Late Night Conversations

The waterline was teetering dangerously close to the edge of the tub, the water sloshing as Percy's hands moved over my body with a washcloth. The firm chest at my back served as an anchor as Percy's fingers pressed into tired muscles, making moan after moan tumble from my lips.

"Why are you so amazing?" I asked, rolling my head to meet his sea-green orbs, sparkling in the dim light flickering from the scented candles. He looked damn near ethereal as the soft glow made his tan skin look like caramel.

"Because I want you to stay, Babe," he answered, voice low, as a wet hand carded through my damp hair.

"Stay?" I huffed, slightly confused. "I can barely walk right now. There's no way in hell I'm not staying."

"That's not quite what I meant, Jason," he mumbled, nuzzling into the crook of my neck, arms tightening around me.

"Then, what did you mean?" I asked, soaking in the warmth of both the water and Percy, the winter chill dissipating from my bones, making everything feel like jelly.

"Well, I've never been allowed to be happy for this long, and some part of me is just waiting for this to go to shit."

"What?" I asked as I whipped around, making the water splash over the edge.

"Woah, calm down," he said, urging me back below the bubbles. "It's just, do you remember how my mom said that weird things happen around me? How I got expelled from school after school?" He took my hand in his, fiddling with my fingers as he bit his lip.

"You think the universe is out to get you or something?"

"I believe I was born unlucky." I laughed at his simple statement, and he raised a questioning brow at me. "I'm dead serious. The only times I've been lucky was as a setup for even worse luck. Black cats refuse to cross my path."

"Oh, gods, Percy," I wheezed, almost hysterically laughing, the water churning around me as I shook. Percy just smirked at my amusement.

"Lady luck must have found out I'm gay or something," he sighed dramatically, tipping his head back. "And she's pissed that she'll never have me in her bed."

"I couldn't fault her for that," I smirked back at him. "I'd be pretty pissed too if I couldn't have you."

"Yeah?" he asked, shit-eating grin plastered across his face as his hand very deliberately moved up my thigh.

"Yeah," I said, turning to straddle his hips. "Fuck Lady luck, though, she can't have you. You're mine, and I'll be your luck. I'm not letting anyone take you from me."

A firm hand wrapped around the back of my neck and pulled me down into a searing kiss. Percy's other hand slid up my thigh and clamped down on my backside. Percy swallowed my moan as he quickly sunk two fingers inside me. I dropped my head onto his shoulder, breathless and thighs shaking at the overstimulation.

"Percy, I-I-I can't...can't take another...another round."

"I know," he shushed, hand at the back of my neck, pressing on the knots at the back of my skull. "I still need to clean you, though, so bear with me, babe."

Long, skilful fingers quickly finished their task and withdrew. Percy pecked the side of my head as I slumped onto his chest. We just lay there for a while, soaking in the heat, the aroma of the lotus scented candles wafting around us, lulling me into a deep sense of relaxation.

"So," Percy broke me from my trance with a smirk. "Fuck Lady luck, huh?"

"No, fuck me, forget her," I huffed, making Percy's chest rumble against my cheek.

"Okay, will do." His hands traced my back, sending shivers down my spine. "We should probably get in bed." I hummed my acknowledgement, but Percy did nothing but continue his caressing of my back. I was perfectly content in spending the rest of my life right there in the tub.

After a couple more minutes, Percy hauled me out the water, swaddling me in a fluffy towel. He pulled me into some of his sweats and carried me to his bed, where I promptly snuggled up to him. I was on the brink of sleep when there was a timid knock on the door. Percy groaned as he went to unlock the door.

"Mom, Dad, we need to talk," Leo sang as he burst through the door a second later, three cups of steaming liquid precariously balanced in his hands. Percy leaned through the door to peer down the hall.

"Where's Calypso?"

"Oh, she left right after we ate," Leo shrugged as he plopped onto the end of the bed, holding one of the cups out to me and handing one to Percy as he crawled back underneath the covers next to me.

"Okay, so what's up?"

"Yeah, it better be good since you're interrupting," Percy deadpanned.

"You wouldn't have opened the door if I was really interrupting," Leo smirked. "Besides, by now, I know how long you two take, and I'm in the clear."

"I ask again, Leo," I cut in. "What's up?"

"I have something bouncing around in my head, and I need someone to talk me out of it."

"Okay, what's bouncing?"

"Perce, at the victory party, you told me not to be stupid, right?"

"I did," Percy answered smoothly.

"Tell me again." Leo dropped his gaze, his ears tinting pink. "Because I'm having a little trouble remembering."

"I'm sorry, Leo, but I can't do that." Leo's head snapped up.

"What?" he squealed.

"You and Calypso have been clashing since high school, Leo. You're completely different and yet the same, like two sides of the same coin."

"Oh, come on," Leo whined. "You said it yourself. She was my TA. People are gonna talk if something happens."

Percy smiled at him softly. "Yes, she was. But things change."

Leo's eye twitched. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Look, Leo, I'm sorry," Percy sighed. "Fact is, the timing was always off. In high school, she was older, and you were, frankly, super scrawny. Then you got to college, and she was your TA. She was always a step ahead, always a bit out of reach." Percy bit his lip, the tension building with his slight hesitation. "But now? Now you're a TA too. You've caught up to her level, and the two of you are finally on equal ground. If you wanna try, try. Because you'll never know what might happen until you do."

Leo opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, before dragging a hand over his face with a heavy groan. "You're killing me, dude."

"He's right, Leo," I urged. "If you really like her, you should do something about it."

"Who said I like her?" Leo pouted, making me chuckle.

"You did," Percy protested. "I put you to fucking bed after that victory party, and you tried to kiss me in your passed out daze, calling me Calypso."

"Hold on. We had a deal that you were gonna get drunk too, that night," Leo said, thoughtfully, skillfully changing the subject.

"What's your point?' Percy huffed.

"If you can remember putting me to bed, you clearly weren't drunk enough, and you still owe me a drunken night," Leo smirked.

"You owe Jason a foot rub for trying to kiss his man," Percy challenged, and the Latino frowned.

"Why a foot rub?"

"I gotta say, even I'm wondering how a foot rub correlates to him trying to kiss you," I laughed.

"Well, whenever you massage your temples, you know, like you did at lunch talking about your assignment, you're feeling stressed," Percy shrugged like that was explanation enough. I raised a brow at him, urging him to continue. "Just thought I could try and score you a free foot rub to help you relax."

"Oh, you know how to take care of me."

Percy beamed at the praise before leaning in for a quick kiss, tasting of hot chocolate. "I sure do."

"You're sickening," Leo mumbled.

"This is love, bitch," Percy snapped.

"We hope you find it one day, Leo." Leo rolled his eyes at me. "What happened, anyway?"

"What?" Leo asked, confused.

"You were fine all week. What happened tonight to spur you on."

"Oh," Leo bit his lip and wrung his shirt, his cheeks darkening again. "Well, um, it really wasn't a big deal or anything."

"Spit it out, spanner monkey," Percy ordered, surprisingly gently.

"As I said, it wasn't something big, she just wiped off some sauce from my face, and grabbed me a soda while she was up." Percy and I smirked at each other.

"That's so not all that happened," Percy challenged, making Leo blush harder.

"Okay, so I might have made a crack about her being nicer than usual, and she said she was just repaying the favour since I've been helping lighten her workload a bit, too, and..."

"And?" Percy and I asked simultaneously, suddenly more interested.

"...and she blushed," Leo finished, averting his eyes.

"Really?" we chorused, and the corner of Leo's mouth twitched upwards.

"Yeah," he sighed, eyes looking into open space, probably reliving the moment.

"Leo, just go for it." Leo actually smiled at Percy's words. "And jack off before your dates. You'll last longer with her then." Leo choked on his hot chocolate, and I slapped Percy's chest as I scolded him. Percy, in return, looked puzzled as to why he was in trouble.

"What?" he asked incredulously. "Why can't I give one of my best friends and roommate sex advice?"

"It's the way you did it," I hissed as Leo tried to recover from a coughing fit.

"I was trying to help," Percy grumbled, burrowing deeper into the covers.

"And I appreciate it," Leo croaked before clearing his throat. "Truth be told, I probably need the help."

"Well, in that case," Percy lit up as he rummaged through his bedside table, pulling out a box of condoms and dropping it in Leo's lap. "I originally got those for Jason, but he doesn't need them now that we found our rhythm."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

"They're numbing condoms. I thought they would be a good idea since you were a virgin with no stamina, so you could last longer. Turns out we've managed without them, and by now you read my body well, and you've built up stamina, so we don't need them."

Leo stared at the unopened box in his lap, horrified. Percy didn't even blink an eye, whether that was a good thing or not, I wasn't sure.

"And don't sleep on the foreplay, got that?" Leo nodded his head frantically. "I mean it, she needs to be squirming before you even think about reaching for those." Leo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Got it."