Hello again! I couldn't believe you guessed where I got the inspiration for last chapter! Genius!
Percy walks away from me, and grabs Reyna's hand. He spins her around, cups her face in his hands, and plants a kiss on his lips. My heart catches in my throat, but before I can do anything, a figure jumps over the side of the boat and thrusts his sword into Percy's chest. Percy turns to me, one expression clear on his face.
Blame.
And that's when I scream. I scream so loud that I wake myself up…
I'm sitting in my bed, sweat pouring down my face, mixing with the tears. My heart is hammering in my chest, going really fast.
"Annabeth!" My door is thrown open and Percy stands there, in his underwear, sword in hand. He seems confused to see me there. "What's—what's the matter?"
I'm confused for a second. For the past weeks that Percy's been gone, every time I had a nightmare, I would be alone, trying to convince myself that he was ok, that I wasn't alone, that he would still be with me.
But now Percy's here. He looks ready to kill anyone in the way.
"Just—just a bad dream." I manage. His face softens and he puts his sword away, coming close.
"Annabeth, come on." He grabs my arm and pulls me through the ship. We go down a few levels, finally making it to the part of the ship that would store animals. He sits down, and I sit with him.
"Just a bad dream?"
For a second, I try to hold on to my tough act, to the Annabeth that is unfeeling, unbreakable, unloving. But those sea-green eyes bore into me, reaching into my soul…
And I lose it. I break down completely for the first time since before Percy left. He holds me, as I sob and sob until I have no tears.
"Sorry…" I murmur to him.
"Don't be." He smooths my hair back over my head and kisses the top. "I'll always be there for you, Annabeth. No matter what. I'll always be your shoulder to cry on, or your arms to hold you, or your lips to kiss. Whatever you need."
I consider this for a moment, then lean forward and place my lips so I can almost feel his—almost, but not yet.
"This is what I need now," I breath against his lips. I feel him smile, and then one of us leans forward—I don't know who—and we're kissing.
He kisses me with a fire, with a yearning, and with love. I kiss him back with the same. We fall sideways, and I roll over him, bracing myself over him. I kiss him until my lips go numb, finally pulling away. He grins at me, and I can't help but smile.
"I missed you Seaweed Brain." He doesn't reply, just repositioning us so we're leaning against the back of the boat, me leaning across his chest so his chin is a few inches above mine. Within a few minutes, his warmth and the rocking of the boat lull me to sleep.
Yes, short, I know. But I didn't want to end up crossing my little line. I actually think my toes are over—WARNING! CHEESINESS!
Anyway, please review!