Bob set Annabeth in Damasen's bed next to Percy and her eyes immediately felt heavy. She drifted off to sleep despairing of how they would escape Tartarus without Damasen's help.
She awoke after what seemed like just a couple hours. She felt surprisingly refreshed though; she hadn't dreamed at all. The hut was very quiet and the fire at the center was burning low. Bob and Damasen were nowhere in sight. Annabeth rolled over to look at Percy's sleeping face. The fire threw into relief his features which were somewhat gaunt but his color had returned since he'd been healed of his poisoning from the arai.
He looked so peaceful asleep, Annabeth wondered if he would ever look that way again. Their chances of escaping Tartarus alive were slim to none, she knew, and they were even smaller without Damasen's help.
Even though they'd only been together for a few months, not including the ones when Percy was hidden by Hera, Annabeth knew that she loved Percy with her whole heart. He had become a part of her and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him she realized suddenly. But the rest of their lives were more than likely going to be cut extremely short. Annabeth began to lament the lives they had yet to live and would probably never get to. There was still so much they hadn't done.
A tear rolled out of her eye and fell into her hair. She reached out her hand and brushed her fingertips along Percy's cheekbone. His sea green eyes fluttered open and he smiled.
"Hey, wise girl." He reached up his hand to brush her tear track. "What's the matter?"
"I'm just afraid we aren't going to make it. This is a far greater challenge than anything we've faced before. And there is still so much life left we haven't lived yet."
He kissed her forehead and pulled her into his embrace. "We're together."
She was thankful for those words yet again and managed to smile a little. She pulled back some to look into his eyes. "Yes." She paused, "Percy, being together is everything I could want. If we're going to our deaths, I may even be at peace with it if I could face it knowing that I am yours, wholly and completely."
He smiled a little sadly and, following what she was having trouble saying, said, "And that I am yours."
"If we're going to die soon, there is one last thing I want to give you." And she kissed him.
Percy held back at first, letting her set the pace and allowing her a way out if she changed her mind. But she wasn't turning back now. She tangled one hand in the back of his hair, pulling him into their kiss, and with the other she gripped his wrist and guided his hand to her waist and slipped it under her shirt.
Then Percy engaged immediately and glided his hand up her ribcage to the bottom curve of her breast and slipped his other hand around her, pulling her closer. Annabeth nudged her right knee in between Percy's legs and he obliged her instantly. She slid her leg upwards until she could feel his growing errection against her thigh. She ground against him with her hips and he whimpered into her mouth.
He moved his hand from her breast to her backside and then between her legs. She gasped as he began to gently caress her through her shorts. Percy had gotten her wet before but not like this, not with the expectation of so much more.
Then Percy rotated them so she was flat on her back looking up at him. He got up on his hands and knees and grasped the hem of her shirt pulling it up and over her head. He made quick work of her bra too considering it was almost ripped to shreds anyway. "Gods, you're beautiful," he murmured while he drank in the sight of her. She blushed furiously and sat up a bit so she could help him dispose of his shirt as well. You're not too bad yourself, she thought as she placed her hands on his tanned abdomen and let them roam upwards over his lean chest.
Apparently that proved too much for Percy as he leaned down quickly and captured her mouth with his. He sucked at her bottom lip until she parted her lips allowing room for his tongue to venture inside while his hands roamed down to fumble with the button on her shorts. After approximately two seconds, she could feel him frowning and moved her hands from his back to her shorts which she unbuttoned with one hand and kick away along with her underwear.
He relaxed and seemed almost giddy as he wrapped his left arm around her waist and moved the fingers of his right hand between her legs and pressed them to her. This was the first skin on skin contact Annabeth had experienced there and it felt like a fire had been kindled deep inside her right below her stomach. She squirmed with delight and moved both hands up to tangle in Percy's hair.
Percy grinned into their kiss like he was pleased with himself for making her feel this way. Annabeth subconsciously rolled her eyes and thought, Seaweed Brain, while she ground her hips into Percy's hand. His fingers began to delicately investigate her folds. Every new sensation was like another firework going off until he slid one finger inside her and she thought her head might explode. She gasped and he froze, pulling his head back to look into her eyes. She pulled his head down until her lips brushed his ear and whispered, "Don't stop."
He couldn't find her mouth again fast enough and kissed her with a ferocity that was completely opposite to his hands. He worked his index finger up and down agonizingly slowly inside her, making her impossibly wetter with each pass. It was only a few more seconds before she couldn't take it anymore and gasped out, "I want you. Now." In the back of her mind, she registered that her voice sounded huskier than normal, almost ragged. It was incredible the way Percy was making her feel.
After that Percy gently withdrew his finger and scrambled to remove his own jeans and boxers. She glanced him completely naked briefly and had just enough time to appreciate how amazing he looked before he was on top of her again. She spread her legs and he nestled himself between them, positioning his tip against her entrance.
She caught his eyes, "Slowly, ok?" He nodded and stretched himself upwards so they were face to face with his weight resting on his forearms on either side of her head. Without breaking eye contact, he gently, and very slowly, pushed himself into her. She clenched her eyes shut with the arousing combination of pleasure and pain. After a couple of heartbeats she opened them again and gazed into Percy's questioning eyes. She could tell he was using all his restraint to keep from moving and she smiled shyly at him. Gods, she loved him.
He smiled back tentatively and she brought her hands up to cup Percy's firm backside. She held him fast while she ground herself against him, experimenting. His face went rigid with pleasure as every movement seemed to shoot white hot flames from where they were joined through Annabeth's whole body.
She felt she was used to the blissful feeling of him inside her now so she let her hands wander up his back, giving him permission to move. First, though, he bent his mouth to her neck and started peppering her with kisses. She tilted her head back in response. Then he pulled himself back and slowly out of her until just his tip remained. She inhaled and clutched at his shoulders. Then he drove himself into her as deep as he could get and ground his own hips against her. She struggled for a breath, gulping down air and clenched her muscles around him while she wrapped her legs around his waist. Percy moaned and ground against her some more while moving his lips up to meet hers.
Annabeth felt a building molten pressure deep inside her that only expanded each time Percy pulled out and thrust back into her, grinding against her tinder spot. He only completed two more cycles of this before she felt like a nuclear blast was reaching its crescendo inside her. She grabbed Percy's backside with urgency and moved her hips in a sloppy circle against him and the dam broke. Every muscle in her body went rigid as waves of pleasure exploded from where they were joined and crashed across her whole body. She couldn't move or think, much less kiss Percy back as he slowly ground against her, extending her pleasure for a small eternity.
She blinked and removed her clutched hands from his backside as he grinned down at her. "I love you, Annabeth," her told her and then plunged himself inside of her one last time finding his own climax. She gripped his shoulders, her eyes locked on his face as he almost grimaced with pleasure. His eyes closed and he groaned softly as she felt him pulse inside of her.
Then, he all but collapsed on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him, both of them trembling with aftershocks of pleasure, and nuzzled into his neck to whisper, "I love you too, Percy."
After a few deep breaths, Percy seemed to regain enough strength to push himself off of her and roll onto his back. He turned his head toward her and said matter-of-factly, "Well, now there is no way I'm going to let us fail getting out of here if that's what's waiting for me after." Annabeth grinned and said, "We'd better get our clothes back on, Seaweed Brain. We still have a long way to go."