A meeting and a gift -Colby-

5:00pm. Tabitha was standing in the cabin courtyard, carrying a long box under her arm, and a basket in the crook of her elbow. She felt stupid, embarrassed. "Probably went overboard...He's going to think I'm an idiot and turn me away..." she beat herself up out loud. She'd let one of the Aphrodite girls take a brush to her hair and some base make-up to her face. She wore her only unstained pair of short, and a tank top the color of bronze.

He tried to hurry but not look to excited. He seen her standing there and his posture without fail giving him a good height. When he approach her he offered to take.the basket. Seeing the box he fouced on it. "Whats this" He asked looking at her, his troat tighten slightly.

"Ah... Well.." she bit her lip. "It's for you... A new bow. It's made..." She bit her lip. "Well, you'll see when you open it." Tabitha had never been nervous, not this nervous, since she'd come to Camp six years ago. Now, Monsters, making weapons, being a demi-god. She could do that. Trying to talk to a boy in a romantic sense? She got tongue tied so hard she was dizzy. "Anyways...I made us some food. Lets go somewhere and eat it." she mumbled.

He looked down at her with a soft smile. "Tab, relax some." He said walking with her.towards a gazebo it was surrounded by bushes and located right obuilding f a path between the court yard and the lake. once they entered the building he sat down and opened the present. "Gods Tab, this its amazing." He said handling the long bow.

(describe please)

The gift inside, was a bow, not quite yet decorated, but finely crafted already. But instead of the usual wood, or iron. The bow was made from a dazzling crystal compound; beautiful and strong. It likely took her a while to get the compound mixture right to keep the glimmering, clear crystal look, but make it bend the way it should. A roll of bowstring sat in the box beside it.

"You..said you liked bows...I'd figured out the mixture a year ago..but had never had anything to use it on yet...I know... you're the daughter of Khione, and snow and ice...is kinda the thing of your cabin... So.. What better than crystal for your weapon... I got your measurements from previous records of you using bows from the armory... but...I didn't carve the deign in yet. I wanted to make sure it was weighted correctly for you." Tabitha looked at him, worried. "Would you try it? Once I know it's the proper size and weight...I can start carving the design in..."

((this was okay'd by Zan :D))

Reigh stared at the bow with an awe struck face. "Oh yeah sure." He muttered out hastily. He strung the bow quickly. He had to fiddle with the tightness of the weapon before stress ing the string. Looking at her he pointed to the crystal bow. "How did you come up with this?" He asked standing and standing in a shooting position that fit his structure perfectly. Easing down he sat the bow down in the box and wrapped his arks around her. "Thank you, it so amazing you made it, how could I pay you back.for your work?"

"It's..Kind of something I came up with...and am not ready to share yet...." she ran her hands through her loose hair, her eyes on him. "But lots of trail and error." Leaning into his hug, she sighed, smiling. "You don't have to. I said I'd make you a bow, and I made you a bow...I think it's a decent gift for the first guy who's ever kissed me." Tabitha was a brilliant shade of red under her freckles. "I also baked a strawberry pie..."

His face tinged a few shades. "Oh.." His thoughts blured for a second. He loosed his arms up a bit. "Pie?" His stomach working just a little faster then his brain. He felt just a small bit bad for not doing nearly as much for her. He'd make it up to her though.

Settling into a comfortable seated position, Tabitha reached into the basket, and pulled out the pie, still warm and smelling strongly. It had strawberries, sliced into thin slices layered inside for a strong scented filling. Also with the pie, she pulled out ice cream, kept cool in some weird contraption. "It's home made..." She had all of her grandmother's old recipes, as well as her own. As prickly as she is, she made a mean pie.

Reigh smiled his mouth watering at the smell of it. He pulled the plates from the basket and some spoons. "Here, I'll do it." He reached over to slice the pie and dip it on to each plate and also adding large scoops of ice cream next to it.

Tabitha settled onto the floor, watching Reigh. She felt, relaxed around him, and that kind of scared her. "I really hope you like the ice cream..." It was chocolate flavored and sweet. The Hephaestus child took her plate, but did not take a bite yet, watching him with worried eyes. She had -never- baked for anyone before. Except the occasional offering for her father. Tabitha couldn't know if this was a date, or just a friendly thing. She'd never done such things. But her palms were sweating and her cheeks red. She really didn't want to make a fool of herself.

With a smile. "Icecream is my favorite, well next to coffee." He did have a rather interesting addiction to coffee. He spooned himself food. Eating the icecream and pie he felt the taste melt into his mouth. "This is amazing." Leaning back and relaxing into the sun light the found himself totally cool and at ease. He was enjoying the date.

Tabitha blushed. "I could make you coffee ice cream..." she mumbled, already coming up with the mixture for the flavored, caffeinated ice cream. It wouldn't be too difficult. Looking over at Reigh, the blond girl smiled, scooting closer. Stop being worried. Stop being worried. She had to chant it in her head as she finally settled right next to him, finishing her slice and swiping the leftover strawberry with her fingers, licking them off. Finally, she couldn't handle the pressure building in her chest and blurted out. "This is a date, right?" Scrunching her nose and closing her eyes she braced herself for the laughter.

He smiled at the thought. "Amazing." He finshed off his pie and icecream as she moved closer to him. A soft chuckle escaped him, "Of course it is." He reached down to kiss her quickly. Dipped his finger into strawberry filling left over on the plate and tapped it on her nose.

Tabitha's face turned as red as the strawberry juice, her eyes on him. Rubbing her nose, she looked more nervous than before, leaning against him. "I didn't think anyone would ever actually like me... This...is a weird feelings..." she mumbled, getting close and hugging him tightly. Tilting her head, she let her curly hair fall into her face to hide it.

Reigh hugged her closely. Rubbing her back he smiled. "Well I do, and trust me, I feel nervous too but I trust it." He tilted her face up and brushed the hair from her face, "Your going to her filling in your hair." He tryed to take her mind off it.

Looking up at him, she smiled. "I've had worse than that." she mumbled, leaning in and pressing her lips against his chin. "The forge is not the safest place for a girl's hair." She joked, trying to push her fear away. Up close, she smelled like orange shampoo, the kind you used to get grease out of your skin and hair. "Reigh... I think I like you..."

He knew it was true and when she kissed his chin he smiled and felt the blood tint his face.
He laughed softly inhaling her smell. "I think I want you to be my girlfriend, because I know I like you." Running his hand through her curcly blond her he could feel the glasses slipping dow his straight nose.

Tabitha gulped, turning red. Reaching up, she took off his glasses and leaned in, kissing him gently. She held their lips together for a few moments, before sitting back a bit, biting her lip. "You're going to have to increase your workout...I bake a lot for people I care about..." she said, sliding his glasses back onto his face. "I'll be your girlfriend..."

He kissed her back softly. When she pulled back he tryed not to look to closely. "Haha. I'll do that, I don't want to lose my figure." He blinked able to fouce and smiled brightly at her. Truth be told he wasn't the buffest guy here, but he was very toned.

"I'm...not sure how to be a girlfriend though, so you'll have to bear with me. Think you can do that?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I mean... what do we do together, how am I supposed to act. Gods I hate social stuff." she grumped, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I'm just going to wing it. Lets go swimming or something." she leaned back. "But I have to work the forge sometime today. And I want to put the designs on your bow."

He sighed rubbing her back. "Just do what you feel." When he stood up he grabbed her hand to help her up in politeness. "I'd like to go. But I'll keep in mind you have to work." Clearing up everything he made sure to get everything back into the basket. "I want you to tell me five things about yourself, you haven't told me yet."

Tabitha thought for a moment. Five things. "I love the color of bronze, my favorite animal is a corn snake, I like listening to classical music, despite being a Hephaestus child, I love snowy months because I've always liked playing in it, and I'm a year-round camper." she offered the five facts, looking at him, hoping they were acceptable. "What about you?" she asked, having not let go of his hand after helping her up, lacing their fingers. "Five things."

He smiled thinking, "I can't see hardly at all without my glasses, I love classic rock and jazz, I always wanted to have a pet bear, when I was 8 I would lay down in the snow in a pair of shorts and my numbers would call people, and I have only got detention once." He stated trying to come up with a few things.

Tabitha smiled, lacing their fingers together. "I would think a bear would be an expensive pet." she pondered, leaning on him. "But pretty snuggley. I'm going to have to snowsuit up in the winter though. I am more intune with the heat of the forge." she said, leaning in, blushing. "You know...all things considered...we probably shouldn't like each other..." she said shyly.