Chapter 29

CLARISSE POV

Responses:

justapercyjacksonfan: Glad you enjoyed that part- when I put it in, it seemed like it was the kind of thing a pissed Annabeth would say, so thank you for validating that, and for the encouragement!

Real quick thing before starting- I'm dedicating a chapter, for I think the first time ever? Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to justapercyjacksonfan, the recent reviewer, as you can see. They recently shouted me out in their story, Percy Jackson One-Shots, and I figured it's only fair to do the same. So thanks mate, for encouraging this story, plugging it, taking details in your's and accepting my Tratie/Chrisse prompts. This chapter is for you.

(A/N The Riordanverse belongs to Rick, the person it was named after, not a Brit writing fanfiction. Also there's a lot of innuendos at the start, and POV switching back and forth, just so you know.)

Clarisse was in the haze after letting loose alongside Chris, was lying flat on her back, arm draped across her boyfriend's stomach, still riding the high that came with pleasurable activities.

So she had a damn good right to be startled when Meg started knocking on the door.

"We're at Polyphemus's island, by-the-by. Thought I should probably let you two know, as not a lot else would get through. Meet us at the airlock, oh- and put some clothes on."

Chris's head immediately shot up, and then looked away, grinning sheepishly.

"I uh, guess it's not as soundproof as I thought." He started again as Robin's voice joined Meg's at the door.

"Nah, it's decently soundproof, I just came down next to your door, with the intention of figuring out a game plan- and I'm very glad I didn't." Clarisse blushed, and glared at the door.

"Then get up by the airlock like you said, and we'll meet you there once we're good and ready." She could hear giggling on the other side, and then Meg again:

"Don't forget your spear- or maybe do, we don't know what you were doing with it."

Oooohhhhh, well played, kids. Well played.

"Do you think that was a bit mean?"

"What, the spear bit? Clarisse'll get mad, but she knows it was a joke." Meg grinned across at her- now boyfriend- (gods, that seemed a weird concept a week ago, and now look) Robin, and he smiled back. They were both still on cloud nine from getting their feelings out, and it seemed nothing could pull them off, even possible half-threats from Clarisse. Even as they sat beaming like idiots under the hatch, something seemed to occur to Robin, and he frowned. Meg was immediately on guard, frantically thinking of anything she had done-

"Are we going to tell them? About us, I mean."

Oh. Or that.

"I think we shouldn't do it out-of-the-blue, but maybe after all this stuff with Polyphemus has been finished, we should do it then. Don't want to distract them anymore. Actually, am I going to be a distraction for you, or does that make me sound completely narcissistic-" Meg was cut off by Robin's lips around her's; losing track of her thought pattern entirely, she melted into it. Pulling back, Robin looked directly at her, holding no emotions back.

"You aren't going to be a distraction for me, Meg. If anything, you're something for me to fight harder for." Meg stared, unblinking, until she shook her head and leaned back in again.

"How did it take me this long to find you?" She breathed.

"Probably because you've never been in Trenton before." Robin whispered against her lips. They probably would have started making out right there, had it not been for the banging at the bottom of the ladder signaling the arrival of Chris and Clarisse. Immediately both lept back, Meg leaning against the metal bulwark, Robin sitting on top of an engine top, swinging his legs. No one would have suspected that twenty minutes ago, these teens were burrowing their tongues into each other's mouths, least of all Chris and Clarisse. When they got to the top, the Daughter of War acted gruff for two seconds, then shook her spear- in chain form- good-naturedly.

"Honestly, we were setting ourselves up for that one. Now, let's go kick some cyclops butt."

"Well, it's better than the Amphisbaena!" Robin's exclamation downwards was met with various shouts of annoyance at his carelessness, to which he cringed and held himself closer to the wall, muttering apologies. Climbing the sheer cliff on the side of the island was not what Clarisse had in mind.

But then neither was facing off against man-eating sheep.

(I know, this is horribly short, but I couldn't find a better place to end it- I tried writing the fight scene ahead of time, and no iteration worked well. I tried cutting the scene out entirely, which made the rest of the chapter feel clunky. I tried summing it up, which didn't work well. So I guess a longer chapter next time, yay? And yes, I'm finally sort-of getting ahead of the curve, this chapter would have been out earlier today had it not been for the described issues above. So I'm going to sleep on this, try and work out what to do next week. Until then,

Vaya con Queso,

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