|| king for a day; jaye ||

i used to roll the dice

The apocalypse had changed everyone in Camp Half Blood's borders, anyone who said differently was just kidding themselves. Lives were lost, changed, and tainted with blood. As for Faye McJean, a member of cabin six, it had left a hole that wouldn't ever be filled. Friends and lovers were either dead or lost, mostly dead. She tried to keep it bottled up inside her, to be spilled out at her daily training sessions. Yet, the teenager couldn't help but be almost always under the weather. The demigod had gotten better, but better wasn't good enough.

Faye had been going through the motions, smiling when told to, but mostly sitting in her room alone and reading. Facts helped her forget what she had lost, usually. Sometimes her mind would take her to James, and she would look up at her door or window, wishing he would walk through like he used to. It was then that she had to remind herself that James wasn't coming back.

As she walked into her room after walking up some of the sleepier campers, she almost stepped on a piece of paper. Faye figured it was one of her bookmarks, and was about to throw it away when she saw handwriting on it that didn't belong to her.  Grey eyes quickly scanned over the paper, her eyes wide. James. A huge grin filled her face as she read it over once more, just to make sure she hadn't been imagining it. After determining that she wasn't insane, her smile faded and questions flooded into her head. Had he met someone else? Was he staying there for good?

None the less, she was going to the burial ground to see him. Faye grabbed a sweater, coat, and her boots, then headed out. The autumn air nipped at her face, making her cheeks red and her fingers numb. The cemetery was a long ways from cabin six, but it was worth the walk. As the gravestones came into view, an acidic feeling formed in her stomach. Vinnie was buried here. The Athenian had tried to avoid thoughts of him since the recent war, but her thoughts were always wandering about. However, most of the thoughts vanished at the sight of James.

Her feet didn't move any faster, and her eyes didn't light up, but she felt butterflies replace the acid. The demigod's face was still as she gave him a small smile. "Hey James." Faye's words almost got lost in the wind, they were spoken so softly. She often wondered if him hearing her say his name had any effect on him. The girl had longed to hear his voice, saying only her name, as it always sent a wave of glee through her body. She hadn't felt that in a while.

i used to roll the dice

His voice couldn't come fast enough, as she felt herself holding her breath awaiting a response. Anything would've sufficed for her, just the sound that he was still breathing was enough. Faye's grey eyes flicked up towards his, recognizing the smirk in his eyes immediately. Her name, just her name, was enough to cause the same wave of inner joy to spike through her. The tone of his voice was another thing; it was so alive.

She exhaled as a smile filled her face as she replayed the sound of his voice over again in her mind. The cockiness in James' tone seemed so ancient, but familiar and welcoming at the same time. Faye hadn't realized how much she had truly missed the sound of his voice. Feeling her self confidence fade as he gave her a quick once-over, she averted her gaze to the ground.

A chuckle escaped her chapped lips at his choice of words, before he rearranged them. A shade of bright red filled her cheeks, not just from the cold this time. "I'm actually kind of cold," Faye responded with a smile, her grey eyes flicking back up at him. She brushed a strand of her loose hair behind her ear, the crimson not leaving her face.

She analyzed his facial features, trying to think of the word to describe how he seemed. Handsome as ever... kissable, strong... alive? Faye couldn't quite find the right description. "It's nice to have you back, Carter," the demigod said with another laugh.

i used to roll the dice

Seeing James before her felt like opening a time capsule from the six months before the almost-end of the world. His smirk seemed to filled her up more than she had expected, partially because she didn't think he would be this good. To see him smiling, almost, and talking normally again was refreshing. Even with his lack of limbs, she thought James was better than ever before.

She rolled her eyes at his comment, almost not believing the direction the conversation took. James was acting like James again. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as he continued in his sarcastic remarks, as she stood still like a lovestruck fool. When she read the note, she knew some of his old self had to be back, but this? This was a miracle. "Mhm, a shame really," Faye remarked with a grin, joining in his laughter. She hadn't really laughed since back then, and it brought an old expression to her usually troubled features; hope. "No, not at all," the demigod agreed.

Her body felt like it was being drawn to him, like gravity was trying to tell her to hurry up and make her move before he left again. However, she resisted and stayed frozen in her position as the boy neared her. Faye's eyebrow raised at the mention of 'taking her out', trying to keep the emotion bubbling in her from bursting out, but failing as a dorky grin spread on her face. "I - uh," she stammered, brushing a strand of raven colored hair behind her ear. "No, you're my only loser," Faye said with a smirk. She had to remind herself to answer the question, as she opened her mouth to speak. For a second, no words came out. "I think I could take you up on that offer, I mean, unless you have another Nerd to tend to?"

i used to roll the dice

She covered her mouth as she heard the snort coming from him. Faye hadn't realized that she had been looking that stupid. The girl had been knowing to do stupid things, like staring and overrating, but she didn't normally have stupid smiles plastered over her face. The sense of gravity increased as he neared, the demigod fighting herself, resisting the urge to just touch him, and make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Faye exhaled rather loudly as he went behind her, trying to keep her poker face on. Unfortunately for her, she had a rather awful poker face. She simply nodded in agreement, trying to keep eye contact with the son of Ares. She tried to keep her mind clear and focused on the task at hand, keeping a normal conversation James. Yet, she felt butterflies filling her stomach and her heart rate quickening.

A gasp quickly escaped her lips as she felt an arm around her stomach, before a smile filled her face, a normal one this time, thank gods. She felt like sparks were passing over her stomach, as she kept contact with his neck as his head hovered over her. Faye would normally despise being this short, but having his breath on her ear sent shivers down her spine. "Yeah, totally fine," she breathed softly. The demigod hadn't realized how much she had missed contact, not just with James, but with people. Ever since the end of the apocalypse, Faye hadn't touched anyone. Contact made her seem violated, but this, this was different.