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“Sooo,” Silena drew out the word, “How long have you been this… attractive?” She bit the tip of her finger at the last part, and Clarisse tightened her grip around her spear.
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Clarisse monotoned, rolling her eyes to act as if the flirting didn’t have her heart doing a drum solo. “I know about those campers behind that tree over there.” She nodded in the direction of an old oak, where two campers lowered their heads, coughing.
It was unclear why they were so focused on capturing her, especially when she was placed on the outer border, Annabeth’s orders. Maybe they assumed she was a bigger part of the plan this time, as she usually was. Clarisse wasn’t against the idea of humouring her enemies’ distraction, especially if it kept them away from the flag. It also helped that the distraction had the most breathtaking eyes; blue oceans Clarisse would happily drown in.
Silena’s mask was back on her face just as quickly as she let it slip. “What campers?” She scoffed, kicking at a rock to distract from the fact that she obviously looked back at her teammates. “I’m literally here on my own volition. Just, uh.” She removed her feathered helmet, shaking her hair free, eyes seductive. “Wanted a moment alone. With you.”
Clarisse choked on her own spit, hacking. “What a charmer,” She strained, face red, starting to get dizzy from the way she was being circled, sized up like prey. It was getting harder and harder to stay grounded.
“Water?” Silena held out a lipstick-stained, massive, branded water bottle, eyes shy.
Clarisse did a double-take, squinting. “Hydro Flask,” She read the label, “Where did you even get that from?” She stepped slightly away from her post to look around Silena’s back, still lacking answers. How big were those Aphrodite jean pockets?
Silena shrugged in reply. “My dad sent it over as a birthday present.” She dropped the whole-ass water tank into Clarisse’s arms, not even waiting for her to grasp it. “Have a sip; it’s ice cold. Wouldn’t want a warrior like you to be dehydrated.”
Clarisse fumbled to hold the water in her free hand, forcing her gaze back to the tree behind her distractor before something caught her eye. “Chip?” She read the engraving off the bottle, eyes squinting as they returned to Silena’s. “Like, a wood chip?” She unscrewed the lid, having a gulp of the fresh water and not thinking about the insinuation of drinking by the red lip stain.
Silena’s face grew blotches of red as she scratched the back of her head. “No, like, uh. Chocolate chip. My dad’s a Chocolatier.” She shrugged, looking away, obviously ignoring the way Clarisse clamped her hand over her own mouth at the news.
“Aw,” Clarisse cooed. “Looks like you're a softie after all!” She laughed, revelling in the way the red patches across Silena’s face spread. It was almost cute—no, it was cute. She placed the drink bottle on the floor, careful not to dent it.
Without warning, Silena gasped, placing a soft palm over the wrist of her spear hand, catching her off guard. Clarisse flinched in response, fingers twitching at the attempt to disarm her.
To her surprise, Silena’s eyes instead glittered as she let out a chuckle, her other soft hand clutched at a charm bracelet Clarisse had forgotten she had, gifted by a little sibling. It seemed it was her turn to blush.
“Who's the softie now?” Silena’s true smile bled through, and Clarisse couldn’t help but look at her fondly at the sight. Silena reached a palm under her helmet, on her cheek “You’re a cute softie, though.”
“And I’m fine with that,” Clarisse hummed, distracted by the beauty in front of her.
Even when obviously trying to distract her for the sake of Capture the Flag, Silena didn’t even try to take away her weapon, holding her instead. It was said that there was love in war, and war in love, and Clarisse realised that maybe that was wrong.
There didn’t have to be war with Silena.
Gazing into those eyes, Clarisse understood why people went to war for their beloved, but she also realised what other things she’d do for the people she loved. Allowing herself to be a “softie”. Living and let live. Turning away from combat.
Clarisse didn’t realise she was walking backwards until she was up against a tree, Silena’s hands in her own between them. “I–um,” She said eloquently, unsure of what was happening and when Silena’s face had taken that layer of infatuation. She took off her helmet. “Hey.”
It must have been a silly sight, her large frame bracketed into a tree by Silena’s small figure, spear on the ground. Clarisse couldn’t find it in herself to care.
“Hi.” Silena grinned, her face growing closer, eyes dropping to Clarisse’s lips before returning her gaze.
Clarisse was putty underneath her, letting her helmet fall to the ground with a thunk and not caring how Silena moved her hands back against the tree on either side. She soaked in the silence as their legs intertwined, lips drawing closer and closer, unable to think of anything other than the constant stream of holy fuck holy fuck holy–
“Got her,” A voice from behind the tree broke the silence, and Clarisse felt rope against her wrists. Realisation ran over her like a freight train.
“Oh fuck me.” Clarisse banged her head against the tree; any sense of tender bliss from earlier was gone.
“Gladly,” Silena looked as though she was holding back a cackle. She high-fived another pair of campers who appeared from behind the tree. The original two Clarisse had also joined the group, cheering.
“Got you, Sucka!” One camper stuck out their tongue, and Clarisse reluctantly agreed. They did get her. Two different hidden brigades? Maybe flattery did get Silena places.
Clarisse sank to the floor, accepting her fate. It was upsetting that none of that was real, but she had to respect the hustle. It was foolish of her to let her guard down like that. But did she regret turning her back on combat? Frankly, no. Clarisse would do anything to feel those hands in hers in another circumstance. It would drive her mad, just thinking about it.
“We’ll meet you at the next spot?” Another camper asked, and Silena nodded. The rest of the group soon fanned out, leaving just the two of them.
Clarisse shook her head, bewildered. “You got me good.”
“Hell yeah, I did.” Silena grinned devilishly, circling the tree. “Didn’t expect it to work, really.” She kicked the spear out of reach, just in case.
Clarisse screwed her eyes shut, biting her lip. As much as she wanted to say it, she knew she shouldn’t; it would just cause tension between them. It was better to stay quiet.
Silena popped her head around the back of the tree, peeking down at her. “You okay?”
It was like a drain had been pulled, Clarisse’s words flowing out of her. “Just–was… any of that real?”
She couldn’t see Silena, but Clarisse knew exactly how she was tilting her head, lips pursed like she’d eaten a lemon. “Would you… want it to be?” Her upside-down head popped into Clarisse’s view, and they both chuckled.
“I mean, I wouldn’t be against it.”
Silena stumbled into view, arms behind her back. The sun shone behind her, almost turning her wavy hair into a halo, flowing down her back. Despite her beauty, she still looked… shy—shyer than before. Clarisse wished she could remember that view forever.
“I’ll tell you one thing.” Silena plopped down beside her, leaning her head on her shoulder. “I didn’t say anything I didn’t mean.”
Clarisse fought and failed to keep her smile down, but, in the corner of her eye, she saw something. “Oh. Uh, Kitkat, can you get me your drink for a second?” She tilted her head in the direction, grinning ear to ear. “Man, am I thirsty.”
Silena lifted her head, narrowing her eyes, but she still couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Is this because of the chocolate thing?” She moved to get it anyway, and Clarisse bit her lip, looking left and right.
“Maybe,”
“Ok, fine–” A whooshing noise, and Silena was upside-down, crossing her arms. “I see what you did there.”
Clarisse cackled, looking up to eye the rope tied around the cuff of Silena’s jeans—it was a miracle nobody had stepped on that trap before.
“What? I thought you said you wanted a moment alone? With me?”
Silena swung side to side, eyes stone cold, but mouth quirked upwards. “Fuck me,” She shook her head.
Clarisse leaned as far as she could towards her, smirking as she met her eyes. “Gladly.”