Your relationship was strictly platonic.

It had to be, not because you were both girls, but because Piper had a boyfriend. That meant you were nothing but friends.

It didn’t matter if you two would hold hands at odd hours of the day, or if she would braid your hair and put flowers in them and then hug you from behind. Best friends did that all the time.

Maybe it was a little bit too touchy, whenever she would rest her head on your shoulder during campfire songs. And maybe it was a little too intimate that you would leave notes under her pillow that meant nothing harmful. Friends did that all the time.

You and Piper were sitting by the ocean, the sun finally setting after a long day of training. The campfire songs would soon start, and yet neither of you wanted to move. The air was cold and breezy, yet Piper’s hands were warm.

Like always, she laid her head onto your shoulder, and like always, you turned to look at her. Being in love with the daughter of Aphrodite almost felt cruel, but you knew you could never love anyone the way you loved Piper.