#feelsville

            It was a nice day out…Or at least it looked like it from the cabin window. My bed was pressed up right next to the window because I demanded that it be so. I loved waking up and being able to see the sun first thing. I sat on my bed, hugging my knees. I pulled the sleeves of my oversized pullover and placed my hand under my chin, watching as other campers strolled by the Hades cabin without a glance. I sighed as younger campers ran by the cabin, being scared off by it’s dark stature and deathly aura. The feel of the cabin didn’t bug other open minded and older campers which I was grateful for. I felt a big hand rub my back which brought a smile to my face. I turned my head and looked down at Jeremy who was laying down right beside me. His brown curls were a mess on top of his head and his green eyes were half closed. “Hey…” He mumbled, his voice deep and low. It was a bit raspy since he just woke up which made him even more adorable.

            I smiled as he continued to stroke my back. “Good morning, sleepy.” I grinned, pushing some hair behind my ear. He tugged at my sweater and smiled weakly. “Come down here.” He said, making a small ‘Come Here’ motion with his fingers. I obliged with a giggle and laid back down, my head on his arm and my arm draped over his chest. I touched his face and kissed him. I wrinkled my nose at him and just looked into his eyes after we kissed. “Did you sleep well?” I asked, moving closer to him. He rubbed his eyes and replied, “I did…Considering I’m still in my jeans.”

            “Oops.” I apologized with a smile and a bite of my lip. “You could’ve taken them off if they were uncomfortable.”

“Well, I would’ve if you weren’t sleeping on top of me the whole night.”

“You should’ve pushed me off.”

“Why would I have done that? You were so cute even if you do snore.”

“I do not snore!”

“Yes, you do.” He laughed and then made an imitation of me snoring. I got up and grabbed my pillow. I stood above him on the bed, holding my pillow up dangerously. “Take it back, Dockwell.” He looked up at me and laughed. “Nice undies, McMahon.”

            I looked down and realized I really was in my underwear. The pullover was big enough to cover it but not when I was standing over him. I couldn’t care less though. “Thank you. They have Wonder Woman on them.” I replied with a smirk. “They cost me a pretty penny too.” He smiled up at me with that look on his face which told me he was thinking of something completely inappropriate. “Oh, I bet they did.” He agreed, raising his eyebrows up and down in quick succession. At that moment, I brought down my fluffy fury with the pillow in my hands right on his face. He yelped then laughed loudly before grabbing my legs and knocking me back down on the bed. Before I could register what was going on, he was on top of me with a victorious smirk. “I win.” I then saw the flash in his eye, one that showed me how happy he was to say those words. I smiled and submitted in defeat even though I had a lot of fight left in me. I gave up because he won and it was the first time he’s won in a long time. I didn’t want to take that away from him, even if we were playing.

            “Okay, I surrender.” I said dramatically. “Do with me what you will but know this---” His lips found their way to mine and I couldn’t help but smile as he kissed me. His kisses were passionate and real. I could feel how much he loved me from the way he kissed me. It wasn’t lusty and hesitant. Every time I kissed him it was like we were falling in love all over again and I never ever wanted to kiss anyone else but him. But this whole moment soon crashed and burned when the curtain around my section of the cabin was pulled back. It revealed a very ticked off Nico and very tired Skyler.

            Nico stood there, his arms across his chest giving Jeremy the ‘I’m-Her-Brother-You-Better-Watch-Yourself’ look. Then there was Skyler who was just looking around the room. “Is there a fly in here?” She asked then shook her head. She began following something until she seemed to have spotted it. She clapped her hands in the air very loudly and then looked inside her hands. “Ha! Gotcha!” As that happened, Jeremy got off of me and sat up, pulling at his hair as he yawned. He wasn’t even acting like what just happened was awkward or strange. He just looked at me and announced, “I’m going to go to my cabin and change. I’ll meet you at the Pavilion.”

            I nodded and sat up planting a kiss on his lips as I replied, “See you then.” He smiled then got up and walked out saying, “Bye, Nico. Bye, Skyler.” Skyler had just gone to the bathroom and waved at him. “Bye, Jeremy.” She replied then went into the bathroom. “I call the bathroom.” I looked up at Nico with a big smile as Skyler shut the door. “MORNING BROTHER!” I exclaimed and held my arms out at him. He rolled his eyes and smirked. “Good morning, Rory.” He replied then walked away back to his section of the cabin. “Oh, and next time you guys wake me up with your…Whatever you guys were doing. I will kick him in the balls and toss him out face first.” Even though he was threatening me, he smiled. I returned the grin and responded, “And I’ll stop you before you even think about it.”

            I walked to the bathroom and rapped on the door. “Skyler, let me in.” I called through. It took a moment, but she allowed me in. I went over to the sink and began to brush my teeth as Skyler turned on the shower and looked at me with a huge grin. I spit the minty foam out and asked, “What?” She looked at me and attempted to feign innocence. “I’m not looking at you.” With the toothbrush in my mouth, I responded, “Yesh, you arrre. What iv it?” I turned around and lowered my face into the sink, spitting out the foam and rinsing off the toothbrush. “I’ve just never seen you so happy.” She admitted as I tied my hair up in a bun and began scrubbing my face clean of collected dirt during the night. “Jeremy’s a great guy. I feel like you guys really deserve each other.” I heard Sky shuffle behind me then close the curtain of the shower. There was a disturbance in the flow of water which made me think she had gotten in.

            I dried my face then released my hair from its bun, watching it fall onto my shoulders. The blonde tresses were flat and straight which meant that no matter how hard I tried, without a curling iron, I would not be able to fluff it up or make it look less lanky. But I didn’t really care because, well, this was camp. Not America’s Next Top Model. The green and pink highlights were still prominent which meant I didn’t need to re-dye it any time soon. “Do you think I should take a shower, Sky?” I asked, running a comb through my hair.

“Did you take a shower yesterday?”

“I did.”

“What time?”

“Um, just before Jeremy popped up at the door.”

“Yeah, I think I was asleep before that.”

“You were.”

“So what happened?”

“Nothing. He said he wanted to take a break from his cabin since it’s so crowded. He also said he just wanted to see me. So that’s how he ended up on our doorstep…That and walking.”

“Aw, cute.”

“Isn’t he?”

“So did anything explicit happen?”

This question shocked me. I turned and leaned against the sink top, my arms folded over my chest. “No. We didn’t have sex, if that’s what you’re asking.” I replied. I furrowed my eyebrows in thought and without even looking at me Skyler knew there was something on my mind.

            Sky’s head popped out between the curtains, her black hair piled atop her head with shampoo foam all over it. “What’s up?” She questioned. I looked at her and then expressed, “Well, nothing bad of course. I’m just thinking of how different it is this time. Every other person I’ve been with in the past was never interested in me emotionally. Actually, I don’t even think they cared about me at all. It was all about lust. Like, I’ve had sexual relations in the past but that’s it. Even with Ben it was about sex even if it didn’t go anywhere.” I began to move my hands the more I explained. “It’s always been sex the whole time. I’ve never actually been in a relationship. All I’ve ever had were one night stands and that’s it and it was technically only with two people! Karn and Apollo! That’s it!”

            I was breathing heavily by the time I was through ranting. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Sky smiled apologetically. “Well, this time I’m sure it’s different.” She ducked her head back into the shower. “For someone who’s never been in a relationship, you seem pretty good at being a partner. That’s a plus. So don’t stress. What’s in the past is in the past. Jeremy is your present and future right now. That’s all that matters.” I looked at the shower curtain and grinned realizing that Skyler was right. I chuckled then commented, “Has anyone told you that you are the greatest sister in the world?” Her hand popped out from between the curtains pointing at me with one finger as she boasted, “You just did.”

            I laughed then asked again, “So should I take a shower?” Sky pulled her hand back into the shower and then, guessing from the sound, she began squeezing conditioner into her hand. “No. I’m sure you’ll be fine as long as you put on some deodorant along with that chocolate lavender pomegranate, whatever it is, body spray.” She advised. “Hey, can I borrow your conditioner?” I laughed at the fact she was already using it. “Sure. And it’s Mrs. Shelly’s Chocolate Pomegranate Lavender Body Mist.” I informed with a smile. “It keeps me from smelling like death.” Her hand then appeared through the shower curtains again as she stated, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don’t you have a boyfriend to meet?”

            I shook my head with a smile and walked out the bathroom, exclaiming, “YOU POOP!” As the door shut I heard her shout, “I AM NOT A POOP!” I quickly changed into a pair of black shorts and a loose black tank top. I hopped around the room trying to put on my Converse which sparked a rude comment from Nico which I replied to simply with, “Shut up, you poop.” I trotted to the cabin door, excited to see Jeremy but even more excited to eat. When I opened the door though, a blast of cold wind hit me. “Ah! Cold! Perfect!” I exclaimed, quickly doubling back into the cabin for another one of my oversized pullovers. It was a knitted white one so if it got hotter, I would not sweat and die from a heatstroke.

            I skipped down the stairs of the cabin and walked down to the Pavilion. I stopped to say hi to many campers as they all greeted me with a smile. “Hey, Rory.” I heard Cassidy say as she walked by with Elijah. “Hey!” I smiled back, halfway to the Pavilion. I heard the loud voices of other Campers eating their breakfast as I approached. I made it through the doorway and scanned the tables for Jeremy but my attempts were in vain. I looked over at the Hermes table and saw Ben chomping on some cereal. I was about to raise my hand to say but then I saw him turn as Linda wrapped her arm around his. He smiled at her then kissed her deeply. I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous, but that disappeared as soon as I felt large arms circle my waist. A smile spread across my face as Jeremy kissed my cheek then whispered in my ear, “I collected some food. I sacrificed part of your share and part of my share. Come with me…It’s in a secret location.”

            Jeremy let go of me and then grabbed my hand. As we turned to leave, I saw Ben look at me. I couldn’t make out the expression on his face but he soon turned away and smiled at Linda who was chatting away with the Hermes cabin occupants. At the moment, I couldn’t care less about Ben and Linda. All that matter was the guy who was holding my hand and taking me somewhere I knew would be nice. This guy also had my heart and so far he had done nothing but treat it with care. I liked to think that I had his heart too. Jeremy didn’t let me stop to say hi or chat to anyone. He held my hand and held me close, a smile plastered on his face as we headed toward the equestrian fields. “I can’t believe you left our food unguarded!” I joked. “You, sir, are incompetent!” He scoffed and looked down at me as he stuffed his free hand into his pocket. “You don’t think I’m that dumb, do you?” He reassured. “I got some good guards for our breakfast.”

            His green eyes were much more noticeable due to the sunlight shining into them. His curly hair was no longer a hot mess but swooped attractively to the side. He had on a loose white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. “You’re not cold?” I questioned. He shook his head in response then stopped in his tracks. “Okay, don’t look.” He positioned himself behind me, placing his hand over my eyes. “Oh my god, why do I feel like you’re leading me to my death?” I laughed as he began leading me to wherever the heck we were going. “Because I am! MWHAHAHA!” He exclaimed as we continued walking forward. “You derp.” was all I could reply before I nearly tripped over something.

            “AH! WHAT WAS THAT?” I wondered loudly as I regained my balance. I could hear him trying not to laugh as we neared our destination. Finally, we stopped and I heard the stomping of a familiar hoof and a loud whinny. Jeremy moved in front of me. “Okay, don’t open your eyes yet.” He ordered then took his hand off of my eyes. I made sure to keep my eyes shut as I tapped my foot against the grassy floor. “Now…OPEN YOUR EYES!” I heard Jeremy command excitedly. I opened them to see Jeremy standing next to a big blanket spread across the ground with pillows and smaller blankets stacked high on one side and a picnic basket next to them. There was a radio with Jeremy’s iPod connected to it which was playing some of our favorite songs and a giant beach umbrella positioned over the blanket. Stormwind stood large and proud behind the fence of the pasture where the horses ran. There were no other horses around since Stormwind preferred to be alone or with me.

            “Oh my…Wow!” I breathed, surprised by the set up. “What…What is---?” Jeremy smiled and patted Stormwind on the neck, who, to my utter disbelief, actually let him. “You’re always saying how you just want a day alone where we can talk. You also always say how you want to just to lie down in the field to watch the stars.” He had interrupted. “Well, that’s what we’re going to do. From morning to night, we’ll just lay here and talk. We can also dance and eat and do whatever you want.” I walked up to the blanket and looked up at Jeremy who was waiting for my response. “Do you like it?” He asked, worry showing through his voice. I placed a hand on my heart and nodded with a smile. “I love it. I’m just so speechless.” I managed to say.

            Jeremy turned to Stormwind and instructed, “It’s time for you to go now, bud. We’ll see you later.” Stormwind nickered in response and then snorted, turning to walk off. Jeremy held out his arms, gesturing towards the blanket. “Shall we begin our day?” He grinned. I smiled then nodded, crawling onto the blanket. Jeremy followed my lead and sat down next to me. The first thing we did was eat. Our breakfast was packed neatly in the basket and dished out on cute plates which came with the basket.

            I spent the whole day with Jeremy on that big blanket in the middle of the field. We had lunch and dinner delivered to us by some helpful nymphs which, I later found out, Jeremy had to do several favors for. The whole day we just talked about our lives, things we liked, how the weather was, our pet peeves, things we liked about each other, etc. I got to know him a bit better. I even discovered why he felt so hopeless and sad before we met. We listened to some music and I sang for him a bit which he enjoyed. We also managed to get some time to be sensual. There was a lot of kissing and cuddling.

            By the time it was night, we had gotten into a deeper conversation. We began talking about us and about past relationships…Or, in my case, no relationships. “It’s true though.” I replied after telling Jeremy about what I had expressed to Sky earlier. “I’ve never really been in a relationship. Sex…Yes, sex has happened but that’s not all I want. I’ve always wanted an actual partner who actually gives a shit about me. Someone I can talk to and share my feelings with. You know, someone I can be comfortable around. I never had that before you came along.” I was lying on my stomach, my arms propping my head up so I could look at Jeremy who was lying on his back and watching my face as I changed from one expression to another. He nodded with understanding. He looked up at the stars which were now visible since he took down the umbrella.

            “I understand what you mean…” He acknowledged. “I’ve always wanted the same thing. I’ve always just wanted someone who got me and someone who could make me different. Someone who could bring out the best in me.” He looked at me, a smile forming on his lips. “Before you, I was miserable…Even before Pax died. Now I’m happy. I meant it the other day at the arena. With you, I’m actually happy. I can’t imagine my life without you.” I smiled at him, close to tears. “You’re going to make me cry.” I informed him, wiping my eyes. He opened his mouth to say something then a song started playing. The intro came in on an acoustic guitar and Jeremy smiled cheekily. “Ed Sheeran…” He mumbled then got up onto his feet. I looked up at him, puzzled. He held out his hand to me as the smooth voice of Ed Sheeran began to sing, “Give me love like her…’Cause lately I’ve been wakin’ up alone.”

            I grabbed Jeremy’s hand and allowed him to pull me up. He put his arms around my waist as I put my arms around his neck. We danced slowly to the music even through the build up until the chorus came on and we began to speed up our waltzing. “Give a little time to me, we’ll burn this out. We’ll play hide and seek to turn this around. All I want is the taste that your lips allow! My, my, my, my…Give me love! My, my, my, my…Give me love! My, my, my, my…Give me love!” I smiled and sang along to the song as we danced in time to the music. By the end, we stopped and just gazed into each other’s eyes. I smiled up at him and then he leaned in slowly. As our lips touched, this raw feeling of pure passion erupted in me. It felt like fireworks were going off around us and his touch was red hot on my skin. This guy had my heart fully and completely but I hadn’t told him yet. Why haven’t I told him yet? I thought incredulously as we kissed. Now was my moment. I needed to say it because if I didn’t it would eat me alive.

            He pulled away from me as the next song began to play. “Settle down with me. Cover me up, cuddle me in. Lie down with me, yeah, and hold me… in your arms. And your heart’s against my chest, your lips press to my neck. I’ve fallen for your eyes, but they don’t know me yet. And with this feeling I’ll forget…I’m in love now.” He looked into my eyes and continued to dance to the next song with me. But instead of me singing to him, he sang to me, “So kiss me if you wanna be loved. You wanna be loved. You wanna be loved. This feels like falling in love. Falling in love. Fallin’ in love. Lie down with me and I’ll be your safety, if you’ll be my lady. I was meant to keep your body warm but I’m cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms! Oh, no, your heart’s against my chest…” He stopped singing even though it was beautiful and his voice was like heaven.