Summary: "percabeth and drowning?" - lieselmeminge
Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series or the Heroes of Olympus series or the characters I borrowed. Also this was written in like 5 minutes so don't judge me xoxo
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Annabeth is drowning.
Okay, well, maybe she's not drowning, not really, but her chest is constricting. Every thought is fleeting, as if her brain isn't getting enough oxygen to entertain them for more than seconds at a time. She feels like if she actually did breathe, she would start choking.
Annabeth's not drowning, but she's buried under three layers of sheets. They pool around her like they aren't sure what to do with all of the space they have now that Annabeth's curled close to Percy.
Annabeth's not drowning, but Percy's breaths remain steady and effortless as she stares, unable to pull more but tiny gasps of breath in.
She's not panicking, except for the fact that she is. However, Annabeth chase doesn'tpanic, plain and simply.
Percy nuzzles his pillow, sniffling. Annabeth watches his face twitch twice before his eyes flutter open, and she suddenly wishes that she had closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
He closes his eyes again, and Annabeth thinks she's been let off easy, but instead she feels his arms tighten around her. Her cheeks flush as his bare skin brushes hers; it burns in a way that unsettles her.
"Morning," Percy mumbles, and it hardly sounds like a word at all, but Annabeth still knows what he says. "Sleep okay?"
Annabeth nods and manages one shallow breath, by some sort of grace. Percy pulls back from his half-cuddle and glances over his shoulder before looking her directly in the eyes.
Annabeth would go as far to make a million analogies about his eyes and the ocean, but it's too overused for her taste. Everyone they meet says Percy's eyes hold the sea, and Annabeth would agree if everyone else didn't say so.
Percy looks nervous, for a moment, reaching up to brush his thumb across her bottom lip. "You alright?"
"Yeah, I just — "
"It's not because — "
Percy laughs unabashedly, kissing her chastely on the mouth. The knot in Annabeth's chest loosens; air comes a bit easier now. "I meant… We're alright, yeah?"
Annabeth looks down, soon after redirecting her gaze away from Percy's bare chest. She clears her throat and nods. "Yes."
"And last night…?"
"Was…" Annabeth averts her eyes. "Fun. Romantic."
"That's generally the idea of honeymoons, you dork."
"Shut up," she mutters, having to withhold a giggle. First comes the panic, then comes the giddiness. Two things that Annabeth had always hated experiencing.
"Hey," Percy says, tapping Annabeth's chin until she looks up. He rolls so that his elbows dig into the bed on either side of her head. "Love you."
"I sure hope so," Annabeth says before she can stop herself. "We're married."
Percy's eyes glint, and fuck Annabeth's promise about not thinking up metaphors relating to the ocean. They look like the ocean on a sunny day when the waves are calm and slow; steady and content, sure and unwavering.
Annabeth's drowning now, she thinks, but it also feels a bit like she can breathe underwater, too. Percy kisses her shoulder in easy affection, and Annabeth decides she's quite alright with it.
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FIN