Because I got such great reviews from the last chapter, y'all get another one :)

Chapter Quote:
"We'll always have Paris."
~Howard Koch
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Chapter 11: I Set the Bar Too High

Spending time with her mum and dad, even just for a day, was indescribable. It still felt foreign to Bryn that she had her family back again, that she had her mum, that she had her dad, and that she had her brothers. She just was unable to believe her luck sometimes after the Fates had caused her so much trouble. It wasn't even the gods' fault that she'd 'lost' her parents when she was little, or that she was the one chosen to die at the hands of Tartarus, that was all the Fates. So why they were suddenly letting her have everything she wanted, she didn't know. Honestly, she didn't expect it to last.

But while it did, she was going to revel in every moment of it.

Bryn and her mom had had a fun few hours of shopping while Luke had hung out with her dad. When she caught up with the boys later, she asked her boyfriend how it went. He wouldn't go into detail but by the sound of it and by the look on his face, it'd gone extremely well.

The four of them went out to dinner, celebrating Bryn and Luke's visit. Afterwards they went back to the house where they played a game of Monopoly which Luke surprisingly won (Bryn was also pretty sure it almost broke up her mum and dad's engagement). Afterwards they played a game of Scrabble which Bryn won; she attributed it to all the reading she'd done. Mrs. Winchester came in second place, Mr. Drew in third, and Luke in fourth.

Early the next morning, Bryn and Luke said goodbye to her parents and took the train down to Paris. Bryn was hesitant about being on a train going ninety-nine miles an hour under the English Channel, but she reminded herself that her boyfriend had the ability to control water and would save her (and the other passengers) if anything happened.

Upon arriving in Paris, they checked into a swanky hotel that Luke explained Mr. Drew had helped him book it. They left their suitcases in the room before heading out to go explore the city. Luke took a lot of pictures, some even when Bryn wasn't looking which she figured out when she was flipping through the pictures when they were eating lunch.

"I promised your parents I'd take a lot of pictures," Luke explained sheepishly.

"I'm terrible at taking photos of me for them so thank you," she said.

"Why don't you take more photos or selfies?"

"Because I always think there's more interesting things to see than myself."

"I don't think I ever told you this but the first time I met your parents, your mother had a gun pointed at Silena and Derek, I was on the ground with your dad's foot on my back and a gun pointed at me. I told them we knew you, that'd we'd been your best friends. To prove it, I showed them that video of you when we were all in Florida. Your mom hit the replay button at least ten times. Later on, Silena, Derek, and I showed her all the pictures we had of you on our phones. Your mom and dad made me promise to take pictures of you before we left because they know you're not big on it. I don't mind. I like having pictures of my girlfriend on my phone."

"Someone once said that people take pictures of the things they're afraid to lose."

"I've already experienced losing something I was afraid to lose."

"I'm not going anywhere. I know we're on a dangerous quest but I think everything's going to be okay. I think the Fates have finally decided to give us all a break. I mean, I have my family back, I'm dating the guy I never thought I'd get the chance to, my best friend is happily dating the girl of his dreams, Bradley is dating his best friend, and Brady is happily enjoying being an overprotective brother to me and to Bradley. And you're all alive and safe and healthy and happy. I can't ask for anything more than that."

"Well I mean you could but if you're happy where you're at right now, don't change it. What do you say we head back out and sight-see a little more?"

"Let's go," Bryn agreed. Luke paid the bill and the two of them went back out, hand in hand.
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At four, they arrived back at the hotel. Bryn took a shower first since she would take longer to get ready. While doing her hair and makeup, she was particularly grateful at that moment to be related to Aphrodite because it allowed her routine to go smoothly. She went into the bathroom to change into her dress that she'd bought with her mum the day before. Paired with some black, peep-toe stilettos, Bryn took a deep breath. Luke had seen her before in a dress and heels but there was something about this outfit that made her nervous for him to see it. She wore a black lace dress that hugged every curve on her body. It had an open back that went down just above her waistline. The dress came down about mid-thigh, which meant it showed off a lot of her legs. Bryn had never been one to enjoy showing a lot of skin while in a dress. She always preferred shorts and a tank top because for some reason, she felt that a dress was much more... revealing when it showed off a lot of skin. Or maybe she was just nervous because she was in a sexy dress alone with her boyfriend in one of the most romantic places on earth...

"Bryn, you ready?" Luke called out.

"Yeah, just fixing my hair," she lied. She was actually just getting up the courage to show herself in the dress. She stepped into the bedroom, feeling surprisingly shy.

"Wow," Luke said, looking her up and down, a star-struck expression on his face. "You... you look beautiful."

"Thank you," She replied bashfully. "You ready to go?"

Luke held his arm out for her which she gratefully took. They walked out of the hotel into the lobby where he ordered a cab. They stood outside waiting for it. Bryn noticed how many stares she was getting from men passing by. She also noticed how Luke had now slipped his arm around her waist, holding her close to him.

Unable to stop herself from smirking, she whispered, "Are you getting jealous?"

"No..."

"Hey," she said, giving him a kiss. "Their eyes might all be on me, but my eyes are only on you."

"How I managed to achieve that, I don't know, but I thank the gods for it every day," he laughed.

At that moment, the cab arrived. Luke held the door open for her to get before sliding in next to her. The drive to the restaurant was short. They were seated next to the balcony, allowing them to overlook the city. In the distance the Eiffel Tower shimmered in all its glory.

"Say cheese," Luke said. Bryn turned and smiled at him. She pulled out her phone, taking a picture of him as well.

"Any word from Silena or Derek or your parents?" Bryn asked.

"Silena messaged me this morning saying she was feeling much better. Derek is almost back to full strength as well. My parents and the Michaels left yesterday once they made sure the two of them were out of the woods. Have you heard from the twins or Hallie?"

"Hallie's still exhausted but she's okay. Bradley called me this morning while you were still sleeping."

"I woke up at six though. How early did you get up?"

"Five. I had to do my hair and makeup and make sure I had everything packed."

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Yes. And I got sleep on the train. I'm fine, I promise."

"Sorry... I just worry about you."

"I know you do. I worry about you too. I think it comes with the territory of dating," she laughed.

"So have you been enjoying the day?"

"This is by far the best date I've ever been on," she told him.

He squinted his eyes suspiciously at her. "Don't take this the wrong way, but isn't this the only date you've been on?"

"Hence the reason why it's the best."

"Crap... how am I going to top this one? I just set the bar really high for myself," Luke joked.

"You're a grandson of Athena. You'll figure something out. But for the record, you don't need to top anything. Any date with you is always good."

"Well now you're making me blush," he teased. Bryn smiled at him before glancing at the menu.

The rest of the night was amazing. They took a trip up to the top of the Eiffel Tower where Luke had a tourist take a picture of him and Bryn together- one of them side by side and then one of them kissing because they were in Paris at the top of the Eiffel Tower, so why not?

They then made their way back to the hotel. Getting into the room, the first thing Bryn did was take off her jewelry and put it back in its box. It was her mother's jewelry that she'd worn on the night that Mr. Drew had proposed to her. She thought it'd look great with Bryn's dress and she'd been right.

She hesitated taking off her dress and heels. As the night had progressed, she grew not only more comfortable in it, but more confident. Luke had stared at her in a way he never had before and she had to admit, she liked it.

To procrastinate some more, she called her mom, telling her how the date went. Some of the questions she didn't want to answer with Luke right there so she made her way out to their balcony where she was able to talk a little more freely. At the end of the conversation, she went back inside and said to Luke, "Hey, I forgot to say this when we got back, but thank you for tonight."

He smiled up at her. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"It was incredible. I don't think that's how most people experience their first date," she chuckled. Luke continued smiling but he went back to rummaging through his backpack, prompting her to say, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine."

"Luke, I know when something's bothering you. What's up?"

He stood, rubbing the back of head and giving her a sheepish look. "Sorry. I just... I planned on this being a romantic date and night and all but I just realized how... intimate it is with us all alone in a hotel room all to ourselves and with us all dressed up. I mean you... words don't even begin to describe how stunning you look."

"Are you nervous being alone with me?" Bryn queried, slightly amused as she walked up to him.

"Sort of... I just began to worry that you thought I expected something out of all this after all the teasing and joking the others gave us about-"

"Does it help that I was nervous earlier this evening about being alone with you in all... this?" she motioned to the room.

"Yeah, a little. But you weren't worried about me-"

"No," she replied softly.

Luke let out a relieved sigh. "Good."

"You nervous anymore?"

"No, I feel much better," he confessed.

"Good," she responded. Then she kissed him, long and slow. His hands found their way to her hips as she pulled away.

His eyes were still closed as asked, "What was that for?"

"A thank you for a wonderful first date."

Luke opened his eyes, a mischievous spark flaring up in them. "Can I possibly get some more thanks?"

"Yes you can." Before she could even lean in to kiss him again, he crashed his lips onto hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Any worries, any stress, it all disappeared from her mind. Bryn couldn't think straight. She felt Luke pushing her backwards until her back hit a wall. She grunted slightly from impact which caused him to pull away and ask, "You okay?"

She didn't answer, just began kissing him again. He must've decided she was all right since he didn't ask again and that was fine by her.
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Last chapter of fluff that I can think of. Hope you enjoyed :) Also, if you want to listen to a really romantic song, listen to the one for this chapter!