♫ Lover, You Should’ve Come Over- Jeff Buckley

it was like connor couldn’t breath.

like he couldn’t even function with the absence of you.

you first arrived to camp around 3 years ago. you met connor when you were in the Hermes cabin before getting claimed, connor having seen you quiet and alone and decided to shoot his shot.

you wouldn’t open up to him for a while, and when you finally did the feelings snuck up on him quick. he realized you were a lot like him. maybe that’s what made him feel a pull to you.

when you were finally claimed, he was devastated. he never said it, but you could tell. the look when he was helping you pack your stuff to go to your cabin, even if he tried covering it with the same smile.

without the late night talks, the stealing snacks from others, and just the absence of your warmth in the cabin was driving him crazy. which is why he began bugging you more. doing anything to get time with you.

he would pull innocent and harmless pranks on you, just to get your attention. you’d laugh at them, call him some names, and he would just be lovestruck. that was his whole goal. he’d give all his blood just for the sweetness of your laughter.

soon enough, connor asked you out and you started dating. if you thought he was clingy before? oh, he got 10 times worse.

he wanted to be with you 24/7. he’d break the rules and sit with you at your table during dinner, he’d sneak into your cabin at 2 am, and he would always find a way to sneak into your practices and chores.

he treated you like the only girl he’d ever loved, which was because he was genuinely in love with you.

he was the perfect boyfriend, and you guys dated for 3 years. until one fight happened.

you’d been giving a quest, a dangerous one at that. you’d gotten angry at him earlier in the day for a prank that went too far, and you hadn’t talked to him. so you didn’t tell him about the quest.

the day came to leave, and you went to say bye to him. you told him about the quest. he was heartbroken, confused, and angry. you fought over it, about the prank he pulled and the quest you’d taken. it ended in a breakup.

you left after, connor just had to watch. he didn’t know what to do. you were gonna stay in his soul forever, he was sure of that. but you weren’t his anymore, and there was no telling if you’d come back from the quest.

he fell into a spiral. the pranks stopped. she smile stopped touching his eyes. the mischievous grin disappeared. he was only ever himself with Travis, and he had trouble even then.

one day, you came back. it was sudden, and you were badly injured. but the camp came together to celebrate. connor heard and ran over, but stopped. you weren’t his.

days passed. you could see connor had changed. you noticed the quietness, and how the pranks stopped, the camp unusually quiet. you didn’t even realize how much you missed it. how much you missed him.

those weren’t the only giveaways. the most noticeable way was the way he looked at you.

you could just be walking somewhere, eating dinner, even training, and he’d be there. not in a stalker-ish way.

it was just in the way he looked at you. he’d stop talking, stare, but he would have this yearning look in his eyes. he didnt even try to hide it.

he felt like he was choking. he couldn’t manage this much longer. it was almost unfair how much he yearned to be with you again. he was convinced he was made to be with you. it wasn’t too late. it couldn’t be.

he began to plan. he was gonna have you back. he wanted- no, needed it. his plan was to get you back with those innocent pranks you used to love. but, maybe a bit less innocent this is time.

at the sparring ring, you were waiting for someone to go against you. that’s when a dagger flew past your head, just enough to get your attention, not enough to hit you. you turned back to meet his mischievous grin, but now paired with those yearning eyes.

“up for a match? it’s been a while, right? for old times sake?” he asked, his eyes holding an almost pathetically in love look.