“Shhh, it’s ok, it’s just us now.” Percy said softly leaning back to look down at Athena.
She looked up at him, her face tear stained, “I just don’t understand why he never believes me.” She choked out sadly. Athena felt like her relationship with Liam was doomed, stuck in an ever repeating pattern of him not trusting her. She felt like everyone had been doubting her since she had arrived in Cordonia, everyone but Maxwell and Liam. Only now even Liam was doubting her. She couldn’t understand why he would doubt her, she’d never done anything to make him think she couldn’t be trusted. Athena felt sad and broken, and was starting to think maybe it was time to just give up on him. If Liam couldn’t trust her and stand by her when she needed, maybe it was time for her to find someone that COULD be what she needed. Maybe it was time to stop fighting and open her heart and let someone new in, let him in. She looked into his eyes and she felt the wall she had been trying to build up come tumbling down, and the feelings she had been trying to resist washed over her.
Percy hated seeing her so sad and broken, he couldn’t help but feel like if he had just risked waking her he would have spared her all this pain. He pushed the thought out of his head, this wasn’t the time for what if’s. This was Liam’s problem, he had decided to put his image first and now was upset when Athena was getting attention from someone else. He needed to learn to trust her and if he couldn’t do that he needed to be ready to lose her, she wouldn’t be able to put up with this much longer.
“Hey, that’s his problem doll. You didn’t do anything wrong, so stop beating yourself up, ok?” He told her wiping the tears from her face.
“I soaked your shirt.” She said with a grimace.
“Don’t worry about that, you needed to cry, I’m just glad I was here to help calm you down.” Percy replied leaning down and kissing her forehead.
Overcome with emotion, with the feelings she had been trying so hard to resist, Athena reached up and grabbed the back of his neck pulling him in for a passionate kiss. She gently swiped his lips with her tongue, he opened his mouth allowing her tongue to dance with his. His hands slid down her sides grasping her thighs lifting her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bed. He gently sat her down sitting next to her. She ran her hands down his chest and under the hem of his shirt. She ran her hands along his stomach, feeling how his muscles flexed under her gentle touch.
He broke the kiss, pulling away, and looking at her. “Doll, I’m not about to take advantage of you when you’re upset.” Percy told her earnestly.
“You’re not.” She said sincerely.
“Are you sure, because I want you to do this because you want to be with me and not because you want to get back at him. I want you but, I can wait for you if you’re not ready” he responded seriously.
“I’m sure, I want this, I want you, and not because of him.” Athena promised, and she did, she did want this, she wanted him.
Percy searched her eyes, looking for a sign that she really wasn’t ready for this, finding none he caressed her cheek and leaned in and kissed her. Her hands started to roam his stomach again as their tongues moved together as if dancing. Her fingers followed the lines of his stomach feeling the soft hair that lined his torso as they continued their assent to his chest. She took in the feel of his smooth skin, the way his muscles flexed at her touch, the way his chest hair tickled her palms. She slipped her hands back down his chest gripping the hem of his top and drug it upward breaking apart to pull it off. Moving to remove her own too before resuming the kiss. His hands slipped around her back undoing her bra, slipping it down her arms and tossing it on the floor. His hands roving her body, his hands cupping her breasts kneading them as she moaned into his mouth. Pinching her nipples with his long slender fingers until they were hardened buds.
Her hands making quick work of his belt and zipper he lifted his hips so could push his pants and boxers down far enough for him to kick them off, before she made quick work of her own pants.
He gently guided her to her back, hovering over her resting his weight on his forearms. Breaking the kiss he looked into her eyes, “you sure?” He asked giving her another out.
Athena smiled softly, “I’m very sure Percy,” she assured him, and she was, she was at peace at her decision to finally let him in. With the feelings she was feeling in this moment, the feelings she had felt since she met him.
He smiled before trailing kisses across her chest pulling a pert nipple into his mouth, gently biting it making her moan. He kissed a trail along her stomach, she hoped he missed seeing the marks along her stomach. She knew her hopes were dashed when she saw his eyebrow raise before he sucked a mark to the left of Liam’s, before continuing his decent down her stomach to her core. He gently pushed her legs apart settling between her thighs. He licked at her slit, tongue dipping between her folds, she moaned as his tongue found and flicked her clit. Her back arched as he started sucking on the small bundle of nerves. As he alternated between flicking and sucking on her clit his beard rubbed against her thighs. His beard felt soft but scratchy between her thighs, the sensation adding to her bliss. He slipped two long slender fingers into her warm damp heat, slowly sliding them in and out of her core. He continued to work her clit with his mouth as he pumped his fingers in and out of her warm heat. He curled his fingers finding the sensitive spot, hitting it with each thrust of his hand. She grasped at the sheets as she felt her orgasm edge nearer. He gently nibbled on her sensitive bundle of nerves and threw her over the edge, waves of pleasure washed over her body as she threw back her head and she let out a loud throaty moan. As she was coming down he slowly began kissing back up her body, sucking a dark mark on her breast where it would just be covered by her bra.
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips as he slowly eased his thick hard length into her warm heat. Resting his weight on his forearms, he started a slow and steady pace, deepening the kiss starting a fire within that spread like wildfire. Moans were swallowed by their kiss as they moved in unison. Their breathing became erratic, and thrusts uneven as they edged closer to orgasmic bliss. Her walls clenched around his length as she gave into the throws of passion, pleasure washing over her, her vision becoming blurred, her orgasm trigging his, loud moans filled the air as they were forced to break their kiss. Percy leaned his forehead against Athena’s as they came down from their shared orgasm, waiting for their breathing to become more even. He gently rolled off of her, pulling her close to him kiss the top of her head.
Lying there in the afterglow holding Athena close to him, her head resting on his chest, Percy felt something he’d never felt before. He felt a connection to her, the connection he had been looking for, and he found it in her. But he was scared, scared that she would never feel the same about him. Scared she’d choose King Liam over him, scared of having his heart broken, but most of all scared of losing something that never actually belonged to him. He was scared of losing her. He was falling for her, falling hard and fast and that scared him more than anything, because he feared she wasn’t falling too.
Athena felt lighter, freer, laying in Percy’s arms, her head resting on his chest, the sound of his heart beating in her ear, the feel of his chest rise and fall under her as he breathed, she felt so close to him in that moment. She loved the feeling of freedom and wondered what brought it on, maybe it was that she wasn’t a secret. He was allowed to be here, he didn’t have to sneak out, but she knew he wouldn’t stay this time, not with Liam already angry. Next time she’d get to fall asleep in his arms again and wake up to his smiling face, and that left her with a feeling of peace. But it was more than a free feeling of peace, more than contentment, she was truly falling for him. The realization scared her, she was falling for him, she already cared about two men and now she was falling for a third, when had her life gotten so complicated. But then again falling for Percy wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Percy didn’t want to leave, he didn’t want to be like that, but he knew staying much longer could just cause Athena more problems. He kissed her again, uttering a soft apology for leaving, sure he had held her, for what felt like hours, but it wasn’t enough. Athena kept assuring him that it was okay, that she understood, but that didn’t change how he felt having to leave her so soon. He wanted nothing more to hold her until they fell asleep, and wake with her in his arms again, but just incase the king were to make another surprise visit it was safer if he just left, no matter how bad he wanted to stay.
He reluctantly untangled his body from hers and climbed out of bed getting dressed, as Athena threw on a pair of pajamas. He gave her one last lingering kiss before opening the door to leave.
Percy paused at the door, “looks like you got a delivery doll.” He said bending to pick up the vase flowers. Athena look at the unusual arrangement, purple hyacinth, red roses, red carnations, and a few others she didn’t recognize. She saw a note in the middle of the arrangement, and grabbed it.
She looked at the note :
Athena grabbed her phone and sent Liam a text as she watched Percy leave, what had been a beautiful moment now tainted by Liam’s apparent start of an apology. Her phone lit up with a reply Almost at once.
She sat there clutching the note, staring at the flowers, just thinking. Thinking about the love she held for Liam, but she might not ever be more than a hidden secret, could she live that way. And then Percy came to her thought, bringing a small smile to her face. They had just met, but the attraction was already there, it wasn’t quite the same as the almost instant attraction she felt for Liam but she was growing to care very deeply for Percy already. Percy could give her everything she wanted, out in the open, no shame, no need to hide. That’s what she wanted, the freedom to be with the man she loved out in the open. She used to think that Liam was the man she wanted that life with. No it wasn’t think, she had wanted it with Liam, she thought she was getting it, and then the scandal. He chose Madeline so easily, it hurt her deeply, she still had misgivings about his true intentions that day. Could she move on from that pain? She had been trying, and then she met Percy and Liam became jealous and possessive in a way she hadn’t expected. She wasn’t his, he had chosen Madeline, his heart may lay with her, but his promise of marriage was held by Madeline. His note, his promise to do better, be better, to make things right- but could he? Could things ever be the same? Could she ever trust him again, could he trust her? She wasn’t so sure. Percy was sweet, and kind, he could already read her after a short time. He got her in a way that very few had, a way Liam never could. He looked out for her and was there for her when she needed it, he was someone she was growing to love. She had stopped fighting and let the feelings consume her, and that both scared and excited her.
