"When are you gonna tell him?" Tori asked Claire. It was the third time she'd asked since they'd started their game of monopoly in Alyx's cabin with the rest of the squad and how they even got onto this topic was beyond explanation. But this was Tori Paris, so of course the child of Aphrodite had to bring it up, maybe that was explanation enough.

"I'm not," Claire responded, not looking up from the game board. "Not yet, anyway." Annabeth sighed impatiently as she casually bankrupted Piper, who was too busy staring at Claire in horror.

"But-"

"No." Claire wondered when her friends would drop the subject, this was getting annoying.

"Tori, stop. Don't push her into things. I remember it took you months to tell Jason you liked him and we didn't say anything. Stop. Getting. Involved." Alyx said while shaking the dice, then chucking them in Tori's direction. Claire sighed as the two started arguing on whether pushing her into a relationship was a good idea or not and Clary tried to split them up.

"If I tell him will you two shut up?!" All of the girls looked at Claire.

"You're going to tell him?" They asked. Claire felt her face go red as she nodded hesitantly. "Okay and please do it soon because it's pretty obvious that you like him and that he likes you. And just so you know, the whole of camp is starting to place bets on you two." Piper said.

"Why?" she asked, but was met by a smirk. "Okay, okay, I'll do it soon. Probably."

~Meanwhile in Cabin 1~

"Shut up!" Leo yelled feeling his face go hot. His friends laughed loudly and Leo chucked his food at them. "You know we're right!" Jason smirked. "No! No you're wrong!" However many times he'd shouted that he didn't believe it himself. There was definitely something he felt towards Claire but he wasn't going to admit that. Not yet. "Dude, if you don't do something soon someone else will ask her out and you know she's too nice to say no," Percy added. Leo sighed, knowing they were right. He told himself he'd ask her soon, maybe at the campfire later that week. On second thoughts, there was that metalwork competition coming up...

No.

He'd tell her.

If he could build up the courage.

~The Next Day~

The campfire was roaring and all the campers were laughing and chatting loudly. The Apollo campers were minutes away from starting the singalong, and everyone was full, content, and smiled. Except from Claire Hunters, that is. Her friends were going to kill her if she didn't embarrass herself in front of the camp and tell her crush how she felt before they all went back to their own cabins. She was dreading it. Claire knew she was going to mess it up but maybe if she at least tried her friends wouldn't ask her again. From under her eyelids, she watched Leo join the circle and sit between Jason and Percy. The two boys were grinning and poking him, but he looked as uncomfortable as Claire felt.What was she thinking? This was madness. He probably didn't even feel the same way about her. He almost definitely didn't.

"Go on," Alyx nudged Claire. "Stop staring and go kiss him." Claire felt her cheeks go bright red. She hadn't been staring - had she? She snuck another look across the fire before she got up, but Leo was gone. She followed Percy's and Jason's gazes to where there friend was heading around the circle. He was flushed from the heat of the fire, and staring down at his feet. She sat back down. Clearly now was not a good time. She squeezed her eyes shut as he walked past her. She felt Tori's sharp elbow dig in to her stomach. Not now, Tori. Claire cracked one eyelid open - and almost fell backwards off her log seat. Great start, Claire. Very graceful.

"Leo!", she gasped, somehow breathless. He was stood in front of her, looking extremely awkward. He ran his hand through his hair in that cute way that he did.Claire was acutely aware of the silence that was rippling around the campfire. Leo seemed to notice too, and coughed loudly. The sound echoed four times before the campers burst into guilty conversation.

"Um," said Leo.

Claire stood up so suddenly that her head span for a moment. When it cleared, she realised she'd grabbed at Leo's elbow for support. She let go of it hastily. "Leo. Do you, um, want to talk somewhere else."

Claire mentally kicked herself. He'd probably been coming to talk to Piper or something, and wouldn't want to be dragged off by her. However, Leo looked relieved.

"Yeah. Let's go over to the lake."

Claire walked there with him, but then kept going into the woods. There were bound to be naiads listening in if they stood too close to the water. She mentally prepared herself for whatever was coming as he caught up, and then turned, opening her mouth. Before she could say anything, though, Leo blurted out,

"I love you, Claire."

Claire stared at him. The entire speech she had prepared slid out of her mind.

"I love you too, Leo."

~ ~ ~

For a terrible second, Leo thought Claire didn't relate to what he was saying. He didn't know why he'd said it, just like that, but he had and he wished he could grab the words out of the air and stuff them back down his throat. In fact, he was in the middle of designing a time machine so he could gag himself when Claire replied.

"I love you too, Leo."

Leo had no idea what happened next, only one second he was a good metre away from her, and the next he was kissing her. And she kissed him back. They didn't do any of those gross things they do in books, thank the lord. He didn't try to shove his tongue into her mouth, and she didn't put her hands in any inappropriate places. It wasn't even that long. Far too soon, they were both stepping back. The realisation of what he had done hit Leo like a train, and he stumbled out of the woods and sprinted away, yelling a short farewell over his shoulder.

~Post-kiss stress~

Claire blinked. What had just happened? She headed through the trees in a daze, keeping close to the lake. There was a soft splash and some ripples spread out from a patch of water near the shore; a few seconds later, Becky D fell into step beside her. Claire could tell the naiad was bursting to say something, so she kept walking in silence to wind her up. Finally Becky could take it no more.

"A little bird told me you disappeared into the woods with Leo. Where is he now? What happened? Did he kiss you?"

Claire groaned. If even the naiads knew about them, what would it be like back at camp?

"Well? What happened?"

"He..."

"Did he kiss you?"

"Yeah." Claire admitted, flush creeping up her cheeks.

Becky D squealed in delight. "What was it like? Was it wet? Intense? Gentle?"

"You're almost as bad as Tori," Claire muttered, laughing.

"But was he?"

"Calm down! It was nothing serious. Practically a quick peck."

"On the lips?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Nothing serious?! That was your first proper kiss! Wasn't it?"

"I guess." Claire felt increasingly embarrassed.

"What did he do after?"

"He wiggled his eyebrows, said 'see ya' and ran off."

"What?!"

"I know."

"That was it?" Becky sounded incredulous.

"Yep."

"Come, we can hunt him down together."

"It's fine. I'll tell him to do better next time."

"Next time? Oooooh... "

The two of them joked around for a while, then Becky looked up at Claire.

"In all seriousity... seriousness... being serious, if you don't want to face your friends tonight, you can stay round at mine."

"Isn't that, like, underwater?"

"Nah. There's an island that I've kinda taken possession of. "

"Cool. Are sure it's okay?"

"Yeah! I wouldn't offer otherwise."

Before she could answer, the bushes rustled and a dryad emerged. She looked relieved when she spotted Claire and Becky D.

"There you are! Claire, the campers are worried sick. You and Leo disappeared and didn't come back."

"Leo? Is he still missing?"

"Nah. Juniper saw him go into Bunker 9."

"Thank goodness."

"I've got to go and tell everyone. Are you coming?"

Claire looked from the dryad, to Becky D, to the dryad again. "No thanks."

Becky looked up. Claire braced herself for the life-changing words of wisdom that were clearly about to come from the exiled naiad's mouth.

"You do realise," Becky D began, "what the campers will assume you and Leo have been doing all night?"

~fin~