sneak peek ― everybody says it's obvious that we like each other.
contents ― pjo!au, fluff, confessions, set during blood of olympus aftermath
track ― attention, kep1er
word count ― 2269
note ― written for a writing event by decelis_acvdemy.

Nora is pretty sure that Mark should have gotten the hint by now. Unfortunately, Mark's either too chicken or completely oblivious. The worst part is that she can't even decide what it is that makes him immune to the fact she very clearly likes him, because Mark Lee is just that good at either being oblivious or acting oblivious.

Maybe this would have been easier if she were a daughter of Aphrodite, but Nora's mom happens to be Hecate and though magic comes to her naturally, love magic isn't exactly a thing. Well, it is. It's in Aphrodite's area of expertise, and though trying to convince a kid from the love goddess's cabin to help is extremely tempting (perhaps getting one of them to charmspeak him?) she is also a girl of morals. Tricking her crush into this isn't something she thinks is exactly a good thing to do.

For a whole year, Nora's been pining after the Apollo camper like a lovesick schoolgirl, which she technically is. She only ever sees him during the summer since she lives right here in New York and Mark flies in from Canada every July, but she thinks about him all the time anyway. She suspects it will only get worse when Mark moves to New York for college like he says he will.

Because then, since they are actually good friends, they won't have a proper excuse to not see each other, especially because neither of them plan to stay at Camp Half-Blood as counsellors. Mark says that he would do it, but he wants to focus on university and anyway, they're with Will Solace; they're in good hands. Nora loves her siblings and all, but if she stayed on a counsellor she might just go mad. Lou Ellen will manage fine.

But for now, Nora is more focusing on the battlefield before her. Over the last few days and nights, they've managed to clear most of it with the help of the Romans, who were surprisingly efficient. She and the other Greek campers have been tasked with helping the Apollo kids, from both camps, attend to the casualties in pairs. As luck would have it, Nora and Mark are paired together. She makes a note to throttle Will for the smirk he gives them when he assigns them, even in the rush of the aftermath.

There weren't as bad as they feared, thankfully; but there were some pretty nasty sights. Like the one kid who showed up with a poisoned slash to the thigh from a stray arrow.

"I thought it would be fine!" the poor boy, barely nine, sobbed when Mark scolded him for not going to see one of the medics sooner. "I didn't know that it was poisoned!"

Thankfully, with the help of Nora's flashy magic displays of lights and sounds, the work was done. Though not without plenty of screaming and crying in intermittent fits. Nora hasn't been at camp for that much longer than some of the newbies, but she's already seen enough sights to last her a lifetime.

Currently, Mark is attending to a girl with a broken leg, trying to tell her that he's going to have it set it before he can do anything about. The girl doesn't seem to like that idea, though, fearing it more than the monsters that she fought not too long ago. How she managed to break her leg after the actual battle ended, Nora doesn't know, but she takes it upon herself to distract the girl with a game of 'got your nose,' a trick she learned very recently from Lou Ellen. While she's distracted by that, Mark grabs her shin and snaps the bone back into place in one fluid move.

The resultant scream is not pleasant in the slightest.

At least she hobbles off peacefully without getting mad at them with the help of friends. Nora really wants to count her blessings after all the insanity that she's witnessed this week. Mark has hardly had time to breathe for the last few days and it's only today that both he and Nora have noticed the flow of patients decreasing.

"I'm absolutely beat," Mark sighs, throwing himself perhaps irresponsibly on the white-sheeted bed. He does deserve a break, having worked nonstop right through breakfast and lunch today; at least Nora managed to get him to eat something. "This, kids, is why wars are not good for your health."

Nora snorts. "I doubt it's good for the world's health either," she says. "Not that it ever stopped anyone. That guy leading the Romans? He was probably the craziest crazy I've ever seen. They're glad he's gone, really."

"Be glad you weren't alive in the time of the Roman emperors, then," Mark flashes that smile at her. His big eyes make him look unfairly cute. "You'd be in a daily bloodbath, and I don't think the look would suit you."

"Neither would it suit you," Nora retaliates. "I am a warrior and you are, um...the cute healer slash singer." She pauses. "Not that it's all you are."

It's only after that she realizes exactly what she just said, but Mark either doesn't notice, or doesn't care. "Maybe it would suit me," he challenges. "Maybe the bloodthirsty grin and manic eyes look would make me hot or something."

"I can't see that happening with you," Nora shakes her head. "Absolutely not."

"Hey, are you saying I'm not a warrior?"

"Maybe," she waves a hand and concentrates. A second later, Mark's hair—a dyed, dark shade of blue—turns into a bloodred. "Look at your reflection, then."

Mark gets to his feet, makes his way to the window, the glass reflecting his appearance as it's dark outside and the infirmary is lit with bright lights, and surveys his new hair—by now, he's used to Nora pulling harmless tricks on him like that with her magic.

"Hm," he decides, "I don't think this is a look for me."

"Are you kidding? You're totally rocking that look," Nora says. "You look good in just about anything, I've told you before." Belatedly, her cheeks warm up at the words she's just spilling out as if Mark is—Mark is her boyfriend, or something. It's unfair how much she lets down her guard around him, but she supposes that says something for just how much she trusts him.

"You're biased," Mark giggles—actually giggles, what the hell. It's pure and adorable, just like Mark (minus the pure part. The boy is definitely not pure), and let Nora restate it: it's unfair. It's absolutely unfair that one boy can make her feel so many things at once.

"Of course, I am," she raises her eyebrow, acting as if the statement can't have double meanings. "A biased opinion is still one you should trust, y'know."

"Sure, sure," Mark rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "Whatever you say. Get the color off, I actually want to go to the campfire tonight."

"You're exhausted."

"But in the mood for a little fun." He frowns. "Well? The color?"

"Oh, no. You're keeping the color," Nora grins evilly, and skips out of the door before he can lunge for her. It's all in good fun, of course, because what are friends for if not for making fun of each other? Just that she wishes it wasn't the label of friends.

***

Since the Romans are leaving camp tomorrow, the campfire is by far one of the greatest Nora has ever been at. There's plenty of fun to be had, Greek and Roman-style. It's too comical to watch some of the more straightlaced Romans jump around singing some of the usual campfire songs. Even their praetor, whom Nora has been told wasn't too eager at the idea of war, seemed to have a lot of fun—and the friendship she's extending to every single one of them makes her feel all warm and fuzzy.

"It's always nice to be wanted and appreciated," as Mark says.

When most of the campers retire to their cabin, and the Romans to the makeshift camp, Nora asks Mark to sit with her by the dying embers of the campfire. Their clothes are no doubt going to smell of woodsmoke, and the dull yet warm orange glow of the still-hot embers and coals aren't enough to properly see anything, but it's mostly secluded. And it's peaceful in a way nothing has been for a long time.

"So." Nora picks up a stray leaf from the ground and tosses it into the coals, where she watches it shrivel up. "How are you feeling? All fun-ed out?"

"That's not a real word," Mark notes in amusement.

"Yes, Professor," Nora tosses another leaf, but at him this time. "Answer me?"

"Completely exhausted, but happy," Mark answers, throwing it back at her. She doesn't throw it again, and lets it settle in the small space between them. "Remember how we were convinced we were going to die?"

"Hard not to."

"Well, we're alive and well, most of us," he says, "and things eventually worked out. I'm sure that at least for the time being, we're going to be fine."

"For the time being. That's what I mean." She draws circles in the soil. "Demigods never catch a break, Mark. I'm kind of tired already, just listening to the stories of the war the long-time campers had with Kronos. I don't want to think about what else we're going to get ourselves into."

"So don't," Mark shrugs. "That's a problem for the future, whether it's the near or far-off future. Why not just enjoy this moment? Just us being alive and together?"

Nora's heart thuds inside her chest. "That's an optimistic way of looking at things," she chooses to say instead of commenting on the last part of his response.

"I wouldn't have made it this far if not," he smiles. "It hasn't been easy trying to relocate my entire life over here, you know. Half my family is mad I'm not moving to Korea like they want me to."

"Why?"

"Something about how I'm too Americanized, or whatever. They said if I can get into a fancy New York university I can damn well get into one of the top Korean ones. Not that I'm paying them much attention. My mom just wants me to be happy, so."

"You're Canadian. How does—never mind, I know how relatives can be."

"Didn't you once say something about how you like my Canadian accent?" Mark teases. "Don't you like it anymore?"

"I like perfectly fine," Nora huffs. "I'm just used to it. It always fades a little by the end of the summer, did you know that? I guess it'll start going away for good when you do move here. I'll like having you here more often."

"I'm not too fussed about that," Mark says. "And I'll be glad to see you more, too."

There's a lull in the conversation, one in which they just watch the embers die down in slow surety. Nora doesn't know if it's awkward or comfortable. Definitely somewhere in between. Mark doesn't seem to notice, absently drawing patterns in the soil. Is Mark really that oblivious, or does he pretend he doesn't know?

"Hey, Mark," she says quietly. "Are you just pretending to be oblivious, like you're really not aware of this all?"

Mark looks at her, questioning. "Of what?"

Well, there's no going back now. "Everybody says it's obvious that we like each other," she mumbles. "And how you most definitely have at least an idea, and I think so, too."

"People don't really decide your feelings, Nora," Mark points out.

"No," she agrees. "Except, I..." her voice drops even further. "I really do like you and I've been a little obvious about it. I say these things and it's like you don't even notice."

Mark blinks. "I thought I was hearing the things you said in the way I wanted to hear it and not the way you actually meant them."

"What?"

His ears are tinged red. "If this is your way of confessing to me, I like you too," he says in a small voice, like he's afraid to get hit or reprimanded. "I keep ignoring those things you say because I don't think you can't possibly mean them in a platonic way."

"I don't mean them in a platonic way," Nora blurts. "Far from it."

"Oh," Mark says, blinking rapidly. Then, slowly, a slightly awkward smile creeps up his face and it seems so genuine that Nora is smiling stupidly, too. "Well..."

"What?" she asks, feeling extremely stupid and dumb.

"What does this mean?" he gestures between them, looking anywhere but her. "Like...I know we like each other, but. What does this make us?"

"I guess we're dating, then?" Nora tries.

"Dating," Mark echoes. He nods. Looks at her. "Okay. I like that."

"Okay," she repeats, and impulsively, she reaches over and takes his hand, blushing like mad. She blushes a lot easier than Mark because her skin is a lot lighter, and he doesn't make fun of her for it, the way some others do. "We're dating."

Silence falls between them again, but this time, it's laced with a quiet giddiness between them, and Mark shuffles closer. She doesn't fight it when he tentatively wraps an arm around her. Both are aware that they're going to be in trouble for staying out past lights-out, but neither of them can find it in themselves to move from their position.

It's just their own little pocket of peacefulness in the middle of chaotic world.