Demons And Angels

(} 16 {)

Annabeth stalked through the Institute.

Blood smeared on her finger, tucked under her nail. Filthy, she felt utterly disgusting with that blood on her.

She ignored the looks she got.

Ignored everyone as she walked into her bedroom and stormed right to her bathroom. She turned on the sink and started to scrub at her finger, her heart rate and breathing picking up. Her scrubbing turned viscous, as if punishing herself.

Her shoulders shook, and she was silently sobbing.

She didn't know how long she stood there.

But a warm hand stopped her, holding her right wrist. She didn't lift her eyes as another hand's finger pushed her curls behind her ear. As the original hand held hers.

A firm grip held her hands, gently washing away any lingering blood. Then they carefully dried her hands, with a fluffy white towel. Her tears kept falling, her very soul feeling shattered and left at the bottom of a ravine.

Her knees gave out, but not before strong arms lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

She could have sworn her heart shattered further at the gentleness of which she was sat down with. A warm body slid next to her, holding her against them and running soothing hands over her hair and down her back.

She shuddered again.

Calloused fingers scrapped at her cheeks lightly, sweeping the tears away.

She let her eyes flutter closed, even as she stayed awake.

Inside her, a little bundle of cord unfurled. Lifting up and twining its way up to her fingertips. She reached out, joining her hands with her caretaker's. That cord twined around their hands, binding them for eternity.

A soft humming filled the air, the rumble of the chest beneath her ear luring her to sleep.

And she gave in, her very heart tired.

(}{)

She woke up cocooned in warmth.

Her grey eyes burned as she fluttered them opened. But she was met with dark fabric, not light.

She held out her left hand, feeling soft cotton over hard muscles. She knew the arms holding her. The feeling of the person beside her.

He had held her the whole time? How long was she out?

The remnants of her heart ached at thinking about him staying with her.

She whispered his name. And as if he heard her, had been woken up by her very voice, he jolted up. He was blinking as he looked her over, his green eyes scanning for any problems, physical or otherwise.

Once he was sure she wasn't in immediate danger he laid back down beside her and smiled.

Percy.

She held her right hand to her chest, the hand that was entwined with his all this time. He pushed her hair out of her face and cupped her face with his free hand. "How are you?" He asked, his voice rough from sleep.

His sleepy voice had nearly wrecked her the morning she woke up in his bed, and that didn't change no matter when or where she woke up by him.

His black hair was a mess, as usual, and Annabeth smiled faintly as she let her free hand slide into the tangled mass. He smiled back, letting her run her fingers through the raven colored strands.

"Hurt," She muttered. His eyes flashed, not at her, at what was hurting her. "But fine. Getting better." She tugged on a piece of his hair in emphasis.

"That's fine." He said, letting his thumb run over her lips. She bit the inside of her cheek. "Getting better . . . that's fantastic." He moved his arm to hook around her waist and pulled her towards him.

She nodded, closing her eyes as she leaned towards him and let her face bury into his neck.

His fingers traced lines over the sliver of skin, on her lower back, in view thanks to her shirt being a wrinkled mess. Her hand moved to the back of his head, pulling on the ends of his hair lightly, fighting the burning feeling of his fingers on her skin.

She angled her mouth to graze his neck. His fingers paused their lines, before starting right back up, adding a little more pressure.

Her hand let go of his, to grab a fistful of his shirt, pulling him closer. He looked at her, green eyes meeting grey. And seemed to ask, without using real words, are you sure?

Annabeth held his chin, making eye contact with him as she kissed his jaw. And trailed down his neck.

He swallowed a lump in his throat.

She moved her hand back into his hair, nipping at his jaw. He broke, propping himself up above her, his hand lifting her up around her waist and his mouth claiming her neck.

She gripped his hair, arching her neck for him. Her skin burned wherever he touched her. His lips on the column of her neck moved slight towards her jaw, lightly scraping with his teeth and making her toes curl. Her boots constricted her, and with two movements she had them off her feet and flying from the bed.

Percy had no such qualms as he trailed his kisses up to her jaw, and finally claimed her mouth.

Annabeth couldn't believe the feeling. As his mouth covered hers, as she arched up against him and let his hand slip under her shirt to splay out on her back.

One of her hands dipped down, to grip his shirt as she pulled herself towards him.

Percy pulled back, putting a finger to her lips as she protested and lurched for him. He trailed a finger down her jaw, her neck, scraping her collar bone gently.

He kissed her collar bone, right over where his nail had scrapped, flipping them so she was on top of him. Annabeth straddled him, leaning down to claim his mouth for her own.

Percy gripped Annabeth's hip with one hand, the other holding the back of her head. He brought her back down, to lay beside him, where he wrapped his arms around her. She tucked her arms in tight, letting him kiss her temple then jaw line.

"Rest, Wise girl." He rasped. And Annabeth was so drained, emotionally and now physically, she didn't even have the energy to respond. She just kissed his neck before resting her head on his chest and falling asleep again.

(Okay I took a risk with this chapter, trying to get a feel for how to write a kissing scene. How did I do? Would you like to see more things like this in my others stories? Or should I scrap this chapter and redo it without the kiss? Yes, no, maybe so? Any feedback is appreciated.)