little things [private]

Morgan didn't know how it was possible, honestly. You weren't supposed to be able to cheat death, but obviously the daughter of Zeus had, because she was above the underworld, walking in fresh air for the first time in a little over three months. She had a flower clenched tightly in her right hand, and her ridiculously blue sweatshirt covered her dull black tank top. She had been wearing shorts when she died, and that's what she had to wear now, though it was cold outside and she shivered as she walked. Her strides were full of purpose, and she walked swiftly towards her old cabin, the one that had too many memories, but still just enough to call for her. It called a name, too, though it wasn't her name. "Will." She kept hearing her own voice repeat the word, though it was faint, and she knew she was likely just getting her own hopes up to be let down. Will had a serious drug problem, and anything could have happened to him over the corse of three months.

Anything.

Morgan shook the thought out of her head. Best case scenario, Will had moved on and found some sort of way to be happy while she lived in her dark coma down in the underworld. She remembered none of her time in the dark, cave-like hell. She didn't even remember what it felt like to die. Nothing had scarred her, but a deep longing to see her old boyfriend had filled her with real purpose. Her sad excuse for a mom was dead. That thought would sink in eventually, and Morgan would hurt, but she didn't want to hurt right then. She wanted to feel happy. Her strides widened, and soon she was sprinting to Cabin 1, too flustered to walk any longer. The flower she had was blue as well, with a very vibrant yellow center. She had been mesmerized to find it in her hand when she woke up, and she hadn't let go of it since.

The door came into view, and Morgan stepped inside, her blonde hair falling in her face and her skin much paler than it had been before she died. She was skinnier, but not by much, and her old baby fat was gone mostly gone. She still looked young, but she looked mature as well. It wasn't the same look, but it was the same Morgan. Unlike with children like Hale Drem, dying hadn't changed the Spyro much. She hadn't been through torture like he had. She just felt lonely. Out of breath, Morgan stopped in the middle of the cabin and grabbed onto a post. "William Michaels! Will?" she shouted, trying to make her voice carry. She leaned against the wooden support beam and sighed. Her knuckles were white from balling into such tigh fists—one holding a flower, the other holding onto some support. Her legs were weak. She wasn't in as good of shape as she had been, but none of that mattered anymore. All that mattered was the boy who she wanted to see happy. Will. "Guess what!" she shouted excitedly, though she couldn't giggle like she wanted to. She was tired, and weary, and trying her best not to get her hopes up.

She would be able to take disappointment, but she wouldn't be able to take not seeing the grandson of Zeus.

but you're perfect to me

Morgan felt a little ridiculous having not seen Will, but that thought lasted for about two seconds. She couldn't force herself to think about anything but how much the tall boy glowed. He looked better than she'd ever seen him. When she'd first met Will, his son had recently died, and his love was gone forever, and his mom seemed to step between life and death as she wished. He had only gotten worse. She had loved him, but he had gotten bad. Now, he looked healthy, and strong again. And she looked small, and her hair looked less golden, and she felt inferior, but this wasn't a beauty contest; it didn't matter.

"Will—" she whimpered, though a smile crept onto her sunken face. She looked weak, but she felt strong, and that feeling gave her a little bit of courage. "Will." Morgan sounded more sure of herself as she repeated his name, and without thinking it over again, she ran to him, tears falling down her face and a smile as bright as the sun forming on her lips. Without thinking, she lunged into Will, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing. "Will, Will, Will." Morgan squeezed her eyes shut and let herself cry. She was both happy and sad, and though she didn't know how that could be, she accepted it. Her forehead pressed into Will's chest, and for the first time she realized he didn't have his shirt on. Immediately, she pulled away, wiping her eyes and sniffling, crying, sobbing, though she was sporting a small smile. She set her flower down on nearby stand and couldn't fight the urge to cling to Will again. She hugged him gently, confused by what she was feeling, and not caring whether or not Will was involved with anyone. For a moment, she was going to let herself love him. She could spare a moment.

but you're perfect to me

"So am I," Morgan admitted with a shrug. "It was like I just woke up. From death." The girl had an awkward urge to keep crying, so she did, even when he began kissing her head. It was very in character for the boy to start apologizing, so she wasn't surprised. She would correct him, but first, she sighed contently. "I'm okay, nothing was your fault. You're okay. I've never... I've never seen you okay."

Morgan pulled away from Will, a knowing smile on her somewhat bright face. "I lo...love you, too, Michaels." She was slightly caught off guard, but giggled when she realized Will had told her he hadn't flirted with other girls. What had rehab really been like? "I'm so proud of you, Will." Morgan shivered at Will's touch and closed the space between them, placing her lips softly on the boy's. She broke the kiss in order to keep talking, smiling as if everything that had recently occurred was nothing odd. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me," the daughter of Zeus's eyes sparkled with sincerity. "I was afraid you wouldn't be okay." Morgan bit her lip but grinned, her heart fluttering because of the old cabin leader.

but you're perfect to me

Morgan rolled her eyes and shoved Will gently. "Show her off." She didn't exactly look too hot at the moment. Still, she smiled sadly, her eyes glimmered in the small amount of light reaching the naturally lit room. The sun's rays shined almost perfectly in the upstairs room, and for once, it wasn't raining while the two were together. That had once been a reoccurring problem, way back when... "Sure, why not, let's do it." Morgan gave in and chuckled. "Let's do it." That had sounded a lot dirtier than she had intended.

Morgan raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Lobster? I can't... How could I pay you back for something like—" Morgan cut herself off as Will explained he had connections. You know, he honestly behaved more like Zeus, but the boy was still a Hermes descendant, and also a Zan descendant, so it didn't really surprise her that Will knew some people. "I didn't know you had these kinds of connections. I'm pleasantly surprised. Score one for Will." The daughter of Zeus fiddled with her thumbs as she trying to remember where her clothes would be. Most of them had probably been thrown out, but hopefully they had kept her blue dress, the one she had worn to the chb-style prom so many months ago. It felt like years... That was before she had even been official with her boyfriend. There had been a time when she had friends and could talk someone's ear off, but times had changed and now all she really had was Will, and that made her feel more reserved and drove her to listen a little more than she talked. Before she had died or whatever, people had started coming to her as if she was some sort of mother who could look after them. Most of the kids at camp lacked parents, and so Morgan figured it must have been her job to help them if they ever did need her. Now, though, after waking up, she didn't trust herself. She would never trust herself with becoming "Mama Morgan" again. The demigod was going to have enough trouble getting over the fact that things had changed, people had moved on, and life hadn't stopped for her—for anyone. "I can find my dress. It's probably in someone else's closet." She blushed at the likely true statement and stood almost awkwardly in the room.

She wanted to cry again. She wasn't sure what emotion she was feeling, but it drove her to wrap her arms around Will, both protectively and seeking protection. She didn't say anything. She was too confused to speak, but before she went to pretty herself up, she needed a moment.

but you're perfect to me

Morgan shook her head for no real reason, fighting her inner pain and the new scars. The things she had just suddenly... woken up with. The things that because of one bad decision, she was going to have to live with. Morgan felt small and weak, even as she held Will. "Sure," she squeaked. Her voice came out barely above a whisper, and her ears buzzed with ominous clatter. "Yeah, sure, thanks." Morgan raised her voice and sat down on the boy's bed. She forced a smile as he checked on her one last time, but once her boyfriend was gone, the daughter of Zeus let herself lay down and shut her eyes. She could hear thunder, even though it wasn't raining. She could see the sun even though her eye were closed. She felt like she was floating, even though she wasn't. She could be, if she tried hard enough, but she was in no condition to fly.

After thinking it over, Morgan disappeared into the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was very pale and under her dull eyes were grey rings. She could cover that up, and make herself look less pale, but as she studied her arms, she realized she had lost a considerable amount of weight. Her hair was more brown than it had ever been. She looked tired, right down to the core. There were things about her now that she couldn't cover up.

Upon hearing Will, Morgan fled the bathroom and sat back on his bed. She didn't want him to see her the way she now saw herself. Crumpled up. Ruined. "Really?" she asked, playing along. "Well show me!" Morgan forced another smile as she fought the image of her odd appearance from her head. She was changed. She looked gross now. Why couldn't she still be pretty? And why was she left with so little? Why had she woken up to find a happy, but weaker form of Will, and a dead form of her mother, and very little flesh left between her skin and bones? She hadn't done anything wrong. She had made the decision to put herself between Will and a sword. She didn't blame anyone for it. Still, why had it happened? She needed to be grateful, because Will was so healthy, but she wasn't healthy, and she couldn't stay the object of someone's love while looking like the stepsister.

but you're perfect to me