Chapter Title: Reunions (And I Get The Girl Of My Dreams)
Alternative Chapter Title: I May Or May Not Consider Percy A Genius Now
(A/N: You all have been waiting for this. I aim to deliver. That is all for this author's note.)
"..THEY'RE RIGHT THERE!"
Everyone turned to look at us, shocked as well. There was a long, awkward silence that hung over the area for a while. I had to admit, it definitely was awkward.
I mean, I've basically been gone from camp for gods know how long alongside the guy who's gone on more quests in two years than literally the rest of the camp probably will go on in their lifetimes, and here they are, about to burn funeral shrouds to honor both of us. Talk about one heck of a reunion, but that was reality right now. We had simply walked in on it.. and everyone is just looking at us like we had come back from the dead.
As to the reactions of the campers, they really varied. Sherman was blinking constantly, seemingly unsure if he could believe what he was seeing. Clarisse had tears coming out of her eyes, which hurt. Some of my other siblings had tears of joy. And Kayla..
Kayla's eyes had looked up the minute Annabeth had shouted that we were here, and my heart broke at the sight of her. Like, it was one of the most heartbreaking sights I have ever been witness to honestly. It just hurt to look at her the way she was right now.
She had been crying.. hard. Tear streaks ran down her face, lots of them. Parts of her clothing, I now noticed, were stained from her tears. She looked at me, eyes pleading.. hoping that I wasn't a figment of her imagination.
Words could not describe how much I wanted to rip apart Kronos with my bare hands for being the fucking reason she was like this - the main reason we were even in this situation in the first place. Like, I really wanted to do that to him so bad right now. That bastard had caused her enough pain already. But enough of that. Enough of thinking about that asshole. I have other plans right now.
I, her hero, had returned to claim her as mine once and for all. No more beating around the bush about my feelings for her. I put up with Jackson on the way back just for this.. and only this. Nothing except this.
I did think back to him being oblivious for his feelings for Annabeth for a moment, and wondered if in an alternate universe, this could have been them, not me and Kayla about to do what we were probably about to do. If only you weren't so fucking dense about your feelings for Annabeth, dumbass..
Like the other thought before, I cast it to the side. No time to think about it really, because it was now or never. Time to tell her how I really felt.
But first, just to confirm to her that I'm back.. I simply point at Jackson. "If you're wondering which of us decided to cause this predicament of the two of us getting stranded on a damn island with Calypso, who helped us out before we sailed back here.. blame this idiot" I say, flashing Kayla a smile. It felt good to give some payback to him for getting us in that mess. "HEY!" Percy shouts in response, but I'm already moving, towards Kayla.
Kayla's moving too. She's got a smile on her face as bright as the sun despite having tears in her eyes. Her eyes twinkle like stars, and she glows brightly. Really bright. Even in that black dress, stockings, and heels, she glows brighter than ever before.
My heart burned like an inferno for her. It really did. She was the one who lit it aflame and as far as I was concerned, as long as I was with her, it was going to burn like that forever. No matter what, my heart is always going to be her.
As we get closer to each other, I can hear the words of some of the other campers.
"Holy shit, dude.." I hear Travis say. "..I think they're finally going to do it.."
"No way.." Lee gawks. "..is today the day they finally do it?"
"Aww.. this is going to be so sweet.." Belle pipes up. "I have tears of joy in my eyes."
"If they do this.. all I have to say is.. took them long enough.." Aruna says.
"I knew they would eventually" Chris speaks. "The minute they hugged each other on the Winter Solstice, I knew they would fall in love with each other one day."
"If they seriously do it today.." I hear Sherman speak up. "..everyone is going to owe Percy all the money we bet on this."
Okay, that was surprising, I think to myself as I get closer and closer to her. Percy Jackson out of all people predicted correctly the day me and Kayla are going to admit our feelings for each other. Ironic.
But then again, who could have expected that Percy fucking Jackson of all people could have predicted this? Certainly not me.
But I wasn't going to dwell on that. Not when the girl of my dreams is right in front of me. Not since the fact that I've waited for this moment since I realized how I truly felt and god damn it, is it glorious for this to be finally happening.
When we reach each other, she hugs me and starts sobbing into my chest, only for me to pick her up princess carry style, and stare down into her eyes, an affectionate smile on my face. It takes a few moments before she stops crying, realizes what I'm doing, and beams happier than ever before.
"So you realized too, have you?" she asks happily.
"Yeah I have. I fell for you, Kayla. I fell for you, and now your hero is back.. to claim you~" I reply back, and that's when we lean in..
..and kiss each other.
Right.
On.
The.
Lips.
It may have been our first actual kiss, but god damn it, did I ever feel like I was sitting on Zeus' throne with her when I kissed her. Forget cloud nine, kissing her felt like I was in the Isles Of The Blest and Elysium combined.
Her lips felt so sweet, so warm, so loving.. it was perfect. She kissed me back.. hard, wrapping her hands behind my neck. I couldn't blame her though. Because of Percy, up until now, she probably thought I was dead.. and that she would never get the chance to tell me how she felt. But despite that, I came back.. to the girl that called me her hero. In some ways, this was a heroic homecoming like something out of a movie.. the main character coming back against all odds to the person they loved. But, in reality, this was just life for demigods sometimes.
Either way, I felt like the happiest man in the world in that moment. That kiss.. was the minute my pierced heart linked with hers. That kiss.. was the minute the hole in my heart left by my dead parents was finally filled.
Around us, the entire camp is going absolutely apeshit. Cheers, applauds, and shouts of support echo all around. Because they had been waiting so long for us to do this.
"OH MY GODS!" Silena hollers in joy. "This is so amazing!"
"This is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.." remarks Aurora.
"Awweee.. how adorable. She definitely deserves him.." Katie cooed.
"Words cannot describe how absolutely amazed I am.." Malcolm, one of Annabeth's siblings, calls out. "..at how lucky Colton is."
It was true, even I could see that. I was one lucky son of a bitch right now.
"Damn.. he finally realized it.." Michael says. "..finally.. we were all waiting for this."
"KAYTON is finally a thing! LET'S GO!" shouted Travis.
Indeed.. they all had been waiting for this for a good long while. Now, it was finally a reality. Thanks in no small part to one Percy Jackson on my end.
Kayla and I gently pull apart from each other, each of us gazing affectionately into the other's eyes. I didn't know what to say for a bit. The emotions I felt were so overwhelming, that words would fail to describe them.
It felt like a fairytale.
Literal fairytale moment.
Finally, I figured it out, because looking back, I guess I could see why everyone had bet on this since last summer. Why everyone had been waiting for it to happen. I mean, I think it was obvious to everyone from the start. I had been head over heels for her ever since the first time we saw each other.. and I was too oblivious to realize it. It was safe to say that she probably had been the same way.
"I guess.. in retrospect.. despite the prophecy.." I said to her, being honest with both her and myself. "..from the moment I first saw you, I think my heart knew.. that it was always going to be you - no question about it. I was head over heels for you.. and I never knew until now."
She blushed brightly, and that made me more happy than before. "I think it was the same for me too.." she says. "..so now, I guess that makes us.."
She trailed off, a little bit embarrassed to say it. But I knew what she would have said, so I finished it for her.
"You're totally right it does!" I said back, and we kissed each other again, causing more squeals, hollers, and excited shouts of celebration to rise up behind us.
"Well.. this is something.." Chiron spoke, and that's when Annabeth hollered, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"
Everyone went quiet at that remark, and I set Kayla gently back down on her feet. I turned around. Annabeth had marched off the stage and shoved past everyone up to Percy. She was rather furious from the looks of it.
"I-we thought you and him were dead, seaweed brain!" Annabeth shouted at him.
"I'm sorry.." Percy responded. "We just got lost."
"Bro.. you're the one that blew up in the forge and got us stranded on an island.." I said, much to Percy's annoyance.
Annabeth looked flabbergasted after my comment. "How did he just blow up?" she asked me.
I simply shrugged. "Beats me.. he got hit by lava from a Telekhine and I was about to go attack it when like everything just blew up.. and next thing I know.. I was tasting sand.." I told her. "..like really, I'm being honest. I don't know what happened. One minute I'm in the forge, and the next minute, we're both stranded on an island!"
"Still though.. two weeks, Percy! Two weeks! Where in the world have both of-.." Annabeth continued, turning back to Percy, before being interrupted by Chiron.
"Annabeth, Percy, Colton, and Kayla.." Chiron said, looking at the four of us. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, w shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!"
Before Percy and Annabeth could protest, Chiron picked both of them - rather easily I might add, placed them both on his back, and galloped off towards the Big House. I turned to Kayla.
"Guess we walk then.." I said to her, and she nodded, and as everyone else just watched in awe and adoration, we walked out of there hand in hand, as boyfriend and girlfriend.
Reunions with my siblings could wait a bit. Right now, I just wanted to enjoy the moment. I may have been crowned Monster King a couple weeks ago by the worst monster known to the Gods, but right now, that seemed minor compared to the title I have now. I'm now the boyfriend of the daughter of Darren Knowles and Apollo.
Homecoming had never felt so perfect.
- — - — - — - — -
I think there was something that happened when I blacked out after realizing that I'm in love with Kayla. I'm not sure, but Percy felt like he was leaving something out. It pretty sure seemed that way, if I were to be honest with you.
Annabeth seemed to think the same thing. "Why are you even sad about it every time I ask you something about Ogygia?" she asked him. Before he could respond, I interrupted.
"He's sad for reasons I have no idea about. I'm sad thinking about it because like leaving a woman stranded on an island for thousands of years, unable to leave it but others can.. that's just torture.." I said. "..I just think she deserves to be released, that's all."
Kayla looked at me, a bit suspicious. "I don't know what he even did, but as far as I know, Calypso and I were on friendly terms. We were just friends, and I felt like maybe she deserved a chance at life off the island. She's been there for thousands of years, why not at least set her free?" I said back to her, and I was being brutally honest with Kayla, which given that her godly parent just so happened to be the god of truth, was all I could. If I even told a lie, I was fucked - and by fucked, I mean.. picked apart by the child of a god who is a literal lie detector.
Thankfully, she nodded. That meant she knew I was telling the truth.
"Either way, you two have been gone for two weeks.." Annabeth said, after getting her emotions under control. "..and honestly, Colton.. I feel sorry for you for having to be stuck with him for that long."
"HEY!" Percy shouted.
I simply smiled, and Kayla just giggled. "Thanks for the empathy, Annabeth.." I told her and she nodded with a smile in reply, before she frowned while turning back to Percy.
"Look, when I heard the explosion, I thought-.." she started before Percy interrupted her. I knew what she was going to say. ..thought you were dead.
"I know" Percy replied, looking quite haunted.. at least his eyes did. "I'm sorry. But I figured out how to get through the labyrinth. I talked to Hephaestus."
I wondered if I should let everyone know about what happened with Typhon while I was down in there. Eventually, I figured no.. only Kayla and Chiron needed to know this and keep it a secret for now. The idea of Typhon, of all people, making someone - a child of an Olympian for that matter - a king over monsters sounded about as absurd as my prophecy had been when I heard it the first time. But somehow, this was reality.
"He told you the answer?" Annabeth asked him.
"Well, he sort of told me that I already knew. And I do. I understand now.." he said, taking a deep breath. I hadn't heard this part, since you know, I had blacked out after a realization of love, so this was.. surprising to say the least. "We need a mortal with the sight. They can guide us through the labyrinth. And well, Rachel has the sight."
I'm guessing he was referring to the same Rachel that had helped him ward off Kelli and her partner two weeks ago. It seemed like the most likely answer.
Annabeth's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Percy, that's crazy!"
It sounded crazy, but the thing was.. it definitely could work. Clear sighted mortals had an advantage in the labyrinth, as being able to see through the mist meant that they could see things others might miss. And then again, it's Percy Jackson. The man himself has done plenty of crazy things and somehow not died by this point.
Chiron looked deep in thought, and definitely not in shock. He considered the idea as he stroked his beard. "There is a precedent to this, however. Theseus had the help of Ariadne" he declared. "Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason."
"But it's my quest.." Annabeth said. "I need to lead it."
There she goes. Annabeth's fatal flaw was acting up again. Hubris can be fatal, especially when it comes to matters such as the labyrinth. Chiron must have felt the same way, given what he said next.
"My dear, it is your quest. But you need help.." he told her, much to Annabeth's frustration.
"And this is supposed to help?" she snapped back. "Please! It's wrong. It's cowardly. It's-.."
"Hard to admit that we need a mortal's help.." Percy interrupted. He was certain that it would work, which only served to make Annabeth angrier. "But it's true."
A lot of us may call him an idiot, dumb-dumb, whatever insult we can pull out of our asses sometimes, but right now, even I couldn't argue with his logic. He was literally hitting the nail on the head for once.
"As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.." I added in, much to Percy's surprise. I didn't want to admit it, but there were times where I may or may not have considered Percy a genius, and believe me, this definitely counted as one of those times. Throughout it all, Kayla just stood next to me, holding my hand tenderly and lovingly in hers. God damn it, did it feel so good.
Annabeth boiled over and she jabbed her finger at him. "You are the single most annoying person I have ever met!" she huffed, before storming off before Percy could say anything. I felt bad for the guy, for once.
"Dude.." I said to him, before Chiron could say anything. "..don't feel bad, Jackson. I think you have the right idea. Athena kids can be stubborn because of their hubris.. and you don't suffer from it. Keep at it, kid." I simply patted him on the back.
"Thanks.. Colton.." he said shyly. "Thanks for believing in me."
I smiled and nodded. "Knowing her, she's probably going to go back down there tomorrow, so stick to your plan, kid."
"Will do.." Percy replied and then walked out.
Chiron just gazed at me and Kayla. I had to fess up about my failure. And since Percy and Annabeth were gone, maybe my secret as well.
"Can I ask you both to keep a secret for me? I may not have gotten the weapons like you asked, Chiron, but something else happened down there that I don't really want anyone else other than you two to know" I said with a serious look in my eyes. Both Kayla and Chiron nodded.
"I think Typhon was manipulating the labyrinth somehow to lead me to Hephaestus' forge.. dude was also speaking to me telepathically or something somehow too.." I started, causing Kayla to gasp in shock and Chiron to look at me worried.
"Why was he doing that?" Chiron asked.
"That's where it gets weirder. Before I could hook up with Percy in the forge, it felt someone was touching my shoulders and placing a crown on my head. And then Typhon just says.. that I am now the Monster King and his chosen one. I have no clue what he's talking about, but it felt like I was surging with power for a moment, and then it was all gone, and all that was left was just this.." I said, holding up the necklace Typhon gave me. Chiron studied it.
"Interesting. Concerning, but also interesting.." he said. "Keep me informed if anything else happens. And you're right. No one else at this camp needs to know about this. I will inform the gods though."
I nodded. "Thanks, Chiron.." I told him. "Thanks, Kayla." She blushed and nuzzled my cheek. God, I'm so in love with her, my heart extends all the way down to Tartarus. "So what now?"
"Get some rest, you two.. we have work to do.." he told us, and I nodded once more, before I walked hand in hand with Kayla out of the big house.
Straight into a mob of my siblings. Guess I'm paying the price for putting sibling reunions later right now.
(A/N: Shout-outs to -JASONSGRACE and Imaginebooks here again. But yeah, after all this time, Colton finally gets to admit it to Kayla.)