There's less pointless sex in this chapter, and more relationship development. Well, there's still sex. But it's not that gratuitous :D

Review. It will make me write faster. Yes, I'm talking to you, people who add story alerts.

Chapter Two:

Percy's POV:

I lay on my bed, thinking.

My eyes were closed, but I could still see him next to me, and I could feel his fingers wrapped around mine, warm and comforting. I could feel him lying next to me, smell the hot sweat upon his skin, and taste his sweet breath.

I was thinking about Luke.

The sea breeze blew at my face, unpleasantly cold and salty, and I turned away. Midnight had already descended, shrouding the forests in a thin veil of darkness, leaving only the pale light of the moon and stars. Even the sea had turned dark and stormy, her waves churning, rising to great heights before crashing upon the beach.

I had been awake for hours. I couldn't sleep, not with him occupying all of my thoughts. It was stupid, childish and obsessed – but it was beyond my power to control.

I still felt him, as though he were still beside me. I felt the sweet kiss of his lips, the warmth of his hands, the intensity in his eyes. I wondered about so many things – had it just been lust? Had he just used me once, taken what he had wanted from my body, and now that he was done, thrown me aside like a soiled cloth?

I curled up beneath the covers, hiding from the cold wind. I felt the slight prick of tears in my eyes, and I fought them back. It was stupid. I would not cry because of a stupid decision that I had made. Not because of Luke.

And then I felt his touch on my cheek. It felt so real.

"Are you feeling alright?"

My eyes widened, and I quickly sat upright. He was right there, in front of me, very much real. His hair had been tousled by the wind, and the darkness made it difficult to make out his features, but he looked concerned. He pressed his hand against my forehead – my heart leapt suddenly – to see if I had a temperature, but I brushed him away.

"I'm fine," I said, blushing. I wasn't wearing much beneath my blanket, and instinctively pulled the thin sheet over myself. "What are you doing here? Not that I don't appreciate it," I said quickly, hoping that I had not offended him.

"Can't sleep," he said simply. "I thought I'd come by – and lucky that I did. You seem worse for the wear."

"It's nothing," I said again. This was so awkward, so strained. It was not like the time by the river. Now we were at a loss for words, wondering whether the other was still thinking about… about what had happened.

"Tell me about yourself," he said suddenly.

"What?" I replied, caught off-guard. It wasn't what I had expected him to ask.

"I want to know," he said, softly. "You're not just a demigod. You've had a normal life for sixteen years. It's the little things that matter."

"I… I don't know," I said, blushing. I felt like a five-year-old with a crush, and no idea what to say.

"You first," I said, throwing a pillow at him. He caught it, and deftly snuggled beside me, close enough that I could feel his body against mine.

"I've lived here my entire life," he said. "Not much else to say. Your life, on the other hand, is much more interesting."

"I just found out about the whole demigod thing," I said, choosing my words carefully. "And it is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me."

"Oh, there'll be more to come," he laughed, lightly, and I knew that he was teasing me. It was infuriating, but … somehow, charming, and I loved it.

Our hands slowly moved together, and we held them as we lay in the bed, listening to the sounds of the sea and the wind. I was perfectly content, just lying there. It was just him and I together, and nothing else in the world existed or mattered.

"Percy," he said suddenly, as the silence stretched on. The waves still crashed against the sand, but I could not hear it over the beating of my heart. He was there, in front of me, close enough to brush with my fingertips. "I don't suppose you've got a candle?"

"In the drawers," I said, slightly too quickly, too eagerly.

Luke smiled and reached across me, his body moving closer to mine. I breathed in slowly, trying not to make my feelings apparent. There was a fire burning inside me, passionate and strong, as for that brief moment, we touched.

He withdrew then, leaving me feeling strangely empty. He produced some matches from his tunic, and fumbled with it for a moment, trying to light it in the strong wind. He cursed, as he lit it for a moment, before the breeze danced through the room and put it out.

"Let me try," I said, my voice strange to my own ears. I reached out, touching his hands, and took the candle. There was a shivering and shuddering in the world, and the waves seemed to calm, their fury fading into a soft, gentle crashing of water. The wind and rain stopped, and I was left in silence, with Luke so close to me, so quiet in the darkness. I could smell him, a gentle, sweet musk that was at once both gentle and firm; almost soft, teasing my nose.

I lit the candle, and let the match drop to the ground. I sat up straight, and placed the candle on the bedside table. Its flame cast strange shadows over Luke's face, highlighting a long scar on his face that I had not noticed before.

I reached out, brushing it with my fingers. He seemed surprised, and held my hand as it touched his face, guiding me across his high, sculpted cheekbones, and passed over his soft lips.

"I got that long ago," he whispered to me. It felt so loud in the darkness of the night. "In the Garden of the Hesperides."

"Oh," I said, stupidly. "Have you… gone on many quests before?"

"Yes," he admitted. "More than my fair share, I'd wager. Why?" he teased, seeing the look on my face. "Jealous?"

"Not exactly," I said, blushing again. "It's just that… I'm supposed to get the Lightning Bolt back, and I have no idea where to even start, or how to do it, or -"

"Don't worry about it," he said, placing a finger on my mouth. I was surprised, and felt my heart rise in my chest. He drew closer to me, until his chest was pressed against mine, and I could feel his hot, sweet breath. He kissed me once, and with one hand, brushed my hair away from my eyes, and looked into them. I felt hot and sweaty all over, with his weight on top of my body, and his hands gently stroking my hair. The fire of the kiss still lingered on my lips.

He drew closer still, and kissed me more fiercely, his lips wrapping around my mouth.

It was not like that time by the river. This kiss was sweet, loving – not rough and sensual, like when we were making love. I felt the warmth of his mouth, and felt his lips upon mine, licking the corners of my mouth. I moaned as we kissed, and wrapped my arms around him, letting my hands wander around in his golden hair.

He gently pushed me against the wall, and deepened the kiss. I moaned again, as his tongue slipped into my mouth, and we began to kiss more ferociously. I could smell him, hot and sweaty, powerful and passionate, and slowly relaxed as he tore off my blanket, resting his body against mine. He slipped off his shirt, creating a powerful sensation as our bare chests moved against each other, our nipples brushing in tiny sparks of pleasure.

His hands slipped beneath my boxers and caressed my cheeks, and I allowed a moan to escape from my mouth. My cock was beginning to strain uncomfortably against my boxers, as Luke slid his hips back and forth, grinding against me. He fingered my opening, letting the tip of one finger slide inside, for just a moment, teasing me before pulling out.

My fingers grabbed the edge of his shorts, tugging at them. Luke understood, breaking free of our kiss for a moment, and slipped them off. Then we were all but naked, lying atop of each other in our underwear, feeling the heat of each other's body. My legs wrapped around his chest, and my cock was tightly pressed against his belly, against his lean muscles.

He squeezed my ass tightly, and again, let his fingers slip past my cheeks and into me. I moaned as he fingered me, feeling the thickness inside the most intimate part of my body, sliding in the wetness of my ass. He began to moan as he ground against me, the tip of his penis brushing painfully against the fabric of his boxers.

We both slipped out of the confining garments, and rubbed our hard lengths against each other, moaning as we kissed. He was taller than me, and I felt tiny beneath him, powerless as we made love in the candlelit darkness. But he was gentle this time, not rough, as he had been when he had thrust into me upon the rocks.

It was ecstasy as I lay beneath him, his lips pressed against mine, and his fingers worked their way through me, gently pushing deeper into my body. Fire and lightning burned through my body, jolting my every sense and passion – and then at last, when I could take no more, I came together with Luke. We moaned into our kiss, breaking apart as our bodies trembled, exploding with the pleasure. He sped up his thrusts, his cock rubbing against mine faster and faster, releasing spurts of hot white cum. He came on my body, and I upon his – for a moment, we were one, joined in the act of making love.

"Luke!" I shouted, and my legs tightly wrapped around his. The orgasm was incredible, like nothing I had ever felt before. Luke moaned into me as he finished at last, giving one final thrust that sent me over the edge. I screamed and emptied myself across Luke's lean chest, feeling the wave of heat rush out of my body.

He lay next to me, and we simply lay there, naked, holding hands and did not speak.

"Don't worry," he said, after a long time. He kissed me on the forehead, and brushed my hair again, in the strange, loving way that he did. "Nothing is going to harm you as long as … as long as I'm around."

I did not reply, but grasped his hand more tightly. It was warm, and comforting in the cold of the night. The storm was beginning to start up again, the waves began to rise, and the stars disappeared behind the clouds. It was dark again, with only the flickering, unsteady light of the candle – but I was in Luke's embrace, and all was forgotten, save for the warmth of his chest, his soft scent, and the love that I truly believed that we shared.