Does Anyone Else Like Silly Men

does anyone else like silly men

The first thing i thought of when i saw this specific ken was aang and his little trick 😂💖😂💖 hope you all enjoyyy!!!!

night, no day

wc: 2.6k

contents (spoilers): alcohol, making out, and dying (emotionally and physically)

i would have died for your sins, instead i just died inside

and you deserve prison, but you won’t get time.

your stomach turned as the van crossed into manhattan. you helped michael and katie unload your van before gathering with percy, annabeth, and the stolls. your ears were ringing as he detailed defense strategy and lineups, annabeth nodding along. you were silent, staring pointedly at a notch on travis’s armor for no reason other than it being right in your line of sight. 

something inside you was telling you this was it. this was the end of this war, one way or another, and he would be here. you had heard from annabeth herself what had happened to him, and you were terrified. terrified that you would see him, that you would freeze. kronos probably wouldn’t even know you. 

you weren’t sure whether you wanted him to or not. 

you had been afraid of a lot of things in your time. endless monsters, curfew harpies, even the idea of being caught out late by mr. d or chiron, when you were out… always with him, until three years ago. 

three years ago. 

it didn’t feel like three years. it felt like one, at most—you were always in and out of camp, or thinking about this war when you were away at school. you had been trying to clear your mind, to forget about him, but the only thing more all-consuming was the war, which wasn’t ideal to be drifting off about in intro to indigenous ecologies. 

you had almost succeeded, though. you realized, according to the journal you were flipping through back at camp, that you had been more consumed with camp and kronos than him for a while just before he showed back up.

you had been sitting on your bed in sally and paul’s apartment, that they graciously let you (forced you) to stay in while at school, and which they refused to accept rent on (sally knows chiron doesn’t pay you, and she considers you looking after percy and annabeth as best you can at camp more than enough payment for her). your whiteboard-covered wall was overwhelmed with microbio vocab and species definitions for your final (why couldn’t they have made scientific names greek? or why couldn’t you have also had built-in latin included with your demigod dyslexia package?) when the clang came from outside. 

you poked your head out the window, expecting to see a concussed pigeon laying on the fire escape, and shrieked. there he was, back against the wall, heavily out of breath, rain dripping down his face from his hair and shirt soaked through. 

you jumped back inside, hand against your mouth. what was he doing here? was he actually insane? as your mind reeled, hands to your temple, you heard his voice. 

“i’m sorry,” he said. “i… i really wanted to see you.”

you’re speechless.

“can i come in?” his bodiless voice came through the window. you can’t see him, but you know how he’s sitting. arms draped over his knees, back to the wall, head tilted to the left, towards the window. towards you. you stayed silent for a long pause. 

“take off your shoes.” you heard him stand up, his steps towards you. your heart was beating out of your body in fear. how were you doing this? how were you letting him into sally’s house after he tried to kill her son? 

he took off his shoes and stepped inside. you noticed the muscles in his arm and back as he held the window pane above his head. 

you stared at him, your jaw rigid, before you pulled your heaviest pillow off your bed and started to hit him with it, repeatedly. his arms flew over his face to protect himself, but he didn’t try to protect himself. he knew he deserved it. 

“you.” hit. “absolute.” hit. “idiot.” hit. “luke castellan.” as you hit him, tears began streaming down your face, and your voice got shakier. “how could you? how could you— how could you— how…” you fell to a crouch before falling back against your bed. now it was your turn to sit with your arms over your knees, but you buried your face as sobs shook your body. 

you forced yourself to take deep breaths. you were not about to have a panic attack in front of him. when you finally looked up at him, his eyes were filled with sadness, but concern, too. you knew that he knew what to do if you did have a panic attack, but you hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“take those off,” you hiccuped. “they’re soaking wet,” you gestured to pretty much everything. 

“um.” you stared him down until he took everything off but his boxers and his socks. your heart was pounding in your chest as you balled them up to take them to the dryer. you hadn’t forgotten how gorgeous he was, and right now he was soaking wet and even more attractive. you tried to push down that familiar feeling in your stomach, the one that you would get whenever he smiled at you back at camp, or spun you in the air after capture the flag. 

“luke, your socks are soaking. let me put them in the dryer.” 

he hesitated before pulling them off, and you soon saw why. hidden, away from anywhere people might see, around his ankle, was his camp necklace, six beads strung along. you didn’t miss the fact that it included the lightning bolt of percy’s first summer. you stared at it for a few seconds. 

“i know,” he said, and you couldn’t tell whether he was embarrassed or ashamed of himself. you hoped it was the latter, but it was probably both. 

“it’s none of my business,” you said, taking his socks from his hand before leaving to put his clothes in the dryer. before you left the room, you worried that he might not be there when you returned, but it was ridiculous. you knew he wouldn’t. besides, he wasn’t going to go running around the upper east side in only his boxers. 

you had a heart attack when you ran into sally, dropping his clothes all over the floor. 

“hey sweetheart,” she said softly. leave it to sally to know immediately that something was wrong. the tears started falling, and you gestured wordlessly to your room, your voice lost to your lungs crying for oxygen. 

she knew. of course she knew, right away. 

“hey, hey,” she rubbed your back. “what do you need me to do? i’ll go chase him out with a broom if you want.”

you shook your head pathetically, finally catching your breath. 

“i don’t know.” your voice was quiet and fragile. 

“do you want to talk to him?”

“he tried to kill percy, sally.” 

“i know.” 

“how are you not mad?”

“i’ll never be mad at you, for any of this.” she whispered. “you’re a child. and so is he. and i know what he’s done, but percy isn’t here right now. and i know he didn’t come all this way to hurt you. i know who he is, and i know what he’s done,” she repeats. “but i know that this isn’t a normal war. you’re children fighting battles for deities and i don’t think this night is going to change the course of this war.” 

sometimes you forgot how well sally could see through the mist. sometimes even better than you could. “there’s nothing around?” you asked. she shook her head. 

“whatever this is, he’s not here for negotiations. he’s here for you. and i may be being reckless here, and i know chiron and percy would disagree with me here, but i think you need some closure with him. and i think annabeth would agree with me, which is my basis for most of my decisions.” 

you laughed through tears. 

“it’s going to be okay. i’ll put these in for you, take these,” she gestured at a plate of regular cookies. probably a good call—you didn’t think the blue would go over well with luke. 

“i’ll be right here if you need anything,” she said, ducking into her room. “just call.” 

you slipped back down the hall. when you entered the room with the cookies, luke tensed up, and so did you. you weren’t expecting his presence to get you for the second time, but it did. 

“does she know i’m here?” he asked quietly. 

“no,” you lied. “she’s a heavy sleeper.”

he shuffled awkwardly. 

“why are you here, luke?” you searched his eyes for something, anything, to tell you, and the longing was obvious, even to you, who had denied that he liked you for months prior to your finally getting together at camp. 

“i wanted to see you,” he said. “i needed to see you. i miss you.” 

“i miss you too.” it went quiet again, and you tried to look around your room to avoid making eye contact with his body. you failed. 

his muscles were even more defined than they had been at camp, but he looked skinnier. you wondered when the last time he ate was, and offered up the cookies. he looked at them skeptically before reaching out and taking a nibble. he swallowed hard, and set the cookie down on your desk. you made eye contact with him one more time, but you couldn’t take it anymore. you stared at his lips and his hair, trying to remember the days they belonged to you.

it took everything in you to hold yourself back. 

you sat down on your bed and gestured for him to join you. 

“why are you here?” you asked again. 

“i don’t know,” he answers. 

“you—” there was a knock at the door, and he jumped off your bed, spinning and running a hand through his hair. it was remarkable how similar it was to percy when you came to bother him while annabeth was over, you thought. 

“hey, can i come in?” paul’s voice came from the door. 

“um,” you looked over at luke, his eyes panicked. you had to grab his arm to stop him going back out the window, and the contact sent a shock through your entire body. “one sec.” 

you shoved him to the side, walking to the door and cracking it, peeking through at paul. 

“sally told me about—” you cut him off with a sudden widening of your eyes. “that party, you’re going to next weekend. thought you might want this, a friend from work gave it to us but it’s not really our thing. i figured underage college kids probably weren’t so picky.” bless paul’s entire being. 

you took the bottle of vodka from him, smiling gratefully. “thank you, paul. you’re literally the best.” you knew what he meant it for. clearly someone also didn’t do well with awkward conversations, and he wanted to give you some help. 

“of course! um… let me know if you need any help with… that bio assignment!” 

“thanks. i’m, uh, about to go to bed. sleep well, i love you.”

“love you too.” you closed the door. when you turned to luke. there wasn’t much to it now. 

“for old times sake?” you held up the bottle. 

he smiled. 

you hadn’t been drunk in ages. you had to get back together with silena and clarrise for a girl’s night, you thought through hazy eyes and a wide smile. 

you stared at luke’s matching grin. he was drunk, too. 

and then he was kissing you, and against all your better judgment you were kissing him back. and it was good, so good, and you held back sudden tears as you convinced yourself he hadn’t had practice since you.  

you told sally, of course. 

and even if i die screaming,

i hope you hear it. 

your bones ached. your sword was heavy in your bleeding hands, and sweat was dripping in your eyes. you could hardly see the man before you, the man who was landing blow after blow on your blade. he’d always been better than you. 

“luke…” you gasped. “please.” 

“foolish girl,” the deep voice of the titan lord reverberated in your ears. “pathetic. i fail to see why the boy was so desperate to save you.”

he’s trying to get to you. percy’s voice, echoes of his words when you woke in the poseidon cabin after nightmares of these very words. he doesn’t care about you or luke. he’s trying to throw you off. 

you couldn’t do it. you couldn’t reach past the city, past layers of concrete, not while you were fighting him. even if you knew all his tricks. the water was too far. 

you’re not as powerful as him. you’ve never been as good as percy. 

you’re taken aback as kronos halts his attack. a smirk on his face, the face you knew, once. the smile that had always drawn you in. you hated yourself, you hated him. how could he have done this? why, why did it have to be you that had to see the love of your life in the face of your—and your family’s—greatest threat? 

a haze overtook you as he walked away. a dark haze, overtaking your eyes. almost as if— you found it harder to think. lightheadedness. nausea. almost like when your leg had been split open during a particularly brutal capture the flag. 

“luke,” you called, as you clutched your stomach. you stumbled back, throwing out a hand to catch your fall. not your left arm… it had to stay. it has to hold… and that’s when it hit. the deep gash in your stomach. 

you would’ve vomited as you looked down at your open torso, but there was no food left inside you. 

“luke!” he’s not there. you weren’t sure whether the voice telling you was your own or kronos. you searched his eyes as he backed away, and for a second you saw a hint of deep brown among the gold. but then he was turning on his heel, summoning a guard of monsters to escort him back down the street. 

“please… percy… percy!”

you thought it was connor that found you, but was travis. and then percy was there, kneeling beside you as you gasped for air. 

“no, no, no, no, no,” he repeated as you choked in his arms. your baby brother.

“percy,” you cried. you were vaguely aware that he should be elsewhere, that you didn’t have time for this. that someone else was probably dying as you lay in his lap, and he cried over you.

“i’m here, i’m here. it’s okay, you’re okay.” there were tears in his eyes. did you say that already?

“percy, i don't want to die.” your voice came out in gasps. “i’m not ready, i’m not ready!” you choked on your own tears, or saliva, or blood. you didn’t know. 

“you’re not going to die, you’re not going to die,” he whispered. “it’s okay. annabeth! help me!” 

you couldn’t see annabeth, but you knew as well as she likely did that you were going to die. she stood opposite percy, standing in shock. her hand over her mouth, her bandaged arm supporting it. she was crying, too.  

“please. please, i don’t want to die.” 

“nico!” percy shouted. he was nowhere nearby. he probably couldn’t have done anything, anyway. “water, i need water.” 

“percy, i’m so scared.”

“percy… it won’t help,” annabeth cried. 

“just… please, please. she needs water. she needs… something.” 

the last thing you saw as your vision faded was percy, pouring a bottle of water over you. annabeth slipped two golden drachma into your palm. 

as you took your last breaths, grover and thalia rounded the corner.

luke felt it in his chest as hard as if he were a son of hades. it took everything in percy not to kill him when annabeth asked. 

yours was the only blue shroud at camp half-blood.

does anyone else like silly men

☀︎︎ Luke Castellan x reader

a collection of short stories all tying together

majority can be read as stand-alones..

☼ moodboards…

- luke’s moodboard

- readers moodboard

- overall series moodboard

➾ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇.. You show Luke what it means to be loved and to give love.

➾ Fluff, Apollo reader, mutual pining, eventual relationship, canon divergent (luke does not betray anyone because it hurt me too much to write that.)

✵ prologue

Slow motion love potion - Luke Castellan has returned from his quest, but he refuses to see anyone. Too bad you’ve been assigned to watch over him.

✵ PART ONE

About you - You discover just how accident prone Luke Castellan is.

I keep these longings locked - You discover just how flirtatious Luke really is.

The sweetest torture - You discover jealousy.

When you know, you know - You discover these feelings probably won’t just go away.

Foolish Lovers game - You discover that Luke does remember that night.

The Alchemy - You discover that everyone at camp can tell. Everyone except for Luke.

In a world of boys (he’s a gentleman) - You discover just how easy it is to make an Ares kid angry. (And Luke looks really good when he’s bloody.)

Let the light in (Luke POV) - Luke discovers the three times he denied his feelings for you, and the one time he accepted them.

Deep fears that the world would divide us - You discover Luke’s anger towards the Gods, and maybe your own hidden anger as well.

Secret Moments in a crowded room - You discover that maybe your feelings aren’t just your own.

Is it cool that I said all that? - You discover just how hard it is to keep a secret. Good thing Percy Jackson has a big mouth.

✵ THE IN-BETWEEN

Can I go where you go? - You discover that you want Luke to come home with you every year.

Hold on to the Memories (Luke POV) - Luke discovers that maybe Christmas isn’t all that bad.

✵ PART TWO

This is me trying - You discover just how stressful things really are as The Apollo Cabins head counselor.

Meet me in the Afterglow - You discover just how much you don’t deserve Luke.

The Lakes - You discover that you enjoy the quietness that comes with love.

The Albatross - You discover that you don’t like the newest camp arrival all that much.

Is it casual now? - You discover jealousy. Again.

You’re losing me - You discover that Eliza has a lot to say.

Sad, Beautiful, Tragic - You discover that Luke deserves better.

How did it end? - You discover that gossip spreads around camp way too quickly.

Loss Of My Life - You discover that seeing Luke around camp might be more than you can bare.

We Were Happy - You discover that while the kids may have good intentions, you will always get burned.

Hits Different - You discover that drinking while in the midst of a breakup is never a good idea.

Forever Winter (Luke POV) - Luke discovers just how hard it is to let you go.

You All Over Me - You discover why there is a no maiming rule.

Timeless - You discover that maybe you were enough for Luke after all.

You are in love - You discover forever.

does anyone else like silly men