[ her shoulders sink with the feeling of being loved. ]
[ it's one thing that remains true no matter where they are, no matter what's thrown at them: percy loves her. she'd been scared and worried during those months he was missing, only to find out she'd been the one thing he did remember. she loves him so much in return it often hurts. it's how they made it through literal hell. ]
[ there was no getting through tartarus without him. right from the start - she would have died instantly, if he hadn't been there to manipulate the cocytus to catch their fall. he chose to follow her and in doing so saved her a thousand times over. she pushes aside the whispering thought that he wouldn't have been there to begin with if not for her own arrogance and thinks only of his arms around her instead. she shifts, just enough to tuck herself under his chin. if tartarus is going to follow them here, in a magic castle in a brand new world, she's going to fight it off the same way. with him. together, it sometimes feels like they can do anything. ]
I'm - [ she wants to say sorry, but she isn't really, and she thinks percy would ignore it anyway. she's still crying, but it's quieter. percy settles her. ]
I'm glad you're here. [ her voice is a little hoarse. it's selfish, maybe. but she's curled up in his arms and doesn't want to be anywhere else right now. ]
[ It's a little bit of a promise, a fact, and a wish, all rolled into one. At this point in their relationship, after five years of fighting monsters, near-death experiences, and being each other's support (figuratively and literally), Percy simply can't imagine an existence without Annabeth Chase. In fact, he kinda refuses to.
He'd like to think that who or whatever sent them here knew that too.
He adjusts his own position when she moves, making them both a little more comfortable. He suspects that they're going to be here, like this, for the next little while — maybe even by the time daylight starts to break — but the length of time hardly matters to him. They could be here for the next couple of days, and he'd stay exactly where he is until they get through this nightmare together.
(If their roommates have a problem with that, he'd welcome them to try something.)
He leans his cheek against the top of her head now and lets the steadiness of his heartbeat calm hers, his breath slow and steady to take the lead until she feels hers steadying too. ]
[ annabeth has to take it as true, as a fact of the universe(s?). because the alternative is not something she ever wants to experience again. she's here, of course he'd be here too. it's tiring to be dragged into yet another set of problems, but the problems put them together more often than not. ]
[ they fit and move together like anything else, even in a tangle of arms and messy blankets, and she can only hope percy's not too uncomfortable, because she's not ready to move just yet. one hand lets go of his shirt, if only so she can slide her arm around him instead. she takes a deep but steady breath burrowed up against him. slowly, her breathing evens out. her heart slows to match his and the air doesn't feel as hostile, even with the storm rattling at the walls and windows. it's just a storm. it's not acid. ]
[ she's not in tartarus. part of her still feels unnerved, but at least she doesn't feel as unmoored. she's anchored again. ]
Nightmares, am I right? [ she tries for a joke, mumbled, but it falls flat, on account of how tightly she's still holding him and the low, anxious sound of her voice. ]
[ He can already feel the tension in her grip and in her breathing slowly ebb away, and he feels pretty good about that. Like he helped to make that happen.
It's a small point of pride, and a relief in knowing that she's going to be okay too, because he hates it when Annabeth is scared. One of the bravest people he's ever met in his whole life, and it terrifies him when she's afraid.
It means things are really, really bad. ]
Yeah. [ His mouth quirks, latching onto the levity she attempts to bring. He kisses her hair again. ] What would sleep be like if we didn't have them? Do you think we'd be counting sheep? Do you think those sheep would be big and cute and fluffy?
[ she doesn't quite laugh, but annabeth closes her eyes as percy kisses her head again and a smile nearly ghosts onto her face. she feels safe now, and that's really the most important part against the threat of her dreams and memory. ]
The biggest and fluffiest. Maybe they'd jump over the moon and everything. [ presuming they don't turn into man-eating sheep. she had enough of that in the sea of monsters, thank you. ]
[ then she frowns, not wanting to think about the sea of monsters, if only because she doesn't want to think about polyphemus and spiral back into thinking about curses, about blindness. ]
Did you know Iceland has more sheep than people? New Zealand, too. [ why does she know this? doesn't matter! talking about sheep is better than the alternative, and mostly she's just relieved she can form coherent sentences and think semi-properly again. ]
I think that's the cow. Isn't there a rhyme about a spoon having an affair?
[ Not that he's especially familiar with it or anything; while other kids grew up on Mother Goose nursery rhymes, Percy grew up on Greek myths about heroes and monsters and the gods, told to him by his mom. ]
We should visit Iceland one day. [ He kinda likes the idea of being in a place surrounded by cute, fluffy sheep. The water's supposed to be nice too.
Gently rubbing her arm now, he adds: ] And New Zealand.
Ugh, don't remind me of cows. [ she had enough of being haunted by cows for one lifetime. rightly fuck off hera. ]
[ annabeth isn't much better with normal nursery rhymes either, and far sooner in her childhood than later she learned all her own myth stories were very real. ]
[ somehow, the combination of his travel remarks and the soft way he touches her finally brings a slow, tiny smile to her face. it's near imperceptible, but percy makes her feel safe enough to let it slip out. that's all she wanted, when she woke up. to feel safe. ]
A vacation sounds really nice. There are lots of waterfalls in Iceland too. [ she knows you're a little bit fond of water. just a little though. ] We'd have to sail, unless you can pull in another favor with Hermes.
Right. [ He lets out a soft, sympathetic huff of laughter. He knows it isn't actually very funny, because yeah, Hera hasn't made it easy for any of them.
The pettiness of sending cows to Annabeth at every turn is an especially Hera Special™. ]
Well, I do like a waterfall. [ Yeah, sure, water's, you know ... okay. ] And hey, if you're good to sail, it could be a fun trip. Besides, we'd never get lost 'cause of the whole — [ He taps at his temple. ] — knowing the exact nautical coordinates at all times 'cause of Poseidon thing.
[ she supposes it's a little funny in retrospect, but she spent months before the battle of the manhattan spitefully eating as much beef as she could. fucking cows. ]
[ her smile widens a little bit when he taps his temple, just envisioning the simplicity of taking a boat to iceland with percy and his neat ability to know exactly where he is at all times at sea. ]
[ she shifts her head, only enough to look at his face, to take in the softness there even in the dark, trying to find the green of his eyes. ]
It's been a surprisingly useful skill. Yeah. Let's do it. Let's sail to Iceland. We can camp out and count some real sheep. [ it's nice to imagine doing fun things with him for a change. ]
[ That would explain all the steaks and the burgers ... all totally delicious, of course, but definitely a choice and preference. ]
Yeah? [ Percy grins now, also imagining all of the ways of this sailing trip becoming an actual, real thing. They could sleep beneath the stars, swim by the falls, count sheep, maybe even do a little fishing. It all feels so normal.
It feels like the kinda stuff regular people do before they head off to regular college, making future plans while backpacking across a new country. ] Okay. That settles it, then. Iceland here we come.
[ And maybe it doesn't even have to be Iceland. Maybe if they find some cool place here — granted he gets his powers back — they could explore a new area, see the sights and sounds, find sheep here.
Even if it never happens, if none of this really happens, the possibility exists, and for now it feels like enough. ]
[ the smile finally settles in her so deeply all of a sudden she almost feels stupid about it. the normalcy she craves with percy is so utterly grounding despite herself. most of the time annabeth doesn't feel like she is capable of being a normal girl. she's always had that struggle, really, as far back as she can remember, threw herself into into the godly side of herself when the mortal side rejected her so wholly. ]
[ they hadn't gotten the chance to be normal after the titan war. she just wants that chance. ]
[ but even the possibility of it continues to make her feel warm and safe, and isn't that all she wanted after crawling into bed with him? being with percy is never normal by virtue of their lives as demigods, but sometimes he makes her believe it can be. one day. being with percy settles her. ]
[ she reaches up, awkwardly patting his ear before her hand comes to settle at his cheek instead. she doesn't want to leave him tonight. she doesn't want to go back to tartarus. he wants to take a boat to iceland and hike up a glacier holding his hand. ]
Take me sailing, Seaweed Brain. [ she pauses. ] Can I ask one more favor?
[ What is it about her asking him to take her sailing that suddenly has his whole chest filling with warmth? Like it's a non-negotiable request (totally okay with that, by the way) but also an offer of a promise — that this will be something they do together too, another reason to look forward to their future as partners.
For someone who isn't very good at picking up on cues, or hell, even focusing on a single thing for longer than a couple seconds, it has Percy caught up in a moment of distraction.
The pause goes on for a beat too long before he realizes that Annabeth's asked him a question, and he's quick to make up for it. ]
[ his distraction nearly distracts her, mostly because the look on his face is very soft, and she knows it's because of her, in some capacity. ]
[ annabeth isn't a shy person. she doesn't think she has a shy bone in her body. but she does have nerves, and all of a sudden her request makes her feel briefly nervous. which is stupid, because she's camped out next to percy far too many times to count in their multitude of quests. they scandalized the argo ii. she slept beside him in tartarus, woke up with him in damasen's hut, under sheepskin and leather blankets. it's just a bed in a magic castle, far away from home, and she wants to feel safe more than she feels nervous, so she chases it away soon enough. it's normal, really. ]
[ she does drop her hand from his face though, reaching for his hand instead. ]
Would you mind if I just stayed here for the rest of the night?
[ perhaps another time she might have just assumed her place, just barged in, but it's a shared space. it's not like it's his cabin. ]
[ Yes, this is a shared space. No, this isn't his cabin back at Camp Half-Blood. But Percy doesn't care about literally any of that. When Annabeth reaches for his hand to hold, he laces his fingers with hers and squeezes gently.
It's about this.
It's about making sure that the other person is okay, kinda like the way they used to keep watch during their quests. During Tartarus. And no, maybe they don't have to keep their guard up now that they've arrived in this cushy castle with its safeguards and magic and 'civilization' but neither of them really know what this place is about yet.
Maybe some boogie man in a crown will show up unannounced. Maybe one of their roommates might randomly snap and call for blood. But maybe ... for his own peace of mind, he'd also rather the two of them stay together.
[ what a non-issue. what a comfort. what did she do deserve having percy jackson in her life? ]
When you put it that way, maybe it was a little silly to ask.
[ annabeth squeezes his hand in turn, relieved anyway. it's a hard habit to break, after who knows how long in tartarus of staying at each other's side, ensuring safety, playing guard - of course it would be a jarring switch to suddenly have her own sleeping space, no matter how much safer it is here from imminent, immediate deathly dangers. ]
[ but she already feels easier, knowing she's not going anywhere, knowing he'll be right there. knowing they can take on anything even a four-poster bed can threaten. ]
I might have secretly been assuming I'd just stay too.
[ Percy lets his eyes close for a moment, partially to bask in this feeling, and partially because he really is feeling a whole lot better now that they're together. ]
'Cause now that we're like this, I am way too comfortable to let you go anyway.
[ It's not exactly like he'd had an easy time getting to sleep on his own before she came over either — as she probably gathered by the fact that he hadn't even fallen asleep yet. The bed felt too soft, too luxurious, too empty, too big; and the storm outside sounded strange to his ears without the backdrop of screaming souls and gurgling volcanos.
There's something to be said about how truly messed up it is that he's having more trouble sleeping now than he had in literal Hell. But there it is.
He lets go of her hand only so he can wrap his arms around her again, using one of his feet to kick at the blanket, haphazardly flinging it back up a little to cover them. It hits their legs, at least. ]
[ annabeth always feels better with percy. they're a team. she spent enough time apart from him already, and she knows she can't be with him all the time. but now doesn't have to be one of those times. ]
[ percy shifts them a little, and it's easy to curl up into him as he wraps his arm around her. tartarus is gone, for now, and that's all she could have wanted out of reaching for him in the dark. ]
[ she giggles - she honestly fucking giggles - at his attempt to grab the blanket without dislodging her. which, respect, because she's very comfortable too, but it's so absurd in the light of everything else that she doesn't care. ]
Try again. But if you ask nicely, maybe I'll help. [ she wriggles her leg under the blanket. see? she's ready, if he says please. ]
[ There's a little more wriggling and shifting, and no, he is not letting go of Annabeth during all of this by any means. He can do this. He can do something as simple as wrangling the blanket up over them so they can try and get a little bit of sleep before daylight.
He kicks at the blanket again and attempts to use his foot to lift? It upwards? And it like, almost seems to work?
[ she's definitely not doing anything to make it easier on him, staying curled up against him as he struggles and wriggles, legs shuffling and the blanking fluffing about. annabeth laughs harder, turning her head into his chest to muffle the sound, mindful of the other people sleeping in the room. ]
[ only after he gives up and asks for help does she pull back, laughter sufficiently muted for now, but her face is lit up with a wide smile. ]
Okay. Lift it again and I'll grab it with my feet.
[ Annabeth's laughter is infectious, and he finds himself having to quell his own amusement, snickering into her hair and generally doing his best to keep quiet so the rest of their roommates aren't stirred awake.
He can imagine how that conversation might go, and he really doesn't want to have to explain Tartarus and demigod-flavoured nightmares to anyone.
But in the end, it's Annabeth's wide smile that makes him feel like he's just conquered the freakin' Nemean Lion (again), recalling the drastic difference between the beginning of the night and now. It feels like a victory, and he savours the sound of her muffled laughter and the way her whole expression has lit up because he happened to be a dumb moron.
He does as she's asked though, lifting his leg to bring the blanket up again so Annabeth can help with the rest. ]
[ maybe more than anything else, the fact that she can still laugh with him after this escalation of nightmares is a good sign. hearing him try to hide his own laugh is warmer than any blanket they wrestle with. she should have come to him ages ago (ages, as if it's been more than a few days here). ]
[ percy lifts the blanket, and annabeth tries to grab it between her feet. it slips out of her grasp in the first attempt, which only makes her shake even more with laughter, though she swallows back the sound and tries very hard to keep it quiet. ]
Stay still - [ it doesn't even matter if he hadn't moved, she's going to blame him. she moves her legs again, locking in the blanket between her ankles and bending her knees in an attempt to drag it up higher - naturally she ends up kneeing him in the gut in the process. ]
I am! [ Percy hisses in between quiet huffs of laughter, because once she's started he can't stop either.
Their squirming around trying to finagle the blanket into some semblance of usefulness does mean she knees him in the gut — which predictably means that he exhales an audible oof! and a reflexive — ] — ow!
[ He has to clutch at Annabeth with his arms still tightly wound around her to freeze them in place and avoid stirring any of their roommates awake. He listens for any sounds of action from beyond the curtains of this four-poster bed.
Three seconds ... four ... and it seems like no one's been disturbed.
[ annabeth would much rather be scrambling to hide her laughter from roommates than running to hide her very self from monsters. she nearly shrieks with a laugh after she knees him, which probably isn't appropriate, but she can't help it. his arm tightens around her in warning, and she hides her face again while they wait it out; when they find only silence and no annoyed roomies, another quiet laugh bubbles out of her. ]
Sorry! [ she hisses it out between giggles, whispering. ] I'm sorry!
[ she reaches down blindly with one hand, fingertips accidentally grazing his hip, but she manages to grip the edge of the blanket at last, yanking it up and pulling it over them. she pulls a little too hard though, and it lands atop them entirely, falling down over their heads. ]
[ Percy makes a slight performance of spluttering beneath the way the blanket has now fallen over his face, shifting his head this way and that to give himself a little more space to breath.
This also means shifting beneath Annabeth's weight so they're a little better in line with each other and he can meet her eyes. Or — try to, anyway. It's still pretty dark. ]
Yeah, you are.
[ He agrees.
And listen, Percy can't help it, the way he's grinning so widely now in between huffs of forced quiet laughter, heart pounding. With the two of them caught beneath the blanket, he gently reaches out to graze her cheek before craning his neck a little to kiss her. ]
[ she moves in tandem with him as he gets comfortable, settling in beside him, facing him and feeling the most at ease she has since the night began. she should probably pull the blanket down, but there's something extra safe about being enclosed like this. another barrier, closing off the world outside them and the world haunting their dreams. ]
[ it's just percy with her now. she doesn't need to see him perfectly clearly to know he's there and he's got her. ]
[ annabeth feels like her heart stutters a bit when he touches her cheek, but it melts into a much more welcoming warmth as he kisses her. her mouth curls into a small smile as she returns it, leaning closer to him like it's the most natural thing. she supposes it kind of is. ]
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seaweedbrain) wrote2024-04-05 11:53 am
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[ it's one thing that remains true no matter where they are, no matter what's thrown at them: percy loves her. she'd been scared and worried during those months he was missing, only to find out she'd been the one thing he did remember. she loves him so much in return it often hurts. it's how they made it through literal hell. ]
[ there was no getting through tartarus without him. right from the start - she would have died instantly, if he hadn't been there to manipulate the cocytus to catch their fall. he chose to follow her and in doing so saved her a thousand times over. she pushes aside the whispering thought that he wouldn't have been there to begin with if not for her own arrogance and thinks only of his arms around her instead. she shifts, just enough to tuck herself under his chin. if tartarus is going to follow them here, in a magic castle in a brand new world, she's going to fight it off the same way. with him. together, it sometimes feels like they can do anything. ]
I'm - [ she wants to say sorry, but she isn't really, and she thinks percy would ignore it anyway. she's still crying, but it's quieter. percy settles her. ]
I'm glad you're here. [ her voice is a little hoarse. it's selfish, maybe. but she's curled up in his arms and doesn't want to be anywhere else right now. ]
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[ It's a little bit of a promise, a fact, and a wish, all rolled into one. At this point in their relationship, after five years of fighting monsters, near-death experiences, and being each other's support (figuratively and literally), Percy simply can't imagine an existence without Annabeth Chase. In fact, he kinda refuses to.
He'd like to think that who or whatever sent them here knew that too.
He adjusts his own position when she moves, making them both a little more comfortable. He suspects that they're going to be here, like this, for the next little while — maybe even by the time daylight starts to break — but the length of time hardly matters to him. They could be here for the next couple of days, and he'd stay exactly where he is until they get through this nightmare together.
(If their roommates have a problem with that, he'd welcome them to try something.)
He leans his cheek against the top of her head now and lets the steadiness of his heartbeat calm hers, his breath slow and steady to take the lead until she feels hers steadying too. ]
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[ they fit and move together like anything else, even in a tangle of arms and messy blankets, and she can only hope percy's not too uncomfortable, because she's not ready to move just yet. one hand lets go of his shirt, if only so she can slide her arm around him instead. she takes a deep but steady breath burrowed up against him. slowly, her breathing evens out. her heart slows to match his and the air doesn't feel as hostile, even with the storm rattling at the walls and windows. it's just a storm. it's not acid. ]
[ she's not in tartarus. part of her still feels unnerved, but at least she doesn't feel as unmoored. she's anchored again. ]
Nightmares, am I right? [ she tries for a joke, mumbled, but it falls flat, on account of how tightly she's still holding him and the low, anxious sound of her voice. ]
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It's a small point of pride, and a relief in knowing that she's going to be okay too, because he hates it when Annabeth is scared. One of the bravest people he's ever met in his whole life, and it terrifies him when she's afraid.
It means things are really, really bad. ]
Yeah. [ His mouth quirks, latching onto the levity she attempts to bring. He kisses her hair again. ] What would sleep be like if we didn't have them? Do you think we'd be counting sheep? Do you think those sheep would be big and cute and fluffy?
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The biggest and fluffiest. Maybe they'd jump over the moon and everything. [ presuming they don't turn into man-eating sheep. she had enough of that in the sea of monsters, thank you. ]
[ then she frowns, not wanting to think about the sea of monsters, if only because she doesn't want to think about polyphemus and spiral back into thinking about curses, about blindness. ]
Did you know Iceland has more sheep than people? New Zealand, too. [ why does she know this? doesn't matter! talking about sheep is better than the alternative, and mostly she's just relieved she can form coherent sentences and think semi-properly again. ]
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I think that's the cow. Isn't there a rhyme about a spoon having an affair?
[ Not that he's especially familiar with it or anything; while other kids grew up on Mother Goose nursery rhymes, Percy grew up on Greek myths about heroes and monsters and the gods, told to him by his mom. ]
We should visit Iceland one day. [ He kinda likes the idea of being in a place surrounded by cute, fluffy sheep. The water's supposed to be nice too.
Gently rubbing her arm now, he adds: ] And New Zealand.
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[ annabeth isn't much better with normal nursery rhymes either, and far sooner in her childhood than later she learned all her own myth stories were very real. ]
[ somehow, the combination of his travel remarks and the soft way he touches her finally brings a slow, tiny smile to her face. it's near imperceptible, but percy makes her feel safe enough to let it slip out. that's all she wanted, when she woke up. to feel safe. ]
A vacation sounds really nice. There are lots of waterfalls in Iceland too. [ she knows you're a little bit fond of water. just a little though. ] We'd have to sail, unless you can pull in another favor with Hermes.
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The pettiness of sending cows to Annabeth at every turn is an especially Hera Special™. ]
Well, I do like a waterfall. [ Yeah, sure, water's, you know ... okay. ] And hey, if you're good to sail, it could be a fun trip. Besides, we'd never get lost 'cause of the whole — [ He taps at his temple. ] — knowing the exact nautical coordinates at all times 'cause of Poseidon thing.
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[ her smile widens a little bit when he taps his temple, just envisioning the simplicity of taking a boat to iceland with percy and his neat ability to know exactly where he is at all times at sea. ]
[ she shifts her head, only enough to look at his face, to take in the softness there even in the dark, trying to find the green of his eyes. ]
It's been a surprisingly useful skill. Yeah. Let's do it. Let's sail to Iceland. We can camp out and count some real sheep. [ it's nice to imagine doing fun things with him for a change. ]
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Yeah? [ Percy grins now, also imagining all of the ways of this sailing trip becoming an actual, real thing. They could sleep beneath the stars, swim by the falls, count sheep, maybe even do a little fishing. It all feels so normal.
It feels like the kinda stuff regular people do before they head off to regular college, making future plans while backpacking across a new country. ] Okay. That settles it, then. Iceland here we come.
[ And maybe it doesn't even have to be Iceland. Maybe if they find some cool place here — granted he gets his powers back — they could explore a new area, see the sights and sounds, find sheep here.
Even if it never happens, if none of this really happens, the possibility exists, and for now it feels like enough. ]
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[ they hadn't gotten the chance to be normal after the titan war. she just wants that chance. ]
[ but even the possibility of it continues to make her feel warm and safe, and isn't that all she wanted after crawling into bed with him? being with percy is never normal by virtue of their lives as demigods, but sometimes he makes her believe it can be. one day. being with percy settles her. ]
[ she reaches up, awkwardly patting his ear before her hand comes to settle at his cheek instead. she doesn't want to leave him tonight. she doesn't want to go back to tartarus. he wants to take a boat to iceland and hike up a glacier holding his hand. ]
Take me sailing, Seaweed Brain. [ she pauses. ] Can I ask one more favor?
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For someone who isn't very good at picking up on cues, or hell, even focusing on a single thing for longer than a couple seconds, it has Percy caught up in a moment of distraction.
The pause goes on for a beat too long before he realizes that Annabeth's asked him a question, and he's quick to make up for it. ]
— sure. Yeah, anything.
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[ annabeth isn't a shy person. she doesn't think she has a shy bone in her body. but she does have nerves, and all of a sudden her request makes her feel briefly nervous. which is stupid, because she's camped out next to percy far too many times to count in their multitude of quests. they scandalized the argo ii. she slept beside him in tartarus, woke up with him in damasen's hut, under sheepskin and leather blankets. it's just a bed in a magic castle, far away from home, and she wants to feel safe more than she feels nervous, so she chases it away soon enough. it's normal, really. ]
[ she does drop her hand from his face though, reaching for his hand instead. ]
Would you mind if I just stayed here for the rest of the night?
[ perhaps another time she might have just assumed her place, just barged in, but it's a shared space. it's not like it's his cabin. ]
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[ Yes, this is a shared space. No, this isn't his cabin back at Camp Half-Blood. But Percy doesn't care about literally any of that. When Annabeth reaches for his hand to hold, he laces his fingers with hers and squeezes gently.
It's about this.
It's about making sure that the other person is okay, kinda like the way they used to keep watch during their quests. During Tartarus. And no, maybe they don't have to keep their guard up now that they've arrived in this cushy castle with its safeguards and magic and 'civilization' but neither of them really know what this place is about yet.
Maybe some boogie man in a crown will show up unannounced. Maybe one of their roommates might randomly snap and call for blood. But maybe ... for his own peace of mind, he'd also rather the two of them stay together.
He feels more comfortable like this. ]
I actually kinda assumed you'd stay.
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[ what a non-issue. what a comfort. what did she do deserve having percy jackson in her life? ]
When you put it that way, maybe it was a little silly to ask.
[ annabeth squeezes his hand in turn, relieved anyway. it's a hard habit to break, after who knows how long in tartarus of staying at each other's side, ensuring safety, playing guard - of course it would be a jarring switch to suddenly have her own sleeping space, no matter how much safer it is here from imminent, immediate deathly dangers. ]
[ but she already feels easier, knowing she's not going anywhere, knowing he'll be right there. knowing they can take on anything even a four-poster bed can threaten. ]
I might have secretly been assuming I'd just stay too.
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[ Percy lets his eyes close for a moment, partially to bask in this feeling, and partially because he really is feeling a whole lot better now that they're together. ]
'Cause now that we're like this, I am way too comfortable to let you go anyway.
[ It's not exactly like he'd had an easy time getting to sleep on his own before she came over either — as she probably gathered by the fact that he hadn't even fallen asleep yet. The bed felt too soft, too luxurious, too empty, too big; and the storm outside sounded strange to his ears without the backdrop of screaming souls and gurgling volcanos.
There's something to be said about how truly messed up it is that he's having more trouble sleeping now than he had in literal Hell. But there it is.
He lets go of her hand only so he can wrap his arms around her again, using one of his feet to kick at the blanket, haphazardly flinging it back up a little to cover them. It hits their legs, at least. ]
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[ percy shifts them a little, and it's easy to curl up into him as he wraps his arm around her. tartarus is gone, for now, and that's all she could have wanted out of reaching for him in the dark. ]
[ she giggles - she honestly fucking giggles - at his attempt to grab the blanket without dislodging her. which, respect, because she's very comfortable too, but it's so absurd in the light of everything else that she doesn't care. ]
Try again. But if you ask nicely, maybe I'll help. [ she wriggles her leg under the blanket. see? she's ready, if he says please. ]
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[ There's a little more wriggling and shifting, and no, he is not letting go of Annabeth during all of this by any means. He can do this. He can do something as simple as wrangling the blanket up over them so they can try and get a little bit of sleep before daylight.
He kicks at the blanket again and attempts to use his foot to lift? It upwards? And it like, almost seems to work?
Suffice to say, it totally doesn't work.
He lets his weight sink back down and sighs. ]
Okay, yes. Please help.
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[ only after he gives up and asks for help does she pull back, laughter sufficiently muted for now, but her face is lit up with a wide smile. ]
Okay. Lift it again and I'll grab it with my feet.
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He can imagine how that conversation might go, and he really doesn't want to have to explain Tartarus and demigod-flavoured nightmares to anyone.
But in the end, it's Annabeth's wide smile that makes him feel like he's just conquered the freakin' Nemean Lion (again), recalling the drastic difference between the beginning of the night and now. It feels like a victory, and he savours the sound of her muffled laughter and the way her whole expression has lit up because he happened to be a dumb moron.
He does as she's asked though, lifting his leg to bring the blanket up again so Annabeth can help with the rest. ]
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[ percy lifts the blanket, and annabeth tries to grab it between her feet. it slips out of her grasp in the first attempt, which only makes her shake even more with laughter, though she swallows back the sound and tries very hard to keep it quiet. ]
Stay still - [ it doesn't even matter if he hadn't moved, she's going to blame him. she moves her legs again, locking in the blanket between her ankles and bending her knees in an attempt to drag it up higher - naturally she ends up kneeing him in the gut in the process. ]
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Their squirming around trying to finagle the blanket into some semblance of usefulness does mean she knees him in the gut — which predictably means that he exhales an audible oof! and a reflexive — ] — ow!
[ He has to clutch at Annabeth with his arms still tightly wound around her to freeze them in place and avoid stirring any of their roommates awake. He listens for any sounds of action from beyond the curtains of this four-poster bed.
Three seconds ... four ... and it seems like no one's been disturbed.
He relaxes his grip on her. ]
Maybe try not to beat me up next time.
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Sorry! [ she hisses it out between giggles, whispering. ] I'm sorry!
[ she reaches down blindly with one hand, fingertips accidentally grazing his hip, but she manages to grip the edge of the blanket at last, yanking it up and pulling it over them. she pulls a little too hard though, and it lands atop them entirely, falling down over their heads. ]
[ she giggles again, softly. ]
But you know I'm always gonna beat you up.
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This also means shifting beneath Annabeth's weight so they're a little better in line with each other and he can meet her eyes. Or — try to, anyway. It's still pretty dark. ]
Yeah, you are.
[ He agrees.
And listen, Percy can't help it, the way he's grinning so widely now in between huffs of forced quiet laughter, heart pounding. With the two of them caught beneath the blanket, he gently reaches out to graze her cheek before craning his neck a little to kiss her. ]
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[ it's just percy with her now. she doesn't need to see him perfectly clearly to know he's there and he's got her. ]
[ annabeth feels like her heart stutters a bit when he touches her cheek, but it melts into a much more welcoming warmth as he kisses her. her mouth curls into a small smile as she returns it, leaning closer to him like it's the most natural thing. she supposes it kind of is. ]
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