romy 𝜗ৎ

— 💌 a/n: this turned into breathe promo im so sorry but i just had way too much fun imagine luke not being able to read whatever he's trying to study cause his phone keeps on chiming (he has notifs on for y/n) and his feed is just full of macy/n photos lmao

glass bottles clicked as will rummaged through the infirmary shelves. he was barely paying attention to your dramatic sprawl across one of the recovery cots—or the rant you’d been delivering for the last twenty minutes.

“i just don’t understand him,” you groaned, throwing an arm over your face to block out the harsh apollo-cabin sunlight. “it’s not like chiron would smite him for saying no once. honestly, i think chiron would be relieved if luke actually admitted he needed a break.”

a muffled, “mhm,” came from will, his head buried between rows of nectar and gauze.

you sat up with a frustrated huff. “we haven’t spent actual time together in a week. and i’m not trying to be the clingy girlfriend, but for fuckssake—” you glared at the ceiling. “i miss him.”

“found it.”

he turned, wearing a grin that looked a little too mischievous, holding up a tiny glass vial. the liquid inside shimmered with an iridescent, pearly swirl.

you narrowed your eyes. “what is that? it looks like liquid headache.”

“your solution.”

“will,” you deadpanned, “this is genuinely the worst possible time to start drinking.”

“what—no!” he laughed, grabbing your wrist and tugging you off the cot. “we are not drinking it! you want your man’s attention?” he shook the bottle once. “here’s your answer.”

you eyed the vial. “babe, that looks like something circe would hand me right before turning me into a guinea pig.”

will roll his eyes so hard you thought they might get stuck. “well, if you wanted divine intervention, you should’ve prayed to aphrodite. i’m just being a supportive friend. it’s an olfactory stimulant.”

“fine,” you sighed dramatically, pushing yourself off the bed and snatching the bottle from his hand. “so what, do i pour it all—”

“only a little bit—” his sentence cut off into a horrified gasp as you tipped the bottle back carelessly, spilling nearly the entire thing down your neck.

you blinked at him, holding the now-empty bottle in your hand. will stare at you like he had just witnessed a fatal accident.

“…why are you looking at me like that?” you asked slowly.

“fuck,” he breathed.

“will.”

“okay. maybe that was slightly more than the recommended amount.”

you freak out, “am i going to die?”

“no,” he said immediately.

a breath of relief escaped your lips, but it was cut short as he added, “but i do wish you luck.”

he took the bottle from your hand carefully, lips pressed together like he was physically restraining himself from laughing. “maybe this’ll be good for you two.”

“good for us how?”

instead of answering, he patted your shoulder and started steering you toward the cabin door.

“go get him, tiger.”

“wait—” you twisted around as he shoved you outside. “you still haven’t told me what the hell that was!”

“sorry, honey!” he was halfway through shutting the door. “nico’s coming over and i need to clean before he starts judging me.”

“will!”

“oh— it’s pheromones. okay bye!”

the loud slam of the door didn’t help you snap out what the hell he just said, “…pheromones?”

the word bounced around your brain uselessly as you wandered down the camp pathways, trying to remember where you’d heard it before.

then it clicked.

“charles wasn’t paying attention to me,” silena had once said during campfire gossip, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “so i asked will for help. he gave me pheromones and, gods, charles wouldn’t leave my side for the rest of the day. best decision ever.”

you looked toward the training grounds. a slow, devious grin spread across your face. if luke wanted to play the "busy leader" card, you were about to overrule his deck.

the ring of bronze against bronze echoed across the arena. at the center of it all stood luke. he was in his element—shirt sleeves pushed up, brow damp with sweat, and a sword slung over his shoulder as he corrected a younger camper’s footwork.

normally, getting luke’s attention required a flare gun. you could glare holes into his head and he’d still stay focused on his supposed duty.

but the second your foot hit the edge of the dirt, his head snapped in your direction. it wasn't a casual glance, it looked more like a predator catching a scent on the wind. not a minute later, he was already on his way towards you.

“hey, my love.” his voice came warm and immediate as he reached you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

“thought i smelled you from over there,” he murmured. “guess i was right.”

you nearly laughed. “you could smell me?” you asked, raising a brow. “wow. i was starting to think i needed to hire a circus troupe just to get your attention today.”

“baby,” luke said softly, like the idea itself offended him, “you know i could never ignore you.”

his lips brushed your temple, then your cheek, then lingered near your neck like he physically couldn’t help himself.

you opened your mouth to argue—because yes, actually, he absolutely had been ignoring you—but the words died in your throat when his hands settled around your waist, pulling you closer with almost desperate ease.

“you smell really good,” he murmured against your neck, nose brushing your skin again. “different.”

you bit the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from laughing. “different good or different concerning?”

“different addictive.” he whispered, hands slid lower on your hips as he buried his face into your shoulder again, and somewhere behind him, one of the campers training nearby wolf-whistled.

“captain’s down bad,” someone muttered.

“shut up,” luke snapped immediately, though there was no real bite to it. his attention returned to you within half a second. “you weren’t at breakfast.”

you raised your eyebrow at him, “you weren’t either.”

head tilting on the side, “because i was busy.” sounding almost too sarcastic.

“exactly my point! you’re always too busy—first for me, now even for yourself.”

and there it was finally, luke looked mildly guilty, “baby—”

“no, because we have to talk about how workaholic you are.” you crossed your arms, though the effect was ruined by the way he still held onto your waist. “i sat outside your cabin for twenty minutes last night. connor said you were on 'do not disturb' mode.”

luke looked like you’d just stabbed him. the usual defensive bickering was gone; he just looked pained. “i was exhausted. i didn't—i didn't know you were there.”

“too exhausted even for me?”

“never.” the answer was immediate. he dropped his forehead against yours, breathing you in. “i missed you. gods, i missed you.”

he sounded like a man admitting a state secret. usually, luke castellan was the king of composure, the cool-headed leader especially in the presence of the other kids. right now, he looked ready to drop his sword in the dirt and carry you back to his bunk.

“can i kiss you?” he asked quietly.

you blinked. “since when do you ask?”

“please.” it was a low, desperate command.

the second your lips met, the world vanished. luke didn't just kiss you; he devoured you. it was warm, frantic, and entirely too public. you could hear the entire arena erupting into cheers from behind you.

“luke,” you managed to gasp out, breathless. “the campers... they’re watching.”

then a loud “get a room!” echoed from the cheering

luke didn't break the kiss. he just reached out a hand and blindly flipped the arena at large with his middle finger.

“let them watch,” he growled. lips trailing from yours, back to your jaw, and to the sensitive spot just behind your ear. “you smell… incredible. like summer and something i can’t quite name, but i don’t think i can let you go. ever.”

you felt a twinge of guilt. the pheromones were working too well. usually, luke was the one in control. now, he was acting like a starving man offered a feast.

“is that so?” you teased, trying to regain some semblance of the upper hand. you leaned back slightly, expecting him to let you breathe, but his grip only tightened.

his eyes were dark, pupils blown wide, focused entirely on you with a predatory sort of adoration. “i’m serious,” he whispered, his forehead dropping against yours. “i was going to stay out here for another three hours to help the other kids with their footwork, but now? i can’t even remember why i’m holding a sword.”

blade clattering to the dusty ground, luke is now completely indifferent to the surprised whispers of the younger campers. shouting a list of orders over to one of his brothers before dragging you away to somewhere more quiet and intimate.

“luke, wait,” you said, your heart starting to hammer. “i have to tell you something. will gave me this bottle, and i might have used… the whole thing.”

luke didn't seem to care about the logistics. he just hummed, a sound of pure contentment, and began to guide you backward toward the edge of the woods, away from the prying eyes of the arena.

“whatever it is,” he muttered, his lips catching yours again, “it’s working. you have my undivided attention. for as long as you want it.”

you realized then that will’s "good luck" wasn't a warning about the perfume—it was a warning about luke. as he swept you up into his arms, ignoring everything that kept him preoccupied the past week. that’s when you decided the explanation could wait until tomorrow. after all, you did say you missed him and he did say he misse you too.