he’s my man, we’re hand in hand, to hell and back : loren & luenna , aka camp half-blood’s favorite troublemakers & couple ! aesthetic :
the lore : the pair met on a random sunday. all was well, he dared to think. loren busy cleaning the tables of his father’s diner, obviously slightly displeased by the customers. . .uncleanliness. his red hair was bound into a bun, and he tried, he really did, not to look pissed off.
judging by the way his good friend, elijah, was avoiding him, it did not work.
“what?” he hissed, scrubbing the cloth across the table harshly. he twisted himself to face elijah, but the angle made some muscle tense and he grunted. “I am stuck cleaning the dirty mess, and you get to watch me?” loren laughed, almost bitterly.
“oh my god, really?” he gasped. his mother would’ve teased him for his sassy attitude. “did you see table 42?”
loren pointed over to the dirty mess that was 42: children ran loose and spilled a lot of their drinks, food and what nots, he did not want to know. elijah’s gaze followed his hand. loren looked at his best friend and watched elijah bite back a smile.
“looks like one hell of a mess to me,” he teased. stepping closer. “elias would’ve. . .”
some say they were attracted to another due to their closeness. they weren’t. they were childhood best friends. loren may be bisexual, but elijah was not.
“complained, but still would’ve cleaned it without an issue. figure that’s only because he has a crush on that waitress, but y’know…,” loren sighed.
jessica was pretty, but also a tad bit arrogant. she flirted a lot, despite her having a boyfriend. mike his name?
“ah yes. the one that is taken. though there is one girl that has laid eyes on elias,” he shared, voice dropping despite no other person being in the diner with them. “but loren. on a serious note. you not having been relationship since…a year? what’s up?”
loren hesitated. face contorting, as he hated talking about relationships. romantic feelings in general. he may be a yearner, a lover boy (a teasing nickname given by elias), but he had trouble issuing his feelings, especially if he liked someone.
“what? you’ve been lonely, i noticed. nothin’ is escaping my eyes,” elijah replied. though it did sound more ominous than he intended to.
loren threw the wet cloth to the side and rubbed his hands along the apron. he shrugged, then tugged at his hairband and letting his hair fall down. currently it reached his shoulders, he was very proud of the growth. then he gave elijah a look, two colored eyes shining, before sitting down on a bench. crossing his arms over another and looking outside the window.
looking outside the window, or anywhere, helped him find his words.
“y’know i am sure i, or elias, or anyone else for that matter, can help set you up. loren you are my best friend, and you deserve the best. women think you are handsome, surprisingly, and you are very nice, who would not want you? i sound gay again, don’t i? damnit,” elijah muttered. he sighed and placed his head in his hands, then let his hands run through his buzzed hair.
though loren was not sure if he had been paying attention. from the distance he could spot a figure coming towards the shop. suddenly his attention was focused on the unknown, and he hated the unknown.
who was walking into the direction of the diner?
a monster? no, the figure was too small.
“and y’know, you’re like an extra brother of mine. you basically are family. despite you being as white as a cracker,” elijah joked. “I just want the best for you. I mean one day, surely, I am gonna be your best mate at your wedding. I might shed a tear, or three. and if you are asexual or aromantic, or gay, you know I am always gonna be there for you, loren.”
and loren squinted his eyes. a person was walking towards the diner. the figure was still distant, but he was sure it was a woman. . .whom had golden hair?
“elijah, I’d give you the fattest kiss onto your lips right now, don’t tempt me. you are amazing, my soulmate if I dare say. you flatter me truly, and if all of those amazing things you describe happen, you will always be my number one. with my future partner, of course. who knows, we might end up living near another and hanging out together. but right now, we have a pressing matter,” loren explained, nodding to the side. though he did quickly give his best friend, his brother from another mother (as cringe as that might sound), a smile.
and when both men turned to face the window again. they jumped in surprise.
they were greeted with the sight of a slightly disheveled woman. golden blonde hair pulled into a messy bun that was thrown over her shoulder. green eyes staring back at them widely. her features were soft, delicate, freckles dusting her slightly tanned skin. a soft nose sloped down into full lips and a soft chin, all held together by an even softer jaw that still held the fat of childhood. she was perhaps as old as they were, judging by appearances.
loren would lie if he did not think she was pretty. she was more than that. but he had no words for it. the loveliest sight to behold, was she one of aphrodite’s daughters? surely. she must be.
(and she stared back. squinting at the sight of the red haired boy. the boy that plagued her dreams ever since she escaped from the cruel man.
he was pretty. sharp and elegant. and a man should not look as good as he did with long hair, but here he sat.
his friend was pretty too. though she sensed something tragic with him, death perhaps? his friend looked kind, she concluded to herself. perhaps she’ll give them a smile, not to appear. . .creepy? weird? she did not look her best, dirty from traveling the south. things chased her, and she did not wish to know what.
but something dangerous was in the air. excuding from him, or perhaps the fact that monsters were near. he had been a child of tisiphone, had he not? was it not her silhouette that hovered over him in her dreams?
or she simply did not know the fury sisters too well.
luenna did not know; neither did she care. finally she knew who the hell had been plaguing her dreams. and she did not know what to do.
no, she was more than giving someone oogly eyes. she was her own character! asteria’s daughter and sister to hecate! a man would not make her falter.
and when she began to wave erratically, the two boys shared a look with another. confused. loren shrugged and elijah rose, giving the girl another cautious glance. she stopped waving and grabbed ahold of her shoulder bag.
she looked dirty, but tried to look nice.
her boots were worn off. the tank top she wore had dust on it. and her shorts only provided little protection against the sun. though her skin showed no sign of burning. loren was relieved. strangely.
he watched silently as elijah walked out to her, starting a conversation.
(“hello, miss. . .how may i help?”
“what state is this?” luenna asked, giving the stranger a smile. she did not look at the red haired boy, no. she feared she’d look like an idiot. “oh where are my manners?! my name is luenna. it is very nice to meet you…?”
and she stretched out her hand waiting for him to accept it.
“elijah,” the boy introduced himself. unsurely accepting her handshake. he had a firm grip, and she shook his hand firmly: mimicking his grip. “you are in mississippi, luenna.”
“ach du heilige scheiße,” she quickly muttered and pulled back her hand.
“sorry, that happens…occasionally. I…my destination is new york. but that is too hard, no?”
she never saw such a bewildered look before.
“yes, that is far away. uhm,” elijah turned around and looked at his friend, as if asking him for help. “how long have you been traveling. . .by foot, i presume?”
“some months, I lost count,” she giggled, though there was no reason as to why she should. “don’t you worry, I had longer breaks in between because I have made some amazing friendships on my journey!” and luenna gave him a bright smile, nodding softly. it made her excited, happy even, the memories of her friendships.
“you alone? where are your parents?”
her smile died. slowly. and she felt the color drain from her face. suddenly sadness took ahold of her, squeezing her heart and making her feel strangely empty. her brows flattened and she took in a shaky breath.
“shit. I am sorry. I apologize-“
“it’s okay. can we go inside? I fear we are being watched,” luenna did not wait for a reply and grabbed his hand, pulling elijah with her inside the diner.
and she nearly collided into the red haired boy.)
“careful there, girl,” he said and his voice came out raspier than intended. he grimaced due to her hard glare, he came across as too flirtatious he knew.
they were staring at another.
she must be a child of aphrodite, or aphrodite crafted her to bully him. because she might be the prettiest person he had ever laid eyes upon, loren thought. he could count the freckles that dusted across her entire face. he could even count the specks of brown in her green eyes. he could not tear his eyes away from her eyes. he simply could not tear his eyes away from hers. lovely.
short of stature, but so was anyone if they stood next to him. he was 6’3, she perhaps 5’6.
“hello to you too,” she smiled and pushed past him. curiously glancing outside. avoiding to look at him entirely. it stung. no please, eros, don’t tell me you shot me with an arrow of love: he pleaded silently, elijah would be up his ass. “i. . .hmmmm.”
she halted. then turned around and squinted at elijah.
then her attitude changed and her expression changed from something thoughtful to something happy.
“my name is luenna! i am already familiar with your friend, but your name is. . ?”
(she had to know. after all, she dreamt of him. silly dreams they might be, but he was of importance to her.)
“ah,” a pause. “well, loren, i take that you are aware of. . .the grandfather of your mother’s. . .boss?”
and what a creative way to describe her way around the actual situation. elijah was mortal, he did not know, did not need to know, of the war between titans and olympians.
“elijah. how about you go cook something up for our guests?” he asked, though his tone left no room for argument. loren gave his friend an apologetic smile. watching elijah walk away, though he gave them a suspicious look.
neither of them spoke until the door shut with a loud click.
“i am followed by chronos stupid army. by his general. whatever. hi, child of asteria. nice to meet you; i know everything,” luenna said in a fast manner. “well i don’t know everything, yet. i dream, you see? prophecies and stuff, it’s cool until it isn’t. imagine dreaming of your own death…? ahaha. . .didnt happen by the way! stop looking so serious! uhm. yes, i dreamt of you and your mother , that’s how i know. sorry. I talk, a lot. especially when i am nervous. you make me nervous.”
luenna blushed, he noticed because her cheeks were pale enough for her blush to be visible. and he opened his mouth, closed it, as no words would leave him other than: you dream of me? loren did not know if he should be scared or flattered by such news. he stared instead.
because he was also perplexed that she trusted him with such information. a child of asteria, how rare. that meant she trusted him from what she had seen of him in her dreams, and that made him curious. but he would not ask. not yet, but eventually.
“they lost track of me, but i am still followed. their spies are everywhere, y’know? whatever. . . I need to lay low for a while?” she grimaced. “i know i just met you, but can i stay here? please. I know that you’ll let me! so.”
“you may stay,” loren replied too quickly for his liking. he then felt two arms wrap around his neck, almost strangling him. luenna had jumped across the table to hug him. he was sure, 100% sure, he felt her tears soak his shirt. he unsurely reached out to pat her back. he had underestimated the strength of demititans. “you are safe here. chronos and his army are afraid of fury kids, the few of us that are out there.”
they stayed like that for a moment.
then the door creaked open and elijah came out with a fresh pair of pancakes.
“woah. loren is that your game, or hers?” he teased.
luenna pulled away and regarded elijah with curiosity before climbing off of loren to grab the plate.
(neither would admit they missed the brief warmth.)
and they let her eat. just silently observing her.
she was strange, but had her charm. while luenna ate she talked, and talked. charms of being german, she joked. luenna talked of her journey, not talking about her family at all: which perhaps was for the better, as elijah told loren afterwards about her strange reaction to her parents being mentioned. she nearly crushed elijah in the process of giving him a hug, while loren in the background closed up shop. no other person came, which he had been thankful for.
the three drove back in silence. perhaps exhaustion took ahold of luenna. loren kept watching her through the rearview mirror. and elijah kept looking at him.
“well, tuff night. same time tomorrow?”
“yes! more pancakes. they’re the best I’ve ever had.”
loren lead her to his house. the cold air of the night being no bother to either of them. perks of being related to gods, he mused. he observed her from the corner of his eye. she was sleepy. almost drowsing off while standing. he stood close next to her just in case he needed to grab her.
he was whipped. pathetically so. had the thought occurred to him that love at first sight existed, he would’ve buried himself sooner.
“ah, you have cats. how cute they are,” luenna suddenly spoke. hand extending itself to one of the kittens.
“yes. they’re nine weeks old.” he explained. biting back a smile at the sight of her playing with the orange haired kitten.
“does this one have a name?”
“no,” he crouched down next to her. picking the kitten up and handing it to her. perhaps she needed that after whatever she went through. “want to give him a name?”
luenna stared at him. green eyes twinkling dimly in the light of the lamps. he was tempted to brush away the dirt from her face, but she did so herself.
“maybe, ted? he does look like a teddy bear.” and she lifted him to show off her point.
a smile painted his face. he patted the cat, ted, between his ears and gently pulled luenna up with him. placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her inside his house.
guys i miss my boy. rest in peace ted :( ill see you again soon.
tags ! @respectoughfully , @briiverse , @miainbetween , @ryanmirae , @deepinthegroves , @dizzydotcom , @sillygirlsalad , @wrensiastic , @tadaffied , @ipodcord , @dorothea-shifts , @ethearls , @shiftingsinder , @miiholic , @grrrlsgogames