what a thing to've done [private]

Ever since his earlier trip to the Ski Lodge, Topher had found himself enjoying winter-themed activities. Usually the young demigod would limit himself to water sports, but after he decided to expand his horizons and try out other hobbies, he was surprised to be enjoying himself more than often. Although, he'd always been more of a summer-person, he'd finally find something to look forward to when December rolls by.

Previously, he would've been anxious about sledding. Rolling down a hill had never seemed appealing to the son of Thaumas. But after trying out skiing and snowboarding, why not try sledding? He'd pulled out a warm outfit, consisting of a sweater, coat, jeans, and a beanie, he'd set out for the sledding hill, which campers pulled out specifically for the cold season.

Back home in Australia, he had never experienced snow. He remembered his first memory of digging his gloved hands into the cool ice, rubbing his fingers together before they melted in his palms. That's when he realized that snow and ice weren't completely different. But Topher still preferred basking in the heat of the sun that freezing his ass off in the snow.

After making a quit detour to borrow a sled from his buddy in Cabin 10, he'd headed straight to the hill. Various campers were sliding down the white hill, screaming as they plummeted to the bottom. He trudged to the top of the hill before he eased onto the sled and pushed himself downwards.

The cool air whipped at his face and he could feel a grin grow on his face. His heartbeat thumped in his ears as the ground approached. He came to a halt right next to other campers. Jumping off the sled, he slipped his beanie off, shaking any unwanted particles of snow off his brown hair. He glanced up to see a girl who'd started to speaking to him.

"Yeah. It was great," he agreed, his eyes shifted from the hill to the fellow demigod. When he'd finally gotten a good look at her, he felt his breath hitch in his throat. She was pretty, definitely model material. Topher was pretty sure he has seen her around camp before. His mind raced, trying to put a name to the face. "Sasha Perry? Cabin 1?"

Taken aback by Sasha's awareness of his identity and his place of residence, Topher merely nodded in awe. It was like those moments wherein someone looks extremely attractive that the words die in your mouth, leaving you speechless. He had to bite his lip to snap himself back to reality as he nodded in agreement. "Yes and yes," he said, referring to both of her inquiries. "I go by Topher, though," he introduced himself, shaking the back of his head with a mittened hand. Although the two were the same age, he was towering over here by only a few inches or so. He would've been shocked if he learnt that she hadn't been considered to become a model, nor aspire to be one. Good looks shouldn't go to waste, just like that. In his own defense, he'd been approached by some people asking if he'd like to be a model. Every answer was the same. He'd shake his head lightly and politely decline. The idea of posing in front of a camera as a profession just didn't appeal to the sixteen year old.

"Oh, c'mon? Seriously? A kid of one of the Big Three? It sounds so awesome. Try being stuck with an unknown god of the seas," he'd added lightly. Topher couldn't help but think that his father, well, was kinda lame. While some minor gods got their own cabins, he was stuck in Hera's cabin since Thaumas didn't have enough children to fill a whole cabin. He enjoyed socializing with other demigods, since it was nearly impossible to get lonely when you have other children of other minor gods around, but sometimes he'd wish that whenever he'd introduce himself, someone would go, "Thaumas, really? You are so lucky!" Unfortunately, the thought was far-fetched. Hardly anyone thought that having a minor god as your parent was cool. Everyone considered being a child of one of the Big Three was an honor. But hey, Topher wasn't really bitter about it.

"It isn't my thing either." Topher nodded. Sasha seemed like one of those girls whose words were never meaningless. Smart. He liked that trait in the opposite sex. He couldn't help but hang on to every word that escaped her lips, nodding here and there to assure her that he was listening. "Gods, yeah. If given the chance to pick summer or winter, I'd pick summer any day. Plenty of time to hit the waves, y'know? One of the few things I like about winter is the fact that Starbucks comes out with three of the best flavors of coffee," he admitted sheepishly.

Topher certainly wasn't expecting to meet a good looking girl when he came to sled, but he wasn't complaining. If he were to pick between sledding and conversing with Sasha, he'd pick his new friend without any hesitation. Sure, she was pretty, but it wasn't like he stood a chance with her. Seriously. With that killer smile and dazzling blue eyes? Might as well try to go for a Victoria's Secret model while he was at it. He flushed when she complimented his nickname, although he color wasn't evident due to the cold. "We'll find a cute nickname for you. Don't worry." he winked, liking the idea of the two having exclusive pet names for each other.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, a smirk replacing his previous smile. Topher tried to picture Sasha all dolled up in a princess outfit, a tiara centered on the crown of her head. It wasn't necessarily fitting, but she would look so much better decked out in those superhero costumes. "That's true. Princesses are overrated. You'd look so much better in a batgirl outfit," he teased, voicing his thoughts. He shifted his weight to his other foot, biting his lip. "My dad's Thaumas. Ring a bell?" Topher was pretty sure that she didn't know him. His father was usually outshined by Sasha's uncle, Poseidon. The sixteen year old couldn't help but grin at the wicked glint in Sasha's eyes, the reason unknown.

Jumping at her reaction, Topher chuckled at her reaction. It was easy to forget about the franchise when you were too busy battling ancient monsters. He watched as Sasha slid her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small rectangular card. "You're willing to spend your 25-dollar gift card on a boy you barely know? How flattering." he batted his eyes jokingly. "I'll drive you, if you want. It's the least I could do, but I'm going to have to pay you back, in some other form." It was a lame excuse to see her again. He was truly enjoying Sasha's company and wanted to hang out with her later on. Something told him that the two would make great friends.

"Peppermint Mocha's my favorite too. Toffee Nut isn't that far behind, though. Their cinnamon rolls aren't so bad either." It was obvious how much of a Starbucks addict Topher was. As the two steered away from all the talk about god parents, their conversation was starting to turn… normal. It was definitely different for him, but it was a nice change.

Topher liked the idea of getting close to Sasha. She was really easy to talk to and it would help him get used to her good looks. He'd rather not run into her and end up having nothing to say. "I'm pretty sure I can think of something," Topher assured her, cocking his head to the side. He had a soft smirk playing on his lips as his eyes floated from Sasha's striking eyes to her dainty heart-shaped lips, which she caught with her teeth. Something about Sasha intrigued him. Generally, she was friendly and really pretty, but there was something mysterious about her. He shook the thoughts away as he stifled a chuckle. "Oh, you don't have to do anything stupid. Trust me." he smiled. He wouldn't have dubbed Sasha as the type to be a klutz. Neither was he, but he had some embarrassing moments here and there. Stories that he'd rather not dwell on.

"I'd rather be your Superman instead." he winked, unsuccessfully dodging the ball of snow thrown by his new friend. He shook some particles off his hair, grinning mischievously at her. It was shameless flirting, nothing serious. It was part of his nature; he couldn't help but flirt with a pretty girl, although she was way out of his league. However, he was slightly surprised when she said that she has heard of him. His mouth formed a small frown when she talked about disliking her uncles. He didn't quite understand what she meant, but that didn't stop him from listening to what she said next. Topher was impressed by what she had said, an immediate smile growing on his face when she finished. "No, no. It's fine. It's better than talking to a dull girl, eh?"

Topher slipped his black beanie back on his head. "I'm glad you'd blow that on me though," he told her, a grin settling on his face. "The idea doesn't seem so bad. I'm definitely up for it." He felt the blush returning to his cheeks. It was easy to forget about reality when he was around someone he enjoyed talking to. He hadn't realized that he was rambling until she pointed it out. [color=#0f5b5f]"Starbucks is heavenly." he nodded, looking out at the snow as he reminisced about his early memories. Some demigods came, some left. It was like that in Camp Half-Blood. Once you get older, there would have to be a point in time wherein you leave. He still didn't know what would happen after Camp Half-Blood and frankly, he'd rather not think about it.

His eyes flickered back to Sasha's face. "I like you too, Sasha," he whispered, the heat rushing to his cheeks. Having a pretty girl compliment him always brought out the little dork hidden inside of the sixteen year old's body. The redness of his cheeks stood out from his naturally tanned skin, which got even worse when she smiled at him. He noticed the cloudiness in her eyes vanish and her smile was truly genuine. Topher liked her company and it would be unfortunate if some turmoil managed to weave its way to their newfound friendship. Although he had many friends in his life, Topher knew that Sasha was one he'd never forget.

Topher tried to refrain his heartbeat from accelerating when Sasha countered his little flirty remark. He needed to get his head out of the clouds and stop coming up with strange ideas. She clearly didn't show any interest, so why should he? For all he knew, Sasha merely saw him as a friend. But still, he liked to look into those piercing azure eyes and the faint smell of her hair which he had caught when the wind blowed softly was enticing. There was no foul play in what he was doing, anyway. His intentions meant no harm and hopefully she'd see that as well. It may have been clear as day how much Sasha's actions affected him as his heart started to beat rapidly. "I hope someday isn't that far away, then, batgirl," he teased, pushing Sasha's bronze hair away from her face. He smiled warmly at the daughter of Zeus. "Anytime. However, I'll have you know if you expect me to prattle on about molecular gastronomy, you'll be very disappointed," he joked.

"I feel extremely honored," chuckled Topher, placing a hand on his chest dramatically. "Even better than winning an Oscar," he added. Topher wondered what her hushed comment meant, but part of him urged not to dwell on it.

No words were exchanged for a short amount of time and he was starting to grow anxious that it was the end of the pair's conversation. He was taken aback when she stood up, grabbing his wrist in the process, bringing himself to his feet as well. Sasha picked up her sled and with a wicked grin, he spoke, "Let's do it." He adjusted their hands, so that hers was firmly enveloped in his. Nothing serious, he reminded himself. Topher pulled her up to the hill and even at the top, the smile never left his face. "Ladies first," he offered, allowing Sasha to settle herself on the sled before he did.

Topher tried to ignore the tingles that erupted on the surface of his skin when he held Sasha's hand. He tried to ignore the smile threatening to break out on his face, but he couldn't quite shake the feeling off. All his life, it was constantly him who had to make the effort to befriend people. Having Sasha do the same was a nice change.

His lips twisted into a mock pout. "If you tell me to get out, you'll have no one to chat with about all the glory that is Starbucks," he teased. He liked the feeling of having an exclusive joke with someone. It was something the two could joke about and no one would understand, such as pet nicknames. The problem with having as many friends as Topher had was that he wasn't relatively close with some of them. They were just his friends, nothing more. He rarely had best friends, but maybe Sasha would be one of the few whom he considered his best friend.

"Oh," Topher scoffed, fixing himself behind Sasha. He rested his legs on either side of her and wrapped his arms around his waist. The gesture was enough to make him grin like an idiot. He leaned in, resting his chin on her shoulder to whisper in her ear, "I live for speed." The sled rushed down the hill, going faster than earlier. Topher could barely keep his eyes open as the wind howled in his face. He shook with laughter when his companion screamed excitedly. Sasha glanced back at him with those striking cobalt eyes and he couldn't help but grin back. He felt her shift a little, the proximity closer than before. In response, he held her a little tighter.

The cold kiss of air nipped at Topher's nose as the sled rushed down the hill. His heartbeat was thumping in his ears, adrenaline coursing through his veins. The feeling was great; having your arms wrapped around a pretty girl while your heart hammered in your chest. He tried to sneak a peek at Sasha's face, however her back was completely turned, shielding her from his view. "I trust you, Sasha," he said in her ear. With the wind howling, he had hoped that his voice was smooth and clear. "You won't. I trust you." Topher knew there was not an ounce of evil in Sasha. Within the short span that they've gotten to know each other, he had concluded that she was generally a nice girl, but there was something about her that made her different than all the other girls in Camp Half-Blood. The idea intrigued him even more. It made him want to know his new friend as more than just the daughter of Zeus.

His grip tightened around her, the fear of letting her go suddenly arising. Topher would never forgive himself if something bad happened to her while he was around. It was his fatal flaw; to want to be everyone's superhero. He needed to convince himself not to carry the burden of everyone's problems on his shoulder, but he couldn't help himself. The thought of something unfortunate happening to Sasha and the possibility that Topher couldn't do anything about it made him shudder. The image of his new friend, laying on the pavement came into mind. Her once striking blue eyes were wide and emotionless, and no breath escaped his lips. His breath caught in his throat as he leaned closer to her in fear. He wouldn't let that happen. Topher wouldn't allow that.

Sasha steered the sled sharply to the left, changing their direction suddenly. As the sled spun around, he found himself holding himself tighter to her, hoping that he wasn't causing her pain. She turned around and grinned widely, their faces close together. All it took was for him to lean in and he would've caught her lips in a kiss, but they just met, and Topher didn't want to scare her away nor rush into things. His face was flushed from the cold and the thought, but he allowed himself to smile in return. "You're welcome."

Topher didn't want the day to end. Although the two had promised to meet up soon in the mortal world, he couldn't shake off the feeling of parting ways. The two were neighbors, yes, but privacy was a rare thing back in the cabins. Hopefully their little hang-out would be soon since he hardly could wait. With Sasha entering his life, winter seemed to get a whole lot warmer now.

Topher's heartbeat hammered in his chest when the proximity between the two lessened. Part of him urged him to close the distance and kiss her, but another part told him to lean away. Although they just met, it seemed so much longer to the son of Thaumas. He felt like he has known her for so long, when in truth, they just met earlier that day. He was curious about the taste of her lips. Would they be sweet, like her smile, or have a hint of spiciness, like her alluring ways? His azure eyes were so focused on her heart-shaped lips that he hadn't realized that they started to move. Immediately, his gaze averted to her cobalt eyes. He turned around to see what she was pointing at, which was Thalia's pine. When he turned back, he was surprised to see her holding her Starbucks card.

"It's a date then," he said confidently, grinning at her from ear-to-ear. He chuckled when she awkwardly patted him on the shoulder, his hand stealthily grabbing hers, using it to pull his friend closer before he snaked his arms around her and he enveloped her in a hug. He breathed in her scent, the sweet aroma filling his nose. "You're welcome," he murmured in her ear, pulling back to flash her another smile. "Tomorrow, then. I hope you don't stand me up," he teased. Topher took a step closer to the daughter of Zeus and reached out to pull her hair away from her face, like he had done before. But this time, he leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. "Anytime, Sasha. Anytime you need me, I'll be there." it was every ounce of the truth. Topher treasured his friendships, but he could tell his with Sasha would be much more meaningful to him.