Work Text:
Part of being madly in love and irrevocably connected to someone was knowing when they were about to snap, and Annabeth was certain that the only reason Percy hadn't yet was because he still had to take his last midterm.
His studies weren’t the only stressor. Their fifth semester at New Rome had been hard. Annabeth had taken some classes at Berkley and started a fellowship at a firm in the city, meaning she was off campus more often, and they didn’t get to see each other as much as they would’ve liked. Plus, Percy was helping lead the inception of Camp Jupiter's navy fleet on the San Francisco Bay, and was constantly being recruited to help mitigate a random surge of border attacks that had spiked in the last month.
Safe to say, they were exhausted and stressed, but Percy increasingly so. The way Annabeth coped with stress was to work and study until there were no variables that could throw her off her plan. Thanks to her parentage, her head thrummed all hours of the day, and if she went too long without working it, she went crazy.
Percy was different. Ever since she knew him, there was always a subtle hum of energy that lived within him. He could never sit still, fidgeting or talking or running, anything to avoid the static, especially when he was tense. When Annabeth had to shut herself away to think, Percy had to go.
Two wars and a trip through hell had not helped. As Percy’s power and abilities increased, so did his struggles to contain it. Considering what he’s been through, he has every right to be angry, as he sometimes was. But he always fought to contain it, find healthier ways to expel his energy and frustrations.
As she watched him now, leg bouncing and his hair mussed from incessant hands tugging on it, she thought that a man like him wasn’t designed to ever live a normal life. Yet here he was, insisting on it. She felt a surge of pride, remembering that night in the throne room where he could have been immortalized.
She pictured Hercules sitting next to her in class and huffed a laugh.
He glanced up from his computer, narrowing his eyes at her. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“What are you laughing at?”
She pressed her pointer fingers to her temples, shoulder shaking with silent laughter. “It’s so ridiculous.”
“Well then you obviously have to tell me.”
“Hercules…as my lab partner.”
“Usually I'm the one laughing at my own jokes, I’m starting to get worried”
She wiped a tear. “You think he would decorate his dorm?”
“Oh for sure. Maybe a radiohead poster?”
“Meh, he seems more like a yacht rock kinda guy.”
She closed her computer, placing it on his desk and sitting cross legged on his bed. He tracked her as she pulled the hair tie out of her curls, massaging her scalp. He looked away when she met his eyes, turning back to his work.
She watched him, absentmindedly, in between clearing out her messages on her phone. He was scowling at the paper in front of him before suddenly throwing his pencil down hard. Both of his legs were bouncing as he scrubbed his hands over his face. She watched the water in the glass on his nightstand start to ripple, a droplet darkening the wood.
“Alright, let's go.”
He looked over his shoulder, lingering annoyance in his voice. “What?”
“Let’s go spar. I’m starting to get concerned about the health and wellbeing of the pipes.”
“Right, the pipes. Not your boyfriend who feels like he’s about to explode.”
“Precisely, now c'mon."
He sat back, quirking an eyebrow as she stood and grabbed her knife from her bag.
“You actually want to go fight right now? It's like, almost midnight.”
“Yes, I do. You can finish that tomorrow morning. It’s due right before your scheduled class time, yes?”
He bit his lip. She could tell he was itching for it, but didn’t want her to know. As if he could ever hide it from her.
“Fine.”
The walk from his apartment to the field of Mars was quick, especially when she was almost doubling her paces to keep up with him as he walked, spinning riptide in his fingers.
She pulled her hoodie over her head and threw it on the bench as he lit the torches surrounding the ring.
He did the same, and she snuck a glimpse at his lower stomach as his shirt rode up. The firelight lit him up, turning his tan skin a richer shade of olive. She swallowed.
She rolled her bad ankle a couple times, hoping to get it warm. It hadn’t acted up as of late, but you could never be too careful.
He saw her motions, and fixed her with a look, opening his mouth to speak.
“Don’t even think about going easy, Jackson. I need this as much as you do.”
“I’m just saying, I’m feeling really antsy right now. I don’t want to accidentally do something I don’t mean to.”
“You won’t, I promise.”
“How can you pro-”
She didn’t let him finish his sentence, instead deciding to lunge and jab. He barely had time to uncap riptide and block her strike. They stayed like that for a beat, weapons locked. He gaped at her, before a wide grin overtook his face and he jumped into action.
She wasn’t sure how long they fought, but it felt like a dance. Whirling around each other, kicked up dust that clung to their sweaty skin. Percy fought like a God, but she wasn’t so bad herself. Their sparring always blurred the line between kismet and volatility. One second she could read him like her favorite book, the next she was a millisecond away from his sword meeting her skin.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was getting tired. After nearly getting knocked to her back, she decided she had two options. Surrender, or distract. She tried not to overuse the latter, she really did, but something in her told her it could be even more effective than usual tonight.
Using a final burst of energy, she squatted low and knocked his legs out from under him before he could jump back. She was kind of surprised it worked, considering it was one of her favorites.
He hit the ground, and she immediately pounced on him, legs bracketing his hips. He smirked, blowing a dark strand of hair out of his eye. She was about to say something snarky when he surged upward and flipped them over, pressing her back into the dirt.
His left hand found her wrists, pinning them together and above her head. Her knife had been knocked out of her grip, but she realized it rested only inches away from her pinned hands, her fingertips brushing its worn leather hilt.
Looking up at him, she realized he was also unarmed. Riptide had skidded a few feet away in the tussle. They were at a stalemate. He couldn’t reach to grab her knife without taking his weight off her lower body, which she could use to kick him off. She couldn’t get to it either.
She didn’t know how long she had until Riptide appeared back in his pocket and he could hold it to her and force a yield. She smiled internally. She could make do.
Arching her back, she feigned a final attempt to grab her knife. In doing so, her shirt fell slightly upwards and her hips pressed up to meet his. He watched, eyes on her face then travelling downward, as she rolled her hips forward, almost indiscernibly, until her back met the ground again.
His pupils widened and his grip tightened, as she continued to sell her struggle, wriggling under his grasp. She met his eyes and licked her lips.
She knew he was wound up, she was too. This was the first time they had been this close in nearly a week. Between that and her compromising position, this may be easier than she could’ve guessed.
He stared at her for a few more moments, breathing hard, before slowly dipping his head to trace his nose up from her collarbone to behind the shell of her ear.
“I can see right through you, you know that right?”
She pouted. “Well is it working?”
He hovered over her lips, “course not.”
She rolled her hips again, not even bothering to hide her intentions. Her breath hitched when she brushed up against him, starting to get hard in his sweatpants.
“Not even a little bit?”
It was his turn to lick his lips, trailing his free hand to push her shirt all the way up to reveal the swell of her breasts coming out of the top of her sports bra.
“Nah,” he said, eyes roaming over her chest.
His finger dipped an inch under the top hem of her bra, and even the slight contact made her shiver. At this point, she wasn’t sure who was trying to distract who anymore. He dipped his head to mouth at her exposed skin, glowing with a thin sheen of sweat. He placed open mouth kisses all over the swell of her breasts, trying to pull down the hem of her bra with his teeth.
Goosebumps bloomed on her skin where his canines scraped her flesh. She didn’t realize she had been grinding her hips, chasing a pressure that wasn’t there, until his muscled thigh was suddenly pressed up against her core. She let out a whimper, even though her lips were pressed tightly together, her fists opening and closing in his grip.
He took his mouth off her and instead moved his calloused hand to hold her jaw, applying the slightest amount of pressure until her lips parted.
“Cmon, don’t be shy,”
“You’re so,” she sucked in a breath as he pressed himself closer to her rolling hips, “annoying.”
He just hummed, moving to suck and scrape his teeth against her neck. She didn’t want to admit how worked up she was getting. She was supposed to be the one provoking him, not the other way around. Then again, there was nothing that got him going quite like seeing her come undone. It was her favorite symbiotic alliance.
The tension in her belly was starting to spread to her whole body, and she was having trouble maintaining her rhythm of grinding on his thigh. She needed more.
“Please.”
He removed his lips from her neck to meet her eyes. His pupils were blown.
“Please what? Feels good doesn’t it?” His voice was hoarse and low. There was a drop of sweat that traced its way down the side of his neck. She had the sudden urge to lick it off.
Not one to deny herself, she craned her head as much as she could with her hands still restrained and licked a stripe up from the base of his neck to his jawline. The salt bloomed on her tastebuds.
She heard his breath stutter, and as soon as her tongue left his skin he rocked back on his heels, finally releasing her hands. He sat back on his haunches, breathing heavily. He looked even more high-strung than before they started sparring.
His gaze held her firmly in place, her hands remaining stretched above her head. His eyes were blazing, raven curls wild. He emanated power, and she didn’t want him to hold it back anymore.
“Please, Percy.”
He leaned forward on one hand, placing his other on her lower belly and moving up, palm flat and spread wide, ever so slowly.
“Look at you, I don’t even have to hold you down anymore, huh? Staying just where I put you.”
Even with his taunting, she didn’t move. Anything to get him to finally give her what she needed. She whimpered, the tips of his fingers pulling her bottom lip, almost entering her mouth. She opened, ready to receive them.
His eyes flashed and his hand withdrew, going to palm his now hard cock through his sweatpants.
“Ok, ok, fuck. But not here. I’m not fucking you in the dirt like this.”
She scowled, finally moving her arms to prop herself up on her elbows.
“Hmph. Not like it would be the first time.”
He smiled, kneeling over her once again. Their lips brushed.
“Not tonight.” He whispered into their shared air. “I’d really prefer to take my time”
“You really don’t want to show me off to anyone who walks by?”
He groaned, nipping playfully at her jaw.
“No talking until we walk through my door.”
She opened her mouth to gape at him, but he was already standing. Tucking himself into his waistband with a grimace, he walked over to the benches to grab their hoodies and extinguish the flames that were their only source of light.
She was in the dark for only a moment before she felt big hands on her waist, hauling her up to a stand. Fabric she recognized as his cotton sweatshirt was pulled over her head. Hers was tucked under his bicep.
They were face to face when her head popped through the collar, and she was sure her expression was anything but pleased. He just smirked at her before guiding her out of the ring.
His hand found the belt loop on her hip as they walked side by side, tugging her close any time they lost contact. He spun riptide in his other, eyes always focused on their surroundings.
Her face burned when she realized they would have to walk through the center of campus to get back to his apartment. There was a way to avoid it with a longer walk, but it was clear to her that Percy was not feeling very patient.
They passed groups of people who she could only assume had finished their exams and were celebrating the end of the semester. Someone shouted Percy’s name, to no avail. She recognized her friend from class motioning for her to come over. She was about to open her mouth to say hi when Percy squeezed her hip—she raised her hand to wave instead. A drunk group of friends stumbled into their path and he tightened his grip on her waist, steering her through the crowd.
She let herself relax as they weaved through the dark alleyways and dimly lit streets. Her boy was here, he had her back.
Finally, they reached his place. He pushed her against the front door, hips pinning her belly to the worn oak while he turned the key in the lock. The moment they crossed the threshold she twisted in his grip.
“I can’t believe you,” she tugged the waves at the nape of his neck.
He laughed, low and quiet. “I love that you listen to me, Annabeth.”
She rolled her eyes, but he grabbed her hips and pulled them flush to his. She could feel him, hard and hot against her stomach.
“I love that I’m the only one who can tell you what to do.”
She bit her lip, looking up at him, his inky hair and strong features. In this lighting he looked dark and dangerous.
“Only sometimes.”
He smirked. “Mmm. Sometimes.”
He crashed his lips into hers for the first time that night. They kissed, hot and heavy, trying to make up for all the time they spent apart. All the time they spent not doing this.
“Arms up.” He stripped his hoodie off of her, blunt nails scratching up her flanks.
As they kissed, she came to her senses to realize how totally filthy they both were. Rolling around in the dirt for an hour would do that.
“Shower,” she mumbled against his lips.
“Hmm?” He leaned back, confused. His lips were shining and slightly swollen.
“We need to shower. We’ll mess up your bed.” She motioned down at their bodies. “In our current state of grime.”
“I thought I was supposed to be making the decisions tonight,” he gripped underneath her thighs and hoisted her up, stumbling backwards towards his bathroom.
“Then you should’ve thought of it first.” Her ass hit the cold tiled counter.
“What if I did and I just didn’t say it?”
“Less hypotheticals and more undressing.”
“Copy.”
She tugged off his shirt and ran her hands over his biceps. She buried her face in the junction of his neck and shoulder. She wished she could sink her teeth into him. He slipped his palm under her shirt and traced up her spine.
“I wish you could see yourself right now.” He was facing the mirror that she was sitting in front of. She could imagine he saw her ass perched on the counter, hair loose and long. “So fucking sexy Annabeth.”
He gripped her jaw lightly, fingertips spanning from ear to ear. “Everything off, please”
She kept eye contact and fumbled with the buttons on her jeans, wriggling them off until they hit the floor.
“You better not order me around and then not do the same.”
“Wouldn't dream of it.” He released her jaw to pull his sweats off.
Through fumbling steps and multiple breaks to makeout, they finally stepped into the shower. It sputtered on at the same time that he pressed her against the acrylic wall, hands bracketing her head.
She caught his eye as the water ran down their bodies in rivulets, steam beginning to steal the fresh air from the room. He tracked her as she slid down the slick wall into a squat. His cock was hard, and she traced a prominent vein from the base all the way up. He drew in a breath, threading a hand through the wet curls at the base of her skull.
“Fuck, baby.” His head hit the shower wall as she took him fully in her mouth. “So good for me sweetheart.”
The pet names always came out when she went down on him, and considering how his eyes almost popped out of his head when she almost sucked on his fingers in the ring, she knew he wanted it but would never ask.
She liked doing it. More specifically she liked how he sounded when she did it, but it didn’t happen as much as she would’ve liked. He always insisted on tasting her first—then after her first (or second) orgasm, they were both too turned on to do anything but fuck.
Now, she could take her time. She bobbed her head slowly, hollowing her cheeks as she tried her best to keep her eyes on his through the steam and spray. She pulled off occasionally, just long enough to trail her puckered lips across the length of him.
His hands were clenching against the shower wall, occasionally reaching to brush strands off her forehead or fist in her curls. She could tell he was holding back, and she was so tired of him doing that.
She pulled off his cock with a pop, tipping her head back until it rested against the wall. Maintaining eye contact as best she could, she opened her mouth as wide as it could go, sticking her tongue out. Completely vulnerable, her body resting in the palm of his hands. The thought sent shockwaves south.
She saw his eyes darken, his hips bucking forward a few inches before he stopped himself. He reached down to cup her cheek, thumb swiping her cheekbone before entering her mouth. She let it rest on her tongue.
He asked his silent question, she nodded. Her palms found anchor on the backs of his strong thighs.
With a sigh that came from deep within his chest, he slid into her mouth, setting a slow pace.
As his cock slid freely into her throat, she tried her best not to gag. A tear joined the warm water that adorned her skin.
His eyebrows were knitted together as his focus anchored to her face, watching his cock slide in and out. He was muttering something, but she could barely hear him over her own heartbeat in her ears. Even as he started to move faster, she just forced her mouth wider. She wanted him to know she wasn’t breakable. That their trust was the thing that mattered most to her in the whole world.
Maybe he saw the sincerity in her expression, because all of a sudden he bucked forward, cursing. He hit the back of her throat as she dug her nails into his thighs. She heard the pipes groaning, the cheap shower head shaking before popping off and landing at her feet—a powerful single stream of water appearing in its stead.
He pulled out of her mouth with one final groan and brought her up, smashing his lips into hers. The water that was pelting at their shoulders only increased in pressure. She pulled away to take a long overdue gasp of air.
He watched as she took several deep breaths, hands cradling her sore jaw.
“Look at you. My perfect fucking girl.” He exhaled a laugh, almost in disbelief. “You were about to make me cum too early.”
“Let’s not pretend like you don’t have an exceptional refractory period,” she said, still breathless.
He smiled. “True, but that’s ten more minutes of not being inside you.” He ran his hand up her torso, a calloused hand found her nipple. “You’re the patient one, not me.”
He lifted her again, and for once she was thankful. Her legs felt shaky, both from her prolonged crouching and the intense arousal that was now coursing through her.
The shower switched off as he stepped out of the tub, and they were both dry by the time he laid her on his bed. He kneeled between her splayed thighs, proceeding to take one of her legs in his hand and resting it on his shoulder, kissing up her calf.
“I think I’ll be thinking about that for the rest of my life.” He gripped the base of his cock. “Such a pretty fucking picture, Beth.”
She whimpered as he finally settled on top of her, lining himself up with her entrance. She revelled in the feeling of his biceps caging her in. This, if nowhere else, is where she could always feel safe.
“I missed you.”
“Me too, so much.”
He pushed into her, effectively stealing all the air from her lungs. He groaned, a guttural sound.
She locked her heels behind his thighs. She forgot what it felt like to be so full.
“Oh my gods, Percy.” She squeezed her eyes shut in pleasure, “You make me feel so fucking…” she couldn’t find the word.
“I know, I know.”
He moved like the tide, slow enough that you don’t notice it’s rising until it’s too late. Through shared air and skin that burned where it was touched, he conveyed to her just how much he had needed this.
In a sudden change in pace, he drove into her deeper than she thought possible and she broke, letting out a bone-deep moan that morphed into uncontrollable whimpers as spasms overtook her muscles.
“That’s my girl,” he cooed, as he slowly took her through her orgasm. “Letting go just for me, right?”
She hurried a nod, finally gaining control of her limbs again to grip his broad shoulders and grind her pelvis against his, already chasing another release.
“So greedy, hm?”
He flipped them over in a blink, so she was now sitting on his hips. He released his grip on her, hands settling on her thighs. She already knew what game he was playing, but her brain was too clouded with desire to do anything about it.
“Think you can give me another one, baby?” His irises were just a ring of stormy surf.
She ground down onto him, eliciting a rough groan. He should’ve known better than to challenge her.
She worked her hips, alternating between slow grinds and faster bounces. He touched her everywhere that wasn’t where she needed him, kneading her tits, palm splayed on the arch of her back. The pressure was building in her stomach, but she was having a hard time maintaining the rhythm that would get her there. It didn’t stop her from trying, relentlessly chasing what she needed.
But it wasn’t enough, she couldn't reach the right angle on her own. She reached down to touch herself but he quickly dashed that possibility, taking both of her wrists and placing them on his chest. He didn’t have to say it for her to know that he wasn’t going to let her move them.
Her legs shook from exertion, and she let out a frustrated sob. She was so close.
“Tell me what you need, Annabeth.”
“I-I need,” her sentence was cut off in a strangled moan as he reached between them and brushed his fingertips across her clit.
“Say it.”
She had gotten better at swallowing her pride through the years, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it. “I need you to make me cum, Percy.”
He moved immediately, one arm circling her waist and pulling her off of him. He got on his knees behind her and pushed her so she was lying flat, face down on the bed. She clenched her thighs together at the emptiness, but it wasn’t long before a large hand gripped her ass and filled her once more.
“Percy, fuck, please,” she begged, voice muffled by cotton sheets.
Thankfully, he didn’t waste any time, covering her body completely with his and pounding into her. His hand snaked around her front to push her hips slightly up and apply light but intoxicating pressure to her clit.
Her orgasm slammed into her, and if it weren’t for the fact that her face was pressed into the bed, she was sure that she could’ve woken up half of new Rome. Through the waves of relief she felt Percy’s lips move against her shoulder.
“Fuck baby, yes,” his voice was strained. “Always gonna take care of you, always gonna give you what you need.”
She slid her hand forward to find his, interlocking their hands next to her head. With a few final strokes, he came with a groan and a murmured oath that sounded like her name. They stayed like that, his body fully encompassing hers, for a few moments. Their breaths synced, as he languidly stroked his hand up and down her side.
She began to squirm, and rolled off her onto his back, one arm covering his eyes.
Pillowing her head with folded hands, she cracked an eye open, blowing a stray curl out of her vision. As if sensing her staring, he opened his eyes and let his head fall to the side to meet her gaze.
“You,” he tapped her nose, “really know how to make a guy feel better.”
She huffed a laugh, pushing her arms over her head in a full body stretch. “Sparring and sex, it’s simple Percy math. An intrinsic formula, Fibonacci shit.”
He squinted at her. “I have no idea what you just said, but I like it.”
He leaned over to kiss her cheek before standing and tugging on a pair of boxers. She heard the tap run and a few moments later the mattress dipped. A warm towel brushed her inner thighs before wiping her clean, sending a shiver of aftershocks through her.
Reluctantly, she ambled to the bathroom. When she returned, she let him dress her in an old pair of sweatpants and one of his t-shirts. He pulled her to his chest, leaning back against the headboard with her between his legs.
A few moments passed before he spoke. “Seriously though, I don’t know how you do it.”
She replied sleepily, “do what?”
“I dunno, know exactly what I need when I don’t know it myself.” He placed a lingering kiss on her temple, pulling her even closer to him. “I love you, more than anything, by the way. I don’t think I said that yet.”
She twisted in his arms, knocking their foreheads together. “You take care of me, I take care of you, seaweed brain, simple.” Their lips met for a second, two. “And I love you too, by the way.”
He chuckled, thumb finding the hinge of her jaw and pressing lightly, relieving some of the ache that still lingered.
“For the record, I’m really happy that you trust me, with every part of you. That you show me a side of you that no one else gets.”
She just shrugged. “How could I not?”
He grinned, teeth peeking through his lips and began to pepper kisses all over her hairline, cheeks and eyelids. Once he finally relented after her third attempt to swat him away, he settled back against the headboard.
“So,” she poked his cheek. “Can you braid my hair so I don’t have to detangle it tomorrow?”
His laugh filled the room and she couldn’t help but giggle. She turned away from him, forehead hitting her knees as she sat forward to give him better access. His fingers gently untangled her knots, threading through her curls before beginning to weave it away from her face.
“And, while we’re at it, maybe, dessert?”
He hummed, “I have leftover cake from Elliot's birthday, or I can run to the corner store to get ice cream.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Ice cream, for sure.”
He tied off her braid, giving it a playful tug.
“You’re the boss.”
She smirked. "Damn right."