[Private] It's all said and done

jonathan wyatt adams son of aphrodite

“

Jonathan nearly slipped on Cabin 10's doorway, his coat only half-buttoned and his scarf hanging loosely around his neck. His cheeks were a light shade of pink thanks to the cold winter breeze and he was out of breath, mostly because he had just been out swordfighting. Not to mention that he also ran the whole way back to the cabin. It wasn't originally his plan to come back at an early time but a few of his siblings confronted him in the arena, complaining about how his co-cabin leader threw them out of the cabin. He really didn't want to have to talk to Iris since that incident, wanting to give her some space to cool down, but he was left with no choice. He definitely couldn't ignore his siblings' protests especially when he noticed how one of them wasn't even well-dressed for the cold and looked like she would be catching hypothermia or something. He had sent them to the infirmary to keep warm but as he walked away, he could still hear snatches of their hushed conversation. Something about how picking Iris to be his Co was the worst idea ever.

Although Jonathan wouldn't admit it, the whispers behind his back unnerved him a little. How long had his siblings been saying things like that behind his back? The thought sent shivers down his spine. Had they regretted voting him to be cabin leader? But then, he couldn't really blame them if they did. He was trying to do his best, but it didn't look like his best was doing to cover it. How could he have let himself be elected? He should've backed down. Then he couldn't have worried about it all, about how he had let his siblings down. That was why he had asked Iris to be his Co. It was a shocking decision for most, knowing how Iris can be, but he needed her help. They were totally different, and that was what Jonathan had been banking on. They had different perspectives, different opinions, and it allowed him to see things that he couldn't have spotted himself and deep down, he hoped that it went the same way for her. He honestly believed that being a leader could do her some good and in some ways, do him good as well. Maybe his plan didn't work out. Maybe this was going to be one of the decisions where he would kick himself later for having even considered it. Stop thinking like that, he thought sharply. No wonder he felt lousy. How could he continue to put himself down?

Gritting his teeth at the cold, Jonathan finally pushed the door open and entered, only to stop and stare at the vast amounts of paper littered across the living room floor. It didn't help that his damp boots made darker prints on the lush carpet. He didn't need to wonder about how Iris would react if he managed to step on any of these important-looking papers, much less get them soaked. Swallowing back a gulp, Jonathan stayed rooted to the floor as he stared at the frustrated girl. Guilt nibbled at the edges of his conscience. Cabin leader duties were taking a toll on her, and he was pretty sure that she blamed him for that. After all, he could see from her face that she wanted to decline the job at first. It gave him the feeling of having forced her into it, and he didn't like that one bit.

"Hey," Jonathan said, caution in his tone. He started to walk, keeping his dripping wet form close to the walls to avoid the papers which, on closer look, bore schedules that were written English. So Iris still stuck to her original plan after all. It was one of the things that Jonathan liked about her - her determination. How she wouldn't give up so easily. He knew that it could land her in more troublesome situations than good, but still.

He carefully slipped out of his coat and hung it on the coat rack to dry. Sneaking a glance at her, Jonathan hoped for the best before continuing, "Terence told me you sent them out."

jonathan wyatt adams son of aphrodite

“

Jonathan was already seated by the fireplace to dry himself off by the time Iris finished speaking. He cringed a little, recalling the meeting in perfect clarity. If anything, he thought it was his fault. That he was the one who made them look bad. After all, if he hadn't made clear how he disagreed with Iris, maybe this wouldn't have happened. "I wouldn't call that 'petty and stupid.' Disagreeing with people doesn't make you stupid, y'know," he said, following her gaze to the window. "Else that would make all of us idiots."

Jonathan picked up a stray sheet of paper and frowned at the letters floating off the page. Why did Iris have to write in English? Ancient Greek was ten times easier to write and read. But then, it was a mark of how hard she had to work to come up with these. "Why would I want to remove you? I doubt it's because you're not feeling up to the job because I'm pretty sure you've done way more as a cabin leader than I did." He cracked a smile, meaning it. "Remember the sleepover? If I remember correctly, our siblings loved it. Wasn't that your idea?" he chuckled, realizing with a jolt that he had been about to fold one of her precious schedules into an airplane. Knowing full well how Iris would've bitten his head off for that, he carefully placed the sheet back on the floor and for good measure, started stacking the papers. Maybe it was just an Aphrodite thing, but Jonathan didn't particularly like being messy.

"I'm not going to take this job away from you," he announced firmly. "But if you think it's too much, you're free to resign." His voice wavered a little. Would Iris seriously consider resigning? He shouldn't fault her for that, he reminded himself. He couldn't force her to do something she didn't even like doing (even if he already thought he did). After all, it wasn't like he could charmspeak her into resigning even if he wanted.

Straightening up with a small pile of papers in his arms, Jonathan remembered something and cast her a look of concern. "By the way, is your head still hurting?"

jonathan wyatt adams son of aphrodite

“

Jonathan sighed, arranging the papers in his arms into neat piles. Leave it to Iris to ask the question he tried to dodge above all. He supposed that she would've asked him sooner or later anyway. Frankly, he couldn't understand why he dreaded it. It wasn't like he couldn't answer it. Maybe now, being finally asked about it, it made him realize just what was so hard in such a simple question. And he was right; it wasn't the answer that made him hesitate. The problem lied in how he delivered it. In how to make Iris understand his reasoning.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time -" he cut off, realizing how that phrase could turn things around for the worse. "Well, not that it isn't a good idea now - I didn't mean that in a bad way! It's just that... I think you could be a good leader if you were given the chance."

Gods, how incredibly corny.

"And, well, you see things differently than I do," Jonathan continued, drawing closer to her. "I just thought it'd be a good combination if we were to work together. We have our differences, I know, but it means that you can see things I don't, and it can also go the other way around. I guess you can say that it's like being each other's critic."

Jonathan huffed, frustrated at himself. Would Iris snap at him for the things he was saying? More importantly, would she get his point? "I'm not making sense, am I?" he said, the slightest hints of irritation showing in his tone.

Then a grin lit up his features as he remembered.

"Yes, we did the sleepover together. So that must mean that we make a good team, see?" He was smiling now, hoping that she would at least return this one. Any form of encouragement would make him happy at this point, although with Iris, it didn't seem like his chances were high. Still, there remained a chance, no matter how small. And Jonathan was banking on that.