she exclaimed, hugging him again.
"Thank you so much, Cassandra." He nodded "And I want to invite everyone that's been in our lives, and you're the only safe place where so many demigods can reunite and not be invaded by monsters."
"You are all welcome here, Nico, you know that!" Cassandra giggled. "I'm so happy for you! Do you have a best man yet?"
"He hasn't said yes yet." but, at her raised eyebrow, he corrected "No… but I assume Percy and Jason will be fighting for that spot."
"Who do you want to choose?"
"I can't choose you, because I was hoping you would play a different role in the wedding."
"What role? The planner?"
"No. The judge."
"I can't marry you guys!"
"Yes, you can! You are the Queen of Andalasia; you have the power over everything. Please, Cassie."
"You know I can't resist those puppy eyes…" she squealed. "Of course I'll marry you off! And I wanna be responsible for the engagement party."
"Deal." he got up and hugged her. "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome, my beautiful emo." She pulled away "Nico?"
"Yes?"
"Have you heard… from Leo?"
"Oh." He looked at his shoes. "No, I haven't. He uh… he hasn't checked in in a couple of months now. Why?"
"I was just wondering… I haven't talked to him in a while. What about you?"
"Last I heard from him was when Percy was checking in after the quest, and that was… 6 months ago." He frowned "I'm sure he's fine. You know he gets absorbed in his work."
"Yeah, sure…" she smiled.
.
The night fell and Cassandra stood in her room, staring out the window. Nico had stayed for the day, telling her exactly what ideas he had to propose to Will. Between a lot of teasing and suggestions, she had noted down everything and added some personal ideas for the upcoming wedding. Nico had promised he would be back soon, and she couldn't wait to see a ring on Will's hand. She would finally have something to get her mind off Leo.
She walked to her bedside table and pulled a little box out. Inside was the ring Leo had given her oh so long ago. She slid it on and removed her clothes, grabbing a crimson hoodie and putting it on. It wasn't hard to tell who it belonged to when it came down to her thighs and hung off one shoulder.
No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't walk around with that ring in her hand. The Queen of Andalasia, as Nico had put it, was not formally engaged. She walked to the tall window of her bedroom. The nightlife of the kingdom had already started, with dimly lit cobblestone streets and soft music.
It wouldn't be the first time that she snuck out and went to the city, enjoying herself under the cover of the night. Sometimes, she even disguised herself and chatted around with the people. It was thanks to those adventures that some common problems had been solved so efficiently; because the townsfolk told her how to solve them.
But tonight couldn't be one of those nights. She eyed her cloak with envy. No, worry had started to eat at her heart when Nico told her he hadn't talked to Leo in months. And now, under the blanket of the night, her feelings increased tenfold. And her chest hurt just by thinking about it. She hugged herself and began to hum.
I wish I never looked, I wish I never touched
I wish that I could stop loving you so much
Cause I'm the only one that's trying to keep us together
When all of the signs say that I should forget her
I wish you weren't the best, the best I ever had
I wish that the good outweighed the bad
Cause it'll never be over, until you tell me it's over
"I miss you so fucking much…" She whispered to herself. "Where are you, Leo? Why won't you come back to me?"
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
She turned around at the sound of the deeper voice singing softly. She gasped out of pain, misery, relief, and happiness. His eyes were trained on her, powerful and passionate. He was messy, looking like he had run his way there, his clothes rumpled. She felt his power unleashing waves of heat through the room. She whispered his name and he closed the door behind himself, before stepping toward her.
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle
"Leo." She was afraid to touch him, for he could be just a dream.
"Cassandra." He trailed closer to her.
From up close, she saw him. He looked exhausted, scratched, and banged up. He hadn't shaved in a while, the gentle scruff she remembered lining his cheekbones in uneven patches. His white shirt was stained with oil and burn marks, his pants ripped at one knee. The combat boots he never let go of seemed spent, and his hands shook beside him.
"Are you real?" she tried.
"A legend to most, but then again, what's smoke without fire?" He tried a smile.
"Leo…!" she laughed between tears and threw herself in his arms.
"I'm sorry I took so long, Cass." He murmured against her neck, hugging her tight.
"You're here now. That's all that matters." She whispered back. "How did you get here?"
"Snuck past the gates, and found Rosaline patrolling the halls. She let me through."
"Gotta thank her then."
"As much as I love our reunion, babe, I was hoping I could do that a bit cleaner." He pushed away softly "Do you mind if I shower quickly?"
"Not at all." She nodded and went to her closet to grab him a pair of shorts and a towel "You remember how to turn the hot water on, right?"
"Yeah." He walked to the bathroom "Join me?"
"Not today, Valdez." She smirked and sat on the bed.
True to his words, the shower was quick. Five minutes later, Leo was walking out of the bathroom with a pair of red shorts on and toweling his hair. He saw Cassandra staring at the window again and walked up to her, hugging her from behind.
"I missed you so much." He hid his face in her hair.
"I missed you more…" she smiled, placing her hands over his. "Where have you been? What happened?"
"I thought I'd never get out of there." He kissed her neck softly. "I'm sorry, mi amor."
"What happened?" she asked. "The quest was supposed to be easy."
"The quest was. A bunch of demigods went missing. Kids." He replied "There were clues about a building, so Annabeth went with me because of the structural genius. Percy came along for backup. There was a lot more going on than we had anticipated... monsters, a god claiming allegiance for some reason... and we had to fight tooth and nail on our way out. We all took a handful of kids with us and took off in different directions."
"What happened? Were the kids safe?" she gasped.
"They were. We found this... hotel, I think it was a casino, and we snuck inside. A lot of people inside, and... I don't know, we sat down and we ate something, I had a bit of ambrosia. The next thing I knew, the kids were playing around, carefree. I was gonna let them. We were all exhausted. I took a nap in one of the couches. I swear, it was just a 2hour nap. And then things got weird."
"What do you mean?"
"You know those naps when you wake up and you don't even know which year it is? I had one of those. And I woke up, and this one guy was sitting next to me, and I jokingly asked 'yo, what year is it?'. And... He turned to me, and with the straightest face, said 1943."
"He wasn't joking, you sure?"
"No. I realized there was something off about the casino, so I got all the kids and got the fuck out of there." he gulped, running his hand through his hair. "It was night when we stepped out to the street. And... this lady walked by, and I asked her the date. And she said, 14th of August. Six months went by, Cass. We were there for five hours, and six months went by."
"So that's what happened." she frowned. "Nico came by today, and he told me that you've been MIA for some time, but you were probably just... stuck in a project or something."
"I mean, I don't have the cleanest rep when it comes to time management, but you should know that I wouldn't take months."
"To be honest... before Nico told me, I was beginning to think you wanted nothing more with me…" she admitted "I was afraid you would leave me."
"Cass, why would you think that?! I'd never leave you! Not willingly, anyway. You know how I lost my mind when I thought you had died three years ago. Te amo, cariño. I can't live without you. And I won't even try." He spoke, and she turned to him.
"Don't say that. I don't want to hear you say that." She affirmed, "If that ever happens, I want you to promise me that you'll keep on living."
"I can't promise you that. You're the only woman I'll ever love, so forget me ever moving on."
"Don't say that," she spoke in a feeble tone, cupping his cheeks.
"What do you want me to say then?" he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
"I don't want to be selfish," Cassandra admitted.
"Be selfish. Always be selfish when it comes to me. Take everything you want from me." Leo bit his lip. "What do you want from me, Cass?"
"I want your love. I want you here, by my side."
"You have my love. And I'll never leave you, mi vida."
"I want you to say my name."
"Cassandra…" he gulped.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her. He kissed her with the longing he felt, with the love that ached and the lust he kept. She held onto him as he devoured her lips like a starving man for her kisses. He backed her against the wall and picked her up. She bit her lip as the cool stone was pressed against her backside, the hoodie had ridden up from her wrapping her legs around his hips.
"Cass."
"What is it, Leo?"
"Can I have you?" he bit his lip. She nodded, and he took a deep breath.
He began planting soft kisses on her neck, and she couldn't take it. Cassandra tugged his head away and whispered "Bed." He carried her there and carefully laid her down, straddling her hips. She pulled him down again for a kiss and he granted her, one hand supporting him and another holding her hip down.
"I need you, Leonidas." She whispered.
The hand on her hip trailed to her torso, splayed open. He dragged his hand up her stomach, breasts, and neck until it grabbed her face and pulled her up. His eyes burned with desire for her, the love present, but giving way to lust. He bit his lip and nodded, declaring.
"I'm yours."
.
Minutes to hours later, they laid side by side, staring at each other, nude bodies tangled. She was smiling, he stared lovingly. Their hands entwined, their world their own. He leaned to kiss her forehead and asked.
"Anything else you want from me, my Lady?"
"Yes." She declared "Your hand... in marriage."
"Yes. Of course I'll marry you." He smiled, and leaned down to press his mouth against hers "There's nothing I want more."
"I love you, Leo."
A/N: There you have it, everyone!
Allow me just this one more moment to thank everyone who joined me in this story, whether more frontal with reviews or a simple view. Your support means the world to me.
I'd like to formally thank celestial. bi, Unknown, Kayga, Nyne, and CrazedFnatic for all your continuous support. Carol, French Frii, QueenAnnabeth18, Kaiser1008 and Doris Lulu as well. Not Dommie, never Dommie, because that asswipe is gonna get an even bigger ego if I say the t-word to him.
If you liked this story, and if you want to follow me, know that I do have a lot more projects going on, if you want to stick around and follow that. If you just came here for Cassandra and Leo, take your leave with the knowledge that they did get married, and Cassandra wore a white dress with golden and red diamonds on the corset, and Leo bragged to everyone about becoming an actual king, to which Cassandra spent their wedding reception shutting him down to 'prince'.
Safe travels, sailor!
Regardless of the order, I am opening up a bakery for you to come in and choose your treat.
PS: Love you guys!
LoneeWolf :)