in which some mushy nachaeng happens, there's a heart-to-heart between friends, and momo gets a new weapon!

but not in that order though 

/ 

At the end of dinner, just as the campers began dispersing, Momo caught up to Chaeyoung. 

“Hey! Wait up, Chaeng.” She tugged on the back of Chaeyoung’s shirt to get her attention. 

“Huh? Oh, what’s up?” Chaeyoung had turned around and greeted her with a toothy grin. 

“Ah, I was wondering if you could give me a hand in securing supplies for my quest. If you didn’t mind, of course.” 

Momo scratched the back of her head sheepishly. She watched as Chaeyoung’s expression remained blank. Instead, it was her eyes that held her emotions; They flitted back and forth as if in a hot debate, before settling in a determined look. 

“Of course I’ll help you out.” Chaeyoung’s grin returned, but it wasn’t as easy going as before. “C’mon, let’s head to the Forge. My siblings are probably sleeping, wouldn’t want to disturb them.” 

Momo walked by her side as the two passed through the open commons area. 

“You wouldn’t believe it, but they’re almost as bad as the Aphrodite kids when it comes to their beauty sleep.” Chaeyoung snickered, and Momo followed suit as she tried to imagine it. 

They passed by the Armory and headed straight for the Forge’s entrance. Chaeyoung reached out and turned a gear. It started spinning until it clicked into place and the door slid open. 

Momo gaped at the sight. It still amazed her every time she passed by. The two stepped inside and—yup, it was still blazing hot inside. Momo could feel the heat encompass her body as soon as they entered. 

It was late but the fires in the furnaces were still burning. 

Chaeyoung noticed her gaze. “Ah, even after all the hammering and folding, some metals just need time and heat to be properly forged.” 

They walked by the rows of open furnaces. Momo could feel the intense heat radiating off of them, the air sizzling with hisses of steam and fire. 

They crossed into an area filled with tables and workbenches. Chaeyoung went straight to her workbench. “Before we start, lemme see your ring. I wanna adjust your spear into a trident. It seems fitting, ya’know.” 

“You can do that?” Momo asked in surprised. 

Chaeyoung oozed out confidence at Momo’s awed tone. “Of course I can. Just needs a little tinkering.” 

Momo watched as Chaeyoung applied a number of actions to her ring; hammers and screwdrivers and plenty more tools that Momo had no idea of or their purpose. A bit of time passed by before the ring lit up in sparks. 

Chaeyoung pulled back with a satisfied grin on her face. “There! It’s done.” She cleaned the ring with a polishing rag before handing it to Momo. “Try it out now.” 

Momo wore the ring and twisted it twice. Replacing the spear was a silver trident, a beautifully crafted trident with bladed prongs. “Wow,” Momo exhaled quietly as she examined her new weapon. “This is some quality, Chaeng.” 

“It’s nothing. Just some weapon designs I had a while back.” The cheshire smile on Chaeyoung’s face said otherwise. 

Her hands flew over some scrap metal, already building something out of habit. 

“So what did you have in mind?” 

“I dunno, you’re the expert here. I was hoping you knew where I could get some supplies—or even some magical items.” 

Momo sheathed her trident and sat on a stool by Chaeyoung’s workbench. Her eyes were fixated on the fast and efficient pace Chaeyoung’s hands were moving at. 

The two of them compiled a short list of items Momo might need. They were sprouting whatever came to mind and making jokes in between. 

Chaeyoung rambled about some magic tools Momo might be able to borrow. She turned around, rummaging around her cabinet of tools and parts. 

A comfortable silence settled in the air, only being disturbed by the clinks and clanks of Chaeyoung’s tinkering. 

“Hey Chaeng? Will you come with me on my quest?” Momo suddenly asked. This seemed like a good time to ask—and to figure out what was up with her friend. 

The sound of her rummaging slowed until it completely halted. Momo could see Chaeyoung’s back stiffen from the question. 

Momo had already set her mind on bringing Chaeyoung on her quest. She just couldn’t figure out why Chaeyoung was acting so weird about it. Especially back at her cabin when the topic of fire came up. It just didn’t make sense to her. 

Chaeyoung spoke with her back still turned away from Momo. Her voice came out impossibly small amongst the crackling fire. “Why me? Why not somebody else?” 

Momo narrowed her eyes. In the short amount of time she knew Chaeyoung, this wasn’t like her at all. 

“Why not you? I want you to come with me on this quest.” It took Momo a long second to realize that this must be something other than the quest that’s making her friend act this way. Chaeyoung’s defensive stance and her uncomfortable expression didn’t help either. “Chaeng… is there something bothering you?” 

Silence. A roar of fire came from one of the open furnaces. Chaeyoung flinched and this time Momo noticed. 

Momo didn’t know what was going through her friend’s mind. She wanted to help but she didn’t know where to begin.  

If you’re gonna open a can of worms, then don’t half- it.  

“Please talk to me. I noticed you were hesitating even back at the cabin… is it about the prophecy?” 

Chaeyoung stayed silent for a bit before she sighed. She turned around slowly until she could look Momo in the eyes again. Her chest thumped when she saw the visible concern in them. She didn’t deserve this, not from someone who’s been so kind to her. 

“I... It’s better if I show you.” Chaeyoung meekly said, before she inhaled deeply to prepare herself. 

The Daughter of Hephaestus slowly lifted her hand up, her palm facing upwards. 

A flame flickered into existence in the middle of her palm. Momo’s eyes widened in surprise. She watched—mesmerized—as Chaeyoung easily manipulated the small flame; It grew bigger then smaller, moved up and down and all around until Chaeyoung extinguished it with what Momo could only assume was her will. 

Momo side-eyed the fires of the Forge; she noticed that they glowed brighter during Chaeyoung’s small display, and lessened when she stopped. 

“I was born with the ability to control fire. A rare blessing from my father.” Chaeyoung sounded like she was torn at the fact. 

Momo didn’t understand. If it was a blessing then why did Chaeyoung sound burdened… unless… 

“I discovered it when I was little. Around the age of an elementary schooler, I think.” Chaeyoung’s voice still sounded small to Momo, even when she was just a few feet away. 

“My mother picked me up from school one day. We stopped by a small playground on the way home. She put me in the sandbox. Even when I was little, I liked to create things.” 

Chaeyoung had a tiny smile at the memory. Momo could imagine it—baby Chaeyoung giggling as she made tiny elaborate sand sculptures.

“She looked away for just a couple seconds. I don’t remember what I was thinking or doing but the next thing I knew, I was engulfed in flames.” 

“My mother picked me up, trying to get me out of the sandbox. I was still on fire— my entire body —and… and I burned her hands so bad I—“ A choked sound escaped the young demigod, the memory looked like it was physically tormenting her. 

Momo’s heart clenched at the sight of distress on her friend. It was clearly visible in Chaeyoung’s face and her body language. 

It took a moment for the Daughter of Hephaestus to resume. “We were in public so she had to get me home quickly. Luckily, the playground was really close to our home.” 

Chaeyoung let out a shuddering breath. “My mother carried me all the way home… while I was still burning up in her hands.” 

Chaeyoung’s hands tightened into fists at this point. Her voice came out trembling as she recalled the memory. “I had to watch and accept the fact that I was hurting her and that I had no way of stopping the flames. Even after everything, I had to watch her struggle with doing everyday things. Her hands were completely burnt… it honestly felt like a lifetime until they were all healed.” 

Chaeyoung took a deep breath before continuing. “Ever since then, when I realized that I was a demigod, I swore off my ability. I’ve hidden it for years—ever since I arrived at Camp, ever since the incident at the playground.” 

“I just… don’t want to hurt anybody else.” Her words came out so defeated and tired. Momo felt like someone just punched a hole in her lungs. She didn’t like the way Chaeyoung looked so haunted. 

It was silent, except for the roaring and crackling of the fires. 

Momo remained silent, had remained silent as Chaeyoung bravely opened up to her. She could empathize where she was coming from. While she didn’t know the kind of pain and fear Chaeyoung experienced, she could at least see her point. 

Momo stood up, slowly approaching Chaeyoung. She got closer until she was right in front of her. 

“Can you show me again? What you did earlier?” 

Chaeyoung slowly nodded in confusion, hesitantly peeking at Momo before lifting her palm up. A small flame flickered out of the air. She kept a cautious eye on the flame. 

All of a sudden, Momo’s hand shot out and clapped over Chaeyoung’s. She kept a firm grip as Chaeyoung tried to squirm out of her tight hold. 

“Momo! What are you—” 

Chaeyoung cried out in alarm. She didn’t expect Momo to hold her hand—her hand that was holding  fire!  

“Son Chaeyoung.” Momo’s strong voice shook her out of her panic. 

“I want you to listen to me. I’m telling you this as a friend. I might not have known you for long but from what I’ve seen so far, you’re nothing but a kind and caring warm soul. You don’t have it in you to cause harm to anybody or anything, not intentionally.” 

Momo’s voice was steady and her grip was firm. She maintained eye contact with her friend. She had to get this message across. 

“I know what you went through was pretty traumatic for you. But that was when you were a kid. Accidents happen, especially when you’re a demigod. That I know for a fact.” Momo threw in a crooked smile. Chaeyoung could feel her shoulders lightening just a little. 

“But you can’t close off a part of who you are based on that one accident. And I’m not saying this just because I want you on my quest. I’m saying this because I can’t stand to see you like this, can’t stand to see you so afraid, can’t stand to see you hesitate every single time we walk past a campfire. I hadn’t noticed the way you flinched at every open flame until today.” 

Momo trailed off, she sounded disappointed in herself for not noticing how her friend’s plight was affecting her physically, let alone mentally. 

“Look,” Momo looked Chaeyoung square in the eyes. “I want you to see for yourself.” 

She slowly removed her hand from Chaeyoung’s. To her astonishment, the fire in her palm was still going strong. 

Momo waved her hand. “See? Not a single mark.” 

She was right. Chaeyoung studied Momo’s palm. It was normal—no burn marks, no charred flesh, nothing. 

“You don’t give yourself any credit. Like I said, you don’t have a mean bone in your body Chaeng.” Momo smiled gently at her. “It’s like your heart already knows, but your fear is still controlling you.” 

“Fire doesn’t just destroy. Look around you, it plays a part in creation too.” 

Chaeyoung looked around at what Momo was motioning to. Looked at the furnaces, the metals heating up inside. The flames biding their time, slowly changing the forms into something more malleable. So that she could transform it—into a spear, into a shield, into something helpful. 

Her eyes widened in realization. 

To protect.  

Momo’s smile widened. “You finally caught on.” 

Tears welled up in Chaeyoung’s eyes. The small flame in her palm sizzled out. Momo’s smile was wiped off, concern immediately replacing it. 

“C-Chaeng?” 

Chaeyoung sniffled. “Sorry, it’s just… you’re the first person I’ve ever told this to in all my life.” 

Momo’s mouth took the shape of an ‘o’. She slowly took Chaeyoung’s frame in her arms, hugging her and patting her back. 

“It’s ok. Let it all out.” 

Chaeyoung stiffened before melting in her hold. Tears streamed down her face as she gripped the front of Momo’s shirt. 

They stayed like that for a while. Momo didn’t know how long, but she’d stay until Chaeyoung felt better. 

The fires in the Forge glowed brighter and the crackling dwindled to a dull sound. 

/ 

Momo and Chaeyoung stepped out of the Forge. The night air cooled down their bodies, providing a nice contrast from the heat inside. 

Chaeyoung turned the same gear counter-clockwise. It spun and clicked, sliding the Forge door close. 

Really, it had only been 30 minutes since they first entered. For them, it felt like forever—with the emotional heart-to-heart and what not. 

Momo ruffled Chaeyoung’s hair. “Get some sleep alright? That was probably emotionally taxing for you, especially since you’ve been holding it in for Gods know how long.” 

Chaeyoung nodded, her eyes became a little puffy from her earlier crying. 

“Night, I’ll see you in the morning.” 

She waved Momo off, heading towards her side of the Cabins. Before she could reach the Hephaestus cabin, something caught her attention. 

A figure sat near Hestia’s Hearth. Chaeyoung was about to disregard the person but she recognized their form. She walked closer to confirm what she saw. 

“Nayeon?” 

Nayeon turned her head towards her. She smiled in greeting, patting the seat beside her as an invitation. Chaeyoung made for the seat, sitting close enough for their knees to knock into each other. 

“Hey.” 

“Hey, what are you doing still up?” 

By now, it was dark. Most of the campers were asleep or preparing for sleep. There were a few campers still up, of course. Even demigods get insomnia sometimes. And some are just nightowls (especially the Athena kids, but you didn’t hear that from her!) . 

“I was waiting for you. Saw Momo talking to you, figured it was quest-related.” 

It was then that Nayeon realized that Chaeyoung’s eyes were a little puffy. She lifted her hand to cradle Chaeyoung’s cheek, her thumb gently swept underneath Chaeyoung’s eye. 

“I haven’t seen you cry since Jeongyeon’s hidden camera prank.” Nayeon’s worried-filled eyes flitted between Chaeyoung’s. “What did you guys talk about for you to cry?” 

Chaeyoung paused before replying with a tiny smile. “It’s a long story, really.” 

Nayeon gazed into her eyes as silence ensued. They didn’t say anything—they didn’t have to really. 

Nayeon nodded after a moment. She knew when lines were drawn, knew when she could cross or not. 

“Will you tell me one day?” 

They both knew the answer to that. There was no hesitation this time. 

“Yes.” Chaeyoung smiled at her, leaning a bit into Nayeon’s hand. 

It’s warm.  

Nayeon grinned before pulling the both of them up. “C’mon, you look like you’re gonna collapse any second now. Plus, you still owe me my good night kiss.” 

Chaeyoung tugged on her shirt. “Can you stay with me tonight?” 

That caught Nayeon off guard. But she agreed anyways. “Always.” 

The two made their way over to the Hephaestus cabin. They stepped inside, trying to keep quiet to not wake up Chaeyoung’s siblings. 

Chaeyoung led Nayeon inside an elevator where she pressed a series of buttons. The elevator closed before reopening to Chaeyoung’s private room. 

The two changed into pajamas and got ready for sleep. Nayeon kept a spare change of clothes with Chaeyoung. This wasn’t the first time they had done this. 

They settled onto the bed and Chaeyoung instantly burrowed into Nayeon’s front. 

Usually, their spooning position depended on their mood. Nayeon guessed it was her turn to be the big spoon tonight. 

Chaeyoung lifted her head and grinned. “Can’t forget your goodnight kiss.” She leaned in, her soft lips brushing against Nayeon’s. 

Nayeon never got tired of this feeling, honestly. She sighed softly into the kiss and responded to the gentle pressure with her own. Her hand gripped Chaeyoung’s hip securely, rubbing tiny circles on the soft skin. 

Chaeyoung pulled back, her cheeks flushed a soft baby pink. Nayeon thought she looked lovely in that shade. 

“G’night.” Chaeyoung said quietly as she nestled back into Nayeon’s arms. 

“Good night Chaengie.” She tightened her hold on her little spoon.