What I Wanted

Ship Names and Crushes

Rachel Dare x Connor Stoll

Rachel Elizabeth Dare was an unusual young woman. By everyone's standards, mortal and godly. She was the first living Oracle in about a bazillion years, and she felt this quite keenly. Apollo, being a god, was not much help at all, merely advising her to "Let my awesomeness come to you, Rachel, babe!" And unlike the old times, there were no priestesses or priests of Apollo to help her figure out which of her dreams were prophetic, and which were actually just Rachel.

It made for quite an uncomfortable existence. At first. Rachel was much better now. She had friends in Annabeth, Percy and even Octavian. Annabeth, in particular, could be very defensive of her when people pressured her for prophecies, and saved her the explanations of how it was a gift of Apollo's, not something she could harness at will.

And the Stolls... well, she knew them pretty well now, too. They'd made it a point to drop by her cave at least twice a day after the war, and she'd learnt how to tell them apart by more than their physical differences. Yes, Connor was about an inch shorter than his brother, being the younger (he was still about a foot taller than Rachel) and had brighter blue eyes, and that scar just by his hairline... He was also a smoother talker than Travis, with a dryer wit. Rachel enjoyed crossing swords with Connor; he was smart enough to keep up, but didn't make her feel dumb, as Annabeth could sometimes do.

Recently though, Connor would falter in the middle of a verbal battle, and Travis would shoot his younger brother a smirk, causing a pink tinge to coat Connor's cheeks. Rachel couldn't figure out the blush for the life of her, though she'd certainly tried... She'd even asked Annabeth, who'd given her an enigmatic knowing look, and Apollo, who'd pursed his lips and disappeared in a flash of light, muttering about "giving that boy a proper talking to...". Rachel'd been rather worried, to be honest.

"Rachel, babe!" came the familiar laughing voice, and Connor Stoll appeared in the cave, flinging himself unceremoniously into a squashy purple beanbag. His blond-brown hair was mussed, and his azure eyes sparkled with mischief. "Hey..." she greeted, before frowning. "Babe? That's a new one. When did you talk to Apollo?" Maybe it was her imagination, but Connor paled slightly. "Thought I'd try something new," he recovered easily, "What? You don't like it? How 'bout darling, then?" Rachel rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Stoll. Where's Stoll-the-elder, then?"

Connor blew his hair out of his eyes, wandering idly over to her latest canvas. "Dunno," he shrugged, "With Katie, I think..." Rachel frowned. "Okay..." she said, unsure. Maybe he heard the awkwardness in her voice, but he turned, flicking one hand at her easel. "You do fan-art now?" he teased, indicating her sketch of Octavian and Nico. Rachel scowled, fighting down a blush. "They're cute!" she defended, "Don't deny it! I know you bet on Octico, too!" Connor stared at her incredulously. "What is wrong with you, woman? Can you even hear yourself? Octico..." This time Rachel couldn't hold back the red flush. "It's a ship name..." she offered weakly. Connor snorted. "Sure, Red..."

Rachel bit her lip, shocked at the mild tingling induced by the nickname. Red. Rachel Elizabeth Dare. R.E.D. It was also the colour of her hair, and a common nickname amongst her friends. So why did it sound so different in Connor's voice? Steering herself away from dangerous waters, Rachel searched her mind for a witty comeback. "Well then, what do you suggest, if you're so creative?" she jeered, crossing her arms. Okay. Not exactly what she had in mind, but... Connor's eyes darkened, and he turned away. "Your creative talents lie in other places, Dare... you should stick to your canvases." Rachel's mouth dropped open in indignation, but Connor didn't let her get a word in. "Say, Red... hypothetically, if you had a crush on someone, what would you do?"

Rachel paused. That was definitely not what she expected. Ignoring the odd feeling in her stomach, she gave the question her full attention. "Well... first I'd check their relationship status," she said practically. A faint smile crossed Connor's lips. "Single." Rachel licked her dry lips, eyes locked on his. "Okay... then I suppose I'd tell them." Connor snorted, his blue eyes almost laser-like. "Well, I know that, darling... but how?" Frustrated, Rachel rubbed her forehead. "How about you tell me who this girl is, and I can help you based on that?"

"Nope."

"Connor."

Mockingly, "Rachel."

Rachel huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, then, at least tell me what she's like," she sighed, dropping her hand and her eyes. "Red..." there was almost a note of incredulity in Connor's voice. Suddenly, warm hands enclosed her own. "It's you, babe," he murmured. Shocked, Rachel lifted her eyes. Connor held her gaze. Rachel surveyed the boy in front of her, taking in the tall, lean form, and the tanned, handsome face. "You'll do," she nodded decisively, before capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Connor grinned against her mouth, one hand dragging her closer by the waist, and the other weaving itself into her fiery curls. When they broke apart, Rachel glanced up at her new boyfriend. "Ugh," she groaned, "Our names are not compatible, Stoll... Stare, Doll, Ronner... I'll have to think about this."

Connor watched the Oracle flounce away with fondness in his eyes and humour tugging at his lips. That girl... She'd be the death of him.