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choerrypuffs · 2 years

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i suddenly realize my archnemesis is hot (during a battle to the death).

pairing: son of ares!jeno x daughter of nike!reader

genre: fluff, slight angst, there is no logic in this ok i am so tired

word count: 22.5k

author’s note: after more than a year, demigods is finally complete!! this series has received so much love, and i can’t even put into words how grateful i am for all the support! thank you all so much for sticking with me for so long and i hope that this fic is a satisfying ending to this series 💖 read the completed 00 line x camp half-blood here!

warning(s): there is significantly more violence in this than the other fics in this series so please read at your own discretion!

tag list: @junglewoos @forever-skz @treblesomeharmonies @inscentedreamer @notaroyal @jaehyunsjasmine @jishyucks @chuus-slug @kravitee @peachyyjaes @lenaluvs @struggle-kmpr @haikchoo-main @euphorin @ukiyoneo @strwbrryhoney @jeo-n @jinnieyeolele @keemburley @sunshine-skz @mcu-incorrect @thejeongjaehyun @jenosuh

additional: once again, special thanks to cat and moon for not only letting me put them in this fic but also giving me ideas for some wild shenanigans 😌 and another shoutout to cat for coming up with that zinger of a final line <3

“Give it up. You know I’ve won.”

The sun blazes against your back as you grip the hilt of your sword tightly, lowering your stance so you can prepare to charge forward. A bead of sweat falls from your forehead and into your eye, stinging, but it’s a feeling that you’re quite accustomed to. You see the out-of-bounds line in your peripheral, and you know this is your last shot.

Lee Jeno, son of Ares and your eternal archnemesis, is standing in front of you. His black hair is mussed and sweaty, bangs slightly stuck to his forehead. He’s wearing leather armor over his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt that is covered with dirt smudges. His jeans are in an even sorrier state, spattered with grass stains and even more dirt. He has one hand on his hip and the other is loosely holding his sword. His demeanor is much more relaxed, clearly indicating that he thinks he’s beaten you.

Even though his dirty clothes prove just how hard he had to struggle to get to this point.

The two of you are participating in your weekly spar in the Sword Fighting Arena, which is basically a large mound of dirt and grass with white lines painted over it. As children of Nike and Ares respectively, you and Jeno spend almost all of your time here. If the two of you had it your way, you would be fighting each other every day. Unfortunately, Mr. D and Chiron, the heads of the camp, banned you two from sparring more than once a week out of fear that you might really kill each other. Whenever it’s time for Capture the Flag every Friday, though Mr. D and Chiron have suspended all games indefinitely due to a Minotaur attack that happened a couple weeks ago, you normally aren’t allowed within ten feet of each other because you two take it way too seriously.

While it is a bit extreme, even you have to admit that it is for the better.

You and Jeno have butted heads ever since you met at Camp Half-Blood at the age of twelve, and that rivalry has continued into your twenties. You both naturally have competitive streaks due to your parentage, which means you are constantly fighting for the number one spot at...well, everything. It’s extremely frustrating because you two are always tied at everything as well. He wins some, you win some, but neither of you can ever seem to pull ahead for long.

And that’s why you absolutely cannot lose this spar. Because it means that you’ll be tied again.

“Come on, Y/N. I know you’re gonna try to tackle me as a last ditch effort. It’s written all over your face,” Jeno sighs, placing the flat part of his sword on his shoulder, as if it were a backscratcher.

Oh yeah, and this whole rivalry is exacerbated by the fact that Jeno is an arrogant and insufferable asshole that thinks he’s way cooler than he is.

“Just because you know what’s going to happen doesn’t mean you’ll be able to stop it,” you reply breezily, tossing your sword aside and lunging towards him. Children of Nike are exceptionally fast, so Jeno doesn’t even have a chance to dodge.

You wrap your arms around his legs, and though he manages to keep his balance briefly, you put pressure on the back of his knees, and he eventually buckles. The two of you hit the ground hard, causing a big plume of dirt to rise.

You hear Jeno groan from underneath you, having had the air knocked out of him. It takes you a moment to gather your senses as well, though not nearly as long because Jeno broke your fall. Shaking your head, you try to blink away the stars that you’re seeing. Once your vision is clear, you focus your attention on the sword in Jeno’s hand. You reach for it when he suddenly sits up and knocks you onto your back. You’re slightly caught off-guard at how quickly he recovers, but you’re not down for long.

The two of you roll around on the ground like children fighting over a toy, a ball of tangled limbs. Jeno manages to hold onto the sword for an annoying amount of time, and you’re only able to grab it after you accidentally knee him in the groin during the scuffle. You straddle his waist, pinning him down with your weight, before taking the sword and holding it across his neck—the blade just inches away.

You hear the whooping and hollering from the other onlookers surrounding you (yes, the campers have taken to placing bets on you and Jeno like horses in a race). Jeno lets out a defeated and exhausted sigh, falling onto his back with his arm thrown across his forehead.

“I win,” you declare, still out of breath. You feel the sun continue to mercilessly sear your back, but you’re relishing in the feeling. Since you’re over him, your body blocks the sunlight and casts a shadow on his face. When it comes to Jeno, even the smallest aspects of victory give you a sense of superiority.

He doesn’t look as devastated as you’d like him to be though, much to your annoyance. Rather, he now has a half smile on his face as he brushes his sweaty bangs aside.

“You’re looking pretty smug for someone who just got his ass kicked,” you retort, getting off him and crossing your arms, fighting the urge to pout. Normally, if it were anyone else, you’d be a good sport and help them up. But this is Jeno, and none of your rules apply to him.

Basically, you’re just incredibly petty around him.

He sits up with a grunt, dusting himself off as if that would help, before getting to his feet as well.

“Let’s not exaggerate here, Y/N. Ass kicked? It was more of a cheap shot,” he replies breezily, smirking.

You hate using that word to describe him, but that’s all he seems to do. Smirk. There is no denying that he is handsome, with sharp and defining features that are striking to look at, but he is all too aware of itㅡwhich is what makes him so insufferable. Lee Jeno has a terrible case of main character syndrome. He must think he looks like some sort of suave, rugged but lovable anti-hero every time he smirks, but it just makes him all the more punchable in your opinion.

Besides, after all this time together, you know how he really is.

He tries to put on a cool front, but he’s just a competitive, stubborn idiot that doesn’t know how to do anything except for fight. He uses his head too much in a fight, calculating a plan and executing it to a tee, refusing to diverge from it (sometimes you wonder if he’s actually a secret lovechild of Athena). When he swings his sword or even if it’s just hand-to-hand combat, there’s always precision and technique behind every strike. However, he tends to get too excited towards the end of a battle, which makes him think he’s already won even though he hasn’t, causing him to either nearly lose or actually lose (like he just did with you). He spends so much time training that he has no idea how to speak to the opposite sex, despite his surprising popularity, and has gotten more broken bones than bitches. The only reason he can talk to you is because the two of you see each other as subhuman.

“Surely, you’re not going to make me say something as cliché as ‘all’s fair in love and war,’” you say, batting your eyelashes. “Why don’t you just admit you’re a little bitch baby that can’t handle a loss?”

Jeno takes a step closer to you, closing the already-small space between you.

“Enjoy it while you can,” he says calmly, though the red tips of his ears make it obvious he’s pissed. “I’ll get even.”

The two of you have your typical staredown, something that you resort to when the conversation is over, but neither of you want to walk away first because it seems like you’re running away. Then, you begin to circle each other like sharks, which is the second phase of the staredownㅡthe part where you both decide it’s probably time to leave, so you circle each other until you walk further and further apart (all without breaking eye contact) and get a sizeable distance from each other to be able to simultaneously whip your heads around and finally walk away.

This staredown ends a little differently though. From the corner of your eye, you see Jeno run into something and fall back on his ass. Of course, this sends you into a giddy frenzy, as you whirl back around to catch the tail end of his humiliation.

Upon further inspection, you realize that he actually ran into a person: Park Sooyoung, the daughter of Ares and Jeno’s sister. Hilariously, she has barely budged, one hand on her hip as she looks down at her brother on the ground. If Sooyoung were just a tad bit more competitive, she would be on par with you and Jeno, but she has smartly chosen to stay out of your bitter rivalry.

She’s saying something to him, but you’re just far away enough to not be able to make it out. Annoyed that you’re so interested in Jeno’s affairs, you decide that you don’t care anymore and begin to leave again when both Sooyoung and Jeno turn their heads towards your direction. You accidentally lock eyes with Jeno, basically confessing with your expression that you were caught trying to eavesdrop.

To your surprise, he doesn’t scowl at you like he normally does when you make eye contact. Instead, he has a rather solemn look on his face. When you glance at Sooyoung, her expression is similar. She gestures for you to come over, saying something, but you can’t fully read her lips.

However, you manage to catch one word.

Urgent.

You’re pretty sure that you and Jeno have never gone this long without getting into a fight, either verbal or physical.

The two of you are sitting silently in Chiron’s office, waiting for him and Mr. D to show up. The only information that you got from Sooyoung was that you and Jeno were to report to the office immediately and she received no further explanation other than that. Sooyoung isn’t really the type to ask questions either. All Ares kids are like thatㅡway too hard headed and tunnel-visioned to question orders.

Regardless, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the reason you’ve been called here is definitely not good.

Twiddling your thumbs nervously, you glance over at Jeno, trying to gauge his demeanor. He’s leaning back in his chair, manspreading so hard that he could probably do the splits. His head is being propped up by his elbow, and his eyes are closed. He looks relaxed, but you know he’s feigning it. As if the involuntary leg bouncing isn’t giving it away already, he also has a deep crease between his browsㅡsomething that only appears when he’s thinking really hard.

And you, of all people, know that he does not do that often.

“If you’re going to stare, could you do it a bit more subtly?” Jeno asks without opening his eyes. “I feel like you’re about to burn a hole in my damn forehead.”

There it is: that damn main character syndrome.

Your initial embarrassment about being called out for staring is immediately overridden by your overwhelming (and constant) urge to want to punch him in his face.

“You want me to give you a hole in your damn forehead?” you threaten, clenching your fist.

“You can sure try,” he shoots back, a challenge in his eyes when he opens them.

Perhaps you should thank Jeno because whatever nervousness you had before is completely forgotten. Rather, you’re ready to throw down with him right here in this cramped office, and you can see he’s gearing up for a fight too. Unfortunately, neither of you can make a move because the door opens, and Mr. D and Chiron walk in. The two of you immediately straighten up in your seats, scooching further away from each other so you don’t get in trouble for fighting again.

Mr. D and Chiron are followed by two other campers, a male and a female. They look vaguely familiar, but you don’t recognize them, which surprises you since you’ve basically grown up with everyone at the camp. You try not to stare, but it’s difficult not toㅡespecially when both of them are so good-looking. The girl is tall with long, straight hair that looks like it belongs in a shampoo commercial and eyeliner so sharp that you’re pretty sure it could cut a man. The guy is tall as well, with clean-cut features that remind you of the male leads in Asian dramas. He’s attractive, no doubt, but he’s a bit too conventionally handsome for your taste.

Someone like Jeno is much more eye-catching at first glance, in your opinion.

You blink.

Did you just…praise Lee Jeno?

The compliment happened so fast that your brain didn’t even have time to filter it into the “Dogshit Thoughts” compartment of your subconscious. You feel bile rise in your throat, fighting the urge to throw up in your mouth, and mentally swear on the River Styx that you will take this moment of weakness to the grave. Not even an eternity in the depths of Tartarus will get it out of you.

Okay, but anyone with eyes can tell that Jeno is handsome, you justify to yourself, so this isn’t technically a compliment. I am saying something that is objectively true. It’s not that I personally find him attractive, he is just attractive in generalㅡ

Your mental gymnastics are interrupted when Chiron clears his throat, the sudden noise cutting through the silence like a sword. Chiron and Mr. D are sitting at the desk across from you as the other two campers stand behind them, hands folded across their laps. Normally, you’d be impressed that Chiron and his Centaur lower half is even able to fit in this crammed little space, but the grim looks on their faces makes every muscle in your body tense up. Mr. D doesn’t even have his wine glass, and he’s the god of wine for gods’ sakes.

“This is Cat and Sicheng,” Chiron finally says, gesturing to the campers behind them. “They are Hades’ children. Cat and Sicheng, this is Y/N and Jeno. Y/N is a child of Nike, and Jeno Ares.”

You can’t mask the surprise on your face. Hades kids are like myths, rarely ever seen at Camp Half-Blood because they are so few and far between, and even when they are claimed, they’re usually sent out on missions because of their superior abilities (even you have to admit that they’re just in a different league). Everyone at the camp jokes about the Hades Cabin being there just for decoration.

Cat and Sicheng nod at you, their lips pursed into thin lines.

“Do you two recall the Minotaur attack that occurred during the Capture the Flag game a few weeks ago?” Chiron continues, without giving you any time to say hi.

“Of course,” you and Jeno answer simultaneously.

How could you not?

It was a routine Capture the Flag game, and your team was actually on the verge of winning before an aberrant Minotaur with greatly enhanced strength emerged from the forest and began attacking campers. While monsters being in the forest are a normal thing, freakishly buffed Minotaurs are not. What was even worse was that the Minotaur wasn’t the only anomaly, all the monsters in the forest were abnormally strong. Almost every camper had injuries, a good portion with major ones, and it was truly pure luck that everyone managed to survive because the camp was completely blindsided.

You and Jeno managed to get away with a few bumps and bruises, but only because the two of you realized something was wrong pretty early on and managed to get everyone around you to safety quickly.

Since then, Mr. D and Chiron have suspended all Capture the Flag games and banned campers from entering the forest. However, other than that, they haven’t given much information about the attack, so many people just assumed everything had blown over.

Obviously, it has not.

“We had sent a team of Hades’ children out to investigate the weakening of the Golden Fleece before everything happened, and when the attack took place, we immediately told them to return to the camp. When they returned a couple days ago, they were attacked by the same Minotaur, and it gravely injured their sister, who is still in the infirmary,” Chiron explains.

You can only sit there for a moment, stunned at the information overload. The Golden Fleece is a magical artifact that Camp Half-Blood relies on to strengthen and maintain the protective border that surrounds it, keeping out monsters from the forest. Without it, the camp is basically just a sitting duck, waiting to be attacked.

You hadn’t even known that the Golden Fleece was weakening, and you suspect that most people outside of this room don’t know it either.

As if that wasn’t a big enough bomb to drop, the same Minotaur that attacked the camp took managed to take down a team of Hades kids too? You look over at Cat and Sicheng, who have hardened expressions. Their weathered expressions prove that they are used to the dangers of their missions, but it can’t hide the genuine fear for their sister’s life.

“Luckily, their sister will survive thanks to splendid work from Jaemin, and the Hecate children will be able to temporarily uphold a border, so the camp isn’t completely out in the open. However, it won’t last long,” Chiron says.

“Why are you telling us this?” you interject, and without even realizing, you exchange glances with Jeno.

“We’re telling you this because the Golden Fleece has been stolen, and we need you four to recover it,” Chiron states bluntly.

There’s a beat of silence as you process what he just said before you and Jeno are out of your seats, erupting with questions.

“What are you talking about, Chiron? What do you mean it’s been stolen?” Jeno demands. “I thoughtㅡ”

“ㅡyou said that it was just weakening!” you finish the sentence. “How did it get stolen?”

“Calm down,” Mr. D snaps, finally speaking. The two of you sit down obediently before he continues, saying, “We investigated it ourselves, and someone had been poisoning the Golden Fleece, which led to the attack during the Capture the Flag game and explains why all the monsters were suddenly stronger.”

“And we believe that it was stolen during the chaos of the aftermath,” Chiron nods.

“Wha…” you trail off into incoherent noises, stunned.

“But who would do that?” Jeno asks, leaning forward.

“We strongly suspect that there’s a traitor among the campers. It’s the only way that they would’ve been able to slip away undetected,” Chiron says firmly, looking both angry and sad at the same time. “We’re not sure if they are acting alone, or if they’re serving as a mole of some sort to an outside party. That’s why we can’t go get the Fleece ourselves. We have to stay here and watch over the camp, in case an attack from the inside happens.”

You didn’t think you could get surprised anymore, but you’re wrong. Like Chiron, you’re both mad and upset that one of your fellow campers, someone you probably knew very well, was betraying everyone like this. Unfortunately, you’re a bit too distracted by the other issues that are at hand to fully marinate in the shock of it all.

“Well, don’t we need to catch the traitor firstㅡ”

“The traitor doesn’t matter right now, Jason,” Mr. D interrupts, “We will deal with that. You just need to go get the Golden Fleece.”

“Jeno,” he corrects automatically, but he reluctantly lets the traitor topic go. “But how do we even find it?”

“Before we were called back, we actually managed to trace some mysterious activity to the Sea of Monsters,” Sicheng pipes up for the first time.

“Well, more mysterious than what usually goes on in the Sea of Monsters,” Cat adds, shrugging.

The Sea of Monsters, also known as the Bermuda Triangle to regular mortals, isㅡas its name impliesㅡinfested with monsters. Among many creatures, it most notably contains Scylla and Charybdis, two sea monsters that travelers must choose between to fight in order to pass through; Polyphemus, a cyclops that was blinded by the legendary Odysseus; and the Sirens, sea nymphs that lure people to their deaths with songs.

In other words, it’s an absolute pain in the ass to get through.

Chiron pulls out a large piece of parchment paper, and you instantly recognize the neat handwriting and detailed drawings as that of the head counselor of the Athena Cabin. Being a natural tactician, she is responsible for all Capture the Flag battle plans, and every camper prays that she ends up on their team. She also had one of the closest encounters with the Minotaur during the attack, nearly getting killed in order to protect her brother.

You’re not surprised that Mr. D and Chiron chose to consult with her, but you never thought there’d come a day when she would need to make an actual battle plan.

“If the Golden Fleece is actually in the Sea of Monsters, it would most likely be hidden on one of the deserted islands,” Chiron explains, pointing to a small, unnamed island right smack between Polyphemus’ and the Sirens’ islands. “This one is probably the hardest one to reach due to its dangerous surroundings, so it’s the perfect hiding spot for the Fleece.”

“And we’re assuming that whoever stole it is skilled enough to reach the island?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

“They were skilled enough to poison and steal the Golden Fleece from right under our noses,” Mr. D replies wryly.

“Point taken,” you acknowledge, scooting closer so you can get a better look at the plan. “So, all we need to do is pass through the strait of Scylla and Charybdis, breeze by Polyphemus’ and the Sirens’ islands, and then pick up the Golden Fleece and go?”

Chiron gives you a good-natured smile. “Seems easy enough, no?”

“Why did you pick us to go on the mission?” Jeno suddenly cuts in. “Aren’t you afraid that one of us could be the traitor?”

Mr. D snorts. “As if you two meatheads have the forethought to do that. If one of you were the traitor, we’d definitely know. You guys are about as subtle as that Minotaur. In more ways than one.”

Both you and Jeno gawk at him, offended.

“We were originally going to send the Hades team back, but since one of them is injured, we needed a replacement that could make up for her absence. You two are the strongest campers here,” Chiron explains helpfully, trying to mend the situation.

His words quell your ego a bit, though you don’t like sharing the title with Jeno.

“Besides, you work well together,” he adds.

Now that is worse than any insult Mr. D has ever hurled at you. The two of you are back up out of your seats instantly, pointing fingers at each other.

“We do not!” Both of you exclaim petulantly.

“With all due respect, Chiron, I am more than capable of handling this alone. Bringing Y/N would just be a hazard. She’s much too recklessㅡ” Jeno starts.

“What did you just say?” you demand, turning towards him. “Who’s the one that just destroyed you during sparring?”

“Please. You did not destroy me, I told you it was because you got luckyㅡ”

“If anyone’s reckless, it’s you! You were on the verge of beating me today, but you and your gargantuan head decided you had already won and you let your guard down and that’s why you ended up losing. You arrogant son of aㅡ”

“No, I understood that the odds weren’t in your favor,” Jeno corrects, “That’s called ‘assessing the situation.’ I know you’ve probably never heard of it because you always put all your eggs in one basket and think about the consequences later. News flash, Y/N: not everything can be resolved with a last-minute tackle. Like I said, you only beat me because you got lucky. You won’t be able to tackle Polyphemus or Scylla and Charybdis or the Sirens. You actually need to use your head and think about your next move instead of going all inㅡ”

“I know you’re not telling me to use my head when your head basically doubles as an empty soup canㅡ”

“Enough!” Mr. D finally yells. “How do you two always end up doing this? Be quiet, and sit back down.”

The two of you glare at each other one final time before shutting up and sitting back down, sticking your noses up in the air like you’re toddlers who just got scolded.

Chiron just chuckles. “See? My point exactly.”

You go to protest some more, but Mr. D’s scowl makes you decide against it.

“You will leave in the morning,” Mr. D says after waiting for you to cool down. “6 AM sharp. Do not oversleep.”

“And I want to emphasize one more thing,” Chiron says, his tone more serious than you’ve ever heard it. “This is a reconnaissance mission. Retrieve the Golden Fleece if you’re able, but do not engage with the traitor, should you come across them. If you can’t get the Fleece without fighting, just come back. We will figure it out from there. Safety should be the number one priority.”

The traitor.

There’s a heavy silence that hangs in the air after he speaks, as the reality of the mission finally sets in.

The reality that you might have to face a peer.

And that scares you more than the monsters.

You’re the first one to show up at the dock, having arrived about thirty minutes early.

The sun hasn’t even risen yet, and the sky is a murky, inky gray that threatens bad weatherㅡwhich surely cannot be a good omen. You glance over at the ship that is moored to the dock, the waves of the ocean lulling it back and forth. It’s a giant iron warship that was gifted by Ares to his children, but it's available to use for everyone at Camp Half-Blood (though you’re not sure how happy Ares is about that). Not that the campers use it often, since a 10,000 ton warship isn’t exactly a practical item for everyday life.

Of course, unless you need to, say, venture through a certain monster-infested body of water.

Even though you didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, you’re still a ball of nervous energy. Of course, you’re confident in your abilities as a warrior, but it’s one thing to spar fellow campers and fight monsters in a controlled environment and a whole other thing to venture outside of the camp and face mythical creatures that have been around since the beginning of time.

You bounce on your heels as you wait for everyone else to arrive, feeling a bit ridiculous loitering around and looking like the standing man emoji with your arms idly by your side. You wish you could pick at your armor or pretend to inspect your sword, but all of the supplies and weapons had already been loaded onto the ship the night before.

Fortunately, you finally hear footsteps approaching after about five minutes, but unfortunately, those footsteps end up belonging to Lee Jeno. He’s swaggering over to you with his hands tucked into his pockets, wearing black jeans with a black hoodie and a black backpack, looking like he’s about to commit a bank robbery. Not that you can make fun of him too much because you probably look similar. You were all told to wear dark clothing, as opposed to the typical vibrant orange of the Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, to draw less attention to yourselves.

As he gets closer, it’s obvious that he rolled out of bed about ten minutes ago because his face is still slightly puffy from sleep, he has imprints of his pillow on his cheek, and his hair is a floppy mess, which is unlike how he normally styles each strand to perfection with way too much gel.

“I knew you’d be early,” Jeno grumbles as he trudges over to you, voice still rough with grogginess. You can still smell the mint of his toothpaste on his breath as he talks.

“What, so you showed up thinking you could get here before I did?” you retort, crossing your arms.

He doesn’t respond, only rolling his eyes like you’re completely missing the point. Jeno does this often, as if he’s always saying or doing something that flies over your head, but he also doesn’t elaborate or explain anything and just leaves you wondering what the hell his problem is. Yes, you could just ask him, but you’re way too prideful for that so you just assume it’s his main character syndrome acting up again.

“You look like shit,” you blurt, feeling awkward that he didn’t take your bait to start another argument.

“I could say the same thing about you,” Jeno counters, “you look like you’re about to hurl from nervousness.”

“You’re too young to have your eyes deteriorating so quickly,” you snap, “Get them checked because I am not nervous.”

“You’re greener than the polluted ocean water.”

“Shut up. No, I’m not,” you shoot back. It’s not the smartest or most mature comeback, but you’re too annoyed to care.

“You have dark circles under your eyes,” Jeno points out, “and you’re wringing out the bottom of your shirt like you’re trying to strangle someone.”

You’re not even aware that you’re messing with the hem of your t-shirt until he points it out. Looking down, you stare in disbelief at the frumpled fabric that’s twisted in your hands. You’ve always had a habit of fidgeting when you’re nervous, and you’re embarrassed that Jeno noticed.

Before you can think of a response, Jeno continues, “But it’d be weirder if you weren’t nervous, considering what we’re up against.”

He doesn’t look at you when he says it, but there’s not a hint of sarcasm or teasing in his tone. You blink, a little surprised by the rare moment of sincerity. You’re even more surprised by the fact that his words actually make you feel better. You wish he would just make fun of you.

“Are you nervous?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not,” he mumbles, but there’s no conviction in his voice.

“You’re such a shitty liar,” you retort, but you don’t fight him on it, instead, finding yourself cracking an actual smile.

“Whatever. Just make sure you don’t puke on the ship,” he replies haughtily.

Scratch that. You can never seem to take the high road when it comes to him. “Well, I wasn’t the one who hurled my guts out during the hot dog eating contest last year, now was I?”

As the camp activities director, Chiron likes to leave the annual hot dog eating contest off the official events roster, but it’s tradition at Camp Half-Blood. Of course, only the strongestㅡand dumbestㅡcampers participate, since it takes a lot of willpower to eat stale, sometimes half-soggy hot dogs in the sweltering heat of the summer. Naturally, you and Jeno participate every year because neither of you can ever turn down a competition.

Jeno, who normally made it to at least the semi-finals, choked (literally) and was forced to withdraw because he had leaned over and emptied out the contents of his stomach halfway through the third round. You made it to the semi-finals but tapped out after that too, and Sooyoung ended up winning, but that didn’t mean you didn’t clown Jeno for a whole month afterwards.

Even now, you won’t let him live it down.

Jeno sputters at your mention of his public humiliation, flushing beet red. “I told you I had the stomach bug!”

“Right. Just admit that you couldn’t handle it and move on,” you say, rolling your eyes. “It’s pathetic to keep denying it.”

“What’s pathetic is you bringing up my dark past in order to deflect from the fact that you’re quivering in your boots,” he snaps back.

“You didn’t have the stomach bug, and I’m not quivering in my boots,” you reply through grit teeth.

“You are too.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You’re trembling like one of those feral, crusty white dogs named Coco or some shit.”

“And you smell like one.”

You both realize you’re starting to act like children, so the conversation comes to a standstill, and you resort to glaring at each other in silence.

Even though Jeno pisses you off to high Olympus, you’re somewhat glad that the two of you are falling into a routine argument. It’s something that’s familiar to you, as opposed to the stark contrast that you will soon be facing. To your utter shock and horror, his presence is comforting as much as it’s annoying.

Your staredown is interrupted when your stomach lets out a growl so loud that even the Minotaur would’ve been scared by it.

“Let me guess. You didn’t eat breakfast because you’re too nervous,” Jeno says pointedly, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

He’s right. You were so dazed this morning that you completely forgot about breakfast.

You tell your mind to maintain inner peace, trying to do some breathing exercises to keep yourself calm when all you want to do is jump into the ocean from embarrassment. Just how many times is Jeno going to catch you slipping today?

“I have the stomach bug,” you sneer, even though you’re pretty sure your face is about to explode from heat.

“Yeah, well, you better get it under control because I’m pretty sure Scylla and Charybdis could hear your stomach all the way out there.”

“If you don’t shut up, I might kill you before we even reach Scylla and Charybdis,” you hiss. “I can’t believe Mr. D and Chiron expect me to work with an insufferable asshole like you.”

“It’s not like I’m ecstatic about it either,” Jeno shoots back, “I’m probably going to be the one stuck cleaning up your messes.”

“And I’m going to be the one constantly having to save your sorry ass.”

“Just try not to get in Cat and Sicheng’s way. I’m used to your antics, but they’re not,” Jeno sighs.

“Are you really trying to get socked in the face right before we leave?” you demand.

“Go on then,” he challenges, stepping forward. You mirror him, and there’s only a few inches separating you. You’re not sure how you two bridged the gap so quickly, since it felt like he had been a sizable distance from you when he first showed up.

Clenching your fist, you try to calculate a trajectory in which he won’t be able to block your punchㅡ

“You guys are like those UFC wrestlers that try to get in each other’s faces but just look like they’re going to kiss,” another female voice cuts in.

You and Jeno whirl around to see Cat and Sicheng watching the two of you leisurely, and you’re not sure how long they’ve been standing there. Either way, you didn’t notice them coming up at all, and you can tell Jeno didn’t either.

You take a large step back, distancing yourself from him. For some reason, you feel like you’ve just been caught in the actㅡwhatever that means.

“I would actually kill him if we were put into a UFC wrestling ring,” you grumble, ignoring the second half of what Cat said.

Jeno scowls at you like he wants to start another argument but chooses to stay quiet since everyone else has arrived. He has a slight flush to his face, but you chalk it up to annoyance for not being able to get the last word in.

“Sorry we’re a little late. We had to drop by the infirmary and say bye to our sister,” Cat explains.

To be honest, you didn’t even realize they were late.

“It’s fine. How is she doing?” you ask.

Sicheng snorts. “Probably wreaking havoc for Jaemin.”

You’ve never seen a single person get the best of Na Jaemin, the camp’s star healer who single handedly keeps the infirmary running, but you suppose even he can meet his match.

“Well, she’s not our problem anymore,” Cat shrugs, yawning. “Anyways, you guys ready to go?”

“Ready” is a bit of a generous term, but you square your shoulders and nod confidently anywaysㅡbecause it doesn’t matter if you’re ready or not. You just have to get the job done.

All four of you board the ship, taking seats near the front deck. Despite how large the ship is, the sitting area is actually quite crammed. And because of the way everyone filed in, Jeno unfortunately ends up sitting right next to you while Cat and Sicheng sit across from you. Jeno’s arm accidentally brushes against yours, and irritated by how close he is, you casually bump him with your shoulder while pretending to look around the ship. When you actually survey your surroundings, you notice that the wheelhouse, or the place where a captain would normally be, is completely empty.

“Does anyone know how to, uh, drive this thing?” you ask hesitantly.

Jeno snorts. “Drive a ship? You mean steer it? Just because it has a wheel doesn’t mean that you driveㅡ””

“Why don’t you go steer it then since you like to steer your damn mouth, smartass?” you snap.

“Alright, children,” Cat interrupts, rolling her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll steer itself.”

“It will?” Both you and Jeno ask in confusion.

“Come on. it would be pretty stupid of Ares of gift a bunch of young adults a giant warship and assume all of us are experienced sailors,” she points out. “The ship is imbued with magic.”

“Oh,” you simply say. “Well, that’s nice.”

You pause for a brief moment before a sudden realization hits you, and you turn to Jeno. “Wait, shouldn’t you know how to steer it? Your dad gave it to you.”

“No, he gave it to his children back when ships were still the primary method of traveling,” Jeno corrects. “Camp Half-Blood has just held onto it since then. And it’s not like maritime warfare is a part of our daily training.”

You roll your eyes. “It’s your ship, and you don’t even know how to use it.”

“Did you not hear a word I just said?”

“Trust me, I would love nothing more than to not hear a word you just said,” you reply.

“You guys really have nothing to do but fight, huh?” Cat asks.

Her and Sicheng had pulled out books for the tripㅡSicheng was reading a graphic novel of sorts entitled One Piece while Cat had 50 Shades of Grey in her handsㅡbut the two were peeking over the books and observing you and Jeno with relative amusement.

You don’t answer her question, instead, you furrow your eyebrows. “Cat, why are you reading 50 Shades of Grey?”

“Oh, this? My sister said it was really funny, so I decided to give it a shot,” she explains.

“Isn’t it hardcore BDSM erotica?” Jeno questions.

“Badly-written hardcore BDSM erotica,” Cat corrects, “hence, the comedy.”

You figure it’s best not to question it and just let her carry on. It didn’t occur to you to bring any form of entertainment, so you just peer out the side and enjoy the view of the ocean as the ship sets off.

The sun is just barely peeking over the horizon, hidden behind an angry cumulonimbus cloud. The water is choppy, which not only makes the ride rocky, but is also a tell-tale sign of a storm.

A strong gust of wind blows by, and even though it’s summer, you still shiver at the chilly air due to the lack of sunlight. Goosebumps erupt along your arms, and you rub your hands against your biceps, trying to generate some warmth.

You feel Jeno, who had fallen asleep basically the moment the ship started moving, shift beside you. You shoot him an annoyed look, since he has no choice but to bump into you every time he moves. You can’t see his face because his hood is up and his head is lowered with his arms crossed across his chest. A part of you wants to jostle him awake, but you’re not that cruelㅡeven when it comes to Jeno. He needs all the rest he can get because this is probably going to be the last moment of peace you all will have.

Jeno shifts again, and when you glance back at him, you see that he’s actually awake. His hood has been pushed down, and you realize that he keeps moving because he’s trying to take off his hoodie, awkwardly trying to maneuver his arms out of the sleeves of the hoodie without elbowing you. Once he finally manages to get it off, he haphazardly tosses the hoodie into your lap.

“What the hell was that for?” You give him a bewildered look before looking down at the hoodie in your lap. It’s still warm from his body heat.

“Just put it on, Coco,” he sighs as he leans down and picks up his backpack, rummaging through it. “I can’t even sleep because you’re shaking so hard.”

“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not shakingㅡ”

You stop talking abruptly when you see him fish out a box of Lucky Charms cereal, and your stomach lets out another pitiful growl.

He smiles smugly at you. “If you ask nicely, I’ll share.”

Your hunger is slightly quelled by your irritation because you know Jeno doesn’t like Lucky Charms. His diet only consists of chicken breast and green smoothies. He most definitely brought the cereal along to toy with you because he knows it’s your favorite.

“You hate sweets, you protein monster,” you say through grit teeth.

“I have my cheat days,” Jeno replies in a sing-song voice, slowly opening the bag and letting the plastic crinkle extra loudly just to piss you off even more.

Feeling your temper flare to an all-time high, you reach over and snatch the bag from him in one fell swoopㅡcourtesy of your goddess-given speed. Before he can even react, you scoop a handful of cereal and shove it into your mouth.

“Rude,” he sniffles, even though he does nothing to stop you or try to take it back. “Not even a ‘thank you’ or anything.”

You flip him off in response, but you do eventually set the bag of cereal in the small sliver of space between you so he can have some too. Your mouth is full, so you communicate through your eyes that he has no choice but to share with you.

When you meet his stare, he’s looking at you with an expression that you’ve never seen him make before. He’s never looked so happy, nothing but awe and adoration in his gaze, even though your cheeks are stuffed like a chipmunk with cereal. There’s a light in his eyes, the only aspect about him that seems familiar to you right now. You see that spark quite often when you spar him, and you’ve always just thought it was him getting riled up during a fight. However, even that spark appears a little different here. Jeno has always had a fire in his eyes, but right now, it’s not the angry, hungry kind of fire with flames that eat away at anything and everything in its path. It’s a steady, everburning flame that is much like Jeno himselfㅡconstant, passionate, stubborn, and surprisingly warm, a warmth that envelops rather than burns. A warmth that’s directed at youㅡ

Almost as if it’s only for you.

You didn’t even know Jeno was capable of looking at anyone like that, much less you, someone he should loathe. Yet, it seems so natural for him. In fact, it seems so natural that you’re not even sure he’s aware that he’s doing it.

You begin to wonder if you’re running a fever. You feel like you’ve been toasted from the inside, about to spontaneously combust, yet your skin is still freezing to the touch. You’re a little alarmed at how quickly your body is shutting down because of Lee Jeno, a man you’ve hated since childhood, and you’re even more terrified because you don’t know why. You can’t pinpoint a single emotion in the current whirlwind of feelings washing over you like a tidal wave.

Tearing your eyes from his, you look down at the hoodie that’s still in your lap. You hurriedly decide to slip it on even though your temperature is skyrocketing, pulling it over your head and trying to use the fabric as a physical barrier between you and Jeno so you can gather your thoughts without him looking at you. Once his scent hits you like a semi-truck, you realize just how horrible of an idea that was.

Despite your previous insult, he doesn’t smell like a feral, crusty white dog named Coco at all. It’s a mixture of his natural scent, the fresh smell of bar soap, and cotton-scented fabric softener. You feel a bit drunk off of it, but you’re not sure why you’re suddenly so affected by it. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve smelled him, since the two of you are constantly rough-housing and in close proximity to each other.

I must be really sleep-deprived, you tell yourself, I feel like I’m losing my mind.

You begin to pick out the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms bag, since you, like most sane people, try to eat the marshmallows along with the oats at first but then eventually cave and only eat the marshmallows. You’re hoping that the sugar will give you a boost of energy and clear your head of all the irrational thoughts you’ve been having.

Against your better judgment, you peek over at Jeno again. He’s not looking at you anymore, instead, staring out at the ocean like you had been before. You notice that he also grabbed a handful of cereal and is munching on it, but there’s not a single marshmallow. It’s just a pile of oats.

For a second, you think that he’s saving the marshmallows for you, and your heart swells three times its size like you’re the Grinch, but then you realize you’re starting to act crazy again and tell yourself to snap out of it.

He doesn’t eat sweets, you remind yourself, Besides, I can get my own damn marshmallows.

You shovel the marshmallows in your hand into your mouth, chewing them with renewed vigor. When you decide to glance back at Cat and Sicheng, noticing that they were being abnormally quiet, you lock eyes with Cat for a full three seconds before you realize that she had been watching you and Jeno the whole time.

“Y/N, I think you’re denser than Moon,” Cat proclaims confidently.

Sicheng, who had been too invested in One Piece to care about anything else, immediately perks up and sets his book down. “What?”

You would be more offended at being called dense if you weren’t more confused about being compared to Moon. Moon is a Big Three (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) kid and one of the only two children of Poseidon at Camp Half-Blood. From what you know of her, dense is the last thing you would describe her as. In fact, she’s extremely smart. So smart that it makes your brain hurt thinking about how smart she is.

“What do you mean?” you ask, furrowing your eyebrows.

Jeno just laughs, and you resist the urge to elbow him in the ribs.

“Moon is the girl Sicheng is in love with,” Cat explains at lightspeed, “Sicheng does nothing except give her heart eyes all day, and she still can’t read the room. Of course, it also doesn’t help that Sicheng is too much of a pansy to make an actual move, so now she’s being swept away by Lucas, who is a total idiot.”

Lucas is a Hebe kid and one of the most popular guys at the camp. He embodies golden retriever energy, and he’s just one of those people that can get along with anyone. You actually think him and Moon would be really cute together, since she’s a lot quieter than he is and it would be like the whole opposites attract idea. But, obviously, you won’t say that out loud.

Sicheng makes a strangled noise at having his private life being exposed to two people he essentially met yesterday.

You feel a little bad for him, but you’re invested now. Apparently, Jeno is too because both of you lean in closer at the same time, nodding for Cat to continue.

“So, this is, like, a full-fledged love triangle?” you ask enthusiastically. “I thought those only existed in movies and shows.”

“It is,” Cat confirms, nodding, “And Sicheng’s got it so bad that he’s about to try to read a manga series that has more than one thousand chapters for her.”

You’re only vaguely familiar with anime and manga, but you do know that Moon is a huge fan of it. You’re assuming that Cat is talking about the One Piece book that’s in Sicheng’s hand.

“A thousand chapters?” you gawk. “Is One Piece like the Grey’s Anatomy of anime?”

“Dude,” Jeno sighs, shaking his head. You roll your eyes at his use of the word “dude.” It’s as if men are genetically coded to refer to other men as “dude” when they speak to each other. “You are gone.”

“Like you’re the one to talk,” Cat mutters. She says it a bit too quietly though, and no one else hears it.

“How are you gonna read a thousand plus chapters for her but you can’t even tell her how you feel?” you sigh.

“Exactly!” Cat agrees, shoving Sicheng. “Lucas wouldn’t read a thousand chapters of One Piece for her, but you know what he will do? Confess! And, with the way things are going, it’s going to work.”

“Girls like it when guys take the initiative,” Jeno agrees.

You snort. “Please. As if you know anything about girls. The only action you’ve gotten is with the training dummies.”

His jaw drops at your insult, and he makes a similar strangled sound that Sicheng just made as he tries to come up with a response. You shoot him a smirk of your own.

“Can we please stop talking about my love life?” Sicheng finally grumbles.

“You meant your lack of a love life,” Cat corrects.

Sicheng glowers at his sister for a good second before he blurts, “Cat went on a date with Jeong Jaehyun.”

You and Jeno’s heads swivel towards her so fast that the two of you look like those demons who can turn their heads a complete 360 degrees.

Cat groans loudly. “Ugh. Don’t even remind me.”

Jaehyun is a child of Aphrodite, and man, he could probably be the poster child of Aphrodite kids. His birthday is on Valentine’s Day, he’s good-looking, skilled at almost everything, has left a string of broken hearts in his wake, and is probably the camp’s most powerful charmspeaker. Charmspeaking is an ability that only Aphrodite kids have, and it allows them to put others under a hypnosis with their voices and force people to do their bidding.

“What happened?” you ask, tilting your head. Jaehyun is apparently quite the charmer (both metaphorically and literally), from what you’ve heard.

“My Aphrodite friend tried to set me up with him because, for some reason, she thought he and I would be a good match,” Cat says, “I think she was just biased because he’s her brother because it turns out he’s staler than white bread. Also, I would never be caught dating a man with a concave for an ass.”

You snicker at her last comment, “I guess it’s just because he’s an Aphrodite kid, so there’s that…mystique.”

“Yeah. Thank the gods my friend is finally out of her matchmaking phase now that she got a boyfriend,” Cat waves her hand around, as if she’s shooing something away. “Anyways, we’re way off-topic. What’s the deal with you two and whatever charged tension is between you?”

She waggles her finger at you and Jeno, and the two of you can only stare dumbfoundedly back at her. Now it’s Sicheng’s turn to look invested as he closes his manga and sets it back down on his lap.

“I don’t know if you’ve gathered,” you answer, “but we hate each other, so that’s probablyㅡ”

“No, no, no,” she immediately interrupts, “not that kind of tension. The unresolved, sexual kind.”

Her words are followed by a long, almost comical amount of silence. If you weren’t in the ocean, there would be cricket noises and tumbleweeds.

After another minute, you and Jeno start talking at the same time.

“Are you on crack?” you exclaim. You want to stand up, but the ship is way too rocky for you to have steady footing. “I don’t even see him as a person. He’s closer to vermin in my book.”

“With her?” Jeno’s eyes widen. “I would rather hook up with a Siren and get eaten!”

You gasp loudly, extremely offended. Sirens are one of the ugliest creatures to exist, a grotesque mix of a mermaid and a bird. Not that you want him to hook up with you, but it still hurts your pride that you’re below a Siren.

“Oh, whatever,” you snap, “I could seduce you with one finger if I wanted to.”

He laughs incredulously. “Yeah, okayㅡ”

“But I won’t because I would rather marry Polyphemus and get eaten!”

Jeno gasps too, equally as offended. “He’s a blind cyclops!”

“And Sirens are the Antichrist!”

“What did I say?” Cat leans over to Sicheng, who’s smiling sheepishly. “Ooh, they wanna kiss each other so bad.”

“No, we don’t!” The two of you stop arguing and immediately turn to her.

“You do realize you’re practically in each other’s lap, right?” Cat raises an eyebrow.

You blink, looking down before realizing just how close you and Jeno had gotten. Somehow during the argument, the two of you must’ve unconsciously scooted closer and closer (as if you aren’t already jam-packed in there) to each other. Your bodies are curved towards one another, with your thigh basically on top of his. Your arm is right up against his, in fact, you’re actually kind of leaning against him. Your faces are so close that you could bump his forehead with your own if you moved an inch or two forward.

The both of you have never really had any concept of personal space, since you constantly invade each other’s bubble because of the amount of sparring and tense staredowns you’ve had. Getting in each other’s face has always just been an intimidation tactic.

This argument is no different than the hundreds of other ones you’ve had, but you’re suddenly a lot more self-conscious about it now that someone has pointed it out. You exchange glances with Jeno, and you can tell he’s flustered too. You both clear your throats awkwardly and quickly move away from each other.

“That was unintentional,” you mutter.

“While I would love to debate more about this with you guys, this lovely conversation will have to be put on hold,” Cat says, genuinely disappointed. “Unfortunately, we’re about to reach the strait of Scylla and Charybdis.”

As if on cue, the sky roars with thunder, and a sudden downpour of rain begins. You pull the hood on Jeno’s hoodie up over your head, attempting to cover yourself from some of the rain, but it’s no use. You’re all soaking wet within a matter of seconds.

Cat and Sicheng begin to pass out swords, armor, and small pouches of ambrosia to you and Jeno. You all gear up in steely silence, the previous lighthearted atmosphere having completely evaporated. Trying to calm your nerves, you do a couple of breathing exercises to clear your mind. Then, you do an experimental twirl of the sword in your hand, testing your grip on the hilt. It’s a bit slippery from the rain, but it should be okay if you hang on tightly.

“Who’s it gonna be?” you shout over the rain and thunder. “Scylla or Charybdis?”

In order to reach the Sea of Monsters, travelers must first bypass the strait of Scylla and Charybdis. The way it works is that the two monsters are within an arrow’s range from each other, meaning that if you avoid one, you end up dealing with the other. Since you have to fight one regardless, it's better to plan out which monster to face.

Scylla is a monster with four eyes, six heads with three rows of teeth each, legs consisting of twelve tentacles, and four to six dog heads around her waist. Meanwhile, Charybdis is a massive mouth, almost like a squid’s beak, at the bottom of the sea that generates powerful whirlpools, which have notoriously decimated ships.

Fun fact: Charybdis is also a daughter of Poseidon, meaning that she’s related to the two Poseidon kids at Camp Half-Blood.

“Charybdis!” Cat responds, gesturing to the wheelhouse. “Come on! We have to steer the ship!”

“I thought you said it steers on its own!”

“Not through a freakishly strong vortex monster!”

You all crowd into the wheelhouse, which shields you from the rain but does nothing to protect you from the strong winds. With everyone’s teeth chattering, you pipe up again, “Don’t you think we should’ve brought a Poseidon kid? I mean, they can control the water and Charybdis is literally their sister.”

“Yeah, we probably should’ve thought of that beforehand,” Cat admits.

“You said that you managed to track the Fleece here before, right? How did you get past the strait last time?” Jeno asks.

“We didn’t actually make it into the Sea of Monsters,” Sicheng explains. “We were called back before we could.”

You stare at them. “So, none of us know what we’re doing?”

“Appears so,” Cat answers, sounding way too calm.

Charybdis must have a good sense of humor because, at the very moment, the entire ship abruptly leans to the side, nearly tipping over and letting out a loud metal groan. It’s the unmistakable feeling of being sucked into the whirlpool.

“Well, we better figure it out real quick,” you warn.

Jeno, without warning, grabs one of the handles on the steering wheel and spins it hard, like he’s a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. The ship jerks abruptly to the opposite side, but it manages to successfully keep you all from getting engulfed by the whirlpool. Somehow, with that completely random spin, Jeno is able to steer the ship out of Charybdis completely.

You all gawk at him.

“I guess sailing ships is in your DNA,” Cat notes.

“I guess so,” Jeno says smugly. He dramatically runs a hand through his wet hair, slicking it back and posing.

You roll your eyes, but you decide to let him act like the main character for a moment. Even you have to admit that was pretty impressive.

Of course, that does not last long because the ear-piercing screech of Scylla rings throughout the air, even over the thunderstorm. It’s followed by a loud clang, and the ship takes a nosedive into the water, completely flooding the top deck. You almost topple on top of each other but manage to hang on for balance. When you glance outside of the wheelhouse, you realize that, because Jeno made such a hard swerve out of Charybdis, the ship accidentally veered into Scylla’s territory. Not only did the ship run right into Scylla, but the latter also just took a big bite out of the front of the ship, gnawing at the iron like it were a piece of gum.

“Oops?” Jeno says sheepishly.

You know you shouldn’t blame Jeno because it’s his first time sailing a ship and it’s difficult even for an experienced sailor to properly navigate between Scylla and Charybdis, but you shoot him a glare anyways.

“Stay here and steer the ship. Preferably not back into Charybdis,” you say to Jeno before unsheathing your sword. “I’ll distract her.”

“Wait, we’ll come with you,” Cat chimes in, gesturing to Sicheng.

“No, you and Sicheng need to preserve your energy for when we get to the island. You guys are the strongest, so you have to be the last resort, especially if we need to shadow travel,” you shake your head, “I’ll be your cannon fodder.”

Shadow traveling is a form of transportation that only Hades children can use. It allows them to go from one place to another by slipping in and out of shadows, but it rapidly drains the user’s energy. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that Cat and Sicheng not fight unless they absolutely have to, just in case things go awry and everyone needs a quick escape.

“Butㅡ”

“Don’t worry,” you reassure her, “I got this.”

You’re pretty sure you deserve an Academy Award for your delivery of that line because you don’t feel nearly as confident as you sound. However, you don’t have the time to hesitate, so you do what you do best: run directly into the line of fire.

“Y/N, waitㅡ” Jeno tries to stop you, but you’re already gone.

The rain pelts you like a wall of needles when you step out of the wheelhouse. For some reason, the raindrops sting and the wind makes it worse. You don’t dwell on it too much, though, because you find yourself face-to-face with Scylla’s six ugly mugs. Her heads sway back and forth like snakes waiting to strike, and she lets out a roar so powerful that you have to lower your stance to steady yourself and block your face with your arms to keep from being knocked back. Taking advantage of the fact that your line of sight is compromised, Scylla’s heads begin to snap at you.

Thanks to your agility, you manage to dodge them but it’s not easy. Because of the rain, you slip and slide all over the deck. Additionally, Jeno is also trying to maneuver the ship away so that Scylla doesn’t destroy more of it while simultaneously avoiding Charybdis at the same time, so your balance is thrown off even more.

You suddenly see an opportunity when one of her heads zigzags towards you. Sidestepping it, you raise your sword above your head and lop off the head in one deft swing. The decapitated head rolls toward the part of the ship that was bitten and rolls directly off of it and into the sea. Scylla shrieks in pain, and her remaining five heads come at you stronger and much, much faster. You’ve never been more grateful to be a child of Nike than right now, moving your body so fast that you’re pretty sure you’re nothing but a blur.

In the corner of your eye, you notice the exit to the strait coming up, and you pray to every god that Jeno can smoothly get all of you the hell out of here.

One of Scylla’s heads sneakily curves behind you while you’re distracted by the others, and you hear someone yell your name, but it’s too late. Even though you try to duck out of the way, the head’s jagged teeth snag the hem of your hoodie and you feel yourself being lifted up into the air. Your sword slips out of your hand and splashes into the water.

Well, you suppose if you were going to die, getting devoured by Scylla would be pretty coolㅡ

A light bulb goes off in your head when you remember you’re wearing a hoodie.

Looking down, you see that Jeno has somehow managed to position the ship perfectly under you, waiting to catch you. You groan when you register just how hard you’re about to hit the iron deck of the ship, but you’d rather have a couple of broken bones than be fish food.

You grab the bottom of your hoodie and turn it inside out over your head before slipping your arms through, freeing yourself of the piece of clothing. Luckily, your armor underneath takes the brunt of Scylla’s razor sharp teeth, so it doesn’t pierce your skin. However, as you begin to freefall through the air, you squeeze your eyes shut and brace for the impact that your armor most definitely cannot protect you from.

But that impact never comes.

Instead, you hear Jeno shout your name, and then there’s a soft thud.

When you open your eyes, you see Jeno splayed out across the deck with his arms underneath your body. It takes you a few seconds to realize that he caught you, completely breaking your fall. In fact, you fell so hard that your weight knocked him flat to the ground, but he still managed to hold onto you.

You hear Scylla roar again, and you quickly scramble off Jeno to find your sword, but Scylla’s heads never come either. In your disoriented state, you didn’t notice that the ship had already sailed out of the strait shortly after you were caught. Once the ship is completely out, the rain stops and the sea grows much calmer, even the sun slightly peeks through a rain cloud.

“Are you hurt?” Jeno asks frantically, back on his feet almost instantly. His chin is slightly swollen, most likely having smacked it against the deck when he caught you, but he barely even seems to notice. He’s too busy scanning you for any visible injuries.

“I’m fine, but you should eat some ambㅡ”

Once he sees that you’re not injured, he leans in and says in quiet, but harsh, tone, “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

You and Jeno have had your fair share of squabbles, and you’ve screamed your lungs out at each other, but he’s never truly gotten mad at you. You’ve only seen him truly mad once, when he overheard some assholes talking shit about Sooyoung and her girlfriend, Sana. Even though it was years ago, the scene is embedded into your memory. That’s how you know Jeno is really angryㅡwhen he doesn’t yell. When he doesn’t lose his temper. His tone is clipped, short, and scarily calm; his words like icy daggers.

“Do you think your life is that expendable?” he continues. “What in gods’ names would possess you to go out and fight Scylla alone?”

You blink, taken aback by his outburst. “Scylla was about to devour our ship. What was I supposed to do? You had to steer, Cat and Sichengㅡ”

“I know exactly what your thought process was,” he interrupts, “or lack thereof, should I say. You still don’t get it, Y/N. It’s the fact that you don’t think about another way. You just face it head on and put yourself in danger without a thoughtㅡ”

“Because that’s usually the quickest and most efficient wayㅡ”

“You almost died!”

“But I didn’t.”

“We could’ve taken on Scylla together if you had just waitedㅡ”

“Please. I don’t need your help.” You realize you’re saying this right after narrowly escaping being eaten alive, but it’s such a natural response that you just blurt it out without thinking.

“Y/N, you are missing the point. Iㅡ”

“Uh, you guys,” Sicheng calls out. “I think you need to come see this.”

When you and Jeno glance over, you notice that Cat and Sicheng have walked to the very back of the ship, where the engine is located. Jeno turns back at you and gives you a hard stare, implying that your conversation is not over, but he nonetheless starts walking over to them. You follow quietly, not really sure what to make of what just happened.

Once you reach Cat and Sicheng, they don’t even say anything, just pointing at the engine. It doesn’t take a mechanic to see that it is obviously damaged. There’s a giant dent in the side, it’s clearly waterlogged, and it’s slightly sparking.

“Is engine repairing in your DNA too?” Cat nudges Jeno.

“No, I think that’s more of a Hephaestus kid thing,” Jeno shakes his head.

“First, we need a Poseidon kid. Now, we need a Hephaestus kid,” Sicheng sighs. “When will we need the people we actually brought?”

“Hey!” You and Jeno protest at the same time.

“Well, we’ll just have to pray that the engine will hold out until we reach the island because we have a bigger issue to deal with right now,” Cat says grimly, “We’re about to pass by the Sirens.”

The sea gets rougher, and the sky begins to rumble again, indicating that the Sirens’ Island is near.

Sirens are arguably way more dangerous than Scylla and Charybdis, purely because there is no real way to fight them. Once you hear their song and fall under their trance, it’s impossible to break out of their hypnosis. Their songs are more powerful than charmspeaking, since they sing to you about your deepest desiresㅡsome of which you yourself have yet to uncover.

The four of you head back to the front of the ship, or rather what’s left of it, and begin to scrounge the little supplies that weren’t eaten by Scylla. Luckily, the wad of wax that had been packed was still there, but not a lot of it. Wax was used by Odysseus during his encounter with the Sirens, and it remains one of the most effective methods to block out their songs since it’s so thick yet malleable and soft in consistency, thus making it good for absorbing sound.

That is, when there’s enough of it.

Jeno, Cat, and Sicheng haven’t noticed the shortage yet, too busy trying to store the supplies in a safe place before you reach the Sirens, so you quickly begin handing them chunks of wax to stuff into their ears. After everything’s distributed, you’re only left with two dime-sized pieces of wax. The wax needs to be at least a couple of inches thick per ear for it to properly be able to block out all sound, but the two pieces in your hand are barely two inches combined. Slowly, you put the wax in your ears, trying to test how well you can hear.

“Can you hear me?” Cat is shouting loudly at Sicheng, testing out the wax as well.

“No!” Sicheng shouts back, shaking his head profusely.

Their voices are muffled but you can still hear them relatively well.

Shit.

“Y/N?” Jeno’s voice is suddenly so soft compared to Cat and Sicheng, but it startles you the most. You jolt, turning towards him. He hasn’t put the wax in his ears yet, instead, he’s furrowing his eyebrows at you, scanning your expression. “What’s wrong?”

You suppose there’s no point in lying, since they’ll all find out eventually. Spotting a coil of rope sitting on top of a box of weapons, you make a beeline for it. Jeno matches your stride, waiting for an answer.

“There’s not enough wax,” you finally explain, unfurling the rope and tying one end around your waist before tying the other around a ledge of the ship. You do an experimental tug on the knots, making sure they will be tight enough to withhold you when you succumb to the Sirens’ songs.

“Whatㅡ”

“We don’t have time to argue over this, Jeno,” you hiss, “Listen. If I break free, tackle me, knock me out, do whatever you need to do. I’m giving you an opportunity to finally land a clean punch on me since you seem to have such a hard time finding one of your own whenever we spar. Oh, and try not to get distracted by the Sirens yourself since you’re apparently so attracted to them.”

Jeno looks so frustrated that he could pull out his hair any moment. “Y/Nㅡ”

“Hang on!” Cat hollers, and just as she says it, there’s a loud clap of thunder. The wind picks up immediately, and the water grows ten times choppier. The waves are so strong that you feel like you’re in one of those water parks with the wave pools, and they’ve turned the wave machine all the way up. You’re hit with an onslaught of rain again, and an especially rough wave jostles you so hard that you slip and fall on your ass. The impact of you falling plus the heavy rain causes the wax in your left ear to fall out, and you blindly grope around on the deck for it.

But then, as if a switch had been turned on, it all suddenly just stops. The rain and wind subside almost immediately, the dark clouds are nowhere to be seen, and the sun is shining brightly. The water stills as well, and the ship sails smoothly. Everything is calm, eerily so. You all exchange knowing glances with one another.

You’re in the Sirens’ territory now.

You already start to hear distant voices, a mixture of whispers and singing, and you frantically search for your lost waxㅡ

However, you already know it’s too late. Once the Sirens’ voices reach you, no matter how far away, you’re already under their spell.

Your vision goes hazy, and your head feels like it’s swimming. Then, abruptly, everything gets super bright, like someone is shining a flashlight in your eyes. Squinting, you put a hand in front of your face to try to block it, but the light is blinding. You do manage, however, to make out a shadowy figure standing in front of you. You take a small step closer, straining your eyes to see who they are. The figure flickers like a candle flame, but you squint hard enough to see that the person standing in front of you is your mother and the goddess of victory, Nike.

Nike’s hair is in braids and twisted on top of her head, secured by a laurel wreath. She has her signature golden wings spread open majestically, indicating her good mood. She’s smiling at you, and you’ve never seen her look this proud of you. Then again, you can’t even remember the last time she’s actually looked at you.

It’s not that Nike is a bad parent, but her attention is always focused on multiple things at once. She can never stay still for long, constantly bouncing off the walls as if she were on a caffeine high. Because of the way she is, she never really has the time to sit down with her children and truly spend time with them.

A part of you wants to grab her and give her the biggest bear hug ever before telling her about the chaos of the mission you’ve been on, but a small piece of your subconscious knows that this is all a dream.

Nike starts to say something to you, but you can’t hear it. Your ears are humming with a soft, almost melodic ring. You try to read her lips, but then you get distracted when you feel someone else take your hand. Turning around, you see Jeno standing there.

Even in your disoriented state, you can’t help but stare in shock. If he sees how surprised you are, he doesn’t show it. He just grins and laces his fingers through yours. You know this isn’t real, but he feels real. His hand is big and warm, rough with calluses from training. You can even feel the jagged scar on his palm from when he accidentally cut himself with a sword as a kid. With his other hand, he reaches up and cups your cheek, thumb gently brushing over your cheekbone. He leans down and whispers something to you, but you can’t hear what he’s saying either. However, you start to feel the remainder of your consciousness and self-restraint fading away.

He tugs your arm slightly, nudging you back towards Nike, who is suddenly a lot farther away than before. You hesitate, and he takes your other hand as well, stepping in front of you and guiding you like he’s trying to teach you how to walk. When you look up at him, he smiles at you and you can see him mouthing your name.

You take a step forward.

“Y/N!”

Another step.

“Y/N!”

You stop, and the ringing in your ears grows louder. Squeezing your eyes shut, you grit your teeth in pain. You feel Jeno’s grip on you grow tighter, and when you open your eyes again, you suddenly feel a chill run through your body.

The person, no, thing in front of you isn’t Jeno at all.

It’s taking Jeno’s form, and it feels like Jeno, but it’s lifeless. Its eyes are like two black holes, completely devoid of any emotions.

Once it realizes that you’ve caught on, its expression morphs into a grotesque leer, holding your hands so tightly that you feel like your fingers are being crushed. With what little strength you have, you rip your hands free from it andㅡ

“Y/N!”

You blink.

You feel raindrops on your face and hear the roar of the sea and the booming of the thunder before realizing you’re back on the ship. You see the real Jeno’s face above you, and you wonder how you even got tricked. When you meet his worried gaze, you know that this is Jeno. Dark, but not black, almost-burnt brown eyes that you’ve looked into so, so many times. His face has always read like an open book, and you can tell every emotion he’s feeling through his expression, unlike the soulless smiles you had seen before.

Right now, he looks so helpless and distressed as he cradles you in his arms, as if he’s the one who’s going to lose his mind if he lets go.

You try to move, but you realize that you’ve been completely immobilized. Jeno is holding the top half of your body in his lap while Cat and Sicheng have your legs pinned to the ground. From behind them, you see the rope that you had tied yourself down withㅡwell, the remaining tatters of the rope anyways.

“Wait, I think she’s awake,” Cat says tentatively, patting your ankle, “Y/N, can you hear me?”

“Yes,” you answer hoarsely, “What happened?”

Cat and Sicheng sigh in relief, letting go of your legs and leaning back.

“Oh my gods,” Sicheng breathes, “let’s never do that again.”

“Are you okay?” Jeno asks hurriedly, helping you sit up. He keeps a hand on your back to steady you, and he brushes your hair out of your face. He swipes at your eyes with his thumbs, and you’re guessing you had probably cried while you were under the Sirens’ spell. It’s pretty typical for people to cry when entranced by them since they’re literally seeing their desires come true. How he knew you were crying when it was raining, you don’t know.

“I’m fine,” you groan, rubbing your head. Without even realizing it, you’re leaning into Jeno’s arm around you. “Why does my voice sound so scratchy?”

“You were screaming for us to let you go,” Cat explains, “and you also tore through the rope like the Hulk.”

“You were thrashing and kicking and clawing,” Sicheng adds, “It took all three of us to hold you down.”

Now that they mention it, your body does feel rather exhausted. You’re certain you have some pretty bad rope burns along with a plethora of bumps and bruises, though it’s not anything you’re not already used to. You mainly feel bad about causing more trouble for the team.

“I’m sorry, you guys,” you sigh.

“Don’t worry about us. Jeno took the brunt of it,” Cat replies. You look over at him, and you’re hit with another wave of guilt.

There are long, angry scratch marks all along his arms, a couple on his face as well, and you somehow even managed to tear off the collar of his t-shirt, so its neckline is now a scraggly and loose U-shape. You must’ve grabbed his hair too because it’s sticking up in random clumps.

“I’m fine,” he says gruffly.

“You’re not fine,” you chide. “You need ambrosia.”

“They’re just scratches,” he dismisses, “our supplies are dwindling. We need to saveㅡ”

You don’t even let him finish before fishing out the wet pouch of ambrosia in your pocket and shoving a soggy piece directly into his mouth. Jeno makes a disgusted face but reluctantly chews and swallows it nonetheless.

“Good boy,” you coo, patting him on the cheek like he’s a dog.

He shoots you a scowl.

Cat eyes the both of you knowingly before leaning forward, “But more importantly, what did you see when you heard the Sirens’ song? I mean, you were struggling so hard to get to it that I thought you were gonna drag all three of us into the ocean with you.”

You pause, and everything rushes back to you at once.

You remember Nike smiling proudly at you, how badly you wanted her to approve of you, andㅡ

Jeno.

Holding your hand.

Caressing your face.

Leaning down and whispering into your ear.

You let out a mortified scream before slapping your hand over your mouth. “Oh my gods.”

“What? What was it?” Cat prods excitedly. “Was it some deep, dark sexual fantasy that you buried in your subconscious?”

You wish.

I’m, like, an actual pervert, you think to yourself. What the actual hell is wrong with me? How is that my deepest desire? With Lee Jeno of all people?

Before you can stop yourself, you shoot a quick glance at Jeno, who is looking at you with confusion. You maintain eye contact for only half a second before looking away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Don’t worry, Y/N. This is a safe placeㅡ” Cat stops abruptly when she notices you looking at Jeno. “You know what, you don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.”

You can tell by the glee in her expression that she’s caught on, but Jeno (and Sicheng) most definitely has not. You’re grateful that she drops it.

“Speaking of safe places,” Sicheng says wryly, “we’re here.”

As if it were responding, the ship lets out another heavy groan before slowly washing ashore onto the unnamed island. The only thing you see is a wide sandbank and a dark entrance to a vast and ominous-looking cave. It unnerves you that you can’t see inside of it whatsoever.

Cat lets out an incredulous laugh. “Wow, I can’t believe the engine actuallyㅡ”

The engine, like the unpredictable diva it is, chooses right then and there to explode.

Letting out a surprised yelp, you turn just in time to see it spontaneously combust into flames. The four of you stand there for a moment, watching it in silence, as the only mode of transportation you have burns along with it.

“Well,” Cat finally pipes up, “I guess shadow traveling it is.”

“Let’s hope there’s not anyone else here because if the giant warship didn’t already blow our cover, the explosion most definitely did,” Sicheng adds.

You all do one last round-up of all of your weapons and supplies, and in addition to your sword, you make sure to strap some extra butterfly knives to your arms and legs, learning from the fiasco with Scylla.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jeno asks when you’re all off the ship and on the sand.

“Let’s just rawdog it and head straight into the cave,” you suggest, “not like there’s anything else here.”

“Of course, you would want to do that,” Jeno sighs. “That’s why I’m asking Cat or Sicheng.”

“I actually agree with Y/N,” Cat replies, “If the Fleece is going to be anywhere, then it’s definitely going to be in that creepy cave.”

“I told you,” you interject childishly.

Sicheng kneels to the ground, placing his hand down on it. He mumbles something in Ancient Greek before his fingers emit a dark purple glow. A decomposed hand suddenly pops up, and shortly after, the second hand pops up as well. It’s followed by the head, which consists only of a skull. To your horror, the skull starts making noises like a zombie from an apocalypse movie.

However, it doesn’t make them for long because Jeno kicks the skull cleanly off the rest of the body that’s still in the sand, punting it like it were a soccer ball. He does it so fast that it takes a moment for he himself to register that he just did that.

“Oh shit. Sorry.”

Both Cat and Sicheng gasp, while you burst into laughter.

“You’re such a dumbass,” you can barely speak through your bouts of laughter.

“Why would you do that to poor Alfred?” Cat demands.

“Dude, what the hell?” Sicheng throws his hands up.

“It scared me!” Jeno defends. “Isn’t that a natural reaction to seeing a zombie?”

“That zombie has been our dad’s loyal butler for eons,” Cat crosses her arms, offended.

“I was about to get him to keep watch for us while we were in the cave,” Sicheng explains.

“You should’ve told me that beforehandㅡ”

“Whatever,” Cat sighs, “we’re wasting time. Let’s just head in. When the rest of Alred’s body emerges, he’ll be able to find and reattach his head on his own.”

Once you four walk into the cave, it becomes apparent just how large it is. The entrance splits into two directions, both equally as dark. There’s only a little bit of light coming in from the outside, but you know that once you venture in further, it’s just going to get darker and darker.

“Okay. Sicheng and I will go this way,” Cat says, pointing to the left path, “Y/N and Jeno go the other.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bad idea to split up when we’re in completely unknown territory?” Jeno counters. “What if something goes wrong on one end?”

“Well, if something like that happensㅡ” Cat starts, and you feel the nonchalance radiating off both her and Sicheng’s bodies, the confidence of two demigods that have been on countless missions.

“ㅡyou better scream for help and pray that one of us can reach you in time.”

“For the record, I think this is a terrible idea.”

You and Jeno are both blindly feeling against the cave wall, taking slow steps and making sure your footing is steady since it’s completely pitch black.

You roll your eyes, ignoring him, and wish you could just leave him behind.

Jeno has been complaining and nagging ever since you split up, and you’re starting to get fed up with it. Not only that, you’re still reeling from your encounter with the Sirens and what you saw. The combination of him being annoying currently and the fact that he’s apparently one of your deepest desires is too much for you.

You think back on your time with him, and it suddenly occurs to you that you’ve been by each other’s side for nearly a decade now. How many hours have you spent with him training, sparring, fighting, arguing? Even though you both loathed each other’s presence, you were always together. You’ve picked up on each other’s habits, fighting styles, likes and dislikes, and even know what the other person is about to say without them having to say it. Whether you liked it or not, he probably knows you better than anyone else in your life and vice versa.

And the worst part is, you think you like it.

It’s the strangest thingㅡhe is the most infuriating person on the planet, yet you’ve never once thought about a reality without him in it.

Before you even realized it, he had integrated himself into your life and you tailored it to include him without a second thought. No, not even tailored. You’ve started to rely on him. In his own frustrating way, his constant presence has become a comfort for you. Something you know that will always be there, steadfast, no matter what you’re going through.

You wonder when the initial hatred you felt for him turned into an excuse. A safety net for you to fall back on in case you were confronted about your real feelings. And with that safety net finally ripped away from you, you have no choice but to admit what you’ve been keeping at bay for a long, long time.

You don’t hate Lee Jeno, in fact, it might be the complete opposite.

It’s both terrifying and liberating to acknowledge it, though you’re not sure you’ll ever have the courage to say it to Jeno’s face. The two of you have developed a good routine over the years, and you don't want to break that cycle over feelings that may not be reciprocated.

Though you’re not sure how you’re supposed to act normally around him now.

You sigh. Why does it have to be him?

Jeno is still yapping away, and you’re impressed that you even had this revelation while he’s being so vexing.

“I mean, I could list so many things that could go wrong,” he’s in the middle of saying, “and it doesn’t help that I’m paired with someone who just essentially got off an acid trip.”

You gasp, whirling around to face him. Or at least you think you’re facing him. It’s too dark to tell. “In case you weren’t aware, I was under the Sirens’ spell because I gave up the remainder of the wax for you, you insensitive dick.”

Well, you suppose you can still act pretty normal around him.

“Oh trust me, I am all too aware,” Jeno snaps back, referring to how you clawed at him like feral possum, and that makes you feel guilty again.

You gnaw at your lip before awkwardly blurting out, “Thanks. For saving me. Twice.”

You’re fairly certain that you’ve never thanked in your entirety of knowing each other, so you’re not really sure how to do it. Obviously, you know how to thank someone, but not Jeno. He must be equally as taken aback because you hear his footsteps stop abruptly, and he’s quiet for a good second or two.

“You’re welcome,” he says softly, “but there’s no need to thank me. I would have done it no matter what, even if you told me not to.”

You were expecting him to tease you, but you’re stunned by how genuine and serious he is. He says it matter-of-factly, but there’s an assurance in his tone.

You wish you could see his face, see what kind of expression he’s making.

“But I would prefer not to do it if I don’t have to,” he continues breezily, and you know he’s about to ruin the moment. “So try to refrain from getting yourself killed.”

“You just worry about yourself because I will kill you before anything in this cave does,” you reply sweetly.

He’s in the middle of responding when you notice something in your peripheral. “Now, that sounds more like the Y/N I knowㅡ”

“Shut up.”

“Yeah, and that tooㅡ”

You blindly reach out in the dark and try to cover his mouth with your hand. You somewhat land in the right spot, getting more of his nose and upper lip, but you still manage to get your point across. He promptly shuts up.

“Light,” you whisper, pointing to a small sliver of light that’s peeking out around a corner. The only reason you even see the corner is because of that light. You can tell it’s not natural light because it flickers back and forth, casting a slight shadow. It has to be a torch. “Someone has to have been here.”

Or is currently here.

Jeno slowly removes your hand from his face, and the two of you exchange glances, nodding at each other. You both put your hands on the hilts of your swords and slowly round the corner, bracing for whatever you’re about to see.

The cave leads into a long narrow path, with torches lit all along the walls. You and Jeno carefully walk down it, still keeping at the same pace from when you didn’t have any light. You’re both too tense to even say a word, and you somewhat feel like you’re livestock being led to the slaughterhouse.

You stop dead in your tracks when you see that the end of the path leads into a massive cavern with a huge pond in the middle of it. The top of the cavern is completely open, and the sun directly shines into it. You marvel at how bright this space is compared to the rest of the pitch-black caveㅡand how deep within the cave this place must be for the light to not seep through earlier.

You and Jeno step into the cavern and begin to survey your surroundings. If the torches didn’t already indicate it, the cavern is a dead giveaway that someone has been here.

There’s weapons littered everywhere: swords, a broken shield, a few wooden bows, arrows scattered all over the place. You also see the pieces of the same leather armor you’re currently wearing on the ground, pretty much confirming that this is the hideout of the traitor. In addition, there’s a small brown pouch with golden drachmas spilling out of it near the pond.

Golden drachmas are coins that serve as the currency of the gods, used mostly notably to send Iris Messages. An Iris Message, the name derived from the goddess of the Rainbow, is a form of video communication that demigods often use. In order to send a message, the user must first find a way to create a rainbow before tossing drachma (or anything of value) into it, and the person they wish to speak to appears in the form of a hologram.

The convenience of the drachmas being next to the water directly under the sunlight is enough for you to infer that the traitor has most definitely been communicating with another party. Your heart sinks into your stomach, a part of you still wishing that it isn’t true.

“Y/N,” Jeno calls for you, having walked over to a dimly-lit corner of the cave. “I found the Fleece.”

From where you’re standing, you see the silhouette of the Golden Fleece draped over a dark shape that you can’t quite make out. Once you get closer to it, you realize that the mysterious shape is actually a long, rectangular, golden box, about ten feet in length. You kneel down, inspecting it even more. You notice that the box has Ancient Greek engraved in it, but it’s too worn down to read. There’s carvings of violent imagery on it as well: cities being burned, the gods being trampled by their own chariots, and just mass destruction and death in general.

“What is this?” you ask, running your fingers along the carvings. It’s freezing to the touch, and your fingertips grow numb from how cold it is.

“It looks like a coffin to me,” Jeno replies grimly.

“But it’s way too large for a humanㅡ”

You shoot your head up, meeting his gaze, and he doesn’t have to say a single word for you to understand.

“Because it’s not for a human,” you finish, your hand falling limply to your side. “That’s probably why they need the Fleece here. To protect it, heal it.”

“This isn’t just a reconnaissance mission anymore,” Jeno declares, “Whatever we just discovered is way beyond the scope of Mr. D and Chiron’s imagination. We need to take the Fleece, find Cat and Sicheng, and get the hell out of here so we can report to Mr. D and Chiron.”

Normally, you’d demand that the two of you stay and figure out exactly what is happening, but for once, you actually agree with him. This place gives you a bad feeling.

You give him a nod. “Okay.”

Without wasting another second, Jeno rips the Fleece off of the coffin and rolls it up before tucking it under his arm. You both turn to leave, but your blood runs cold when you hear faint footsteps approaching. You’re a couple of steps ahead of Jeno, so he hasn’t noticed yet. Before he can question why you stopped, you snatch the Fleece out of his arms and haphazardly toss it back onto the coffin. Then, you grab his arm with one hand and cover his mouth with another before shoving him into a narrow bottleneck that’s hidden behind the coffin in the cave wall.

It’s a tight crevice, and the two of you can barely fit in it together.

Your bodies are crammed right up against each other, and your cheek is practically resting in the crook of Jeno’s neck. Your hand is still covering his mouth, and his fingers are encircling your wristㅡmost likely having been a natural instinct since he was probably questioning why you did it. Your heart is going a thousand beats a minute, and you hope he can’t feel it like you can feel the toned ridges of his body through his shirt.

Maybe Jeno is right. You seriously need to use your head before putting yourself in a compromising situation like this.

Not only do you not have a way to get out of here without being undetected, now you’re completely distracted. Your head is swimming, and you feel like you’ve heard the Sirens’ song again except it’s ten times stronger. You’re completely intoxicated by his scent, and you can feel the warmth radiating off his body.

It isn’t until Jeno gently squeezes your wrist that you slowly look up at him. His head is tilted down towards you, and if you wanted to, you could crane your neck a little bit more and bump foreheads with him. Since you’re covering the lower half of his face, his eyes do all of the talking. There is a deep longing in his gaze, and he stares at you like nothing else exists. Like he’s content to just stay here in this bottleneck with you for eternity, as if it’s your own little pocket of the universe.

And again, he does it so naturally that you wonder if he’s always looked at you like this.

You don’t remove your hand from his mouth, and he doesn’t let go of your wrist either. The two of you cling onto each other in the only way you can.

You’re only able to snap out of it when you hear someone else begin to speak, reciting the incantation that is used to send an Iris Message.

“Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering.”

Then followed by the sound of a golden drachma hitting the water.

You stiffen.

It’s a male voice, and it sounds familiar.

Jeno thinks so too because he looks at you, equally as alarmed.

The voice starts to speak with someone via Iris Message, but you can’t make out what the other person is saying, only what is being said in response.

“Keep the barrier up for now,” the voice continues, “Mr. D and Chiron will get suspicious if it suddenly goes down.”

Barrier?

Your mind whirrs as you suddenly remember Mr. D and Chiron mentioning that the Hecate kids put up a temporary barrier around the camp until the Fleece was recovered.

Is he talking to a Hecate kid?

Does that mean there’s a second traitor?

The alleged Hecate kid starts to say something in response, but the male voice cuts him off.

“Stop,” he orders. “Someone tampered with Kronos’ sarcophagus and the Golden Fleece. My location has been compromised. I’ll contact you later.”

Kronos is a Titan, the son of Gaeaㅡthe primordial goddess of Earth. Kronos himself fathered six of the Olympians, including the Big Three, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. As the king of the Titans, Kronos’ reign was prosperous, but he grew paranoid that his children would overthrow him and tried to cannibalize them all. However, Zeus eventually managed to kill Kronos and send him to Tartarus, thus restoring peace.

Every demigod knows about the battle between the Titans and Olypmians, and you’ve all heard the tale millions of times. It’s always been like an epic myth to you, and Kronos was just a character in the story. You forget that he was real, so it’s jarring to hear someone mention his name outside of a bedtime story.

But Kronos is real, and dangerous, and mind numbingly terrifying.

And he’s had millenia in Tartarus to plan his revenge.

You’re not sure what these people are doing with his sarcophagus, but you are certain that they don’t know the severity of what they are dealing with.

You hear footsteps again, but much closer this time. You shrink into Jeno, as if getting smaller might help you hide even more. You feel his other hand come up and grip your waist as he moves his body to shield you.

You’re certain the two of you are on the verge of being discovered when there’s a loud roar, unmistakably belonging to that of the Minotaur, that comes from the opposite side of the caveㅡwhere Cat and Sicheng are supposed to be. The footsteps stop abruptly, almost right next to where you and Jeno are hiding, before slowly walking away in the opposite direction to scope out the noise.

You have so many more questions now. How and why is the Minotaur here? Did Cat and Sicheng encounter it?

If the latter did end up happening, as you strongly suspect it did, judging by how angry it sounded, then Cat and Sicheng definitely do not need to have another problem to deal with. The Minotaur by itself is already a massive pain in the ass, and being discovered by the traitor will make things 100 times worse. Someone has to distract him.

It goes directly against Chiron’s orders, but you have no choice.

Jeno is already giving you a wary look, shaking his head because he knows what you’re about to do. You return his look with an annoyed glare, asking him with your expression if he has a better idea. Per tradition, the two of you have a staredown before he finally relents, knowing that you’re right. Sighing, he nods and places his hand on the hilt of his sword, giving you the go-ahead.

Taking a deep breath, you mentally steel yourself before running out of the bottleneck and unsheathing your sword. You’re not sure who or what to look at when you do, so you just pick a direction to face and shout, “Stop!”

Even though you told yourself to brace for the worst and not falter, no matter who the traitor is, a part of you was still hoping that this was all a big misunderstanding, and it isn’t actually someone from the camp. But your heart sinks to the bottom of your stomach when you come face-to-face with him.

Jeno, who had followed behind you, stops dead in his tracks and inhales sharply when he sees who it is as well.

Jeong Jaehyun.

You have never been particularly close with Jaehyun, since the two of you never really ran in the same circles, but you’ve always been friendly with him. Like many of the other campers, you’ve known him since you were a child and you practically grew up together. It’s surreal to think you and Cat had just been joking about him a few hours ago. Never in your life would you ever think he would betray Camp Half-Blood, and you would have defended him until your last breath if you weren’t looking at him right now.

To add insult to injury, Jaehyun is still in his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. He has the same leather armor on as you do with the same sword as you as well. He looks like he walked right off Camp Half-Blood’s Training Grounds and ended up here. You wish he looked more like the evil mastermind he apparently turned out to be, not someone who looks exactly like you and Jeno.

You wait for him to say something, to clarify, to tell you he’s being controlledㅡan excuse of any sort. But he doesn’t.

Instead, he looks surprised for a split second when the recognition settles in before sighing, the emotion leaving his face just as quickly as it arrived. His posture is relaxed, free of all tension, as he shifts his weight onto one foot. His eyes remind you of the Jeno that you saw when you heard the Sirens’ song. Cold, lifeless, cruel. They’re a far cry from his usual charming smiles that he always flashed everyone with at the camp.

“How could you do this?” you whisper harshly, unable to even say his name.

“You two need to walk away right now,” Jaehyun says calmly.

“Are you trying to resurrect Kronos?” Jeno demands. “Is that why you have his sarcophagus? And why you stole the Golden Fleece?”

Jaehyun doesn’t deny it, his expression serene.

“Is this some sort of game to you?” you ask him. “In case you forgot, Kronos wreaked havoc across the world, tried to eat six of his children, went to war with the Olympiansㅡ”

“I know who he is. No need for the history lesson,” Jaehyun interrupts.

“Then you know that that sarcophagus is not something to be messed with,” you snap. “Especially not by a twenty-something-year-old demigod who’s in over his head. Kronos isn’t a low-level monster like the Minotaur. He’s a threat to Olympus, to our parents, to us, to the camp.”

“And what has our parents or the camp ever done for us?” Jaehyun asks icily. His eyes darken, and this is the first time he’s shown raw emotion on his face. You can see a deep-rooted anger, no, hatred within him.

“What are youㅡ”

“Think about it,” he continues, “the camp is supposed to be a safe place for us, yet we train everyday and our idea of fun is essentially a less-bloody battle royale. It’s ingrained within us to learn how to fight, to be killing machines, so Mr. D and Chiron can send us out on missions. That’s why you two are here, aren’t you? If they were so concerned about the Fleece, wouldn’t they have come themselves?”

“They didn’t come because they need to watch over the campㅡ”

“And why don’t the gods ever intervene?” Jaehyun spits out. “They’re supposed to be our parents, but they barely take time out of their day to claim us. If they wanted to strike me down right now, they could, but they don’t even care enough to do that.”

“Jaehyun,” Jeno interjects, “you know that the gods pick and choose when they intervene. They’re fickle and selfish, and everyone knows it. I understand your frustration, but that’s just how it is.”

“I’m beyond frustrated,” Jaehyun shakes his head. “I’m tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of begging for my parent’s attention. Tired of having my head filled with lies.”

“But that doesn’t mean you steal the only thing keeping the camp protected and allow monsters to kill all of us,” you say.

“The Capture the Flag game was only a distraction. The goal wasn’t to kill anyone,” Jaehyun says stiffly. “And that’s exactly what happened.”

You don’t understand how he can be so casual about it. “No one died, but almost every single person was injured.”

“You don’t understand,” Jaehyun insists. “I’m doing this for us demigods. It will all make sense soon, I promise.”

“If you bring back Kronos, he will slaughter us all,” you warn. “And he won’t stop there.”

“No, he will free us. Once Olympus falls, we won’t be forced to be warriors anymore.”

You can tell by his expression that he truly believes it, and you realize that it’s too late. Jaehyun is far too gone for you to be able to talk some sense into him. The only way you can stop him is by force. You look over at Jeno, and you know he knows too.

“I’m telling you one last time to stay out of my way,” Jaehyun states, “I don’t want to fight you.”

“You know we can’t do that,” you say tersely.

Jaehyun’s expression hardens once he realizes that the two of you won’t let him leave without a fight. Without another word, he draws his sword.

You strike first, flashing across the room like a streak of lightning. If you wanted to, you could probably cut him down with one strike, but you don’t want to kill him. You want to bring him back to the camp and let Mr. D and Chiron deal with him.

He blocks your sword with his own, and the two of you have a battle of strength as your swords press against each other. You want to disarm him first, but you know it won’t be easy. You see Jeno approaching Jaehyun from behind, most likely trying to subdue him so it’s easier for you to knock the sword out of his hands. Jaehyun knows this too, so he kicks at your chest, knocking you back. You nearly fall but manage to keep your balance, however, his kick knocks the wind out of you.

Jaehyun turns to face Jeno and instead of swinging his sword, you see him say something under his breath. You can’t hear what he says, but it makes Jeno freeze, his sword in mid-air. Before you have time to register what Jaehyun just did, Jeno is suddenly running towards you. And if your instincts didn’t kick in, he would’ve sliced your stomach right open.

“I said I don’t want to fight you,” Jaehyun states. He doesn’t wait for an answer before turning away and walking out of the cavern.

You watch him leave in horror, as the realization that Jaehyun used his charmspeak on Jeno sinks in. That was Jaehyun’s plan all along. After all, children of Ares are the easiest to charmspeak because they are hardwired to blindly follow orders.

You look back over at Jeno, who’s slowly circling you. You’ve probably fought Jeno over a hundred times at this point, so this isn’t really anything new to you. But this is the first time where he’s actively trying to cause you serious harm, maybe even kill you. His eyes are glazed over, like there’s a fog, but there’s a sinister glint within them.

“Jeno,” you start slowly, “look at me. This isn’t you.”

Jeno barely even hears you, lunging at you.

“Damn,” you sigh, dodging him. “That line always works in books and movies though. Fine, we’ll just have to do it the old-fashioned way.”

Even though he’s under mind control, Jeno’s fighting style is still very much the same. In fact, because he is being mind controlled, he’s defaulting to his tried and true moves that he always relies on.

He swings at you with a right hook, his fist serving as a distraction, so he can slash at you with his sword when you’re not looking. This is a move that he’s been honing since you were kids, and you’re a pro at avoiding. He then goes for your legs, trying to knock your support out from underneath you. You’re able to easily dodge that too, but you know that staying on the defensive is only wasting time. You don’t know where Jaehyun went, and you need to get to Cat and Sicheng as well.

You try to get in a few hits, but he knows your fighting style too. Like always, the two of you are neck-in-neck. You could keep duking it out with him until you wear each other down, but again, that would take too much time. You rack your brain for a way to break him out of the charmspeak without hurting him.

Because you’re distracted, a swift slash from Jeno gets the inner side of your calf, which takes you to the ground. It’s not an extremely deep cut, but it’s enough to have blood start pooling around your leg. Gripping your leg and trying to put pressure on the wound, you decide to scrap the plan about not hurting him. You’re going to knock this son of a bitch out for that.

When you try to get up, even more blood gushes out.

Okay, so maybe the cut is deeper than you thought.

You don’t even have time to react because Jeno is suddenly in front of you, landing a hard kick to your stomach. Letting out a half yelp, half wheeze, you double cover and instinctively curl into the fetal position. Tears automatically well up in your eyes from the pain, as you clutch your abdomen. Jeno has never once hit you this hard, and despite all the joking, you realize that he’s not going to stop until you’re completely incapacitated. For the first time in your life, you’re afraid of him.

But despite how badly it hurts, an idea pops into your head.

You quickly grow limp and close your eyes, feigning unconsciousness. That paired with the fact that you’re lying in a pool of your own blood seems to convince Jeno that he’s either taken you out of commission for a while or that he’s actually killed you because you hear him start to walk away.

You’ve never been more thankful for Jeno’s habit of thinking he’s already won even though he hasn’t.

Opening one eye, you see that he has his back turned to you. You wait for him to get just a little further away before you sit up. Your stomach is throbbing, and you know for a fact that you can’t stand on both legs. Gritting your teeth, you push yourself up anyways and hobble on one leg towards Jeno.

You thank your child self for being so good at the one-legged race whenever your schools had field days because you manage to hop over to him at a rapid speed.

Jeno turns around just in time for you to deliver your own right hook to his face. You punch him so hard that you’re pretty sure your hear bone crack. Whether it’s his or yours, you don’t know, but you hope the impact is strong enough to knock him out of the charmspeak. The both of you fall to the ground, with you landing on top of him. Your head hits his chest with a thud, and you hear Jeno groan from underneath you.

Scrambling up, you prop yourself upright with your arms before carefully examining Jeno. His cheek is starting to swell pretty badly, the corner of his mouth is bleeding, and his eyes are shut. You gently pat his unpunched cheek, scared that you may have knocked him unconscious. With your leg bleeding out, you won’t be able to carry him out of here.

“Jeno?” you call out, hitting a little harder due to panic. “Jeno, you idiot. Wake up.”

Your insult works because his eyelids begin to flutter, and he slowly stirs. When he finally opens his eyes, he immediately winces in pain from his cheek.

“Y/N?” His voice is groggy and disoriented. “What happened? And why does my face hurt so bad?”

You let go of the breath you didn’t know you were holding as a wave of relief washes over you. Without warning, you throw yourself on him and wrap your arms around his neck. You’re hugging him so tightly that your bruised stomach is crying out for you to stop, but you don’t care. You bury your face in his shoulder and curl your fingers tightly in his shirt, clinging onto him like he’s your lifeline.

Because he is.

You need him, and you think you love him.

Jeno, completely caught off guard at first, slowly places a hand on the small on your back. His other hand rests on the nape of your neck, entangled in your hair, as he pulls you closer to him. He leans in, and you can feel his lips brushing your temple.

“Why are you bleeding?” he asks softly, but you can hear the urgency and concern in his voice.

You don’t want to tell him because you’ll know he’ll beat himself up with guilt, but you don’t know what else to say. “Jaehyun used his charmspeak on you and forced you to fight me.”

There’s a beat of silence before Jeno slowly pulls away from you, holding you by the shoulders as he looks at you. You avoid his eyes. “Y/N. Look at me.”

You really, really don’t want to, but your eyes slowly travel back up to meet his.

“I did that?” he asks, nodding to your leg.

“You didn’t mean toㅡ”

But it’s too late. The moment you confirm it, Jeno’s face twists with guilt. He looks so tortured, like he wants to both cry and scream at the same time but can do neither.

“Jeno,” you sigh, “it’s not your fault. Jaehyun is a super strong charmspeaker. Besides, I got my revenge. Your face hurts because I punched you.”

“You should’ve done more than just punch me,” he says in a frustrated tone. Without waiting for an answer, he rips a piece of his shirt off and starts to wrap it around your leg. He also gives you some ambrosia to stop the bleeding, though it’s not enough to fully heal your injuries.

“I’m fine,” you say firmly, grabbing his face and squishing his cheeks. “It’s done, okay? Forget about it now. Go grab the Fleece, so we can get out of here. We need to regroup with Cat and Sicheng.”

His jaw is clenched, but he reluctantly nods anyway. He hesitates for a moment, like he doesn’t want to leave your side, before walking back over to Kronos’ sarcophagus and taking the Fleece off of it.

He helps you up, wrapping your arm around his shoulder. You’re a little wobbly at first, and when you accidentally tense up your abdominal muscles, you let out a grunt of pain. Without even thinking about it, your hand goes to your stomach before you realize that Jeno is watching you. He doesn’t say anything, but his expression grows stormy and he looks away in shame.

Grabbing a torch off the wall, the two of you slowly make your way out of the cavern and back into the darkness of the rest of the cave. You hobble along the uneven surface of the ground, and Jeno holds your waist tightly to keep you from falling. The cave is eerily quiet, despite the fact that you know the Minotaur is somewhere here.

You only start to hear noise when you and Jeno are about to emerge from the cave. Once you’re out, you see that Cat is fighting the Minotaur alone. She’s bleeding from her head, and for some reason, there’s a shrub tucked under her arm. You notice an unconscious Jaehyun lying on the sandback, and Alfred the Zombie (head reattached) is standing next to him.

“There you are!” Cat shouts when she notices you, narrowly avoiding the Minotaur’s axe. “We need to get the fuck out of here!”

“Stay here,” Jeno orders, handing you the Fleece. “I’m going to help Cat.”

He runs towards the Minotaur, slashing at its heels, which effectively takes the Minotaur’s attention away from Cat.

“How are we going to leave?” you ask, completely ignoring Jeno and slowly limping towards them. “Our ship is wrecked!”

“I’m just going to have to take us back via shadow travel,” Cat says, wiping the blood that’s dripping into her eye with her sleeve.

“There’s no way you have the energy to be able to take all of us back,” you shake your head.

“We don’t have a choice.”

“Wait, where is Sicheng?” you ask, looking around.

She sighs and holds up the shrub she’s holding. “Right here.”

“I’m…not following,” you say slowly.

“Long story short: the Minotaur was about to squish Sicheng like a bug, and our stepmom, Persephone, turned him into a shrub to keep him from getting killed,” she explains.

Persephone is Hades’ wife and also the goddess of spring, so you suppose a shrub makes sense.

Actually, no, Persephone turning Sicheng into a shrub makes no sense.

“And now he won’t turn back, so I don’t know how long this will last. Or if he just stays a shrub for the rest of his life,” Cat shrugs.

“That happened to Daphne,” you point out. “Except she was a tree.”

“Oh my gods, you’re right,” she gasps.

“Also, what happened to Jaehyun?” you ask, pointing to him. “I was going to tell you he’s the traitor, but I guess you know that already.”

“Yeah, he was trying to escape when I saw him, and I got Alfred to knock him out since charmspeak doesn’t work on the dead. I knew something was off about Jeong Jaehyun when I went on a dateㅡ”

“Um, a little help here?” Jeno calls out, dodging just in time before the Minotaur slammed its fist down on him and almost squishing him like a bug.

“Come to us!” Cat yells. “I’m going to shadow travel us out of here!”

“Cat, you cannot realistically shadow travel me, Jeno, Sicheng, and Jaehyun out of here,” you say pointedly.

“Y/N, we are out of time and options,” she responds. “I have to do it.”

Jeno somehow managed to break free from the Minotaur, sprinting towards you and Cat. It’s following him, alarmingly fast for a monster that probably weighs more than the 10,000 ton warship you came here on. Cat walks over to the unconscious Jaehyun and puts her hand on his arm.

“Put a hand on me,” she says. “You all have to be touching me for me to take you.”

Sighing, you place your hand on her shoulder.

“Cat, it’s right on my tail. You have to get us out of here quick,” Jeno warns as he gets closer. She nods, and you can see she’s gathering what little energy she has left.

Jeno skids to a stop, his momentum nearly causing him to topple over onto Cat, but he manages to get his hand on her other shoulder.

But the Minotaur is right there.

No matter how fast Cat could’ve left, she would have returned to the camp with only the lower half of Jeno’s body because the Minotaur would have sliced him in half.

Your Nikean instincts kick in again, and before your brain can even react, your body is lunging at Jeno and tackling him to the ground. You manage to shove him out of the way just in time, but you can’t get up and crawl away fast enough to avoid the Minotaur yourself. The axe starts to come down on you like a guillotine, and you have no choice but to close your eyesㅡ

You feel a powerful rush of water wash over you, so strong that it nearly washes you away. The Minotaur lets out a loud roar, and the ground shakes as it falls over. The wave drags him back into the ocean, and you watch its head go under. You see its silhouette go further and further down into the water before it disappears all together.

When you manage to rub the saltwater out of your eyes, you see that there’s another ship ashore and standing on the deck are the two Poseidon kidsㅡMoon and her brother, Lee Donghyuck.

Donghyuck is a relatively new camper, having arrived at Camp Half-Blood right before the disastrous Capture the Flag Game. It was also during that game that he was claimed by his godly parent.

“Is everyone okay?” Moon asks, hopping down from the ship and looking around. She’s not really looking at you, or Cat, or Jeno. Specifically, she seems to be looking for one person in particular.

The moment Moon arrives, Sicheng, who had quietly been a shrub this whole time, suddenly reverts back to his human form with a poof. He stands there, completely dazed.

“Moon?” he says quietly, almost like he can’t believe his eyes.

She looks over at him and smiles, and you start to understand why Sicheng is in love with her. Moon rushes over to him and gets on her tip-toes before wrapping her arms around him. He hugs her back instantly, lifting her off her feet as he does it. Even though you haven’t known Sicheng for long, he’s never looked so happy.

“Ew,” Donghyuck simply remarks as he gets off the ship.

“Why are you guys here?” Cat asks, confused.

“Mr. Daydrinker and Chiron sent us as backup just in case,” Donghyuck explains. “And, let me just say, the Sea of Monsters sucks.”

“You’re telling me,” Cat replies wryly, “Come on then. I’m ready to go home.”

All of you board the ship, bringing the Fleece and the unconscious Jaehyun with you. He’s tied up and gagged, just in case he wakes back up and decides to utilize his charmspeak again. Sicheng manages to stop giving Moon heart eyes for three seconds to send Alfred back to the Underworld.

The trip back is much smoother, mostly thanks to the Poseidon kids’ ability to control water and the fact that there are enough supplies. You catch everyone up on what happened with Jaehyun, including the second traitor that you’re presuming to be a Hecate kid and his plan to resurrect Kronos. Everyone listens solemnly, but the atmosphere is still happy since the mission has been completed.

But Jeno doesn’t say a single word, nor does he look at you once during the whole trip.

Once you all return, Moon, Sicheng, and Donghyuck are tasked with briefing Mr. D and Chiron on what happened and also handing over Jaehyun to them while you, Cat, and Jeno are immediately sent to the infirmary.

Since your injuries were nothing too serious, you’re all discharged pretty quickly. The news about Jaehyun sends shockwaves throughout the camp, and Cat becomes preoccupied with comforting her Aphrodite friend, who was hit the hardest since her and Jaehyun were especially close. Sicheng is following Moon around like a puppy, presumably having finally confessed to her, since you spot the two of them holding hands. You see Donghyuck in passing too, unabashedly flirting with the head counselor of the Athena Cabin, who you didn’t even know was his girlfriend.

In fact, the only person you haven’t seen is Lee Jeno.

It’s quite obvious that he’s mad at you, so you decided to let him cool off for a few days, but he’s been avoiding you like the plague and it’s starting to get ridiculous. You decide that you’re just going to confront him today because you’re sick and tired of the high school girl-esque silent treatment you’re getting.

Luckily, you know exactly where he goes when he needs to blow off steam. On the Training Grounds, there’s a specific area that’s filled with straw dummies for campers to practice with. Most campers don’t use them though, since they usually spar with each other and also because the dummies are so ratty, but Jeno always ends up going there when he has something on his mind.

So, naturally, you find him there today.

When you walk up to him, you can see that he’s been going at it for a while. His bangs are matted to his forehead with sweat, and his pale biceps are glistening with it as well. He’s attacking the poor dummy with a wooden sword, carelessly hitting it at random, which is completely unlike him. There are blisters all over his hands.

Even though he can clearly see you, he pretends not to and just keeps hitting the dummy.

“How long are you going to keep acting like a kid?” you ask, crossing your arms. “The least you could do is tell me why you’re so upset with me.”

No reply. Just more dummy hitting.

Sighing, you reach over and catch the wooden sword with your hand. It stings a little when it slaps your palm.

He glares at you.

“Don’t make me break it in half because you know I will.”

Jeno snatches the sword out of your hand and tosses it aside. He looks at you for another moment before he speaks, his voice quivering:

“Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again.”

You blink, as you watch his whole body tremble. “Jeno, whatㅡ”

“Please,” he begs.

“Jeno, are you seriously asking for me to just let you die next time?”

“Yes.” He says it with 100% sincerity. “It’s just like you said when we were about to encounter the Sirens: ‘do what you need to do.’ Even if it means killing me. You should’ve done it the moment Jaehyun used his charmspeak on me.”

You sigh. “Don’t be dramatic. I wasn’t going to kill you.”

“But I was going to kill you,” he whispers, voice cracking. He looks so terrified of himself. “I can’t remember anything about it except what I was feeling. I don’t remember your face, I don’t remember when I started hurting you, but I remember that I needed to kill you.”

“Because you were under mind control,” you reiterate.

“But I should’ve broken out of it,” he says, “I should’ve broken out of it the moment I laid a finger on you. Mind control or not, I was trying to hurt you. To murder you.”

“Jeno, stop being ridiculous. You know I wouldn’t have let it happen. I am more than capable of handling you without having to kill youㅡ”

“You think I don’t know how capable you are?” he interrupts, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I, of all people, know exactly how capable you are. You’re the strongest person I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that the thought of you getting hurt makes me want to turn my skin inside out. When you pushed me out of the way, I truly thought I was about to see you die right in front of me, and it haunts me. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t think, I can’t breathe properly because I worry so much. I relive that moment over and over, and I think about what would’ve happened if Moon and Donghyuck didn’t show up in time. How I would have lived with myself. Sometimes, I think I wouldn’t. I’m not upset with you, Y/N. I’m upset with myself because I’m so weak. And I can’t bring myself to face you right now because of it. Because you still plague my thoughts 24/7, like you always have, even though I don’t deserve to even think about you.”

Your heart feels tight, and you don’t know what to say.

“I don’t deserve to think about you, and I certainly don’t deserve to love you,” he continues, “but I do. I love you, Y/N. I used to loathe you, but eventually I found myself picking fights with you just to have an excuse to be around you. It was okay if you hated me, as long as I could see you. You’re stubborn and reckless and you have no sense of danger and you drive me crazy, but I love you for it. I love you for it, and I know I couldn’t ever stop you from it, and I don’t want to. I don’t want to, but I can’t bear the thought of you being in danger either. I need you. I feel like I’m being torn apart shred by shred, and I don’t know what to do. Every time I see you, suddenly nothing matters anymore. I can’t bring myself to care about anything else. I feel like I’m losing my mindㅡ”

Jeno is rambling now, so you cover his mouth with your hand.

“Remember when you told me you would have saved me even if I told you not to?” you ask. “Well, my answer is also the same. I would save you, no matter what. I love you too, Jeno. When you woke back up after breaking free from the charmspeak, I realized then that I needed you. We need each other, so let’s forget about dying. Let’s just live. Live so we can have each other.”

“You…what?” Jeno breathes, though his words are muffled by your hand. He seems just as surprised as you are that you reciprocate each other’s feelings. Maybe Mr. D was right when he called the two of you meatheads.

Removing your hand from his mouth and placing it on the nape of his neck, you pull his head down and plant a kiss on his lips. “I love you, you idiot. I love you so much that I saw you in my dream when I heard the Sirens’ song.”

You weren’t sure you were ever going to admit it to him, but it just came out so naturally.

“You…did?” he asks dumbfoundedly, jaw hanging wide open. “Is that why you were fighting so hard to get off the ship?”

You feel heat bloom in your cheeks. You shouldn’t have admitted it. “Are you going to keep catching flies or are you going to kiss me back?”

Jeno smirks. That damn smirk. His main character syndrome is acting up again because he now knows he’s your deepest desire.

Leaning in, he wraps an arm around your waist and brings your body flush against his. He cups your cheek before tilting your head up and kissing you softly. Even though he isn’t that experienced, he kisses you like he’s been kissing you his whole life. His lips mold perfectly against yours as he does, languid and slow. You wrap your arms around his neck and bring him even closer, wishing the two of you had released these repressed feelings a lot sooner.

You’re lightheaded when he pulls away, and you realize it’s because you haven’t breathed. Jeno runs his thumb across your swollen bottom lip and smiles.

“By the way,” you tease, “I have a two-point lead now, thanks to me knocking your lights out back then.”

“Hm, enjoy it while you can. I’ll get even.”

And he leans in again.

LATER, LIKE 5 MINUTES LATER.

“Hey, you guys! We’re having a party in the Hades Cabin and you shouldㅡoh, ew.” Cat gags when she sees the two of you. Sicheng crinkles his nose in disgust as well.

You and Jeno jolt apart, swiping at your lips as if that’ll make them less swollen.

“Really, you guys? Right in front of my Shrubcheng?”

“I hate you.”

#neowritingsnet #NCT-WRITERS #cznnet #nct scenarios #nct imagines #jeno fluff #jeno angst #nct dream fluff #nct dream angst #nct dream imagines #jeno #nct #choerrypuffs #demigods

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moonctzeny · 3 years

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go there with you

pairing: roommate/daddy dom! jaemin x fem! reader

genre: smut

word count: 6k+

summary: "You'd be lying had you said you didn't pick Jaemin to room with you because of his good looks. You had successfully managed to keep things platonic between you until a mistake and an amateur porn vid would bring you closer than ever. His annoying habits might wanna make you rip his hair out, yet you can think of a couple ways you can be all in his face."

warnings: daddy kink, praise kink, a little humiliation, spanking, throat fucking, rough sex, mirror sex (sort of)

taglist: @marklexleaf, @crystallllllll-blog-blog, @babyksworld, @qalbiman, @dear-jaems, @naomis-sins, @luvlyjaemin, @guanhengsworld, @haechaniewatteyeo, @dreamp, @jjaeyoonoh, @jenosuh @joblessjeno, @ichbinschnappi, @slightlymore-main, @ijuuy , @rosyb7aby, @sunshinedhyuck, @fishjellyyt, @flwrtbz, @hyuckshaze, @neomulucased, @adorejaehyn, @geeksquadd, @itsneoture, @infnteen , @markresonates, @sapiowoman28, @strawberrypolar, @heyyaunicorn, @brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrat, @ffatrica, @sleepingsag, @sweetjaemss, @pinkynana, @wownajaemin, @dearjaehyxn, @jisooapproved, @cznniethis4u, @struggleoften10

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Scratch, scratch, scratch.

You count them out with your fingers. You’ve told him a hundred times, no- a million times not to scrub the dirty dishes with the rough side of the sponge. Your skin crawls at the brassy sound that reaches you in your bedroom, your body moving restlessly under your covers at the thought of your black shiny dishes getting scratches all over them.

Desperate. That’s what you had said in your ad. You were desperate for a roommate because your landlord is an asshole who raised the rent of a girl he knows damn well is too stiff to become a stripper. You’d take anyone, really, but Jaemin still wasn’t the best candidate.

You had a bunch of people that reached out to you. Quiet, kind, soft-spoken; the definition of a perfect roommate for most. A girl who said her only hobby was practicing chess by herself, a guy who was attending culinary school and promised to do all the cooking for the both of you, a girl who just needed a place to crash on the rare days she wasn’t sleeping at her boyfriend’s. They all seemed responsible and likable as well. So why did you settle for the loud talking, late-night gaming, plate scratching man in your kitchen? Just those few occurrences when you mixed up your coffee orders and had to take that first sip of his ‘Namericano’ was good enough of a reason to kick him out for good.

Well first off all, living with someone that looks like Jaemin hardly qualifies as ‘settling’. You were frankly swept off your feet when he came in for your roommate interview, dressed in the plainest of outfits yet looking so effortlessly handsome. He knew he was charming and used it against you, flicking his eyebrows when you asked him about his relationship status (you weren’t really in the mood to find a new naked lady in your living room every morning), running his fingers through his hair whenever he gave you an answer he knew you wouldn’t like.

And also, Jaemin isn’t always bad. On the days he’s not screaming into his headset or high on his caffeine overdose, he’s actually really fun to be around. He agrees to watch your favorite movies and he never steals your snacks, always smells nice, and is a good cuddler as well.

Desperate for him. That’s what you were that night you crossed the line.

He was bugging you for your wireless headphones again, barging into your room uninvited, as always. You just couldn’t understand why he didn’t just buy a pair of his own since he enjoyed working out in them so much.

“I swear to god Jaemin if you empty out their battery again-”

“I won’t! Please, y/n? I tried using mine but I keep getting tangled up in the wires.”

You just wanted that shirtless man out of your room. The results of his workout - or rather the mere warming up for it - were starting to show, sweat pooling on the hollows of his collarbones and fixated over his brows. His abs glistened in the dim lighting of your room, completing the godly image of your friendly neighborhood Apollo. Wasn’t he supposed to be smelly and gross? The light activity only intensified the spicy musk of his body spray.

You sigh and take off your headphones, letting your hair fall freely over your temples again. Searching a bit amongst the mess of cables on your nightstand, you pull out a small charger and throw them both in his direction.

“Just return them when you're done. And remind me to get you a pair of those for Christmas.”

Jaemin’s smile unravels for you gratefully, and you sigh when you finally hear the ‘click’ of your door lock. There was something he had interrupted you from, and unfortunately, you needed your headphones for the job. Guess you’d have to watch porn on mute.

It’d been a while since your last hookup. You’d been seeing that guy you met at one of your electives for a while now, your relationship mostly sexual. Everything was going smoothly, up until the day you decided on inviting him over to your place. Apparently, Jaemin’s definition of ‘being subtle’ was completely different from yours, since offering a drink to your date in your kitchen: 1) half-naked and 2) at 3 in the morning, seemed completely normal to him. You couldn’t really blame the guy for ghosting you after he left. You’d be intimidated too had his roommate been a model strutting in her Victoria’s Secret underwear.

And your little “friend” isn’t the only one affected by your roommate’s obvious good looks. In fact it’s reminded to you constantly during this whole rooming situation, and the way you’re sprung off for Jaemin for simply existing is starting to obscure you from functioning normally at this point.

It was a dumb little 2-minute video, retweeted by your favorite NSFW account. You had indulged yourself in the first few seconds and it became clear to you that this was not something to listen to in the presence of anyone other than yourself. Getting cozy under the duvet of your bed, you dim the lights to your comfort and finally press play.

You could swear the video had audio, too. At first, you thought that maybe the couple was quiet, but the way the man started snapping his hips against his girlfriend later on would make that extremely unlikely. You turn up the volume of the video some more, trying to figure out what’s wrong with your phone’s speakers when you notice the little icon at the top right of your screen.

Your headphones were still connected to your phone via Bluetooth.

Just as you were closing your browser tab in panic, you hear the tentative knock of your roommate from the other side of your door.

“Umm, y/n? May I come in?”

His voice came out muffled but it still managed to send hot blood running to your face. You agree and let him enter your room, sure of the guilty expression you must be sporting right now. A deer caught in headlights.

“I think you need to turn off your Bluetooth until I’m done with your headphones”

You felt like burying yourself 10 feet under the ground. How could you make such a dumb mistake like this? You expected Jaemin to be flustered too, to return your headphones back immediately, yet he looked confident as ever standing there, half-naked, telling his roommate to stop watching porn.

“I’m really sorry Jaemin, it was an accident-“

The sound of his chuckling makes you stop your apology, arms crossed over his chest as he gives you a once-over. His body looked even more toned now, and you didn’t know if the raise of your temperature was a result of your embarrassment or something else. He better stop looking at you like that before you do anything stupid.

“I just didn’t think you’d be into the whole ‘Daddy’ kink”

Suddenly you remember the content of the porn video.

“I- I’m not! This was just something new and I wanted to try it out and it sounded hot at first and I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this…”

Your voice trails off, swallowed by Jaemin’s boisterous laughter that jumps off the four walls of your bedroom. He’s entertained? You’re slowly but steadily starting to get more annoyed.

“I was indifferent towards it, but something about you liking it makes it really hot.”

“H-hot?”

“Yeah”, he starts, flashing you his signature grin, and he takes a seat on the edge of your bed, “‘cause you’re all innocent and stuff. Didn’t even think you liked watching porn”

“I have needs too, you know!”

“I’m sure you do, baby. So let’s hear it”

Did Jaemin just call you baby? The sound of the nickname just casually rolling off the tip of his tongue has you getting lightheaded, and you pray he doesn’t catch you rubbing your thighs together under your duvet.

“Hear what?”

“Say ‘daddy’. Like the girl in the video. How else are you gonna know if you like it or not?”

A red tint coats your vision, warning sirens go off in your ears. You are getting dangerously turned on by your roommate right now and you know that if you keep going there is no turning back. Jaemin frowns after your short silence and starts getting up from his seat.

“I’m sorry. I’m probably making you uncomfortable”

“No!”, you shriek, pulling him back with a little more eagerness than you’d like. No room for holding back now. “Will you help me? Figure it out, I mean.”

The words you just spewed out don’t even register in your head, you’re a complete victim of your neediness at this point. Jaemin starts to pet your hair softly, with a smile so sweet that’s completely contradictory to the sexual nature of your conversation.

“I’d love to help you, but we’re roommates. Are you ok with letting me go there with you? Will that make it weird?”

You knew it would, knew that hooking up with your roommate was dumb, but it’s not like you’ve kept it black and white up to this point. Nothing you wanted more at that moment than his body pressed against you and his sweet touch and for him to call you his baby again. You trusted Jaemin, and if there was someone with whom you’d want to explore this developing kink of yours, it would definitely be him.

“It’s okay. For this one time.”

He opens his thighs just an inch, patting the muscles welcomingly.

“Come here, pretty”

Leaving your pillowy hiding spot, you crawl your way slowly into his lap. Warm hands find their place over your waist, keeping you steady, and you hold onto his shoulders for extra stability.

“Can I kiss you?”

You’re the one who leans in first, giving him permission. His lips are slightly chapped and taste like coffee, your cherry chapstick mixing up the taste. You mewl as his tongue runs across your lower lip, you lose your mind a little when he captures it between his teeth.

“So sweet”, he groans against your mouth and shifts your spot on his lap so that you’re seated over his left thigh instead, “Is that how your pussy tastes as well, angel?”

You can only whimper as a response, and when he jerks his leg so that your heat rubs against his thigh, you feel like crying from desperation. Your hips start moving on their own, looking for that delicious friction that sets your whole body on fire. Jaemin bounces you on his leg again.

“Needy pussy. You know you’re ruining my sweatpants through your panties, right?”

“I’m sorry…”

“Sorry what?”

You didn’t have to look at him to know he had the biggest smile on his face, playful like the fingers that were squeezing your ass and keeping you in motion. Turning your eyes away from him, you fix your gaze on the little mole on his neck instead, gathering the courage to spill out the word that is sitting on the tip of your tongue.

“Sorry, daddy”

A sharp slap on your ass jolts you up straight, and you hold your breath when you feel Jaemins tight grip on your jaw.

“Look at me when you talk to me”

“I’m sorry, daddy”

He pats your head with the utmost care, wiping away the few tears that threaten to spill out from your blown-out eyes.

“Think you can come like this?”

You nod desperately, wrapping your arms around his neck so that he doesn’t let go. You’re so unbelievably close that you can almost taste the imminent orgasm, rutting against Jaemin’s legs with no inhibitions now. His hands bunch up the hem of the t-shirt you were wearing, pulling it up to uncover your chest.

Your face burns at the realization of the position you’re in with your roommate right now, but all thoughts evaporate from your head when his lips latch on your boob. With your clit rubbing against his flexed muscle and his mouth sucking on your nipple with such devotion, it doesn’t take long for you to come undone.

Your head falls back, and a series of swear words merged with each other leave your lips. Jaemin keeps you moving through your orgasm, muttering praises against your skin.

“That’s my good girl”

The stars in your vision slowly disappear as you blink through them, Jaemin’s fucked out expression appearing in front of your eyes again. He looks even more affected by the whole thing than you, and a quick look at his lap makes it obvious he’s begging for some sort of release as well.

“Can I put you in my mouth daddy?”

“Fuck”

Taking this as a yes, you get up on your feet again, taking your t-shirt off completely. Jaemin’s hands immediately come in contact with your bare skin, squeezing your breasts and hooking two fingers on the band of your panties. You take the hint and remove them as well, too ruined to be of help anyways, and you cross your hands over your nakedness in embarrassment as you kneel in front of him.

Jaemin’s eyes take it all in: your doe eyes, your naked body on display, the way your knees are shaking.

He commands you to suck on him from the side, and you carefully climb on the edge of the bed, crawling over him until your ass is propped up. Carefully and with patience, he collects your hair on his left fist, helping you pleasure him better. You gasp when he lets his member sprung free.

It’s unfair, really, how blessed Jaemin is physically in every way possible. He’s big, the kinda big that makes your mouth water and your pussy clench in fear and excitement. You take him in slowly, loving the way he fills your mouth so well. You move your tongue over a big vein on the underside of his cock and he swears loudly, keeping your head down just a second longer.

It’s hard to move around a dick that big so you gag a little, and Jaemin pulls you up with your hair to take a breather. You’re drooling all over your chin, lips big and plump from all the sucking.

“Is it hard for you baby?”

You nod with a sniffle, letting a tear drop down your hot face. He coos at you lovingly and kisses you softly, rubbing your cheek with his free hand until you’re swelling up with all the praise.

“You’re doing so well though. Will you go on a little more for daddy?”

You nod blindly, ready to please. He chuckles at your eagerness, kissing you once more before letting you continue.

“You’re so cute. So drunk with my cock inside your mouth.”

Your whimpers only egg him on more, and he bites his lips before he eats you whole.

“Be a good girl and let me fuck your throat now.”

Swallowing his entirety was a difficult task, but the angle helped you a lot. His tip hits the back of your throat for the first time and he slaps your raw pussy with his right hand, pushing you down even further. You emerge with the need for oxygen and get ready to dive in again when one of his fingers enters you.

You yelp from the overstimulation, your thighs shaking from the sensitivity. Jaemin seems entertained with your moans, pushing another finger inside.

“That’s… too much. I’m too sensitive. Fuck- I can’t”

He hushes you with a pat on your head, helping you put his cock back in your mouth.

“Pinch me if you want to stop. But I think you like being manhandled, right baby?”

The embarrassment makes you suck on him harder, sloppier, with more skill. His fingers pump quickly inside you as your moans get muffled in your full mouth, and you both can feel an orgasm approaching quickly.

You cum first, complaining as you desperately try to close your legs while Jaemin’s keeping them open for him to enjoy some more. Your wetness is dripping down your thighs at this point, making the skin smooth and shiny. The feeling of your wet pussy sucking his fingers in, combined with your moans around his hardness prove to be too much for him, letting out a string of curses before painting the insides of your mouth with white. He cums so much that you’re shocked with the amount of spunk, some of it dripping past your lips but you push it back in with your thumb, sucking it clean.

“Fuck”, is all Jaemin can mutter, his chest heaving from the sudden drop. His eyes are blown out as he’s taking your naked body in for the last time, knowing damn well he won’t ever be able to get that image off his head. His heart beats even faster as you smile at him innocently, looking so heavenly in the after-sex glow.

He coughs dryly when he realizes he’s staring, offering the shared bathroom to you first. When you came back to your bedroom after your shower he had already left, yet he was nice enough to take off the sheets you ruined and fold them, ready to be thrown in the laundry basket. He never asked for your headphones again, nor did he mention the ‘daddy’ incident.

But things were not the same. The tension would stretch like a thread between you, ready to snap at every second. It’d fill the air during the sex scenes of your movie nights, on the mornings when he would greet you with a deep voice and his dark stubble, on the lonely nights he could faintly make out the buzzing of your vibrator.

It sure settled in now, as you’re marching into the kitchen with just an oversized t-shirt on and your panties peeking just a bit. Today will be one of the hottest days of summer, and your body won’t handle being covered with much more before it overheats. Besides, he’s always walking around shirtless anyways.

“Na Jaemin. How many times have I told you to use the soft side of the sponge when you wash the dishes?”

“Good evening to you too, roommate dearest”, he chirps in response, continuing to scratch your plates as if you never said a thing. “Did you run out of pants?”

“Shut up. I’m so hot”

“I know”

You roll your eyes at the typical smartass response, grabbing the soapy dish from his hands.

“Ugh! Let me do it.”

“Aye aye captain”

He meant to deliver the last line with confidence yet he trips over his words, blushing at your hands that’re touching and your barely covered body that’s pressing up against his. The hairs at the nape of his neck stand on edge when he feels the softness of your chest with his back, getting flashbacks of how good they looked bouncing while you were riding his thigh.

He dries his hands quickly with a kitchen towel you have laying around and then moves over to the living room’s couch, the familiar Netflix tune reaching your ears.

“Wanna watch a movie with me?”

“Sure. But can you please turn the ac on? I might melt any second now.”

Jaemin presses the big round button of the ac controller, waiting for it to turn on. Something is wrong with the grills so he gets up to fix them, sitting on his tiptoes to reach. Your mind might have wandered off a little too much at the sight of his back dimples exposed, causing you to accidentally spray a shit ton of water on yourself.

You curse at your stupidity and the shiver-inducing feeling of wet fabric against your skin, holding yourself back from throwing the pot you’re cleaning at your laughing roommate. Thankfully it’s the last one of the load, so you make your way over to the connecting living room as well.

Jaemin is sitting and no, that wasn’t the problem. It was where he was sitting. This was your spot, not due to some Sheldon Cooper-esque obsession but because this was the only seat of the couch where the cold stream of the air conditioner didn’t directly hit you. The ease with which you catch a cold is ridiculous, so ensuring that spot is the only way you can enjoy both a cool room and a non-stuffy nose.

“Get up”, you command him, yet he doesn’t move an inch.

“Come on, I’m too comfortable to move”

“Jaemin! You know how sensitive I am!”

He gives you a once-over, his glance resting a second too long on your chest. The wet t-shirt has stuck over your skin, giving him a perfectly shaped and see-through view of your boobs. You squirm at how hungrily he looks at you, desperation and desire pooling in your lower stomach.

“I know”, he replies, a simple statement that reads as so much more. Swiftly and without any time to react, he grabs your wrist, pulling you onto his lap. “We’ll both sit here then”

You huff, both in frustration and in desperate need to let out some tension from your body. His eyes are glued to the screen, shifting through the different options, but you swear you can feel his eyes stealing glances at your boobs. The skin on your stomach gets warm as he presses his palm flat against it, and it’s all so intimate you want to scream. To add to the hell of it all, you felt the whole outline of his dick - and it’s a whole lot - through your skimpy panties.

“You’re so wet”, he dead-pans and your whole body immediately stiffens. You’re certainly turned on but you at least hoped you did a good job hiding it, feeling embarrassed at your body’s natural response.

“H-huh?”

“How much water did you throw on yourself, you little klutz?”

“O-Oh. Yes. You know me”, you giggle nervously, yelling at yourself to cool off. This is just your roommate. A roommate who made you cum harder than any man before, twice, but your roommate nonetheless.

“I saw your best friend today”, he continues with the same nonchalant tone, and the change in subject helps you relax.

“Really?”

“Yeah, she dyed her hair huh? It looks really good”

Just your roommate. A roommate who has the ability to make you jealous by simply mentioning another woman’s haircut. It was petty, sure, but you still reposition yourself on his lap, making sure to grind those tiny panties over his shaft.

You can make out a small grunt that almost escapes his lips, and a twitch down south if you’re not mistaken. He tells you something along the lines of not moving so abruptly when your phone starts to ring, and along with it your eyes bulge out of their sockets.

“Hello?”

You answer the call at the speed of light, and Jaemin, who curiously looks from over your shoulder, misses the caller id for a split second.

“Is it your best friend? Tell her we’re busy fucking!”, he jokes with a laugh, completely ignoring your waving arms and pleads to stop.

“Shut up Jaem!”

“Oh yeah, fuck. You take it so good baby. Mmmm yes, you want it harder huh?”, he moans out jokingly, slapping your thigh for a more realistic audio.

You’re completely helpless as you try to explain to the caller what the hell is going on, all the while your roommate bounces you on his lap in excitement.

“Y/n I’m gonna cummmmm~”

You scream in embarrassment and hang up the phone, hitting Jaemin in the chest.

“Jaem, what the fuck! It was the guy I was seeing that ghosted me! You ruined everything!”

Jaemin halts his humping at the sound of you being so upset, feeling empty as you try to wiggle out of his embrace.

“Y/n I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I can call him and explain if you want-”

“No, forget it”, you mumble, the disappointment clear in your voice. You rub your face with your palms in frustration, tears welling up in your eyes. “God Jaem, I’m never getting out of this dry spell because of you”

He withers in his seat, feeling terrible. You’ve been the best roommate he’s ever had, so patient with him despite how annoying he’s aware he can be, and all he has caused you in return is trouble. He may not be able to compensate for all the sleepless nights his gaming addiction has caused you, but there is something he can do to help you out right now. And he can do it well.

“You’re right, it’s my fault. So use me.”

“Huh?”, you turn around to face him, almost straddling him. His face is flushed in embarrassment, yet his eyes are full of determination.

“You have your needs, and it’s my fault you can’t fulfill them. I’ll take care of them if you’re ok with it. I want to make it up to you.”

You blink back at him, dumbstruck, but his words have already started to affect you. You put your hands on each side of his face, staring at it for a second before you decide to kiss him.

His lips feel softer than last time but press harder against your own. He has a goal to reach and that is pleasuring you, so he doesn’t want to lose any time. As soon as his tongue disappears in your mouth his fingers rub against your panties as well, the friction already alleviating much of the sexual frustration stored in your body. They reach through the damp fabric and glide through your lower lips, while his other hand grabs one of your buttcheeks. He uses the grip to grind you against his dick that is now hard already.

“Let me take care of you”, he breathes on your skin and lays you down on your back, taking off your underwear as well.

He starts off by biting the inside of your thighs, the anticipation making you squirm. He takes his time kissing over the bite marks one by one, moving everywhere but the place you want him most. You start to whine at the teasing, and take a handful of his hair before you lose your mind.

“Why are you so mean? I thought you said you’d take care of me.”

“I know. But I like hearing you beg.”

If only it wasn’t for his hot breath just a hairsbreadth away from your pussy, or the month-long celibacy, or his beautiful face staring up at you from between your thighs, you would have swatted him on the head and stormed off.

“Daddy, please”

He didn’t ask you to use the title. It was all on your own initiative, the indisputable proof of how Jaemin has you wrapped around his little finger. He swears he’s going insane from you and with a groan, he dives in.

Two fingers spread your lips apart, giving him better access to your clit. He spits at your already soaking pussy, and then starts to slowly circle around the sensitive bud. The response from you is immediate, gnawing at the pillows around you and moaning in delight. It all sounds like music to Jaemin’s ears, and he starts to suck over a sweet spot, full of motivation.

“You’re leaking all over baby”

He was right, you could feel yourself gushing more and more as his mouth picked up speed. You feel fatigued as you sense your orgasm approaching, and when he starts to leave kitten licks right above your opening you leave a scream that startles you both.

“Fuck, right there! Don’t stop!”

Jaemin spreads your thighs apart until you’re fully exposed for him, making that sensitive spot feel even rawer. You’re tugging on the fistful of hair to move his face around your pussy just the way you like it when a wave of pleasure finally washes over you.

Your whole body shakes from the orgasm, and Jaemin intertwines his hands with yours to help you through it. You feel spent already, drooling in bliss but he doesn’t stop for even a second, only slows down a bit.

“You can handle one more”, he reassures you and slips two fingers inside your dripping core. You’re still adjusting to their girth when he curls them upwards and drags them against that spot that makes you dizzy. His tongue continues its languid movements in figure 8s, pulling away to breathe for a second. A string of your cum is hanging from his swollen lips, the sight so dirty it makes you groan. When he sucks you in his mouth again, you reach your second orgasm.

You moan gibberish as he continues to pump his fingers inside you faster, ignoring your thrashing on the bed. He only stops when he gets worried about a noise complaint from how loud you’re being, removing his digits and picking up the excess cum from your opening.

You’re stuck staring at him blankly, chest heaving up and down from the exhaustion. When he rubs his wet fingers over your lips you smile in drunk delight, and open your mouth to take them in.

“So fucking slutty”, Jaemin mutters as you slurp your wetness loudly, twirling your tongue around the silver rings he’s wearing. “Can’t wait to fuck you”

He’s palming himself through his sweatpants and the mere memory of his size makes you panic. He’d be hard to take any day but your recent abstinence from sex has you tighter than usual - you could tell by the way his fingers struggled to coexist inside you.

“I don’t know if it can fit”, you think out loud and the innocence in your voice wakes up something dark in him.

“I’ll make it fit”, he says confidently, taking off all articles of clothing one by one. When his member springs free you gulp, looking big and scary and delicious at the same time. “If you wet it it’s gonna slip easier”

You roll your eyes at how he tries to convince you to give him head again, yet not even your big ego can deny how badly you want him in your mouth. You turn your body around so that your head is now hanging off the couch, in order to help your throat fit him better.

Jaemin licks his lips as he approaches you, ready to feel the warmth of your mouth when you stop him with a palm on his thigh.

“Before we start, can you turn the ac off? I’m feeling a little cold”

“Can you stop with the damn ac already?”

“Do you want to fight or do you want your dick sucked?”

He sighs defeatedly, looking for the small controller. Your smile widens when you hear the characteristic beep, and Jaemin chuckles at your upside-down contentment.

“There. Anything else for you my princess?”

You nod with faux innocence, and simply open up your mouth. Jaemin hisses from arousal, his dick hardening at the sight of your expecting face. He grabs the base of his cock and starts teasing you, bouncing his tip over your lips.

Your tongue flicks his tip invitingly, and he finally lets himself past the rim of your mouth. Right off the bat, you’re met with a challenge, trying to loosen your jaw as much as you can to make room for his girth. Your taste buds tickle you as they welcome his salty precum, and when he moves his hips forward again your tongue engulfs his undershaft.

You go on like this for a while, with you licking his length - well, part of it - and him occasionally stretching out your cheeks. It’s when his tip enters your throat that you start taking full advantage of the position you’re in.

You gulp down the end of him at first, trying to train your throat into insensitivity. The guttural moans he lets out have you rubbing your thighs in heat, the desire alone making you forget about your last two climaxes. He pushes in further and you gargle around him, and he pulls away to let you breathe.

“Brat. You bite and bark but in the end, you love it when you choke on me.”

You open your mouth to protest but it gets filled in just a second, more than half of his length being buried in your throat. He reaches down to your body and lifts your t-shirt over your chest, before starting to play with your boobs.

The teasing of your nipples has you relaxed even more, and Jaemin decides to rock himself fully inside you. You feel his hair scratch your chin as you try your hardest to breathe through your nose, deep throating him for a few seconds.

“Fuck”, he moans out, hips staggering from the overwhelming feeling. He lets go of your right breast and wraps it tightly around your throat, his rings falling right over the bulge he has created.

Your gag reflex takes over, coughing him out of your throat that is already burning. A string of spit and slick covers the middle of your face from your mouth up to your eyebrows, tears are staining your face.

“My messy princess”, he calls you with a tone so sweet that it’s a hard contradictory to what he did to you just earlier, “So slutty. And so, so beautiful”

You feel hot blood spreading to your ears, wondering how he could find you attractive when you look as ruined as you imagine you do. This is just the prep, you remind yourself, and get up on your knees with a sniffle and a small headache with all the blood that went to your head.

Jaemin almost collapses on the couch, and if it wasn’t his raging hard-on that slapped his stomach as he sat you’d think he’d come already. He motions to it with his hands while getting comfortable.

“As I said, use me. Bounce on it. Think of me as your personal sex toy”

You can’t pass on an offer like that so you stand on your feet, moving in front of him. With a squat, you hover over his lap and search for his tip, leading it to your slit. He seems very satisfied with the view you’ve so generously offered him, and the spank he leaves on one of your cheeks ensures you of that.

You let gravity do its work, and sink down on as much of him as your body allowed. It was not his full length, but it still had your eyes bulging out of your skull.

“Oh my God”

Jaemin is just as affected, if not more, the squelching sounds of your pussy getting stretched by him being enough to make him cum. You grab onto his thighs for leverage and start to circle around him slowly, the pleasure making the pain more than worth it. Soon you manage to take him all in, and you’re so full you’re certain he’s reaching your cervix already. None of your dildos or vibrators could recreate this feeling, the throbbing and length and stretching and all at the same time.

When you finally feel more comfortable you start to move faster, catching your reflection on the glass of your balcony door. Your boobs are bouncing along with you, face contorted and mouth stuck in a dirty ‘O’. Jaemin finds where you’re staring at and curses at the scene, getting up on his feet suddenly.

His arms hold your elbows together to keep you from falling face-first on the coffee table in front of you, and a hand on your jaw makes sure you keep your eyes on the glass. He starts pounding you even harder, your thoughts melting one by one as he whispers in your ears.

“You can’t look away, can you? It feels so good getting rawed standing up, right baby?”

“Yes daddy”

“You’re dripping on the floor already. Now is this from your face of your pussy?”

“Both, daddy”

He chuckles at your cuteness and kisses the side of your neck. Your thighs are shaking from the pressure, and Jaemin can tell how close you are to collapsing. With a hand on the back of your neck he pivots your bodies and bends you in half, burying your face on the wet spot you made earlier. He digs his fingers in your love handles in a bruising grip, and starts thrusting back into your soaking cunt.

You let yourself be used, manhandled as you moan so loud you think your throat is going to give up on you. Jaemin loves the sound, snapping his hips harder to have you as fucked out as he can, the neighbors be damned. Each thrust in your clenching hole has him getting closer and closer to his release, your walls suck him in with their tightness.

“Are you still on birth control?”

“Yes”, you manage to puff out, panting through the couch’s pillow, “dump that load in me”

“Fuck. I’m gonna cum”, he exclaims in deja-vu from his prank earlier, and soon you feel him erupt inside you with a violent thrust. A sweet warmth overwhelms your lower body as he forces himself impossibly deep, the mixture of your wetness and his seed dripping out of you and joining the mess on the floor. He pulls out of you as your body starts to melt, grinding his soiled cock over your ass.

You snap out of your lust-drunk state when he pulls you in a hug, mimicking the straddling position you were in when you started. His fingers draw invisible shapes over your back as you slip in and out of consciousness; lulled by the sweet praises he mouths against your skin.

“That guy was a dick for ghosting you. How could he let go of this?!”

You laugh at his candor and snuggle deeper inside his arms, completely at bliss.

“Well, when we had sex it wasn’t as good. He never even made me cum”

He tightens his hold of you protectively, possessively almost. There’s an unspoken promise that’s lingering in the air, but you’re both too spent to acknowledge it yet. Maybe tomorrow morning, as you accidentally take a sip of his coffee instead of yours and he laughs at your sour face.

“You deserve so much better”

“I have you”

---------------------------------

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