It was late, much too late to be sitting across from your best-friend-that-just-became-your-girlfriend and staring at her and thinking things that you really should not be thinking. Percy just hoped that the harpies were on a strict, no-demigod diet at the moment and that they didn't get caught for sneaking out because he really did not want to have 'the talk' with Chiron.
The campfire glowed blue. The flames were small but very, very hot and the lake could be seen just beyond the trees. The moon was high in the sky and Annabeth was gazing up at the constellations and blabbing on about which one was which and what it represented and it's backstory and blah blah blah, but Percy wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying, he was too busy staring at her.
It wasn't the creepy kind of staring, either. It was the sweet kind that you see on the faces of newly-weds or old couples that have been together for fifty years. The kind where their eyes sparkle and they have quiet smiles on their faces that show everything they're feeling without words. That's how Percy was staring at her. Being, an ignorant, 16 year old boy, he didn't really know what he was doing. He was just thinking, Holy shit, she's really pretty and wow, her shorts seem shorter than normal, but when Annabeth took her eyes off the stars to look at him and make sure that he was listening to her lecture on mythology and the constellations, she froze.
His sea green eyes still gave her butterflies even after all these years. She took in all the little details about his face, his jet-black hair, the light array of freckles that dotted his nose and could only be seen from up close, or his dark eyelashes that she was extremely jealous of. At that moment, they were just kind of looking at each other and thinking about how nice it was that they were actually together now. There weren't any awkward, unfinished kisses in a volcano that they both refused to speak of, or the threat of a great prophecy hanging over their heads. They were just there and in the moment, being normal teenagers that really, really liked each other.
The fire changed from blue to purple, the flames rose.
It was a foreign feeling to both of them, being so relaxed. Neither had ever had time in their lives to take a break and just be normal for once. But right now, it felt as if they were just to sixteen year olds hanging out by a lake, and neither wanted the moment to end. The night was silent except for the cackle of the fire and the gentle crash of waves on the shore. Annabeth broke the silence first.
"This is weird." she said plainly. She silently cursed herself for sounding like such an idiot in front of him. She had meant to say something flirty and romantic or at least something funny but the words just fell out of her mouth.
"Oh, uh, s-sorry about that, I didn't - uh - mean to um, stare..." he stammered, his cheeks turning pink.
Annabeth laughed, "No, not you, Seaweed Brain, this." she said, gesturing with her hands, "It's so.. nice. You know?" she said, looking down at her hands.
Percy smiled, his eyes still fixed on her. "Yeah, it is nice."
She rested her head on his shoulder and his smile got even wider because her hair smelled like vanilla and strawberries.
The moonlight shone down on Annabeth's face, making her hair look a little bit silver. Her eyes were stormy, like always, but with hints of purple due to the light of the campfire. Her eyelashes were long and brown, and her lips were plump and pink and soft and Percy was thinking things he shouldn't be thinking once again.
The flames grew.
"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?" he said softly, not really meaning to say it but his ADHD took control of his mouth and the words just popped out. He hoped he didn't sound too clingy.
"Gods, Percy. That was the probably cheesiest thing I've ever heard." she said, rolling her eyes. She was trying to brush off the compliment but Percy could see right through her. She always did this when he complimented her, even on little things. Percy didn't know why.
"It's true. You're really beautiful. Not like other girls, though. It's a different kind of beauty. Unique, you know? Not like the Aphrodite girls, they're pretty in an annoying way. Your way is more sophisticated and quiet. The kind of beauty that doesn't make a big deal about itself but stands out when it wants to." he said.
Percy didn't know why he was pouring his heart out to her at the moment. They had only been dating for three weeks and some things were still awkward for them. He just thought that Annabeth deserved to know.
Annabeth didn't know whether to slap him or kiss him. She felt like that majority of the time. Percy usually wasn't such a lady killer, and she was a bit shocked. She didn't know how to respond. She couldn't believe that had just come out of his mouth, normally he was so awkward. She liked to think he was romantically challenged.
"You're not too shabby yourself, Seaweed Brai-"
Her words were cut off when Percy wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her, hard. It was a bit surprising for Annabeth but she wasn't complaining. She leaned her head back, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. Her hand rested on his jaw, pulling her face closer to his. This one wasn't like most of their kisses. Normally, they were rushed, hot and heavy, or quick, sweet and chaste. Now, don't worry, this one was starting to heat up quite a bit, but it was different. It was slow and sensual. It was just them wanting each other, releasing everything that had been held up inside of them for years. The lust, the stress, the anger, the laughs. Everything was just pouring out and they were melting into each other. Maybe it was something about soft firelight and the crash of the waves that made it seem Hollywood-worthy. Maybe it was because it was the middle of the night and they were breaking every rule at once. They didn't know, and they didn't care.
The flames turned red.