finally kissing the person you’ve been pining for . / thalien & percy ... i can imagine thalien absolutely pining yeah.
It's easy to get lost in this, in Thalien. They were in a tavern, in the farthest corner they could manage. it was easier that way, it was better to be able to watch people come & go. The last thing Percy wanted was for one of Thalien's siblings to find them here. Despite a few glances the tavern's inhabitants casted towards their prince, they seemed relatively safe here. It didn't seem like anyone was running to spread the news ofThalien's presence here & for that percy was thankful.
So they spent the night in good company, drinking & eating & dipping into distant memories. Percy's usually acute vigilance fades with every cup of wine & he becomes comfortable. Too comfortable. The tension shifts from his shoulders, driving him to melt into the space between them. Shoulder against shoulder, elbow against elbow, the back of Percy's gloved hand occasionally drifting down Thalien's arm. Maybe the tips of their fingers touch, for just a moment.
Passing affection was not always a forte of his, but the wine helped. Percy was usually smarter than this, but he was usually drinking alone. He often made it a point to keep his wits about him, as it was all he had left. But it was easy to be comfortable with Thalien, dangerously so. Perhaps this is why they were sitting so close, Percy drawn towards him instinctively.
He's not sure when their lips meet, but he knows he melts into the embrace. Percy knows Thalien's hands are in his & he knows the moment transcends reality. It's hardly the first kiss he's ever had, but it's the first one he's wanted so badly. it feels like a dream, he thinks. When Percy pulls back, it hits him & it hits him hard. He searches Thalien's face for a reaction, a rejection. He hopes he will find the latter, as it would make everything easier. His inability to control his impulses would surely come back to burn him, this was thoughtless. Percy feels his breath stop with his heart & he instinctively recoils.
" Forgive me, please, " he doesn't quite beg, but there is a weight to his voice. it's almost as though he wants there to be something to forgive. As if it did not feel like the most natural thing he'd done in years. This was selfish, this was wrong. When they were younger, he had often thought of this. What would happen when they were older, if he would ever have the chance to hold Thalien, or if it was just another half-baked dream. A kiss was just a kiss, but to Percy it was more than that. It was too gentle & the truth of his feelings felt like a lie concealing the person beneath. It was a thin veil, easily torn. He clears his now dry throat, " That was inconsiderate... I shouldn't have done that. "
















