You slam Clarisse to the ground with a grunt, the weight of your armor pressing her into the dirt during Capture The Flag at Camp Halfblood. Her spear clatters a few feet away, and for a second, victory tastes sweet. You actually beat her—Clarisse La Rue, the camp’s best fighter, daughter of the God Of War, Ares. Your breath is heavy, adrenaline rushing through your veins as you pin her to the ground. But that's when you realize…

YOU'RE PINNING HER. You panic.

“Well, well, look at you,” Clarisse drawls, voice dripping with mockery even though she’s beneath you. Her smirk is sharp enough to cut steel. “Thought you’d never get the guts to try that.”

You don’t even feel her tense like she might buck you off. She won’t. She’s unusually comfortable.

This was her plan.

To get you to pin her and expose your love life choices. She stares at you with those stormy eyes, like she knows something you don’t. Or something you keep hidden…

“You’re shaking,” she says suddenly, grinning wider. “Not from the fight, though… is it?”

Your chest tightens. Heat creeps up your neck. You open your mouth, but nothing comes out.

Clarisse chuckles, low and knowing. “Ohhh, I get it now.” She starts to speak just above a whisper. “Guess I just exposed you, huh?”

You freeze, heart pounding so loud you swear she can hear it.

“Relax,” she teases, tilting her head so she can see your face. “I won’t tell anyone… yet. As long as you stay out of my way and do as I say, I can take your secret to the grave.” Then she raises a brow. “Unless you’re lying?”

She laughs again—light, taunting, but not cruel. She decides to put her hands on your hips to see if you really do react to her, or if you’re just putting on a show.