By groverspanpipes on ao3 (companion piece to 'all f you, all of me, intertwined') [a/n: it's not a smut piece so you guys let me know if you want me to post all 12 parts to that fic] -lex
Annabeth took a sip from her glass, letting the bubbles dissolve on the tip of her tongue. They'd already gone through three bottles of Dom collectively, and it was hardly eleven o'clock; she looked over at the other side of the living room, where friends and strangers alike were lounging on her couches, chatting and drinking.
The music blasting from her speakers changed. Someone had put on the Notorious B.I.G., and throngs of people crowded into the room to dance. Annabeth usually liked festivities, especially when they were celebrating her, but Piper must have told her friends to tell their friends, because her house seemed a little small right now, the crowd a little too thick. She got up from her loveseat and grabbed a few glasses left behind on the coffee table, then headed toward the kitchen to put them in the sink.
Piper was in there, leaning over a big box. When she spotted Annabeth, she gasped and squealed, "Get out! You're not allowed to see the cake before we sing!"
Annabeth put one hand over her eyes, just to humour her friend, and put the glasses down. "Don't worry, I'm out of here."
Somehow her living room was even more crowded, though it had hardly been a minute since she'd left. She made the rounds, thanking people for coming, giving kisses on cheeks and shaking hands. Her agent, Mellie, stopped her to take a photo; Frank, her costar, pressed a small package into her hands; Silena, the world-famous supermodel who'd taken her under her wing when she'd started modelling, left a huge pink kiss mark on her cheek, then blotted it off with an embroidered napkin, giggling all the while. But people were having fun, and that was what mattered.
Annabeth walked over to the little bar in the sitting room, poured two shots of tequila, and downed one with the lead guitarist of some indie rock band. Then she went to the guest bathroom, clipped her long curls up and out of her face, and reapplied her lip gloss.
The bathroom door was still slightly ajar; as she was smacking her lips together and readjusting the straps of her black dress, it creaked and opened slightly.
"Beth?"
She looked up. Percy was standing in the doorway, his dress shirt rumpled and hair wind-mussed.
"Hi," she grinned, launching herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly and patted her pack.
"Happy birthday, gorgeous. I'm sorry I'm late."
"It's okay, you're not. They haven't even brought out the cake yet."
"I think-"
The lights turned off, and the music was lowered. Piper's voice rang out through the house, calling for her. Annabeth took his hand and they walked towards the dining room, where Piper was lighting twenty-four candles on an enormous tiered cake.
"She's here!" Piper said when she spotted Annabeth. "Okay, three, two, one. Happy birthday to you..."
The whole room was singing along. Annabeth couldn't help but blush, taking her place in front of the cake. When the song ended she took a deep breath and blew out about half of the candles, enlisting Piper's help to do the rest. The dining room erupted in whoops and applause, and Annabeth cut the first slice of the cake- strawberry sponge, her favourite flavour- and handed it to Piper, who took a grateful bite. Then she continued cutting slice after slice, handing pieces of cake on paper plates to anyone who asked, until the poor thing was hardly recognisable. She carved herself a thin slice and stuck a fork in it.
"How's it taste?" said Percy in her ear. The music was back on and louder than ever.
"Delicious. Here." She handed him the fork and he took a bite. When he kissed her a moment later, he tasted of strawberries and vanilla.
"Let's dance," she whispered, leading him to the living room. His hands came to her waist, and she let him clutch at her while they moved their hips from side to side. Her clothing, a simple little black dress from Versace that she'd gotten herself as a birthday gift, clung to her body just enough to accentuate the divots in her hips and her soft, slim waist.
"You look stunning, Beth," she heard him murmur in her ear. She fought the urge to say, I know .
After a few more songs, she sat down again, nursing a brand-new flute of champagne and chatting amiably with the drunk actresses sitting on her carpet. Piper came around with her disposable camera, snapping more photos of the night. Someone shouted that they'd brought Ketel One; a dozen people swarmed the bar; Annabeth watched Percy mingle and take a shot. The night seemed to be slipping away from her, but she didn't really mind all that much.
A while past midnight Annabeth stepped outside. A few people were situated in her garden, passing around a spliff. She waved the smoke away, hating the smell of weed, then stood by the glass door, waiting. Almost immediately she felt an arm around her waist, and a mouth was on hers, kissing her deeply until she was breathless. He tasted of whiskey and vodka.
He pulled a pack of Marlboros from his pocket and stuck one in his mouth, handing another to her and lighting them both with a silver Zippo. She smiled up at him in thanks. She wasn't really a smoker- she used to, as a teenager, to stay thin for modelling- but she never said no to a cigarette, especially when she was tipsy. She took a long puff and flicked the ash onto the ground.
"How're you?" she asked him. He nodded, his cheek dimpling as he sucked on the cigarette and exhaled a long stream of smoke.
"Good. Lots of auditions. Uh... I'm doing a shoot next week. GQ."
She hummed. The filter of the cigarette sparkled pink and gold from her lip gloss, and she took another puff. He looked dashing in his dress shirt and form-fitting pants. She'd gotten him a small necklace with a tiny silver shark tooth the week before, and it laid now on his chest, glinting ever so slightly in the dim light. She could hardly see it. Without thinking she reached up and undid two of his shirt buttons, then pressed her finger against the pendant. He watched her lazily, taking a long, slow drag from his cigarette; then, without warning, his hand came to the back of her head and he blew the smoke into her mouth. The buzz was immediate. She looked up at him, hanging onto his shoulders for support, then kissed him hungrily. The taste of tobacco lingered on his lips, as much as the taste of alcohol and strawberry cake, and his tongue came to her bottom lip as his arm encircled her waist.
"I still haven't given you your birthday present," he whispered against her lips. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, wrapped in pink-and-blue polka dot paper.
She looked up at him with a smile. "Let's go upstairs. I don't want to lose it in the party." She crushed her cigarette butt into an ashtray on the nearby garden table.
He took her hand wordlessly, following as she led him inside and through the din up to the first floor. Her bedroom was, thankfully, unoccupied- though there were people having deep conversations, sharing vapes or hooking up in every other room- so she pulled him in and closed the door. A lamp glowed in the corner; she turned on a second one on her dresser, so that the room wasn't completely dark.
"Here." He handed her the little package, which was about the size of her palm. She took it with a grin.
Attached to the front was a small card. Annabeth, you are the smartest, most beautiful woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Happy birthday. Percy, he'd scrawled in blue ink. She tucked it safely into her nightstand, then unwrapped the gift.
Inside the box, on a bed of crushed velvet, was a beautiful, dainty little necklace. On a thin silver chain hung a teardrop-shaped sapphire, shimmering in the lamplight. Annabeth looked up at him, beaming, then threw herself into his arms. "It's absolutely stunning, Percy. Thank you."
He just shook his head. "Do you want to put it on?"
"Yes!" She gently detached the necklace from its box, then turned around and held the few strands of hair hanging out of her claw clip above her shoulders. "Would you mind?"
He took the necklace and carefully draped it around her neck, then fastened it into place. His breath was warm on her skin, and before she turned to him again he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck.
"Thank you so much," she said. "It's just gorgeous." And then she combed her fingers through his wild hair and kissed him deeply, aware of his hands clutching at her waist. The smell of him- tobacco, yes, but also the sea and something warm and woody- made her knees go weak, and he held onto her to stabilise her.
"You're perfect," he said. And then he walked them backwards until her knees hit the bed, and she caught his bottom lip in her teeth, making him groan. And when she laid down on the bed and shifted backward to give him room, she saw for a moment the grin flashing across his face.
"Your lips are all sparkly," she said. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Come here." She kissed him, a little softer this time, running her tongue lightly across his lip.
Arousal rose within her, heating up her skin, and by the time he lifted his mouth off of hers she was practically panting. He grinned again, the sight of his sharp canines sending another jolt through her body. When he leaned down to suck at her collarbone she wrapped her legs around him, one hand going underneath his dress shirt to palm the warm, tanned skin of his back.
"Touch me," she said.
"Be patient, Annabeth," he murmured against her throat. "I'll get to all of that in a second." His hand went to the hem of her dress and stayed there. Then he pulled one strap of her dress down, kissing her shoulder gently. "Going slow makes you enjoy it more."
She groaned and pushed her hips up, knowing the friction would frustrate him, feeling the evidence of his arousal against her pelvis. But all he did was push back, down and into the very core of her, and she wanted to scream. His lips traced her collarbone and then her jugular notch, lingering at the top of her sternum.
"Percy," she whined. However pent up she was feeling, she was sure he was even more frustrated. His hand came below her dress, finally, touching the hem of her black panties, one finger slipping underneath just to draw a gentle line on the skin right above where the carefully trimmed hair started.
"Oh, fuck it," he said, his voice low and raspy against her chest. Gently but firmly- he was aware that it was brand new and extremely expensive- he lifted her dress from her thighs to her shoulders, peeling it off and then tossing it onto her nearby desk. His eyes lit up as he realised she was braless, and wore only a black thong, its front panel made of delicate lace and already marred by a growing spot of wetness. She felt exposed, though she shouldn't have; he knew her body better than anyone else. Her arms instinctively closed around her chest and she giggled, looking away for a moment. When she looked back at him his eyes were still fixed on her. He was unbuttoning his shirt, and once it was open he flung it onto the floor.
"I don't deserve you," he said quietly. And then his lips were on hers again, and she forgot all about her trepidation and wrapped her arms around him, aching as her skin pressed into his. Her hands went to his belt, and he pulled away from her for a moment so she could undo it, frantically throwing it off to the side. His pants soon joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor, until they were both panting, wrapped in each other's arms in just their underpants. Annabeth giggled again.
"What?" he asked, and he reached behind her head and undid her clip so that she could comfortably lay her head back.
"Nothing. I really like you."
He smiled a half-smile, then bent to kiss her ever so softly. "Prove it."
She took his moment of unguardedness to roll them both, her thighs firm on his hips as his back hit the bed. Now was the time to devour; she kissed him hungrily, nipping at his bottom lip, her tongue running along his teeth. His hands went automatically to her back, and then up to her chest, cupping one breast and pressing her closer to him. Her hips pushed into his. When she leaned down to kiss his neck, he let out a shaky breath and clutched at her hair, and she left a trail of redness up and down his throat. Impatient, she pulled down the waistband of his briefs and wrapped her hand around him. Against her fingers she felt the wetness of precum, and she stroked his length slowly. He bucked his hips into her palm, but she didn't let up.
"Faster," he muttered.
She obliged, and soon his breath was stuttering, his head thrown back, eyes locked on hers all the while. She enjoyed the feel of him in her hand, the soft skin, the dusting of hair from his navel down. More than anything she enjoyed watching his reactions- the tensing of his muscles, the way he pressed his lips together, the way he'd raise and lower his eyebrows. His moans were quiet but keening, desperate. Every movement of her hand up and down seemed to drive him madder. Soon his hand came to her arm, and she relaxed her grip, then pulled his briefs off. She admired the deepening streak of slightly bruised skin on his neck, but was quickly distracted by his fingers working their way under her panties.
He knew her too well. His fingertips ever so softly traced along her folds, and she spread her thighs, begging him wordlessly to push inside. After an agonising moment in which his index finger swirled, calculated, over her entrance, he plunged two long digits into her, and she gasped. His eyes darkened, pupils dilated, and she felt a hot curl in her stomach. More than anything she wanted him inside of her.
"So wet," he breathed, and then he thrust his fingers in even deeper, prompting her to bury her face in his chest. "So perfectly wet and ready to be fucked."
His other hand pinched at her nipple, then cupped her, squeezing gently. He wasn't going to let her have him that easily. He would make her wait. He ground his hand into her, and his palm brushed her clit. She closed her eyes, but she knew he was smiling that devilish smile that he always did when he knew he was making her feel good. She felt every second of his fingers pumping in and out of her. So when he pulled them out and, with them, the hem of her panties, she let him shimmy the thong down her thighs.
Now positioned above her, he lightly traced a circle around her clit, just close enough to tease her but too far to touch the little bundle of nerves. When he finally did skim it with the pad of his ring finger, she arched her back into him, a moan escaping her lips.
"Percy, please," she whispered. "I don't want to beg, but I need you to fuck me."
He dipped his head to kiss her. "You'll never have to beg." In her nightstand was a pack of condoms; he opened the drawer and pulled out one of them, unwrapping it and carefully putting it on. The whole time she watched him keenly, his biceps and shoulders sending shockwaves of heat through her body. When he finally kneeled in front of her, she knew that the world could have gone up in flames and she wouldn't have cared as long as he did what she was asking him to. She opened her thighs.
It always felt brand-new and yet totally familiar when he thrust into her. He fit perfectly; he filled her like she'd never been filled, and as he began to move his hips she could feel ecstasy building already. She was grasping at any part of him she could reach- his back, his arm, his ass- and he was doing the same. Though he set a slow pace she felt as though every inch of movement was setting her on fire. His lips brushed hers and then she was squeezing his torso with her legs, trying to get him to move quicker, deeper; he refused, keeping at the tantalisingly slow tempo.
"Faster," she said, echoing him, but he was relentless in his consistency. His persistence, usually a quality she admired, was becoming one she hated. Despite the fact that he was ignoring her wishes, every roll of his hips ignited another wave of pleasure within her. The look in his eyes was indescribable; his mouth was half-open as he hovered above her, his pupils dilated, his breathing hurried. She put one hand on his chest. His heart pounded against his ribcage, and she delighted in the fact that hers did, too. He wouldn't be able to stop himself from speeding up soon.
As she tilted her chin up to capture his lips in a kiss, she felt his pace falter, and he stopped for a moment, buried deep inside her. Their eyes met. He smiled, a genuine, joyful smile, and she couldn't help but return it. She combed through his messy dark hair, and then he started to move again, sliding in and out of her. He moaned into her mouth. She was sure she was wetter than she'd ever been. When he reached for her tit, tweaking her nipple gently, she gasped, the sound coming from her mouth broken and desperate. Apparently that tipped him over the edge. His movements became rapid and erratic, and his hips ground into hers. Finally, she thought, and she matched his pace, moving herself to meet his thrusts. Soon her legs were shaking; she could feel every tiny movement, every part of him touching every part of her, and it was doing her in. Percy, bless him, seemed to recognise that in the way she was moaning, and put his hand between them, softly drawing circles on her clit. It was enough to make her finish. He kept on touching her, kept on fucking into her, until her vision went back to normal, no longer flashing white with the ecstasy that filled every beat of her heart.
"Percy," she muttered, and he slowed for a second, then pulled out of her.
"You okay?"
"I need a minute," she panted.
He nodded. "That sounded like a lot."
"It was." And she grinned up at him, noticing the sheen of sweat that covered his forehead. He took her hand and kissed it. They stayed like that, lying on her pale pink sheets, the back of her hand pressed to his mouth, for a few moments. When her heart rate had decreased a bit, she wrapped her hand around him again, gently stroking. He ran his fingers through her blown-out hair, but when she removed her hand from him he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her on top of him, squeezing at her ass and thigh as he did.
"Ride me," he murmured. In response she kissed him, hard, and he opened his mouth slightly, letting her do as she wished. She bit at his lip and he gasped; it had hurt, but he didn't dislike the pain. Her stomach was pressed against his, her nipples hard, grazing his chest and giving him goosebumps. She reached down between them, and when he slipped inside her his breath hitched.
She leaned back. From where he laid he had a perfect view- her thighs, on each side of his hips; the curve of her waist and soft, rounded stomach; her tits, with their small, rosy nipples; the long blonde hair falling around her broad shoulders; her beautiful face, her mouth open and head thrown back in bliss as she rolled her hips back and forth. Best of all he could see her pussy, sweet and wet as she bounced up and down on his cock. He reached for her hips and let her set the pace, watching her all the while.
She was moaning without abandon. The world beyond their room disappeared, and all he could see was her moving on him, feeling the warmth of her as she'd pause with him deep inside. He shifted his hand and felt the wetness, watching her eyes close as he gently rubbed at her clit. He was determined to make her cum a second time, and he could feel her thighs shaking slightly as he began to roll his hips with her. Her groans became more enthusiastic, higher in pitch, and he pulled her more towards him so that he could kiss her.
The feeling of her clit rolling below his thumb, her tightness around him, her loose hair brushing his chest while she kissed him and his cheeks and his nose, her soft sheets and soft skin- it was almost too much for him. He began to thrust into her faster, touch her faster, and he grabbed her with his other hand. His arm crossed over her lower back and he held her close to him, kissed her feverishly, and in the instant between her tongue swiping over his lip and a whimper breaking through her throat into his mouth, the dam broke. The movement of his hips faltered. She kept bouncing as he groaned softly, then lifted herself off of him and kissed his chest once.
"Fun?" she asked, grinning at him. He looked at her from the corner of his eye with a one-sided smile and nodded, still panting. She turned as he got up to throw away the condom. One hand crept to between her own thighs, and she ran one finger gently over the wetness.
"You were going to finish again," he said, a minute or two after he laid back down.
"Yeah."
"But you didn't get to it."
"I don't mind," she shrugged. "I already came anyway." Even then, she was playing with herself. He came closer to her and put one arm around her lovingly, pressing his lips to her neck.
"You are wonderful, Annabeth," he said into the crook of her neck. She let one of his hands wander onto her tit, squeezing and then pinching lightly at her nipple. Then he tickled her stomach, and she had to grab at his arm to stop from writhing around. "Let me do this for you." His fingers came to her hips, and he gently pried her thighs apart, letting them fall onto the mattress. Goosebumps appeared on her arms as he began to kiss her shoulder, then her collarbone. He moved down to her ribs, tenderly pecking a birthmark on her lowest rib, then to her belly button. She enjoyed the warmth of his breath on her lower stomach and her hipbone, the shower of kisses all over her inner thighs.
His tongue came to her entrance, and he licked a long, slow line up to her clit, stopping to smile up at her. Already she was worked up again, one hand in his hair, the other digging into her sheets. When he put his mouth back down to suck on her clit she threw her head back and shuddered silently, enjoying the gentle flicks of his tongue as he sucked.
"Percy," she whimpered. He hummed in response, and planted a demure kiss right on the top of her clit. She shook her head and used her hand to push him back down. Thank goodness, he got the message. He came at her with fervour, licking aggressively at her, then sucking hard. While one of his hands grabbed at her tit, the other plunged two fingers inside her, and he continued his work at her pussy. She was reduced to a moaning, shaking mess while he pumped his fingers in and out of her and sucked intensely at her clit. The sight of his head of dark hair, his eyes half-lidded and lips closed around her, contented face between her thighs, sent a bolt of arousal through her, and she closed her eyes lest the sensation overtake her. She let out another shuddering moan as he used a broad, strong tongue to lap at her, his two long fingers pushing deep and hard inside her. Before she knew it, she was clamping his head between her thighs, rocking back and forth onto his mouth and moaning his name over and over as she finished. He kept on sucking while wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, until her legs went limp and she relaxed her grip on his head. She couldn't see him with her eyes closed but she knew he had kissed her thigh, gone to the bathroom to retrieve some baby wipes, washed his hands, and cleaned off his lips and chin with a tissue. A moment later she felt his weight on the bed and he was gently wiping her thighs. She opened one eye. He'd given his face a cursory wipe as well, and then tossed the little sheet into the bin.
His arms encircled her while she caught her breath. She leaned into him and kissed his cheeks, then his chin, which still tasted of her. She was still breathless, but she smiled at him, relaxing into his arms and stroking his hair. His lips brushed her temple and he settled against her.
"You are the best," she said, her heart rate having significantly decreased. "Really. I couldn't ask for anyone better."
"In bed, or in general?" he joked, but as he buried his face into her hair she thought, Ever, and quickly pushed the feeling away before she could blurt it out.
Slowly, the details came back to her. The party was still going on downstairs; she could hear music and laughter. Her pretty birthday dress was draped on the desk chair. The newfound weight of a necklace was comforting on her throat. It must have been well past two.
"I don't want to go back down there," she confessed. "I'd rather stay here with you."
"I'm sure Piper will herd everyone out before dawn," he whispered. "Stay with me." He was gently caressing her arm, pressing soft, tender kisses to her forehead and cheek.
"I always will, Percy."
She shifted so she could put her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. His fingers combed through her long blonde hair, separating the strands and massaging her scalp delicately. She could have melted into a puddle right then and there. Instead she closed her eyes and sighed, ready to fall asleep in the arms of the man with whom she felt safest.