A.N. Next Chapter. Enjoy and review.

Chapter 8:

News of Nixie's return rapidly ranged through the entire camp. When it got to OC, she sped out of the Poseidon cabin to where the Argo II has landed and practically threw herself at Phoenix.

"NIX!" OC shouted, launching herself at Nixie. Nixie laughed and spun her around a couple of times before setting her down.

"Hey OC!" Nixie greeted ruffling OC's hair slightly. "Look at you, you're gorgeous."

"Look at me? Look at you! You look stunning, no wonder you finally snatched Trist."

OC was right; Nixie was looking and feeling different as of late. She's smiling more; she's paying more attention to her personal hygiene more, eating, sleeping, the whole nine. Trist helped a lot with that too. Most of the time he would show up at the forge with bags of food and refused to leave until Nixie agreed to have lunch with him. And Nixie would always stop him from doing the first stupid thing that popped in his head. They were a good pair; Nixie decided they kept each other grounded.

"Speaking of which…" Nixie started, before pulling OC rather harshly by her arm away from the ship and into the Poseidon Cabin. "What's happening between you and Graham?"

Oceana groaned. "What are me and Graham?!"

"Have you told him?"

"Told him what?"

"That you like him."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you like him."

"And…?"

"OC!" Nixie snapped. "You're being intentionally difficult so we ignore your dilemma."

"Is it working?"

"No, I'm not letting you back out on our pact."

"We were 12 when we made that pact, Nixie, why does it matter now?"

"Because I kept up my end of it. The deal was that if I told Tristan how I felt you'd talk to Graham."

"Yea, but I never expected you to talk to Tristan. Technically, you didn't since he confessed first." OC replied, desperately looking for a loophole.

"Yea, but I still told him how much I liked him at dinner." Nix said. "Come on, OC, what are you so afraid of? Being rejected? What's the worst he could do?"

"Reject me!" Oceana replied, like it was obvious.

"So?! Even if he does, which I doubt he would, at least you'll know you were the one who gave it a shot. And then you could move onto the next guys who's not an idiot and sees what an absolute catch you are."

"Thanks Phoenix."

"No problem."

"I'm still not doing it though."

"ARGHH!"

XXX

Graham was feeling awkward these days.

Well, he felt awkward almost 24/7 but this was a new level of awkwardness he hadn't gotten used to yet.

That level were girls taking interest in him.

He's never really thought he was unattractive but he didn't really think he was attractive enough to get anyone's attention. And if he was attractive enough he was sure that his piss poor personality would scare them away.

That hasn't been the case for Cynthia though.

Cyn was nice. She was smart and funny and great to be around. She was a good friend but that was all Graham could see her as, a friend.

Which is how he used to see Oceana.

Now he wasn't so sure what she was to him. Sometimes she would be his friend and he'd be hers. Sometimes he wanted to be more. And sometimes they hated each other's guts. And even though they hated each other for a little bit they always found they're way back.

That was the reason why he couldn't like Cyn. It was too easy with her. She'd never fight with him or tell him when he was wrong. She'd just be supportive of everything he'd say. Earlier he had a conversation with Cyn that went like this.

"I'm thinking about getting another tattoo."

"Oh, what of?"

"I was thinking about getting a full half arm of the anatomy of a cicada."

"Oh… that would be cool." Cynthia smiled. "You should get it."

Later, he had the same conversation with OC.

"I'm thinking of getting another tattoo."

"Of what?"

"The full anatomy of a cicada."

OC walked over to hit me in the arm. "What the hell is wrong with you." OC frowned. "One, no one will like you if you're the guy with a bug tattoo. And you hate cicadas. Last summer one landed on you and you cried for 10 minutes."

"It wasn't 10 minutes."

"You're right, I think it was 20." OC bumped him. "Don't get a cicada. I'll never talk to you again." She shouted before jogging off in the direction of the Poseidon cabin.

It was then that Graham realized that's what he needed. Someone to tell him when he's being an idiot, or when he's about to do something stupid or costly, Cynthia could never be that. She agreed with him too much. He needed someone to fight him on any and everything.

He realized just how much he needed OC.

And he had to tell her.

If you asked anyone at camp what they remembered from that afternoon, they'd say Graham running around like a bat out of hell, looking for OC.

XXX

OC was walking around the Argo II with Phoenix and Tristan making any last checks they need.

She watched Nix and Tristan very carefully. They were cute together, with Trist constantly looking for ways to make her laugh and Nixie constantly looked at him like the sun shined out of his ass.

"We're all set to go when you're ready." Nix nudged her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just how cute you and Trist are." Oceana smiled, sadly. "It's great, you deserve it."

"Oh, CiCi, you deserve it too." Nixie sighed. "If you'd just talk to Graham."

"You know why I can't do that."

"You explained, but it still makes no sense."

"Nix—"

"OC!" Nix and OC turned to Graham jogging toward them, clearly out of breath.

"What are you doing?" OC asked when he reached them.

"I was running around the camp looking for you."

"And you didn't find me in my Cabin or the Lake. And your immediate was to not look in the giant ship?"

"That should've been my first thought, but it wasn't."

"What do you want Graham?"

"I need to talk to you." Graham said, his eyes deep with an emotion Oceana couldn't read.

"Ummm…" Nix interrupted their staring and pointed behind her. "I'm just going to make sure Tristan isn't fucking up the controls. You two have fun…" She waited until she was out of Graham's eyesight before mouthing Oh my gods to OC.

OC looked at Graham, waiting for him to say something but he was just opening and closing his mouth.

"Well, this has been enlightening." OC sighed. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to round everyone up for the death defying quest we have ahead of us—"

"You're mean." Graham said.

"Excuse me?"

"You're mean." He repeated. "You're mean and—and bossy, and all around a bitch."

"Gee, thanks." OC turned to walk away.

"I'm not done." Graham turned her around to face him. "You're condescending, judgmental and arrogant and not to mention rude." Graham sighed. "But you're also very truthful and kind to strangers but not afraid to let your friends know when they're in the wrong. You always are willing to help people solve their problems before even thinking about your own. You have a loyalty complex and you're not afraid to call me out when I'm being an idiot and that's why I like you."

"Come again?"

"I really like you, OC" Graham smiled. "I tried to give Cynthia a chance but it kept falling short and I realized it was because she wasn't you. She was going to let me get a tattoo of a cicada. I HATE CICADAS!" Graham emphasized. OC laughed. "She never paid attention to stuff like that, you do. Like how you figured out I was allergic to Almonds even though I never told you."

"You always picked them out your salad so I just figured—"

"You see! No one else pays attention to detail like that. You do! Gods, you do so many things for people and you'd rather them go unnoticed than people pay attention to you because you don't like the recognition. OC, you are special. Let me treat you like you're special." Graham began to crowd into her space. "Let me be your boyfriend?"

"No."

"What?" Graham took a step back.

"Not until I say this." OC stood up a little taller. "You're an asshole with a god complex. When you're upset you shut everyone out, and when they try to approach you, you snap. You care for people, people you don't even know and you take care of them but most of all you take care of me. That's why I like you." OC shrugged.

Graham just smirked and moved closer. "Can I kiss you now?"

"I'd be insulted if you didn't."

And though it was the only one she'd ever had, their first kiss was the best she's ever had.