49. Get Out Alive

"Just a place my Mom used to bring me to. We haven't been able to come back since she has to work so much," Percy said, pulling out a small cooler and their towels.

"It's, you know, nice, I guess," Thalia said, studying the small structure she dare call a cabin.

"Yeah," Percy smiled. "Come on." She followed him down to the beach and helped him open up the towels, which kept flipping over from the wind. Percy sprawled over the towel, holding each end with his hands and feet. Thalia rolled her eyes as she walked to some tall pine trees and brought back as many rocks as she could carry and anchored the towel.

"Honestly, and you call yourself smart," she muttered, as she threw the left over rock back towards the trees. Percy shrugged.

"Ready to jump in?" he asked. Thalia grimaced.

"No thank you," she said, sitting down on her respective towel. Percy pouted.

"Hey, I never said I was going in the water," she said.

"That's not fair," Percy complained. "But fine. No worries. I'll get you. You can be damn sure about that," he said, winking at her, before pulling off his t-shirt. She pretended not to stare, as if her sandals were more interesting, but she stared after him as he jogged to the shore. Seeing him half naked in his living room was one thing, but seeing the sun shining off his wet skin gave her a new feeling that made her squirm in the sand. She cleared her throat and cracked her knuckles, as if that would push away the urge to run up to him and jump him. She leaned on her elbows, as she watched him playing in the water, diving, ramming the waves, disappearing for a shocking two minutes and then resurfacing with a little mermaid kind of display.

When he disappeared under the surface again, she pulled out her earphones, plugged them in and laid down. It's so hot she thought, as the burning sun beat down on her black rashguard, which she was regretting having bought. So, temporarily removing her earphones, she pulled it off, revealing the skimpy purple bathing suit Percy had bought her. She lay back down and put her music on shuffle.

She was halfway through Get Out Alive by Three Days Grace when something freezing cold touched her stomach. She jumped up gasping and swiping. Her hand connected with Percy's forehead and he rolled onto the sand with a moan.

"Really Thalia? Can you please stop hitting me? This is abuse."

"Only if you stop invading my personal space," Thalia retorted.

"I'm your boyfriend. I have the right to invade your personal space!" And as if to make a point, he got close to her face, touching her nose with his. Thalia's eyes bore into his.

"Better take that nose away before you look like Voldemort." Percy pulled back and smiled. Thalia lay back down, wiping the water off her stomach. This time, she kept her eyes open, to watch Percy. He looked at her face before his eyes travelled down her body and stopped a little above her belly button. He reached out and his cold finger touched her skin. She knew what he was looking at.

"It doesn't look so bad," he murmured, stroking her scar. "Definitely looks a lot better."

"It's ugly if you ask me," Thalia said, pushing his hand away. Percy looked at her.

"Well, I didn't ask you. But it's not ugly, Thalia." He then moved in slowly, and kissed her round, bullet-sized scar, giving her goosebumps. Then he kissed just above that, and then higher, slowly. He kissed right up the ridge between her breasts. She tried not to show it, even move, that every kiss wanted to make her body jerk. He kissed her neckline, up her neck, her jawline, and finally touched her lips softly, hovering, as if teasing her.

"For Gods' sake," she muttered, pulling his face into hers and twirling her fingers into his hair. He moved, placing his knees between hers. She wrapped her legs around his thighs and pulled his salty body to her, his cold, wet skin touching hers. She pulled her nails down his back and he shuddered, which made her smile. Oh yeah.

She then pushed, and brought herself upright, straddling him as he fell onto his own towel.

"You just need control, don't you?" Percy said, as she softly kissed his neck and his shoulder.

"Don't pretend you don't like it," she whispered, as she bit his lip, making him grasp her waist.

"Okay, maybe a little bit," he said, pulling her down to him and kissing her. His hands wandered about, running up and down her back, making her shiver. She caught one of his hands and pulled it forward, putting it on her purple dotted bikini top. He didn't even have to say anything for her to know he liked the new move. He pulled away and stared at her, his sea green eyes focusing on her blue eyes.

"You know Thalia, I think I just might lo-" She kissed him, quickly cutting off his sentence. She didn't want him to finish that sentence. She just wanted to stay on the "I kind of like you, but I kind of hate you" level of their relationship and nothing more. She didn't want to be put in the position where he said it and he wanted her to say it too. No. Not me. Not ever.

After a minute or two, Thalia rolled off and pressed her back on her hot towel as Percy turned over and draped an arm across her stomach. He smiled at her before sitting up.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested. Thalia didn't really have anything else to do, so she hid her iPod, kicked off her sandals, and followed him down the beach. He tried to reach out for her hand, but she pulled it back. Their little make out session was enough.

"So…" Percy said, rubbing his hands as they walked through the waves. Thalia shrugged.

"What?"

"Nothing. How are you?"

"As fine as I was five minutes ago," Thalia commented. Percy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Talk to me, Thalia. I want to know what's on your mind," he said, softly caressing her shoulder, but not holding her. He got the hint the last time she slapped his hand away. Thalia chewed on her lip. She definitely had a lot on her mind, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to share it with Percy. She looked out into the ocean, wondering what it felt like to rage like the sea, but still be loved. To still be free.

"About a month ago," she started, deciding that if she told Percy her real problems, he'll break it off right then and there and she won't have to deal with him anymore. She wouldn't have to worry about what he thought. She'd know his real intentions. He would see how screwed up and broken she was, that he would spin on his heel and bolt.

"My school counselor diagnosed be with –" she stop and lie and pretend nothing ever happened, but Percy's probing eyes kept her going. "She diagnosed me with PTSD," she finished ashamed. She immediately looked away. She started to feel like that song she was listening to earlier was true. You need to get out alive.

"I keep thinking that if I don't think about it, it's not true. It'll go away. But I guess it's just another thing that's screwed up about me." Percy grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug, so sudden she slammed against him. He didn't say anything, didn't soothe her. He just held her. She pulled away and looked at him quizzically. She simply wasn't used to this kind of comfort. It was pretty alien to her.

"What was that for?" she complained.

"You're not screwed up, Thalia Grace."

"Says you," Thalia retorted. "But you haven't even seen the real me."

"I'd like to," he said.

"Trust me, you don't." Percy pursed his lips and realized that it wasn't worth arguing. Not yet. He let her go and then jumped into the water, splashing Thalia. She jumped back as the cold water hit her before she tried to shake away the feeling of vulnerability that had hit her. Suddenly, Percy poked his head out of the water with a big goofy grin and a giant wad of seaweed on his head. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Kelp Head," she said, before smiling. "Hey, I like that name. You're officially Kelp Head." Percy cocked an eyebrow as he tried to think of a name. She walked back into the shade of some tall trees as the sun poked out of the clouds, but as she took her last step, a pinecone fell right on her face.

"Dammit!" she gasped, stumbling. Percy guffawed.

"Guess I'll be calling you Pinecone Face from now on!" he laughed from the shore.


Guys, I did it! I finally did it! :D I actually feel very comfortable with this chapter and I really hope you guys like it :) Let me know what you think!

And as a side note, if some things don't add up with things I've said in the past, really sorry about that! Anyways, thanks for sticking to the story and thanks to those who understand it's not always easy to find time to write :) Thanks!