The hallways of the Princess Andromeda were, thankfully, empty while Ethan was walking through them. The dead of night ensured that most of the residents were asleep and those that were awake were most likely to be in their own rooms.
Ethan could still feel his arm shaking, at the very least he could move it properly now but the feeling of having full control over it had yet to return. It didn’t matter, better him than someone else, he’d be better by the time the sun came up. He did the right thing. He was being a good lieutenant.
The only sound he could hear was the sound of his own footsteps, a reminder of just how alone he was. He walked further and further through the dark, it was almost suffocating how the dark kept closing around him, time was moving normally now but it still felt too slow and—no. He could hear something.
Someone was muttering to themselves. A quiet mutter that sounded as loud as a gunshot in the silence. And Ethan recognised the voice.
He knew if anyone were to be awake at this hour it would have been Rachel, being ‘helped’ by the god of dreams had some adverse side effects, but he hadn’t expected to see her outside of her room.
It was almost creepy. Rachel was sitting all alone in the dark, drinking…something out of a cup and muttering things that were just barely incomprehensible to Ethan’s ears.
He could see why some of the younger kids seemed so intent on believing her to be a cryptid or a ghost.
She noticed him as soon as he stood in the doorway, her eyes moved down from his eye right towards his shaking right arm. She tried to smile at him but even Ethan could see the worry in her eyes.
“How bad was it this time?” He asked her, Ethan figured the only way she’d leave her room so late was if there was a painting of a prophecy she really didn’t want to look at. He could almost smile at the way she immediately sighed into her cup before taking another sip.
“Not as bad as some of the other ones. I just… needed to get out of my own head.” Rachel absentmindedly tapped her cup as she spoke “Are you okay?”
His arm still hurt, it still felt strange to move, he felt like he was going to faint if he stood any longer. “Of course.”
“If you say so.”
He really needed to sit down, it really didn’t matter how okay Rachel thought he was, it would be much better to not faint in front of her. That would just be embarrassing. He tried to walk as normally as he could to sit next to her. Every action still felt strange to do, it was like walking through molasses.
Sitting didn’t make him feel worse, it hardly made him feel particularly better either.
Rachel was staring at him. “Ethan, you’d… you’d tell me if you needed help, right?”
Where was this coming from? “Of course I would.” He paused for a beat, then pointed at her drink. “What’s that?”
“Hm? It’s tea.” She looked at him confused. “Do you want some?”
Huh, he hadn't realised he’d been so dehydrated until she asked. “Sure.”
Ethan had had quite a few teas throughout his life, he drank a lot less while in the army but he had a few from time to time. He could confidently say that Rachel could have won the award for giving him the sourest tea he’d ever had. He could barely taste the lemon flavour under all the sourness on his tongue.
It was very distracting.
He was midway through his second sip when he realised he’d downed the whole drink. He looked at Rachel sheepishly. “Sorry, that was rude.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” She assured him, she thought for a moment. “I have more back in my room, if you want some. I tend to make too much for just myself, I’d feel bad if any went to waste again.”
Rachel had to be the most transparent person Ethan had ever met, but he smiled at her politeness regardless. “Okay,” He said. “For the tea.”
thinking about my TA Rachel au and how in canon before she bacame the oracle Rachel always expressed her prophetic dreams in art so if she joined the TA that’s really only how she could express it
now I’m imagining a scene where Rachel is showing Ethan her art she made at like 3am and is trying to find out what it means and if it’s important
and Ethan who can’t understand art at all is just like ‘yeah, I like colours too’
"Let me know if you write anything about them" yeaaaaaah about that, https://archiveofourown.org/works/37107037/chapters/92586415
!!!!!wait you sent me that already!!! It's in my fic links list already but you added chapters!!! I'm reading them right now! I'm so happy to be able to read more about them 💙😭
Bestie I'm trying to write an Ethan x Rachel fic but I'm in a slump, any hcs you have would be very welcome
HCs about my faves? Always.
I have many au prompts for them : my favorite being a bodyguard!Ethan where he survives TLO and becomes friend with Rachel, turning himself in her personal bodyguard (*cough* knight *cough*); and I also like the idea of them having to lead the camp together during the event of HOO.
For more traditional HCs, they mainly turn around them both being excluded from or feared by the campers, Ethan for his past mistakes and Rachel for being a mortal or her frightening and tiring power to look after.
I like the idea of Ethan training Rachel or him meeting her parents too.
Really any scenario where they can get protective over each other and threaten others is A+
The Giant were heading toward Camp and we were running out of time.
No matter the hundreds of endless battle councils that were held, it wasn't enough.
But this one was different. This one would be the last.
I'm the one who asked for it for once. I knew armies of monsters better than anyone at camp so infiltrate them without them noticing or scenting me was far too easy. But now it was certain : they would start the attack tomorrow, first thing in the morning.
Every cabin head counselor was there, those who were at camp, at least. Not that I would complain that the Zeus cabin wasn't represented. And with us were Chiron and Rachel.
Rachel. She had no reason to be here since her visions stopped coming but still, here she was in the middle of it all. She couldn't seem to ever be able to stay away. To stay safe.
Of course I knew why I cared so much. I was done with pretending that all this time I spent sparring with her, teaching her and helping her better her fighting technics was only to never have her be a burden during an attack.
Now I knew it was more than that. So much more.
If it wasn't for this redhead I would probably still be ostracized by all. Not that I wasn't, but her friendship helped my image.
Because yes, I guess that's what we shared. A friendship. She didn't have for me the resentment many if not all campers had. She said she knew what it was like to be alone. I guess that's why she made sure I never was.
I literally spent the whole last year at Rachel Elizabeth Dare's side, to the point where I gained the unofficial title of 'the oracle's personal bodyguard'. But after all, how else should I have justified the two weeks I spent with her at her parents house ? Vacations with a friend ? No thanks.
But now standing around this ping-pong table with our camp's safety, our lives and the world's fate for discussion topics, I couldn't help but wish for her to be far away. Hopefully drinking one of those stupidly sophisticated chocolate mixed with mint, soy and other green things.
"All of us will be needed to lead our cabins, but we could use a leader on each front." Malcolm declared. One of the few ones I truly listened to. "The cabin representing the least campers should take those roles."
"If you don't want me to do it just say it plainly." Clarisse started to accuse him, making him raise his hands in the second.
"You can take the first front."
"That sounds less dumb." She agreed.
Malcolm sighed, of tiredness but mainly of relief, I could tell. "Okay. For the two others I thought Iris and Nemesis would do great. So, Butch ? Ethan ? That's okay with you ?"
Butch nodded while I remained frozen in place. Were they really...trusting me..?
What they seemed to have gain in trust they still lacked in respect because none of them even looked in my direction to get my answer after Butch gave his.
No, not none of them. Rachel did. And she saw how I still hadn't made a move.
And that's when I realized what all of this was implying.
"Well congratulation, patchboy," Clarisse said with a slap on my shoulder. "You just got promoted." "No." The room turned silent at my sudden uttering of words. One word.
"No ?" That was Chiron's turn to be taken aback. He knew how much I wanted to redeem myself and prove my loyalty to the others. But he didn't know about the one thing that mattered even more to me.
"I won't leave Rachel on her own." I could feel their burning gaze on me, most of them out of anger or tiredness, but some more disturbing, especially Lacy's, Piper McLean's sister and substitute as head counselor.
I avoided them all.
"I mean, no one will listen to my commands anyway. So better leave me in the back." "Because you think I will stay in the back ?" Rachel's voice brought my attention back on her.
She was angry, I could tell. I could always tell.
"You don't seriously plan to be on the front line." I said dryly. She crossed her arms before her chest. Defense position. Great.
"Going from an extreme to the other, as always." "Because otherwise you don't understand." "So I'm stupid now ?" "That's not what I said." "The day you'll say anything clearly." "Coming from the girl who's job is to spit cryptic things out."
That's when a sudden throat clearing interrupted us, reminding me that we weren't alone.
"Guys, not the time." Katie tried to tone down. I saw Lacy nodding profusely as if mine and Rachel's confrontation was her favorite TV show playing right in front of her.
"So you refuse to lead ? What ? Afraid to encounter some friends ?" Butch stated coldly. I remained silent.
"Shut up, rainbow boy." Clarisse barely held her fury back. The way traitors were treated at camp this whole year really got on her nerves everytime, hence why she defended me when she could.
But me ? I just let it slide. And as I always did when voices started to raise around this topic, I took my leave, leaving only a heavy silence behind me.
Though Butch's voice reached my ear again after I had been out of the room for around four steps : "Maybe he's right. Maybe we shouldn't trust him like we do."
I didn't hear more being said. It was enough, anyway.
***
I had been sitting on a tree trunk by the forest border, playing with grass, for about five minutes when I heard her footsteps coming from behind me.
"You're not discreet." "Only straight forward."
That made me turn around but my blank expression remained, as much as I could muster it around her.
"You realize they're going to let Clovis lead this front if you don't come back at once ? And that we're all going to die, right ?" I winced.
Why did she have to use this word ?
"At least people would listen to Clovis." "When he'll be conscious enough to mutter something out." I laughed fakely. "I'm condemning Camp Halfblood, then. It would only have taken me a little more than a year." She sighed.
"Don't be like that. Not with me, it's useless." "You mean you do not agree with Butch ?"
She crossed her arm before her chest like she had done a few minutes ago, back in the tent, not caring to hide her indignation. "No, I don't. And I told him so." "You did ?" "If you consider throwing a hairbrush as negotiating." I held back a smile. "In your language, maybe." "My mortal language ?" I turned my head away once more.
"I didn't mean it that way." I assured her in a sigh.
"I know enough about being underestimated to not believe you."
That hurt, but not as much as her next words : "And above that, I know enough about you."
I hide the pain as much as I could. As always.
"I'm just mean and cruel like that, aren't I ?"
She rolled her eyes. "I meant stubborn, stupid and protective. See? That's the issue with you. You not only don't know how to express what you feel but you don't understand what people around you feel too."
That made me feel like protesting and blushing at the same time. Fortunately, those feelings canceled each other out and let me use my comfortable disinterest.
"And you're an expert." "An expert in Ethan, I am indeed." This time the blushing won. "I know you want to protect me and I'm grateful for that. But someone must protect you too."
That made me frown. "You think I can't handle my own protection ?" "And what did you do just a few minutes ago ?" "That's different. You attract trouble like a light attracts moths. Trouble you're not made to handle." "Wow. Thanks Wise Girl."
Aouch. That was a low blow.
"I don't mean it that way." "Yes you do. You all do but it's worse coming from you because you saw my progress. And what ? You really think I will let you go and fight alone while I stay behind wondering if you're injured or dead ?" "I see you have faith in my skills." I said as sarcastically as I could. "Well, someone did taught me to always anticipate the worst on a battlefield."
I flinched but she didn't seem to notice.
"You didn't spend an entire year teaching me sword fight for me to remain ten feet behind your back, right ?"
That's it. Standing up, I tossed the grass away and turned around, loosing any hold I had on my words :
"And so what ?! You go to fight and die because I may have forgotten to teach you a move or did it wrongly ?! You defend people who won't even do this back for you ?! Worse, you die defending me ?!"
That turned her quiet. I hate when she's quiet.
"Forget it." I retrieved into my shell. The one only she knew how to access.
And it didn't take long for her to do so once more.
"You're scared for me." It was more a statement than a question.
"Isn't it reasonable of me ?" "I just knocked mister rainbow muscle over there, so not really." "Butch is nothing before those monsters." "So I am even less ?" "No... You defeated him. You're at least better." She laughed at that.
I loved her laugh. Everytime I got this sound out of her, I suddenly felt strong, good, important.
The thought of never being able to hear it again made me drop my newfound smile.
"Ethan." She took my hand in hers, having clearly seen my inner struggle. "I've spent a year training to protect this place and its people. I've spent a life wishing to find where I belong. And now that I found it I'm not giving up on it." She looked straight into my eyes as if there was more to her words than they let understand.
If only she wasn't holding and stroking my hand with her thumbs I may have been able to decipher all of this.
For now, all I could do was nod. She smiled, visibly content with my surrender, as always when she engaged into stupid ideas. Though this time it wasn't to find a good spot to paint, but to fight.
But the idea of never experiencing those afternoons with her, those simple conversation, those discreet smiles and joyful meal again made me truly accept that, no, I couldn't let any of this be gone forever.
So I'll have to protect, and let her protect me.
That's when the sound of trumpets echoed toward the other side of camps.
Trumpets of war.
"Don't die." I didn't think those words through, they just came out, desperately. But she was still all smile. "That's a command, general ?" "A plead." I admitted, which seemed to take her aback a little.
She smiled before quickly looking behind her, toward the sun rising on the Camp hill. And with the light starting to come through her red hair, making her shine a way that always took my breath away. I spoke once more. Finally. Straightforwardly.
"Rachel ?" "Ethan ?" She turned back with a playful smile, chasing my anxiety away.
"I love you."
The smile that appeared on her face in this instant was enough motivation for me to go through the monster army alone and come back unharmed. But the way she then took my face between her hands melted me down like a puddle, which she didn't seem to feel bad about.
"You will grant my wishes, then."
And with that, she kissed me. And something was certain now : I would survive this fight, because there was no way on Earth I was never experiencing that again.
Ethan doesn't like to stay in his mother's cabin. That's why, one night, he leaves it to go walk around the bordure of the camp. There, he finds Rachel, walking strangely towards the forest.
At this point, he doesn't know her very well, she's just the mortal girl friend with Percy Jackson.
But the forest is a dangerous place, especially at night. So even if he doesn't like social interactions, Ethan decides to go talk her out of the idea to continue her way. But when he comes closer, he realizes that Rachel is living one of her oracle episodes.
He finds himself unable to wake her up, so he decides to follow her closely, in order to protect her.
After walking almost an hour, they finally reach a particular tree. One problem, at the moment Rachel reaches the tree, a dozen of monsters come out of the dark. Second problem, at the exact same moment, Rachel passes out.
Ethan, surrounded at first, does his best to protect the unconscious Oracle. He starts to take the advantage after a few minutes, but when he thinks it's finally done, he notices the last living monster too late. He's about to be hit without being able to do anything, and that's when he prepares himself to receive the fatal blow, that Ethan hears a loud noise. He opens his eyes and sees the monster, or more exactly the dust of the dead monster, on the grown. When he lifts his head up, he sees Rachel, straight on her foot, with a heavy branch in her hands.
"Did you... Did you just killed that hydra with only a branch ?" "It looks like it. But trust me, I've used way weirder weapons. Oh but wait a second, you know that. I recognize you, Ethan Nakamura. I've seen you fight before. You've improved your sword skills since last year." Ethan doesn't replied. Of course he remembers the first time he met Rachel, and it's a day he doesn't want to think about. So, awkwardly, he gives her a look before starting to walk toward camp in silent.
Rachel decides to do the same, feeling the unease. But keeping quiet isn't her thing, so when they reach her cave, she can't resist : "You know, I'm suppose to head to Camp Jupiter in a couple of days, would you like to come with me ?" "With...you ? But why ?" "Oh a simple need of protection." "You want me to be your... bodyguard ?" "What ? Oh no I want to be yours." "Mine ?!" "Yeah. I've just seen you fighting. Not... that great. I think I could teach you a thing or two." "Teach... Teach me ? Teach me what ?! How to fight with a piece of wood ?" "It's a start." Ethan is prideful, and Rachel knows that, it's easy to see, so she knows where to strike.
And that's how the two of them ended up on a trip to the roman camp, both teaching their "fighting skills" to the other.
And that trip is the start of a great friendship (even if Ethan would take time to admit it).
After that, to the surprise of (almost) everyone, Ethan decides to become Rachel's protector. He can try to present a plenty of arguments to be needed at the protection of the Oracle girl : "She can fall into transe at any moment someone need to watch after her" or "I can teach her sparring and how to defend herself". But nobody is fooled : Ethan just want to spend more time with the sassy mortal Oracle (some even dare to say he has a crush... and honestly they're probably not wrong).
Maybe Percy would be quite jealous of their relationship at first, but he would soon become their number one shipper.
I see Ethan going at the same school than Percy (cause yeah, you know, they still have to go to school). They would hang out a lot, Ethan spending almost all day with Percy's best friend, the boys had time to become closer.
Percy would be... irritating. Ethan likes him and sees him as one of his closest friends, but everytime the subject Rachel is discussed, Percy drops... let's say not very subtle hints. (But, honestly, the main reason why Ethan doesn't like to talk about Rachel with Percy (or anyone else) is because that always turns him into a blushing mess).
Surprisingly, I think Ethan would be quite popular with girls in college. His eyepatch would terrify some, but intrigue most of students, so all the girls who try to hang out with his group of friends would not only be there for the son of Poseidon.
Percy constantly sets up plans to bring the two together : dates, "unplanned" meetings, a training session between the three of them to which Percy "unfortunately" can't be...
And the day Ethachel would finally end up together... you can be sure it wouldn't be thanks to Percy, they would make sure of that (even if the son of Poseidon would always, pretend he's the one to thanks for their confessions).
I'm not sure how it would happen, maybe Rachel would see Ethan with a too friendly classmate, and decide to introduce herself as his best friend/girlfriend. Or maybe Ethan would finally confess after a hard mission he had to face. What is certain is that it'd be the event of the month if not of the year (some could argue it should be put on the CHB pearl of the year).
Cause... yeah... campers ship them pretty hard, especially the young ones who love Rachel, who often takes care of them when the camp is under attack, and Ethan is really liked by them too (not surprising, he spends so much time with the Oracle that being with her often includes being with him too).
Ethan is a particular person to deal with, cause the relationship you have with him depends of how he views you : if he likes you, you can be sure he'll be one of the most trustworthy person you'd know, but if he doesn't trust and/or like you, trying to befriend him is a lost cause.
Ethan has a very dark sense of humor that not everybody gets at first. So with new people, it happens that Ethan says a joke that frightens their interlocutors, and what scares them even more is when Rachel laughs after it.
They're two drama queens : Rachel more in a funny way and Ethan in a dark one.
After his fall from Olympus (of which he has survived from because I WANT IT) Ethan became terrified of the heights. So Rachel tries to help him being at ease with them again by taking him in trips in helicopter (after Annabeth gave her flying lessons).
They are really protective of each other, not particularly in fights, but more when they're mocked by others (Rachel cause she's a mortal or Ethan because of his past mistakes).
Rachel and Reyna became great friends while the Oracle girl was studying the roman texts with Ella. Reyna likes Ethan, he is a great fighter and a wise advisor, and the two of them have developed a sincere friendship, same for him and Frank.
For a long time, Rachel was the only person in the world who knew what Ethan's smile was like. It took him time to show it to other friends, but he did, thanks to his best friend/soon to be girlfriend.
They balance each other greatly : Rachel knows how to put Ethan at ease, make him laugh, smile and see things in a more positive light. While, at Ethan's contact, Rachel becomes more measured, wise and calm.
They're not the most cool, badass, cute or fun couple of all. But they have a particular bond, and a beautiful influence on each other which makes it impossible to not ship them, and that's not all the roman and greek campers who'll tell you otherwise.
...One month and a half... Gods I'm sorry anon it took me SO. long. But I didn't want to force myself to write when I didn't have the interest on it. I hope you like what I've come with. (So for people who send me asks to which I still haven't answered a while ago, don't worry, I have them, I just prefer to do thing my way... and my way is... slow, sorry.)
