Never Let Go.....

One week later...

Max could be seen sitting on a branch of a tree overlooking the camp, wrapped around in Thalia's arms. {role reversal!!...no JK}

Thalia was tracing her finger on one of tattoos, "So these tattoos give you powe- would you stop doing that its freaking me out a bit?!" Max just chuckled shaking his head, "Ever since the claiming, the colour of my hair and eyes keep changing. I can't help it you. Well, you're one to talk...You randomly zap people who come near you!"

Many things changed for both of them after the claiming. Thalia's kind hazel brown eyes and soft brown almost black hair was now fully black and spiky. Her eyes were electric blue,which Max swore he could see sparks in the corners of her iris. She was the tallest thirteen year old at camp, standing at 5 feet 5 inches.

Max's hair also changed, but the problem was it keep changing its colour from white to green and Thalia's favourite, purple. His eyes were a green but the hue and shade kept changing to reflect his moods. Max was shorter to Thalia, much to his annoyance as she kept mentioning it, standing at an even 5 feet.

"Hey! Its not my fault, i just got my powers. Its not like I can control them in a week." saying she sent an tiny arc of lightning from her fingers, hitting him right in the back of his head. "Max I'm so so sorry! I dint mean to do that it just-" two more arc of lightning whizzed past Max's head striking the ground.

Before Max said something, there was a surprised yelp from below. They both got down to see who it was, to find Annabeth clutching glass vial that looked empty, lying on the ground face down.

Max helped her up and asked, "What are doing here Ana?" His name for her. "I found it Max!! I found it!!Here!!" Annabeth was jumping, pushing the glass vials into Max's hands.

"I expected nothing else from a daughter of Athena. Honestly...well done." Max said ruffling her hair. "Stop that!!" Annabeth squeaked trying to swat Max's arm away from her now messy hair. She hates it when he does that and Max loves teasing her.

Max and Thalia became Annabeth's parent figures and would always seek their approval. She was not interested in battle training luke the rest of them, but had really taken upto researching plant and animal life and also also the history and mythologies of ancient Greek that she even started to speak some Greek.

Luke rarely visits them focussing on sword fighting and archery so much, Max caught him practicing at night time too. [No wonder he was the best swordsman in camp when Percy arrived.] This reminded Max to plan on his arrival and how to save his mother from her fate.

Max was pulled out of thought by Thalia leaning on his back, her substantial chest area for a 14 year old, rubbing on his back, a pleasant sensation. "Now what's this all about?" she asked intrigued.

"Max asked me to find him a tardigrade, and I found one. It was not that difficult though." Annabeth chimed, grinning she rubbed her nose in fake modesty.

"A tardi- what sorry? Are you two pulling pulling my leg or something?" Thalia grabbed Annabeth and put her in a gentle headlock, started tickling her. "Eeeek hahahaa Nooooo! ahahaha stop it...Stop!! Max! a Haha a hah! save me!!" Annabeth started squealing and laughing, struggling in her captor's hands.

"Okay, now. That's enough horse play. Tardigrade is the animal I had been searching for, for its toughness ." Max broke them up and explained.

He reached into his Pocket dimension and pulled out the shepherd's crook, "I'll never get use to that." remarked Thalia, Annabeth's eyes started shining, knowing I will be using my ability. Which in her book is the most 'AWESOMEST superpower' .

Annabeth held out a magnifying glass above it to see it easier. "What the hell is this, I thought you can't get powers from insects? I have to admit it does look kinda cute, but ugly at the same time." Thalia asked curios.

Annabeth giggled, "That ain't an insect silly. Its an eight legged micro-animal. Its called a Tardigrade." Thalia lifted an eyebrow, "Oh? Little Ana is getting cockier by the day isn't she....Come here you!!!" she started chasing a giggling snd screaming Annabeth.

Ignoring their antics, he pointed at his hand where a solitary tardigrade lie, after being emptied out from the test tube. He looked at it searching for an eye but only found a hole or a socket of some kind. He drifted with it successfully but saw only weirdly shaped microorganisms and colours here and there.

"Vathmída"

He felt a familiar itch on the bach of his hand/palm. It looked like a hibiscus or some other sort of exotic flower. Max smiled to himself [Getting stronger everyday, keeps Tarturus at bay] repeated his motto he made as a joke but knew it to be true.

"Ana! Thalia! Come over here. I wanna show you something cool." He called out. He rolled up his sleeves and took out a lighter. Both of them were panting, out of breath. Max clicked the starter and a small flame sprang to life, he slowly put his open palm on it, earning gasps from the girls.

Max had a wide smile, he loved to surprise others. The flames licking his hand but no burn mark or scorch could be seen, "These little guys are said to withstand hot temperatures like inside volcanoes and cold temperature like liquid nitrogen and possibly can stay alive in space or vacuum. Amazing aren't they?"

Annabeth had her star-face, that was what Max called it . Whenever he showed his powers, she was utterly fascinated, even if it was the same thing.

"So now what you're like immortal or something?" Thalia asked. Max shook his head, "I wish. I'm just impervious to heat cold and can make my body go into a type of hibernation in vacuum. I age the same. But I can't be killed that easily." he said taking Thalia's knife from her and sliced his palm.

The wound quickly healed, although taking a minute, but still fast enough for the naked eye to witness.

Thalia lifted an eyebrow as if seeing some bizarre, never before seen mutated creature at the circus. showing the back of his foot, there was a butterfly tattoo on it, "Lizard or known as 'Sávra' in Greek. Got it yesterday." He explained. Thalia realized the connection and just nodded not bothering to ask more. She hated long explanation and liked silence and peace that she often shared with Max alone with no one to disturb.

It was lunch time and Thalia needed a bath after all that running and chasing with Annabeth. They decided to go back to Thalia's house and Annabeth ran off to her own house.

As Max did not have a house dedicated to his dad, he asked if he could bunk with any of the other house when Thalia, much to his pleasent surprise and the shock of Luke, offered to take him in.

[Sorry Luke, I know you like her. But so do I. May the best man for her win. Although I do have a headstart and you have not even crossed the starting line.] He was musing to himself when they reached the House of Zeus. The first two day he entered here he always felt clammy and uncomfortable. But the feeling washed away after the third night.

Thalia become more and more aggressive with her kisses and accosting him in dark corners forcing herself on him, (he was not complaining, on the contrary...) and on the third night they were in bed, sleeping facing away from each other, when he heard Thalia's voice and her hand tugging his shirt.

"Hey max? Do you like me?" She asked in a half-whisper, as though afraid of the answer she might get.

Max was dumbstruck, it had never occur to him that she might feel insecure and she was throwing herself at him to make him like her more. He wanted to punch himself in the face.

He turned to her went near her and wrapped her in a tight hug that she reciprocated with a relieved sigh. He replied"You may not know this, but the moment I saw I fell for you Thalia. You know how I 'drift' with animals right?" Thalia gave a small nod her face now buried in his chest.

" You are the only person that I've drifted which happened during the fight with the cyclops." Thalia's lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Yeah... It was like i could feel what you were feeling I...a-and...and ...and I never want you to feel like that ever again, as long as I'm around."

Thalia stroked his cheek with her hand, Max continued, "I know we are too young to be talking about relationships or anything like that but I can't throw away nor hide these feeling Thalia. I feel like my chest is about to burst from not telling you."

Max paused looked at her with a resolved face, "During the fight, it might have looked like I saved you. But the truth is You saved Me. When I looked into your eyes I saw courage and Hope. Which gave me strength to do what I did. When I drifted with you, I knew I would never let you go, I knew that it would be physically, mentally, emotionally impossible for me to be with anyone else other than you."

Max took a shuddering breath, "I know we are too young to talk about love or family or anything like that but I don't care. I love you Thalia, I will always love you and as I promised I will never, ever let you go and I already consider you, Luke and Annabeth as my family." He kissed her full on the lips once and pulled back waiting for her answer, his heart racing.

Thalia shuffled up to meet his face, "I may not know much about love or relationships, but I do know is this. Max, that day I made you promise something very heavy to burden. Heavier than you might think. And now I know that I must make that promise myself. Maximus, I will never let you go, wherever, you may be. I will go to Tartarus and back if I have to get you back. I love Max, I love you with all my heart. I will always love you." She moved herself, their chests touching each other, their legs intertwined, their hearts beating as one. They started kissing exploring each others body, mindfully not crossing the line.

"Never let me go"

"Never"