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[color=808080][color=b53a05][b]colton[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/13/d7/24/13d7242cf558fdbd7c7228b745398b36.jpg][color=808080][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c]..........[/color] [color=ff6686][b]blair[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/vvPKvbP][color=808080][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c]..........[/color] [b]camp half-blood[/b][/color]
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[indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080]Blair had absolutely no idea how she ended up in the stables. Ok well, she [i]knew[/i], but how she managed to let her siblings convince her was an entirely different story. It was no secret she hated horses—ok, not hated but was terrified of them. Which is basically the same thing in her eyes. She was content never setting foot within a hundred feet of another one again. They were pretty and she’d happily watch them gallop on by from a safe distance, but standing beside one was how she imagined it would feel standing beside a dinosaur. It really just helped reaffirm how small, fragile, and mortal she was. All things she wasn’t particularly a fan of being reminded of beside an animal that has been known to be A. skittish and B. able to kill a person with one solid kick. Yeah, no fucking thanks. 

While the whole of the Athena cabin took turns brushing the horses and feeding them carrots, Blair stood safely… on the opposite side of the stables, chewing on the inside of her cheek with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She at least managed to dress practically, or as practical as a Carmichael wardrobe could get. She grabbed her least slutty black tank top that only showed a moderate amount of skin along her ribs and midriff. The jeans were a simple light wash, more expensive than denim should ever be, never worn, and tucked into knee-high leather boots. Her gaze fell to her shoes which had already sunk a little into the mud. They easily cost as much as one of those damn horses and now they were worthless, not to mention very impractical for her current predicament. The heel was only an inch, which for her was about as flat as shoes could get. It wasn’t like she was the type of person who has a pair of cowboy boots or timberlands on standby. Her idea of manual labor was a walk on a beach, not this. 

[color=d6d6d6]"Are you ready?"[/color] Justine asked, her voice drifting across the stall, the unsettling brightness of it pulling Blair out of her internal debate between following through or making a mad dash literally anywhere else. Of course that would be fruitless. She had the athletic coordination of a panda bear on a playground. 

[color=ff6686]"What if I watch instead?"[/color] Blair mused with a grimace more than an actual smile, without making a single move from her spot safely tucked in a corner. [color=ff6686]"I can be a cheerleader. I’m really good at it. I might have my old pom poms in the cabin. I should go check."[/color] She jabbed her thumb in the air over her shoulder before spinning around to make a hasty retreat. But she barely made it two steps and a gentle hand grabbed her arm, fingers curling around her bicep, not with force, but a soft will to keep her from leaving. 

[color=d6d6d6]"The only way to get over your fear is to face it,"[/color] the girl offered with a kind smile and a little squeeze, before dropping her hold. 

Blair nervously rubbed the back of her neck as the anxiety churned in her stomach like choppy waves, her lunch threatening to make a disgusting reappearance. She cleared her throat, pressing her other palm against her abdomen as if it could settle the storm brewing inside of her. [color=ff6686]"Ok, but see I've been thinking… And a fear of horses is pretty small in the grand scheme of things."[/color] Her brunette ponytail brushed against her shoulder as she tilted her head to the side. [color=ff6686]"Like, I could easily go the rest of my life without ever encountering another one. It’s not like birds or spiders, right?"[/color] Straw crunched underfoot as she took another small step back, but Justine was ready, her hand rising to seize her arm a second time. [color=ff6686]"It’s fine. [i]I’m[/i] fine. This is one [i]thing[/i] I don’t need to conquer."[/color] To be fair, she’d be happy not conquering [i]anything[/i] for the rest of her life, but she also knew that was highly unlikely. But this one… this one she could just ignore. 

[color=d6d6d6]"Do you really want to be terrified for the rest of your life?"[/color] her sister asked, her words like an olive branch to bridge the gap between fear and courage.

Blair’s eyes narrowed. [color=ff6686]"[i]Yes,[/i]"[/color] she scoffed, rolling her eyes as her stubborn, spoiled rich girl mask fell into place, just for a second before falling just as quickly. She sighed. [color=ff6686]"[i]No?[/i]"[/color] Then she stomped her foot and threw her head back with a groan that was far more dramatic than necessary. [color=ff6686]"Couldn’t we like… I don’t know, [i]ease[/i] into it?"[/color]

[color=d6d6d6]"[i]Blair…[/i]"[/color] Justine sighed, exhaustion plain in the weight of her brows creasing and the tired smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. [color=d6d6d6]"You’ve been [i]easing[/i] into it for six months and still can’t even get close enough to brush one. I think we just need to rip off the bandaid."[/color]

Brown eyes looked over at Justine with a palpable disdain. [color=ff6686]"I hate you,"[/color] Blair whispered through clenched teeth. 

[color=d6d6d6]"I know,"[/color] she laughed, the sound warm and far too pleased with herself for winning, just this once. 

Blair drew in one long, deep breath, prolonging the inevitable by one more second while also attempting to steel her nerves to no avail. She ran her clammy palms along her jeans, then took a begrudging step forward. [color=ff6686]"[i]Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,[/i]"[/color] she muttered the word under her breath like some fucked up mantra that could get her through it in one piece. Air stuttered in and out of her chest as she drew closer. She gulped, trying to swallow the dry lump that lodged itself in her throat like a pill. 

The horse before her was, by all definitions, beautiful. Hair as black as a raven, shining like silk in the sunlight. Its tail flicked when flies lingered on its haunches for too long, but otherwise it seemed fairly calm. But that meant nothing to Blair. Every flick of the tail, shift of a hoof upon the ground, or turn of its head made her flinch. With each step the phantom pain of the bite seared against the exposed scar on her right shoulder. This was stupid. [i]She[/i] was stupid. 

[color=ff6686]"Good horse. [i]Nice[/i] horse,"[/color] she whispered as she slowly climbed the step stool that sat to the left of the mare. Blair reached for the back and horn of the saddle with so much caution that there was a very real possibility dinner would be served before she even mounted the creature. The trembling in her hands was so violent that it reverberated through the leather of the saddle causing the horse to side step uneasily. 

Justine was there in an instant, taking the animal’s reins and hushing it with gentle, rhythmic strokes along its snout. [color=d6d6d6]"Breathe. She can sense you're scared and it's making her anxious."[/color]

[color=ff6686]"[i]She’s[/i] anxious?"[/color] Blair snapped in a sharp whisper, nostrils flaring with indignation. 

[color=d6d6d6]"Come on. Get out of your head… You’re halfway there."[/color]

Blair blinked rapidly, turning back toward the horse as she sucked in a shallow breath. She clenched her hands into tight fists trying to temper the trembles before reaching out to secure a hold on the saddle. Another breath, then she lifted her left foot and slid it into the stirrup until it caught on the heel of her boot. Her eyes darted back over to Justine with frightened confusion like all sense had left her mind and she had no clue what to do next. 

[color=d6d6d6]"[i]Good,[/i]"[/color] she reassured her with a wide smile and a small nod. [color=d6d6d6]"Now just put all your weight on that foot and swing your other leg over."[/color]

[color=ff6686]"Yeah… I don’t know if I can do that."[/color]

[color=d6d6d6]"You’ve mounted a lot of guys, [i]right?[/i]"[/color] Justine mused with a playfully sinister grin. [color=d6d6d6]"It’s not that different."[/color]

Blair actually snorted out a small laugh, unable to fight the smile that teased at the corners of her mouth. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. [color=ff6686]"Yeah, alright. [i]Touché.[/i]"[/color] Before she could overthink it, or talk herself out of it like she nearly had with everything else, she did as instructed. 

Her hands tightened around the leather of the saddle, leaning forward as she shifted all of her weight onto her left foot. The horse adjusted and she held her breath, but she didn’t move when she caught Justine’s reassuring nod from her peripherals. Blair straightened her left leg and at the same time she swung her right over the back of the horse until she straddled its back. There was a second where she struggled to find the stirrup, but another one of her siblings stepped up and guided her foot into place. 

[color=d6d6d6]"Ok… now [i]sit.[/i]"[/color]

Blair exhaled deeply through her nose, shooting Justine a cutting sidelong glance before she slowly lowered herself until her butt rested firmly on the curve of the saddle. She still balanced her weight between her feet and where she sat for a moment longer before finally letting herself settle properly, if not uneasily. She had planned to give it five, maybe ten seconds, and then she had every intention of climbing down and promptly having a panic attack in the strawberry fields. But before the thought could fully manifest, Justine was holding up the reins toward her with an expectant smile. 

[color=ff6686]"You’re fucking joking,"[/color] Blair rebutted, almost laughing in a stunned disbelief. 

[color=d6d6d6]"You’re already up there. Might as well go all the way,"[/color] Justine replied, her smile widening as she wiggled the leather straps teasingly. 

[color=ff6686]"This was your plan the whole time."[/color] Blair swallowed, reluctantly yanking the reins from the girl’s grasp. 

[color=d6d6d6]"No comment,"[/color] she mused, patting the mare on its haunches before walking to the next stall over and mounting her own horse. [color=d6d6d6]"We’ll do one [i]slow[/i] lap around the corral and then you’re free."[/color] Justine raised her right hand, then made a show of crossing her heart. [color=d6d6d6]"Scouts honor."[/color]

Blair scoffed. [color=ff6686]"Yeah… I don’t believe you."[/color] Her gaze then fell to the horse beneath her. She leaned forward, her right hand trembling as she hesitantly stroked its mane. [color=ff6686]"Please don’t eat me—[i]or kill me,[/i]"[/color] she added, almost as an after thought. 

It all went surprisingly well in the beginning. The horse walked at a pace that could have made a sloth look fast, which was still too fast for Blair, but she actually felt like she was getting her rhythm. By the time her and Justine reached the opposite end of the corral, Blair lost some of her tension. Her back was still rigid, but her body rocked more with the motion of each step rather than remaining stiff as a board. There was a second where she actually let herself breathe and think that maybe, just maybe, she could do this. 

Then there was the sharp squeal that tore across the camp from the strawberry fields. The horse shook its head, huffing deeply through its nose. Blair’s eyes widened, knuckles whitening around the reins, and her thighs squeezed tightly to the horse’s chest. Off to her side Justine said something, but her voice was lost beneath the loud rush of blood that deafened her. Before she could think or react, the creature reared back onto its hind legs. Blair knew she shouldn’t scream, that it’d only make everything worse, but in that moment logic had been overshadowed by blinding fear. The sound tore from her, piercing, shrill, and absolutely terrified. She could feel her body slipping and forced herself to hold tighter, the only thing more horrifying than staying on a frightened horse was lying on the ground beneath it. Everything felt like it was in slow motion and Blair was witnessing her death play out frame by frame, and there was nothing she could do about it. 

The horse’s hooves slammed back into the earth, and before anything could be done it took off, sprinting toward the wood slat fence of the corral. But rather than stopping or veering in circles, it launched them both clear over it and barreled toward the center of camp. 

The forge breathed like a living thing by late afternoon. Heat rolled through the long hall in slow waves scented with smoke, iron, sweat, and coal ash while sunlight spilled through the tall open windows above each station in molten ribbons of gold. Every gust of wind carried the distant sounds of camp inside with it, laughter near the lake, the dull thud of swords from the arena, somebody shouting over a volleyball game, but the forge swallowed it all beneath the sharper music of hammer strikes and grinding wheels. Lanterns already hung lit from the beams overhead despite the hour, their amber glow mixing with the orange pulse of the furnaces until every surface gleamed warm and copper-rich. Rows of workstations stretched the length of the building, each one claimed and shaped by its owner over the years. Spare gears hung from nails hammered into support posts, blueprints curled beneath heavy tools, half-finished inventions cluttered corners beside mugs stained dark with coffee gone cold hours ago.

Colton had settled into his own station quicker than he ever expected. Two months ago he still jumped whenever someone shouted in ancient Greek across the hall or celestial bronze sparked too bright beneath the hammer. Now the forge felt familiar beneath his skin, as natural as the old machine shed back home where he spent summers patching fences and replacing busted tractor parts with his granddad. The leather apron tied around his waist was streaked black from soot and burn marks, and sweat dampened the collar of his gray shirt until it clung between his shoulder blades. He drew the glowing blade from the furnace with a pair of tongs and laid it across the anvil in front of him. The metal burned bright orange beneath the open air, heat shimmering around it while sweat slipped from the edge of his jaw and darkened the steel cap of his boot.

Bug sat at the station to Colton’s right with one leg folded beneath him in his chair, skinny shoulders hunched over a bronze contraption spread across three different trays. His straight dark hair kept falling into his eyes every few seconds and each time he blew it away with an irritated puff through the gap in his front teeth without ever looking up from his work. Tiny gears littered the tabletop around him like breadcrumbs. Every now and then the machine in his hands gave an angry hiss or spat sparks against his goggles while he muttered to himself under his breath. 

[color=d6d6d6]"No, no, no—that’s not where you go, you little shit,"[/color] he grumbled at a spring hardly larger than a fingernail before finally glancing sideways toward Colton. [color=d6d6d6]"You keep hittin’ that edge too hard and you’re gonna warp the fuller again."[/color]

Across from them Finn leaned back against her workbench with welding goggles shoved onto the top of her head and a wrench tucked through the belt loop of her jeans. The shaved sides of her head caught the forge light while the rest of her pale curls spilled wild around her shoulders, frizzing from the heat until she looked half struck by lightning herself. She was filing down the teeth of a celestial bronze axe with long patient strokes, boot tapping lazily against the floorboards in rhythm with the scrape of metal. A cigarette rested unlit behind her ear purely for aesthetic at this point; nobody had actually seen her smoke it. 

[color=d6d6d6]"Bug says that every time you make a sword,"[/color] she mused without lifting her eyes from the blade. [color=d6d6d6]"One day you’re gonna listen and ruin his whole week."[/color]

Colton snorted softly and lifted the hammer again. The strike rang through the forge sharp and clean, vibrating straight through his shoulders into his chest. Sparks burst gold across the anvil and vanished before they hit the floor. He adjusted his grip, steadier now, and brought the hammer down again with the kind of rhythm that settled deep into muscle memory. Back home it had been fence posts, horseshoes, busted engine parts laid out on old towels in the barn. Here it was celestial bronze and steel and weapons that hummed faintly with godly power when the light caught them right. Funny how similar it all felt in the hands anyway.

The late sunlight slanted lower as the hours wore on, pouring through the open windows in long amber bars that striped the stone floor and caught in the smoke drifting lazily toward the rafters. Outside, the tops of the pine trees swayed against a sky slowly turning honey-colored. Inside, the forge glowed brighter by the minute. Lanternlight danced across polished metal and damp skin while furnaces roared steady as thunderstorms trapped behind brick walls. Somebody farther down the hall started laughing hard enough to choke after an invention exploded with a loud [i]pop[/i] and showered soot across half the forge. Finn shouted something obscene and Bug just grinned wider.

Colton smiled to himself before setting the sword back into the fire. The heat flushed his cheeks and painted his skin gold while sweat rolled slowly down the side of his throat beneath the open collar of his shirt. For the first time in a long while, there was no ache in his chest pulling him somewhere else, and much of his day passed in this heat soaked content haze. 

The sword hissed when Colton plunged it into the oil barrel beside the anvil. Smoke curled upward in dark ribbons carrying the sharp scent of metal and burnt carbon through the warm forge air while the last of the daylight stretched thin across the floorboards. He held the blade steady beneath the surface until the violent bubbling eased, then lifted it free and turned it slowly beneath the lantern glow, inspecting the edge with tired but satisfied eyes. Sweat slipped from beneath the brim of his worn ballcap and tracked through the soot gathered along his temple. He finally set the weapon carefully atop his workbench beside a folded rag and a half-empty bottle of water that had long since gone warm.

Bug was still hunched over his latest mechanical disaster, tapping furiously at some impossibly tiny gear with a screwdriver clenched between stained fingers. Finn had abandoned her stool entirely and sat cross-legged on the worktable sharpening the edge of her axe while music crackled faintly from a battered little radio hanging near the rafters. The forge had softened with the afternoon, voices quieter now beneath the steady roar of the furnaces and the occasional ring of steel striking steel farther down the hall. Colton untied the thick leather apron from around his waist and hung it from the side of his station before dragging the hem of his shirt across his face. [color=B53A05]"I’m callin’ it before one of y’all has to scrape me off the floorboards,"[/color] he drawled, breath roughened pleasantly from the heat. 

Finn barked out a laugh without looking up. Bug finally glanced over with that crooked gap-toothed grin of his and wrinkled his nose dramatically. [color=d6d6d6]"You smelled bad three hours ago, cowboy."[/color] Colton pointed at him immediately, tired smile tugging into place despite himself. 

[color=B53A05]"Yeah, well, I ain’t the one cuddlin’ machinery like it’s a girlfriend."[/color] Bug scoffed loud enough to earn a snort from Finn while Colton grabbed his sketch book beneath the bench. [color=B53A05]"I’ll see y’all at dinner,"[/color] he said as he headed toward the open door, voice warm and easy beneath the fading clang of the forge. [color=B53A05]"And if the gods are merciful, I’ll smell a hell of a lot better by then."[/color]

The forge still clung to Colton when he stepped out into the late afternoon light. Heat lingered against his skin beneath a sweat-dampened white shirt, the fabric sticking between his shoulder blades while soot stained the lines of his hands and dusted faintly along his jaw. He carried his sketchbook tucked beneath one arm, thumb hooked loosely through the spiral binding while he followed the dirt trail toward the Hephaestus cabin at an unhurried pace. Somewhere near the volleyball courts kids were shouting over each other, and farther off he could hear the rhythmic clang of swords striking in the arena, but his mind had drifted home already, to feed buckets, to cicadas humming through humid evenings, to the letter he meant to write his mama before bed.

Then the scream cut across camp sharp enough to hollow the air from his lungs.

His head snapped toward the stables just as the horse cleared the fence in an explosion of dark muscle and flying dirt. Blair sat high in the saddle with terror written plain through the rigid line of her body, fingers locked white around the reins while the mare bolted wildly toward the cabins. Colton didn’t think. The sketchbook slipped from beneath his arm and hit the ground hard enough to kick dust across the grass while his boots tore into the earth. He angled himself across the horse’s path fast and low, heart hammering hard beneath his ribs as years of instinct took over before fear ever had the chance to settle in. 

[color=B53A05]"Easy now—easy, girl… hey, hey, you’re alright,"[/color] he called, voice deep and steady beneath the thunder of hooves. The mare tossed her head violently as he reached her, nostrils flaring wide with panic. Colton caught the reins close beneath her jaw and planted his weight hard through his legs the same way his grandfather taught him as a boy. Dirt sprayed across the legs of his jeans when she jerked sideways, but his free hand slid firmly against her neck, warm palm smoothing through the slick black mane in slow strokes. 

[color=B53A05]"That’s it… there you go. Breathe for me,"[/color] he murmured softly, more rhythm than words. The horse shuddered beneath his touch, sides heaving hot and fast against his arm while her ears flicked nervously between him and the chaos behind them. He kept talking anyway, voice low as creekwater over stone, patient and calm until the frantic energy finally started draining from her trembling body.

Only then did he look up at Blair. She looked ghost-pale in the sunlight, frozen so stiff in the saddle it seemed like one wrong movement might shatter her clean apart. Colton’s expression softened immediately. He loosened his hold on the reins just enough to keep the mare steady while lifting his other hand carefully toward Blair like he was approaching another frightened animal altogether. 

[color=B53A05]"Hey,"[/color] he said gently, breath still uneven from the sprint. [color=B53A05]"You’re alright now. She ain’t gonna throw you."[/color] His thumb continued tracing absentminded circles against the horse’s neck beneath his palm, keeping both of them grounded at once. [color=B53A05]"You did good holdin’ on like that. Most folks would’ve hit the dirt halfway through the fence."[/color]

A small smile tugged faintly at the corner of his mouth then, soft and crooked beneath the sweat and soot still clinging to his skin. The adrenaline had left his pulse slow and heavy now, though his chest still rose hard beneath the damp white cotton stretched across it. Behind them camp had started stirring again, voices shouting from the stables, footsteps pounding across the grass, but Colton hardly noticed. His attention stayed fixed on Blair and the way her hands still trembled around the reins. [color=B53A05]"Hard part’s over,"[/color] he reassured quietly. [color=B53A05]"Now all you gotta do is breathe, want me to help you down?"[/color]


It was all a blur of green and shouting and demigods jumping out of the way before they were trampled under hooves. Blair was frozen on the saddle like a statue, legs squeezing that frightened creature tight while holding the reins like her life depended on it—[i]because it very well could[/i]. She somehow caught her bearings just enough to see Colton step into their path. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him to move, but her throat was a vacuum, swallowing all sound before it broke free. But he didn’t stand down, didn’t back away, instead facing the horse head on without fear. He had a calm strength that might have eased her alongside the creature if all logic and thought hadn’t been left behind in the stables. His voice was warm and reassuring, piercing through fear that seized her. 

When the horse finally stopped moving, Blair drew in air so sharp and raw that it sounded like she had nearly drowned and was gasping for her first breath after breaking the surface. Her chest started heaving erratically as the hyperventilating quickly took root, stealing away her autonomy before she could grasp it. Black hair, no longer pulled back in a slick ponytail, fell knotted and wild around her face. Loose strands clung to the damp streaks that ran down her cheeks. She blinked rapidly, eyes red, burning, and dry from the whip of the wind and the tears that burst free without her knowing. 

Her hands remained white as death, clutching tight to the reins like the single piece of reality that kept her from spiralling into a full panic. Blair heard his words and his question that was offered in earnest. She could feel the concern that laced his words even if she couldn’t will her body to move or even spare a glance in his direction. Her body shook so violently that her teeth rattled and her muscles ached. Her eyes snapped shut, breathing heavily through her nose as she tried to force herself to regain some kind of control… [i]anything.[/i] Then with whatever willpower she could muster, she managed to nod her head up and down with a frantic urgency. There was no way in hell she could think straight enough to answer him properly, let alone climb down from that demon without things getting a million times worse. 

Before Colton could offer her a hand, fast approaching hooves made her flinch and recoil, as if her horse had taken off all over again. The ache in her shoulder flared at the sound with renewed vigor, as if she needed another reminder why this was quite possibly one of the worst moments of her life. She was pressured into doing something she didn’t want to, something she had sworn off since the moment she set foot in camp. Blair had told herself she was no longer going to bend to the whims of others, not when she was given a second chance to… figure out who she was. Yet there she sat, repeating her same mistakes for the sake of other people, and somehow she was the only one burned. 

[color=d6d6d6]"Blair!"[/color] Justine’s voice rang out across the small clearing near the cabins, cutting through the whispers of gathered and gawking campers. [color=d6d6d6]"I’m so sorry. I didn’t know—I didn’t think—"[/color]

Blair tensed, her fingers curled so tightly into her palms that it left behind small bleeding crescents that pooled crimson beneath her nails. She turned her head away, hiding her face beneath her wild black mane as another tear fell down her cheek. That was one of the most terrifying experiences of her life. She felt betrayed by a sister who promised her safety, even though it was her weak backbone that gave in. But more than that, she was mortified… embarrassed that all of camp saw her terrified and crying and completely out of control. And still, her body was frozen, unable to move as the fear clung to her fierce and unrelenting.

Colton saw the way her hands locked around the reins hard enough to shake. Her knuckles had gone bone-white beneath the dirt smeared across her skin, fingers pulled so tight they looked frozen there, trapped somewhere between instinct and terror. He moved slowly when he reached for her, careful in the same way he approached wounded animals after storms back home. His broad hands settled gently over hers, warm from the forge and roughened by hours at the anvil, and he eased the leather from her grip inch by inch before she could carve her palms apart. [color=B53A05]"Easy now,"[/color] he murmured softly. [color=B53A05]"You don’t gotta hold on so tight anymore."[/color]

The mare shifted beneath them with a nervous flick of her ears, but Colton kept one hand steady against her neck while the other slipped carefully toward Blair’s waist. He barely hesitated before lifting her down from the saddle entirely. She felt frighteningly light beneath his hands, rigid with fear and trembling hard enough he could feel it through the thin fabric of her clothes. Her boots touched the dirt unevenly and he guided her instinctively between himself and the horse, broad shoulders turning to shield her from the growing crowd gathering nearby. Campers stood whispering in little clusters around the clearing, eyes bright with curiosity in that awful way people stared at accidents they were relieved hadn’t happened to them.

If Blair had her senses about her, she might have called him her knight in shining armor, commented on his soot streaked face that was somehow more attractive when disheveled, or maybe her stomach might have managed a single somersault when his hand found her waist. There probably would have been a mention about his muscles in the way that made the tips of his ears redden, but in that moment he wasn’t something for her to objectify, he was the only lifeline offered to her while the rest of camp watched and whispered. 

Her shaking hands gripped tightly—probably too tightly—to his upper arm as she lifted her leg to the other side of the saddle, then let him bring her down. Her knees felt like jello when her feet touched the ground. Balir teetered uneasily, clinging to him with the sort of desperation that the world might unravel around her if she let go. She moved without thought, letting Colton guide her easily without complaint. Her body instinctually drifted closer, nearly folding herself into his chest if only to hide herself from everyone else. She stood close enough that she could smell the saltiness of sweat and oil that still clung to his skin. It was dirty and grounding, and for whatever reason it slowly rooted her in reality, helping her breaths come slower, and more measured.

[color=B53A05]"Justine,"[/color] he started, voice low with a strain of reproach that sat heavier than outright anger ever could. [color=B53A05]"I think she needs a little space right now. Why don’t you handle—"[/color] His words cut short when his eyes landed fully on the horse beside him. He blinked once, frowned, then looked again. [color=B53A05]"You gave her Midnight?"[/color] The disbelief came fast and raw. He stared at the mare like the answer might somehow change if he looked long enough. [color=B53A05]"Have you lost your damn mind?"[/color]

The clearing quieted around them. Colton shook his head slowly, stunned frustration pulling hard across his face while Midnight tossed her head uneasily beside him. [color=B53A05]"Didn’t you see the red flag on her stall?"[/color] he asked sharply. [color=B53A05]"Nobody’s supposed to be ridin’ her yet. She ain’t broke in, Justine. Hell, she barely trusts half the folks workin’ with her."[/color] Midnight’s sides still heaved from the sprint. Colton glanced toward one of the older Ares boys standing nearby with guilt written plain across his expression, he’d been the one working with Midnight the longest. [color=B53A05]"Take her back before she spooks again."[/color] The son of Ares moved immediately, murmuring apologies while carefully leading the mare away toward the stables.

Blair blinked, tilted her head back with faint confusion, unsure if she had truly just heard Colton cuss or if she was still lost beneath some fear stricken haze. She couldn’t see his face, not fully. Her gaze caught on the sharp edge of his jaw and the muscle tensed along it as he spoke. The way he came to her defense, chastising the people who put her in that predicament, it made something traitorous burn in her chest. It was stupid, childish, a strange sort of feeling she never let herself have. Yet it remained, more glaring and startling than the tremors that still racked her body. She peeled her gaze away from him, focusing on a small tear in his shirt rather than anything else. She was obviously delusional after a traumatic event. That was the only logical answer.

Only once the horse disappeared did Colton finally look back toward Blair. She still trembled in small uneven waves when he wrapped his arm around her, face half-hidden behind tangled dark hair while tears streaked quietly down her cheeks. Something in his chest pulled painfully at the sight of it. Not pity exactly, but something gentler. Softer. He knew what real fear looked like, how it caused you to shake long after the danger passed because your bodies hadn’t caught up yet to your mind. 

[color=B53A05]"C’mon, Blair,"[/color] he said quietly, voice dropping back into that warm southern drawl that felt steady as worn leather. [color=B53A05]"I’ll walk you back to your cabin… or the infirmary."[/color] He didn’t wait for Justine to answer or apologize again. His attention never left Blair as he carefully guided her away from the clearing, arm secure around her shoulders while they moved slowly down the dirt path together. 


She sighed heavily, faint calmness laced deep beneath the fear and adrenalin that lingered long after her feet were back upon solid ground and logic had regained control of her senses. Blair melted against his side, her stubborn independence wavering for once, letting Colton be her anchor with his arm firmly around her shoulders. He had barely finished speaking when she shook her head in protest, wild black hair bouncing around her face. [color=ff6686]"I don’t want to be around people,"[/color] she confessed, voice hoarse and raw from the scream that tore at her throat. Her cabin would be teaming with Athena kids apologizing and smothering, and she didn’t need the infirmary, didn’t want the stress of people worrying over her. She looked up at him with wide, bloodshot brown eyes that begged for him not to drag her to either… but there was also a quieter plea that he wouldn’t leave her alone either. 

Something in Colton’s expression softened the moment she looked up at him like that. The panic still clung to her in quiet ways now, shaking hands, red rimmed eyes, breaths that caught unevenly in her chest, but beneath it sat exhaustion, raw and tender as scraped skin. He understood that feeling better than most people probably realized. Back home, after storms rolled through hard enough to splinter trees and send cattle through broken fencing, there were always animals that needed quiet more than noise, stillness more than fixing. Colton gave a small nod and adjusted his arm around her shoulders carefully. [color=B53A05]"Alright,"[/color] he murmured gently. [color=B53A05]"No people."[/color]

As they walked, he spotted his sketchbook discarded in the grass near the churned dirt where Midnight had finally stopped. Colton bent to retrieve it with his free hand, brushing soil and bent blades of grass from the worn leather cover with his thumb. The metallic spine had picked up a fresh scratch from where it struck the ground and his mouth twisted faintly at the sight of it. It had been the first thing his father ever gave him, even if it came in silence and smoke and divine understanding instead of words. 

[color=B53A05]"Sorry, dad,"[/color] he muttered absently to the book beneath his breath before tucking it safely beneath his arm once more. Then he guided Blair away from the cabins entirely, steering them toward the edge of the woods where the sounds of camp slowly thinned behind them into distant echoes.

Blair hovered nearby. Her gaze trailed after him, falling to the discarded book as he cleaned it with a quiet sort of reverence, before looking up just in time to find the small grimace that tugged at the corner of his mouth. Guilt knotted in her stomach knowing that whatever was wrong with it, whatever had befallen the book was for the sake of her safety. She knew it was silly, valuing some object above her own wellbeing, but knowing that she was the cause of that troubled expression that weighed heavy on his face… Well, she had almost wished that damn horse drowned her in the lake. He returned to her side and for one split second she nearly apologized, but the words snagged in her throat knowing Colton wouldn’t accept it anyway, he'd say it wasn’t her fault or something else like she was more important than some book… and she didn’t know if her conscience could handle him being so frustratingly understanding and charming.

The trail was narrow and overgrown from neglect, more deer path than proper walkway at points, with tall grass brushing against their legs and low branches bowing lazily overhead. Golden light filtered through the canopy in fractured ribbons that painted the forest floor amber and green while cicadas hummed steadily somewhere deeper in the trees. Colton led her carefully around thick roots and muddy patches without rushing her once, his pace slow enough that she could keep breathing through the lingering tremors still working through her body. [color=B53A05]"Found this place my first week here,"[/color] he said quietly after a while, voice low beneath the rustle of leaves. [color=B53A05]"When camp got too loud."[/color]

The trees finally opened without warning.

Water stretched before them in a slow winding stream wide enough to almost pass for a river, dark glass broken softly by drifting lily pads and pale pink blooms resting atop the surface. Willow branches spilled low along the banks in long green curtains that swayed gently in the breeze, their reflections trembling across the current below. Near the edge sat an old dock weathered silver with age, several boards warped and sinking unevenly toward the water where moss crept thick between the cracks. Beside it floated a little white rowboat tethered loosely to one of the posts. The paint peeled in soft curls along the sides and one oar didn’t quite match the other, but fresh nails gleamed along the repaired ribs and the wood had been sanded smooth recently by careful hands.

Colton smiled faintly at the sight of it, some quieter piece of him settling the moment the water came into view. The stream moved steadily northward beneath the lilies, carrying fallen leaves slowly through the shadows while dragonflies skimmed low across the surface in flashes of blue and gold. Trees crowded close along both banks until the waterway looked hidden entirely from the rest of the world, tucked away beneath willow branches and soft light. 

Blair had remained close behind, following in his footsteps as much as she could, although his stride, even when taking his time, was far longer than her own. Her knees hadn’t quite found their strength again and more than once she found herself tripping on a tree root or misstepping on uneven earth. But before she could fall on her face or stumble forward, his hand was always there… steady, patient, and secure. Somewhere around what she could only guess was halfway, she swallowed the last bit of dignity she was clinging desperately to and slipped her hand around his without ever asking, or giving him the chance to offer. It was only to save him from continuously sparing her concerned glances over his shoulder or jumping to her aid whenever it became apparent she had never actually hiked through the woods before… No other reason.

When they stepped out of the treeline, Blair froze, stopping dead in her tracks, fingers slipping from his grasp as he continued forward. Her eyes widened, taking in the view like someone who had never seen something as beautiful as a hidden creek in the woods… because honestly, she hadn’t. Nature and wildlife weren’t abundant in New York. If she wanted greenery and plants, they came in pots on balconies or lived within the confines of Central Park. The Carmichaels didn’t go on vacations to national parks or natural wonders of the world, they went to international epicenters for trade deals under the guise of [i]‘family time.’[/i] Camp Half-Blood had been a culture shock for her when she arrived a year ago, and this little piece of simple splendor was somehow so much more.

[color=ff6686]"I didn’t know nature could be so… beautiful,"[/color] she whispered more to herself, or perhaps the nature in question that surrounded her. Blair had seen it in movies and pictures, but it wasn’t the same. Images couldn’t capture the warmth of the sun against her skin, or the rustle of leaves as the wind whipped through the trees and tousled her hair, or the scent of fresh water and dirt that somehow smelled better than any candle or perfume. It was ridiculous and so painfully simple, yet she looked at it with wonder like a kid visiting Disney World for the first time. Sure, she could do without the mosquitoes eating her arms alive, the humidity that clung to her skin like a film of sweat, or the fly that kept buzzing near her ear… but for what might have actually been the first time in her life, she found herself stopping to smell the proverbial roses. 

She didn’t follow him toward the dock, not yet. Instead her feet carried her toward the edge of the water where a pink lily danced along the sparkling ripples, twirling closer to shore. Blair crouched down, her knees tucking in close to her chest as she reached out to capture the flower. The tips of her fingers had just brushed the closest petal when her gaze fell to the small crescents carved into her palms and the dried blood along her skin. The beauty of the moment shattered in a single beat. She withdrew slowly, letting the flower continue downstream as if she would only diminish its allure by holding it within her marred hands. 

Blair drew in a sharp breath, then plunged her hands into the creek. The coolness of the water was startling, but also grounding, helping clear the last bit of fog that hovered around the edges of her mind and ease the last tremors from her fingers. She ran her thumb along one palm, slowly working the dried blood from her skin until all that remained was four crescents carved into her flesh. She took her time doing the same to the other hand, then unceremoniously curled her fingers into a bowl and splashed her face with water. The chill sent a shiver down her spine, but she hardly noticed. She wanted to wipe the dirt and tears from her face, like maybe the fear and embarrassment could wash away downstream like that lone flower. Droplets trickled down her neck and dampened the collar of her tanktop, but she didn’t care. Her hands slipped beneath the surface one last time, dampening her skin so that she could tame some of her wild hair and push it back out of her face. 

She felt entirely out of her element… no makeup, drenched in creek water, wearing designer clothes caked in dirt and stable stink, and somehow it didn’t fucking matter. Not today. Not after nearly dying on the back of a horse. Not when this one quiet moment and gentle act seemed to be the only thing holding her together. 

The water gathered in her palms and slipped through her fingers in glittering streams while she scrubbed blood and dirt from her skin with quiet determination. Colton’s gaze caught on the small crescents left behind in her palms and his jaw tightened faintly at the sight of them. She’d held those reins hard enough to hurt herself before she let go. Even now he could still remember how violently she’d been shaking atop Midnight, eyes wide and terrified beneath the sunlight.

Now she knelt at the creek’s edge surrounded by curtains of willow branches and tall summer grass that swayed softly along the banks. The current caught the lowering sunlight and threw shifting fractures of gold across her bare skin, scattering over the line of her throat and the fabric at her shoulders. Pink flowers floated quietly between the lily pads in front of her, delicate things resting atop the dark water, but his eyes kept returning to her instead. Dirt streaked her jeans, face free of any makeup, and loose dark hair spilled around her face in tangled waves from the wind and the ride. Still, she looked prettier sitting there in the light than anything else the creek had managed to provide.

Colton stepped carefully onto the old dock first, testing the boards out of habit before turning back toward Blair. He held one roughened hand out toward her, patient and warm beneath the fading glow of evening. [color=B53A05]"It’s stable,"[/color] he promised softly, glancing toward the little boat rocking gently against the dock. [color=B53A05]"I can show you my favorite place… if you feel up to it."[/color]

Blair tucked her damp hair behind her ears and finally made her way over toward the dock. Her dark eyes lifted from watching every step she took to meet his expectant gaze and for the first moment since she set foot in the stables… she smiled. It was faint, tired, and only curled on one side, but it was also genuine, laced with a quiet gratitude she didn’t know how to put into words. She lifted her hand and slowly slipped her water-chilled fingers along the rough callouses that covered his palm. [color=ff6686]"Don’t worry, I swim better than I ride horses,"[/color] she mused, actually managing a lighthearted joke punctuated with a soft and slightly frayed laugh. 

She stepped forward onto one of the warped boards and then another until she stood less than a foot in front of him. Her head tilted back slightly, squinting as the sun cast warm light across her face. Blair lifted her free hand to shield her eyes as she held his gaze. [color=ff6686]"Are you sure [i]I’m[/i] the person you want to share this with?"[/color] she asked. And while there was a soft sort of playfulness in her tone, somewhere behind it was the certainty that Colton was wasting this on her. But there was also something else, something deeper and hidden beneath the self doubt… a quiet desire for him to [i]want[/i] to share it with her.

Colton’s grin came easy then, brightening his whole face in a way the forge soot and sweat couldn’t dull. The sight of her smiling back at him, even tired and fragile around the edges, tugged something warm loose in his chest. He tightened his fingers gently around hers and steadied the little boat with his other hand while she stepped aboard. The dock creaked beneath their shifting weight and water bumped softly against the worn wood below. [color=B53A05]"Of course,"[/color] he answered without hesitation, voice carrying that low southern warmth that always seemed to settle around her instead of pressing in.

The boat pitched beneath her weight, swaying from the steady push of the current and her own complete lack of balance. Blair’s fingers tightened around his while her other hand quickly found his shoulder, trusting his stability and strength more than her own two legs. Colton’s answer came easily, with that surprising earnestness he always seemed to offer openly around her. The rowboat rocked beneath her as if mirroring the strange stirring of emotions that knotted in her chest… definitely not because it was her own doing, or that her body was in as much disbelief as her mind. She laughed awkwardly, looking down at the wood beneath her feet rather than letting him see the warmth she felt creeping along her cheeks. [color=ff6686]"It’s a [i]little[/i] smaller than the boats I’m used to,"[/color] she confessed, quickly planting her butt on one of the seats, before slowly slipping her fingers from his grasp.

Once she was seated, Colton bent to untie the rope looped around the dock post. The fibers rasped against his palm before falling loose into the boat beside her feet. He stepped in after her carefully, broad shoulders balancing the shift of weight so the rowboat only rocked once before settling again atop the current. His sketchbook rested against the floorboards between them, and Colton picked up the oars and pushed them smoothly through the water, guiding the boat upstream at an easy pace while lily pads drifted past the sides in clusters of green and pale pink.

The creek narrowed gradually ahead of them, tree branches crowding closer overhead until the water looked stitched through the woods in ribbons of gold and shadow. Willow branches skimmed the surface beside them and dragonflies darted low across the current in quick flashes of blue. Colton glanced up at her over the slow pull of the oars, curiosity softening his expression. [color=B53A05]"You really haven’t seen anything like this before?"[/color] he asked gently. There wasn’t an ounce of judgment in it, just honest surprise. [color=B53A05]"I grew up around places like this. Creeks, trails, old fishing spots out behind the property."[/color]

He smiled faintly to himself as he rowed, gaze drifting briefly toward the water ahead. Evening light stretched across his face in warm amber bands while the current whispered beneath the boat. [color=B53A05]"My brother used to climb every tree he saw like he thought gravity was negotiable,"[/color] he said with a quiet laugh under his breath. [color=B53A05]"Mama hated it. Swore one day he was gonna crack his skull open fallin’ into a creek."[/color] The memory lingered gently in his voice, but something subtle had changed, something sad flickering across his face before he looked back toward Blair again. [color=B53A05]"Guess I just kinda figured everybody had a place like this somewhere."[/color]

Blair tucked her hands beneath her thighs, pinning them gently between denim and old worn wood. While her attention caught on the shimmer of dragonfly wings or a flower that floated past them down stream, her gaze always found its way back to Colton. The warmth of his smile slowly eased the last bit of tension that tightened across her shoulders, and calmed her in a way that was startling. It was like the more comfortable he made her and the less she worried about looking or acting a certain way around him, the more her heart raced and her stomach flipped, like she was reaching the top of a rollercoaster and she didn’t know what was waiting for her on the other side. It was scary and exciting, but she didn’t stop or turn back because she knew whatever was over that hill… he was there too. 

Her smile softened and grew a little brighter as she listened to him talk about his home. If she closed her eyes, it was almost like Blair could see it… in a Hallmark sort of way. Colton truly was every woman’s Nicholas Sparks fantasy personified, from his easy southern charm, all the way down to that ridiculously handsome face, soot covered and all. It was unfair really, like the Gods specifically sent him there to test her resolve and desire to change. But it was more than that, [i]she[/i] wanted to be better. She didn’t want to take advantage of him or treat him like a piece of meat. He was better than that and deserved better than that, but she also knew with striking clarity that he deserved more than whatever she could give him… as a friend, because that’s what they were… [i]friends.[/i]

She shook her head in silent response to his question, followed by a faint shrug of her shoulders. [color=ff6686]"I grew up in Manhattan. I was surrounded by concrete and skyscrapers,"[/color] Blair answered quietly, as if speaking too loud would disrupt the gentle balance of nature around them. [color=ff6686]"Central Park is pretty… in the same way a caged animal at the zoo is. There’s beauty but… it’s confined and controlled, not really allowed to be free and flourish like it should."[/color] She leaned to her left, looking over the edge of the boat as she dipped her fingers beneath the rippling surface of the water. [color=ff6686]"Although, to be fair, I don’t think I ever cared to really go looking for it either,"[/color] she added, sparing him a sidelong glance and a guilty smile. 

Blair lingered there for a moment, in the silence, watching fish swim beneath her fingers rather than letting her traitorous gaze drift toward the flex of Colton's muscles as he pulled the oars. She wiggled her fingers beneath the cool water once more before slowly sitting back upright and tucking wild black hair behind her ears. [color=ff6686]"I learned to swim in pools that stunk of chemicals, never swam in creeks or lakes. I didn’t play in the dirt or climb trees. Hell—"[/color] she sighed, lightly slapping her hands against her thighs, [color=ff6686]"—I’ve never lived somewhere where I could see the stars at night beyond the light pollution. I know they’re there. I’ve been to a planetarium, but I’ve never seen them with my own eyes."[/color] Her smile saddened a little at the realization, never really having given it much thought before then. She managed to see a couple stars since arriving at camp but Long Island was still too close to New York… Maybe someday though. 

[color=ff6686]"Honestly, Camp Half-Blood is the first place I’ve been where the nights are quiet."[/color] She paused, then laughed, something lighter and far more unburdened than it had any right to be after what she had just been through. [color=ff6686]"Well, not really,"[/color] Blair corrected with a quiet snort. [color=ff6686]"The bugs are [i]so fucking loud.[/i] And the frogs."[/color] She rolled her eyes and shook her head in playful disbelief. [color=ff6686]"I had no idea nature could be so damn loud."[/color]

Colton listened with the oars moving in slow, even pulls through the water. Wood dipped beneath the surface with a soft [i]shhhk,[/i] then rose trailing silver ribbons that slipped back into the creek behind them. He tried to picture skyscrapers pressing in on every side, windows stacked above windows until they swallowed the sky whole. Tried to imagine stars hidden away somewhere overhead like forgotten things. The image sat awkwardly in his mind. He knew fence posts and gravel roads and old rusted mailboxes leaning sideways at the end of long drives. He knew fields stretching so far the horizon looked soft around the edges.

His eyes drifted back toward Blair as she spoke. Late afternoon had settled warmly across the creek now, turning the water honey-gold where sunlight found openings between the trees. Loose strands of dark hair shifted around her face every time the breeze wandered through the boat. Dirt still streaked faintly across her jeans from the stables and a flush lingered high across her cheeks. He thought suddenly of what she'd said about Central Park, beauty trimmed back and boxed in, something guided into shape until it forgot how much room it was supposed to take up.

The words left before he had the chance to hold onto them. [color=B53A05]"You're beautiful."[/color]

The oars slowed. Heat climbed into Colton's face almost instantly and he looked down toward the water with a small wince pulling at one corner of his mouth. [color=B53A05]"I just—"[/color] A sheepish laugh escaped him beneath his breath. [color=B53A05]"I've seen you all dressed up at campfires and stuff, and when y'all go on trips..."[/color] His eyes lifted back toward her again, honest and open in a way that made lying seem impossible. [color=B53A05]"But right now..."[/color] He smiled faintly. [color=B53A05]"I think you're the prettiest girl in the whole world."[/color]

Blair’s attention had been on the changing nature around them, following the rich amber wings of a monarch butterfly resting upon a lily and the swishing tail of a squirrel as it scurried up the trunk of a tree that extended out halfway over the water. She hadn’t noticed him watching her, so when Colton’s words carried across the small distance between them, it stole her breath from her lungs, escaping in a quiet gasp that vanished beneath the gentle slap of water against the boat. Her gaze found him instantly, catching the redness that tinged his cheeks beneath sweat streaked soot. She blinked slowly, half dazed at the ease and sincerity of the compliment. It wasn’t like she had never been called pretty… but not like that. He didn’t say it for any other reason than because, at that moment, he couldn’t contain it. 

For what was likely the first time ever in her life, Blair was at a loss for words. She never was the type to be bashful, yet heat settled quickly across the tops of her cheeks, more pink than the flowers that floated down stream, while her heart raced nearly as fast as it had when she sat on that horse. Her hands sat in her lap, absently twirling her ring around her right index finger as if she needed some outlet for all the nervous energy that crashed into her all at once. Her gaze fell to her hands, because looking into his eyes and seeing that damn smile of his made her knees go weak. She needed to regain her senses and stop acting like a silly girl with a crush on a man so entirely out of her league that it was almost painful. 

The circular center of her ring slowly spun beneath her finger, then curled up the side, and lingered just out of view. For a fleeting second her own curiosity and a need to prove herself wrong took hold. Her gaze ran along the dirt stained denim that clung to her knees, crept up the side of her hand, before finding the colorful gem of her mood ring as it slipped into place on top of her finger. A purple, rich and vibrant like an eggplant, engulfed the center of the stone. [i]Happiness.[/i] That much she could tell for herself. But then, just along the edges, was the faintest hint of pink. Her other hand quickly clapped down on it, hiding the stone out of view before she could overthink, fixate, or panic… Because she totally wasn’t doing that already or tempted to double check because she was obviously seeing things. [i]Right.[/i] That was the only logical answer.

The creek carried them deeper beneath drooping willow branches and flowering trees that arched overhead in curtains of white and lavender blooms. Petals drifted lazily onto the water and spun away with the current around clusters of lily pads. Two ducks glided past the side of the boat with tiny ripples spreading behind them while a little duckling paddled furiously to keep up. Nearby a turtle surfaced beside a broad green lily pad, blinking slowly toward them before disappearing beneath the dark water once more. [color=B53A05]"Think you'd like it up north,"[/color] Colton said after a moment, his voice softening around the thought. [color=B53A05]"Less bugs. Quieter nights."[/color] He smiled to himself. [color=B53A05]"And the stars..."[/color]

Her eyes lifted slowly, and while the flush still clung stubbornly to her skin, Blair found it easier to meet his gaze. And despite every other warring emotion that churned in her chest like a hurricane, her smile returned, small, warm, and sincere. [color=ff6686]"I’d like to see the stars someday. Just… lay out a blanket and try to spot the constellations."[/color] Her shoulders lifted in a small shrug. [color=ff6686]"Or make up my own, because whoever said Aries looks like a ram was obviously high,"[/color] she added with a soft, unguarded laugh that creased at the corners of her eyes and crinkled her nose. 

A grin spread slowly across his face until he finally ducked his head and laughed beneath his breath. [color=B53A05]"Poor Aries,"[/color] he murmured, shaking his head. [color=B53A05]"Been catchin' strays for somethin' they did a couple thousand years ago."[/color] His eyes lifted back toward her then, and the smile stayed there, smaller now, gentler around the edges. [color=B53A05]"I'd like that too."[/color]

A low sound began to roll through the distance then. Water. The farther they drifted, the louder it grew. The trees parted slowly around them and the creek widened into deep glassy water where fish flickered beneath the surface in flashes of silver and gold. Moss covered the rocks ahead in thick emerald patches while water spilled down dark stone in bright ribbons, breaking apart and gathering itself again before crashing gently below. Mist drifted across the river in cool soft clouds that carried the scent of wet stone and river moss through the air. Colton rested the oars inside the boat and looked up toward the flowering trees hanging along the banks.

[color=B53A05]"The trees aren't from around here,"[/color] he said quietly, like this was a sacred place that deserved respect. [color=B53A05]"Been trying to figure that out, I’ve asked around some, but no one knows if they were a gift to one of the nymphs, or maybe from a god to their favored child."[/color] His fingers slipped into the cool water beside the boat and disappeared beneath a cluster of lily pads. When he lifted his hand again, a pink water lily rested in his palm with droplets gathering along its petals. He turned it once between his fingers before leaning forward carefully, reaching up to tuck it gently behind Blair's ear.

His hand lingered for half a second. [color=B53A05]"There,"[/color] he said softly, and his smile returned, small and warm as the sun. [color=B53A05]"Looks better there than it did on the water."[/color]

Blair lifted her head, her gaze following his toward the trees that hugged the edges of the water. Whenever a soft gust of wind cut through the trees, the branches rustled and flowers broke free, slowly gliding through the air like feathers until the current caught them. White and pink petals fluttered about like nature’s confetti, hovering dangerously close to the creek before another breeze swept them higher up into the trees. She wasn’t much of a botanist, but she still studied the flowers and bark with rising curiosity, like maybe she could solve the puzzle if focused hard enough. 

But then rough, calloused fingers brushed her cheek, pulling a startled gasp from her lips as she looked back to find Colton so close she had forgotten to breathe. A droplet of cool water slipped from a petal and trickled down her cheek as he nestled the flower behind her ear. There was a subconscious magnetism that made her want to lean into his touch, like her body hadn’t known until that very moment how much she was starved for touch, not lustful or sexual, but gentle and intimate in a way she had never experienced before. Blair wanted to smack herself because of how ridiculous she was acting, like she had never been alone with an attractive man before… because she had. But she was also becoming increasingly, and frustratingly aware of how entirely different this was. Because Colton was different… different from everyone. 

[color=ff6686]"You’re making it very difficult not to fall in love with you, cowboy."[/color] The words slipped free before she had a chance to fully understand or register what she was saying. They were meant to be delivered like a joke, where her own childish emotions were the punchline. But instead they were quiet, more like a whispered confession that fell between them like the flowers dropping from the trees. Her smile still lingered despite it, shifting to something a little less certain, but persistent nonetheless. Then she laughed, a bit awkward and frayed around the edges, as her gaze fell to that pesky streak of dirt across her knee. [color=ff6686]"I, [i]obviously[/i], must have hit my head,"[/color] she mused, poorly attempting to sweep away her confession beneath her usual sarcasm.

Colton looked at her after the words left her mouth, and for a second he forgot how to breathe. The boat drifted gently beneath them while the creek carried petals along its surface in soft little spirals. Above them, flowering branches stirred in the evening breeze, scattering pale blooms through ribbons of sunlight that filtered down between the leaves. One landed against the edge of the boat and rested there for a moment before slipping soundlessly back into the water.

His eyes stayed on her. The uncertain smile still lingered on her lips, though he caught the way her gaze dropped afterward, how she suddenly found interest in the streak of dirt across her knee. It tugged something quietly inside his chest. He knew enough by now to see when Blair hid behind jokes and sarcasm, when words stepped in front of feelings like they were trying to shield each other from the world. He thought about letting it pass, thought about smiling and teasing her back, but his body had already made the choice before his mind caught up.

His hand moved across the space between them slowly, giving her every chance to pull away before his rough fingers brushed the back of hers. Her skin felt cool from the creek water and impossibly soft beneath his calloused palm, smooth where tiny forge burns and old scrapes marked his own hands. He turned his hand and threaded his fingers loosely through hers, holding on gently instead of tightly. The corners of his mouth lifted as warmth crept steadily into his cheeks, leaving a faint pink flush beneath the soot dusted across his skin. [color=B53A05]"I don't think that'd be the worst fate,"[/color] he said quietly.

Blair didn’t look up when the boat shifted under his movement. There were about a million different things Colton could have said or done, but for whatever reason, the last thing she expected was for his hand to reach for hers. It wasn’t the first time their hands had touched, and not even the first she had held his hand… but it was different. His fingers didn’t just rest on top of hers, but curled around her palm before lacing through her fingers. Her lips parted, drawing in a soft, startled breath, but she did not move or pull away. She blinked slowly before looking up at him from beneath long dark lashes, catching a glimpse of the warmth that bloomed across his face beneath the soot. Her smile softened at the sight and a quiet laugh blossomed after his comment. There was a fleeting thought to follow it with another joke at her own expense, but for once she chose not to cheapen emotions or dilute the charged silence between them.

The words settled between them while water rushed softly over the distant rocks ahead. Colton looked toward the waterfall where ribbons of white spilled down moss-covered stone and mist drifted lazily over the creek in cool silver clouds. Then his eyes found Blair again, and his expression softened in that easy way it always seemed to around her. His thumb brushed once across the back of her hand, absent and warm beneath the hanging flowers overhead. [color=B53A05]"Are you feelin' better?"[/color] he asked gently.

Her hand felt small and fragile compared to his as her fingers subconsciously curled around his. It felt surprisingly natural despite the difference, like that was where her hand belonged, secure and safe within his grasp, mirroring the way he had treated her since the moment they met. With each passing moment that his touch lingered, her posture eased and the uncertainty in her smile slipped away. When he spoke a second time, Blair was finally able to lift her eyes to meet his gaze, warmth still tightened and stirred in her chest, but she hid from it a little less. She nodded her head before responding, causing her wild black hair to brush across her shoulders and bounce around her face. [color=ff6686]"Yeah,"[/color] she replied. Her thumb lightly tapped against the side of his hand before continuing as her usual bright and playful smile slowly returned. [color=ff6686]"It helps having Prince Charming on speed dial."[/color]

Blair let her attention drift over toward the waterfall while the events of the day replayed in her mind. Somehow it both felt like it happened a lifetime ago, and five minutes earlier, living in a haze that shifted between stark clarity and fog depending on the moment. Although the one thing that stuck out more than everything else was [i]him[/i], how he rushed to her aid, then defended and shielded her from the rest of camp. Her thoughts clipped onto a specific moment and before she could help herself, her head spun back around to face him with a bright curiosity and amusement. [color=ff6686]"I didn’t know you cussed,"[/color] she whispered, leaning toward him slightly like they were sharing a secret. [color=ff6686]"I guess I’ve never seen you mad either…"[/color] she added as her head lulled slightly to one side. 

Then, because Blair was never the type to shy away from her own breed of brazen compliments, she continued, like it was gravely important that he understood the effect he had. [color=ff6686]"It was hot when you got all… angry and protective,"[/color] she mused with a guilty little laugh and a shrug. [color=ff6686]"I wasn’t the only one who noticed. I saw the way the other girls were looking at you. You effectively quadrupled your sex appeal within a single day… You know, as if half of camp wasn’t already frothing at the mouth over you."[/color] Her smile persisted, but as the weight of her words fully registered, her brows furrowed slightly and her gaze dropped to that same streak of dirt. She hadn’t thought about it much before, but she had noticed the whispers and lingering glances that follow Colton around camp. It made sense, he was quite possibly the most attractive man she had ever met, but… It wasn’t until she laid it out so simply that she noticed the small knot that tightened in her stomach at the thought of other girls looking at him in the same way. 

Colton listened while she talked, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing little by little until it settled there fully. The waterfall breathed in the distance and flower petals drifted lazily around the boat, spinning across the current before disappearing beneath drooping willow branches. Her hand still rested inside his, small movements of her thumb brushing against his skin in absent little rhythms he was becoming painfully aware of. Then she mentioned the other girls and he blinked, a soft crease pulling between his brows as though she had pointed out something obvious he somehow missed entirely.

He looked at her for a second before a quiet laugh slipped out of him, warm and low beneath the sound of moving water. His shoulders rose slightly beneath the motion and he ducked his head, almost embarrassed by the answer before he gave it. [color=B53A05]"To be honest..."[/color] he said slowly, uncertainty brushing through his voice. [color=B53A05]"I never really noticed."[/color] His eyes lifted back toward hers and the honesty there sat easy and open. [color=B53A05]"I was always too busy lookin' at you."[/color]

Blair’s gaze lifted once again, looking over at him from beneath long lashes, dark wild hair, and the damp flower petals that pressed against her temple. Her mouth scrunched in that way where she was trying to lessen its brightness or hide behind a bashfulness she’d didn’t know she possessed until she was around him. She shook her head faintly. [color=ff6686]"[i]Flirt.[/i]"[/color] The word came playful and gentle, like it had the numerous times she had called him it before. But beneath her teasing there was a seriousness that laced her words, punctuated by the tender way her fingers curled just the tiniest bit tighter around his.

Colton felt the tiny shift of her fingers tightening around his and his smile softened immediately at the edges. The boat drifted lazily beneath the hanging flowers while creek water lapped gently against the old wood around them. He gave her hand a small squeeze in return, thumb brushing slow against her knuckles as he shook his head faintly.

[color=B53A05]"I ain't flirtin',"[/color] he murmured, though the grin tugging at his mouth made the words sound dangerously close to one. Warm evening light caught across his face while he looked at her like she was something precious he'd stumbled across by accident in the middle of the woods. [color=B53A05]"Just tellin' the truth."[/color]


Silence settled gently after that. Colton's gaze dropped toward the water beside the boat where the creek had deepened beneath the falls, clear enough that sunlight reached the colorful stones lining the bottom. Reds and blues and pale green river rocks glittered softly beneath the current while fish drifted through them in silver flashes. One circled slowly around a smooth pink stone before darting away toward the shadows beneath the lilies. Colton watched it go and something bright flickered suddenly across his face.

He turned back toward Blair, eyes carrying that spark now. [color=B53A05]"Do you wanna swim?"[/color] The words left him so suddenly that his own expression shifted a second later, surprise washing across his face. A sheepish grin followed immediately after and warmth climbed back into his cheeks while he rubbed his thumb against the side of her hand. [color=B53A05]"I mean—you don't have to,"[/color] he amended quickly with a small laugh. [color=B53A05]"Just figured..."[/color] His eyes drifted toward the water around them where fish moved beneath floating lilies and cool mist rolled across the creek. [color=B53A05]"You said you've never swam anywhere like this before."[/color]

She couldn’t help but laugh at Colton’s new enthusiasm, finding his excitement at something so simple, surprisingly endearing, and cute. Blair’s attention drifted over toward the waterfall, then to the deeper clear water that rippled beneath the rowboat, before looking back over at him. There was something about his contagious excitement that made it hard to tell him no. She was also in no rush to return to camp, not wanting to face everyone’s whispers and glances. And selfishly, she didn’t want to leave or ruin whatever moment had blossomed between them without camp and demigods breathing down their necks. 


[color=ff6686]"Ok,"[/color] she replied quietly with a small shrug while her smile widened, curling into the persistent soft flush of her cheeks. Blair looked down at their entangled hands, realizing with almost a dramatic level of reluctance that it meant she’d have to pull away. She hesitated for a minute, studying the way his fingers engulfed her hand, strong but also gentle. Then slowly slipped her hand free, letting her skin glide across his work worn palms until the last connection was severed. She subconsciously rubbed her fingers together like the absence of his touch felt weird and foreign, and for a fleeting second she considered taking it back. But then she caught the light and excitement behind his eyes, and that was all the reason she needed. 

Blair leaned forward, unzipping each of her mud caked, knee-high boots. She pulled them off one at a time, along with her socks, doing her best not to rock the boat too much. After stuffing her socks into her shoes and setting them aside, she reached up and gently pulled the flower from where it rested behind her ear. But she didn’t return it to the water, instead setting it safely on top of Colton’s sketchbook for her to find afterwards. 

Then, without much thought, she crossed her arms along her abdomen and grabbed the hem of her shirt. She had lifted it halfway up, stopping just as she felt her knuckles brush the edge of her bra. Her expression shifted to something slightly guilty and bashful as her cheeks burned a little warmer. [color=ff6686]"I don’t want to send you into cardiac arrest or something,"[/color] she mused as she tugged the bottom of her shirt back down. It wasn’t like she planned on skinny dipping or anything, nor was she that shy when it came to her body, but all of her lingerie was lacey and frilly and didn’t leave much to the imagination. And Colton, well, he was so unbelievably naive and inexperienced that it felt almost cruel thrusting that on him all at once. [color=ff6686]"We can work up to that,"[/color] she added so quietly that her words were lost beneath the roar of the falls and the lapping of water against the side of the boat. 

If he heard her or not, she didn’t know. But she didn’t wait around to clarify either. Blair stood up and her hands immediately grabbed onto his shoulders for stability as the little rowboat rocked and swayed beneath her movements. She lingered there until everything steadied beneath her feet, and before she could second guess all of her life choices, she gave Colton a quick, playful tap to the nose, then jumped over the side. The water was colder than she had prepared herself for and it nearly stole her breath, but thankfully jumping in forced her to acclimate quickly, whether she liked it or not. By the time she reached the surface, she was closer to the falls than the boat, feeling the rush of water gently beating against her back as she pushed her slick hair back out of her face. [color=ff6686]"You coming?"[/color] she called out to him with a smile so wide it was starting to ache.

His eyes followed the movement of her shirt before she tugged it back down again, and warmth rushed so fiercely into his face he was suddenly grateful and depressed that she hadn’t done it. Colton’s breath caught somewhere around the moment her hands found his shoulders. The little boat rocked beneath her weight and instinctively his hands lifted toward her waist to steady her, fingers hovering there without quite touching. Then she leaned forward and tapped his nose with that playful little grin of hers before diving over the side of the boat, and the startled laugh that escaped him rang bright across the water.

[color=B53A05]"Jesus Christ,"[/color] he muttered beneath his breath, though the grin spreading across his face softened the words into something almost affectionate.

Water exploded upward around her in silver spray before settling into ripples beneath the waterfall mist. Colton watched her resurface with slick dark hair pushed back from her face and laughter shining from her eyes, and something in his chest pulled hard enough to make him smile helplessly back at her. She looked alive out there beneath the falling water and drifting flower petals, flushed from cold creek water and smiling wide enough it reached all the way into him. For a second he simply sat there looking at her while the boat drifted lazily beneath flowering branches overhead.

Then he hurried into motion. He bent to tug off his boots first, thick fingers fumbling slightly against damp laces in his haste. His pocketknife and the little leather tool pouch he carried everywhere landed carefully beside the sketchbook near the middle of the boat, followed by his belt. Colton glanced toward Blair once more before hooking his fingers beneath the collar of his shirt and pulling it over his head in one smooth motion. Late sunlight slid across warm skin and muscle built from years of farm work and hours at the forge, shoulders broad and dusted faintly with soot that the mist had begun to darken into streaks. He tossed the shirt carefully beside her boots with a crooked smile. [color=B53A05]"Figure you might want somethin' dry later."[/color]

Then he climbed onto the edge of the boat and dove cleanly into the water. The cold hit him all at once, sharp enough to steal the air from his lungs before turning instantly refreshing against skin overheated from the forge. Water rushed over his shoulders and through his hair while the current curled cool around his body beneath the falls. When Colton finally broke the surface again, he shoved wet hair back from his forehead and laughed breathlessly, bright and full beneath the roar of cascading water. The grin on his face looked almost boyish now, wide enough to crinkle at the corners of his eyes as droplets rolled down the strong line of his throat and shoulders. Evening light caught against the water streaming from his skin while flower petals drifted around them like scattered pieces of spring.

[color=B53A05]"Alright,"[/color] he called toward her with a laugh still lingering in his voice, treading water easily near the boat. [color=B53A05]"I didn’t realize it would be this cold."[/color]

Blair slipped back beneath the waterfall, letting the cascade run through her hair and over her shoulders as she waited. She always thought it was a little ridiculous how people always did that the second they found a waterfall in movies, but now that she was before one in the flesh, she could see the appeal. Her hands ran down her face, wiping the water from her eyes. For a fleeting second, she made the mistake of peeking out from beneath damp lashes across the expanse of the widening creek toward the boat, just in time to catch a glimpse of Colton pulling his shirt over his head. She watched the soot stained cotton as it dragged across chiseled muscles and calloused hands that never once saw a day in the gym for vanity, but were honed through hard work and manual labor.

She tried to look away, but her gaze kept snagging the cut of the V that dipped beneath the waistband of his jeans, or the flex of his biceps whenever he moved. Her attention only shifted just enough to watch him very intentionally set his shirt down on the opposite side of the boat where she had been sitting. Her gaze lifted to find his and a scrunched, playfully reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. [color=ff6686]"[i]Fuck,[/i] he’s perfect,"[/color] she muttered under her breath as he dived into the water, words lost beneath the roar of the falls. And while Blair had said it countless times before, to his face even, the gravity of that revelation rooted itself deeper in her chest the more time she spent with him. 

By the time Colton resurfaced, Blair had swam out just far enough from the falls that it no longer drowned out all other sound. She laughed softly at his astute observation as his voice traveled across the water toward her. For whatever reason, in that moment, she became more aware of the space between them than she had ever given much thought to. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up, and she was already closing some of the distance between them. She stopped close enough that they could talk without shouting, but not so close that they were bumping into each other while treading water. [color=ff6686]"If you’re [i]cold,[/i]"[/color] she started, her voice laced with gentle teasing. [color=ff6686]"Then you should—"[/color]

Then something clamped onto her toe with a gentle nibble. 

Blair’s eyes widened and a sound somewhere between a gasp and a startled squeal echoed across the serene water. She all but launched herself out of the water, flailing her leg to shake free whatever had a hold of her. In her panic, the space between them narrowed until she collided right into him. A strained, embarrassed laugh slipped out as her head lulled forward just enough that the tip of her nose barely grazed his shoulder. [color=ff6686]"I saw the fish… but I uh, didn’t think about my toes looking like a snack,"[/color] she mused, chuckling at her own stupidity, while looking up at him from the corner of eye. 

Colton had already started smiling at whatever teasing remark she was about to make when the squeal tore out of her. The sound startled a laugh clean from his chest as she jolted through the water straight toward him, sending cold ripples splashing hard against his shoulders. A second later she collided into him and instinct took over before thought ever caught up. One arm slipped securely around her waist beneath the water while his other hand kept them afloat, broad palm cutting easily through the current as the creek swirled around them both. The grin spreading across his face looked reckless and bright beneath the waterfall mist drifting through his wet curls.

[color=B53A05]"They nibble every now and then,"[/color] he admitted between breaths of laughter, cheeks flushed warm from more than the cold water. [color=B53A05]"Don't do any harm though. They're just nosy little things."[/color] His hand tightened instinctively at her waist when she shifted against him, fingers splayed carefully along the curve of her side beneath the surface. Water rolled in silver ribbons down her shoulders and gathered along her lashes while flower petals drifted lazily around them on the current. For a second Colton forgot entirely what he had been about to say before she crashed into him.

Her nose brushed his shoulder when she looked up at him and his thoughts slowed to a crawl after that.

The waterfall thundered softly behind them while evening light broke apart across the surface of the creek in scattered gold. Colton became painfully aware of the warmth of her body pressed against his despite the cold water surrounding them, aware of the way her fingers had gathered instinctively against him when she startled. His throat bobbed once before he finally found his footing somewhere beneath the haze settling through his head. [color=B53A05]"Can you open your eyes underwater?"[/color] he asked after a beat, voice quieter now. A spark flickered across his expression then, soft and boyish all at once. [color=B53A05]"Lemme show you somethin'."[/color]

His arm stayed around her waist while he glanced toward the deeper water near the moss-covered rocks beneath the falls. Fish flashed silver beneath the surface there, weaving through pale stones and drifting curtains of green river plants stirred by the current. Flower petals floated around them slowly enough that some caught briefly against his shoulder before spinning away downstream again. Colton looked back toward her with water dripping steadily from his lashes and a grin still tugging stubbornly at the corner of his mouth. [color=B53A05]"Promise there ain't nothin' down there that'll bite worse than those fish."[/color]

There was something to be said about the way Blair found her way to him whenever she was frightened, or more accurately, how he was always there to ease the transition whenever the world felt the need to remind her how sheltered and privileged she was. Whether or not Colton had meant to, his presence was quickly becoming an anchor that both buoyed and grounded her. It was startling how quickly she had started relying on him, but what caught her more off guard was that he not only didn’t seem to mind, but how he almost filled that role like it was made for him, like he wouldn’t trust anyone else to handle her with the proper amount of care. She felt like a burden and the complete and total opposite of him… and yet he was always smiling when their eyes met, arms poised to catch her without hesitation. 

It made breathing around him frustratingly difficult as her mind kept bouncing between the warmth of his hand against her back, the gentle rumble of his chest as he laughed, or the way his gaze seemed to carry more than words ever could. And no matter how embarrassed or frightened she might have been, her smile returned, warm and impossibly bright, like maybe… the horse was worth it for that moment. 

Blair laughed softly, trying her best not to focus on how his chest pressed against hers with every breath, or how his face lingered close enough that his words brushed warm and intimate along her jaw. She slowly looked back over her shoulder, following his line of sight down through the water, past the fish and sinking petals toward the rocks beneath the falls. [color=ff6686]"Ok,"[/color] she whispered, nodding her head before slowly turning back to meet his gaze. Normally this was so far out of the realm of anything she’d agree to. She wouldn’t swim with fish, nor would she blindly dive into animal infested waters without asking a million questions, and even then she likely wouldn’t do it. But in that moment it became apparent with striking clarity… that she trusted Colton and that was the only answer she needed.

Colton smiled when she agreed. It was small at first, then brighter when he saw the trust sitting behind her answer. Water rolled gently around them while flower petals drifted between the lily pads, carried wherever the current pleased. His hand slid from her waist, though his fingers lingered briefly against her side before he let her go completely. Then he reached for her hand instead and threaded their fingers together once more. [color=B53A05]"C'mon,"[/color] he said softly, eyes shining with quiet excitement. [color=B53A05]"Just stay close to me."[/color]

He guided her toward the waterfall slowly, keeping himself between her and the stronger current where the water churned white against the rocks. The roar grew louder with every stroke until conversation became impossible and the world narrowed to crashing water and silver mist. Colton stopped beneath the falls where the water hammered down around them in sheets of white. His grip tightened around her hand. He drew one deep breath, squeezed her fingers once, and then disappeared beneath the surface, pulling her gently after him.

Cold water swallowed the noise, though the swim lasted only seconds. Beneath the waterfall, a gap opened between the rocks where the current flowed through a submerged archway polished smooth by centuries of rushing water. Sunlight fractured overhead into ribbons of gold and blue while fish scattered from their path in flashes of silver. Then the darkness opened suddenly around them and Colton kicked upward. The surface broke above their heads with a rush of air and water streaming from their faces.

The cavern beyond looked stolen from a dream, crystal-clear water stretched beneath moss-covered stone walls that curved high overhead like the ribs of some ancient sleeping giant. Ferns spilled from cracks in the rock in lush green curtains while clusters of delicate blue flowers bloomed along narrow shelves just above the waterline. Toward the back of the cavern, a second waterfall cascaded from a fractured opening in the ceiling where part of the stone had collapsed long ago. Sunbeams poured through the gap in brilliant shafts of white and gold, striking the water below and turning it turquoise where the light touched. Moss glowed emerald beneath the illumination. Tiny droplets drifted through the air like floating diamonds, and flowering vines hung from the stone overhead in pale curtains that swayed gently in the breeze. Colton pushed wet hair from his eyes and looked toward Blair with a grin that stretched ear to ear, pride and excitement lighting up his face. [color=B53A05]"Do you like it?"[/color]

Blair’s gaze fell as his hand slipped from around her waist, and for the briefest moment the cold absence of his touch threatened to dampen her smile. But before the thought could take root, his hand found hers once again, callouses running along her soft skin as his fingers laced with hers. She followed his lead, drifting through the water not far behind him, while her free hand cut through the clear ripples helping guide them along. The falls roared loudly as they drifted closer, and when they slipped beneath the heavy cascade, cold water beared down on their heads, deafening and blinding them in a deluge of white. Blair couldn’t help but laugh, even though the sound was lost before it had left her lips. There was no way she would have known to move or hold her breath if it wasn’t for Colton’s gentle squeeze against her hand. It took a second to register, then she felt him tugging her down, and she just barely managed to draw in a deep breath before he pulled her under. 

At first her eyes struggled to adjust, like trying to blink through an early morning haze after just waking up. Her fingers tightened around his hand, trusting Colton to guide her and by the time everything came into focus, fish darted past them as they dipped beneath a stone archway. Blair looked up toward the light that glistened and splintered along the water, and kicked off the rock helping propel them upwards. When they broke the surface, her chest heaved, drawing in air as she brushed back her slick raven black hair. She blinked past the water that dripped from her lashes into her eyes, looking around at the cavern that surrounded them in speechless awe. 

Unable to fight the pull of her curiosity, Blair drifted toward the closest side of the cavern, Colton in tow behind her as their fingers remained intimately entangled. Her free hand slowly lifted from beneath the crystalline water, damp fingertips carefully dragging along the soft blue petals that blossomed from cracks in the stone. She followed along the edge, her touch bouncing from flower to dangling ferns then back again until she reached the smaller waterfall. Her hand dragged through the glass-like water, carving it in two only for the current to immediately fill the divide like she was never there. Her head tilted back, gaze drifting up the stone walls and along the cracks of light that poured through before finally settling on Colton in quiet astonishment. [color=ff6686]"I’ve never seen anything like it,"[/color] she whispered, as if speaking too loud would somehow shatter the illusion revealing it all to be nothing but a trick of her own fear-addled mind. 

Colton watched her drift through the cavern, fingers brushing over fern fronds and blue blossoms that spilled from the stone. Sunbeams poured through the fractured ceiling overhead, turning the water around her into shifting ribbons of turquoise and gold. Droplets clung to her lashes when she looked upward, following the path of the smaller waterfall as it spilled down moss-covered rock into the crystal pool below. The whole cavern seemed alive with quiet movement, yet his attention settled stubbornly on her.

A smile tugged at his mouth before he could stop it. [color=B53A05]"Beautiful."[/color]

The word slipped free on a breath. His eyes remained on her a second longer before the realization caught up with him. Heat crept into his cheeks and he glanced toward the wall beside her, suddenly fascinated by a patch of emerald moss climbing between the rocks. The distraction lasted only a moment before his gaze found her again.

[color=B53A05]"I come here when camp gets too loud,"[/color] he said softly. The water carried them in slow circles while their joined hands drifted beneath the surface between them. [color=B53A05]"Sometimes after the forge. Sometimes after a bad day. I'd just sit here for a while and listen to the water."[/color] His thumb brushed lightly against the back of her hand. [color=B53A05]"Feels different with somebody else here, but… I don’t think I would have brought anyone here but you."[/color]

The waterfall hummed through the cavern, steady and soothing, while flower petals floated across the pool and disappeared beneath the current. Colton drifted a little closer as the water carried him, shoulders glistening beneath shafts of warm light filtering through the broken stone overhead. His eyes moved between her and the cavern as though he couldn't quite decide which one deserved more of his attention, and judging by the way his smile kept returning, he wasn't having much luck with the decision.

The confession, their closeness, Colton’s hand laced so securely with hers… It all made Blair’s heart ache in a way that she couldn’t describe. He slowly drifted closer, carried by the current with no desire to stop it. Warmth enveloped and constricted within her chest… And then the panic set in. It was like a dam had broken in her mind and all the logic came rushing back in at once. As the space between them began shrinking, she started pulling away, blinking at every doubt that clawed to the forefront of her mind.

The current kept carrying her backwards until she bumped into the cavern wall with nowhere else to go. Her chest heaved from the erratic breaths she couldn’t control. Droplets fell from her hair and trickled down her face as she shook her head. [color=ff6686]"[i]Colton[/i]..."[/color] she whispered, his name falling heavily from her lips almost like a plea, absent the weightless light that buoyed her a moment earlier. [color=ff6686]"You shouldn’t have wasted this on me."[/color] Blair couldn’t bring herself to look into his eyes, her gaze fixed on the soft ripples of water between them. Her fingers went rigid before slowly loosening their grip on his. She didn’t pull away, but if he let go, her hand would slip free, taken by the current like the fish and the flowers and everything good that she ruined within the span of a few seconds. 

[color=ff6686]"You know what I am… What I’ve [i]done[/i]..."[/color] Blair’s words came out one after the other, frantic and rushed like she was trying to knock some sense into him before he did something he regretted. [color=ff6686]"You deserve someone sweet and kind… Like Daphne or Clover. The kind of girl that swims in creeks and rides horses."[/color] She closed her eyes tight, fighting the sting of tears that threatened to slip free. [color=ff6686]"Not some spoiled city girl who’s used up and damaged… You deserve better…"[/color] The final confession landed like the entire cavern had collapsed on top of her. It was a burden so heavy that she could barely breathe under the weight of it. 

While she had been struggling to figure out who she was since setting foot into camp, Blair knew who Colton was from the first moment she met him. He was good, and honest, and so unbearably sweet… He deserved the world and she would only ruin him… like everything she touched.

Colton turned fully toward her when she said his name. The panic in her voice settled heavily in his chest, and he listened without interrupting while the current nudged them gently against the stone. Water trickled from the ends of her dark hair in steady droplets, tracking down the warm bronze of her skin before disappearing beneath the surface. Her eyes stayed fixed on the ripples between them, lashes dark and wet, shoulders drawn tight beneath the weight of words she had clearly been carrying for far too long. He held onto her hand the entire time, his thumb resting against her knuckles while she tried to convince him of something he already knew wasn't true.

The cavern filled with silence when she finished speaking. Water spilled from the smaller waterfall into the pool below in a steady hush, and somewhere beyond the broken ceiling a bird called from the trees overhead. Colton watched her against the stone wall, hair clinging to her neck and shoulders, brown eyes hidden beneath lowered lashes while tears threatened to gather there. The sight of her hurt was worse than he expected. She spoke about herself like she was something worn down and discarded, while all he could see was the girl who had laughed beneath the waterfall, who stared at flowers and hidden caverns with open wonder, who somehow still managed to smile at him after going through what could have been a near death experience.

Slowly, his fingers slipped from hers. The current immediately pressed against the space between their hands, carrying flower petals through the gap before his calloused fingertips found her chin instead. He tilted her face upward with patient care until her eyes met his, and the breath caught briefly in his throat at the sight of her. Water glistened across her cheeks and along the curve of her jaw. Her dark hair framed her face in damp waves, and her eyes looked impossibly large beneath the cavern light filtering through the broken ceiling overhead. [color=B53A05]"Blair,"[/color] he said softly, his voice carrying the same care he might use handling something precious. [color=B53A05]"I don't look at Daphne. Or Clover. Or Jessica, or anyone else."[/color] His thumb brushed gently across her cheek. [color=B53A05]"I only look at you."[/color]

His hand remained against her face while sunlight shifted across the water around them, scattering gold and silver across the stone walls. [color=B53A05]"I care what you think,"[/color] he continued quietly. [color=B53A05]"I care what you want. Not them, [i]you."[/i][/color] A small smile touched the corner of his mouth as his gaze moved between her eyes. [color=B53A05]"This isn't a waste to me. It never was."[/color] The words came easily because they were true. [color=B53A05]"It's only you, Blair."[/color]

He moved slowly after that. Every inch of the distance between them disappeared with deliberate patience, giving her all the time in the world to pull away if she wanted to. His hand remained against her cheek while his eyes searched hers one final time. Then he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips, warm and brief and sweet as creek water beneath summer sunlight. The kiss lasted only a few seconds before he drew back again, his forehead nearly brushing hers as the water drifted quietly around them. A faint flush colored the tops of his cheeks, and the smile he wore afterward reached all the way into his eyes while his thumb continued its slow path across her skin.

She wasn’t surprised when Colton released her hand, letting it drift away from him listlessly with the push of the current. But the same could not be said when he gently took hold of her chin. Blair swallowed and her lips parted, drawing in a shaky breath. She didn’t fight against him as he lifted her head, but her eyes remained shut until her need to know his expression outweighed the fear of what could be staring back at her. She blinked tentatively, dark lashes fluttering open as she finally looked up at him, forcing herself to hold his gaze no matter how much her shame made her want to pull away. 

Blair clung to every word he spoke like it was oxygen. His confession slowly loosened something in her chest while simultaneously constricting tighter, making it difficult for her to breath or think. She had never felt like this about anyone before. Sex was a transaction or temporary release. There was never any emotions or feelings behind it, empty promises and kisses to get what she wanted, or what they wanted. No more. But everything about Colton’s entire presence in her life was different. He turned the world as she knew it onto its head, leaving her scrambling without a foothold to rely on. But even as she floundered, and struggled, and lost sight of who she was, somehow he was always there, offering his hand. He reminded her not of the person she thought she was, but the person he saw, a person she couldn’t wrap her mind around being part of her, but he refused to accept anything else. 

She didn’t know who she was anymore, but somehow Colton knew… and for whatever reason, he liked her despite it.

A single tear slipped free, disappearing alongside a trickle of water that ran down her cheek and dripped off her chin. Blair didn’t move as he drew in closer, frozen somewhere between disbelief and startling anticipation. Her chest heaved, pulling in a deep breath just before her eyes closed and their lips met. Warmth unlike anything she had ever felt burned wild and reckless in her chest. In that small handful of seconds the entire cavern disappeared into a dizzying haze. 

When Colton pulled away, it felt like it had been a fraction of a second, or perhaps an eternity... She couldn’t tell. Blair inhaled sharply, pressing one hand against the wall to keep herself steady while the world tilted around her. In that moment she finally understood what her old friends back in New York had been talking about, that weightless, intoxicating sensation that followed a first kiss. How it was deafening and exhilarating, and how everything she had experienced before then felt like a lie she was telling herself because it never felt as real or raw as that brief, tender kiss. 

Time ticked by slowly before Blair was able to look back up at him, and as if she needed one last thing to override her self doubts and shame, he met her with his warm smile that curved bright and unbidden into his flushed cheeks. Something between a weak laugh and a sigh slipped free as she finally breathed, and a smile of her own began to grow. 

Then her gaze fell to his lips and whatever sense or reason that had materialized in her mind, slipped away just as quickly. She pushed off the cavern wall and raised her hands to gently cup the sides of his neck. Her fingers ran along the edge of his jaw and beneath his ears, before entangling themselves in his wet locks. The space between them shrunk until her chest pressed against his and she guided his head back down to her. Their lips met a second time, no longer soft and tender, but passionate and deep. Heavy breaths bloomed where their noses pressed into each other’s cheeks and burst free in the small moments their lips parted before locking once again. Blair’s lungs burned, but she didn’t dare pull away, feeling for the first time in her life that this was exactly where she belonged.

Colton made a soft sound against her lips when she pulled him back to her, surprised for only a heartbeat before he melted into the kiss completely. One arm slid around her waist beneath the water while the other settled between her shoulder blades, holding her close as though she was something precious he had been entrusted with rather than something he possessed. Cool water drifted around them, carrying flower petals across the surface while sunlight spilled through the broken ceiling overhead in scattered bands of gold. Her fingers tangled through his wet hair and every time she drew closer, his heart seemed to forget its rhythm altogether.

The cavern faded into a blur of rushing water and moss-covered stone. Colton could feel the warmth of her pressed against him despite the chill of the pool, could feel the quick rise and fall of her breathing whenever their lips parted for the briefest moment before finding each other again. He kissed her back with all the tenderness he'd been carrying around since the day they met, all the quiet affection that had grown every time she smiled at him or reached for his hand. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he should slow down, should make sure she knew she never had to rush toward anything with him, but right then he was simply happy to be standing there with her.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them breathing harder than before, Colton rested his forehead lightly against hers. Water dripped from the ends of his curls and rolled down the back of his neck while a grin spread helplessly across his face. The smile reached all the way into his eyes and stayed there, bright and warm and completely unguarded. His hand slipped upward from her waist and his thumb brushed gently along her cheek, catching a stray droplet that clung there.

[color=B53A05]"I wanted to do it properly,"[/color] he admitted softly, a faint flush creeping back into his cheeks despite the cool water surrounding them. His gaze moved between her eyes as though he was still making sure she was real, still standing there with him beneath the hidden waterfall. [color=B53A05]"Will you date me, Blair?"[/color] The question came simple and earnest, carried on a hopeful smile while his fingers remained lightly against her face and the water rippled quietly around them.

Blair drew in a sharp breath when their lips finally separated. A part of her trailed after him for a fraction of a second like some unseen magnetism pulled her closer, but then the soft brush of Colton’s forehead against hers rooted her in place. Her hands slowly slipped from his hair, trailing over the curve of his shoulders before resting against his chest. She could feel the racing cadence of his heart beneath her palms while their breaths mixed in the small sliver of space between them. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, catching on the bright curve of his smile before lifting to meet his gaze.

When his gentle words pierced the heavy silence, Blair’s smile grew so wide that she was unable to hide or dampen it, no matter how much she tried. A flush slowly crept back across her cheeks in that surprising way that only Colton was able to pull from her. She blinked before her gaze fell to where her thumb lightly traced the edge of his collarbone. [color=ff6686]"I… Don’t think anyone has ever wanted me to be their girlfriend before,"[/color] she confessed barely above a whisper. Because it wasn’t until he asked that the realization struck her that she had never been in a relationship before. Everyone she wasted her time with looked at labels like the plague… And then there was Colton. Her finger lightly tapped against his skin as she forced herself to look back up into his eyes. [color=ff6686]"I’m glad you’re the first."[/color]


Colton's smile softened the moment the words left her mouth. Water dripped steadily from his hair, tracing slow paths down the back of his neck while sunlight danced across the cavern pool around them. He looked down at her hand resting against his chest, at the thumb brushing lightly along his collarbone, and felt something warm settle deep inside him. The confession should have surprised him. Instead, it made his chest ache with a tenderness so fierce he barely knew what to do with it.

[color=B53A05]"Me too,"[/color] he admitted quietly. The answer came with a sheepish smile and a faint flush that spread across his cheeks. Part of him wanted to tell her everything. Wanted to tell her that he'd been in trouble from the moment she marched into his life, sharp-tongued and beautiful and entirely unlike anyone he'd ever known. Wanted to tell her that every time he'd pictured the future lately, somehow she kept finding her way into it. The thoughts remained tucked safely behind his smile. They felt too large for this moment, too precious to rush.

His eyes wandered across her face instead. Water beaded along her lashes and caught in the dark strands of hair clinging to her cheeks. The cavern light turned her skin golden where it filtered through the broken ceiling overhead. Looking at her now, standing close enough that he could feel her breath against his skin, Colton found himself smiling all over again. So he did the only thing that felt right. 

His thumb brushed across warm skin while he leaned forward, giving her every opportunity to pull away even though some stubborn part of him already knew she wouldn't. Then he kissed her again. Soft at first, lingering and unhurried, carrying all the affection he couldn't quite put into words. The cool water shifted around them while flower petals drifted lazily through shafts of sunlight, and Colton's hand remained cradling her face as he lost himself for a few quiet seconds in the simple fact that Blair was kissing him back.

What remained of the afternoon quickly slipped between their fingers as they got lost beneath stolen kisses while they remained hidden away from the rest of the world in that cavern. They might have stayed there for the rest of the night if it hadn’t been for one of them making a fleeting comment about dinner, forcing them to notice the way the amber light that poured through the cracking stone softened and shifted. With guilty laughs and interlaced fingers, they swam back out from beneath the waterfall, abandoning their small piece of heaven for the reality of camp, expectations, and people who would be wondering where they were if they didn’t turn back up soon. 

Colton helped Blair back into the boat, lifting her easily rather than letting her struggle, before following her up and out of the creek. Rich flushes and persistent smiles never once faded as they stole quick glances at one another while he rowed them back down stream with more haste. The evening breeze cut sharply through the trees, chilling the water that clung to her skin and clothes. Eventually, after some stubborn goading, Blair conceded, agreeing to wear his shirt and get the faintest bit warmer. Colton, ever the gentleman, never once snuck a peek as she changed, although his face still managed to deepen to a darker shade of red. 

They reached the dock in record time, pulling up beside it before Blair had a chance to settle into his soot stained shirt, her bare feet still resting against the old boards of the boat. Colton had shoved on his boots and climbed back onto the dock with the surprising ease of a man who had done this one hundred times over. He helped her out before she could argue or get a chance to put back on her own shoes, then insisted on giving her a piggyback ride back to camp rather than forcing her to pull on dry socks over soaked jeans and feet. 

By the time they broke back through the treeline into the clearing at the center of the cabins, dinner wasn’t far off and demigods were already starting to make their way toward the pavilion. Some stopped in their tracks to turn and look at Colton and Blair as if they were caught in a compromising position… But they didn’t notice, or care. Colton was still shirtless, damp jeans clinging to his legs, while water dripped from his wet curls, down his neck, and along his bare chest. His calloused fingers curved beneath the bend in Blair’s knees with a touch that was tender yet firm enough that when he first lifted her it stole her breath. Her own soaked hair darkened the collar of his shirt that fit her more like a dress. Her arms were wrapped around him, one hand holding his sketchbook while the other fought to keep a firm grip on her boots and discarded shirt. Both of them were laughing and smiling as if Blair hadn’t nearly died in that very spot an hour earlier.

Colton carried her all the way over to the Athena cabin, gently setting her down on the small porch so that she never once set foot in the dirt. Blair was a foot or two taller than him as she stood at the edge of the wooden platform, holding out his sketchbook with that same smile that never faded and made the muscles in her cheeks ache. When he reached out to take it, she leaned down and stole one last kiss. Maybe it was because she could sense the lingering gazes of other demigods and wanted to claim him without ever having to say a word, or maybe she just found it exceedingly difficult [i]not[/i] to kiss him simply because she could now… but either way she took the opportunity because she wanted to, and that was enough. The kiss was brief and fleeting, little more than a peck, but still made her heart race in disbelief… like at any moment she would wake up and this would all be some coma fever dream she had after being thrown from the horse.[/color][/justify][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]

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