pairing ✶⋆.˚ luke castellan x reader
a/n ✶⋆.˚ based on this request! I just know luke is the sweetest bf ever and does not play when you get injured!! (also unrelated, its cast-el-ian not whatever was said in that episode!!)
soundtrack ✶⋆.˚ bloom - the paper kites
As your eyes flutter open, the first thing you see is Luke by your side.
The first thing you feel is his strong hand wrapped tightly around yours.
And the first thing you hear is his sigh of relief as his eyes meet yours.
“Hey, pretty girl,” he whispers, bringing his free hand up to caress your cheek.
You watch him, a small smile forming on your lips.
“I was so worried,” he mutters, leaning forward to press a kiss to your forehead.
“I’m sorry,” you croak, your throat still sore from where the monster held you up.
You groan, moving your hand up to feel the damage, but he gently catches your hand before you can.
“Take it easy, you took a harsh beating,” he says, the wisp of a frown on his face.
You scoot sideways, patting the bed for him to join you.
He looks reluctant, so you roll your eyes and tug on his arm.
He glances around the empty infirmary, then joins you.
“What happened?” you ask, your memory hazy from all you’ve endured over the past few days.
“You were ambushed coming into camp. A group of cyclopes trying to take back the necklace you were tasked to get.”
“Shit,” you gasp, throwing the blanket off and searching your pockets for the enchanted necklace.
“I lost it,” you say frantically, groaning as your side feels like it’s on fire from the pain.
“Wait, stop, calm down.” His hand closes around yours, placing the glinting jewelry in your palm.
You heave a sigh of relief as you slip it into your pocket. “Oh my gods, I was so worried I’d fucked up the quest at the last moment.”
He smiles softly. “You’re too careful for that.”
At that moment, a healer walks in—one of your friends.
Luke is back in his chair at your side in seconds, his face flushed.
“Luke, you have to go. Let us help her. Chiron’s orders, and he wants to see you,” they say through pressed lips.
His expression changes completely, his body stiffening. “I already told all of you, I’m not leaving.”
“Luke, she’s awake now. We just need to give her the nectar.”
“I’ll give it to her myself, I’m not leaving,” he says through gritted teeth.
You grab his hand, a weak attempt to calm him.
He turns back to you, and immediately the fire in his eyes settles.
“Go,” you whisper softly. “I’ll be fine for now.”
He takes a deep breath and leans forward.
“Luke, she has a concussion, I don’t think—”
Your friend’s words fall on deaf ears as he presses his lips to yours softly.
Through the kiss, you can feel everything he’s felt as the days passed without you there: worry, sadness, fury. It all settles as you place a hand on his cheek, kissing him with all the limited strength you have.
Pulling back, he presses another gentle kiss to your forehead.
“Don’t strain yourself too much. Listen to your healer. I’ll try to be back as quickly as I can,” he murmurs, his deep brown eyes locked on yours.
You nod softly, ignoring the pounding in your head. “Listen to Chiron. I’ll be healed in no time if you don’t stress me out.”
He smiles softly, shaking his head.
He pulls back, then he’s at the door, giving you one last worried glance before he goes.
“He cares about you a lot, you know. I’ve rarely ever seen him like this. He’s gentle with you,” your healer, Atlas, says, lifting your shirt to check the bandages.
As they do, you notice the bandages are soaked with blood, the sight making your stomach drop. As they unwrap them, you catch a glimpse of the gash in your side, then take a deep breath and quickly look away.
You readjust yourself as they replace the bandages, thinking of their words. “Annabeth says that too. She’s the only other person he’s like that with. She says Thalia too, before—”
You gasp as they apply pressure.
“Sorry,” they say quickly.
You clear your throat, the throbbing now light but still noticeable.
“He was a nightmare, though, before you woke up,” Atlas says quietly.
You raise a brow. “Really?”
“Really. He wouldn’t leave and got into an argument with the head healer until Chiron agreed to let him stay.”
You smile. “He’s protective.”
They laugh. “You think so?”
You smile again, afraid to laugh in your current state.
“How long was I out?” you ask as they finish your bandages and move to the cabinet containing the ambrosia and nectar.
“All night, and most of the day. It’s about three now.”
You glance at the window, where the sun is shining brightly through the glass.
“Mhmm,” they hum, pouring some nectar into a glass. “I kept trying to joke about his smell, but he looked like he thought you would explode if anyone got too close.”
They bring the cup over to you, placing it in your hands with a smile.
You take a small sip from the straw. The taste is unexpected, but you recognize it immediately.
Years ago, it was your favorite dessert that your mother made each year around the holidays. Now it tastes like the sweet strawberry lemonade you have with dinner each night.
A smile forms as you think of sneaking to sit at Luke’s table, his thigh resting gently against yours, a big smile spreading across his face as you tell him about all the simple things that happened throughout your day.
Immediately, you feel your strength returning. Your throat feels comfortable instead of raw, and the pain in your abdomen recedes.
“Better?” Atlas asks as they pull the glass away.
“So much better,” you sigh in relief.
An hour later, you’re getting up from bed slowly when Luke walks back into the infirmary.
“Let me help you,” he says, rushing over.
“It’s okay, Luke, I can get up by myself,” you say, swatting his hands away.
He stays close, watching you get up. As you do, you feel a dull throbbing in your side, but it’s nothing compared to the sharp pain from before.
“Okay?” Luke asks when your eyes meet his.
“Okay,” you say, smiling confidently.
“All right, let’s get you to your cabin.” He goes to pick you up bridal style, but you pull back.
“Luke, you can’t carry me out of here; that’s embarrassing. Everyone will think I’m super weak and fragile.”
He raises a brow. “You are weak and fragile.”
“I’m not,” you scoff. “Look, I can walk perfectly fine.”
You walk a few wobbly paces forward, and he watches you with a pressed smile on his face.
“Don’t look at me like that!”
“I won’t if you just let me help you,” he laughs, moving toward you.
“Fine.” You sigh, rolling your eyes as you throw an arm over his shoulder.
He wraps an arm around your back, pulling you into his side, and instantly, you feel some of the pressure on your legs lift.
You nod reluctantly. “Whatever.”
He laughs, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your lips.
A few days later, you’re sitting by the lake when he drops down next to you, sprawling out immediately.
“Counselor duties tiring you out?” you say, laughing as he throws an arm over his face to block the sun.
“The children get crazier each year.”
“Yeah, well, I’d rather be wrangling them than sitting around and doing nothing all day because, according to everyone, I’m broken.”
“You’re not broken,” he says softly. “You just need to heal.”
“I’m perfectly fine!” you say, popping up. “Here, I’ll race you to prove it. First to… that weird-looking tree!” You point to a tree curving toward the water in the distance.
He groans. “Don’t make me run.”
“Yes, Luke, come on,” you say, kicking his leg lightly.
“Fine, but if I win, we go back to the cabins and take a nap,” he says, getting up slowly.
“Okay, grandpa,” you laugh.
“I’m serious,” he says, pulling you in by your waist. “We’ll go take a nap, and you’ll take over my counselor duties for life.”
“What?” You laugh. “First, I can’t do that, and second, stop being lazy! What happened to the Luke I know?”
He smiles, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Fine. We’ll race. On your mark.”
You pull away, standing side by side.
“Okay, you say go,” you say, and he adjusts his position.
“Go!” As soon as the word is out of his mouth, you shove him, using an extreme amount of force to get him to stumble, and take off.
“Cheater!” he shouts after you.
In under a minute, you’re at the oddly shaped tree. Luke catches up to you seconds later, scooping you up from behind.
“Luke!” you squeal, your stomach hurting from laughter.
“Since you cheated, I win,” he says, catching hold of your hand. “And we’re going back to my cabin.”
You laugh and follow him, and then suddenly, he turns around, catching your lips in a passionate kiss.
Pulling away, he mutters, “Since you’re healed, I can finally stop worrying about breaking you.”
You tilt your head, a sly smile spreading across your lips. “That never stopped you before.”
His eyebrows lift, and then he’s grabbed your hand again, walking much faster now.