Note: My usual warning, any homophobic comments will be removed.
Chapter two:
Clarisse was back at camp.
Clarisse swiveled as she entered the gate, and turned her head and glared again at the still watchful goddess, but said nothing as she stormed away. She only contemplated as she moved. She didn't know what to give as an answer. A part of her wanted Annabeth to know that she had completely beaten the shit out of those that had denounced the blonde, but she knew that her lover wouldn't approve of it at all.
Aphrodite apparently couldn't leave well enough alone. The coquettish goddess pressed further, stepping near the gate where Clarisse was about to pass through. "What are you going to tell her when she wakes up and you're there? Please forgive me, but you know I can't help but get involved in others' business. Goddess of love and all." She added her statement with a grin at the unamused demigod.
Clarisse stopped and shrugged. "I don't know." She grumbled, glancing at the prodigious bodies of water within the camp, where she knew Annabeth was being held and taken care of.
"You know," Aphrodite started, eyes concentrated and voice hinting at something important, "Ares and Athena…..during the times when they aren't trying to metaphorically kill each other and throwing childish insults at one another at least can both agree on one thing."
This odd statement caught Clarisse's regards. The dark haired demigod stared at the goddess, inquiring, though trying not to show that she was in any way eager to hear anything that the lover of her father had to say-because Hades knew it was an awkward situation enough as it was.
Aphrodite, still smiling, seeming to either be unaware of Clarisse's discomfort or not caring about it, "They're both happy that the two of you found one another. Of course your father would never say something like that, but I can tell. He growls and grumbles about it and acts all stoic and unemotional about it but I can tell. I think he's glad you're happy."
For the second time that day, Aphrodite had won in stupefying Clarisse. Clarisse just wasn't sure how to reply to such a remark.
It was true, Annabeth had once told Clarisse that she had to shoo Aphrodite away, who had lionized both the daughter of the god of war and Annabeth herself, when the golden-haired goddess had learned of their relationship. Aphrodite had even favored them; laughing in joy and saying that they were akin to Antony and Cleopatra. Clarisse knew that Annabeth hated when the "airheaded goddess," as they dubbed her, said things like that.
Aphrodite then nodded towards the camp. "Well," She exclaimed, "Go on, then. Your beloved is awaiting your return."
The daughter of war glared at Aphrodite for the goddess's statement.
Aphrodite however, was distinctly pleased by Clarisse's chagrin. Nonetheless, no further words were spoken from either women and Clarisse turned and walked through the barrier into the camp. She was about to walk further in to get into a running pace for Annabeth's current location, when she heard Aphrodite's voice again.
"Oh, and Clarisse?" Came the beginning of Aphrodite's statement, continuing when she saw that she had the violent demigod's attention, "I am happy for you, whether you believe me or not. I'm happy for the both of you."
Clarisse stepped back from the gates leading into the camp, looking startled yet again. For Clarisse, hearing that all of the gods, especially Ares approved of her and Annabeth being together meant a lot to her. Far more than she thought she would. Oh, don't get her wrong; on a normal day, if someone had told her that Ares, her father praised her, even if it was just once, then Clarisse would be running around the camp all week, shouting triumphantly and feeling like she was already in Elysium, but hearing that Ares was happy for her, despite having sex basically daily with the daughter of Athena made warmth invade her entire being, nearly making her smile widely.
When she pivoted and exited the entrance of the camp, walking back through the areas of the cabins, she didn't bother to look back at the goddess, not wanting to hear anything else. It was embarrassing enough to have to hear what the goddess of love had said just now. All she wanted at the moment was to kneel by Annabeth's bedside, hold her and make sure everything was alright.
Clarisse closed in on the infirmary cabin, jumping up on the oak steps of the structure and pulled the door open with exaggerated force. All occupants within the infirmary shook, attention grabbed immediately and they swiveled their heads in Clarisse's direction.
Clarisse took no notice and came through, looking from cot to cot, checking for Annabeth. When she glanced ahead, she saw a glimpse of ash blonde hair towards the end of the row on the right. Confidence returning to the headstrong demigod as she spotted her lover, Clarisse raced over to the bunk. Looking down, she was utterly relieved when she saw that it was indeed Annabeth lying against the cot. The flax haired demigod was weak and injured but very awake.
Tired but now incredibly excited grey eyes focused on Clarisse. "Hey," Annabeth laughed, appearing to flinch at what the effect of laughing caused, due to her injury, "Where've you been, I was asking about you before."
Clarisse tried not to let her guilt become apparent, which was difficult, due to it being so genuine and intense. "Where were you?" Annabeth's question was repeated groggily and Clarisse had a hard time not answering and confessing to her brutality towards the other demigod's father and stepmother.
The brunette bit her lower lip, trying desperately to decide what to do. There were only two people in the entirety of the world and Olympus who could make her so uncertain; her father Ares, and Annabeth. She wanted to be honest with the blonde, but she was afraid of her lover's anger and worst of all…..the other demigod's disappointment.
After a few moments of contemplating, Clarisse finally submitted a response, sounding wounded, "I…..I felt bad that I couldn't do anything to help you get better when you were injured by the minotaur…..so I…..so I went after your father and your stepmother to beat the living shit out of them."
Annabeth's weary eyes blinked a couple of times before the blonde lifted herself up from the cot, wincing at the pain it caused. Seeing her lover flinch, Clarisse hissed, "Anna, careful! You'll hurt yourself!"
Annabeth, stubborn as usual, struggled upwards, her entire lower torso now up from the bunk, as she stared at her lover. Clarisse kneeled down a little so that navel was at the height of the bed, her hands clasping around Annabeth's waist, trying to move her back down to the sheets.
"Stop it, Clarisse," Annabeth growled, her exhausted eyes filled with angry energy now, "What the hell did you just say? Clarisse, are you serious? Did you really attack my parents?"
Clarisse's eyes stared up at Annabeth's. "They did nothing for you, Anna," She drawled, steadying the wise demigod with her hands, "Calm down. I didn't kill them or anything. Just gave them what they deserved. They left you alone and drove you away from your own home. Forget them. Fuck the two of them."
Annabeth glared and seemed to be about to say something else, when she flinched again, and this time didn't resist as Clarisse lowered her down to the cot.
Annabeth was giving the prominent impression that she didn't have much strength left. Clarisse wondered dryly just how well the blonde had been able to sleep last night while recovering from the wounds the monster had given her.
Annabeth gasped out when her head made contact with the pillow, "Why? I asked you not to."
Clarisse nodded and grunted, though gently as she placed a hand softly against Annabeth's distressed face, "Why not? Why do you care about the two of them?"
Annabeth shook her head, averting it from Clarisse's hand. "They're still family," Annabeth growled, "And I know you hate them for never doing anything for me or never being there for me, but you can't just barge into their home and attack them and pulverize them for it."
Clarisse shrugged, holding Annabeth tighter, "It looks like I already did." The warrior hesitated for a moment and then gave more words, "I'll admit; I am sorry about scaring your little brothers."
Annabeth tensed again and this time Clarisse gently placed her hands on the slimmer young woman's shoulders to stop her from coming off the bed again and risking harm to herself.
"Matthew and Bobby?" Annabeth gasped, "They saw you? Were…were they scared?"
Clarisse tried not to let another pang of guilt hit her at Annabeth's panicked voice.
The daughter of Ares said in what she hoped was a comforting tone, "They only came into the hall after I attacked your dad and stepmom. They didn't see anything. They asked about you though." Clarisse wasn't sure why she had said that, just that she knew that if Annabeth didn't have any contact with her little brothers, it would cause the blonde pain, and she refused to be the cause of it.
She felt Annabeth relax under hands. "Are they okay?" The grey eyed demigod asked tiredly.
Clarisse smiled, nodding, "Yeah, they both looked fine. I think they'd like to see you." She sighed, digressing, "I hate your father and his wife for not helping you when you were a kid, but your brothers had nothing to do with that and you deserve to get to know them. If you're angry because I possibly scared them, I won't blame you."
She then got up off the floor where she had been crouching and removed her hands from her lover's shoulders. "I'm sorry," she said getting a startled look from the blonde, "I'm not sorry about hurting your parents, but I'm sorry for upsetting you and making your worried about your little brothers. I'll go."
As Clarisse was about to turn around to exit the infirmary, resigning herself to being in the "doghouse" for a while for hurting Annabeth, an unnerved cry of "Wait!" almost made the daughter of Ares jump, shocked.
She looked back down at her other half, looking completely adrift in confusion. However, concern permeated throughout her mind when she noticed the fearful and alarmed appearance of her lover. "Please don't go," Annabeth said quietly, "I woke up hours ago and didn't find you anywhere nearby. I got…..I was….." Annabeth's voice trailed off looking at the wooden floor, indisputably nervous about admitting that she had been scared upon waking and not seeing Clarisse.
When Clarisse viewed how disquieted Annabeth was, her heart clenched and she was instantly down next to the other demigod's side again, hands resting on the edges of Annabeth's bed.
"Anna?" Clarisse whispered, hand lifting and placing itself against Annabeth's right cheek, prompting the brilliant girl to shift her head, causing the two young demigods to meet each other's eyes. Clarisse smiled in as much understanding as someone like her could. She was just as stubborn and as proud as Annabeth. She knew how hard it was for the blonde to be so vulnerable, especially emotionally.
Clarisse upturned Annabeth's face as gently as if she was handling the fragile tissue of flower petals and ran the pad of her right thumb over the blonde's sweet pink lips. She said in a caring tone, "I'm sorry, Anna. I wanted to be there for you; I always do. But I don't have a clue when it comes to medicine or healing. So hurting the people that hurt you was the only thing I felt like I could do for you."
Clarisse closed her eyes as she thought dejectedly of Annabeth waking up alone and not finding her by her bedside and flinched at the visual. She never wanted Annabeth to feel like that, ever. "I'm sorry, Anna," She repeated, "I should have been here."
"Clarisse." Annabeth said quietly, though her voice was urgent and her arm weakly slung around Clarisse's neck, pulling the brunette closer. As light as a feather, Clarisse interlocked her lips with her lover's, stroking her tongue against Annabeth's. Despite Annabeth's worn out condition, their smooth, wet tongues danced in a flurry.
When they finally parted, Clarisse affectionately nibbled on Annabeth's lower lip. This brought a moan from the other girl's throat, and as Clarisse opened her eyes, she saw grey eyes that were darkening in desire. "Whoa," Clarisse laughed, "Easy, easy, none of that right now. You're tired and badly hurt. I don't want to make your wounds worse. You need to sleep." She added, chuckling as she nodded to the other side of the infirmary, "And remember, we're not alone."
Annabeth glanced at the other patients and medics in the wooden structure, a bright pink hue tinting her cheeks as she realized that they were being looked at.
A groan of grievance was elicited from the blushing blonde demigod and Clarisse held her head back, smirking down.
She threw a dirty look at the other occupants of the infirmary and snapped, "What are you lot looking at? Is there something you find funny? Get back to work!"
The rest of the medics, patients and visitors now appeared terrified, not wanting to risk the wrath of Clarisse La Rue and went back to their usual routines. Clarisse turned back to Annabeth who was rolling her eyes, though still lightly blushing.
She got up off the floor again, but this time sat on the edge of the cot next to Annabeth's frail frame. Clarisse's dark brown hair fell into her eyes when she moved, but the daughter of Ares ignored the vexatious locks and pulled her left hand to stroke Annabeth's right arm.
"I won't leave you." Clarisse promised solemnly, "I won't." Her amusement disappeared and she became serious, smiling as she watched Annabeth's tension lessen and saw the blonde soothe herself. She appeared to be heading off to sleep. Clarisse decided at that moment to say something that was usually very rare of her, "I love you, Anna."
The daughter of Athena's eyelids fluttered a little, and the blonde smiled contently, mumbling a quiet, "I love you too." before slowly drifting off.
Clarisse felt heat swell in her chest. Had she been a normal human, she wouldn't have been able to hear the quiet murmur. She leaned down and kissed Annabeth's forehead gently and lay down next to the now sleeping young woman. She would be here when Annabeth woke up this time.
Well, that was that. Sorry if they seemed out of character, and I know the words were a little repetitive, however, I hope you liked it. I always wished that Clarisse and Annabeth would have ended up as a couple, but alas, Rick Riordan loves heteronormativity.
Oh, and remember what I said at the beginning; any homophobic comments will be removed. Constructive criticism however, is a gift.