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Apollo walked under the shade of pine trees. He didn't know where he was going exactly, but he shouldn't be far away from the Camp. At least he thinks so.
- What's up, loser? - the sudden voice made the ex-god jump. He was not ready to deal with it. Okay, more specifically, her
- Meg, what are you doing here? - Lester sighed - I did not invite you
- It's not like I have to listen to you - she countered - You're my servant, aren't you? And I do what I want
The older teen rolled his eyes dramatically at the girl, growling exasperatedly. He decided to ignore her and continued moving, hoping Meg would not follow. She did. He wasn't surprised.
But they didn't talk and didn't seem to want to do so for another while. Walking was nice, it felt good to not hear questions, receive glances or think a lot.
- Where are we going? - McCaffrey asked after a minute of silence
That made Lester stop and actually look at their surroundings. They went further away than he wanted. The place was extremely unfamiliar: no mark that a human or a demigod has ever stepped this far. And it was getting progressively darker...
- I... Don't actually know - he admitted, feeling anxious. There were too many bad things that happened in the forests to not to be nervous when you are lost.
- You're a dummy - Meg stated matter-of-factly. Lester didn't entirely disagree, but still, ouch?
He laid down on the ground, kind of wanting to wail, but being too tired to do so. Instead, he just covered his face with his hands and groaned. The girl was watching him with an unamused face
- What are we going to do? - she asked flatly - I'm hungry
Apollo got out of his jeans pocket a chocolate granola bar and handed it over to the young demigod. She devoured it in a minute, then almost literally picked him up from the ground
- Being in the middle of the thicket won't help us get to the camp - Meg said, and Lester agreed (only internally) - let's find a meadow or something, I smell cranberries
- You do know that regular cranberries are much sourer that the sugar-coated ones? - he raised an eyebrow at her - You're not going to like them
At that, the very mature Meg McCaffrey stung her tongue out. Completely ignoring what he had just said, she marched her way through the orange and green leaves to find berries. Rolling his eyes, Lester followed her. What else can he do? Someone has to watch out for her, so she doesn't kill anyone.
Meg didn't lie: there was actually a neat space with no trees near them. And there was a cranberry bush that she smelled
The girl picked up a bunch of red berries and put them in her mouth. Her face twisted in a grimace, the sour and bitterness probably burning her mouth. She carefully spilled the chewed food and buried it in the ground
- I warned you - Apollo triumphed
- Whatever - Demeter's daughter grumbled, upset with the berry taste
- I think I still have some snacks - he tried to cheer her up. Turns out, he actually had some chia and pumpkin seeds. Or maybe almonds? He didn't know - I have this. I don't know how useful it will be for you though-
But before he could finish, the seeds under Meg's abilities turned into pumpkins and... strawberries?!
Where did he even get them? Well, maybe it's some of the girl's stuff. It still felt weird to have strawberries in October. While it was unnaturally warm for autumn, still - strawberries?
Well, who was he to complain about something as delicious as this? Strawberries are almost always the good stuff, especially ones from Camp Half-Blood. There was always a big plate of them on Olympus.
He missed it
- Here
Meg handed him a bunch of berries she strung together on a straw, bringing him back to reality. Lester accepted it with a thanks, eating the strawberries one by one. They were quite delicious
Meanwhile, the girl already finished her 2 straws (unfair) and went somewhere
- Where are you going? - he called out to her
- Don't worry! There are just some pretty flowers here - she shouted back
That didn't stop him from worrying. Sure, she was very annoying, Meg still was like a little sister to Apollo. She reminded him of Artemis
He missed her the most
Laying on the grass and leaves, he didn't notice immediately Meg's return
- Did you go here just to brood and be depressed? - she asked bluntly
- Well, technically, yeah - he admitted - You know how it is
- I do - she agrees - That's why I'm here to stop you
Lester smiled at her. He did care for her, and he knew she did, too, somewhere in her heart. She was a good friend.
But still very annoying at times
- Well, thanks - he finally answered - You did help me, Meg
She didn't reply. Apollo couldn't see her but didn't want to shift his position: the ground was still warm, and leaves and grass were still soft on his skin.
- You okay? - he asked
- Yeah - she sighed - Just... I don't even know
With that marking their end of dialogue, they continued to co-exist with each other, facing similar internal challenges (and a ton of daddy issues)
- Jason would've been proud - the ex-god broke the silence with a sad smile - Of how we defended Rome.
- Probably - the girl replied, her answers short like always - I would've been if I was him
Apollo nodded, wishing that she would not be like Jason. It's not like he didn't respect or didn't like praetor Grace - quite the opposite. It just would've been too much if she met the same fate because of him
- What are you doing? - he asked, shifting the topic into a less salty theme
- I'm weaving a wreath
- I didn't know you could - Lester said, a little surprised
She pressed the wreath on the teen's head, obscuring his vision. He took it off to see what she'd woven and froze
She made a wreath of hyacinth flowers
He wanted to cry, he still felt guilty about what happened, but looking up at Meg, she also was wearing one. Also, hyacinths on her black short (just like herself) hair.
- I may not know your story with them - she explained, which was pretty rare for her - but you seem attached to these flowers. So, I found them and made us matching wreaths. Like... To show that I don't don't care
And it was one of the deepest acts of love she has ever done. Those hyacinths - all ghosts of him - it felt like a hug from the past, someone he longed so much of
- Don't think much about it - she mumbled, but even from his limited position on the ground (because he was now facing Meg) he could see she was smiling, correcting her one natural headband's position
- I love you too - Lester put the wreath back on his head, trying to wipe the tear from his cheek so the girl wouldn't notice
After a minute, the duo heard a sound of the clatter of hooves, and a worried Chiron appeared before them
- There you are - he breathed a sigh of relief - We were looking for you
He shot them a scolding glare, but they saw no malice in his eyes, only fatherly affection
- Are you both okay? - he asked
The 2 kids looked at each other and Apollo answered
- Never have been better