| .

𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘦 | 𝘤. 𝘭 𝘳

pairing: clarisse la rue x daughter of aphrodite!reader

masterlist

uh oh!! angsty asf!!!

word count - 2.2k

how did venus feel when mars ransacked rome? when the person she loved laid waste to her home?

clarisse never wanted it to end this way.

“you should tell her the truth, clarisse. i don’t think i’ve ever seen her this upset.” one of clarisse’s brothers examined you from afar. the once seductive, irresistible daughter of aphrodite, reduced to sulking in her sorrow. 

most people assumed you were mourning the lives lost in the battle of manhattan.

~~

it was all so sudden. one day, you and your siblings give every half-blood makeover; the next, there’s a war. everyone is picking sides, and no one knows who to trust now. then it happened, clarisse shattered your entire world. 

one night, far away from the bonfire. clarisse pulled you away to make the hardest decision she ever made. 

“i never cared about you, and it's ridiculous that you ever thought i did. you're just not worth the effort, and your feelings were never a priority for me. you’re such a distraction. constantly taking me away from what’s important,” she spat at you. her words pierced harder than any blade ever could.

you were broken, shocked, and even a bit insecure. you had never expected such sharp words from someone who claimed to love you more than the gods could ever.

even after the war subsided, the gods continued to ask their children to begin these challenging quests.

~~

clarisse snapped her eyes in the direction of interest. her eyes shifted from her usual anger-filled glare to a soft, apologetic gaze. you were undeniably wrecked.

the ares girl was sorry- more sorry than she had ever been about anything in her life. but she knew it was for the better. it was better if you believed this twisted lie she pulled- it was for your future.

“ if i tell her the truth, then die on this quest, what then? huh? ” clarisse was irritated from speaking about the topic so frequently. her brother looked at clarisse with disappointment, soon morphing into concern when he looked back at you.

“tell her the truth! clarisse, she’s ruined-”

“tell her the truth? tell her the truth?! so that she’ll spend all that time missing me, for me to end up dead?! i’m not making her subject to that kind of heartbreak. let her believe, i never loved her.”

you were slumped at a table with your siblings. large bags hung below your eyes, your cheeks turned hollow, and your radiant skin was dulled. no one at camp, not even your siblings, had ever seen you like this. spending all your free time in the aphrodite cabin and ditching training.

when anyone did see you, your figure was hidden beneath oversized clothes, tears stained your cheeks, and you looked burnt out. all within the same time frame, clarisse stopped hanging around you. you were wrecked- utterly wrecked. 

clarisse was asked by the god of war himself to fight by his side on a quest. she couldn’t say no- she never could. this was the one thing she wanted; this was her chance to prove that she was just as capable, if not more, than her brothers. she was finally given the chance to show her father her worth. there was no way clarisse would ever take that chance for granted.

so she said yes, immediately. but just as the words slipped past her lips, the thought of you struck her like lightning. you, the ethereal daughter of aphrodite; you, the girl that left a trail of flowers wherever she went; you, the girl that was equally beauty and brawn; you, the girl clarisse had sworn to love.

she said, “this love is ruin- has ruined our lives.”

she wanted to tell you the truth; she did. she wanted to tell you it was all a big, twisted, fucked up lie. she cared for you and never wanted it to end like this. clarisse la rue cared. to everyone's surprise, she did. she always cared about you, even when she couldn’t admit it. she cared so much, and she knew this was for the best.

" y/n! i know you haven’t been in it recently, but we’re starting to get worried. usually, you snap back after a few days. babe, it’s been a week,” your sister sighed, placing her hand on your arm. her concern was easily readable in her expression. you pressed your fist to your lips.

you couldn’t fight that. she was right. this was so unlike you. as a daughter of aphrodite, you’ve become numb to things like heartbreak. whether you’re on the receiving side or the other, it stopped affecting you at a young age.

but this was different. this wasn’t an average heartbreak. it felt more like the sun had gone out, causing your heart to freeze. this dysphoria was something straight out of a poem. it was ruthless and painful, and suddenly, everything had a negative. somehow, there was always something to hate.

“i’m fine. i just miss silena, that’s all,” you mumbled into your fist. your siblings seemed to believe that’s all that was going on; the air in the aphrodite cabin hung heavy with wilted roses, starkly contrasting the usual fragrant atmosphere that accompanied the goddess of love's domain. the once vibrant colors seemed muted as if even the cabin itself mourned the loss of your radiant presence. your siblings, who had once reveled in the joy of aphrodite's blessings, now cast worried glances your way. the gods might have declared the war over, but the battle still raged within for you. the aftermath of clarisse's decision had left you with scars that no amount of ambrosia could heal.

as the days stretched on, your absence from daily camp activities became more conspicuous. the once vibrant and lively daughter of aphrodite now moved like a ghost, haunting the cabin you once called home. the mirror reflected a hollow version of yourself, a mere shadow of the person you used to be.

you were ruined.

the love between venus and mars, tainted by war and deceit, had left a scar on both their hearts. and as you grappled with the shards of shattered love, clarisse stood on the precipice of her own inner turmoil, torn between love and duty

in the quiet moments of solitude, as she armed herself for quests and training, clarisse's thoughts circled back to you. the guilt that ate at her conscience intensified with every passing day. she questioned her allegiance, wondering if her loyalty to ares was worth the pain it inflicted upon the one she held dear.

clarisse knew that telling you the truth might mean burdening your future with grief if she didn’t return. yet, the ache in her chest grew more profound each time she caught a glimpse of your vacant eyes or saw the hollowness in your gaze. the lies were like a double-edged sword, cutting both you and her.

and soon, she was gone on her quest for self-certification. part of you hoped you would bounce back after she left, that you would come alive once again, that this burden of pain would somehow evaporate once she was out of reach.

but the other part knew that wasn’t true. deep down, you knew clarisse was woven in too deep to be out of sight, out of mind. you knew your heart was cut, and you had no clue when it would heal.

clarisse sought solace on the battlefield, attempting to drown out her internal conflict with the clash of swords and the roar of monsters. yet, even amidst the chaos, the ghost of your presence haunted her, a constant reminder of the love she had put at stake.

~~

“it doesn’t make sense!” clarisse slammed her fists onto the table before her. “i did what i was supposed to do! i did exactly what was asked of me, and he still doesn’t care.” her voice boomed, striking silence through everyone near her. her siblings looked defeated. all the other campers avoided her like the plague.  clarisse la rue was known for being temperamental, but no one had ever seen her this heated. this anger was only ignited by her divine lineage.  

her siblings, unaware of what to do, simply stood there when clarisse stormed away to blow off some steam.

she ran to the only place notorious for calming her nerves: her secluded training grounds in the woods. only a small number of people knew about this little clearing. and even less than that knew, clarisse loved to go there. the ares girl was fuming. her face was hot and red with anger as she stopped her way to the clearing. 

her breaths came in ragged gasps as she reached the familiar clearing, hidden away from prying eyes and the chaos of camp. the tranquility of the forest enveloped her like a comforting embrace, soothing the storm raging within her chest. but even in the serene surroundings, her thoughts remained turbulent. but her fury faltered as she collided with you, the unexpected encounter halting her in her tracks.

“y/n,” she mumbled just below a whisper. her face read shocked, scared even. as if seeing you roaming the place you called home was a surprise to her.  

"clarisse," you replied, your voice tinged with hurt and frustration. your eyes were still hooded, and your cheeks were still hollow. your hair was a mess, never sitting right, whether you tried or not. by the looks of it, you had gotten even worse since before clarisses’ quest.

she didn’t know how to react. you were never cold or hostile to her. clarisse stood there momentarily before pulling you full force into a sorrowful hug. she threw her arms around your hidden frame. she wanted you to melt into her touch like you always did. she wanted you to allow yourself to be consumed by the love clarisse felt for you.

but clarisse felt you push her away, pull yourself out of her arms like they were restraints. revolting against her touch, rebelling away from her love. 

“no! you don’t get to do that!” your voice was bitter and icy. laced with hatred rather than the lovestruck tone clarisse was so used to hearing. she looked at you, confused. 

"you lied to me, clarisse," you accused, your voice trembling with anger and hurt. "you never cared; i was just a distraction to you. remember?  how could you say that to someone you supposedly loved?"

clarisse's jaw clenched as she struggled to find the words to defend herself. "i did what i had to do," she shot back, her voice strained with emotion. "i thought it was for the best, for both of us." 

"for the best?" you scoffed bitterly, a wave of betrayal washing over you. "how could lying to me be for the best? you shattered my trust, clarisse. you shattered my heart."

your words hung heavy between you, a tangible reminder of the rift. clarisse's expression softened, her gaze pleading as she reached out to you. "i never meant to hurt you, y/n. i thought... i thought it was the only way to protect you."

"protect me?" you echoed incredulously, shaking your head in disbelief. "from what? you don't get to decide what's best for me, clarisse. you don't get to play the hero and expect me to forgive you just like that. and now you’re here and expect to come running back? you don’t get to walk back into my life and pretend everything is fine! that’s not fair; that’s not how love is supposed to work!"

clarisse's eyes narrowed, her temper flaring at your accusatory tone. "me? you're the one who's been avoiding everyone, wallowing in self-pity like it's your job!" she shot back, her words laced with venom.

the anger bubbled to the surface, fueled by months of pent-up resentment and hurt. "at least i'm not a liar!" you spat, unable to contain the bitterness that seeped into your voice.

clarisse recoiled as if struck, her expression faltering briefly before hardening into a mask of defiance. "i did what i had to do," she retorted, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "you have no idea what choosing between duty and love is like. i had to make a choice, y/n. and i chose wrong."

"love?" you scoffed, incredulous. "if that's what you call it, then i want no part. you used me, clarisse. you made me believe you cared and threw me aside like yesterday's trash."

the words hung heavy in the air, a painful reminder of the betrayal that had shattered your trust. clarisse's facade wavered, her resolve crumbling beneath the weight of your accusation.

"i never meant to hurt you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "but i had no choice. my loyalty to my father and my duty is all i have."

"but you did," you retorted, your voice trembling with emotion. "you hurt me more than i thought possible."

the admission did little to quell the anger simmering within you. "well, congratulations," you spat, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "you've proven where your loyalties lie."

and when love is ruin, you leave it behind. - the fall of rome.

'Amore'

Clarisse La Rue x Fem!Reader

A/N:Happy Valentines,ignore the late post.I just wanted to do this little idea bc it's been stuck in my head all day 😭

Clarisse asking you to be her valentine in some rather...awkward circumstances.But hey,at least she asked,right?

You had just stepped out of the shower, hair damp and tousled, wrapped in nothing but a towel, when the door to your cabin burst open without warning. Clarisse La Rue, the tough-as-nails daughter of Ares, stood in the doorway, her eyes widening at the sight of you.

"Uh, Clarisse," you stammered, clutching the towel tightly around you,desperately wishing for the ground to swallow you whole.

But instead of mocking laughter or a scolding remark, Clarisse simply blinked, her expression unreadable for a moment before a smirk tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Well, well, well," she drawled, her voice low and husky. "Didn't expect to see this when I barged in here."

She blinked, then smirked, her gaze lingering a little too long on your glistening skin. "Didn't know you were such a sight, princess," she teased, emphasizing the last word with a playful tone.

You fought to maintain your composure, trying to ignore the way your heart raced at her unexpected compliment.You swallowed hard, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. "I...uh...sorry, I didn't hear you knock."

Clarisse waved off your apology with a dismissive flick of her hand. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it's not like I mind the view." She shot you a teasing wink, and despite your mortification,you couldn't help but feel a flutter of something warm in your chest.

Before you could gather your wits and come up with a coherent response, Clarisse's expression turned serious, her gaze locking with yours.

She straightened, crossing her arms over her chest. "I need to talk to you. It's about tomorrow."

Confusion flickered across your face. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Valentine's Day," she said, rolling her eyes. "I know Castellan's been eyeing you, and I'm not letting him beat me to it."

Clarisse took a step closer, her expression unreadable. "I'm asking you to be my valentine. Tomorrow."

You blinked,your brain struggling to process the whirlwind of emotions coursing through you.Clarisse "I'll beat your ass into next month" La Rue,asking you to be her Valentine? It was unexpected, to say the least.

"Clarisse, I...I don't know what to say," you admitted,your voice barely above a whisper.

She took a step closer, closing the gap between you until you could feel the warmth of her breath against your skin.

Your heart skipped a beat at her boldness, and for a moment, you were rendered speechless.Eventually you find it in yourself to talk,your voice slightly shaky as you spoke "..I..I-sure...I'd love to-" you stammered nervously

But before you could finish your sentence, she closed the distance between you, leaning in suddenly to press her lips against yours in a kiss.

When she pulled away, she wore a triumphant smirk. "See you tomorrow, princess," she said, turning on her boot and striding out of the cabin, leaving you standing there, breathless and bewildered.

Hey we feeling about pregnant sec with Garofano?

She finally knocked us up and is so turned on by the fact we are carrying her child that pregnant sex is frequent in this household

She’s so gentle 🥺

Warm, aged hands caressing your belly as she gently thrusts her cock into you, quiet praises making their way into your ear as Garofano tells you just how good of a mother you’d be to her children…

If you tell her your pregnancy is making you horny, she’d gladly oblige and help you out (but will definitely take caution as to not hurt you or the baby). Shes sooooo soft too, telling you how beautiful you are and how she can’t wait to see you pregnant again if you let her knock you up once more. Garofano has always wanted two or three kids of her own, so if you’re willing, she’s always ready to do this again with you once you’re ready 💕

And ofc, your mind is always fucked dumb with how sweet your wife is, orgasm after orgasm just ceasing the pain of your body, all the while Garofano focuses on making you feel good, rather than herself <3

just wanna watch a girl's eyes roll back as i repeatedly slam my strap into her wet pussy, her legs wrapped around my waist making my thrusts deeper, one hand pressing down on her lower stomach while I use the other to circle her clit with my thumb until she squirts all over my cock

in which ellie shows you exactly who you belong to.

18+ minors dni!

You and Ellie aren’t together. 

You’re not a couple. You’d both agreed to keep things casual. You’re just roommates who mess around sometimes; simple as that. 

So why do you feel so guilty for going on a date with someone else?

You’re dressed and ready, adding the final touches to your makeup in the mirror, and you should be feeling excited - your date is a total dreamboat. Perfect on paper and so, so hot. But instead of that giddy, fluttery feeling in your stomach, all you feel is guilt. 

You and Ellie aren’t together, you keep reminding yourself. You repeat it like a mantra in your head. There’s nothing wrong with going on a date, right? Because you’re single… Right?

On your way out, you run into Ellie, because of course you do. She’s sprawled out on the couch, head propped on a pillow, playing her Switch with a determined look on her face. Your stomach clenches when you see her. She looks up when she hears you walk to the front door, her eyes following you as you slip into your shoes. 

“You look nice,” Ellie says from the couch. You look over and see that she’s paused her game; she’s sitting up and drinking in the sight of you, eyes lingering over your frame. You pretend not to notice. 

“Thank you, Ellie.” You grin and look down at your outfit, palms smoothing over the fabric of your skirt. You do look nice. 

“Where are you going?” 

Your cheeks go hot at the question, and your first instinct is to lie - to tell Ellie that you’re going to see a friend. Just catching up with someone from college over dinner. But it’d be stupid to lie - you’re single. You’re allowed to go out.

“I’m, um, going on a date.”

You don’t look at her when you say it - you know you’d feel guilty, even if the two of you are just friends with benefits. Or… Roommates with benefits?

“Oh,” Ellie says, as you busy yourself picking off nonexistent lint from your shirt. Anything to avoid her gaze. “Okay. Have fun, then.”

There’s no bitterness in her voice, which you had expected. You glance at her face, and she’s back to that determined expression, focused on her Switch again. 

You clear your throat. “Thanks. I’ll, um… See you later.” 

Naturally, you spend the entire date thinking about Ellie. Her eyes, green and dotted with flecks of brown. Her hair, which falls in her face just right. Her mouth, and the way it feels against the supple flesh of your throat, Ellie’s lips soft and wet as she trails kisses down your neck. 

And her hands - her strong hands. You can almost feel them on your hips, on your chest, between your legs. 

God, this date was a mistake.  

Still, you have the common decency to see it through. You pretend to be interested in your date’s job, their hobbies, their five year plan. They drone on for hours, only asking you a few pointed questions about yourself, and when the dinner’s finally over and they’ve signed the check, you’re itching to leave.

Not long after you’ve made it back home, you’re face-down on Ellie’s bed, moaning into the mattress as her tongue circles your clit. 

She’d asked you about your date between heated kisses, her lips flushed and swollen. You hadn’t given her much details aside from it was boring and I just wanted to come home and do this. That seemed to give Ellie some sort of complex, because now, as she pumps her fingers into your cunt with one hand and lands a stinging smack on your ass with the other, she pulls back from mouthing at your clit to rasp, “That’s it, moan for me.” 

And she’s always been talkative in bed, all slurred curses and dirty comments, but there’s something different this time. You arch your back deeper, giving her more access to pound her fingers into you, and she groans in approval. 

“Good fucking girl,” she breathes, using her free hand to dig her blunt nails into the flesh of your ass. She gives it another spank for good measure. “Wanna tell me whose pussy this is?”

There it is - something she’s never said before. You can feel yourself getting wetter, tightening around her fingers as your hips involuntarily push backwards against her palm. You forget to respond entirely, every thought in your head smooth and shapeless, disappearing as quickly as it came. But Ellie won’t let you off so easily. 

“Flip over,” she orders, the rasp in her voice sending a thrill up your spine. You obey wordlessly, and when you’re on your back, you see it: a possessive glint in her gaze, a sharp edge to her expression. You gush impossibly wetter, cunt clenching around nothing - the absence of Ellie’s fingers makes you want to sob. 

“Ellie,” you whisper, brows knitting together. Her gaze softens. “Please make me come.”

A smile tugs at her lips and she nods, her palm rubbing over your stomach in soothing circles. 

“I will, princess,” she assures you, “but I need you to tell me who you belong to. Think you might’ve forgotten.”

Guilt twists in your gut. “You, Ellie.” 

“What about me?”

There’s a challenge in the teasing lilt of her voice. You swallow. “I… Belong to you.”

“Mm, that’s right.” Ellie’s hands travel upward from your abdomen to your chest, closing around each of your tits. You suck in a shaky breath when her thumbs stroke over your pert nipples, making them draw even more taut. “These are mine?”

“Yours,” you gasp, chest rising and falling quickly. Ellie’s bangs fall in her eyes as she leans over to suck a nipple into her mouth, tongue swirling over the bud until you go cross-eyed, hips canting upward. She repeats the same torture with your other breast, leaving both of your nipples swollen and sensitive. 

“What about this?” Ellie asks when she pulls back, her hand moving to the heat between your legs. You whine, a desperate, pathetic little sound that makes Ellie want to eat you whole. 

“Yours, Ellie, it’s yours,” you say, voice betraying how needy you are. She dips a finger into your wetness, your folds silky with arousal, and you almost miss the way her eyes flicker back into her skull for a moment. She’s enjoying this just as much as you are. 

“This is mine?” She drags her fingers up to your clit, drawing torturously wide circles around it - close, but not close enough. You could start crying right there. You nod, frantic.

Ellie clicks her tongue, tuts in disapproval. “No, baby, I need to hear you say it. Whose pussy is this?”

And it’s not so hard to admit - Ellie’s had you under her spell long before you went on that stupid date tonight. You realize it now, cheeks warming at the obscene sounds of Ellie’s fingers playing in your cunt, unable to look her in the eye without squirming. 

“My pussy’s yours,” you pant, “s’all yours. Nobody fucks me like you, Els.” 

You’re pushing your hips towards her touch, your tits in your own hands now, pulling at your nipples like it’ll relieve the growing need in your belly. Ellie eyes you with half-lidded eyes, lust heavy in her gaze, and it’s like you can see the remnants of her resolve break. She sinks between your legs and finally, finally laps at your desperate cunt, drinking in the taste of you as you whine and writhe above her. 

When you come, it’s with Ellie’s name on your lips. And you know it’s true - you’re entirely hers.

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 ✷ 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐄

pjo fanfiction 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ✷ your father wouldn’t approve of how my mother raised me but i do i think i do, and you’re an all-american girl i guess i couldn’t help trying to be your best american girl ✷ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ooc clarisse, aphrodite’s daughter reader, fake dating, angst and pining

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄

The words escaped her mouth before she could fully comprehend what was happening. Big bad Clarisse La Rue with a temper to mimic boiling water and the fight skills to ward off teasing has finally been a victim to it irredeemably as lies slipped past her lips spontaneously, unthinking.

“You had a girlfriend this whole time and none of us knew? Yeah, right, Clarisse, you’re full of shit”

“She used to date a Hephaestus chick, alright? Didn’t want anyone pointing out the whole history repeating itself trope of Aphrodite and Ares” A part of her is proud of her trope, a child of Apollo worthy storyline invented last minute, it seemed to not occur to her the way specifics would bite her in the ass until her sibling’s eyes sparkled mischievously, pointing towards the other end of the bonfire at a female figure she had not seen before, though apparently the only one who seemed to match characteristics.

“You mean to say you’re dating angel face over there?”

Your eyes caught hers for the first time in that moment, setting ablaze something at the pit of her stomach that had seemed to lay dormant far too long, hence the beginning of the relentless conversation she found herself in in the first place. “Yeah, that’s her, my girl” she concurs, taking a sip of her drink and staring off into your figure like a predator.

You first met Tori before you were claimed. She would sneak into the Hermes cabin to give you midnight kisses and hide freshly made jewellery she forged instead of armour under your pillow for surprises, adorning your neck in both purple bruises and metal chains, her own special claim on you. Until your mother showed face. It burned you to remember how she spoke, as though not knowing you, like Aphrodite you must be your mother’s daughter. A cheater, she meant. You still dreamed that your only claim was Tori’s kisses and necklaces on days like these where you watched her by the bonfire avoid your every glimpse.

And then someone’s grip is on your arm.

“I wonder what could the most infamous child of Ares possibly want with me” She raises her eyebrows at the nickname from you, someone she had not acknowledged nor recognized before today though the opposite could clearly not be said, the beginning of a smirk ghosting over her features.

“Is that what I am?”

“Don’t play dumb, Clarisse, it’s not your best look, you know exactly what you are, it’s your charm, that is if you’re into the whole bully chic thing”

“I need a favour from you” She wastes no time and you scoff in response, your eyes still seeking out Tori, anxiously hoping she does not see any of this interaction as to not play out scenarios in her head. Clarisse takes none of it. She grabs you by the chin, in a firm yet surprisingly careful hold and forces you to face her, wide brown eyes with a beauty you hadn’t quite recollected before seeing its warm specks up close like firecrackers trapped behind her irises. You shake off the thought and cross your arms.

“Why would I do you any favours? I bet you don’t even know my name, hell, I bet you don’t even know who I am in general–”

“You’re my girlfriend”

“I beg your pardon?” You nearly choke and Clarisse laughs.

“I’ve been watching you. You’ve been staring at that raven haired Hephaestus girl for the last forty minutes uninterrupted while I can quite easily point out at least six girls who have been drooling to get your attention in the last sixty and you haven’t even spared them a pity glance, so I’m going to guess that’s your ex?”

“What does that have to do with anything besides the fact you’re apparently a fucking stalker?”

“Feisty, angel face” She snarks “I need a girlfriend to get some people off my back for awhile and you apparently want your ex back, so why don’t you use that tiny love focused brain of yours and think for two seconds what makes someone temporarily lose their senses and say, get back together with their ex?”

“You want me to use you to make Tori jealous?”

“Do you really have anything to lose?”

You watch her train, that’s your first date, and it starts off as uninteresting as you guessed it would be. Until she’s flexing a little too much, and you’re catching on, of course, but it’s working, because you’re suddenly focused, mouth agape as she lifts up her shirt exposing her perfectly sculpted abdomen to clean sweat off her forehead with the orange cloth.

“Having fun gawking?” She teases.

“Isn’t that what you brought me here for?”

Clarisse twists her spear around in the air and finally settles it behind her flexed arms, moving towards you as she looks around the training grounds for something, eyes sparkling at the sight of a similar weapon to hers “You know how to fight, angel face?”

“I’m a demigod, Clarisse” She feigns fright at your words before rolling her eyes and moves to throw the spare spear towards you, which you take in hands overwhelmed. She steps back and motions you forward which for whatever reason you comply, before you know it her breath is hot on your neck, a whisper: “Your little ex is watching”

She wasn’t entirely truthful. Tori was there, but she barely spared you a glance. Clarisse’s siblings however watched her every move, and she was preparing a spectacle. Positioning herself behind you, hands on your waist as to fix your stance, she dismissed the way her fingers seemed to physically burn at the sensation of your skin desperately seeking out to touch you more and focused on pointing your aim at the dummy before you. It strikes him right in the heart first try and falls backwards on itself. You’re beaming. Clarisse’s chest squeezes. She forgets to let go of your love handles until you turn around.

“You look pretty when you’re deadly” She casually lets out, a sigh.

“Did Tori see your hands on me?” You look around, an attempt at casually catching your exes eye. You miss the way Clarisse frowns when she agrees nonchalantly. One of her siblings winks, she thinks to herself this was too much trouble.

“Okay I think that’s enough performing for a day”

“You’ll hurt me this way, princess. Can’t stand me that much? I don’t get it, did I dunk one of your friends on the toilet or something?”

“I don’t understand”

“Playing dumb isn’t your look either” Clarisse mimics your first encounter as she stares daggers at you. She looks like she could see right through your soul and it sends shivers down your spine.

“You really don’t remember me, huh?” You scoff, and Clarisse is furrowing her brows and attempting to dive into her memory but you’re quicker to refresh it “My first year here I was like a lost and kicked puppy. And you were the girl who killed the monster who nearly killed me and actually killed my satyr protector. I guess it was just another day for you but it was my worst nightmare and you were a fucking knight in shining armor, I thought so anyways. I followed you around for months, and what does it say that you didn’t even know my name until two days ago? You are probably the one most self centered person I have ever met and I was a stupid little girl with a crush who thought you could save me while you actively terrorised everyone who was nice to you. Including me. And you don’t even remember taunting me, because it was just another fucking wednesday. So maybe I’m not enthusiastic about playing your girlfriend for longer than I have to”

It suddenly dawns on her, the memory of you. You looked different now, she guessed those were some perks of growing up as an Aphrodite kid but staring at your face, hurt expression, made the resemblance uncanny. To the one person she regretted hurting. She had just lost a fight and you had ran after her for comfort, but Ares had seen it. So there was nothing you could say. She wanted someone to hurt like she was hurting as though it would take her own pain away. She lost the fucking fight because she looked for you in the audience as she was winning. Affection made her weak. She made you pay for it.

“You called me a stupid girl who doesn’t know when to leave people alone and that’s why no one could stand me. Ring a bell?” You turned around to leave when Clarisse was silent. She surprised herself when she spoke up.

“Well let me teach you to hate me less!” She called out, running her hand through her curls frantically “We can’t do this if you don’t stand the sight of me, my siblings won’t buy it, your ex girlfriend who knows you certainly won’t either. Let’s go out and talk and maybe you’ll like something about me, I don’t know”

“Why does it matter so much to you that you have a girlfriend? Why do your siblings care? Answer me this and I might go with you”

“Fucking Gods, you’re insufferable” She mutters “Because I’m tired of being the one with no life, okay? All I have is training, and everyone knows that and I hate when they start worrying so I need anything to ward it off and I guess relationship maybe screams reason to live and not dying to be a war martyr so this is what I got, okay? It’s stupid, but it’s what I got”

“Alright”

“Alright?”

“I’ll try to like you, Clarisse”

She leads you to the forest in the middle of the night as to not alert anyone. The moon is full and it lights up her face in a way that softens her usually rough features. It is strange how your hands meet eachothers halfway in a hold until you reach your destination, a lake surrounded by flowers. You’re taking off your clothes, stripping into underwear before Clarisse could even fully process it, her eyes widening at the sight of your unbuttoning jeans reaching your calves, then the floor.

“Aren’t you coming?” You say as you stumble into the water. She watches you, the same way she had at the bonfire, and feels guilt pool at her throat for the way she gazed at your body. Clarisse wants to put a word to her feeling and all that comes to mind is hungry. She feels hungry. Like she could bite into your skin and tarnish its softness, like she needs to.

She takes off her clothes as well, skin still hot despite the cold air embracing her suddenly. You watch her too, she notices. Though she can’t pinpoint the look in your eye as she walks into the lake and heads towards you, stopping until your chests barely touch. There’s unusual heavy breathing from the both of you, hypnotised. You’re sure you won’t speak of it tomorrow.

“What’s your favourite colour?”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m trying to find things to like about you, work with me here”

“I like red. Like blood”

“Like love” Clarisse doesn’t bother to reply to your argument, but it makes a part of her shake. War and romance unfortunately have too many things in common, she notes to herself.

“My turn. Why do you want your ex back?”

“Because she was good to me. She was kind and soft and she liked me. I miss feeling like someone cares like that”

“Aren’t you Aphrodite’s daughter? Doesn’t that sound a little like the bare minimum? She’s good to you? She’s kind? Didn’t she stop being those things when it ended?”

“You don’t know anything about relationships, Clarisse, you’ve never had one. I’m difficult, I’m a cheater’s kid, I’m–”

“You’re beautiful. Breathtaking, like your mom. Maybe that’s the only thing you got from her. You can aim. You’re strong. You’re apparently vengeful at least towards me which in my books is an attractive quality, you’re witty and you get little crinkles around your eyes when you laugh. I’m going to guess you didn’t cheat on that ex of yours so you’re not an asshole, for sure not a cheater. You give people chances when they don’t deserve it. I’m not quite following what could be so damn difficult about you”

You stay silent for awhile. Thinking. She hates herself for not knowing what it is that you think, and regrets saying so many things in your quietness. Then you whisper something she doesn’t catch and she asks you to say it again and in clear noise it sounds as shocking as it did when she first thought to have tricked her ears: “You never had a relationship, have you ever been kissed?”

Clarisse shakes her head no.

“Can I kiss you?” You correct yourself as you lean in, placing a curl behind her ear “Just in case we need to do this in front of your siblings or Tori, so we’re ready”

“Right” Clarisse mumbles as her hands snake her way around your waist pulling your body closer to fully press against hers “Just in case” she finishes whispering before her lips finds yours. There’s more desire than you both thought there would be. It’s desperate. Messy. Tongues clashing and chests heaving. She wants to taste you forever. She thinks she’s screwed.