This is sort of my apology for taking forever with A Thousand Years. I've been working on a chapter, but can't quite get around to finishing it. I'm not in a position to promise that it'll be published soon, but I'll work on it. I do hope you enjoy this little oneshot. It was inspired by a scene from the book The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead. I read the scene and I absolutely loved it!

This story is more mature than some of the ones I've written. There are no sex scenes or anything of that nature, but well, you'll see!

Enjoy and please review! Thank you!

~C

P.S. No proofread. As per usual.

On a bright Monday morning, Percy Jackson emerged from the kitchen, hands full with two plates piled high with an assortment of breakfast essentials: crispy strips of bacon, two spoonfuls of scrambled eggs, a toasted English muffin, and a stack of fluffy pancakes. The twenty-two year old carefully maneuvered himself through his living room towards the bedroom he shared with his fiancee. Percy nudged the door open with his hips and slipped in. "Last night really wore you out, didn't it?" He teased, playful tone directed toward the wiggling lump on his bed.

Annabeth Chase's head poked through the mountain of pillows and her eyes narrowed. "Don't start. It was all your fault." Her words faltered slightly near the end when her gray eyes landed on the two plates Percy had set on her desk.

"It was not!" Percy exclaimed, shaking his head. Annabeth rolled her eyes and tossed the thick duvet off her body. She ignored his outstretched hands and opted instead for the bathroom across the room. Hearing his small whimper, she grinned; Percy could get awfully clingy in the morning. "As I was saying," Percy continued. "You wouldn't be this tired if you hadn't insisted on another round."

"I insisted?" Annabeth echoed, brows raised. She plucked her toothbrush off the counter and whirled around to face him. "You were practically begging me for it!"

Percy crossed his arms over his chest, stubbornly jutting out his chin. "Well, you said yes."

"It's your fault, if I'm being quite honest. You know I can't resist you when you make that face of yours." Annabeth's heart fluttered when he rewarded her with a suggestive smirk. She watched with sinful eyes as he stalked toward her, green eyes already darkening with desire. It took all of Annabeth's willpower just to maintain an indifferent front when he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

"I don't," He whispered, his breath ghosting over the shell of her ear. "know what you're talking about."

Despite the heat pooling in her stomach, Annabeth scowled. "Yes, you do. I should've just let you watched Glee by yourself last night. I didn't know you were going to be that invested in the show." When she saw that he had opened his mouth to argue, she hastily continued. "Don't even start. We stayed up until three watching it. I didn't even know why you'd ask me to do that since you know I have that big meeting today and - "

"Wisegirl, I so don't want to talk about Glee right now." Percy dipped his head closer to mine, their lips were merely centimeters apart. "Actually, I don't want to talk at all."

"Not right now, Percy. I have to get ready." A few more incoherent mumbles slipped through Annabeth's parted lips, but Percy had effectively rendered his fiancée silent. Annabeth pushed off the bathroom counter, arms wound tightly around Percy's neck, and headed toward the bedroom. Percy smiled into the kiss, and somewhere in the back of Annabeth's muddled thoughts, she knew this was what he had intended.

She was going to get him back for it, she silently vowed.

Just...not right now.

Nearing the foot of the bed, Percy deftly plucked Annabeth off of her feet and set her lightly on the mattress. Annabeth arched her back as his lips slid down her neck, nipped at the unblemished skin there. "Tease." She gasped, shivering when she felt his hand caress the small of her back. His response was only another nip at her neck.

Impatient, Annabeth hooked her ankles around Percy's hips and with a quick flick, she had him on the bed. Another skilled maneuver and she was straddled on top of him. Her fiance's lips were red and wet; he wore a look of complete amazement and adoration. Looming above him with her blonde hair framing her delicate face, Annabeth grinned.

Oh, she was going to have so much fun.

…

A couple of hours later, Annabeth rushed out the door of Percy's apartment and burst through the streets of New York. Manhattan was bustling with activity. Children ran through the streets while local pedestrians sidestepped to allow them room. Cars honked, birds chirped, and the unmistakable sound of construction rang throughout the block, fueling the cacophony she had grown to admire. The sun beat down mercilessly, wisps of clouds lolled lazily across the sky. The promise of spring was in the air, as was the promise of spring showers. A lazy breeze ruffled her hair as Annabeth quickly flagged down a cab. She slid inside, nose crinkling at the smell of cigars and expensive cologne.

"Where to?" The driver asked gruffly.

"Stafford's Architecture." Annabeth replied.

The driver nodded and the vehicle picked up speed. Annabeth kept her eyes on the dashboard, heart thumping loudly as the minute ticked by. After ten minutes, Annabeth groaned in frustration. Her firm was on the other side of town, and she was stuck in traffic. "How long do you think it'll take for us to get there?" Annabeth asked the cabbie.

He turned his face and gave her an undignified snort. "In this traffic? An hour. Two at most."

"No, no, no." Annabeth cried. "I don't have two hours! I don't even have an hour!"

"You in a hurry or something?"

Annabeth glared at him. She noticed that the name Gabe Ugliano was stitched on the front of his shirt. "You couldn't tell?"

The driver narrowed his eyes. "You bein' smart with me, girl? I don't hafta take you anywhere. I can let you out right here."

"No, please, no." Annabeth took a breath and leaned forward. "Look, I have to be at a meeting in forty-five minutes. It's very important; I need to be there."

"And I needa girlfriend. Looks like we both ain't gettin' what we want."

Annabeth, breathe, she reminded herself, wringing his neck won't get you anywhere.

"There must be a shortcut or something. Another route that'll get me there faster."

"Maybe there is." The driver shrugged. "Maybe there isn't."

She scowled, and bit back an irritated shriek. "If you can get me there in half an hour, I'll pay you double."

"Done deal." With a hand on the wheel and the other on the gear shift, the cabbie expertly extracted himself from the idle cars and shot down an unfamiliar room. Annabeth gripped the edge of the seat, eyes wide with fear. He wove through the budding morning traffic, dodging bikers and pedestrians as we went. True to his words, the car slid to a stop in front of Annabeth's desired location with ten minutes to spare. "Pay up."

With nausea boiling in her stomach, she fished through her bag for a fifty and thrust it into his outstretched palm. "Keep the change." She muttered, sliding out. She hoisted her bag over her shoulder and shot him a menacing glare as he deposited the money.

"Nice doing business with you, ma'am." The cabbie, Gabe, smirked, showing rows of black-stained teeth.

Annabeth swallowed past her disgust and pushed her way into the building. A few colleagues regarded her with strange looks but said nothing as she flew by them. Once the elevator deposited her on her floor, she headed straight for her office. When she entered, she flicked on the lights. Her work area was more spacious than other's; a heavy mahogany desk sat in the center of the room. File cabinets occupied the four corners of the room. The room looked the same as it always did. Except for one thing. A cup of coffee was on her desk; attached was a piece of cardstock. Annabeth set her bags down gingerly and picked up the card. She recognized her assistant's meticulous scrawls almost instantly.

Mr. Jackson said you'd need this, it said.

She grinned and picked up the cup. Annabeth took a hearty sip before setting it back down. Her eyes sought out the clock on her desk, and jolted awake. She had five minutes to gather up her things and make her way down to the Conference area for her meeting. Quickly shedding her jacket, Annabeth flipped through the stack of manila files and grabbed the one she was looking for. She stuck the file in her laptop case, grabbed a pen and a pad of legal paper, and started for the door.

"Three minutes, Annabeth." Her assistant and friend, Rachel, warned.

"Got it!" She responded, giving Rachel a smile. "After I'm done, let me take you out for lunch. There's an amazing Thai place not far from here."

Rachel blinked, and her eyes settled on Annabeth. "That sounds great, but Annabeth - "

"Great! I'll come get you when I'm done."

"No, Annabeth, look!" Rachel stepped from her desk and pushed Annabeth toward the women's restroom. Her friend pulled her to a stop in front of the mirror and jabbed a finger at a mark on Annabeth's neck. "You need to cover this up."

Annabeth leaned closer to the glass, and squinted. There was a purplish blob on the side of her neck. "What the hell is that?"

Rachel snickered. "I believe that's a hickey, Annabeth. You and Percy must've been busy this morning. Or last night." She shuddered. "Or whenever."

"He did not give me a hickey." Annabeth hissed. She touched it gingerly and winced when it pulsed dully.

"It's kind of hard to miss." Rachel pointed out, tapping her index finger against her lip. "Wait, stay here. I know just the thing." And with that, Annabeth was alone.

Fuming, Annabeth fished her phone from her pocket and dialed Percy, blowing out her breath in agitation. Her fiancé answered on the first ring with a cheery, "Hello?"

"You are in so much trouble, Jackson!"

"Uh-oh." Percy remarked, a smile in his voice. "Last names? What did I do now?"

Annabeth sputtered, unsure of how to continue. Finally, she opted for a blatant, "You gave me a hickey! On my neck!"

"Yes, Annabeth, I know what I did. I was there." Percy laughed. "I'm pretty sure I also gave you one on your shoulder and your thigh."

"You know I have my meeting this morning!"

"I know."

"Why would you…mark me?" At her words, a thrill ran down Annabeth's spine. Images of the morning's events pushed to the forefront of Annabeth's thoughts.

"Because."

"Because?"

"Because I can." Percy replied, deadpan.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, fingers still pressed against her neck. "You can't do that anymore."

"Fine." Percy said easily. "I won't kiss you on your neck when you have a meeting anymore."

"No."

"No?"

"No. You're not allowed to kiss me anymore. You're on probation."

The humor in Percy's voice was obvious when he said, "Probation. Alright. I'll humor you. For how long?"

"Until I say so." Annabeth dictated.

"Fine." There was a pause. "But if you're putting me on hold. So will I. I'm sure you've also left some marks in some unruly places on me this morning."

"I did not." Annabeth responded. She moved the phone away from her ear when Rachel reentered. In her hands were a jar of liquid foundation and a compact of powdered concealer. She thrust the items into Annabeth's open palms and headed for the door.

"I told them you're running late. You have five minutes." Annabeth nodded her thanks and turned to the task at hand.

"Yes, you did. And I have the bruises to prove it."

"Alright," Annabeth conceded. She flipped open the compact and unscrewed the jar. Using her free hand, she dabbed a few drops of foundation on her fingertips and spread it on her neck. "Let's make a bet out of it. I can't kiss you, you can't kiss me. Whoever lasts the longest wins."

"What do we win?"

Satisfied that the mark was thoroughly covered, Annabeth worked on setting it with the concealer. "We'll...cross that bridge when we come to it." She was rewarded with a rich laugh from Percy. Her insides warmed. "Do we have a deal?"

"Oh, you're so on."

Annabeth smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too. See you when I get home." And on that sweet note, Annabeth hung up the phone. She recapped the make-up bottles and turned her neck this way and that to ascertained that yes, her hickey was fully covered. Slipping her phone back into her pocket, she gathered up the jars and returned to Rachel's desk.

"All good?" Her friend asked.

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah. Thank you so much."

"What are friends for? Now you'd better go or you'll be even more late for your meeting." Rachel urged.

Annabeth rounded the corner and her friend's words faded. She quickly thundered down the staircase to the lobby and hastily wound through the narrow hallways. Annabeth skittered to a stop before a set of double doors and took a deep breath to steel her resolve. Then, without a word, Annabeth pushed open the doors, and took her place at the front of the room. She spoke, and the room quieted; every pair of eyes remained fixated on her, every breath stilled until she finished.

…

When Annabeth returned home that evening, she found Percy asleep on the couch. His jacket was laid haphazardly across the kitchen table. His laptop was still running and his briefcase was free of their contents. Annabeth set down her bag and moved to the shuffle the papers back into a neat pile. She shook off her jacket and scooped up his, hanging them both in the closet.

Light snores greeted her when she emerged from the bathroom, changed and free of makeup. Her hickey colored her otherwise unblemished neck, and Annabeth rolled her eyes when she saw it. As she was about to start dinner, Percy rolled over. His face was red from being pressed against the cushions; his chest was bare, his only piece of clothing was a pair of pajama pants with owls printed on it.

Annabeth smiled enduringly and crossed over to him. She crouched down so that her face was directly in front of his. A strand of his silky black hair had fallen across his cheek and Annabeth brushed it aside. She bit her lips, wondering if she should kiss him or not. Annabeth knew that the contest had started and they were both fiercely competition. It would be days, if not weeks, before either of them would relent. She figured she might as well sneak in one last kiss before he woke up.

Just one, she reasoned.

Annabeth closed her eyes and pressed her soft lips against his. It only lasted a second but when Annabeth opened her eyes, she was staring into Percy's bright green ones. His shoulders were shaking in silent laughter.

"I knew you couldn't resist me."

Annabeth scuttled away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. "S-shut up. You're being obnoxious."

"Am I?" Percy teased, following her into the kitchen. "Or maybe you just don't like the fact that I won."

Annabeth didn't respond. She picked a clean pot from the cabinet and filled it with water before setting it on the stovetop. The fire clicked on and she left it there to boil. Grabbing a knife from a drawer, Annabeth set about chopping the onions in fine little pieces. She ignored Percy when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"If it makes you feel any better, I was going to steal one from you when you're in bed tonight." Percy informed her. "You know I can't go a day without kissing you. Lips or otherwise."

Annabeth's resolve crumbled at that. "You're still not forgiven about the hickey."

"I'll work for it." Percy responded, his voice uncharacteristically serious.

She turned around, a small smile on her face. "I'm sure you will."