Percabeth: Aboard on the ARGO II

"You were drooling" I said trying to change the topic.

I could feel him laughing. "Don't I always?"

I hit him playfully on his arm. "You shameless boy".

"I'm sorry" he tittered "I'm desperately looking for ways to stop...drooling".

I smiled, even though he probably couldn't see. Being with him was as calm as being in the ocean, I thought that was the effect he was supposed to have on me, or everyone. But I didn't want anybody to feel that way around him. Many times I wondered if I was clearly showing how I felt towards him, maybe I didn't when we were around our friends (or at least I intended not to), but right now, in the middle of the night, by ourselves I was sure that I could. I held on to him thightly as if that would take both of us away from here, to a brighter place, or a better situation. But it didn't, I was still there.

"What's wrong, wise girl?" Percy asked and I was forced to open my eyes.

"What do you...? Nothing. Nothing's wrong".

"As if I didn't know you. You stuttered. You're...nervous. What is it?"

He slowly sat down by my side, with his legs crossed, looking at me, but I remained still, laying down there.

"Annabeth" he said almost in a whisper. I turned to look at him, and forced the fakest smile ever, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"I'm just tired, Percy. But I can't sleep" I said.

"Try to sleep, maybe you can".

"Okay, but if I'm going to sleep it has to be in my room" I got out of the bed and headed to the door. "We don't want the Coach Hedge to make a drama over how we hold hands or even look at each other...or worse...sleep together" i whispered slightly smiling at him. "Right?"

"Yes. Right" he nodded. "But, I bet you're not even that tired" he grinned. I rolled my eyes because he knew me so well, and because, somehow, also I knew he wanted me to stay for a while.

"Okay" I said. "It's such a shame that you convinced me so easily".

He got up from the bed and walked towards me, still with my hand on the door's handle. I felt nervous as he came closer, and when he put his hand on my waist, I felt a warm sensation running all over my body. Why was I so nervous? I tried hard not to be.

"Seaweed brain" I said nervously.

"Yes?" he smiled.

I shook my head, then wrapped my arms around his neck. The first time we kissed, he wasn't much taller than me, but this time he was, which made me feel a little nostalgic. He was growing up, we were growing up, as persons and aswell as a team. I suddenly felt so scared of losing him anytime soon, so I followed my impulse to kiss him. He kissed me back while his hands moved to my face, holding it.

"Annabeth" he said, but continued before I could reply. "With...this bare hands I held the sky, or the world, whatever... but... that didn't matter to me as much as you do. Right now, I am holding the world, my world" he looked down then back at me. "We'll remain together. Promise me".

I felt like I was in the border of tears, but I blinked to hold them back.

"I promise, Percy" I said then put my head to rest on his chest. He kissed my head and held me even thighter. That moment, I begged to the gods so that it could last forever, because I felt as safe as I did when I was on Camp Half-Blood, I could almost smell the berries or feel that I was in the Canoe Lake.

"I believe we will get through this, you know, I think we will" said Percy but I could hear behind his voice. He was trying to sound so optimistic and happy that I'm afraid he faked it too much, so I knew he was just trying to comfort me.

I pulled back. "Don't say that just to calm my nerves, I know you are as sure as me that the possibilities are few, or that one of us is going to end up...." I couldn't finish my sentence. I couldn't afford to think that it could be Percy...I couldn't.

"I might be saying that because that's what I'm hoping for" he says. "I want to believe that things can be okay, that not all hope is lost".

"Phrases of the Prophecy, Percy... they make me lose my sleep" I managed to say that and only that.

He laughed but it was more like a sarcastic laugh that I have never heard of him, not that I remembered.

"I think that happens to all of us lately. Prophecies are... weird" he said.

"Weird" I repeated. "Half the world thinks prophecies are scary, mysterious and so hard to interpret. Then there's you, thinking propechies are weird. Well, not so unexpected from a person who is... you know, weird".

Percy laughed, but this time so naturally that I smiled.

"Thanks" he said.

"I didn't mean that as an insult seawee-" before I could finish he leaned closer and kissed me. I could feel him smiling through our kiss. I kissed him deeper, the deepest I ever had. I was holding on to the neck of his shirt so tighty that, for a moment I feared I could rip it. He slipped his hands down my blouse and I could have stopped and tell him not to do that, but I was longing for his touch so much that I didn't mind at all. His hands felt warm against my skin. I put my hands on his shoulders as if trying to control myself from placing my hands somewhere else (like under his t-shirt, don't misunderstand me, oh gods).

And so we stood like that for a while, kissing and feeling each other. It felt like only a minute to me but I know it had been longer when we heard steps somewhere in the ship. We both looked at each other and agreed with our eyes to go out silently and see what was going on. Percy's pen turned into his badass sword while I only held my knife. We went out of his room and carefully walked to the deck. There was a man standing there, he looked around his twenties. He turned to face us and I almost pass out of surprisement. His scar was shining in one side of his face, his blue eyes looked at me deeply as if he was trying to say a thousand words.

"Luke" I said.

TO BE CONTINUED....