Smile - Connor Stoll (PJO/HOO)

Chap. 7 - Finale

When we met each other again the day after, I was slightly worried. Worried he had done something stupid between the time he had left me yesterday and today. But as he greeted me with his usual crooked smile, I could not help but forget some of my worries and went to sit behind him.

"I thought about you last night." Connor said mysteriously as I pressed my back against his.

"Did you?"

"Yes. I stared into a horse's eyes for ten minutes and I realized he had shown as much emotions during those few minutes than you had in those past few years."

I frowned, slightly surprised before laughing. "That's mean." Still, I was happy to be able to laugh about it. He was the only one able to make me do that. "Anyway, why were you staring into a horse's eyes?"

"That's one of my many hobbies." I could hear the smile in his voice. And he must have heard mine too because he said: "It's crazy how different your voice sounds now."

"I'm happy."

Connor did not respond and I stopped smiling, my worries coming back in an instant. I could feel he was about to do something stupid. And he did.

Moving quickly, he sat in front of me and grinned proudly, as if he was about to tell me something he was greatly proud of.

"I want to see you smile."

I stared at him, shocked, for a short second. "No, you don't."

"Listen, I thought about it for a long time. You told me people fall in love with you when you smile to them, right?" I nodded. Where was he going with that? "Then, it's okay. I'm already crazy in love with you, I'll be fine."

My cheeks became a deep shade of red at his words. His blue eyes were locked with mine. He was smiling as if his explanation was so obvious it could only be the answer to my curse. I opened my mouth to talk but no words came out. Connor seeing my dismay said:

"I love you."

I felt my heart racing in my chest. I love you too, I wanted to say. Instead I muttered:

"Why?"

Connor shrugged.

"Do I really need a reason? I love spending time with you, you're funny and kind. You're beautiful. I just love you. Don't you feel the same?"

"Yes, I do."

The words came out of my mouth before I could think about what I was doing. Connor's face lighted up and his hand came cupping my cheek as he grinned at me. I could not smile in return. He did not say anything and instead leaned over me to kiss me. It was a soft, quick kiss. But it was my first kiss and it felt like the best kiss someone could have given me. Still, as I watched Connor back away and smile, I could not help but wonder how he had fallen for me, and if in a moment of inattention, he had saw me smile.

"Smile for me." He whispered, looking deep into my eyes.

He was not smiling anymore. His eyes were begging me.

"I can't."

I could not afford to lose him, not now that I knew he loved me. Connor lowered his eyes and frowned, thinking. When he met my eyes again, he had a mischievous smile on his lips.

"You know I'm a thief. Hermes' son and all." I nodded, not quite sure why he was telling me that. "So, would you say I stole your heart?" He accentuated the word stole, winking at me at the same time, underlining the similarity with his last name. His face had been so funny I smiled. A genuine smile. One that I had made so many times in the past few days, one that slipped so easily ever since I knew him. The smile vanished quickly though and my face fell as I waited, terrified, for Connor's reaction. A huge grin stuck on his face, his eyes were glued to my lips.

"Connor?"

I grabbed his arm while my other hand went cupping his cheek. He seemed dazed.

I could not believe I had done it. He deserved better than that. So much better. If only I had never met him.

"Shit, your smile..."

Connor was looking at me lovingly, still grinning.

"Are you okay, Connor?"

"Of course I am. My girlfriend finally smiled to me." He leaned over and took me in his arms; pulling me toward his chest and making the both of us fall in the sand. I landed on my back as Connor crawled on top of me, one of his hands holding his weight and the other on my cheek.

"So, you're okay? Really?" I asked, afraid to get my hopes high.

"Yeah, I am. What do you want me to do to prove it?" He whispered as he leaned over to kiss my cheeks and jaw.

"If I were to slap you right now, how would you react?"

He moved his face away from my jaw to stare at me. "Not well. I know I deserve it sometimes, but right now, it seems exaggerated."

Relief and happiness took hold of my body in a matter of seconds as I realized it was finally done; that Connor had broken my curse. A relieved smile appeared on my lips and Connor smiled back, ecstatic.

"Travis is going to lose his shit. He didn't think I'll ever succeed." He muttered as he stared at my lips happily.

"You're thinking about Travis right now?" I asked him, a shy smile on my lips.

It felt so good to be able to smile in front of him, to show him how much he was making me happy. A tear streamed down my cheek from my happiness. His behavior did not change in the slightest.

Seeing the tear, he leaned on me and kissed me passionately. His body pressing against mine, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"Thank you, Connor." I whispered over and over. Every time his lips would leave mine, the words would slip out of my mouth in a different shape, but each time carrying the same meaning. "Thank you so much."

"Well, that's awfully adorable."

Connor jump on his feet, ready to fight as I sat on the sand, recognizing the voice of my mother.

I knew why she was here and it made me even happier. The curse was really lifted. I would finally be able to smile. Not only with Connor, but with everyone else.

"Aphrodite." Connor stated, stupefied. Anger appeared in his eyes, but he was not foolish enough to act on it.

"So, I came to congratulate you, Natalia. You broke the curse." She smiled faintly at me before looking at Connor, disappointed. "With a Hermes' son." She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow before adding: "Your father is going to rub this in my face. I'll never see the end of it."

Connor stiffened at the mention of his father, but managed to say: "Why? Why did you do that?"

I stared at him, astonished. His tone was serious and almost harsh and I could not believe he was talking to a God like that.

Aphrodite only laughed before answering: "I believe some of my child need to earn some of their gifts back."

Translation: jealousy.

Connor understood the same thing and did not answer; keeping the more than likely snarky comment he had for himself.

"Well, I'll leave the two of you to finish what you started." And with that she disappeared, leaving me wondering how my dad could have fallen for her.

Behind me, I heard Connor swore before sitting beside me.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned.

He knew how hard it was for demigods to meet their parents.

"I love you." I simply answered, locking eyes with him. I needed to say it. He had done so much for me.

Connor's gaze softened even more and heanswered: "I love you too."