Even for a demi-god, you're out of this world.

It would be cheesy, but not a false statement, to say that every single time Moonbyul sees Solar, her breath gets caught in her lungs and she has to take a minute to collect her thoughts before she’s even able to say hello. Which is weird, because they are really close friends, you’d think she’d be used to seeing her everyday. 

And yet. Even this morning, as she was sitting at the Athena table, eating her breakfast while talking with her siblings, the moment she saw the other girl walk by with her friends, Moonbyul had to be extra careful not to choke on her food. She wondered how someone could look so good right after waking up and wearing an orange t-shirt so bright it hurt her eyes. But of course, Solar made it work. 

As she lifted her hand and brushed her long, light brown hair back, Moonbyul thought once again that this girl was as breathtakingly beautiful as a daughter of Aphrodite. Hell, she’d put all the actual children of the Goddess of beauty to shame. But when Solar looked directly at Moonbyul and gave her a big, genuine smile and a wave, she remembered why she was a daughter of Apollo. As bright as the sun, and Moonbyul wouldn’t mind looking at her until she went blind. With a shy smile, she waved back at Solar, whose smile grew a bit wider - if that’s even possible - before she turned her back to the Athena table and sat down to eat. Of course, even that didn’t stop Byul as she continued to stare at her back until one of her own sibling (was it Namjoon ?) dragged her out of her blissful daze and right back to their conversation. 

* * * *

It’s not that Moonbyul is a coward. Not at all. She has battled various monsters. Sent by actual gods to kill her. So, no, Moon Byul Yi, daughter of Athena, is no coward, thank you very much. It’s just that every time she thinks about confessing her feelings to the girl, well.. let’s just say she’d rather go against an army of monsters coming straight out of Tartarus. (see, not a coward, right ?) It was mostly out of fear of rejection, though she was pretty sure that Solar, even if she didn’t romantically liked her, was at the very least attracted to the younger girl. 

Moonbyul wouldn’t say it out loud, but she’s pretty sure she saw the daughter of Apollo checking her out during combat training. Multiple times. Of course, Byul never mentioned anything to Yongsun about it, not wanting her to stop because she’s been found. And if the daughter of Athena works harder than necessary during combat training and leaves with a huge smirk on her face, nobody ever commented on it.  So yeah, physical attraction, check. Moonbyul’s problem at the moment was the romantic interest, and she didn’t dare to act on her feelings before confirming that point. 

If there’s one thing she wouldn’t do, it was make it awkward between her and Solar. 

“It’s not that easy, you know” Wheein had said once, when they were alone on cleaning duty after being caught playing a prank on the Ares cabin involving a chariot, a cow, a dress, and a megaphone (don’t ask). “I get wanting to keep the relationship you have right now because it’s easy, and comfortable, and safe. But I’m telling you, it’s never gonna be enough for you.” 

“It is enough. It has to be.” She had answered. But she knew Wheein was right, it was surely gonna become too much at some point, acting like she could just platonically hold hands with Solar and ignoring the beating of her heart every time she smiled. She was just afraid, and probably just delaying the inevitable. 

“You’ve never taken the easy way out before, you shouldn’t start now. You make plans and you go into battle. You’re no coward, Moon Byul Yi, so stop acting like one” Wheein had said that, playfully bumping their shoulders together, but with a reassuring smile on her lips.

“Who knew you were so wise, Wheeinie ?” 

“I started charging people for my amazing advice so consider yourself lucky, Moon.” 

They finished their punishment laughing. 

* * * *

She was panting, exhausted after running from one end of the forest to the other, skillfully avoiding the other teams, though one arrow had scratched her shoulder leaving her bleeding a bit. Moonbyul hid behind a tree once she got to the checkpoint she was supposed to go to. As she waited for the signal her teammates were supposed to give her, she took this opportunity to try and regulate her breathing, and get ready for the inevitable fight. 

She might've appeared a bit too serious or dramatic for a simple, friendly, capture the flag game, but she had a lot riding on this. Yoongi and her were currently winning the ongoing bet against Hwasa and Joy, and she intended to keep it that way. She did not want to loose a bet to those two, again, the punishments they could give were the worst, most evil ones someone could think of. 

Lost in her thoughts, Moonbyul did not hear the person creeping up behind her until she felt the cold blade of a sword on her neck. Of course this was a friendly game between the campers, and the number one rule was to not wound to kill, but the weapons were real and the injuries genuine. She took a second to assess the situation as best as she could. As far as she knew, there was only one person behind her, the sword wielder. Ok, I can take them. She let the dagger hid in her sleeves slide into her hand and swiftly used it to deflect the weapon away from her as she took a step back and turned around to face her opponent. 

When she met Solar’s eyes, shining with adrenaline and excitement, she could only think that she’d rather have engaged in a sword battle with the best fighter in camp, or just declare forfeit.

“Quite a few tricks up your sleeves, Moon” she smirked, and Oh god, does she know that it’s way more effective than any actual weapon ? “Quite literally.” 

Byul, as winded and whipped as she was, still managed to keep her game face on. “Don’t expect anything less from me, Kim.” 

They stared at each other, their weapons still up in a fighting position, until Solar started laughing and put her sword away. 

“That was a too dramatic, even for me.” she said between her laughs. It didn’t take long for Moonbyul to join her, albeit more quietly. 

“What are you doing here ? So far away from the action, it’s not like you.” Solar asked 

“Well” Moonbyul slowly put her dagger back into her sleeves “I was supposed to get to this checkpoint and wait for a signal, but I think my teammates forgot about me.” 

“Good” Solar said, earning a glare from Moonbyul “I mean, good, then you won’t mind ditching the game with me right ? I’m bored.” 

Moonbyul looked at her incredulously “How are you bored during a capture the flag game ? Most people say it’s the best part of camp. You included most of the time.”

“I don’t know, I just don’t really like the team today I guess.” Solar shrugged “Also, I don’t think this is the best thing about camp.”

“Sure. Either way, I’m not ditching with you just because you’re bored. This is an important game.” 

“Oh come on” Solar complained “Is it about that stupid bet you have with Hwasa and the others ?”

“No, it’s not!” Moonbyul lied, horribly too,  “It’s about teamwork… and, and the importance of, uh, playing together, and…

“You’re so full of it” Solar interrupted her, laughing

“Ok, yes ! It’s about the bet. I have to win this game.”

“Oh don’t be a child, it’s just a bet. Who cares if you lose ?”

“Have you met Hwasa and Joy ? They’re evil. Monsters are afraid of them. If we lose, not only will Yoongi kill me, but those two are gonna give us the worst dares.” 

“Pleaaaase” Solar said cutely, pouting. Pouting. Really, Moonbyul is only (half) human, you can’t except her to resist this. “It’s almost the end of the game anyway, and your team has practically won already. Keep me company.” 

Moonbyul takes a moment to look back hesitantly to where she could hear the action, people yelling and laughing, before turning back to Solar, pointing a menacing finger at her “I swear to the gods if this is part of plan to win this game, I will kill you” 

Solar’s face broke into the million dollar smile that Moonbyul swears she has only seen directed to her “I swear it’s not !” She grabbed Moonbyul’s hand and pulled her arm, guiding her back to the camp. She stopped when she heard Moonbyul wince. In an instant she was facing Moonbyul, her eyes worried, scanning her for an injury. 

“Just a scratch from an arrow on my shoulder” the younger one said “Don’t worry, I’m fine”

“I know” Solar said, skeptically, her eyes on the blood that had dried on Moonbyul’s shoulder “let’s just go disinfect that wound real quick, ok ?” She smiled and let go of Moonbyul’s injured arm, to take the other one by the hand, and dragged her to the infirmary. 

“Yes, M’am.” Moonbyul was pretty sure that the other girl could hear her smile. 

The infirmary was empty. This was not a surprise though, every camper fit enough to participate had to compete in the Capture the flag game, and those who weren’t particularly found of fighting, were on the side lines to take care of the injured. So this left Solar and Moonbyul, alone in the infirmary. 

Moonbyul was sitting on one the many bed in the massive wood-structured cabin, and she could only admire as Solar was walking around, taking a disinfecting spray here, and a bandage there. 

“You know” Moonbyul said as Solar was working on her shoulder “It’s not really fair that you get all this. I mean, generally you get one attribute from your godly parent you know. But you’re a great  at this whole medicine stuff, you have the voice of an angel, you can play instruments, pretty sure that if you wanted to you could be a published poet” 

Solar laughed as she was cleaning the blood around the wound, and Moonbyul swears she sees a blush creeping her neck and cheeks “Shut up, you grease-ball. I’m gonna apply the spray now, it’s probably gonna hurt, the wound looks a bit deep.” 

Moonbyul scoffed “I’ll have you know, Doctor, that I have had much more worse. This one time Wheein wanted to film a parkour video for some reason and- OH MY GOD this stings, this stings so much” she yelled and tried to wiggle her way out of Solar’s grasp. The latter put a firm hand on the younger’s shoulder, keeping her in place. 

“Do not move, Miss I’ve-had-much-worse” She glared at Moonbyul who gave her a sheepish smile and a quiet ‘sorry’ .

And so, instead of thinking about how much this actually hurt, Moonbyul just focused on Solar, and how concentrated she was, and how her tongue was slightly sticking out of , and how this was the cutest thing Moonbyul had ever seen. 

Once she was done, Solar put a band-aid on the girl’s shoulder, smoothing out the edges with her thumbs twice. “There you go.” She said with a proud smile. 

“Thanks, doc. It wasn’t half bad.” 

Solar snorted “Right. Sorry I don’t have a lollipop to give you for being such a great patient.” She joked. 

And because at this point Moonbyul apparently had no self control, or censor button in her brain, she replied “It’s ok, a kiss would suffice.” 

Moonbyul couldn’t see her own face at that moment but she was sure that the surprise she was seeing on Solar’s face was a pretty accurate reflection of what she looked like. 

A small “Oh” was the only sound that left Solar’s mouth after this poor excuse of a confession. 

Once Moonbyul felt the panic overtake her, she knew she couldn’t keep it in “I mean ! … I mean ! Gods  what did I mean…” 

Solar slowly closed the distance between them and brought their lips together. It wasn’t really the first kiss Moonbyul had daydreamed about so many times. It was softer, gentler, dryer, shorter, more hesitant, everything she didn’t know she needed it to be. 

Solar pulled away, her movements careful, as if she was standing on thin ice threatening to crack under her feet “Did you…” she cleared “Did you perhaps meant this ?” 

The younger girl was thoroughly bewildered, so her brain did the only thing it knew to do when having a break down : she assed the situation, with all the informations at hand. What she knew right now was that :

  If the pain from her arm was any indication, she was indeed awake, no need to pinch herself to confirm it. 

  She sort of, not really, but still kind of, confessed to Solar two minutes ago.

  Solar had kissed her, approximatively 45 seconds ago and counting. 

  Solar was now looking at her, expectantly, flustered, and uncertain. 

  She really needed to stop thinking right now because it seemed to be standing in the way of kissing Solar again, which she really, really, wanted to. 

“Yeah” she breathed “Actually...” 

Moonbyul stood up bringing one hand, the healthy one, to Solar’s cheek and kissed her again. This time more faithful to all her daydreams. A bit more forcefully, passionate, with the frustration of - months? Years? - of pinning, but still gently, with the comfort of knowing you were kissing your bestfriend who had the potential to love you more than anyone else. 

Solar’s hands came up to Moonbyul’s neck, crawling up to grab her hair, tugging it slightly when Moonbyul tentatively bit her lower lip. And as soon as Moonbyul barely opened and felt Solar’s tongue slip in, her legs almost gave out and she pressed all her weight against the girl. It didn’t last long after that because her stupid body decided that it needed air for some reason.  

Moonbyul broke away first, with Solar almost chasing after her lips, and rested their foreheads together. 

“I think I meant something more like this actually.” 

* * * *

They were sitting side by side, shoulders and knees touching, on the grass by the lake.

 A few minutes after the kiss, they heard the sound of a horn announcing the end of the capture the flag game resonating across the forest. So before all the campers could fill the infirmary with noise and everything but intimacy, they decided to relocate. 

As they walked by, Moonbyul faintly registered someone saying that the team she was on won, not that it really mattered to her, she still made a note to go flaunt the victory in Hwasa and Joy’s face and celebrate with Yoongi. 

But not right now. Right now she was sitting next to Solar. Solar who she had kissed. Solar who had kissed her back. Solar who had a smile stuck on her face since then. Which in turn made Moonbyul smile like a idiot too. 

Still, because Moonbyul is who she is, and she has to overthink everything these days when it comes to Solar, and because she also appears to have no filter whatsoever when it comes to Solar too these days, she had to ruin the perfect, comfortable silence they sat in. 

“So like, we’re dating, right ?” She asked “Or, like, is it casual ? I mean, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a friend thing, you know.” She glanced at Solar who was watching her ramble with unimpressed eyes, but the ghost of an amused smile on her lips. “Just making sure here.” 

“Yes, Moonbyul” assured Solar “I’d say that we’re dating. Unless you want to kiss all your friends like that.” 

“Nope. Nope. Just you.” 

“Good, then.” Solar smiled. “I’m gonna say something a bit cheesy, so enjoy it while it last, but earlier, when I said capture the flag wasn’t the best part of camp for me, I just want to specify if it still isn’t clear now, that I was talking about you.” Solar avoided Moonbyul’s gaze, already embarrassed enough as it is, she settled on watching the horizon “You’re the best part of camp for me.” 

 Moonbyul chuckled shyly, her hand rubbing her neck “I would really want to tease you right now, but I’m way too happy and embarrassed right now.” 

Solar laughed “If you’re embarrassed imagine how I’m feeling. If anything, I’m almost impressed by how you manage to say stuff like that on a daily basis.”

“Well, I’m no poet, but the words come easily with such a muse” Moonbyul smirked, enjoying the mixture of exasperation, embarrassment, and appreciation Solar’s face managed to express with one look. But then she smiled, that one smile that Moonbyul hadn’t really seen before but was for sure gonna dream about that night, and lightly bump their shoulders together. 

“You know, even for a demi god, you’re out of this freaking world.” 

For a second Solar was speechless, which isn’t that common, looking at Moonbyul with such a soft, pure look in her eyes. But then she laughed it off “Aaand order has been brought back to the universe. Thank you for coming back to us greasy Moonbyul.” She teased. 

“Don’t lie, I know you love it, Kim Yongsun.” 

Solar’s eyes glinted in a way that Moonbyul wasn’t sure she understood at the sound of her birth name, then she smiled (she seemed to do that a lot today Byul happily noticed) “Yeah, yeah I really do.”