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Annabeth lay in her bed in the Athena cabin, staring at the wooden ceiling. A smile briefly flickered over her lips as she recalled the night's events.
They had sat round the camp fire, singing songs and toasting marshmallows. Percy draped his arm round her shoulders and they sat together, watching the flames flickering as the campers sang. Eventually it began to die down as people began to turn in for the night. It wasn't long before Annabeth and Percy were the only ones left.
They had lay, intertwined in each other's arms, staring at the constellations in the starry night sky. She remembered how warm he had felt against her, how he smelt of the sea when she breathed in his scent. They sat like that for a long time in companionable silence, clutching at each other's hands.
A shooting star cut through the inky black void if only for a few wonderful seconds.
"Make a wish then." Percy addressed her, pulling Annabeth in even closer so her head was on his chest. She could hear his heart beating steadily under his orange camp shirt. She thought for a few moments.
"Well, what did you wish for?" For every night to be exactly like this one.
"Can't tell you. If I tell you it won't come true, idiot." She said instead.
"Wise girl."
"Seaweed brain."
When they finally untangled their limbs from each other and walked back to their cabins, Percy left Annabeth at the door of the Athena cabin with a long kiss that tasted of camp fire smoke, marshmallows and the sea. That had got a few whistles from some of her half-brothers inside the cabin but a sharp glare in their direction shut them up. No one wanted to mess with an angry daughter of Athena.
The blonde had watched her boyfriend make his way over to the Poseidon cabin and close the door before retreating to the girl's bathroom. After pulling a pair of old gym shorts and one of Percy's t-shirts she climbed into her bunk. That was where she was now.
Annabeth was still awake long after all the chatter in cabin six had dwindled out as each demi-god began to fall asleep one by one. Her gaze flickered over to the alarm clock on her beside table. The soft glow illuminated the time just enough for her to see. 1:37am. A loud yawn escaped her lips as her grey eyes began to droop closed.
As she was beginning to fall into a light slumber, a movement outside her cabin, caused her eyes to shoot open. Suddenly wide awake, her hand closed on her knife that was lying close by her bed. No one should be out of their cabin at this time. Her mind yelled 'intruder'.
Annabeth slipped her feet out from under the covers and quietly made her way to one of the windows, opening the blinds a crack. There was no one there.
All the cabins were darkened, the large paved area empty and illuminated by the full moon that hung high in the sky above the earth. The lake glistened black in the moonlight, still and silent. The big house stood quietly overlooking the camp, the windows dark. There was no sign of life.
Shaking off the feeling as paranoia, she crept back to her bed although she still felt on edge. Thalia's tree still protected the borders, no one could get in. Peleus the dragon would attack anyone who tried to enter. She knew it must have been her imagination, or maybe a small animal.
As she lay in her bed once more, her mind wandered to the coming winter break. It hadn't been all that long since her and Percy had officially become an item but it felt like it had always been this way, Annabeth couldn't imagine a life without her boyfriend.
As she lay on her back in the bed, her eyes came to rest on a dark shape in the corner. Was it... moving? Once again she sat bolt upright and reached under her bunk to find the small flashlight she kept there. Her fingers closed on it, she then shone it up into the small crevice.
Her breath hitched and she began shaking uncontrollably. All the blood drained from the daughter of Athena's face. Her hand came to her mouth to stifle the scream that almost escaped her lips. She could feel it's evil eyes boring down on her, glinting menacingly.
A low cry of pure fear left her throat, causing a few of the other Athena kids to stir in their sleep. No one seemed to have woken up though. A shudder racked her frame as she once again looked up to see the grotesque monster was still there.
Her legs shaking, Annabeth began to make her way across the cabin. Her pace sped up until she was almost running towards to the door. As soon as she stepped over the threshold she sprinted across to the seashell encrusted cabin opposite her own.
Percy woke to the sound of someone trying to get into his cabin. Whoever it was seemed to be frantic, the knocking was loud and erratic. He looked at the small alarm clock on the desk beside his bed. It was almost two in the morning.
Slightly concerned that someone was trying to break his door down in the early hours of the morning, his hand tightened on Riptide in the pocket of his shorts as he threw back the covers, flicked on the light and swung his legs out of bed. His beaded camp necklace bounced against his bare chest as he cautiously made his way to the door of cabin three.
"Who's there?" His voice was thick with sleep as he awaited a reply from the person outside.
"Percy, let me in!" The voice was slightly muffled through the wooden door but Percy could still make out the panicked voice of his girlfriend on the other side.
"Annabeth?" It was alarming to hear her in such a state. He fumbled to unlock the door. When he did get it open, he was thrown backwards. Annabeth flung herself at him, locking her arms round his waist and burying her face in his uncovered chest, the door being slammed shut behind her.
The dark haired teen was taken aback but wrapped his strong arms around her slender body all the same. "Hey, what's wrong?" He spoke into her blonde curls, clutching her tight.
"There was a spider in my cabin." Came her shaky reply. Percy held her at an arms length and looked at her incredulously.
"Are you saying you ran over to my cabin in the dead of night, waking me up in the early hours of the morning because there was a spider in the room?" The son of Poseidon couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his mouth. Annabeth shot him a death glare. Percy gulped back his laughter.
"You know I'm terrified of spiders." She replied bitterly, though she felt her cheeks flush a little in embarrassment. Percy ran his hand through his dishevelled hair.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Do you want me to get it out for you, so you can get back to sleep?" He asked sheepishly.
"Actually, I couldn't sleep before either. I kept hearing noises. Could I... um.."
"Stay here?" Percy finished for her. Annabeth nodded.
It was against camp rules for a demigod to sleep in another camper with a different parent's cabin, but so long as no one found out they should be fine. Percy and Annabeth had heard stories of other campers sneaking into each other's cabins; it wasn't like they were the only ones. It was just for one night.
"Okay then. Come on, Wise Girl." Percy gave her a sleepy grin and put his arm round her shoulders as they walked into the room where Percy slept. The room looked like a bomb had hit it, there were clothes strewn everywhere. Percy's bed was obviously unmade. Tyson's bed and another spare bed were untouched.
"Take your pick." Percy yawned as he said the words, flopping down into his own bed. He flipped the switch on his bedside lamp and the room plunged into darkness. He lay for a moment, wait to hear Annabeth lie down. He heard the spare bed to his left creak as she sat down on it, pulling the covers over herself before settling her head on the pillow. It was a few moments before Annabeth spoke.
"Percy?"
"Yeah?" Percy stifled another yawn. And rolled over to face his girlfriend. She peeked out from under the duvet to squint at him in the dark.
"I'm cold."
"Grab the duvet off Tyson's bed then." He muttered sleepily. He noted her moving around, assuming she was doing what he had suggested until he felt something settle on top of his bed.
"You are such an idiot, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth giggled lightly, climbing into his bed and pulling the covers over herself. She turned to face her boyfriend in bed.
"Um. I, uh, thought you'd be more comfortable in another bed." Came Percy's response. The blonde rolled her grey eyes in the dark.
"Idiot." She repeated, planting a small peck on his lips. He tasted of cookies and the sea, like he always did. An arm wrapped round her waist while the other hand was ran through her waves of blonde hair.
"I'll keep you warm in here then, Wise Girl." Percy smiled, Annabeth traced his jawline with her fingers. Percy kissed her fully on the mouth, neither of them pulled away. Annabeth returned the kiss, her hands tracing the toned but lean shirtless torso.
Eventually they both broke away, flushed and gasping for air but grinning. Percy rolled onto his back, Annabeth rested her head on his chest and they lay, curled up and perfectly intertwined, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
They fell asleep that way, cuddled into each other and holding one another in their arms with small smiles on both their faces.
You can imagine the mass hysteria that occurred when the rest of the Athena cabin woke up the next morning, not only to find their head counsellor gone but a huge spider sitting in the rafters of cabin six as well. Needless to say, most of them screamed and ran from the room like a hellhound was on their tail. Campers poured from their cabins to see what all the fuss was about.
Eventually, the Stoll brothers offered to get rid of the spider. This was later seen as a huge mistake when Travis Stoll emerged from the grey building with the spider in his fist and decided to throw it at one of the girls from the Athena cabin.
After Travis had been taken to the infirmary due to a certain fuming camper trying to kill him, someone had been sent to find Percy and ask him if he knew where Annabeth was. Malcolm appointed himself to this task.
Upon walking up to cabin three, he knocked on the door. No answer. He tried the door, only to find it was in fact unlocked. Strange, he mentally noted.
As he walked down the short corridor to the room where the bunks were, he could hear the sound of soft snores.
"Percy?" He called softly, pushing the door open slowly and peering inside. He looked around the messy room until his eyes came to rest on the occupied bed. He saw the mop of dark hair sticking out the top and was that... blonde hair? Yes. Familiar blonde curls sprang out out from under the duvet as well. Malcolm could see four feet sticking out at the bottom of the duvet together.
Malcolm's lips curled into a smile. He quickly exited the room, a triumphant look on his features.
"Always knew something like this would happen from the start." He muttered before emerging into the sunshine, "Lovebirds."
-fin-