Smile - Connor Stoll (PJO/HOO)

Chap. 5 - Difficult Decision

The next morning, as I was leaving the Aphrodite bungalow, fresh and ready for another day in camp, I felt a hand touching my arm. Before I even heard the voice, I knew who it was.

"Wait for me!" Connor whined before rounded me to be in front of me. In the same time, he moved his hand from my arm to my shoulder. With a sarcastic look in my eyes, I gaze at his hand before raising an eyebrow at him:

"Are you going to kiss my shoulder again?"

My remark made him drop his hand and as he stepped closer, making our two bodies almost touch each other, he cracked a seductive smile at me. "Do you want me too?"

Amused by his answer, I pushed him playfully before turning around, hiding my face behind my hands in the process. As I tried to regain my composure, I realized I had hiding my face as much to hide the smile that was creeping on my lips that the blush on my cheeks.

Breathing in and out slowly as I learnt to to clear my head, I could feel Connor's respiration tickling my neck, making me shiver.  He had not moved an inch.

When he talked again, I felt his hand brush against my waist:

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't tease you outside of the beach."

The smile now out of my face, I whispered: "It's okay."

Not that it was. I did not believe a word of it, I knew how dangerous it was, but every time I was with him, it seemed I was losing all my common sense.

Before turning around to face him, I stepped forward to put some distance between us.

When Connor met my eyes again, the serious expression he had tried to keep on disappeared, replaced by a grin.

"It seems I can't help but smile when I'm with you."

"That's cheesy." I exclaimed, surprised.

He stopped, thinking, before grimacing, a look of pure horror on his face. "Shit... it is."

Connor's embarrassment came to an end when Travis appeared by his side, patting him on the shoulder with a crooked smile on his lips. "There you are!"

A look of surprise crossed Connor's face and for a slight second he looked as if Travis had caught him doing something reprehensible.

It made me wonder if Connor was used to be so honest about his feelings with others, and if not, why he was with me. Travis flashed a smile at me before talking with Connor about something that had happened in their bungalow the night before.

Subconsciously, I started to play with the ring on my finger. It was something I had started to do ever since Connor had offered it to me the day before. It was relaxing to feel the cold metal rotating on my skin. And because I had spent most of the night playing with it, the other occupiers of my bungalow had started to talk about it.

Their main concern was who had given it to me. Their obvious choice was Connor, but after a long debate, they all agreed he was not one to give a piece of jewelry to a girl. So, they kept going, pressuring me into talking, to no avail, until finally they got bored.

As I thought about it again, I lowered my face to stare at the ring, the two brothers still talking.

"Did you get the scotch tape?" Connor asked.

"Of course I did! Do you think I'm a moron?"

"That's exactly what I think!" Connor answered, teasing Travis. Travis made a grunting sound as an answer and I smiled at their bickering.

As I realized what had happened, I stiffened. The large smile that had appeared disappeared in a fraction of a second. It was almost a grin.... I was becoming reckless.

Carefully, I raised my head, scrutinizing my surroundings. Connor and Travis were still bickering, unaware of what had happened, lifting a height off my shoulders.

Slowly and carefully, I stared at all the others demigods around me, but luckily none seemed to act strangely; in fact none were paying attention to me. It made me somewhat relaxes; it had been a close one.

As I looked at Connor, trying to get his attention, he smiled at me. So, interrupting his discussion with his brother, I said:

"Connor, we need to talk."

The chatter came to a sudden halt and the two brothers stared at me, startled, making me shuffle from foot to foot nervously.

Connor seemed surprised and slightly concerned by the seriousness and gravity on my face. Travis, him, looked surprised, but only for a split second, he then grinned before patting his brother's shoulder:

"I'm going to go; I'd rather not be around when you're going to get your ass kicked." He made a few steps away before shouting: "Be brave."

Connor's eyes bored into mine, ignoring his brother's comment.

"What's going on?"

Suddenly embarrassed and nervous, I looked around, trying to see if anyone was close enough to hear me before whispering:

"I smiled."

"What? When?"

"Right now."

It was Connor's turn to look around.

"Did anyone see you?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Good..." Connor rubbed the back of his neck, slightly perturbed.

I stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at my feet before saying what I knew I had to say but did not want too.

"We need to stop seeing each other on the beach."

"What? No!" Connor's answer came so quickly and loudly that it made some demigods staring at him curiously

Ill at ease, I whispered: "We have to, I'm becoming too reckless."

We stared at each other for a few seconds. I could see Connor's disapproval in his eyes.

"No."

"Connor... It's the best solution."

"No, listen to me. Maybe the best solution is on the contrary to stop seeing each other outside of the beach."

I stared at him dumbfounded. To stop seeing each other outside of the beach was like to ignore each other 90% of our day. Connor sunk his hands in the pockets of his jeans before adding:

"I'd rather spend only one hour with you if during this hour I can make you smile and laugh. I don't want to see you sad every day knowing I can't do anything about it."

It took me a few seconds to process his words. It was adorable. At short of words, I answered:

"If that's what you want, it's good for me."

Connor nodded. It was the best solution we knew it, but neither one of us felt like it was a win.