Snowfall

Shower with a Friend

Thalia hauled Percy into the bathroom, almost all of his weight resting on her. She tightened her hold on his waist and pulled him into the shower, dumping him under the showerhead. She twisted the knob, noting that it was a bit cold but she doubted he would mind.

Percy sighed as the water hit him, the blood washing off his skin and the wounds slowly beginning to close. Thalia moved so she was kneeling between his legs, tilting her face into the spray, feeling the dried blood run off her face. Percy whined as she blocked the flow, edging closer so he could feel the rush of water on his face.

Sally watched worriedly from the doorway as Percy healed. He would be fine, and so would Thalia once Percy had regained enough strength to heal her. She noted how close they were, but neither had ever shown attraction, so she assumed it was just the want to be cleaned off. Sally closed the door and left the two demigods. A bit of a mistake.

Percy pressed his forehead against her chest, the adrenaline of battle finally starting to wear off. Thalia sat down on her calves, ruffling his hair. He sighed again, his breath tickling her shoulder. She stroked his hair affectionately, relieved to finally be somewhere they could rest and recoup.

Percy cracked an eye open. "Do I need to heal you?" He croaked.

"I'll be fine," Thalia murmured. "Take your time."

"But you're injured!" Percy protested. He was already in contact with her, so he just willed the water already running down her body to heal any injury it came across. Thalia shuddered at the foreign feeling and pressed her face into his hair.

"I'm fine," she muttered after a minute. Percy sagged, exhausted, against her. She wrapped her arms around his tired form, almost ready to fall asleep where she sat, though she knew there were more sensible locations to do that.

"Thalia?" It was faint and much too quiet over the sound of the shower, but still audible.

"Yeah?" She answered, taking her nose out of his hair and setting her chin on his head. "What's up?"

"Why did Annabeth join the hunters?" Thalia was a bit taken aback by that question. She thought the ex-couple had worked it out. Hadn't they?

"Didn't you two agree that it was for the better?" Thalia asked.

"We did, and I'm fine with it, but we had something going. I think that, with time, we could've had a future together." He sounded depressed, like he was not fine with it, but was saying it for the sake of others. He most likely was, knowing Percy.

"Did you love her?"

"I don't know," Percy said. "But I know she didn't love me."

"Well, I think she was being stupid." Percy extracted himself from Thalia's embrace, staring dumbfounded at her face. She smiled. "Stupid for giving up someone as precious and adorable and amazing as you."

"W-what?" He stuttered. "What are you saying?"

Thalia chuckled and gently took ahold of his face, pecking him on the lips. "I love you, you idiot."

Percy looked at her wide-eyed and stunned into silence. She . . . loved him? "Seriously?"

"I wouldn't lie about that," Thalia said, planting another kiss onto his forehead. "I do. I have for a while." She kissed him on the lips and Percy hungrily pushed back, wrapping his arms around her neck. Thalia laughed against his lips, pulling back just a bit so she could speak. "Someone's been missing his attention."

"Annabeth used to kiss me a lot," Percy said. "But they never felt . . . real, I guess. That, it felt like an actual kiss. One made from love, not some nonexistent feeling. That was so entirely new, so . . ."

"Enticing," Thalia murmured. "Delicious." She nipped at his lower lip, tugging lightly. Percy fully pressed their lips together once again, this time with more vigour. Thalia retracted pressing a kiss on the corner of his lips, on his nose, on his jaw, from there trailing down his neck before biting his collarbone. Percy groaned, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Mine," she growled, sounding almost feral.

"Someone's possessive," Percy remarked.

Thalia bit down harder, causing him more pain and, at the same time, pleasure. "You are mine, Perseus Jackson. Mine."

He believed it.