Goodgodwhy on ao3
Link from og author on outfits: https://www.pinterest.ca/zonn3270/outfits-for-its-not-serious-i-swear/
The poor teacher that was given the unfortunate task of monitoring the students in detention finally arrived a few minutes later. He told them, sounding very bored, that they would be cleaning and reorganizing the drama room as their punishment.
They walked as a group, five students in total including Percy and herself, through the halls until they reached the class. Everyone groaned when they realized just how big and how messy it was. The teacher fled as soon as he could, and the other three kids delved into the vast space towards the back. She watched them carefully, Percy still at her side, toying curiously with some of the costumes clumped into a giant pile on the ground.
The minute the other three students were out of sight, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him along behind her. She flung open the first closet door that she found and thanked God that it was just large enough for two people. She shoved him unceremoniously inside and shut the door behind them.
She couldn't see him in the darkness of the tight space, but she was almost certain he had on his signature smirk.
She grabbed his neck and brought his lips to hers without a word, not able to wait another second. His hat fluttered to the ground as her fingers tangled in the back of his hair. She forced her tongue between his lips, tracing insistently along his teeth and delving deeply inside his mouth. His hands dipped below her waist and cupped her ass, pulling her into him even closer.
She scrapped her nails down his chest, tugging at the material of his shirt to keep him in place. When she reached the hem, she began fumbling with his pants, unbuttoning, and unzipping them as quickly as she could.
She broke the kiss and Percy immediately chased after her mouth, his hands trying to pull her back to him. It sent a happy flutter through her heart and brought a giddy smile to her lips that she was glad he couldn't see. She put her palms on his shoulders to keep him at a distance.
While she loved the way he normally took control, Annabeth was on a revenge mission, and she wanted to make him suffer.
He made a noise of complaint but when she dropped to her knees and began tugging his pants and boxers down his thighs, he let out a breathy chuckle, "oh okay," he muttered, sounding exceptionally pleased.
He wouldn't be pleased for long.
He was already rock hard, she could feel his cock bobbing directly in front of her face even without the lights on. His hands found their way into her hair, his fingers threading through the strands at the back of her head and forcing her closer.
She didn't waste any time in closing the rest of the distance, licking along the underside of his shaft and sucking his tip into her mouth, making him hum appreciatively.
Fuck he tasted so good. It was a surprise to her, but she had sort of become obsessed with his cum, the feel of it on her tongue, the mixture of salt and something else that she couldn't describe. She didn't think it was possible to get so turned on by pleasing a man, but nothing got her going like bowing down before Percy, staring up at him from her knees while his hands gripped her neck. Only Percy could make her actually excited to give head.
The other day had been fun, it felt good to tease him, but this was even better. She liked this position, on the floor. It let her be free, let loose, live in the moment. She couldn't entirely explain why she enjoyed cherishing him so much, maybe because he always returned the favour in spades, but for once she didn't care to find an answer. She was just going to enjoy every second of it. Normally, she could stay here forever, but today she had a plan and she had to keep that in mind.
He let out a contented sigh, as she sealed her lips around his length and pushed down as far as she could go, which she was embarrassed to admit was not as far as she would like. She prided herself on good blowjobs despite the fact that she didn't hand them out very often, but she was still getting used to just how big Percy's leaking member was. She'd only sucked his cock on a few occasions since he was always so excited to go down on her instead, which she certainly wasn't complaining about, but it meant that she was still learning how to take his immense size in her mouth.
With the help of his firm grasp at the back of her head, she managed to get him most of the way down, until his tip was pressing into her throat and her nose rested in that soft trail of hair that ran down from his belly button. She dug her nails into the back of his thighs, her feet straining beneath her, pushing her forward on her knees.
She watched with lidded eyes as his mouth fell open, his nostrils flaring as he took in deep, steadying breaths, and she dripped heavily at the sight. She tried to relax the muscles in her jaw and take him even deeper, but it seemed that he was about the furthest he could go without making her gag. As it was, spit dripped from her lips and down his shaft onto the floor.
She began to bob her head slowly, building up speed gradually and twisting her neck to take him at a different angle with each thrust. She pressed and sucked, forcing herself forward over and over until his balls were slapping against her chin. He got louder with every swirl and pull, and she closed her eyes, losing herself in the task, reveling in the groans he released. His string of expletives mixed with the lewd sucking noises made for quite the erotic combinations of sounds, and she prayed that no one was walking by.
She lifted her hand to tug on his balls as they collided with her face and she ran her tongue through his slit, sending a wave of precum shooting down her throat as a result.
"Oh God, yes fucking suck it," he whispered raggedly.
She pulled her cheeks in tighter, making a loud sloppy, slurping sound that reverberated off the walls around them. He was so hot and large in her mouth, and she didn't think she'd ever been more turned on. She opened her eyes and looked back up at him and her gaze locked with his, just able to make him out in the dark of the room. He was holding his shirt, hiking it further up his torso so that he could watch her with a heated stare.
His brows were pulled together, his jaw clenched, but his smirk was still firmly in place as he muttered fiercely, "shit, yes, take it. Take it all in your perfect mouth."
She was embarrassed by how much his praise made her body warm and her gut clench. She was so busy enjoying the way he watched her and the taste of him on her tongue that she almost forgot that she had a whole scheme that she was trying to pull off.
Tears began to spring to her eyes and her jaw ached, but her plan depended entirely on this. She allowed him to hook his fingers into her scalp and hold her head still as he started pumping his hips. He thrusted into her mouth, his cock pushing deeper than before, making her choke and shake as he took pleasure from her.
"Fuck, you're so good. Such a good girl. You suck my cock so well," he exhaled, his words jumbling together.
When his knees almost gave out and his movements became sloppier and more frantic, she knew he was close. In tandem with one particularly deep press of his hips, Percy's hand at the base of her head yanked her further onto his cock and he held her there firmly. His tip was forced even deeper into her mouth, blocking her airway and making her cough around him. Another wave of salt shot down her throat as she breathed heavily through her nose so that she didn't complete pass out.
"God, you have no idea how good you look with my cock in your mouth," he grunted hoarsely.
Her lips were stretched and strained painfully around him, and yet she wanted to stay there forever, until he blew every last dredge of his cum down into her stomach. She almost let him do it, but when he began to pulse against her tongue, she was reminded once more of her plan.
No, no, she had to stay strong. Without warning, she used her palms to push against his thighs and pull her head away.
He grumbled loudly and reached for her neck to haul her back down onto his drool-covered member, but she remained just out of his range.
"Annabeth," he heaved, letting out a beautiful whine.
She rose to her feet, feeling smug, despite the aching in her knees and pain in her jaw. She pulled his face to hers, and swallowed his tongue into her mouth hungrily, his dripping length pressing against her thigh, refusing to be ignored. He jerked his head back after a moment and despite the lowlighting, she could still make out the fire in his eyes, although she didn't know if it was because he was incredibly turned on or just angry that she had stopped.
"Pay back," she whispered breathlessly, and while it wasn't the confident statement that she had pictured, it still felt good to throw it in his face.
With a shaky pat on the shoulder, she turned away from him and reached for the door handle. He let out a frustrated growl and tugged her back to him forcefully before she could even take a step. She let him steer her back to him, gripping her waist tightly in his large palms.
"Such a tease," he muttered.
She was never really going to leave, she was far too horny and in desperate need of his cock to actually stop now, but just for a moment, he actually thought that she was going to walk away and that was enough to make her smirk.
Punishment complete.
He kissed her fiercely again and then spun her around before she knew what was happening. It seemed like her control over the situation had come to an end, and Percy was reclaiming power. She couldn't really complain when she loved it so much.
He pushed her into the wall in front of them, her face and chest squished up against the cold concrete. He wasted no time in rucking her tight dress up over her hips so that he could press his hips against her ass. His breath ghosted at the base of her neck as his hands smoothed over the skin of her thighs and along her curves.
"You've been so bad," he told her firmly, making her stomach swoop.
His fingers found her soiled panties, and he dropped them down to her ankles so that he could slide his cock through her folds. She was already incredibly wet and ready from him, the anticipation of the entire day's activities preparing her for this moment. She was heaving laboriously, and Percy had yet to even slip inside her. He used one of his feet to kick her heels further apart, forcing her legs open so that he had better access to her waiting cunt. His tip continued to glide along her lips, and she began shaking with desperation.
"Fuck Percy, put it in already," she barked angrily, and she heard his deep rumbling chuckle from behind her.
"I don't think you deserve it," he taunted.
She felt like crying, and she thought she might just explode if she didn't have him this minute.
"Just, God, fucking give it to me," she whined, and she knew she sounded like a petulant child, but she needed him.
"Pay back," he muttered delightedly and then he thrust into her in one swift movement.
She nearly squealed as he filled her up, but she bit down hard on her lip, smothering the sound before it could escape her. Percy waited only long enough for her walls to ease around his cock before rocking into her ferociously. His member pounded her relentlessly, stretching her wider with each plunge, until his balls were slapping against her thighs noisily, eerily reminiscent of the sounds from earlier, when it was her chin instead.
Her hands searched for him desperately but in her position, all she could do was hold herself up against the wall so that she didn't collapse. His palms smoothed up along her spine, until they gripped at her shoulders, pulling her down violently onto his snapping hips, propelling him deeper each time, allowing him to hit that perfect spot inside her over and over.
"Oh my God, just like that," she moaned.
"You like that?" he huffed smugly.
She nodded, her cheek scratching against the rough concrete, "uh huh, right there, right there."
She would've said more but she couldn't catch her breath, since it kept getting knocked out of her on repeat. Her whole body ricocheted into the wall from the force of him inside her. Before she knew what was happening, she started seizing around his cock, her walls tightening rhythmically as the brilliant light crashed over her, travelling through her veins and causing her nerve endings to sizzle even as he continued to hammer into her.
"Oh fuck yes, fuck," she whispered brokenly.
After more than a month of fucking him, she was beyond being embarrassed that he could make her come within a minute.
Her breathing was ragged as her stomach relaxed momentarily but then she began tightening again before she was entirely ready for it, because Percy never stopped pounding into her from behind.
Her calf muscles were tense and straining as she held herself up, pushing her hips back against his so he could slide into her more easily. She knew she wouldn't last for long because when Percy brought her to orgasm once, she became much more susceptible to subsequent ones. He seemed to know this, because he always picked up speed and enthusiasm after her first release passed through her.
One of his hands let go of her shoulder and gripped roughly at her ass, kneading the soft flesh. He raised his palm and brought it down lightly, giving it a light, hesitant smack. He usually knew what she liked before she even knew that she liked it herself, but he was also considerate and careful, never wanting to cross the line or do something that made her uncomfortable. Except this was something that she would definitely like, and now she desperately needed it.
"Do it, slap my ass," she panted unevenly, and she heard him groan behind her.
This time he lifted his palm and smacked her skin with the perfect amount of force, pulling a keening moan from her throat. Encouraged by her enthusiastic response, he began spanking her ass repeatedly, forcing one loud whimper after the other, out of her perpetual parted lips.
"God, yes, use me. Fuck me," she begged.
"Fuck, you're so good," he whispered with a hard clap of his hand.
She made an incoherent noise in acknowledgement, her ass now red and sore, and her clit pulsing, trying to warn her that she was close again.
"You take me so well," he grunted along with a deep thrust.
Her arms shook, her nails digging into the concrete. She could tell from the way his hips were faltering in their thrusts that he wasn't far from his own release.
He had been close to coming even before they started fucking and it was a miracle that he lasted this long, when he had been just about ready to explode in her mouth.
She slammed her eyes shut as electricity coursed through her cunt and along her quivering limbs.
"You're always so fucking tight, and perfect," he groaned.
With one more forceful slap, she came undone. This time, she felt the orgasm coming but she was by no means any more prepared for it. Annabeth felt like all the elements in the world crashed down on her, her mind filling with earthquakes, thunderous clouds roaring in her ears, lightning lancing through the nerves in her teeth, all as her chasm swallowed his cock.
"Yesss," they drew out in unison.
She arched violently into his chest which was pressed against her back. Her hips bucked around him as his massive load shot into her and filled her up, spilling over the sides. Their orgasms flowed through them both, a volcanic fire erupting between their joined bodies, until they were left heaving tiredly.
They stood there for a moment, unmoving, Percy's body trapping her against the wall, keeping her from crumbling to the ground. As usual, although it still remained a mystery to her, he seemed to regain his senses faster than her, and pulled himself out of her tired core. Liquids came pouring out of her and down her shaky legs, but she didn't really care. She continued to lean against the cool concrete, her mind settling back into her body, until she could form a single coherent thought. When she was confident that she wouldn't disintegrate on the spot if she moved, she spun around jerkily to face Percy.
She could still only barely make him out in the dim lighting, but she could feel him when he reached for her and smoothed a hand along her arm. Somehow, he had managed to locate some tissues, and he leaned down to wipe up the dampness between her thighs gently. She was surprised by his tenderness, but she revelled in it and her eyes fluttered closed as his fingers eased over the skin of her legs and her sore cunt until she was relatively clean. Then he pulled her panties up from her ankles and straightened out her disheveled dress.
"Thanks," she mumbled, glad that the darkness of the room hid the flush in her cheeks.
As the racing of her heart began to calm, she became aware of just how loud they had been, well, mostly her. She reached for the door and peered out into the drama room, sighing with relief to see that the other students were still too busy dicking around to notice their absence or hear their noisy activities.
She grabbed Percy's hat off the ground and then reached for his hand and they stepped out of the closet, trying not to look too sheepish or guilty.
When she looked back at him, blinking through the sudden brightness of the room, she noticed that his dark locks were sticking out every which way, messier than even his regular hair. She couldn't hold back her giggle as she reached to smooth it down. She prayed that he was too busy focusing on her hand in his curls, to notice her embarrassing laugh.
He smiled and said instead, "I think I like your version of pay back."
She chuckled again, "yeah yours wasn't too bad either," she admitted.
His grin grew and it was enough to make her palms feel a little sweaty, suddenly shy and nervous, despite literally having his cock inside her only minutes before.
"We should probably clean up some of this room before the teacher comes back or we might get detention again," he added.
She smirked and tossed his hat to him, "oh yeah, that would be horrible," she droned sarcastically, and it got a laugh from him which sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach uncomfortably.
____________________
The next day, Percy was standing at his locker, staring blankly into it and daydreaming about the way Annabeth's mouth had worked him skillfully, the way he had squeezed and slapped her ass. He gripped the locker door a little harder to keep his knees from buckling.
He was jolted out of his wandering thoughts by a small hand smoothing over his shoulder.
He turned in surprise and looked down at a girl with pin straight black hair. He smiled unsurely and quirked his brow questioningly.
"Uh hi. Can I help you?" he asked confused.
"Percy, hey," she said sweetly.
He nodded in acknowledgement and looked around at the other students in the hallway as if they might have some answers for him.
"Um hey," he told her, still lost.
"How have you been?" she smiled brightly.
He stared at her blankly, "I'm good? I guess."
She leaned in closer to him and laughed despite him not having said anything remotely comedic. He took a step back, bumping into the locker behind him as he tried to create some distance, but she still didn't seem to get the message.
"Nice! You know, I noticed you from the very first day," she announced, and prodded his chest with her index finger.
He stared at her, willing himself to remember who she was. She looked vaguely familiar and from the way she was talking to him, he assumed that they had met before. Unfortunately, her name and connection to him were not coming to mind.
She was pretty enough, conventionally attractive, but he felt nothing when he looked at her.
Movement across the hallway caught his attention and he glanced over to see Annabeth standing there with her friends. She was in the midst of ranting about something excitedly, but her eyes kept flickering over towards him and she was shuffling her feet restlessly.
She looked annoyingly delightful, with her hair tied up in a high ponytail which swung back and forth enticingly. God, she really had ruined every other girl for him. Here was this person in front of him, an arguably beautiful girl who he was pretty sure was flirting with him, but all he could do was focus on Annabeth across the hall and think about everything he'd like to do to her if he got her alone.
He tore his gaze away from Annabeth when the girl seemed to finally understand that he was a little lost as to who she was and she explained, "we both have Mr. Blofis' class together."
"Oh right, yeah I think I sort of remember that," he told her noncommittally.
He thought that she may have been the one to invite him to a party in his first week, but he wasn't sure.
She grinned excitedly and leaned against the lockers right next to him. She bumped his shoulder, and her fingers lingered a little too long to be friendly.
"I knew you would know me!" she exclaimed.
He chuckled uncomfortably, "uh yeah, of course."
He looked back towards Annabeth and he saw her hands curled into tight fists, her knuckles white. Her jaw was clenched and her smile much more strained than before. He recognized those signs to mean that she was angry about something although he didn't entirely know what was setting her off. He couldn't complain however because there was something insanely attractive about Annabeth when she was pissed off. Her eyes were alight, her cheeks flushed, her chest heaving.
The girl inched even closer, until the distance between them was cramped and uncomfortable.
He tried to tilt away from her without being too obvious as she continued to babble cluelessly, "are you liking the class? I love Mr. Blofis."
"hmm? Oh, yeah, he's cool," he answered distractedly as the figure across the hall caught his eye again.
Annabeth spun away from her friends and began closing the gap between them with angry determination. He probably should've been terrified now that her rage seemed to be directed towards him; no sane person wanted to be on the receiving end of Annabeth's rath, but Percy never claimed to be in his right mind. He wasn't scared, he was turned on. He loved it when Annabeth was worked up, and he loved it even more when that restless ball of energy was pointed his way. It always meant good things for him, definitely scary but undoubtedly good.
"It's too bad we weren't paired together for the group essay! We would've had so much fun together!" the girl said, somehow still unaware of the furious blonde currently barreling towards them.
Annabeth stopped abruptly in front of them, "sorry Drew, but he already has a partner," she told the girl with a fake smile.
Drew looked a little terrified, but she put on an impressive front, "oh, Annabeth hi. I didn't realize you two were partners," she said, turning to face the blonde.
His eyebrows drew up in surprise, not many people could stand up to Annabeth when she was genuinely upset. Even Percy was scared of her a little bit. Most would simply crumble under her scathing gaze and give her anything she wanted. He wondered if this Drew girl was also popular, maybe that's why she was able to fight back against Annabeth.
"Yeah, we are, and I'm pretty sure you already have your own partner, don't you? Octavian, right?" Annabeth shot back snidely.
Percy nearly groaned as Annabeth's eyes flashed challengingly. God she was so hot.
Drew sneered, "whatever, I'm allowed to talk to Percy if I want to."
"Well clearly, he does not want that, and we actually have a really important meeting in a few minutes, so we have to go," Annabeth said firmly.
She grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him along before Drew could even respond. He was only able to offer the dark-haired girl a small shrug and an apologetic smile before turning to follow Annabeth down the hall. He wasn't actually all that sorry, in fact, he was grateful to have been pulled away. He noticed Annabeth's friends giving them strange looks, as they rounded the corner, and she finally dropped his hand.
"I don't have any of my stuff and I'm pretty sure I left my locker wide open," he pointed out to her now that they stood alone.
She waved him off, "that's fine, I have to go grab my notes, anyway. I'll meet you at the library in a sec," she said simply.
He raised an eyebrow, "oh so we don't have a super important meeting that's about to start in a few minutes?"
She shot him a look and it made him smirk, "shut up."
"Were you jealous, Chase?" he asked.
He just liked teasing her. He knew she wasn't actually jealous, that wasn't part of their agreement. There were no feelings, she didn't see him in that way, it was just sex, but that didn't make it any less fun to mess with her.
"Sorry, but not all of us want to see two people practically making out in the middle of the day. I mean, I'm all for PDA but not porn," she shot back.
His grin grew wider, "right, sure." He turned on his heel, hoping that his locker was now in the clear, "I'll see you in a few."
He went to grab his things, the hallway blessedly empty of Drew, and then he made his way slowly back to the library, arriving fashionably late as usual. He stopped at the vending machine, and grabbed a granola bar for Annabeth, the kind that he always saw her eating at lunch.
As he reached the table where she sat reading, he quickly checked himself up and down, looking for any stains or holes. Instead, he came to the absolutely horrifying realization that he had unconsciously picked out bright clothing to match Annabeth's. Rather than his typical monotone black outfit, he had thrown on a multicoloured sweater and light wash jeans. Thank God he still had on his silver rings and chains so that he retained some of his signature appearance, but he felt like an indie boy or something.
Now that she wasn't barreling towards him murderously, he could make out that Annabeth was also sporting a different look than usual. She was in all black, with a graphic tee and those stupidly tight bike shorts that he loved so much, and she had even paired it with a silver necklace. He wondered if she had made the changes just as accidentally as he had. He loved her in anything she wore, or preferably nothing at all, but something about the darker clothes was really working for him. A small part of him fluttered with warmth at the idea that they had seemingly made room for each other, that they had become so imprinted in one another's lives that they had made unintentional shifts to adjust to the presence. He shoved that small part of him into the furthest reaches of himself so that the sappy thoughts never came to mind again.
He dropped down into the seat across from her and tossed her the granola bar.
She looked up at him, confused and he just answered unhelpfully, "got you a snack."
"Why?"
He shrugged, "I don't know, I was hungry and you're always devouring these at lunch, so I thought I'd grab one for you."
She kept staring, not quite computing and he was starting to wish that he had just left the bar in the vending machine. Maybe getting snacks for her was something a boyfriend would do? Was it too intimate for what they were to each other? Percy wouldn't really know, he had never dated anyone before, but he supposed if a girl got him food simply out of the kindness of their heart, he might just have to marry them.
She finally picked up the bar tentatively and said, "thank you," far too earnestly for what it was.
He nodded and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He looked down at her hands and snatched away the paper that she was holding, just to be an asshole and also to distract her from the stupid granola bar. She exclaimed indignantly and tried to grab it back, but he held it out of her reach. It took him a moment with his dyslexia, but he eventually made out the letters, 'NYU' at the top of the page.
"What's this?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
She finally managed to seize it from his fingers, "nothing," she muttered dismissively.
He stared at her and nudged her shin insistently under the table, "come on, Chase."
She ignored him and answered instead, "so I'm thinking that we might have to meet outside of the library because we still have a lot of work that needs to get done."
"Fine, come to my house this weekend, I'll text you the address," he said dismissively. "What's the paper?" he insisted.
She held his gaze for a moment like she was trying to decide whether he was being serious.
Finally, she sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly, "it's just a list of classes offered at NYU. I'm trying to figure out which courses I could take with my program. Part of the scholarship requirement is to take a few electives," she explained.
Damn, he knew she was smart, but he hadn't realized that she was scholarship at NYU, level smart.
Percy couldn't hide the awe in his voice as he asked, "woah, you got in! What's the program?"
Her cheeks became pink, and his heart squeezed at the sight, but he ignored it. For once, she seemed flustered by having the attention on her, where she normally thrived.
She shrugged awkwardly, "I mean, I'm not going to NYU, but I applied for a major in Architecture."
He titled his head, trying to imagine Annabeth sitting in her own fancy office, designing buildings for a living. He thought it suited her. And honestly, it was kind of hot. Her, dressed in tight pencil shirts and heels. He could definitely get behind that.
"I can see that for you. Why wouldn't you go there?" he asked, confused.
She raised her shoulders noncommittally again, "it's a little too close to home. I'll probably go to Berkeley, their Architecture program is fine too."
"Fine, but not as good as NYU?" he surmised from her answer.
She shook her head slightly, "it's good enough."
"But why wouldn't you choose the best if you had the choice? Why even apply to NYU at all if you're not going to consider it?" he couldn't help pressing.
Annabeth glared at him although there wasn't much fire behind her eyes, she just looked tired. He backed off. He didn't want to force her to reveal anything that she wasn't comfortable telling him, no matter how curious he was.
"So, what are these classes?" he questioned, changing the subject, pointing to the paper in her hands.
"I heard there was a really good Classics course, and I love history and Greek mythology so I thought that one would be cool," she explained, looking a little more comfortable now.
"That does sound cool, actually," he agreed.
She shrugged a third time, "it's not even on this sheet, so it must not be offered anymore. It's whatever, I'm not going there anyway, so it doesn't matter," she finished dismissively.
"That sucks," he said simply. He felt like he needed to take the focus away from her since she clearly didn't want it. "I don't know if I'll go to college at all," he admitted before he could stop himself.
That wasn't exactly a secret he planned on telling her, but it was the first thing that popped into his head. She lifted her eyebrows slightly but there was no judgement in her face, and it eased some of his insecurities.
"Why not?" she questioned curiously.
Now it was his turn to shrug uncomfortably, "I don't know, my mom's business is struggling to get off the ground, so I don't know if we'll be able to afford it. And my school records are atrocious with all the moving around I've done. And like I only just started trying in class after I met you, and then on top of that, I don't even know what I want to do in the future."
She nodded idly as he listed off his reasons, a shy smile on her lips, "there are aids that you could apply for to help with the payments, and they only really focus on your last year of school so if you can stick around until graduation, your record won't be that bad. But, it's not for everyone so there's no shame in choosing a different path," she told him.
He stared at her, a bit stunned. He obviously knew by now that she was a nice person, a great person in fact. Despite her cold exterior she was a whole lot kinder than he had originally assumed. Even still, he was surprised at just how sincere she sounded. She didn't fault him for not wanting to go or tease him about it, and she had even given him some genuine solutions. He always knew how good she was, but it was really hitting him in this moment, and it was hard not to reach over and kiss her senseless.
If he were being honest with himself, though, he was worried that he wouldn't even be able to get into college at all. School had never been his forte and he had no idea what kind of job he even wanted in the future. His grades had only just started improving, since he met her, it was probably too late to salvage them at this point.
As if she could read his mind, Annabeth added, "you're smart enough to get in, if you do decide you want to go."
He couldn't help but ask, "how do you know?"
She smiled gently and he realized that this was one of the longest conversations that they had ever had without devolving into sex. He liked it more than he should have. He reminded himself that this wasn't in the friends with benefits agreement. They never agreed to this.
"It was a shock to me, but you've been more helpful with this project than I expected," she quipped, and he rolled his eyes good-naturedly in response. Then she added more seriously, "you have good ideas, you're creative, you're a quick thinker, I think you just let yourself get discouraged before you have a chance to succeed. But luckily, I'm here to save your ass," she grinned.
It pulled a laugh from him and he was warm all over; he didn't like the feeling at all. He was pretty sure she felt it too, she was smiling happily, flushed beautifully, eyes shining.
"I just don't really know what I want to do with my life. I feel like such an idiot sometimes, everyone else seems to be way ahead of me, but it's just kind of hard to decide about a school and everything when I can't even decide what I want my future to look like," he admitted.
"Well, what are you passionate about?" she asked seriously.
He shrugged, "I don't know, nothing really. Skateboarding?"
She gave him a look with a smile on her lips, "I'm not sure how secure that job will be, unless you're like, as good as Tony Hawk or something."
He couldn't but laugh, "oh my god, that is an adorable, if not slightly dated reference."
She pouted and wow, she was annoyingly cute, "whatever, I don't know anything about skateboarding."
He shook his head, "no, no, I appreciate the effort. Truly adorable attempt."
She rolled her eyes, "Jesus, just answer the question. What are you passionate about, you asshole?"
He chuckled again, "I don't know, I guess I like working with kids," he told her truthfully.
"You like working with kids?" she repeated confused.
"Yeah. I feel like it's so important to have someone you can trust and look up to when you're growing up, and I think I'd like to be that for someone. Even if it's just one kid, I want to make a difference in their lives," he admitted. "I've actually been teaching a bunch of kids how to skateboard every Saturday morning, and that's been pretty fun. They're all happy and excited and I like seeing their little faces light up when they learn a new trick. They were the ones to make me my sick bracelet," he said with a small smile, holding up his wrist.
It was not something he had ever confessed to anyone before. Not even his mom. But for some reason, he trusted Annabeth, and gaining that trust was no easy feat. He didn't admit things to people easily, but he knew that she wouldn't laugh at him.
He watched her gulp, "I'm sorry, just to clear this up. You've been teaching a bunch of kids how to skateboard every Saturday just because you think it's fun and you enjoy making them happy."
He shrugged, "I mean yeah, I guess. So maybe I'm passionate about that."
It took her a minute to respond, her eyes were shining with something he couldn't define. Her head was tilted slightly, and she stared at him in that way where it felt like she was trying to look right into his heart and soul.
"Well, then maybe you could be a teacher or a child therapist or something," she suggested finally.
He frowned and tried to picture sitting at a desk or standing at the front of a class. It was not something he had ever imagined for himself, but honestly, he didn't hate it. Almost anyone who knew him would laugh at the idea of him as a teacher or therapist. For years, people, adults especially, had been telling him that he was too impulsive, too erratic, too stupid to ever have a job like that. But Annabeth didn't think any of those things. She thought he was good enough.
He smiled, "yeah maybe."
"I could see it for you," she said smiling. "I think you're too late to apply for the fall, but you could start in the upcoming winter semester. And, during your time off, you could get a job as a tutor or a babysitter, or a camp counsellor or something! And then, you would have a great experience to put on your application. And if you keep working on getting your grades up, you could get in anywhere," she listed off excitedly.
He tried to hold back his massive grin and the warmth that kept spreading through his chest.
Her cheeks began to turn red, and she looked at him sheepishly, "sorry, I love planning."
He shook his head happily, "no it's okay. That's a good idea. I'll talk to my mom and see if that's a possibility."
She nodded, "good."
"Good," he repeated. "Thanks."
Her grin turned a little shy and he knew they were treading into dangerous territory.
Their smiles began to slip in unison and they both seemed to come to the same realization. Their conversation was too serious, too sincere and this was not part of the agreement.
To break the tension, he said half-jokingly, "do you want to find an abandoned classroom to go fuck in?"
She stood immediately and shoved her papers into her bag before reaching her hand out for his, "yes please," she said simply and together they raced from the library before they did something stupid.