The Arranged Marriage (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Thirty-Two

Annabeth was dreaming again.

She was back in Crete, and she knew because the taste of salt hung in the air and the sea breeze caressed his skin. The sun there was different too — in Athens, it was brutal and unrelenting, yet in Crete, big, fluffy white clouds offered frequent reprieves from the heat of its beams.

Annabeth was sitting on the docks, her feet dipped into the warm waters of the island as she hummed a light tune. She laid back, letting the wood dig pleasantly into her back; gulls swept above her, dipping low to harass a family picnicking by the shore. Annabeth reached a hand up to the sky, letting the salty air dampen the tips of her fingers as she reached up further as if to grab something straight out of the baby blue sky — she didn't know what it was that she wanted. But then a sudden surge of desire gripped Annabeth so hard that she gasped, and shot up from where she lay on the docks.

She spun around to locate the source of this abrupt change in mood, and was met with bare, tan feet; she glanced up.

"Hey, Wise Girl," he said.

A smile climbed up her cheeks as she stood, her mouth already forming her response. "Hey, Seaweed Brain. Come for a swim?"

"Of course," he said, smirking mischievously. "Who do you take me for?"

Before Annabeth could even consider his words, he was taking off down the dock towards the water, laughing up a storm. In his wake, Annabeth let out a stream of happy laughter and took off behind him. She cared not for the dress she wore or the jewelry — this was all that mattered in the moment. This happiness and giddiness. She raced towards the water, throwing her arms out as she leaped, plunging into the depths of the blue, blue water. She expected the water to be cold, but it was like plunging into cool bathwater; the Mediterranean was warm yet refreshing as she surfaced, giggling, drunk on the thrill of it all.

Percy resurfaced beside her and shook his dark hair out, spraying her face as he did so; she let out a noise of protest. But the sounds were lost as he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her under the water, giving her barely enough time to hold her breath and give a jerk on his wrist (to which did absolutely nothing). Soon, she was fully submerged, her breath burning in her throat, her eyes open as she took in the underwater. Annabeth found herself relaxing as she surveyed the many colored fish darting by, the seaweed twisting in the currents, and then, Percy.

Percy never looked more alive than when he was in the water. His green eyes sparkled even brighter when surrounded by the hues of green in the sea. His dark hair haloed around his tan face, giving him a godly glow. As Annabeth looked on at him, she tried to remember the time in which she had looked upon his face and seen only the face of one of her enemies. It seemed like such a long time ago now.

As her lungs begged for air, Annabeth kicked to the surface already laughing as she broke through the warm, gentle waves. Percy appeared next to her, his face glowing with pure happiness.

"Thought you looked like you need a swim," he breathed, grinning ear-to-ear.

Annabeth didn't even care to refute him. "I did, indeed." She grazed her fingers along the surface of the shifting waters, trailing her hand back and forth, soothed by the cool touch of the water. "Although I'll have to kill you for your method."

"Oh?" Percy exclaimed, treading water until he was in front of her, so very close. "I would love to see you try." His nose bumped Annabeth's and she felt her pulse kick into a gallop.

Annabeth watched a piece of Percy's dark hair fall into his eyes and before she could stop herself she had reached out to push it back; her fingers lingered and when she lifted her eyes to his, she thought she saw his own eyes flicker with an unknown emotion. Desire? Or maybe regret? But why?