Secrets | Percabeth AU

30- Meet The Family...Again

Percy's POV

In the corner of my eye, Annabeth was fidgeting with her fingers and constantly bounced her knee. At some points, she pulled down the overhead mirror from my car and "fix" herself. Like she needed any "fixing". She's a goddess.

It was entertaining seeing her this nervous. It was only a holiday dinner with my family, since it's now December. It's not even at a fancy restaurant. Just at home with Paul, Mom, and I. A simple meet-the-family dinner, even though Annabeth already met them. I was just as nervous as her. Not because of her talking with Mom and Paul. But because of what Mom might say to Annabeth about me.

After a couple of minutes of Annabeth fidgeting, I was starting to get anxious.

I glanced at her, while keeping my mind on the road. Her princess-curls were tied up in a ponytail, and the gray streak was also pulled back. A few pieces of hair framed her face, and I was tempted to put them behind her ear. But she'll most likely slap my hand and make me look at the road. She wore a gray scarf with a white long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and a pair of combat boots.

"You nervous?" I asked, after her fifth time checking herself with the mirror.

"Pffft. No, of course not," she said, wiping the corners of her eyes and fixing the baby hairs.

"Really?" I asked, reaching my hand out to close the overhead mirror. "You already look beautiful. There's no need to look at the mirror."

Her lips twitched like she was repressing a smile. "Focus on the road."

"I don't need to." I stopped the car in front of the house. "We're already here."

-

When Annabeth and I entered the house, the smell of pasta, cookies, and chicken engulfed us. I might've told Mom to make pasta, since Annabeth loves to eat it. I led her to the kitchen, where Paul and Mom were busy finishing up. Once Mom caught sight of Annabeth, her eyes lit up like a kid with a toy. She immediately rushed in to give Annabeth a hug. Paul was behind Mom to greet Annabeth. I was left standing in the middle of the room.

I faked a cough. "Your son is here too." They chuckled. Annabeth insisted on helping set up the table, despite my subtle objections. We set up the dining table with plates, silverware, glass cups, and the food.

Annabeth sat next to me, while Paul and Mom sat across from us. The way they stared at us made it seem more like an interview than a family dinner, which made me even nervous. I grabbed my glass of water and took a big gulp, preparing myself for the questions to be thrown at us.

While we ate, we talked about school, and Mom and Paul asked about Annabeth's interest. Nothing exciting. Nothing that made me uncomfortable or embarrassed... yet.

"How did you meet? Percy never tells me anything about your relationship," Mom said, starting the relationship talk. Annabeth looked at me like she's contemplating whether to talk or let me talk. She stopped her gaze and looked back to them.

"We met in San Francisco... at Golden Gate Park on August. He was sitting at the spot I usually go to, and I asked him if it was okay if I sat next to him. He said yes. After a couple of minutes, I found out he was the Percy Jackson. Then, he invited me to eat at a diner, " she explained. I smiled at her and under the table, I squeezed her hand gently. In the corner of my eye, I saw Paul smiling at me.

They kept asking about our relationship: how we started dating, what the gray streaks in our hair were, and questions like those. We even shared some laughs and giggles.