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They weren’t allowed to have shower sex anymore.
When Annabeth had initially instated the ban, Percy had felt like she was overreacting, but he understood where she was coming from. The last time they’d tried it, things hadn’t gone as planned. It hadn’t been a coincidence that Annabeth was nearly taking him over the edge at the exact moment that the detachable shower head went haywire. A sudden increase in the water pressure had caused it to rocket into the ceiling, ricochet off his head, and ultimately get water in every crevice of the bathroom.
To be honest, he’d found the mishap hilarious at the time, laughing as he rubbed the back of his scalp with an “…oops?” The showerhead, which had returned to its normal pressure, flailed erratically on the floor behind him. Annabeth, who had been undeniably reveling in the experience a few minutes before, suddenly shifted to the silent treatment as she shut off the water and rushed to the hall closet to grab an unnecessarily large pile of towels. ("Babe," he protested, "you know I can clean this up in, like, thirty seconds, right?" But she wasn't in the mood to listen.)
He liked the way she made him lose control. Like a high proof liquor, it didn’t take much of her to make him lose his inhibitions. Her tongue on his lips, her breath against his ear, her fingernails tracing the outline of his shoulder blades… it was almost embarrassing how the smallest touch could cause him to lose any power he had over his mind, his body and, so it would seem, his abilities.
He wanted more. But Annabeth had been very adamant about “this apartment is in the historic district” and “we pay good money to live here” and “we won’t have water damage on this beautiful, original hardwood flooring.” She was hot when she got angry. But alas, the attempt had been deeply unsatisfying. It had only left him with a bruised head, a bathroom to dry off, and the most disappointing case of blue balls he’d experienced in his 22 years.
But that didn’t mean he was ready to give up. Something about the dim lighting, the scent of her lemon shampoo permeating the sultry air, the warmth and pressure of the water invigorating him as he pressed her against the cool, tile wall… he wasn’t going to let that go.
Several weeks had passed since the showerhead explosion incident. He hadn’t been able to get the idea out of his head—the combination of pleasure pulsing through his veins and water cascading down his skin sent a tingle throughout his body at the mere thought. At the time, Annabeth hadn't exactly been subtle about how much she'd enjoyed it, and he figured that, now that the initial shock of the incident had passed, hindsight would remind her of the more positive aspects. They also had a three-day weekend ahead of them, so Annabeth didn’t have much going on with her classes or research assistantship. If he was ever going to convince her to try again, tonight was the perfect opportunity.
Percy was preheating the oven for a frozen pizza, and Annabeth sat in the attached living room using her laptop (watching some sort of video, he assumed based on the occasional laugh she let out). She looked so adorable and cozy in a pair of pajama shorts, a tank top, and that baggy flannel shirt she always wore around the house. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she occasionally picked up the comically large mug next to her and took a long sip of tea. He loved seeing her so relaxed.
As he searched for the pizza pan, he saw her close her laptop and get up from the couch, mug in hand. She squeezed past him to enter the kitchen, giving him a peck on the cheek as she passed.
Annabeth placed her mug in the sink and turned around, immediately met with a chaste kiss on the lips from Percy. “What were you watching?” he asked as he slipped his hands under her flannel to rest on the small of her back. “Seemed pretty funny.”
She scoffed through her nose as she recalled the clip. “Oh yeah, just a stupid video Piper sent me. I’ll show it to you later.” She took a step forward to rest her head on his shoulder. She smelled sweet, like honey or a sugar cookie… he couldn’t figure out the exact scent. She just smelled like her.
“No homework tonight?” he asked, rubbing his thumbs up and down along her spine.
“Nah. I have a report to finish, but I’ll probably put it off until Sunday.” She wrapped her arms around his back and inhaled deeply, leaning into the hug. He smiled. It wasn’t every day he saw her so serene, especially with all the work she'd been putting in at school.
“Good,” he said, giving her a long kiss on the forehead. “You deserve to relax. What are you up to now?”
She gave him a final squeeze before untangling herself and saying, “Gonna take a shower.” She briefly traced two fingers across his jawline and turned away, making his heart skip a beat. Was he imagining that mischievous gleam in her eyes? As Annabeth sauntered across the living room, the flannel shirt slipped down her back, revealing her soft shoulders and the way that tank top hugged her waistline. Percy held his breath. She has to be hinting at something, he thought. Her hips swayed confidently as she walked toward the bedroom to drop off the flannel. When she turned around to head for the bathroom, Percy did his best not to show that he was watching, but he caught a glimpse as she stretched her arms up to release her messy bun, curls cascading down those bare shoulders. Okay, this is definitely on purpose.
He turned off the oven and put the pizza back in the freezer. He even took the time to put the pan back in the cabinet, a habit Annabeth had been… so generously helping him build over the past year. (“Our apartment doesn’t have cleaning harpies, Seaweed Brain!”) Thinking of the way that old camp nickname still slipped out from time to time, he smiled in spite of himself.
By the time he stood outside the bathroom, he heard the shower running on the other side of the door. Why did he feel so nervous? They’d been exploring the more intimate side of their relationship since they moved in together a year ago, so those initial butterflies had passed. And she had definitely been giving him a "you, me, shower, now" look, so the chances of him being shut down were low. But he wanted to prove to her that he could do this without losing control.
He removed his shirt and opened the door to find that the small room had grown warm but was not yet saturated with steam. He stepped toward the shower and pulled the curtain back, revealing the perfect figure of his girlfriend, facing away from him. He leaned over the wall of the tub and rested his hands on her shoulders. She leaned into his touch, and he pressed harder into her muscles. Her skin was smooth, and she moaned softly as he worked the knots around her neck. The hot water on his forearms and the anticipation of what he hoped would happen next sent a shiver through his body. He leaned forward, nipping gently just below her neckline. "Mind if I join you?"
Annabeth inhaled sharply at the touch of his lips. As she turned around, he slid his hands down her arms to intertwine his fingers with hers. She rolled her eyes and smiled, a familiar expression that she made any time he had a bad idea that she couldn’t resist. “…Percy,” she said in a voice that sounded like a scold, but her body language suggested otherwise. The way she bit her lip and drew circles on the insides of his wrists also seemed like a good sign, but he wanted to be certain. “Is… that a yes?”
“Yes,” she said eagerly, then paused. “Well, technically no, since you asked if I mind. No, I don’t mind; yes, you can join me. It's a pretty ambiguous sentence struct-”
“I think the grammar lesson can wait, Wise Girl.” Placing a hand behind her neck, he pulled her into a deep kiss. Feigning confidence made his nerves dissolve. She wasted no time in prying at his pants button with her damp fingertips. He grinned against her lips, thrilled that she wanted this as much as he did. It wasn't long before the two of them stood naked behind the curtain.
Water enveloped them as their chests pressed against one another. His hands traveled greedily along every inch of her body-- she was so perfect, and he wanted all of her. Annabeth maneuvered one hand on his arm and the other on his upper thigh, soft skin gliding back and forth in a way that simultaneously soothed and excited him.
Desperate for more, he pressed her against the back wall. The chill of the tile gave an exhilarating contrast to the hot downpour from the showerhead above. She shifted her position so that their legs were intertwined, her left thigh brushing the intersection of his legs, which... wow. Had they done that last time? He felt lightheaded as Annabeth glided her thigh back and forth beneath him.
Their kisses intensified rapidly, tongues running along lips, teeth clashing against each other. She traced her fingers gently along his shoulder blades, making him shudder. The warm water sputtered as he let out a shaky breath. Keeping her chest close to his, Annabeth pulled her face back a few inches and raised a single eyebrow. She didn't have to say anything for him to understand her message: Don't you dare go turning our bathroom into Niagara Falls again.
He somehow managed to keep a steady tone as he said, “Hey, don’t give me that look. You know the pressure craps out in this shower sometimes.” She made that sexy-smiling-eyeroll expression again and pulled him into a deep kiss, biting his lower lip and tugging on the hair around the nape of his neck.
Okay so what he’d said about the water pressure was a white lie, and he knew it. He needed to get a grip, but she made him feel like he was on top of the world. The combined euphoria of being with Annabeth and the water's power coursing through him added a layer of indulgence to the experience that he had never felt before. The endorphins pulsing through his veins seemed inextricably linked to the rivulets of water that streamed down his body, down Annabeth’s body.
Gods, her body. She looked so beautiful like this—her curls weighed down by the water, a flush spreading across her face, her eyes shut as a soft moan escaped her lips. He ran his fingers along her arms, grazed a thumb across her cheek, gripped at her curves. Yes, this was what he needed to focus on. Getting caught up in his own exhilaration put him at risk of losing control again. He had to concentrate on her.
He went for that sweet spot on her neck again, sucking gently as he drew circles on her hipbones. Her head fell forward as she whimpered, breathing softly into his ear. At the graze of her breath, Percy sucked in a stream of cool air and tightened the grasp of his hands on her waist. Annabeth traced her tongue along the edges of his ear, and electric currents raced throughout his body. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up.
The flowing water heightened his senses. He could feel the increase in her heart rate, the way the water shifted as she curled her toes, the twitch in her thigh when he nipped at that spot just below her collarbone.
He decided to pursue that trembling muscle, pressing lightly with his thumb as his other hand cupped just below her breast. When he brushed a thumb across her hard nipple, she clutched his arm so tightly she might've cut off his circulation.
He groaned against her neck. He loved when her fighting spirit came out. Their days of taking on monsters were long behind them, and he delighted to know that he now had her domineering attitude all to himself.
He slid his hand between her legs, and she reacted instantly with a hissing breath and a thrash of her head. This wasn't entirely new territory for him, but he was admittedly still getting the hang of it. This time, however, he felt confident, like he had it all mapped out. He felt her blood racing, her shallow breaths, the pleasure rippling through her as if it were his own. Whoa. Was that… already…?
He continued on. Annabeth whimpered and squirmed at his touch, her entire body trembling. She placed a hand on his wrist. He immediately stopped and lifted his head to meet her eyes. "You okay?" he asked in a reassuring tone.
She took a moment to catch her breath, then looked at him, gray eyes wild. “You're like... right there. Can we… slow down?”
Whoa again. Annabeth was always headstrong and would not stop until she got what she wanted-- sex was no exception. She didn’t hesitate to give him feedback and make him work until she was satisfied. In general, he appreciated the communication. It let him know that, even if he sometimes had to work a bit harder, he would satiate her desires. But taking her to the brink of satisfaction too soon? The thought alone made him feel powerful, confident, and extremely turned on. "Absolutely," he answered, beginning a trail of kisses down the center of her torso. "We can take... all... the time... we need." With each pause, his lips inched closer to her right thigh.
Her breath hitched, and her fingernails dug into his shoulders, but Percy sensed that the intense waves of ecstasy had died down. He had her exactly where he wanted her-- on the precipice. He sucked on her inner thigh as he dragged his fingertips gently from her heel to the base of her ass. She was helpless to do anything except tug firmly on his hair.
He moved at a deliberately unhurried pace, running his tongue along her waistline, tickling lightly at her sides, kissing her hipbones. "Percy," she whimpered, emboldening him further. She wasn't even touching him anymore. Instead, her hands pressed forcefully on either side of her head, like she was trying to keep from losing her mind. He loved when she got like that.
"Slow enough for you?" he asked with a devilish grin.
She placed a hand under his chin and pulled him up almost too aggressively. "Way too damn slow." Now this was the zealous, demanding Annabeth he knew and loved.
This time, as he returned his hand between her legs, she responded by grasping hungrily at the muscles along his back. The euphoric waves were hotter now, dizzying. She hadn't even laid a hand below his waist, but he was having trouble not going over the edge with her.
When she finally wrapped her hand around him, he knew he wouldn't last much longer. Every part of him ached for her. At this point, the smallest touch would make him fall apart. As his heart rate rose and ecstasy coursed throughout his veins, he forced himself to check in with the showerhead. He didn't sense any abnormal movement, but who was he kidding? Ten percent of his attention max could be bothered to check on the water pressure when she was stroking between his legs, nipping at his jawline, and tracing a finger along his ear.
He had feared that this part would be the hardest, trying to keep his abilities under control. But rather than the tension he’d expected, there was a sudden sense of release. It felt like a distant dam had burst, giving him another channel to let out the pleasure that coursed through him.
He stopped worrying about the showerhead and focused on her. Her gentle touch, her soft skin, her voice whispering, "You make me feel so amazing." His muscles tensed as he gasped for air.
Gods.
Annabeth.
When the surge of euphoria had subsided, he opened his eyes and locked his gaze onto hers. "I love you," he said as he guided a golden curl behind her ear.
She let out a breathy laugh. Her face was flushed and dotted with droplets of water. "I love you too. That was... wow."
"I know." He slowly became aware that it was colder and quieter than it had been a few minutes ago. Something was missing. Percy looked up and noticed that the water had been shut off. "You turned the water off!" he gasped loudly, mocking indignation. "You don't trust me!"
"I'm..." she paused, thinking, "just trying to do what's best for the hardwood flooring."
"Wo-o-o-ow," he said with a melodramatic eyeroll, "I see how it is. Your precious historic district apartment is more important than my... what is it? My 'toxically masculine need to prove I'm in control'?" His tone was dripping with sarcasm-- he was far too elated to be genuinely offended.
"Now you're getting it," she said, tapping his nose with a wink. "But seriously..." She turned the water back on. "That was incredible." She grazed a finger from his wrist up to his shoulder, which made his breath hitch with residual sensitivity. "Now let's get rinsed off."
After the two had, well... actually showered, Percy headed back to the bedroom to play Breath of the Wild. As he sank into the sheets, he set the intention to farm arrows but knew he would probably get sidetracked. The tense battle music was so familiar at this point that it practically calmed him-- he logged way too many hours on this game. He was in the middle of fighting a Talus when he heard a sound far more terrifying than any Zelda enemy.
"Dammit, Percy!" Annabeth's shout rang out from the direction of the kitchen. His muscles tightened as his mind began to race. What had he done? The pizza pan was back in the cabinet, so that wasn't it. Was the oven on? No, he was pretty sure he'd taken care of that. He got out of the bed, headed down the hall, and braced himself for the whirlwind that was Annabeth Chase.
When he entered the kitchen, she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she focused solely on toweling off a puddle the size of a deflated exercise ball that had spread across the tile floor. The cabinets below the sink were open, revealing that a pipe had burst and was now leaking steadily onto their cleaning supplies.
It only took a second for him to put two and two together.
Once again, this was undeniably hilarious to Percy. Like, not every guy gets to say his girlfriend is so hot that she made him explode the pipes in their house twice. The laugh he attempted to stifle came out as a snort, which only made him laugh harder. Before long, he was on the floor cackling. He tugged at the towel in Annabeth's hand. "Here, let me help," he said, still chuckling. She glared at him from the corner of her eye as if she wanted to appear angry, but she couldn't hide her smirk. "I'm sorryyyyy," he whined dramatically, leaning into her shoulder and kissing her cheek.
"You," she said, smacking him with the sopping wet towel, "need to fix this." She indicated the pipe below the sink.
"Um, ouch?" He rubbed his arm, then winked. "I got this, babe." He stopped the flowing water and made quick work of the leaky pipe. (He'd have to thank Leo for giving him a couple tips during their time on the Argo II.) Their kitchen was back to normal in a matter of minutes.
By the time he was finished, Annabeth had prepared two bowls of ice cream-- cotton candy for him and rocky road for her. She helped him off the floor and handed him a bowl. "Thanks," she said, indicating the now-closed cabinet.
"Shank yyyou," he said, trying to prevent the ice cream from touching the top of his mouth, "for the ice cream." He'd never gotten the chance to heat up that pizza, but this would be a sufficient dinner for a college senior. As he and Annabeth sat at the tiny kitchen table, he thought back to what had happened earlier in the evening. "Uhh the shower," he said. A smile tugged at Annabeth's lips as she looked up from her bowl. "The pipe," Percy continued. "I understand if you don't want to do that anymore."
"Are you kidding?" She was full-on glowing now, which surprised him. "No, Percy, that was amazing. You were amazing." She pointed a spoonful of rocky road in his direction. "We are definitely doing that again."
He grinned at the praise. "Don't even get me started on how incredible you are." She responded to flattery in the only way she knew how (kicking him in the shin underneath the table). There was a comfortable lull in the conversation, and for a moment the only sound in the apartment was the clinking of spoons against bowls. After a while, he remembered, "Oh hey, show me that video Piper sent you."
"Oh right!" Annabeth said, and she began scrolling through her phone. It was just some clip of a dog trying and failing to catch a frisbee, but it made her laugh, which made him smile. He was really looking forward to the long weekend ahead of them. But for now, he was eating ice cream for dinner with the love of his life, and that was more than enough.