So What If I Like You? ᢉ𐭩
pairing: Clarisse La Rue x reader fandom: Percy Jackson & the Olympians setting: Camp Half-Blood contents: jealousy, tension, emotionally confused clarisse, confession, first kiss, aphrodite!reader
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Clarisse spent the entire next day avoiding you.
Which was difficult.
Because apparently you were everywhere.
She saw you at breakfast, laughing with some girls from Cabin Ten. She immediately looked away and focused very hard on stabbing her eggs with unnecessary force.
Then she saw you again near the lake.
Then again near the training arena.
Each time, her chest did the same annoying thing.
That tight, twisting feeling she still refused to properly acknowledge.
Across the table, an Ares camper frowned.
“You okay?”
Clarisse shot him a glare.
“Do I look like I want to talk about it?”
He immediately shut up.
—
Later that afternoon Clarisse was in the arena again, sparring harder than necessary.
Her opponent stumbled back after another heavy hit.
“Gods, La Rue,” he muttered, raising his hands. “Did someone break your heart or something?”
Clarisse scoffed.
“As if.”
But the words felt a little too defensive.
Her mind kept replaying the night before.
The way you’d looked at her.
The way she’d almost—
She shoved the thought away and slammed her spear into a target.
Hard.
—
You found her that evening.
Of course you did.
Clarisse had just finished cleaning her spear when she heard footsteps behind her.
She didn’t need to turn around to know it was you.
“You’re avoiding me.”
Your voice was calm.
Clarisse sighed heavily and turned.
“I’m not avoiding you.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“You literally walked away when I said hi at lunch.”
“I had somewhere to be.”
“You were walking toward the lake.”
“Exactly.”
You stared at her.
Clarisse shifted slightly under the look, clearly irritated.
“What?”
You stepped closer.
“Why did you freak out last night?”
“I didn’t freak out.”
“You absolutely did.”
Clarisse rubbed her temples.
“Can we just drop it?”
“No.”
Your voice was softer now, but firm.
“You got mad because I talked to someone else. Then you almost said something. Then you ran away.”
Clarisse opened her mouth.
Closed it.
You took another step closer.
“Clarisse.”
She looked down at you.
Gods, you were close.
Too close.
Your voice dropped slightly.
“Why do you care so much?”
Clarisse’s jaw tightened.
For a long moment she didn’t answer.
Then she muttered quietly,
“…because I don’t like him.”
“That’s not it.”
You were smiling slightly now.
Like you already knew.
Clarisse groaned.
“You’re so annoying.”
“And you’re deflecting.”
Silence stretched between you.
Finally, Clarisse ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
“Because I don’t like seeing you with other people, okay?”
Your expression softened.
“Why?”
Clarisse stared at you like you’d just asked the most impossible question in the world.
“Because I—”
She stopped.
Clearly debating whether she wanted to say the words.
You waited.
Clarisse exhaled sharply.
“Because I like you.”
The words came out fast, like ripping off a bandage.
You blinked.
For once, you were speechless.
Clarisse immediately looked defensive.
“Don’t make it a big deal.”
“Clarisse—”
“And if you’re gonna reject me or whatever just do it quickly because—”
You grabbed the front of her armor and pulled her down slightly.
Then you kissed her.
Clarisse froze.
Completely.
For about half a second.
Then her hand came up instinctively to your waist, pulling you closer.
The kiss deepened quickly—messy, intense, and a little desperate.
Very Clarisse.
When you finally pulled back, she looked slightly stunned.
“…oh.”
You laughed softly.
“That’s your reaction?”
Clarisse shook her head, still processing.
“You kissed me.”
“You said you liked me.”
She paused.
Then her expression slowly shifted into something smug.
“Yeah.”
Her hand tightened slightly at your waist.
“And you didn’t seem very surprised.”
You smiled.
“I’m an Aphrodite kid.”
Clarisse snorted.
“Right.”
Then she leaned down again.
“Good to know.”
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a/n: part two because someone asked for it and i could never say no to jealous clarisse <3
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