A/N: Movieverse. I never would've shipped this pairing in the 'litverse' or book universe, but having seen Sea of Monsters and the Clarisse they had in that and the way she interacted with Percy, I have to say that that sparked an interest in this particular pairing! Anyways, I think I'll just leave this as a one-shot for the moment being, but if I get any ideas on how to expand on it and if there's enough demand, I'll elaborate on this particular story. Anyways, I'm done rambling! Enjoy!

Percy's POV

I woke up in Poseidon cabin to the fresh smell of sea air. It always smelt like that in the cabin, which was pretty awesome, I'd have to say. I sat up in my bed and looked around the empty cabin. Normally, it's super disorganized and I've got clothes all over the place, some dirt or mud tracked in from that day's activities, but today I woke up to a spotless room. The harpies will only really come in to clean once I'm moving out of camp for the school year, so the reason for it being spotless, well, I got bored last night with time to kill before lights-out time, so I went on a cleaning frenzy.

I grabbed a towel and made my way to the bathroom. I climbed into the shower and allowed myself to get wet from the warm downpour. Having the water wash over me was a soothing feeling. Any early-morning grogginess suddenly vanished and I was energized. I toweled myself off after I'd rinsed soap and shampoo off, then I crossed over to the sinks there. I looked myself in the mirror, the sea-green irises flitting around as I looked myself over. My hair was still a little damp and there were little droplets of water still on my skin. I willed myself dry and my body just absorbed the residual moisture. I brushed my teeth and put on deodorant and cologne before walking back to my bed and changing into jeans and a t-shirt.

With that, I waltzed out of my cabin, whistling happily as I gazed around the camp on my way to the pavilion for breakfast. I love this place.

"Why are you so smug and jolly, Jackson?" a voice asked harshly.

Did I love this part of camp? Not so much.

"Morning to you too, Clarisse," I replied drily. "A person's not allowed to be happy here all of a sudden?"

"Oh no, people are allowed to be happy, just not 'spring-in-your-step-whistling-loudly' kinda happy," she shot back.

"Sir, yes, sir," I quipped sarcastically.

"Don't forget it, soldier!" she said, walking away.

I shook my head and started making my way to the pavilion when Grover sidled up to me.

"Hey, buddy!" I cheered, swinging my arm across his shoulders. "What's up?"

"You hear about the party Aphrodite cabin are throwing tonight?" Grover asked.

"No," I answered slowly. I honestly didn't know about the party, but I know what you're signing up for an Aphrodite cabin party. Some sappy games like spin the bottle, truth or dare, a few spiked drinks. I'd only been to the one since I came to camp, but I knew what they were like.

"Well, you gotta come tonight, Perce. This one's supposed to be off the hook! Even some of the wood nymphs are coming to it!" Grover said, a cloudy look taking over his eyes upon mentioning the wood nymphs.

"Earth to Grover!" I shouted, waving my hand in front of his eyes.

He shook himself and snapped back to attention.

"Anyway, Percy, you have to be there for this one!"

"That's what I'd been told the last time I went to an Aphrodite party and I spent all night holding up the wall."

"Yeah, but Percy, that was when you were a shy undetermined demigod, now that you're one of, if not *the* most powerful demigod at camp! They'll want you in on the fun!"

"Alright, buddy. If you're really that set on me 'having' to be there, then count me in."

"YES!" Grover jumped and fist pumped in triumph. "MY MAN!"

I rolled my eyes at his antics as we came up to the pavilion, and we parted ways, him going up to the main table and me heading over to get some food and offered up two pancakes and a few eggs for my dad, and also muttered a prayer for Aphrodite to make this party better than the last one I'd been to.

I sat down and wolfed down my breakfast with some blue Coca-Cola, enjoying eating in silence.

The day went by quickly, with the morning taken up by various forms of weapon training. Chiron even said that my archery was getting ever so slightly better than abysmal! I spent the afternoon at the lake, the first half in a canoe, and the latter half just sitting at the bottom of the lake. I climbed out and felt re-energized and I walked back to my cabin to get ready for the party. I changed into a better pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt. I walked back to the bathroom and refreshed my deodorant and cologne and brushed my teeth.

Just as I'd finished, I heard a knock at the door of the cabin. I opened it up to see Grover standing there, evidently brimming with excitement.

"Percy, my man, tonight is the night!" He cried, making as if to step in, but halting himself with one hoof suspended in the air and an unsure look on his face.

"Oh, come in, Grover!" I sighed in joking exasperation.

He continued his way into the cabin, looked me over and slapped me on the arm.

"So, you ready?" he asked, grinning widely.

"Um, yeah, sure," I replied.

"Come on, lighten up, Perce!" he said, stepping in and putting both hands on my shoulders.

"Percy, are you wearing ocean-scented deodorant and cologne?" he asked, frowning slightly and chuckling.

"I wouldn't be talking, mister woodsy-earthen cologne!" I quipped.

We stood there for a second, before breaking down in hysterics. It lasted a good couple of minutes before we composed ourselves.

"Okay, Perce, we seriously need to get going. Wouldn't want to miss out on any of the fun!"

With that, he dragged me out of the cabin and we made our way to the Aphrodite cabin. We could hear music from outside of it as we approached, and we went and knocked on the door.

An Aphrodite girl answered the door.

"Percy, Grover! Come on in! You're just in time! Party's about to start!" she said cheerfully.

With that, we walked in, getting a few cheers as we walked in from a few friends of ours. Another Aphrodite camper handed us plastic cups with some pop in it.

As things got into gear, I realized things were turning out to be just as I expected them to be. Everyone was gathering in a circle for Truth or Dare. I walked to the back slowly and took up a spot leaning against the wall. I had considered just leaving, but I couldn't ditch Grover.

"You look like you're having the time of your life, Jackson," I heard a voice quip.

"Clarisse! Well, you know me, party animal for the ages, here," I shot back.

She scoffed, "Uh huh, I just can't imagine this party surviving without you being the life of it."

"Ooh, Clarisse, you wound me," I said mockingly, holding a hand to my chest and feigning agony.

"Well, I suppose getting your butt kicked all the time will do that to you," she replied.

Our own spat ended there as we began a running commentary of the proceedings.

"Wonder what they're gonna get Grover to do," I commented.

"Oh please, everyone knows he has the hots for Juniper," Clarisse drawled.

"Fair enough, your point being?"

"My *point* is that those matchmaking-obsessed Aphrodite campers will pull some stunt or another to set them up," she stated. "10 drachmas they'll wait until the next 'game'."

I looked over at her, my eyebrow arched.

"You don't think they'll do it during Truth or Dare?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"No, they'll probably get him to do something embarrassing, then wait for Spin the Bottle," she said confidently.

"Alright, it's a bet. I say 10 drachmas that it's during Truth or Dare, you say it'll be Spin the Bottle," I declared, reaching over for a handshake, which might've been bone crunching for anyone else, judging from how tightly Clarisse gripped my hand.

"What are you doing at this party, anyways, Jackson?" she said as we settled back into our wall-leaning as we surveyed the Truth or Dare game unfolding before us.

"Grover dragged me here, obviously. I figured your genius powers of deduction would've figured it out. Who dragged you here?"

"You assume that I wouldn't want to be here of my own free will?" she challenged.

"Well, you're not necessarily partying things up; you're pulling the wallflower manoeuvre like me, so I just figured you were here because of someone else, rather than coming on your own."

A minute passed before she sighed, resigned.

"Silena made me come," she said, a defeated edge colouring her words.

I patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Clarisse, it gets better," I said, my voice dripping with mock concern.

"Get your hand off my shoulder, Jackson," she growled.

I laughed as I acquiesced, and kept to surveying the game as it got to Grover.

"Grover, Truth or Dare?" a camper asked.

"I'm feeling adventurous tonight, let's go with a dare!" he replied energetically.

The crowd cheered.

"Okay, Grover, I dare you to…" the camper started, as he looked around the circle, his eyes resting on Juniper a second.

I stood up in anticipation.

"Do a song and jig on the roof of the Big House!" he finished dramatically.

Everyone let out an appreciative 'ooh' at the challenge.

Grover fidgeted nervously for a second, before taking a deep breath.

"Alright!" he cried, to huge applause and cheers.

Everyone filed out of the Aphrodite cabin to follow Grover on his trek up to the Big House.

"Ten drachmas, Jackson," Clarisse said gleefully, holding out her hand.

"Well, wait, there's a chance you could be wrong, too!" I protested.

"Hmm, you've got a point. If that's the case, no money changes hands, we'll call it even," she said, holding out her hand for another handshake.

I chuckled and accepted the handshake, and we turned our attention to Grover as we arrived to the Big House. He clambered up to the roof and stood at the peak, spreading his arms.

"Camp Half-Blood! How's it going tonight?" He shouted.

Everyone cheered in response.

Grover immediately began tap-dancing on the roof in time as he sang some Katy Perry song at the top of his lungs.

As he finished, he struck a pose, to massive cheers. He clambered down and was given a hero's welcome once he was on the ground. Everyone walked back to the Aphrodite cabin to continue the party.

"Alright! So that gives us a great chance to transition into our next game: 7 minutes in heaven!" an Aphrodite girl cheered.

Her cry was matched by everyone else as everyone got back into a circle, with Clarisse and I regaining our spots at the wall, away from proceedings.

The Aphrodite girl who'd announced the game seemed to be the one running this game, as she then went on to declare, "First ones up… Let's have our two *wallflowers*, Percy and Clarisse!"

There was a mix of gasps and cheers as we both froze.

"No!" we both shouted at the same time.

"Come on!" the Aphrodite girl protested. "Are you two gonna be party poopers?"

The crowd began to chant "Party poopers"

Grover walked up.

"Come on, Perce! I just danced and sung on the roof of the Big House! Mr. D and Chiron will probably kill me! Least you could do is suck it up and spend 7 minutes with Clarisse!" Grover said.

After a few more minutes of nagging from the crowd, we made our way to the closet they'd emptied for this game. They shut the door and I heard them push some heavy stuff in front of the door.

"Really, Aphrodite?" I muttered somewhat darkly. "This isn't what I meant when I asked for this party to be good…"

"What's that, Jackson?" Clarisse hissed.

"Nothing," I replied hurriedly.

"Whatever, suit yourself," she scoffed. "I can't believe it. Not only am I stuck in a damn closet for seven minutes, but I'm stuck in here with you of all people."

"Oh, come on, I'm not that bad!" I protested.

The closet was pitch black, but I could tell she was arching her eyebrow at me, or giving some sort of challenging look.

"What is it about me that annoys you so damn much, anyways, Clarisse?"

"Well, Jackson, if you must know, you're always so smug, like just being Poseidon's son gives you special entitlement or something-" she began.

"It doesn't," I snapped.

That seemed to shut her right up.

"My life's always been a struggle with my identity. I feel that being a child of one of the Big Three, and being the subject of that big Prophecy, there's a lot of weight on my shoulders. Each day, I look in the mirror, and I ask myself 'Am I good enough to be the hero who saves Olympus? Or will I fail it and be the reason of its downfall?' I even question whether I'm good enough to be Poseidon's son. I feel like, there's such expectation from everyone at camp, from the gods, from everyone, about what I'll do, and I just feel like no matter how hard I try, I'll never be good enough to save Olympus."

I let out a shaky breath as I finished, trying, but failing to control that breath that gave away the fact that my eyes were watering up.

There was about a half-minute of silence before Clarisse spoke up.

"Percy, I had no idea you were going through that. I'll admit that I'm super jealous of you, for being Poseidon's son, being the child of Prophecy, and I guess that jealousy kinda coloured my opinion of you. Truth be told, you're a great guy Percy, you're an amazing hero, the best at camp by a long shot. Even if you don't know it yourself. You *are* good enough to be Poseidon's son, Percy. I have no doubt that he'd be proud to have you as a son, I'm sure you'd be among his favourites, too. You can save Olympus, Percy, I know you can. In fact, I know you'll save it. It's not expectations, Percy, it's faith. We all have faith in you."

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. All of a sudden, all the doubts and anxieties I'd had over the past while just washed away, leaving me with a sense of peace and determination. Suddenly, I reached my hand forward at about head level and found Clarisse's hair. I inched it away so that I was cupping her cheek, then I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. I expected resistance, maybe even a shove and a right hook, but I felt her return the kiss. After a few moments, I pulled away slightly.

"Thanks, Clarisse, I really appreciate that. You don't know how much that means to me," I whispered.

"No problem Percy," she replied sweetly. "But if you ever start doubting yourself again, I'll kick your ass."

I chuckled, running my thumb back and forth across her smooth cheek.

"Sir, yes sir," I quipped, before leaning back in to kiss her.

We stayed like that for a few more minutes, not even noticing that our fellow campers had covertly opened the door and were taking a video of us making out, until a flash on someone's phone went off and that snapped us back to reality and we pulled apart.

"Awww!" Grover called out obnoxiously, causing everyone to laugh and Clarisse and I to blush.

"Soooo!" an Aphrodite camper called out, breaking the attention away from us. "Time for Spin the Bottle!"

Clarisse and I linked hands as we walked over to our spots at the back, against the wall and surveyed the game.

One of the campers spun it once everyone was in a circle, and it stopped with one end pointing at Grover and the other at Juniper. They both sheepishly (no pun intended) got up and walked up to each other and kissed, the kiss suddenly deepening, which evicted cat calls from the assembled campers.

"Pay up, Percy," Clarisse said, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Fine," I grumbled, keeping my one hand linked to hers whilst fishing in my pocket for the money.

I handed it over to her and she pocketed it gleefully, turning back and kissing me on the cheek, which brought out a slightly goofy grin out of me.

Inside my head, I heard a distinctly feminine voice clearing its throat.

"Thanks, Aphrodite," I said under my breath, as I turned and kissed Clarisse.