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A chill ripped through the air, carried on strong winds, causing many around Annabeth to huddle up in their clothes, others squeezing their bodies together with their dates. She, on the other hand, was unbothered, she may not have the same level of resistance to extreme temperatures as other demigods, but still far more resistant than a normal human. and even if she didn't, the warm, blossoming feeling in her chest would have been enough. 'Gods, those two have cursed me to be all mushy the moment their around.' She smiled at the thought: 'There are worse ways to live, I suppose'.
Ahead of her, she was presented with the sight of her partners, who had decided to huddle up together, with Percy acting as a living heater for the shaking Rachel, who had bundled herself into his jacket and was sitting on his lap. Walking up, coffee's in hand, she spoke, "You better not have let our girlfriend have become a living ice statue, Percy. I quite like her warm blooded and not a popsicle,"
he said, looking up while Rachel remained tucked under his arm. His eyebrows quirked and grin aparant. "Hey, now I'm fulfilling my duty here and being a good little space heater, even going the extra mile and keeping the winds down around us. What about you, huh? Where's your contribution to Operation Keep Our Small, Cute Oracle Alive?"
To that, she just smiled and said, "I bring us the nectar of the gods themselves." a pause to be dramitic and a smile at the finally moving Rachel, head turned slightly, and a singular forest green eye peeked through red, fizzly hair. "Coffee of the extremly warm, far too caffinated kind, with extra pepermint for our poor small cute Oracle," looking back at Percy, eyebrow raised, she spoke, "pretty sure that means I win." He hung his head in faux shame with a shake, or just felt like nuzzling into Rachel; she wasn't sure "That's cheating, and you know it."
Sitting down next to them, legs on either side of the bench, she shrugged, "All fairs in love and war, and trying to beat a child of Athena is bound to end in failure anyway." Nudging herself closer, legs touching against Percy's, she gave him a quick peck on the lips and passed his coffee over. "And besides, you could have always gone to get them instead." Leaning his head on Rachel, he just smirked at that: "And what, miss out on space heater duty so you can hog Rachel to yourself Not a chance, Speaking of which, babe, you're going to need to face the cold, cold world at some point."
a mumbled "Nooooooo, not unless Apollo feels like shinning some sun down here; I'm good, thanks." Her partners just smiled at one another before Annabeth moved herself even closer than she already was, leaning against them both in the process. "Not even for coffee, coffee your girlfriend had to wait all alone in a queue for whilst you both stayed and cuddled" that got another mumbled reply, "Cheater," to which she finally began unfurling herself, all three rearanging slightly as she turned, showing Annabeth the cute sight of a red nosed blushing cheeked Rachel.
She simply held her hand out and was wordlessly handed her coffee, holding onto its warmth for dear life. "And now that i've shown how brave and heroic I am, you two can both have the honour of being my space heaters." Annabeth, stopping mid-sip, spoke voice teasing, "An honour is it?" and Rachel simply lent her back against Percy, who proceeded to envelope her. "Well, if you don't want tooooo" she sang the words out, and once again climed atop Percy, joining in with the teasing "It's ok, Babe; I'm mooore than happy to snuggle and keep you warm".
Watching this caused Annabeth to scoff lightheartedly and herself move forward, arm wrapping around their resident redhead, pulling her slightly and leaning onto Percy's shoulder, "and you two say I cheat." They sat in one another's warmth and comfort, enjoying the peaceful silence that had enveloped them. 'Yup, these two definitely make me a mushy mess, huh' she wormed herself closer to the two at the thought. and she enjoyed the feeling of Rachel's voice against her chest as she spoke, "Remind me again why I was dragged away from our warm, cosy apartment."
Percy replied with a laugh in his voice, "Because, one, it's date night and i wanted to go ice skating, and two. We've just spent the last month bouncing between my mum's, your parents, Annabeth's parents, and finally camp before getting a chance to spend a decent amount of time alone again... And you look cute all bundled up."
Annabeth agreed. "He's right, Red, you look like a snack all bundled up; kinda makes me want to-" Rachel immediately shuts the thought down: "Nope, if you'd wanted to undress me, you should have done it before we went out into this blizzard." It was barely snowing, and the wind had already died down even without Percy's help. Still, Annabeth conceded that it likely felt worse for Rachel in comparison to herself or Percy. She still pouted a little as she spoke "Fiiiine, but don't think I won't make up for it when we do get back". Unknown to her, thats exactly what Rachel hoped for.
After a few moments of comfortable silence enveloped them again, Percy spoke, "How about we go do some of that ice skating we planned? Huh, maybe moving about will help you in defrosting." Annabeth again spoke, "If you don't want to, I'm sure I can warm you up in oth-" Instead of properly replying, Rachel simply poked her in the side "Spoilsport." This time she did verbally answer "Or maybe I don't want you undressing with those big, cold hands of yours".
With a sultry grin and now darkened grey eyes, Annabeth spoke, "Who said anything about using my hands, or even undressing you? I'm sure I ca-" She was once again interrupted, this time by Percy. "Or maybe i do this" he said, and with a wave of his hand, the air died down, and what did pass around them seemed warmed slightly along with any residual snow or water that vanished. 'him and his new tricks', "Ok, that's actually just cheating," he only grinned, "all's fair in love a-" A pair of lips stopped him mid-sentence, the two now entangled in one another, Percy being pushed back slightly before Annabeth pulled back smiling. "Don't try to get smart with me, Percy; we both know how that tends to end for you."
Percy spoke "Apparantly pretty well, if thats how you'll shut me up." A dopey smile had taken over his face and he looked down slightly. "Feeling better there, Rach." Sitting up and stretching out her shoulders, she spoke, "Mmhhmm yeh, you two make great space heaters." She huffed out, "And i guess I'm feeling up for some skating now, but first." She sat on her knees and reached up, arms enveloping the back of Annabeth's head, and pressed their lips together, tongue slipping in and for several moments it was all they did, Percy watching, finishing the last dregs of his drink with one hand on Rachel's hip.
The two finally pulled back, and Rachel lent in whispering, "That hold you over till we get home, huh, Ann baby." Annabeth pulled her head back, eyes downcast, as spoke "For now...." the two kept their eyes on one another for several more moments until Percy lent forward, "Mind if I join in on this, think I need some holding over myself now." Wordlessly, Rachel tilted her head and captured his lips as Annabeth went for her neck, and they began jumping between themselves. It was only when Rachel stopped to catch her breath with their mouths on her neck did she noticed the various crowds of other couples and families, even a mother pulling her kids away, looking at them with more embarrassment at her children's staring than any real disdain. "oops"
giggiling, she spoke, grabbing the two's attention, "we've got a bit of a crowd, loves, think we're being public nuscences." At that, they both pulled back, looking around themselves, causing those watching to look away, even some who'd stopped walking to speed off. At this and looking back at one another, the three burst out laughing, falling against each other.
It was Annabeth who stopped first to speak, "Think it's about time we actually do some of that skating we planned." Percy, apparently not done yet, spoke, "Awwww, it's kinda fun being entertainment for the locals; think if we leave a guitar case next to us, people would throw money in."
Rachel, shaking her head, was surpisingly the first to get up and began pulling her partners along, seemingly renewed in her vigour. "Im sure we could make a small fortune doing stuff like that, but I prefer to keep you two to myself. Now come on! Let's go get some skates so I can pretend I don't know how to do it and lean on you two the whole time," walking away, and later, after actually getting their skates, Annabeth would whisper to herself watching the two spin about on the ice together, "Heh, yeh, definitely two have definitely made all mushy... worse ways to live, i suppose.... probably few better".