Toby had been crushing on Zelda almost for as long as he knew her. They started out as friends, but the more he got to know her, the more he noticed butterflies in his stomach and the things he loved about her. He loved making her smile and hearing her laugh. He wanted to ask her out, but Gods, what if she didn’t feel the same way? What if she turned him down? What if he embarrassed himself? He didn’t think Zelda would ever do anything on purpose to hurt him, but what if she just didn’t feel the way that he felt?
He deemed that it was worth the risk. If anything, they could still stay friends, right? If she turned him down, he could say he was joking and shrug it off. He could cry over it later – not that he was the type to cry, or so he told himself. He tried to be as strong as he could be. Someday he would be strong enough to go out and find his little brother and keep him safe. And he would be strong enough to convince his mother that his step-father was no good and that she should leave her. He couldn’t help wondering that if Apollo showed up on their doorstep, would his mother leave his step-father for the god. He surely hoped she would. Considering what the man had done to him, he wasn’t entirely sure what he was capable of doing to his mother.
From the bottom of Half-Blood Hill, he paused and smiled when he caught sight of Zelda. She looked beautiful in the lighting. He shouldered his bow and pack of arrows, having originally left the cabin and his half-siblings in order to practice. He wasn’t the best archer that the Apollo cabin had, but he still held the natural skill – he just needed to control it better. His talents were put into music and poetry more than his archery.
He walked up the hill, wondering if she saw him coming. She was definitely his favorite camper and favorite person to be around, and he did have a decent amount of friends. He gave her a wide grin when he made it up the hill. “Hey Zel,” he greeted the cabin leader. He felt at ease with her like he never had to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. He didn’t have to pretend that he wasn’t bothered over not knowing where or how his little brother was – feelings he had shared with her. He found her easy to talk to and impossible to lie to. Yet when he was with her, all of his worries washed away. He felt that as long as she was in his life, nothing could seem like the end of the world.
WORDS:; 467
OUTFIT:; Here
TAGGED:; @zeldamoon
NOTES:; Sorry it took me so long to reply!
