[Third Person Pov]

The moment Annabeth returned from her long and perilous expedition, the first thing she did—before even setting down her gear or catching her breath—was search for Lucian. The castle halls felt endless until she spotted him, and the instant she did, she rushed forward without hesitation. She leapt onto him with all her strength, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around his body like a determined koala, burying her face deep into the crook of his neck. The familiar scent of him, warm and grounding, made the weight of the entire journey melt away in seconds.

"Oh hey guys, you're back," Lucian greeted them casually, his voice light and unflustered, as if Annabeth wasn't currently clinging to him with every ounce of her being. He simply adjusted his stance to support her weight, one hand resting comfortably on her back.

Annabeth's spirits, upon seeing their beloved father after suffering under the cruelty of their mother, naturally followed suit. Their small, ethereal forms streaked through the air like colorful sparks of light, each one exclaiming "Father!" in bright, overlapping voices. They swirled around Lucian in a joyful whirlwind, adding their own tiny embraces to the heartfelt reunion, filling the space with shimmering energy and pure delight.

Nico and Bianca stood a short distance away, both looking thoroughly exhausted and battle-worn. Their clothes were torn in places, their faces smudged with dirt and fatigue, and they clearly wanted nothing more than to collapse into their beds for a long, well-deserved rest. Nico, however, managed a tired grin. "If you can't beat them, join them!" he exclaimed with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. He spread his arms wide and shuffled forward, hugging Lucian's side and leaning into the group embrace.

"I'm going to bed. I can't be bothered with this," Bianca muttered, already turning on her heel, ready to slip away from the chaotic warmth before she got pulled into it.

Lucian flicked his ring finger with a playful smirk, and Bianca felt an invisible telekinetic tug gently pulling her back toward the group. "Damn it…" she grumbled under her breath, but she didn't even bother resisting. With a dramatic sigh, she allowed herself to be drawn in.

"Everyone loves a good hug, don't they?" Lucian said teasingly, his voice warm with affection as he began walking forward, still carrying Annabeth and now surrounded by the whole lively bunch.

"You guys hungry?" Lucian asked, glancing between them all with genuine care. He was already mentally scanning the kitchen, ready to whip up a quick lunch to help restore their energy.

"I am," Annabeth replied, her voice dropping into a suggestive tone as she raised her eyebrows at him, still nestled against his neck. "But it's not food that I want."

"Stop," Lucian said, though he couldn't hide the snicker that escaped him, his cheeks warming slightly.

"Ew," Nico said immediately, pulling away from the group with exaggerated disgust and dramatic flair.

"Yeah, gross," Bianca echoed, doing the same and wrinkling her nose in shared sibling revulsion.

"But I will take you up on the food offer," Nico added quickly, his priorities shifting as he looked at Lucian expectantly. "Can you make a pizza?"

"Sure, I don't mind," Lucian shrugged, which earned an immediate cheer from Nico.

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed, pumping his fist in celebration, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the promise of his favorite meal.

…

After a satisfying lunch filled with laughter, stories from the expedition, and more than a few slices of perfectly crisp pizza, Nico and Bianca finally headed off to their rooms to rest and recover. Annabeth and Lucian slipped away somewhere more private, the quiet intimacy of the castle's upper chambers wrapping around them like a comforting blanket.

"Here," Annabeth said softly, holding her hand out toward him so he could see it clearly. The light caught the subtle details she wanted to show him. "What do you think?"

"Wait a minute," Lucian said, taking her hand gently but firmly in his own. His expression grew serious, his usual playful demeanor fading into something more solemn and thoughtful.

"What?" Annabeth asked, glancing down at their joined hands and then back up at his face, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features.

"I don't want to delay this or tell you later," Lucian continued, his voice steady but laced with quiet vulnerability. "I've always been pretty honest with you, and there haven't really been any secrets between us. I'm not going to start now."

"You're scaring me. What is it?" Annabeth said, searching his eyes with growing suspicion and a hint of worry tightening in her chest.

Lucian took a steadying breath and met Annabeth's eyes. He refused to hide anything from her and so he was honest about what happened with Medusa. "It happened after you left Medusa and I… we talked. One thing led to another…and we kissed… It got heated… We were both half-nude... But we both agreed to look past it and—"

He never got the chance to finish.

Annabeth dropped instantly, executing a flawless Imanari roll that yanked Lucian's legs out from under him. "Waaah!!" he yelped as the world spun and he slammed hard onto the stone floor.

In a heartbeat, Annabeth was on top of him, straddling his waist with powerful thighs. Her dagger sang free from its sheath at her waist. She twirled it once with expert fingers before driving it down, stopping a hair's breadth from his left eye. At the same time, her other hand clamped down hard around his throat, squeezing with just enough pressure to make her point crystal clear.

"Can I not leave you alone for five fucking minutes," she snarled, voice low and venomous, "without you already shoving your tongue down some bitch's gullet?"

Annabeth paused, staring down at him.

Lucian wasn't struggling. He wasn't even blinking. His eyes were wide, pupils blown, fixed on her with an intensity that had nothing to do with fear. She shifted her hips experimentally, feeling the undeniable evidence of his arousal pressing against her. One eyebrow rose slowly. Her lips twitched with dark amusement.

"Lucian…" she said slowly, dangerously sweet. "Please tell me what's exciting you right now. Is it the fact that I'm choking you? The knife this close to your face? Or that I've got you pinned helplessly to the ground?"

Lucian's cheeks flushed a faint red. He stayed silent for a long second before squeaking out in a small, embarrassed voice, "All of the above…"

"Ughhh!" Annabeth groaned, glaring down at him with an exasperated pout. "Come on! How am I supposed to scare you properly if you act like this?!"

"Huh?" Lucian blinked, genuinely confused by the sudden shift. "Aren't you… seriously mad at me right now?"

Annabeth's expression changed in an instant. Her eyes went cold and deadly. With a single, precise motion, she sliced the dagger across his cheek. Lucian flinched more from surprise than pain as a thin red line bloomed, blood welling up and trickling down the side of his face.

Annabeth leaned in close, pressing the flat of the blade against the side of his neck. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm furious. I feel like taking this dagger and wedging it right between your ribs—somewhere I know it won't kill you, but it'll hurt like hell."

She suddenly stabbed the knife into the floor beside his head with a sharp *thunk*, the blade quivering inches from his ear. "But luckily for you," she continued, voice softening just a fraction, "Thalia and I already figured something like this would happen with Medusa."

It took Lucian a few seconds to process her words. "What?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It was pretty obvious you were attracted to her the second we met her in that restaurant. The way you looked at her… please."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say it was *obvious*…" Lucian muttered, pursing his lips.

Annabeth scoffed and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him up into a sitting position while she remained firmly seated in his lap. "It was clear to both Thalia and me that something was bound to happen, especially with her living in your literal castle. It was only a matter of when. Did you seriously forget what Thalia and I called this place the day you first created it?"

At the same time, in perfect but hilariously mismatched tones, they both said:

"Lucian's Harem Palace."

Lucian sighed heavily, the sound full of regret. "I'm sorry—"

"It's fine," Annabeth cut him off. Then a cruel, mischievous smile slowly spread across her face. "I'm not so evil that I'm going to keep adding more fuel to your ultimate demise."

Lucian felt a chill run down his spine. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Annabeth wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning in until her lips brushed his ear. "Lucian… how do you think your mother is going to react when she finds out you and her best friend shared a passionate kiss while half-nude?"

A heavy silence fell.

"I'm so fucking dead," Lucian shuddered, genuine fear creeping into his voice.

"Yup," Annabeth said, smiling with pure, contented satisfaction. She leaned forward and pecked him softly on the lips. "They say the best revenge is the kind where you don't even have to act. I have to admit… it's an intoxicating feeling. I eagerly await the fallout."

Lucian immediately started whimpering like a wounded puppy. Annabeth threw her head back and cackled like the driver who had just run the poor creature over—then cheerfully reversed and did it again, just for the hell of it.

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