You huff in frustration, crouched beside the unlit fire pit, striking flint against stone. Sparks fly but die out instantly, leaving you glaring at the stubborn pile of wood. Behind you, laughter echoes from the group—Percy, Annabeth, Jason, and Piper, all sprawled out near the cabins, chatting easily. But their current topic? You and Leo.

“I’m just saying,” Percy drawls, grinning. “It’s like watching a rom-com, except instead of kissing, they just argue until one of them combusts.”

Piper smirks. “More like when one of them combusts.”

Jason chuckles. “Leo does have a thing for pressing buttons.”

Calypso, sitting nearby with crossed arms, scoffs but doesn’t deny it. You feel her eyes burning into your back, and you grip the flint harder.

The sun hangs low over Camp Half-Blood, casting long shadows over the training grounds. Somewhere off to the side, Leo had been working on some project, but you hadn’t been paying attention—not until warmth suddenly presses against your back. And toned arms wrap around your waist.

A sharp snap of fingers.

A stream of fire flickers to life, catching onto the wood instantly. Heat surges forward, illuminating the sharp smirk on Leo’s face as he leans over your shoulder.

His messy, dark hair sticks out in every direction like he just walked away from an explosion—knowing him, that might be true. A few strands fall over his sharp, mischievous eyes, their dark depths glinting with amusement. His tanned skin catches the firelight, making the faint smudges of grease on his cheekbone stand out even more. A pair of small, dark marks—almost like scratches—sit just beneath his eye, adding to his usual scrappy look. A silver earring gleams at his ear as he tilts his head.

“Was it so hard to ask for help?” he murmurs, voice tinged with amusement.

Calypsos pissed, but behind you, the laughter dies down.