[Third Person's PoV]
Thalia glanced at Lucian, who was turning bright red, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as he looked off to the side.
Seeing his reaction, Thalia felt her own face heat up. She quickly turned away, flustered. "Stop blushing! You're making it weird!"
"I can't help it! It's not my fault!" Lucian exclaimed. "How can you say something so embarrassing with such a nice smile?! It would've been weirder if I didn't react!"
Seeing Lucian so embarrassed only made Thalia's own embarrassment worse—especially since she was the one who said it.
Annoyed, she turned to glare at him, only to find him covering his face with his hands and swaying side to side like a child.
"You shameful woman," he mumbled dramatically.
Thalia's eye twitched. Without a second thought, she lifted her foot and kicked him off the dock.
"Here! Why don't you go and cool off since you look like you're about to combust with how red you are!!"
"Eh?" Lucian blinked in surprise as he found himself airborne.
SPLASH!
The water exploded where Lucian landed, sending large ripples across the otherwise calm lake.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Thalia burst into maniacal laughter, pointing at the spot where he had disappeared.
Bubbles surfaced, popping one by one. Thalia continued laughing—until she noticed the bubbles were getting fewer and fewer.
After several long seconds, the bubbling stopped.
Lucian was nowhere to be seen.
"Uh… Lucian?" Thalia called out, her voice suddenly wary.
A drop of sweat rolled down her temple. He… he knows how to swim, right?
She quickly reassured herself. Of course he does! I mean, when he took that trip to Europe, he had that race—
Her thoughts came to a screeching halt.
She suddenly remembered.
Lucian had been flying over the water while she had run across the surface.
Thalia paled. "Wait… can he not swim?" she whispered in horror.
Before she could dive in after him, the water erupted.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"
Lucian burst from beneath the surface, chest puffed out, arms spread wide.
Thalia instinctively leaned back as water splashed her face. She barely had time to react before she felt hands wrap around her legs.
Her head snapped downward.
Lucian was grinning at her.
A grin filled with pure malice.
"Now, wait a minute, Lucian—!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! NOPE!"
With a wicked cackle, Lucian yanked her off the dock.
"WAAAAHHH!!" Thalia shrieked as she was flung headfirst into the lake.
SPLASH!
Lucian threw his head back, laughing maniacally. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Who's laughing now?!" He curled his fingers like a supervillain.
Thalia exploded from the water, drenched, her hair sticking to her face.
With an enraged expression, she swung her arm, sending a small wave of water splashing right into Lucian's smug face.
"YOU ASSHOLE!!"
"YOU'RE THE BIGGER ONE! YOU THREW ME IN FIRST!!" Lucian shot back, splashing her with equal force.
The two launched into an all-out water war, flinging waves at each other with increasing intensity.
At first, their expressions were filled with vengeance. But as the battle raged on, their glares softened.
Their splashes became lighter. Their movements slowed.
And before they realized it…
They had stopped.
They both looked at each other, taking in how drenched they were, the water glistening against their skin. Droplets ran down their faces, dripping from their hair.
"Phttt."
Neither of them knew who started it, but suddenly, they both burst into laughter as they floated, gently moving their arms through the water. Lucian hunched over slightly as he laughed before straightening up and running a hand through his hair, slicking it back with a bright grin. Thalia, still chuckling, found herself watching him—watching the way the water slid down his face, the way his smile lit up his features. Her laughter softened into a quiet chuckle, her cheeks reddening as an inexplicable look flickered in her eyes.
When Lucian finally turned toward her, he froze for a moment. Thalia had glanced away, a blush dusting her cheeks as she tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. His ears turned slightly red in response. They were close—closer than either of them realized—staring at each other as their laughter faded into silence.
Lucian couldn't stop himself. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her lips.
Thalia jumped slightly, startled by the sudden gesture, but Lucian had already pulled back, now looking at her with an almost shy expression.
Seeing him flustered, something inside Thalia stirred. Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could stop herself, she went on the offensive.
Lucian swam closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Thalia placed her hands against his chest as she tilted her head slightly, their lips meeting again and again. Below the water, their legs tangled as they slowly kicked to keep themselves afloat.
As the kiss deepened, they both slowed down, savoring the moment. Lucian's hands remained on her waist, while Thalia's rested against his chest. Their eyes met, and the space between them seemed to hum with energy.
"In case I haven't told you yet... or in case you don't know..." Lucian murmured, his voice serious. "I also love you… No, not 'also' love you…"
He pressed his forehead against hers, his gaze unwavering.
"You shared your feelings with me openly, so it's only right that I do the same. If I didn't, I'd be doing you and our relationship a disservice."
Thalia didn't say anything—just smiled and looped her arms around his shoulders, crossing them behind his neck. She looked at him with anticipation, eager to hear what else he had to say.
Lucian exhaled. "Your feelings developed faster than mine. Mine were more… gradual. Believe it or not, it was during our war games. That's when I started to realize it."
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "So, constantly winning against me and tormenting me must have made me super attractive in your eyes, huh?" she teased.
Lucian chuckled. "No. It's the fact that you never stopped trying."
His expression softened. "Anyone else in your shoes would have given up. They would've thought it was impossible to beat me, lost their motivation. But you never did. You kept pushing forward, trying new ways to improve every time you lost. That drive, that determination... it's one of the things I admire most about you."
Thalia muttered under her breath, "Or I'm just a sore loser."
Lucian smirked. "Or you're someone with an unbreakable will. You call me the weird one, but you're just as weird as I am. That stubbornness of yours? That fire? It keeps me on my toes, pushes me to improve. That's something I truly appreciate in a partner."
Thalia narrowed her eyes, catching the shift in his tone. "You're holding something back. What else?"
Lucian hesitated, then exhaled. "Alright… don't laugh, but I think all my feelings for you finally came together the day we were at the observatory, talking about your fear and hesitation over the prophecy. That's when I realized—I truly love you."
Thalia blushed, looking away. "Why that moment?" she asked softly.
Lucian rubbed the back of his neck. "Because in that moment, I felt… needed. Like I was your own personal hero. You let yourself be vulnerable with me, and I wanted to be the one to protect that vulnerability. It made me realize something." His cheeks darkened as he admitted, "My mother has been training me since I was young to be the greatest hero the Greeks have ever known. A hero with a legend greater than Jason's."
Then, almost bashfully, he added, "But when I realized I loved you… I also realized that I would gladly throw all of that away just to be your hero alone."
Thalia stared at him, wide-eyed, her lips parting slightly as emotions she couldn't name swirled inside her.
Then, without hesitation, she cupped the back of his head and crashed her lips against his.
When they finally parted, her eyes were watery, and she whispered, "Geez… that almost sounded like a proposal."
Lucian let out a weak chuckle. "I'm just glad you didn't laugh."
Thalia smirked. "Laughing would be a disservice to you and our relationship~" she said, throwing his words back at him with a teasing lilt.
Lucian smiled, shaking his head, and they leaned in once more. Their next kiss wasn't filled with fiery passion—it was soft, slow, and overflowing with love.
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