"Race you to the road?" Percy said to me in an attempt to get my mind off the prophecy. It didn't really work, but I humored him anyway.
"You are so going to lose," I said and took off down the hill without waiting for him to initially start the race. With me, he knew that I started anything when I wanted to but he could keep up if he tried. Luckily, he always tried. I heard him coming down the hill, running after me, trying in vain to beat me. He knew it would never work, but this time I wasn't looking for a victory. Once I got to the bottom of the hill, 15 yards away from the road, I turned around and held my arms out. He ran straight into me, throwing us both on the soft grass.
Somehow, I managed to end up on top of him, instead of the other way around. His initial worry about him hurting me was soon vanquished by my hysterical laughter. The next thing I knew, my face was no longer buried in his chest, laughing my head off, but I was now on my back with him hovering over me with my wrists pinned down by my head. This still didn't stop my laughter, not even when he threatened "You're going to pay for that one, Wise Girl," and started tickling me.
"No, no! I'm…sorry…I'm sorry!" I managed to gasp out while he continued to tickle me mercilessly. He just wouldn't accept my apology so I had to resort to the old fashion way of getting him to stop: battle strategy.
Slowly, without letting him notice, my legs slowly inched up until they were wrapped around his waist. I'm still gasping for air and begging him to stop, but now my hands are moving closer to his arms. Unbelievably, he still doesn't realize what I'm doing. In one swift motion, I grabbed both of his arms and swung my body sideways so now I'm on top of him holding his hands. I let out one "Ha!" to my well earned victory before he held his palms out in a sign of truce. I look at him skeptically, but I eventually end up letting his hands go, though I'm not moving. I'm still not completely trusting when he makes a sudden movement, grabs my face with his hands and pulls me closer for a kiss.
Although we've been dating for a few weeks, I still haven't gotten used to the fact that the only boy I want really wants me the same way I want him. I haven't gotten used to everything new yet exciting that's happening between us, thus, I haven't quite gotten over the topsy turvy feeling my stomach has every time he kisses me.
The minute our lips touch, I'm lost in the feel of him. My hands immediately go to the back of his head and bury themselves in his lush obsidian hair, partially because that's where they're most comfortable and partially because they're too afraid to go anywhere else. I can feel how soft, yet how secure and strong his lips feel against mine. I can't imagine kissing anyone else and being quite as comfortable. I love the smell of him: slightly like the sea, even though he hasn't been in the ocean since we went to the beach a few weeks ago, a little bit of the spice soap he uses when he showers, harsher than the sea, but nice and mixing well with the saltiness of the sea, and also a little bit of a musky outdoor scent. He smells like what I would imagine a really hot sailor would smell like. Then again, he's kind of a really hot son of Poseidon, so it's not all that surprising. He always tastes the same too: pretty much just like a sea breeze; salty, cool, and definitely refreshing. That's the best way I can describe it. One of his hands is buried in my blonde curls while the other is resting lightly on my hip. We're so close, I can feel his heart beating and I get satisfaction at how irregular its beat is: far too fast and hard than normal. Hmm, wonder what could cause this?
I pull back and look him straight on in the face. He definitely has a flush going on in his face and his hair is beautifully mused. Ha, I caused that. I smile down at him, and he just looks back at me in breathless disbelief.
"How do you continue to amaze me every day, Annabeth?" he asks with an amazed look on his face. Huh. Funny, I never thought I was the one doing the amazing. He was always amazing me every day, the way he could smile at me, the way he could take my breath away just by looking at me, the way my heart lifted every time I heard his name, the way he kissed me. He was the amazing one.
"Well, it seems as if someone has been rubbing off on me," I say with a small smile on my face. He looks back at me and pulls me closer into an embrace. I love the feeling of being in his arms, strong and secure. I roll over on my back so that way I'm still encased in his arms, but we're looking at the dying sun. I can see a few stars starting to pop out, but I can also see some clouds on the horizon.
"What do you see in the clouds?" He asks aloud. "I see a beached whale with a sandcastle beside him." I've never been one for finding shapes in clouds although I stargaze like it's my occupation. I decide to give him the most smart-aleck answer I can come up with, which isn't hard for me.
"Rising cumulus nimbus clouds?" I say with an innocent look on my face. He looks down at me and shoves me playfully on the shoulder.
"Ha ha, Wise Girl. We'll stargaze later on if it'll make you happy," he says to me and then kisses the top of my head.
We sit like that for a long time, so long, it grows darker and darker until the moon and stars shine brighter than ever. Percy's mom won't be getting here until late in the evening, but our bags are already packed and waiting at Thalia's tree. I'm so comfortable just sitting there, gazing at the beautiful stars while the perfect boy holds me so closely.
"What are you thinking, right now?" I ask him. Me, I'm thinking about how the only way this moment could get better is if Chiron announced that there would be free ice cream in an hour.
"I was just thinking about how, everything seems too perfect. Like something, anything could happen to ruin this moment, but it's not. Maybe the gods are finally giving us a break. You know Poseidon and Athena are looking at us right now in disgust, yet they're leaving us alone. I'm thinking about how happy I am. I'm thinking about that one song by the Beatles 'Till there was you' and thinking that that's the song for us right now. I'm thinking about how I hate it when couples say 'I love you' after a few weeks of dating, yet how it would be so utterly complete to say it right now, although I know that I can't exactly comprehend what love is. So I won't say it, because I know it's a really big deal. I'm thinking about how beautiful you look right now and how utterly astounded I am that you picked me of all the boys to pick at this camp. I'm thinking about how unbelievable it is that no one has come down yet, that they're actually giving us a moment of peace. I'm thinking about how confused I am that I just confessed my true feelings to you, but that's the effect you have on me. You make it so I can't think straight, and I have to just go with my gut. Now, that's okay in like battle, but with you…I feel like I should think things out. Is that…I mean, is that okay with you? Does it freak you out?" He finishes this speech with a little prodding to me because I've fallen completely still. My eyes are wet too, I realize quickly. I try and wipe them away without him noticing, but no such luck.
"Can I hope that those are tears of happiness and not creeped out-ness?" He questions me nervously. How can he even think I'd be creeped out by that amazing little speech of his? He's never been one for eloquence, but that was enough to take my breath away. Great, something else to add to the list of reasons why he amazes me.
"Percy, I don't think I've ever been quite as happy as I am right now. You have no idea how completely complete you've made this moment," I say earnestly. "And to think, all I thought could be better was ice cream," I mutter under my breath.
"What was that, Wise Girl," he asks trying to return the playfulness to the moment. I laugh, look up, kiss his nose, and simply say:
"None of your business Seaweed Brain," and then I get up abruptly due to the sound of a car on gravel. Percy gets up in time to see his mom pulling up to pick us up. She gets out and greets us both warmly. We head over to the tree to get our bags and head back to his house where I'll be staying for a few nights. Don't worry; I'm in the guest bedroom. While Percy catches his mom up on all that's been going on at camp, I lean into him. His arm snakes around my waist as he holds me tighter. I fall asleep, completely content, in his arms.
A/N: so this is my first Percabeth fluff. I was attempting to do something under a thousand words, but this is what happens when I attempt to do that. I really hope you like it; I hate it when people put too much gooiness into their stories, so I hope this was just enough, but also well written.
Hey, you know what would make my day? If you reviewed! I love it when people review! Even if it's just a small, two word comment, it is greatly appreciated! Also, if there is any particular thing you'd like me to write for HG, HP, or PJO, you can PM me and I'll see what I can do! :)
~Mooon River and Me