Coffee buddies

Chapter 41: Motivation unlocked: Hand Holding

---------------------Percy's pov:------------------------

It's been a week. One week closer to my doom, and one week less to train the team. One week less to try and spend time with Tim.

So far everyone was getting really good with their weapons, which I guess was to be expected but whatever. The small crash courses in Greek mythology seemed to be getting somewhere but I guess we won't know until the day comes. The only person I had entrusted the news to was Tyson. If I were going to die I at least needed one person to say what I couldn't tell everyone else. Tyson seemed to be very sad for my reason for calling but didn't mind taking the message and writing it on a nearby sheet of metal. I even gave him addresses for just in case he couldn't just find them. But I shouldn't think like this. I still had a lot I wanted to do and thinking like I was going to die wasn't helping.

 I sighed as I pushed myself off the couch, my head pounding slightly from my dream. I looked up to see it was still dark outside. I walked to the kitchen silently as I made myself a cup of tea in the dark. My body had memorized the exact movements, the exact locations of everything in the kitchen so it was simply second nature. 

I grabbed a cup in the cabinet before walking to the fridge, filling the cup with water before holding my hand a bit away from the top as I willed the water to boil. I stopped once I felt steam pressing against my cold hand. I started to dunk the tea packet into the warm liquid as I calmed myself from the dream, trying to forget about my inevitable doom. 

That was until I heard rustling. I looked up and heard a small yell. Fear washed over me as I quickly set the cup down as I ran to the room. I opened the door to reveal Tim looking distressed in his sleep. Forehead covered in sweat as he shifted back and fourth. The fear disappeared instead being replaced with a sort of sadness. I stood there for a minute, trying to contemplate what I should do. That was until I thought of what I would wish to happen if I were in his place. 

Slowly I walked into the room, shutting the door silently behind me as I approached Tim who was still rustling around on the bed. Gently I sat on the bed, grabbing his arm with enough force to stop him but not enough to hurt him. This seemed to calm him down but not by a lot as he still continued to look distressed. Slowly I pulled myself further onto the bed so that my back was against the headboard and Tim was right beside my hip. Gently I lifted his head and laid him down in my lap before slowly running my hands through his hair like my mother used to do for me. 

I watched as his figure relaxed. He stopped flailing and rather stayed still, almost nuzzling into my legs. I admit a warm feeling came to my face as I watched him sleep, my fingers running through his silky locks. I sat there for a while, just admiring him as he slept, his small breathing pushing against my legs in a rythmic occurrences.

I sat there until he shifted again, though this time his arms wrapped around my waist as I was pulled down so that my head was tucked snuggly underneath his chin. I froze as now his warm breath appeared on my head instead. His warmth seemed to radiate throughout me wherever his arm wrapped around me. After a good minute of being very warm I cooled down and gently wrapped my own arms around him. I could look up enough to see he had a small smile on and this placed a similar one on my own face. 

Slowly I wrapped my arms around him as well, he seemed to relax further. As I hugged him I brought my arms up so I was playing with the back of his hair which was still luxuriously smooth. We laid there until the morning light sprang through the window, and it would have blinded me if I hadn't had the world's best blind to block it. The warmth from the incoming sunlight was nice as it accompanied Tim's. Eventually though Tim seemed to move around in his sleep as he let me go slightly, and I admit I was a little upset at the lack of contact. 

He took a deep breath before looking down to me. He looked sleepy as he squinted at me, a confused look on his face. I just gave him a small smile in return as I ruffled his hair a little. His blue green eyes shimmering in the light as he seemed to be waking up. I watched as his face turned a light shade of pink. I could only chuckle in return as he looked down at me. 

"Morning sleepy head." My voice sounded a lot more tired then even I had expected, and Tim seemed to notice this. 

"Morning, I have lots of questions, but ones that can be asked later. You wanna sleep? I can leave if you want." I did feel really tired. Tim didn't really give me an option as he started to stand up and walk towards the door. 

"Ey! Bub, you offered to stay so get your butt back over here. I need a pillow." He turned around with a small shocked smile on his face before nodding and walking back over, shuffling back into a similar position as he pulled me in close. 

"You okay?" He asked quietly as he held me. I couldn't see his face as my own was currently buried in his chest but by his voice I could tell he was at least slightly concerned. 

I paused before nodding. He didn't respond, instead allowing for a calming silence to befall us as we both laid there. 

I could tell I was getting tired, and I don't know if this is what led to my delirious thinking but we'll just say it was. 

"Can we go on a second date? I really want to hold your hand again." Even as I said these words I could feel my eyes shutting. I felt him chuckle lightly. 

"Sure, but you know you could just ask. I wouldn't say no." I smiled into his chest lightly as the world around me went dark, though this time I had even more motivation to stay alive. Even if it was just to hold Tim's hand one more time. 

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