Goodgodwhy on ao3
"Babe you need to relax," Annabeth muttered around the bobby pin in her mouth.
Percy stared at himself in the mirror, trying to squish down the cow lick that had sprung up again, "I'm calm," he insisted.
He could see her reflected behind him, giving him a look that said she didn't believe him for a second. She finished pinning back a blonde curl and stood up from the bed, smoothing down her pretty dress, looking like the most effortless kind of beautiful.
It was a fairly unassuming colour of beige, because she wanted something simple for the evening, but the way it clung to her hips and the loose neckline shifted along the swell of her boobs still made his tongue dry.
Even months into their relationship, she continued to take his breath away.
She walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his middle, her chest to his back, her face pressed between his shoulder blades.
"Just take a breath," she mumbled, her own breath warming his skin where her lips touched.
He let his arms fall to his sides and he inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes, "I just don't want to embarrass you," he whispered.
Her grip tightened, squeezing a little too hard, "you won't," she promised. "You've already met my dad and my brothers, and they're the only ones that really matter."
He tilted his neck back until his head rested on the top of hers. It wasn't comfortable but it helped settle his nerves. "I know, but this is a big deal to your dad and your step-mom, it's like, their biggest, most important party."
She dug her forehead harder into his spine, "It's just a holiday dinner, we have it every year, it's not that important," she assured. "I don't even like most of my extended family, they're all a bunch of assholes. And my dad's so-called friends are really just his colleagues that he's trying to impress with all his opulence. None of their opinions matter."
"See I don't even know what that word means," Percy groaned, "I'm fucked."
She slapped at his stomach and he grinned, "shut up, you know what it means."
He turned in her arms, wrapping his own around her shoulders, pulling her in closer even if nearly every inch of their bodies were already connected. He buried his nose in her hair, careful not to muss it up to much, "what if I fall down the stairs and they all laugh at me?"
She lifted her knee to nudge his junk, making him jolt, "stop doubting yourself," she demanded.
"Careful with the jewels," he exclaimed, leaning his hips away from her, "I'm not doubting myself, just considering a very real possibility. You know I always forget to tie my shoelaces."
She pulled her face out of his chest and stared at him with disgust, "ew, you did not just call them jewels."
He nodded sagely, "I did and they're still sensitive."
Her eyes sparkled a little mischievously and she lowered one of her hands, ghosting over him, making him jolt for a whole other reason, "they are?" she asked with feigned pity, her bottom lip pushed out in an exaggerated pout. "Maybe they need a little t.l.c."
He cleared his throat, "that might help me relax," he agreed.
She grabbed at his bulge gently, rubbing him over his pants, giving the best kind of friction. His head dropped to her shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. She was too good at this, fingers too skilled, she could always get him hard in record time.
"Is this actually going to help you calm down?" she asked.
He hummed, trying to stop his knees from giving out, "it definitely won't hurt."
"Okay, but we have to hurry cause the guests are arriving in like fifteen minutes."
His heart sped up like it did every time at the thought of feeling her wrapped around him.
He grabbed at her hip to steady himself, his fist clenching in the fabric of her dress, "whether we make it down there on time is entirely up to you, babe."
She huffed a soft laugh and pushed him backwards, guiding him towards the bed without ever removing the wonderful pressure to his stiff cock. He already needed out of these confining pants so desperately he couldn't even think.
He plopped down on the edge, leaning back on his hands as Annabeth settled between his thighs, on her knees. There was literally no greater sight than the one before him right now. Blonde curls tumbling down around her shoulders, grey eyes darkened with desire. She was exquisite.
She worked on unbuttoning his pants and slid down the zipper, fingers slipping through the hole to grab at him, making his breath catch. Fuck, he loved her.
She pulled him out of his slacks, cock bobbing into open air, his tip already red and leaking. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip and looked up at him, glaring, "if you get any cum on me, I'm gonna be really pissed."
Before he could respond, she was already wrapping her hand around his base and dropping her head lower so she could envelop him with her mouth. Fuck, he really loved her so much.
He clenched his jaw, his legs spasming at the perfect, wet, warm suction. That first lick and tug did him in every time. There was no feeling like it. She bobbed up and down, tongue pressed tight to the vein on the underside of his shaft, her hand squeezing and pulling where her mouth couldn't reach.
He threw his head back and groaned, "oh fuck."
His hand slid around her neck and tangled itself in her curls. His grip always found its way there instinctively, before long. He never was very good at giving up control, and the feeling of guiding her along and pulling at her strands to give her that bite of delicious pain that he knew she craved, was too good to pass up.
Normally she could take him deeper, until he was hitting the back of her throat and making her choke and cough on his dick. Today, she did everything with precision and efficiency. She didn't take him too far, likely so that there was less of a mess when they were done. He was careful not to yank too hard when something felt good, or swipe his thumb over her cheek when he appreciated a particularly adept move.
Even though he usually adored nothing more than seeing her all messy and disheveled, he didn't want to fuck up her looks today, when she'd put so much time and effort into her hair and makeup. She claimed she didn't care about what these people thought, but he knew that she did. Her entire childhood had been spent seeking the approval of these types of rich academics, that didn't just go away completely.
He wanted to prove to all these pretentious pricks that he could be worthy of someone like her. He wanted to prove it to her as well. He wanted to be someone that she could be proud to show off, not someone she was forced to defend just because they were dating.
But Percy didn't really want to spend anymore time thinking about that somewhat depressing thought when the perfection that was his girlfriend was kneeling on the uncomfortable wooden floor of her bedroom with his dick in her mouth.
Her lips were glossy and shining with spit and his precum, cheeks hollowed out, skin pink and flushed. His cock jerked in her mouth at the mere sight.
Although it was a bit different from how she usually chose to suck him off, this sped up version was no less pleasurable. She knew exactly what to do to make him lose it, her effectiveness unmatched. She would twist just so and apply added pressure whenever his hips lifted off the mattress. She knew exactly when to drop her fingers to his balls and tug, or when to seal her lips tight around his tip.
He moaned again, "fuck, Beth."
She smirked around him, licking him from base to head and back again, "you closh?" she mumbled, her words reverberating down his cock.
His fingers clenched in her hair as he nodded, the tension in his gut tightening to a breaking point.
"Yes," he huffed, "I wanna come on your face," he whined, his eyes screwed shut.
She shook her head, his dick still in her mouth, "nawt happenin'."
He grumbled, God she looked so good with his thick cum painting her lips and lashes. He was determined to see that again next time he was in this position.
For now, he would enjoy the feeling of his load coating the back of her mouth, and the sound of it being greedily gulped down.
"Oh," his balls drew up suddenly, "shit, I'm gonna come."
She nodded and pressed down on him, taking him deeper than she had all day, her nose in the trail of hair below his belly button.
"Oh God," he grunted.
His shoulders tensed, his toes pressing into the floor as his release took over him, his cock shooting a stream down her throat. It continued to spasm against her warm tongue, wave upon wave of pleasure tingling through him. He jerked once, twice more, his stomach clenching as the last of his cum dribbled out before he flopped onto the bed with an exhausted sigh.
Annabeth licked up any missed fluid and pulled off him, tucking his spent member back into his pants and zipping him up. She rose to her feet and straddled his hips, her knees digging into the bed as she settled onto his lap.
She looked down at her wrist, and even though there was no watch there, she pretended to read it carefully, "hmm, five minutes, that's gotta be my best time yet."
He watched her through lidded eyes, almost too relaxed to even string words together, "you're getting too good at that."
She grinned and fell forward, nuzzling her body into his chest, their breaths falling in sync.
His own body was still buzzing pleasantly, limbs like jelly, but he managed to wrap an arm around her waist, tracing little shapes into her back over the fabric of her silk dress. He liked to spell out words whenever he had the opportunity to touch and hold her like this. He'd never told her, but he would usually trace, 'I love you,' into her skin, a little secret that he liked to keep to himself.
"Thanks," he hummed appreciatively.
She pressed a little kiss over his heart and pulled back, "are we feeling more ready to take on the evening now?"
She said it jokingly, but he could see the earnest question in her eyes. She really wanted to know that he would be okay, that she'd made things better for him. He might've been nervous about impressing the Chase guests, and antsy about dealing with all these pretentious fuckers, but he could tell that she was nervous too, and this evening was about her, not him.
He nodded, "you instilled quite a lot of confidence in me. I think we can do this."
She grinned wide and genuine, and he would repeat this night over a thousand times if this was the response he got.
"Good," she patted his cheek, "let's get to it, then, I think dad wanted some advice on where to set the name tags on the table."
He fought not to roll his eyes, because really who had name tags, at all? Why was there even assigned seating for a holiday dinner? Rich people.
She slid off him and pulled at his hands to drag him into a standing position. His knees wobbled a bit under his weight.
She turned towards the door, but he tugged her back gently, "wait. I didn't get to return the favour."
She shook her head, "it's fine," she promised, "I'll take you up on it later, but right now we gotta get down there, so no more stalling, mister."
He sighed and gave her lips a quick peck, "fine, let's go."
Hand in hand they walked down the stairs towards the giant entryway, arms swinging between them. He could see Annabeth toying with the necklace that he'd gotten for her a month ago, and it was another confirmation that she was nervous despite what she told him. She only ever tugged on the coral charm when she was worried or antsy.
He loved her for wearing it though. It was a cheap piece of jewelry that he'd spotted at a pop up shop while he was walking through the mall. Something about the deep red colour drew his attention and when he got a closer look, he just felt like he had to get it for her.
It had only been like $20, and the chain always tinted her skin green, but she wore it anyway. It meant a lot to him that she still kept it on even during an occasion like this one. He squeezed her fingers a little tighter and gave her what he hoped was a confident grin.
"Annabeth," Mr. Chase called and they glanced over at her dad who was scrambling towards them, "where have you been? I had to set out the name plaques myself and the guests have already begun to arrive."
"Sorry, Mr. Chase, she was helping me get this hair under control," Percy answered for her.
The least he could was take some heat off his girlfriend, when he was the reason for her tardiness. He knew she got worked up for things like this, so his job tonight was to make her evening as stress free as possible.
"Oh Percy," her dad blinked like he was just noticing him there, "well that's alright, I could actually use your help for something." Mr. Chase looked over at Annabeth, "do you mind heading into the living room and entertaining some of the guests? I just need to pull him away for a couple minutes."
Percy looked down at her, asking permission before he went. She gave him a soft smile and a nod, pushing up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek, "yeah sure, I'll go make some friends."
She patted her dad's shoulder on her way by, leaving him alone with the man.
Percy shuffled his feet and swallowed. Mr. Chase was a nice enough guy, but he was definitely a little spacy and strange, and Percy didn't think he could ever fully forgive someone who'd made Annabeth feel forgotten and unseen for so long, even if she'd mostly let it go.
"Sorry to pull you away, but the caterers left the ice outside and I need a second pair of hands to bring it into the kitchen," Mr. Chase explained.
Percy nodded, "no worries."
They slipped out the door and hefted up the heavy container. With each of them gripping a handle, they made their way through the house, winding carefully around the party so they weren't spotted with their sleeves rolled up, lugging a giant box between them. Annabeth's dad was mostly silent until they made it to the kitchen and placed the ice down.
"Okay, here's perfect," Mr. Chase let out a heavy breath, wiping his brow, "thank you."
"No problem, sir," he said politely.
The older man stared for a moment, brown eyes boring into Percy's, "Annabeth usually looks miserable during these parties, but she seems in lighter spirits today, and I'm pretty sure I have you to thank for that."
"Oh," Percy shrugged, "I'm not sure I can take credit for that, but I'm happy to help in any way that I can."
Mr. Chase grinned, "well, you're always welcome to visit."
"Thank you," he smiled.
"Next time we host an evening, you should invite your mom."
"Oh yeah, she'd love that."
"Great," the man exclaimed, "she has an open invite to come over. We can eat leftovers together and just have a nice private, family dinner after all the hubbub dies down. It gets so hectic during these parties."
Percy's grin melted, but he tried not to show it. He knew that Mr. Chase was likely coming from a good place, but extending them an invite to come over and eat the scraps after their guests left was not the generous offer that he thought it was. The message was clear; the Jacksons did not fall under the Chase friends and family category. Percy was likely only allowed to attend because he was a plus one with direct affiliations to the family.
He cleared his throat, "I'll relay the message."
"Good," Mr. Chase nodded, "well, we should probably get back out there."
Percy followed him into the living room, but they split up when the man noticed some of his guests, and raced forward to greet them without another word or glance back. Percy didn't mind, he was busy scanning the crowded room for his girlfriend.
He sighed with relief when he spotted her tell-tale curls, swishing against her back. She was talking to a blonde guy that Percy didn't recognize, likely a few years older than them. He looked, what was the word that Annabeth used? Suave. The guy looked suave in his full dark suit, with slicked hair and a shiny watch on his wrist. He had on a tie, matching vest and even a pocket square.
Percy glanced down at his own attire as he made his way towards them. Annabeth had insisted that his outfit was great, but compared to this guy, he wasn't so sure about that. Percy's pants were new, light brown and still freshly pleated which was certainly out of the ordinary for him. Annabeth had picked out his shirt for him, a sort of grey, white turtleneck sweater that she'd tucked into his pants, claiming that it was the perfect mix of dapper and sexy.
He could confidently say that he felt neither dapper nor sexy now.
When he made it to her side, he slung an arm over her shoulder and she glanced up with a happy smile. That smile lessened the sting of standing next to someone who looked, by all counts, like he was the one who should be Annabeth's boyfriend. They would make the perfect pair with their matching blonde hair, and elegant clothes.
"Hey," Percy greeted them both.
"Hey," Annabeth responded, giving his waist a squeeze, before turning back to the guy, "Perce, this is Luke."
The name sounded familiar, a memory tickling the back of his brain, but he couldn't figure out where or why he knew the dude.
Percy extended his hand which wasn't wrapped around his girlfriend, and Luke shook it impassively.
"Nice to meet you, man."
Luke nodded without looking him in the eye, "yeah, same."
"So, uh, how do you know the Chases?" Percy asked.
"I'm getting my Master's right now," Luke explained. "Dr. Chase is advising me on my final thesis. We got to talking and realized that he actually knows my dad. They went to West Point together back in the day."
"Ahh, what a coincidence," Percy replied awkwardly, "that's cool."
He wasn't the best at idle small talk, especially with someone who he likely had very little in common with.
"And what about you two?" Percy wondered, looking between Luke and Annabeth.
Annabeth's cheeks turned a little pink, "uh, I met Luke at one of his frat parties before he graduated. That was before he started his Master's with my dad."
"Small world right?" Luke commented with a smirk.
It wasn't difficult to surmise what Annabeth's pink cheeks and Luke's smirk meant. Percy knew about Annabeth's past, and they had admitted to each other to having similarly slept around before they started dating. If she'd met Luke at a party, it wasn't crazy to assume that he was one of her past conquests.
Percy's arm tightened around her.
It must've been a one time thing if Percy didn't recognize Luke's name, and it probably wasn't a great experience either. That made him feel better, but he still didn't love the thought of another person's hands on his girlfriend's body, even if it had been a while ago.
Especially someone like this. Someone who was rich and esteemed enough to receive an invite to this big holiday dinner, rather than an offer to the afterparty for leftovers.
"Yeah," Percy smiled tightly.
"I think they're just about to start dinner in a couple minutes, so we should probably start heading over," Annabeth said, saving them from any more stilted conversation.
"Looks like it," Luke agreed, "I'm gonna look for the help, I need a refill for my drink. I'll see you over there," he signaled his head towards the dining room and slid away from them, but not before giving Annabeth one more glance.
Percy stared him down, watching until the guy's back was turned and he was safely across the room.
Once he was gone, Annabeth turned under Percy's arm and wrapped herself around his waist, "you okay?" she muttered.
He nodded, "mhm."
"What did my dad need?"
He rubbed her back, "just needed help to move an ice bucket into the kitchen."
Her fingers drummed against his sweater, "did you talk about anything?"
He shrugged, "not really."
She watched him closely and he knew that she could tell he was off. He'd tried to shake himself out of it all day, he was supposed to be here to make the night easier on her and maybe get to know her family a little, but he just couldn't seem to shrug this weird mood.
He wasn't usually so bothered about being around money. Annabeth had never made him feel any less for it, even when he couldn't afford to take her out on fancy dates, or buy her a dress that he saw her staring at through the store window. She always asked to split the bill, or to take turns paying for their Netflix subscription, and he loved her for that because she didn't pity him or offer to cover everything. She treated him like a normal person, even if their situations were vastly different. She always seemed perfectly happy with his tokens of love which consisted of morning coffees or cheap jewelry, and she reacted with just as much enthusiasm to the cookies that he baked for her that morning as she did when he gifted her that expensive pencil set he splurged on for their first anniversary.
But money worries had been weighing on him especially hard recently, and this party and everyone attending were all acting as an uncomfortable reminder of his situation.
Annabeth was still looking up at him imploringly, though, searching his face. She was always good to him, so the least he could do was fake it for her tonight.
He looked into those beautiful greys and plastered on a wider smile, "we just chatted about the party and family and stuff, he was cool."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and he was pretty sure she bought it, "I think he likes you."
Percy chuckled, "never thought I'd see the day when a father approves of me."
"Well seeing as he has no past boyfriends to compare you to, I think you're doing a pretty good job in his eyes."
"Just his eyes?" he teased.
"Yup," she teased right back, "I'd say your performance has been subpar at best."
He leaned back and put a hand over his heart, "wow, that hurts. I thought I was at least mediocre."
"Debatable," she replied, the corner of her eyes creasing adorably as she grinned.
"Stabbing me in the heart here."
Her soft giggle turned into a sigh as she glanced over his shoulder, "we should probably get over there."
He took a deep breath and nodded, "okay."
She extricated her arms, but grabbed for his hand, "just a reminder that most of these people are absolute dicks, just warning you."
"Got it," he nodded as they began to walk over, "is Luke included in that club?" he couldn't help asking.
She laughed a little awkwardly, "yes, he definitely is."
"I don't know his face, but his name sounds familiar," Percy mentioned as she directed him into the dining room.
She cleared her throat, and lowered her voice to a whisper, "he might have called me when you and I were in the middle of something."
His brow furrowed, "what something?"
Annabeth scanned the table for their seats, eyes darting to him furtively, "a specific activity in your mom's car at the skatepark. On our first unofficial date," she reminded him.
Just as she found their spots and pulled him towards the table, the memory clicked into place and Percy barked out a genuine laugh. People nearby turned to stare so he stifled his chuckle, and put up his free hand apologetically.
As they settled down, he leaned over and whispered in Annabeth's ear, "Luke is the guy that called while we were- in the car, and I made you stay on the phone with him?"
"Yes," she cut him off, but he could see that she was biting back a smile.
This revelation did quite a bit to improve his mood, and he made it through the first half of the meal quite comfortably. He didn't really listen to the conversation, but he did gorge himself on some delicious food, and nudge his girlfriend's knee under the table every once in a while, just because he felt like it.
Sometimes Annabeth had to lean over and explain which spoon to use, because there were three different sizes, but only one serving of soup in front of him, which literally made no sense. She would giggle and smile each time, so at least his confusion and humiliation was worth it.
He didn't know anyone around them, the other Chases were at the end of the table, too far to converse with. Luke, on the other hand, wasn't far enough for his liking but still a couple seats down from Annabeth, at least.
Percy wasn't sure how or when the conversation turned in his direction, but he only zoned back in when Annabeth squeezed his knee under the table.
"Sorry?" he asked.
"I was just wondering what you do," a middle aged woman repeated. "I've never met any of my niece's boyfriends."
"He's my first boyfriend, Aunt Natalie," Annabeth muttered.
"I'm currently working at a daycare," he explained. "I'm interested in working with kids, so I thought that would be a good experience.
The woman nodded, "and are you going to school?"
"Um, I'm hoping to start in January. I've applied to a few places in the area."
Her face lit up, "really, which ones? My son just started at Columbia."
He glanced around the table and scratched at the fabric of his pants. This was a dangerous topic, one that he really didn't want to get into or think about at the moment.
"I got into City College, so I'm leaning towards that one," he replied.
Aunt Natalie did a pretty impressive job of remaining impassive but Percy didn't miss the slight drop in her features, the dimming in her glassy eyes, "oh, well, I'm sure that will be great. Good for you."
He rubbed his sweaty palms together, "thank you."
"I heard that City College has a good financial aid system," Luke mentioned, from further down the table.
Percy didn't really know what to say. It was true, which was why he chose it, but he wasn't sure why Luke felt the need to bring it up, other than to be a massive dick. "Um, yup they do."
"Is that why you're picking that one?" Luke asked as he chewed on his salad.
"It has a great child and adolescent program there," Annabeth answered for Percy, her expression defensive, "that's why he's choosing it."
Another man joined in, he was tall with wisps of platinum white hair and balding on the top of his head, a little older than aunt Natalie, "you know, I was speaking to one of our cleaners, and she said that with the aids, her son didn't pay for a single year of school," he scoffed.
"Hmm," a guy next to Natalie hummed, probably her husband, "that's interesting."
"I mean it's a bit ridiculous," the balding guy continued. He looked at Percy, "I'm all for a little help of course, but it doesn't seem fair that you can go for free, when hard working kids are paying tens of thousands of dollars a year for the same education."
Percy's neck turned warm and he looked down at his hands resting in his lap.
"Oh come on, Al, I'm sure they have requirements and guidelines in place to ensure that only people who really need it, get that kind of money," Natalie pointed out.
"But why does someone deserve a handout just because they couldn't scrounge up enough money?" Luke cut in to ask, "I worked for my uncle every summer to save up so that I could afford to live in my apartment and pay for food while I was in school."
Percy tried not to scoff, his eyes boring into the stitching on his pants.
Luke worked for his daddy's brother for a couple months a year so that he could buy himself McDonald's and alcohol whenever he wanted, and he thought that was the same as people who needed financial aid to pay for college? He didn't even cover his own tuition, which was where the largest costs came from. The fact that he could even afford his own apartment, and didn't have to live with four roommates, or sleep in his parents' basement was a privilege in itself. Luke wouldn't have even gotten his job if it weren't for the connections that he had built in from the day he was born, and Percy doubted the work was anything overly strenuous.
"I agree, everyone works just as hard to get into University," Al followed up. "I just don't think it's fair that some people have preferential treatment because they have a poor upbringing."
Percy's hand curled into a fist against his leg.
"I'm not sure it's about preferential treatment, it's about giving everyone equal footing," Natalie argued.
"Equal footing would be letting everything unfold as it should. If you're smart with your money and you work hard enough, anyone can afford higher education. You get to go, if you deserve to go," Luke decided.
Annabeth's hand slid into Percy's lap, and she wrapped her fingers around his clenched fist. His shoulders remained stiff, but his breath came a little more easily.
He couldn't understand how these people with all their higher education and countless resources could be so fucking stupid. He doubted they worked a single hard day in their life, but they had their noses so far up their own ass, they couldn't see their idiocy.
"Mhm. If you give a smart businessman $100, he'll sit on that money and in a year he can turn that into thousands. You give $100 to a poor man, he'll just gonna use it right then and waste it," the bald guy said with his brows raised, like he'd made a good point.
Maybe underprivileged and impoverished people would use the money because they needed to pay their goddamn bills, dickhead. A rich person wouldn't have to worry about shit like that and had the benefit of being able to put the money aside and invest it.
Percy bit down on his tongue hard, his hand tightening.
He tried to smother the fire pumping thick through his blood. It wasn't even the fact that these people had backward views, acting like they knew about things they would never understand. What bothered him was the fact that they could talk about it at the dinner table like it was just an interesting issue for debate, and then move on to the next topic without a care, their lives unaffected. For them, it was a foreign concept to discuss over their meals, but for so many, it was a reality.
For Percy it was a reality.
"How is Magnus doing, Aunt Natalie? Is he liking Columbia?" Annabeth interrupted, doing her best to swerve the conversation.
The woman nodded, her face lighting up once more, "oh yes he's loving it. I think he's a little overwhelmed with his classes, but he's found himself a partner, Alex, who he seems very smitten with. I'm hoping to meet them soon."
"How nice," Al sneered, "it's good to know that all my donations to that school are doing something."
Percy looked up.
"Oh you donated again this year?" Natalie's husband asked.
Al nodded, "of course, I never miss it. I take my contributions very seriously, especially when I know I can help uplift all those young minds."
"Is your charity still running?"
"Mhm, 'Wergild Fund'," Al told them, "if you want to help your son, I'd suggest making a call. You can find our information online."
Percy wanted to laugh at the absurdity and irony of it all.
He also maybe wanted to punch Al in the face. And Luke too, he was looking especially punchable over there, a few seats down.
Of course Al donated to major institutions and thought he was some saviour. Philanthropy rarely ever benefited anyone who actually needed it. It just put the power to make any real difference back in the hands of those who already benefited from the system, so why would they want anything to change? Millionaires donated to massive universities, where only the upper class could afford to attend anyway. It just circulated all that money among the privileged, it didn't redistribute those funds to anyone who could really use it.
As far as Percy could tell, the rich only participated in charity for two reasons. One, so that they could make themselves feel good, and act all superior. And two, so that they could lower their tax rates, and make even more money.
Al claimed scholarly aids were unfair because they were intended specifically for the financially challenged, when he himself had basically set up a charity with the sole purpose of benefiting wealthy kids and upholding a system that made it impossible for any upward movement. What a hypocrite.
Percy definitely wanted to punch something.
"I'll be sure to talk to my dad about making a donation," Luke spoke up.
Al and the blonde prick went on to talk more about their wealth and all the amazing things they'd done, but Percy zoned out again. He couldn't stand to listen to any more of it. The only thing preventing him from leaping across the table was his girlfriend's soft thumb stroking the back of his hand.
He could barely stand to remain seated any longer, but he managed to sit through the rest of dinner and dessert. After the catering staff came by to scoop up their plates, Percy leaned down to Annabeth's ear to excuse himself quietly and made his way through the house towards the front door.
He reached the driveway just in time, taking several deep breaths. He paced back and forth, trying to reign in his emotions, the gravel crunching under his feet.
He knew he'd fucked everything up, and made the night awkward and uncomfortable for Annabeth, but he just couldn't deal with these people. How cavalier, how fucking disrespectful they were. The shit they'd insinuated in there, suggesting that it was his mom's fault for their financial struggles because she was lazy and stupid.
God, he should go back into the party right now and beat the shit out of them.
"Perce," Annabeth's voice said softly behind him.
He turned to look at her, but backed away. He was not in the mood for this, he was angry, pissed, and even Annabeth couldn't help him sort through this. He just needed a moment alone.
"I'm fine," he croaked.
She began to take a step towards him but he waved her off, and she stopped abruptly, biting her lip.
"I'm sorry, I know they're assholes," she tried.
"Yeah," he breathed out harshly, "it's fine, I just need a sec, okay?"
"I shouldn't have brought you," she shook her head, "I don't even like my family, I-"
"It's okay, I wanted to meet them," he insisted, "please go back inside, I'll be back soon."
"Maybe we can sneak out, no one will notice," she offered, "I don't want to be here anymore, either."
"Annabeth," he sighed, trying to keep his voice even, "please, I just need to calm down, so go back into the house and I'll meet you-"
"Okay, I know, I just- we can go together, my dad won't even notice."
"Annabeth!" he shouted and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold his gaze, "please give me a goddamn second to think."
"I'm sorry," she swallowed.
"Thanks," he grunted.
"I-" she continued, making him exhale a deep breath, "I should've said something, or defended you more, I just- I thought it would make it worse, they never listen to me. I'm young and- and I'm a girl, they talk over me all the time, so I just thought it would be easier to change the subject, but that didn't work, and they just kept going, and I let it happen, I'm so sorry," she rambled.
"I know, it's okay," he said, turning his back on her. "Just go, I'll be in soon," he could hear the coldness in his voice, but he couldn't stand to look at her distressed expression any more.
"I'll give you a minute," she muttered.
He shut his eyes, trying to calm the pounding in his head, "thank you."
"Just, don't listen to them okay. I know how they can be-"
"Annabeth," he warned.
"I know they're the worst-"
"Stop," he muttered.
"I- I know I could've done more."
"Stop."
"I know-"
He spun on her, his anger boiling up like bile in his throat, "no you don't know," he yelled. "You don't know what it's like, so stop saying that!"
She shrunk in on herself, flinching, "I didn't mean it like that, I'm just saying that I get it, I..."
"But you don't get it, do you?" he threw at her. "You don't know what it's like for me, or for my mom. You don't know what it's like to have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for gas so we can work. You grew up in a house like this," he gestured to the mansion behind them, "throwing parties just for the sake of showing off, with staff that basically follows you into the bathroom to wipe your ass, and there's eight different spoons for God knows what reason," his chest was heaving, "you got a brand new car when you were old enough to drive and you went on vacation to Hawaii every year with your family, so no, you don't get it!"
Her body was shivering and it looked like her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, but there was a fire in them now.
"You don't get to act like my life was perfect just cause we had money," she shouted back. "I got that car after my dad realized he forgot my birthday. I once went an entire month without anyone in that house saying a single word to me. I was going to Berkeley just to get away from this place. At least you had your mom, she loves you, I had no one here."
He rolled his eyes, "I'm not saying your life is easy, I'm just saying that you don't understand what it's like. You've never had to worry about money, or whether you could get into school. I don't have enough money to just choose wherever I want to go. I can't simply decide that I want to move my life to another state because my family sucks."
She grit her teeth, "I worked hard to get a scholarship so I could go where I wanted, my dad had nothing to do with it. I earned my spot, and saying that-"
He pinched the bridge of his nose, "well, I'm too fucking stupid to get a scholarship aren't I?"
"What are you even saying? I just wanted to come out here to check on you, I don't know why you're taking it out on me."
He groaned, "oh my God, that's why I told you to leave me alone like five times. I told you I needed a sec to think so that I wouldn't take it out on you."
"Well sorry I was worried about my boyfriend and I wanted to make him feel better," she snapped.
"I don't need someone to make me feel better, it's not something that can be made better, I just need to be alone for a fucking minute so that I can calm down."
"I've been giving you space all day," Annabeth cried.
He shook his head, "what are you talking about?"
She was glaring, eyes blazing and he knew this was a waste of time. He'd had enough, he needed to go home. He needed to lay in bed and let sleep seap the anger out of his bones. He needed to put headphones in and listen to his music on max volume and just squeeze his pillow until he didn't feel like he was going to implode anymore.
He turned without a word and began walking towards his mom's car, parked at the end of the driveway.
"Why are you so angry about this?" Annabeth accused, following after him.
His eyes bulged and he scoffed, looking over his shoulder at her, "you've gotta be kidding."
"I'm not talking about what they said, I'm talking about before. You've been in a bad mood all day, and I thought you were just nervous about my family, but that's not it."
"It's nothing, I just don't like the way they talk about people, it's disgusting, they treat everyone like trash. Luke called the servers the fucking 'help.' They're assholes," he exclaimed, reaching the driver's side door and wrenching it open so he could drop inside.
Annabeth threw her hands in the air, "which you knew. Which I've been telling you all day, I've warned you about it, so what is the real reason?"
"Because they were talking about me," he shouted, his face hot, slamming the door shut behind him and turning the key in the ignition. "They're talking about my mom, calling us lazy, and stupid, when my mom has worked her ass off every day of her life to get me to where I am-" his voice broke and he huffed, gripping the steering wheel.
Annabeth's shoulders slumped, her breath forming hazy little clouds in the cool air. She leaned on the door, ducking her head through the window, her voice softening, "and they're wrong, they're dicks, but you were mad before that," she kept pushing.
"It's not just them," he bit out, "even your dad."
"My dad?"
"Yeah, he was generous enough to invite my mom over to your next party, but he made sure I knew it would only be for leftovers, once all his real guests were gone," Percy sneered. He could feel that he was being mean.
"I- he probably didn't mean it like that."
"You weren't there, I heard what he said!"
"Well, I'll talk to him," she promised. "But that doesn't answer my question. I still don't get where this is coming from. What's the matter?" she implored.
Pushing, pushing. She kept pushing.
"Nothing."
"I know that something has been bothering you, I want to help."
He should just tell her, she had him pegged, he wanted her to know, but the truth was stuck in his throat.
"Just leave it," he muttered instead.
"Tell me what's wrong!"
"Nothing! Stop fucking nagging me, nothing's wrong except you right now," he bellowed.
Pain flashed across her features, and she stepped back from the car. He wished he could swallow his words, pulling them back in.
He scrubbed his face, frustrated. Nothing good would ever come from this conversation, it was going nowhere. The longer he stayed, the more likely he was to make it worse. He didn't want to say anything else that he would regret because he was pissed off and agitated.
God, he was an asshole. He was supposed to be making the night easier on her, and instead he'd made it a million times worse. She'd been the one trying to look after him all day, not the other way around.
He was hurting her, and he never wanted to do that.
He sighed and clicked his seatbelt into place, "look I just need a break, okay. I can't talk about this anymore."
Her eyes widened, a look of panic shining back at him. He thought she'd be happy to be rid of him.
"Wait, what?"
"I'm just- I'm done with this right now," he shook his head, shifting into gear.
"Are you kidding me?"
He took his foot off the brake and began to pull away, "I need to go home, okay."
"Just- just wait, let's talk about this," she implored.
"Go back inside, I'll call you," he promised.
"Percy," she called urgently, but he was already out of earshot.
He rolled to the end of her driveway, through the ornate gates. He could see Annabeth in the rearview mirror, staring after him.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. He looked at her one more time, slumped and defeated, arms wrapped around herself. He clenched his jaw before turning the corner, out of sight.
He sped home quickly, as if the faster he got there, the sooner this whole night could be wiped from his mind.
Sleep didn't bring him the peace he was hoping for, though, and in the morning he woke up with nothing but regret. He'd had dreams all night of Annabeth slapping him across the face and telling him that she never wanted to see him again, over and over, and he couldn't even blame her. It didn't take a genius to see that he was in the wrong.
Fuck, he really had been such an asshole. After everything she'd done all day to check in on him and make sure he was okay, he still blew up at her. He'd said horrible things, hurtful things, just so he could get the upper hand. Just so she would leave him alone.
He pushed himself out of bed reluctantly. He wasn't looking forward to facing the day, but he needed to apologize, he needed to make things right.
If he tugged on her favourite pair of grey sweatpants, hoping that she would take it a little easier on him, that was his own business. Once he was dressed, he got back in his mom's car, and stopped by Starbucks to pick up an ice coffee for her, trying to further soften the blow.
It was almost too soon before he was pulling back into her driveway. He never thought there would be a day when he was resistant about seeing her, but he just had no idea what to say. The shit that he'd spewed out of his mouth last night wasn't easily forgiven, he didn't even know where to begin with his apology.
He knocked on the front door just as the sun was settling at its peak. He smoothed down his hair and tried to choke back the nerves bubbling up in his throat, while he waited.
After a couple seconds, the door was pulled open to reveal Mr. Chase.
"Hi sir," Percy greeted sheepishly.
"Oh Percy, hello."
"I'm sorry for running out last night without saying goodbye," he apologized, "I- I wasn't feeling very well, and I just needed some air."
Mr. Chase shook his head, "oh don't worry about it, son. I know it can get quite crowded and overwhelming in here."
"Yeah," he mumbled. "Do you mind if I go up to see Annabeth?"
"Of course, I don't know if she's awake yet, but you can let yourself in, I'm sure she won't mind."
Percy wasn't so sure about that. He had a feeling she would definitely mind seeing him, but he needed to apologize. He didn't want this fight to fester between them. They'd never yelled and screamed at each other like that before, Percy had never been so angry with her around to see it. He'd thought that he'd learned to handle his emotions, he hadn't blown up in years, but he supposed there were certain triggers that could still draw it out of him. He never wanted it to be Annabeth that he took it out on, though. He needed to talk to her.
"Thank you," Percy replied, sliding through the door and slipping off his shoes quickly, before starting towards the stairs.
"Percy," Mr. Chase called.
He turned, "yes?"
"Annabeth mentioned something yesterday. She seemed upset after you left," he began and Percy's heart twinged with guilt. "She said that I should've invited you to our party, instead of just offering leftovers. She seemed to think I didn't want you around our other guests," he cleared his throat, "I just wanted to make it clear that wasn't my intention at all."
"Oh."
"I only meant that I think a more intimate dinner would be nice since I've never been acquainted with your mother before. I look forward to meeting her, but you are both absolutely welcome and wanted at our next soiree. I'll be sure to send a formal invitation in the mail," Mr. Chase said.
Percy swallowed, and he shuffled his feet. He felt bad for having judged Mr. Chase, "thank you sir, I'm sorry I assumed."
The man smiled, "good, I'm glad that we've sorted that," he nodded towards the stairs, "better get up there before all the ice melts in her drink. I know she loves to chew on it."
Percy grinned, "yes, she does."
He turned and made his way up towards her room, stopping before her closed door. He took a breath and knocked tentatively.
"Dad, please go away," her muffled voice said.
Even through the door, she sounded defeated and tired. His heart cracked a little more.
He knocked again softly, "Beth it's me."
There was a thud and some shuffling, before suddenly the door was flung open. His apologies died on his tongue as a blur of blonde curls smacked into him.
"Oof," he let out as she squeezed him tight, "watch the coffee," he warned, but he wrapped his own arms around her shoulders, hugging back.
He smiled into her hair, relief reverberating through his chest.
"Please don't break up with me," she muttered into his shirt.
He jerked back to look at her, "what?" She clung to his arms, her eyes searching his face, desperate and scared. His brow furrowed, "why would I break up with you?"
She chewed on her lip, looking away, "you were the one that said you needed a break."
His frown deepened, "a break from the conversation. From our fight, not from our relationship."
She kept staring down at the floor, cheeks turning a little pink, "well how am I supposed to know when you drove away before we could talk. All you said was you were done and then you left. I thought you were back to finish it, or something."
He placed a finger under her chin and pulled her gaze up to his, "I came to apologize because I was an asshole. I'm not gonna break up with you over one bad fight, especially one that was my fault."
She nodded and sighed, "okay."
She looked so small and he just felt ten times worse.
He never should've used the words 'break' or 'done,' he knew she had abandonment issues. It made sense with her mom and everything. Being left behind by one of the only people in her life, who by definition was supposed to be there for her and love her unconditionally, had messed her up. It was the same thing that had messed Percy up too, and at least his dad had death as an excuse for missing out on his life.
He'd always known that Annabeth was extra possessive and clingy with her friends or loved ones, because she feared that something, no matter how trivial, could take them away from her. In her mind, anything, even if it wasn't her fault, could still potentially cause someone to leave.
He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. Last night, he'd needed space to think, but he hadn't considered what leaving might have meant to her.
He cupped her face, "Beth, I love you. I want to be with you until we're old and grey, even if we're fighting, and I'm being a dick, and you're nagging me. I want it all, okay. I'm sorry I made you think there was ever a moment that I didn't want that."
Her chin trembled and she fell forward into him, "I love you too. I'm sorry I was smothering you yesterday," she muttered into his chest. "I just put all my focus on you so that I didn't have to think about the party but I ended up being too much. I panicked when I thought you were leaving and I just kept pushing."
"I'm not going anywhere," he sighed, pressing kisses to her forehead.
"Can- can you explain what was bothering you?" she leaned back, "you don't have to tell me if you're not ready, I just. I want to be here for you, to help."
He nodded slowly and let her pull him into her room, crawling onto her bed together. He set her drink on the bedside table before tangling their legs together, sitting with their hands clasped between them.
"I-" he started, "before I came over yesterday, I got an email from City."
She nodded, encouraging him to continue, "okay."
"It was about tuition-" he licked his lips, "and I'm not sure whether I'm gonna be able to afford it."
"Even with the aids?" she frowned.
He picked at the thread on his pants, "yeah.
She squeezed his hand, "why didn't you tell me?"
He shrugged, "I was hoping I could figure it out. I- It's embarrassing that my girlfriend has a full ride to NYU, and you could've gone anywhere you wanted in the world, because you're brilliant and amazing, and I can't even afford City College with financial aid."
"Babe," she whispered.
He exhaled, "I'm worried that you'll realize how much better you can do. You're gonna see that your life is full of possibilities and it's only just beginning, and I'm gonna be stuck in the same spot forever, living with my mom, working at the cafe."
"Percy," she said softly, "that's not true."
"I don't know, kinda feels like it might be with the way things are going," he muttered.
"Have you talked to your mom about this?
He shook his head, "I don't want to worry her, she's already dealing with so much."
Annabeth pulled him closer, "hey, listen to me." She waited for him to look into her eyes before continuing, "I know you don't like taking money from her, but she has funds set aside specifically so that you can go to school," she reminded him.
"Yeah, but maybe it would be better used on her own education, or renovations for the cafe and stuff."
She looked at him sternly, "you know you mom would never use that money for herself. She wants you to be able to have opportunities that she never got, and she would be livid if you passed on them just because you feel guilty."
His eyes flickered away and he sighed, "you're right."
She failed to suppress her smug, little grin, she loved when she was right.
"I know," she scooted closer. "And I'll help you budget, okay? I'm good with numbers, we'll figure out exactly how much you need to borrow, how much you need to put away. I'll make a whole spreadsheet." She smoothed her hand up and down his thigh comfortingly, "we're gonna do this together, because you've worked your ass off to get into school and I'm so proud of you."
He could feel his throat closing up, a well of emotions building inside him as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He could only nod in response, clenching his jaw because he knew if he opened his mouth it would only lead to blubbering.
She reached forward to card her fingers through his hair, settling her hand at the back of his head and twirling the hairs around her index, "there's no shame in using financial aids," she said softly, taking his silence as uncertainty. "Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, all those billionaires borrowed money to start their companies and they were already rich to begin with. What you've done is amazing, and you're going to keep doing amazing things at City College in January."
"Okay," he whispered, finally conjuring some sort of response as his heart thumped wildly in his chest.
He still couldn't really believe that he was capable of loving a single person this much. It consumed him sometimes, not unlike the anger he felt last night, spreading through every part of his body, but instead of a fiery, dangerous swirl of emotions, it was only happiness, safety, contentment, just fucking giddy, all encompassing love. She was a best friend, a partner, an angel, all rolled up into one perfect girlfriend.
He wanted to spend every minute of his day with her, and face each challenge with her by his side. He wanted to wake up next to her, and cook her breakfast in the mornings, and tell her about his long day when got home. He wanted a house, and a dog, and maybe even kids when they were old enough. He wanted her so much, all the time, he almost couldn't contain it.
He didn't understand how someone so smart, and beautiful and kind and selfless and sexy, could ever love him in return, but he didn't plan to waste that blessing. He would spend the rest of his life showing her how wonderful she was.
He leaned forward and captured her lips in a desperate kiss, trying to transfer just an ounce of what he was feeling so she could understand. "Thank you," he mumbled against her mouth, "I love you, thank you."
He pressed himself closer, leaning over her until she fell back into her pillows. He laid himself on top of her, pouring all of his love into the way he touched and held her.
Her knees fell apart so that he could settle between them, their hips connected, their hearts pressed tight. He traced her bottom lip with his tongue, coaxing her mouth gently apart so he could slide inside. He gripped at her waist, digging his fingers into the fabric of her pajamas, and pulling her closer. Their teeth clacked as he turned his head and deepened the kiss, but neither of them cared. He would spend the rest of his life here.
But eventually and unfortunately, he had to pull away for air, a little string of saliva connecting their wet lips. Her chest heaved, mouth trembling as she sucked in deep breaths, staring at him with her wide, expressive eyes. His gaze flickered across her face, taking in those ruddy cheeks and pouty lips, before roaming lower and flitting up and down her body appreciatively.
God, he hadn't even noticed how fucking good she looked, too distracted by his apology to realize when he first came in.
But he noticed now.
She was in a big wool sweater, skimming high on her thighs, her curls loose and tangled from having just woken up. He'd incorrectly assumed that she was wearing shorts or something underneath but as he smoothed his hand along her smooth leg and pulled the fabric of her sweater up with it, he realized there was nothing there except a pair of underwear.
He kept gliding his fingers higher, determined to discover exactly what and how much she was wearing. He ghosted over her ribs, tracing every indent, feeling the way her skin shifted with each breath, until he reached the soft plane just below her boob. No bra. It shouldn't have come as a surprise since she obviously wouldn't have been sleeping in one, but he still let out a soft gasp.
She arched into him, her eyelids fluttering shut as he cupped her beneath the sweater, rolling his thumb over her hardened nipple. He lowered his mouth to her long, exposed neck, sucking a mark into her pulse point.
He kissed up her throat, pulling at the skin below her jaw, and running his lips up her chin until he reached her mouth once more.
"Can I return the favour now?" he whispered, their breaths mingling.
She hummed, nodding slightly, unable to summon a reply as he switched his grip to her other tit, so soft beneath the pads of his fingers. He grinned, giving her one more thorough kiss, before shifting on the bed, climbing down her body and resting between her thighs.
Her breath started to come out faster, loud and broken, her chest shuddering. He loved knowing that even after months and months of doing this, he could still affect her this much. There was no feeling like lapping at her dripping folds, listening to her desperate mewls and noisy moans. He wanted to hear it again and again, but a quick glance around her room suddenly reminded him of the fact that Annabeth's brothers slept right next door, and would likely hear every creak and groan.
As he hooked one finger into her panties, the hand that he'd been using to knead her boobs, clamped over her parted mouth.
"Don't wanna get caught," he whispered gruffly, before his eyes flickered down to her exposed cunt.
He swallowed hard. She was already so wet, her legs quivering slightly around his head as she waited for him impatiently.
If his life pursuit was to show her exactly how much she meant to him, then spending the next thirty minutes slowly taking her apart with his tongue was the first step towards that. As she'd done to him yesterday, Percy pulled out every move in his arsenal in order to completely and utterly unravel her.
"Shit," she keened.
He didn't even pause between orgasms, her toes curling into his back as he brought her right back up towards that cliff again and again.
"Oh God."
She writhed deliciously on the bed, her muscles twitching, and her fingers yanking his hair hard whenever he plunged especially deep.
After her second climax, she'd stopped screaming against his palm, the sounds getting trapped in her scratchy throat. He felt it was safe enough to pull his hand away after that, so he opted to tangle their fingers against the bed, and despite the filthiness of what he was doing to her, it felt sort of romantic.
Currently his head was resting against her thigh after making her fall apart for the third time in as many minutes, finally allowing her a moment to catch her breath.
He'd stripped off her baggy sweater at some point, he couldn't remember when, he just knew that he'd desperately needed to see her tits rising and falling, nipples rigid as he ate her out.
At the moment she was incoherent, eyes closed, sucking in air erratically with shaky lungs as he waited for her. She was dripping onto the mattress below her, lips red and slick. He was touching her leisurely, mapping out every intimate part of her, failing to fight off the hunger to have her once more. He slowly slid his finger inside her tight cunt again, giving her soft, shallow strokes.
"Mmph," she moaned.
She was incredibly warm and wet against him, her walls clenching sporadically.
"One more, Beth," he mumbled. Maybe he was the incoherent one. "Can you do one more?" he begged.
He could still taste her on his lips and she was right there, so enticing and soaked, and he thought he might die if he didn't get the chance to make her come one more time.
Slowly she cracked open an eyelid, and looked down at him, her pupils still blown wide as he pumped into her lazily.
"I think you've already successfully returned the favour," she uttered brokenly.
Her ruined voice sent another jolt to his cock, which was semi-hard and pressed into the bed.
"This one's for being a dick yesterday," he answered.
She swallowed hard and dropped her head onto the pillow, "one more," she whispered in assent.
He grinned, pulling his finger out of her with a flick that made her lurch. He sucked off the moisture and pressed a soft kiss to her thigh, before inching forward until his nose was nudging her clit and his mouth was level with her pulsing core.
Being this close to her was intoxicating, her smell heady and alluring, warmth and desire radiating off of her. He could see her almost intimately well, every detail of her. He truly believed that she had the pretty pussy in the world, and he said that from an entirely unbiased perspective.
He'd already used his fingers, one, two, three of them slamming deep inside her, strumming along her walls, massaging that spongy part that made her explode. For this last one, he wanted to push her over the edge with just his lips alone.
He prodded her entrance, circling it and curling up, making her jolt again. He dragged higher until he reached the hood of her clit. He licked slowly around the nub, tracing the delicate skin, purposefully avoiding direct stimulation. God, she tasted so good.
She began to shiver and he knew it wouldn't take much since she was already so wrung out and sensitive.
"Shit."
He carefully swirled the tip of his tongue around and around, trailing the seam of her cunt. He closed his eyes as he squeezed impossibly close, lapping gently at the edge of her sensitive clit before rounding over onto the other side, never touching directly.
She started to huff irritably, shifting her hips in hopes that she could get him where she really needed. She was trembling now, her stomach shaking as she fought the crashing wave. Seeing her so desperate, her murmurs loud in his ear with the feeling of her soft thighs framing his head, he couldn't help himself any longer. He wrapped his lips tight around her clit, feeling it pulse beneath his tongue, sucking hard.
She moaned, deep in her throat as he pulled and pushed on it, his tongue picking up speed, and shaking from side to side across the nub. His chin was coated in her slickness and her mewls were getting louder, to the point that he thought he may have to clamp his palm over her mouth again. Her fingers were clutched his deathly tight, nails digging in the back of his hand as she held it together.
"Percy," she whimpered quietly.
God nothing was better than this, than that sound, than this taste on his lips. He tugged her clit further into his mouth, his tongue hard and insistent against it, targeting it with a pressure that had her back suddenly bowing off the bed and her legs closing around his head, squishing his ears. Her grip tightened around every part of him, her muscles shaking as she came apart. He felt her clenching, her cunt throbbing against him as a wave of fluid rushed out of her.
"Oh fuck," she groaned, luckily too wrecked to be very loud.
She kept jerking, her hips undulating against his face in desperation. He kept the pressure on her clit, blowing and sucking to wring out the last of her pleasure.
"Fuck, fuck," she wheezed.
She twitched and wriggled for a couple more seconds, groaning raggedly, her body lurching. She gave one last shudder before finally slumping onto the mattress. She slowly released her grip around his hand and his hair, running her fingers through her tangled curls.
"Mmm Jesus," she sighed, nostrils flared as she took in deep breaths, "I think my ears are ringing after that one."
He gave her a single long lick, smiling as she jolted one last time, before finally pulling away and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He lifted on his knees, joints clicking from being in the same position for so long. His cock was still a little stiff, it would be impossible to spend that long between Annabeth's thighs and not be somewhat excited, but this morning was all about her and he was plenty satiated just knowing that she was happy. He climbed up her body and fell next to her, throwing his arm over her stomach.
She was completely naked, still slick and sweaty, while he was in the same clothes he'd arrived in, the only disheveled part of him being his hair where her fingers had done damage. The disparity was comical but also kind of hot. Annabeth rolled over and snuggled closer, her face nuzzling in his neck, lips tickling his adam's apple.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
He chuckled deep in his chest, smoothing his hand over her back, "I owed you," he half shrugged.
"Remind me to piss you off more often," she joked, her breath already starting to slow and deepen.
Careful not to jostle her too much, Percy reached down to grab a sheet at the base of her bed, throwing it over the two of them. It didn't take long for the soft, adorable puffs of air ghosting across his chest and the warmth baking into his skin to lull him into slumber along with her.
It wasn't until almost two hours later, after they'd woken up from their nap and cleaned up in the shower together, that they found themselves back on the bed, legs tangled again as they sat across from each other, Annabeth's phone between them.
She was staring at him severely, "this is so dumb."
He shook his head, "it's a necessary evil."
She sipped on her coffee, ice unfortunately melted now, but still apparently palatable, "it's stupid."
"It's retribution," he disagreed.
"There has to be something else we can do."
"No," he insisted, "this is the best revenge."
"And why do I have to be the one to make the call?" she asked, exasperated.
"Because you have a better voice for this stuff."
"What stuff?" she exclaimed, "it's a prank call."
"Yes, but we need a professional, respectful sounding person, and you're better at that."
She rolled her eyes hard and shoved her hand in his face, "I hate you."
He smiled, licking her palm, before clicking the number and passing her the phone, "make the call please."
She sighed and turned on the speaker, holding it close to her mouth as they waited.
"Do you remember your lines?" he whispered to her as it trilled.
"You're ridiculous," she answered just as the ringing stopped and the mic clicked.
"Hello," a voice on the other end greeted, "Wergild Fund, how can I help you?"
"Hi," Annabeth brightened immediately, "we're looking to make a donation."
Percy smirked, she could say what she wanted but she really did have the perfect voice for this.
"That's fantastic, thank you so much for thinking of us," the man on the phone replied. "How much are you looking to pledge?"
"Well I'm calling on behalf of my employers, and several of them are wanting to make their own donations," she answered, reciting the practiced script effortlessly.
"Wow, that's amazing," the man exclaimed, "why don't I take down their names, so that Wergild can be sure to thank each of them individually."
"That'd be great."
"Alright, what's the first name?
Annabeth's eyes flickered over to Percy, chewing her lip hesitantly. He nodded in encouragement and she huffed, stealing herself.
"The first is Mr. Hunt, Mike Hunt," she said, shaking her head in embarrassment.
Percy snickered behind his hand.
"Okay perfect, and how much would Mike Hunt like to donate?"
Annabeth pressed her lips together, fighting a smile of her own, "um-" she looked at Percy for an answer but he just shrugged. They hadn't expected to get this far. "Uh, fifteen thousand?"
"Great," there was some scribbling on the line, "and what's the next name?"
"Dr. Ben Dover," Annabeth said, coughing to cover up a giggle.
Percy gripped the blankets to reel himself in.
"Okay, and how much is Dr. Dover looking to give?" the man asked seriously, still clueless.
"A hundred thousand dollars," Annabeth made up.
"Wow, that is incredibly generous," the man gushed. "Is that everyone?"
Percy's lungs were sore from holding in his laugh, and Annabeth's face was starting to turn red as she pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to remain stoic.
"Oh no," she continued, "I have several more who are looking to pledge. The next is Anita Cox."
A sound burst from Percy's clamped lips and he slapped a hand over his mouth trying to swallow it back. A strange wheeze escaped Annabeth's throat next and suddenly they couldn't hold it anymore. They started to laugh noisily, blatant, nasally, embarrassing snorts and coughs.
"She wants to donate one trillion dollars," Annabeth cackled and their laughter got louder.
They could hear muttering on the other end and then the call was disconnected and that made them lose it completely. They fell onto the bed, tears streaming down their faces, slapping at each other as they fought to catch their breath.
"Oh my God," Percy choked out.
"That" Annabeth gasped for air, "that was literally the stupidest thing I've ever done."
Percy banged the mattress with his fist, "I don't even know why it's funny. Like it's objectively not comedic at all."
Annabeth pressed her ribs, "holy shit, it hurts, it hurts."
"We didn't even get to use the best name," Percy breathed out, his lungs sore. "I wanted to hear them say Annie Rection."
"I can't believe you made me do that," Annabeth panted, her nose sucking in stilted breaths.
Percy rolled over on the bed, caging her in, letting out a few more soft chuckles, "thank you."
She shook her head, sighing dramatically, her giggles subsiding, "whatever, I'm never doing that again."
He leaned down to kiss her on the lips, never more thankful for the girl below him.
"I love you."