PERCABETH FLUFF

Motel Nights

A/N: This chapter picks up after Percy and Annabeth's appearance in Ship of the Dead in the Magnus Chase series.

Warning: I didn't write (smut) in the chapter title because it's not exactly a smut but there is heavy sexual content. Read at your own discretion.

Excerpt from the book: "The last I saw of Percy and Annabeth, their Prius was turning the corner of First Avenue, Percy singing along with Led Zeppelin on the radio, Annabeth laughing at his bad voice."

PERCY POV

The drive back to Manhattan was long, and it was getting dark outside. The drive wasn't too bad, because Annabeth and I kept ourselves entertained just talking and singing along to the radio. The journey back to the city was three and a half hours, but I'd had a long day trying to teach Annabeth's cousin, Magnus, to dive into the ocean from extreme heights without getting fatally injured. It wasn't... relaxing, to say the least.

I looked at Annabeth in the rearview window, who was sitting shotgun next to me, head leaning against the window. She was getting sleepy. Her lashes were shut closed, her arms tucked up underneath her and she breathed softly. She looked beautiful, as always.

I stayed focused on the road ahead, but with the slow tunes playing from the radio and the lack of light on the stretch of land we were on, it's like the sirens were trying to lull me into dreams. I had been truly fighting sleep. My eyes drifted closed against my will, and I woke up to a loud honking and Annabeth's frightened yell as I saw a large blue truck hurtling towards us.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly and swerved a hard right, and the truck missed us by inches. I put one foot on the brake and pulled the car to a complete stop on the side of the road. I was panting hard, and Annabeth was staring silently ahead, mouth open, still in shock.

"I'm so sorry, Annabeth," I said, hitting my forehead with my palm and dragging it down my face, "I was so tired... and it's not an excuse, I know."

I was expecting to be punched. Rightfully so. But instead she looked at me, sighed and said, "It's alright, Percy. It's been a long day. Call your mom, tell her we'll be back tomorrow- let's just find the nearest motel and crash. Onto a bed, not in the road."

I rolled my eyes and said sarcastically, "Good one, Wise Girl."

She cracked a smile, "Too soon?"

----------------------------------------

"200 dollars?!" I almost shouted at the motel receptionist, and Annabeth kicked my shin. "Yes, sir," the receptionist said unemotionally, his eyes not moving from his computer, "If you book with us in advance, you can get the room at a discount."

"What's the difference between me telling you I'll stay here tonight right now and me telling you I'll stay here tonight three days ago if the room is still available either way?!" I asked, frustrated. The receptionist finally looked up and looked at me from over the top of his glasses, "There's a shelter down the road if you'd prefer."

I had never wanted to strangle someone so much- oh wait, Octavian. Still.

"Fine," I almost spat at him, and dished my wallet out of my pants pocket, pushing aside my instinct to reach for Riptide instead in retaliation. I gave him 200 bucks, and then he plastered on the fakest smile I'd ever seen, and said, "Thank you. Right this way."

We followed Scammer Receptionist up a few flights of stairs and down a balcony to a hotel room with the number 710 on it rusty, copper letters. He pushed the door open and there was a sad looking, queen-sized bed in the middle of the room with a dark green duvet, a single lamp, and a counter with a TV on it that looked like it hadn't been used since the early 90s.