★ kee speaks the fight scene might be a little weird but im still proud of it. the reader is a child of nike

Going undercover was easy, but leaving a lot of things behind was worse. With presence of mind and a sharp tongue, I successfully convinced Lycaon and Gaia that I was on their side. I understood their plans and saw what they were up to. I pretended to agree with their opinions and accepted their offers and conditions. I turned into a spy for Camp Half-Blood, and I was determined to do my part well.

But I missed home. I didn't like the things they said about the Greeks, or the torn and scorched orange T-shirts some brought back. I had to pretend that I hated them and that I wanted to betray my friends. I learned to lie all the time.

I had a notebook that only I would be able to open, and paper that I could fold and hide in my clothes. Those were the places where I could write the information I collected if I couldn't use Iris Messaging. No, I wasn't dyslexic. When I was younger, the older campers told me I had an avocado allergy in turn and I actually believed it.

Now I stood in a snowy alley in an old little town in Colorado, keeping watch for an entrance to a tunnel. The tunnel led to an underground headquarters where other monsters stayed. I didn't like the underground, so staying up here was okay with me. I wore a windbreaker, face mask, jeans and a thick shirt, sitting on a stool with my back against the brick wall of a closed shop.

No one passes by that street, so when I heard shoes scrape against the ground, I got up and gripped my sword, hidden behind one of the garbage cans.

A boy walked past the alley with his hands in his pockets and the lower half of his face covered by a scarf. He glanced down the path, towards the tunnel, but kept walking.

I frowned, sure I saw him squint at the entrance. It would look like a water tank to mortals; I was sure of that. I had a feeling a fight would go down, so I went to hide behind the opposite wall of the alley and hid there.

When I looked back, the boy was already at the entrance and was inspecting it. I swung my sword but he blocked me with a sword as well, pulled out of his backpack and amazing reflexes.

His speed caught me off guard but I tried to strike again. He rolled over to the side and slashed at me but I dodged it.

For what felt like a long time, we fought there, swords clanging against each other. I bet that if we stayed still we'd see puffs of mist come out of our mouths from the cold. I know I should have been watching if there were any mortals around, but I couldn't look away, not at the rate my opponent was fighting at right now.

He was wearing me out. My legs hurt and my palms were sweaty and cold. I was running out of breath and the low temperature didn't help. I aimed to hit his head with the butt of my sword but only manage to graze his cheek. He yelped and thrust his sword forward.

I fell back, slipping on the icy ground and dropping my sword. To stop myself from falling completely and hitting my head, I clutched the edge of the opening to the tunnel, forgetting the jagged edges. I gasped. I cut my right hand on it.

The boy got up and took the black beanie off his head, panting. Ignoring the pain in my hand, I stood up and went for my own sword, which had slid away earlier.

I slipped on the ice again but didn't lose my weapon. I was getting frustrated now. The boy locked his sword hilt with mine and twisted, and my sword clattered away again.

Hey. I knew that move.

When he twisted my sword, I tried to grip it with my right hand, so the handle grinded against my wounded palm and I cried out in pain. I cursed.

Like I said, this boy was fast. I barely registered the way he used the tip of his sword to take off my mask.

"Y/N?"

I wasn't very surprised that he knew my name. Instead, I swept his feet aside and he fell too.

Finally I picked up my sword and returned quickly, grabbing the boy's collar and pressing my blade to his neck.

"No, no, no, wait, wait, Y/N!"

He was propped up by his arms and it took him a long time to untangle the scarf from his neck with just one of them. A familiar face looked back at me, and my expression must have amused him.

Balled up in my fist was Connor Stoll's sweater, with him smirking at me, both of us on the floor, slightly beaten up and quite worn out, and the tip of my sword under his chin.

My grasp on my sword loosened. "Woah. You're...you're here."

"Sure am, princess."

For a few seconds, I stared at him in shock until he spoke again.

"I let you win, didn't I? I know how much you like it."

He started to get up, but I gripped my sword again. "Hold on! What are you doing?"

"I found one of the hideouts. I'm gonna go and mess it up now."

"Not now, you aren't. You're worn out and without any armor. And it's just you and me here, no backup whatsoever." I sighed. "If you stay any longer we might get caught, Connor!"

"Fine! But holy shit, I missed you."

He threw his arms around me and obviously I hugged back. His warmth brought me comfort and a friend's presence was even better. I sighed again, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm so tired."

"I know you are."

"Yeah, cause you tired me out," I grumbled.

"Hey, no pouting on me."

"I'm not pouting!"

"Are too."

"Am not."

He slowly took my arm away. "Whatever. Can I fix this?" He pointed with his eyes to my bleeding hand. I nodded.

"Um...Y/N..." Connor mumbled, pouring water on my hand. He was crouched on the ground and made me go back on the stool.

"Yes, Con?"

"Do you want to, uh..."

"Do I want to...?"

"Do you want to go back to Camp Half-Blood? I mean, you said you're tired and all."

I shook my head. "My mission isn't done yet. And I can't just leave here and now. We'll have a hard time travelling in the snow, too, from Colorado to Long Island."

Connor frowned. "Well then, take care until you come back. Then we can do stupid things again when this is all over."

I laughed at that. "Yes, of course. And while I'm off doing this, you do your job, too and not get killed by the Ares cabin."

He chuckled. "I'll try, Y/N." He tore his handkerchief with his teeth, still holding onto my hand. My stomach flipped at the sight. When was the last time I saw him? Maybe about a month ago?

Oh. How could I forget?

The night before I left for this task, I had sneaked into the Hermes cabin and woken Connor up.

"Hey," I whispered. "Hey."

Connor's eyes snapped open and he tore the sheets off of him, sitting up. "Hi. I knew you'd be awake."

"Sleep—"

"—Is for the weak," He finished, fist-bumping me.

I grinned. "Yeah. Want any souvenirs when I come back?"

"Just you," he said simply. "Alive and preferably whole."

Maybe it was how he said "just you" or how he was still flashing that smile he always wore, even in the middle of the night but I wanted to just kiss him on the spot. Year-long crush, you say? Ha! Try "ever since we met and now I'm still holding it back" crush!

Apparently he felt the same way. My soul seemed to leave my body for a second when he said, "I like you a lot, Y/N, not as a friend anymore, and I really hope you come back safe."

That night I hopped into my bed through the window and gripped my blanket, wondering if what happened was really real.

"Hey, Con, do you still like me?" I blurted out. He finished bandaging my hand and looked up at my red face.

"Yes, of course," He said brightly. He picked up our swords, gave mine back to me, and kicked a pebble on the ground. "You sure you'll be okay, Y/N?"

I followed him as he made his way to the end of the alley. "I'll be fine."

He opened his arms and I pressed my lips to his. We stepped away from each other.

"Oh, fuck, I'm—oh gods, I'm sorry—"

"I mean, I was going in for a hug but that's better—"

"Oh?"

"Um..." He laughed nervously, putting a hand on the back of his neck. "Can I—yeah."

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him again as he wrapped his arms around my waist. Gods, I missed this boy. He tasted like those vaguely-branded candies you'd find at gas stations and his hair had gotten longer. We didn't get to do this last time and this might have been a less secure place but hey, we took the chance.

I was gasping for air when we pulled away. "Wait, one last," Connor said, tilting my chin up to face him again and pecking my lips one last time.

Before he left, I said, "Keep safe until we meet again, Con."

"I promise, Y/N."