The bus ride to Camp Juniper was supposed to be routine.

A handful of campers had volunteered to help the dryads repair storm damage after a minor monster scuffle near the forest’s edge. Nothing dramatic. Just manual labor, tree tending, and keeping an eye out.

Nico almost hadn’t gone.

But somehow he’d ended up in the seat by the window, watching the trees blur past in streaks of green and gold. The late morning sun flickered through the glass, lighting up dust motes in the air.

Will Solace slid into the aisle seat beside him.

“Hey,” Will said easily, offering a grin that felt far too bright for 9 a.m.

Nico gave a small nod and turned back to the window, hoping his heartbeat would calm down.

They were just friends. Still figuring each other out. Still in that stage where conversations felt careful but interesting, where silences weren’t awkward yet—just unexplored.

And Nico absolutely did not have a crush.

Except he did.

He just didn’t let it show.

Because from what he’d seen, Will flirted with girls constantly. Light touches on shoulders. Easy smiles. Compliments tossed like confetti. Nico had watched it from a distance more than once, stomach twisting with something sharp and unwanted.

The bus rumbled along the dirt road, bouncing slightly over uneven patches. Campers chatted in clusters toward the back. Someone was arguing about music choices. A dryad near the front was braiding flowers into her hair.

Beside him, Will was unusually quiet.

Nico glanced over.

Will had a small rectangular object in his hands—a sleek black box that lit up with bright colors. His thumbs were moving rapidly across the surface. Each movement produced a sharp slicing sound.

Nico frowned.

He tried not to stare.

He failed.

Bright fruit—watermelons, pineapples, bananas—burst across the glowing surface and split apart in colorful explosions.

“What is that?” Nico asked before he could stop himself.

Will blinked and looked over. “What?”

“That… box,” Nico clarified, pointing cautiously. “Why is it glowing?”

Will paused mid-swipe.

“…You mean my phone?”

Nico tilted his head. “Your… phone.”

“Yeah. Smartphone?”

Nico stared blankly.

Will’s confusion slowly shifted into realization. “Oh. Right.”

Nico crossed his arms defensively. “I didn’t exactly grow up around… whatever that is.”

“That makes sense,” Will said gently. No teasing. Just understanding. “It’s basically a tiny computer. You can call people, text, play games—”

“Games?” Nico interrupted, eyeing the screen suspiciously.

Will grinned. “Yeah. I’m playing one right now. It’s called Fruit Ninja.”

Another watermelon exploded on cue.

Nico blinked. “You’re attacking fruit.”

“Correct.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s satisfying.”

Nico hesitated.

“…Can I try?”

Will’s grin softened into something warmer. “Yeah. Of course.”

He shifted closer—careful not to crowd—and turned the phone toward Nico. “Okay, first rule: don’t drop it.”

Nico scowled. “I’m not incompetent.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

Will gently guided Nico’s hands. “Hold it like this. One hand underneath, other hand free to swipe.”

Nico adjusted his grip, brows furrowed in concentration like this was a delicate magical artifact.

The game restarted.

Fruit launched onto the screen.

“Just swipe your finger across the fruit,” Will instructed.

Nico tentatively dragged a finger across a watermelon.

It split in half with a satisfying sound effect.

Soon he was leaning forward, completely focused, dark hair falling into his face as he sliced through pineapples and strawberries with increasing precision.

Will watched him instead of the game.

Nico didn’t notice.

“You missed one,” Will said lightly.

“I did not—” Nico protested, then groaned as a bomb exploded on screen. “What was that?”

“Don’t hit the bombs.”

“Why are there bombs?”

“To make it challenging.”

Nico squinted at the phone like it had personally offended him.

“You’re getting good,” Will said after a moment.

Nico tried to suppress the small flicker of pride. “It’s not difficult.”

“You can get one too,” Will said suddenly. “A phone, I mean.”