Goode High was going on a fieldtrip. Field trips were rare occurrences, something that happened once in a blue moon, or was tradition. Which is exactly what this particular trip was, tradition.
They were going on the annual weekend to Washington D.C.. All of the students, who were going, would hop onto a bus for four hours, spend a day touring the sights (that pretty much everyone had already seen, they went on the same trip every year after all) then spend the night in a cheap hotel, and drive back the next day (usually after a final stop at a little monument that has yet to be determent.)
Annabeth was thrilled. She had never really been before. To see the sights, and spend the day just relaxing. The only down side was that, theoretically, she couldn't spend it with her boyfriend. Not that it would stop them.
When Percy arrived at the school he tiredly, and groggily, walked onto the bus before collapsing on a seat with a loud sigh. He promptly fell asleep.
A second later, when Annabeth walked onto the bus, she decided to sit where she felt comfortable. And as, she too, was exhausted, the recognizable little blob quietly snoring near the back was her best bet. She plopped beside him and pulled out her book and began to read, ignoring everyone around her.
Including Michael and Julia as they too, tiredly sat on the seats inform of the young couple. Rebecca refused to come (claiming she had already seen the sights and there was utterly no point – especially since she didn't support the "corrupted patriarchy in this godforsaken country".)
Her two friends were shocked but didn't comment, not in the mood to say anything regarding the two teenagers behind them.
Halfway through the trip Annabeth, also, fell asleep, and Percy woke up. He didn't comment on the blonde leaning on his shoulder. When Julia turned back to ask Annabeth a question to see Percy gazing out the window, with Annabeth drooling on his shoulder, he put a finger to his lips, and Julia inwardly squealed. She was excited to see how her friend react to sleeping on her crush, and his reaction to it all.
When they arrived, Percy gently shook Annabeth awake, and she jumped slightly before looking over at her boyfriend. She starred at his green eyes and sighed loudly. He smirked.
"Sleep well?" She lightly smacked him on the shoulder before burying her head in her hands.
"You shoulda woken me up." Percy merely grinned before rushing Annabeth out of the seat so they could get their stuff. And if he carried her luggage for her, nobody had to know. (Annabeth was sure to give Percy a piece of her mind – she could carry her own stuff, but Percy couldn't bring himself to care.)
The day went as it would, they stopped at monuments, Annabeth getting strangely excited to look at these buildings, Percy always a little closer to their group. The lead teacher gladly separated them to groups so it would be easier to look after all of the kids, stuck Percy with Annabeth and her friends, and he made all the effort to show he cared about all of the architectural mumbling Annabeth was going off on.
Michael, for one, was a little shocked Percy would act like he cared so much. Sometimes he'd ask questions, or joke around, and Annabeth would respond without much a thought. Both Julia and Michael were surprised Annabeth and Percy could act so comfortable around each other, to the point that when Percy made a pun, Annabeth groaned, before giving him a high-five.
Whenever that happened Julia's heart just about burst.
And of course Percy would make an effort with Michael and Julia, laughing along with them, making jokes, small talk, but he only had eyes for Annabeth. Both Michael and Julia decided that Annabeth's little crush might not be so one sided, and Percy was as nice as the rumours would say.
At some point, they saw a Chihuahua on the path. Percy smirked and looked expectantly towards Annabeth.
"Look!" He cried like a child. Annabeth followed his eyesight and groaned.
"Absolutely not." She gave him a look that clearly looked like she wasn't joking. "Knowing you, you'd probably blow something up." And Percy simply laughed before putting an arm around her shoulder and guiding her away. As far from the little dog as possible.
By the end of the day, the chaperone teacher once again half-absently partnered them off for their room arrangements, Michael and Percy together and Julia and Annabeth together. All four of them piled into the boys' room to chat before lights out.
"Don't you want to hang out with your friends Percy?" Julia had asked. Percy looked confused.
"Aren't I doing that right now?" Again, Julia gave him another few points to his credit.
Percy sat on his bed, and Annabeth plopped down right beside him. As the night went on, Annabeth leaned into the dark haired boy, and he began to absentmindedly play with her hair. Hardly anyone noticed because of how normal it looked.
Soon enough, Annabeth had fallen asleep in Percy's arms, and Percy was nearly snoring on top of her. Julia smiled softly at the sight, and then turned to Michael.
"I'm gonna go to my room. Give Annabeth the spare key when she wakes up." He nodded sleepily as Julia carefully slipped out and into the hall.
That night, one other teenager would notice little blonde Annabeth sneaking out of Percy Jackson's room. Nobody believed it.
In the morning, before breakfast, Annabeth and Percy pretty much avoided eye contact, very adorably so, and when they were brought back to a monument for half an hour before the bus came, and ushered into the same groups as they were in the day before.
And then when both Annabeth and Percy disappeared to go to the bathroom, around the same time, not putting much effort into their thoughts, Michael and Julia shared knowing looks.
Looks like Annabeth's not so innocent after all.
In reality, Annabeth and Percy had both noticed the large black hell hound that was excited to interrupt their wonderful field trip, and decided they had to go and deal with it.
It was quite an easy kill, that left both demigods with glittery dust.
When they came back flustered, both Annabeth and Percy's hair a little messed up, whose to say what anybody thought. (it wasn't very PG to say the least).
And on the bus ride back, when they chose to sit with each other once again, as if they had been friends for years, and once again, fell fast asleep on the others shoulder. It truly was a beautiful trip.
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As the days went on, Annabeth's friends only got more suspicious. Especially after the trip. Ever since that trip, Percy would say hi to Annabeth and her friends quite a bit, to Katy's distaste, and while they never actually 'hung out'. Rebecca heard all about the trip, and she too began to suspect a little more from her friend and the 'popular boy'.
After a long conversation with Percy, Annabeth and her boyfriend have decided to be a little more careful, and so there weren't any more occurrences.
"But Annabeth, they're figuring it out...let's just rip of the bandage." To which Annabeth would laugh.
"Not yet seaweed brain, not yet."
All of her encounters with Percy were rumours that went down the drain, old news if they were ever brought up. Katy still wasn't an angel to be around, but no-one was surprised. She found other people to make fun of.
When Annabeth asked Percy why he dealt with her, he replied that he didn't have much of a choice.
"That and this way I can keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't scare a poor freshman witless."
As the days went on, Annabeth grew closer with her friends, and longed for her boyfriend even more. Seeing him in math, being without him during lunch, having to wait seven long hours to be able to give him a hug, a kiss, or to even just stand with him.
Annabeth was a strong woman. She wouldn't crumble like that, and should, gods forbid, anything happen between the two of them they would be fine.
But she didn't want that at all. Besides, they were good for the time being, why couldn't she embrace it?
And one cold winter day, not actually. It was a normal, semi-rainy New York afternoon, when Michael and Percy were assigned a group project, similar to that Annabeth and Michael had to do earlier.
It went just as well as you could expect. Let's just say Percy isn't called Seaweed Brain for nothing.
"Alright Michael we got this history project that I know nothing about, so do you wanna come round to my place after school?" Michael was about to respond before Percy winced, as if remembering something. "Actually I have practise for about an hour right after class." Michael shrugged.
"It's fine. I don't mind waiting. I'll do some work in the library or something." Percy smiled, Michael realized he could see why girls liked him so much, and the bell rang.
"You're totally welcome to watch, none of the guys would mind. Sometimes An-my girlfriend stops by." Michael raised an eyebrow at this. He had no idea Percy had a girlfriend. And the way he was acting around Annabeth, especially if he had a girlfriend, was not great.
"Girlfriend?" He asked. Percy shrugged.
"Seriously though, and I could persuade coach to get my out early if-"
"No no don't worry about it." So an hour after the last bell, Michael (who stayed in the library the entire time, too awkward to watch swim practise) and Percy went off in the direction of Percy's apartment.
While Percy is most definitely not stupid, he couldn't seem to remember the fact that about a month earlier Michael had been at the very same apartment he was leading him to, but with a very particular Annabeth Chase.
The conversation the pair were having was energetic and fun, so much so that Michael hardly felt the déjà vu as they entered the apartment. Only when Percy froze in the middle of the hallway as they walked in to see some blonde curls laying on the couch, eating cereal and watching a movie, did Michael realize exactly what happened.
"C'mon, my mom's great she makes the best-" Percy was saying as he opened the door. Suddenly, he stopped as if in deep thought, and loudly exclaimed. "Oh no! Looks like I have entered the wrong apartment! Let's-" Neither Michael or Annabeth had caught on, as Michael was still entering the apartment, and Annabeth only just looked up.
"Perce? What are-" Michael and Annabeth were the next to freeze. "Oh."
"Annabeth." Michael quietly said. In a very obvious voice Percy cut through the tension.
"Let's get out of here Mike, don't wanna annoy the nice-"
"Cut the act Seaweed Brain, I don't think we can convince Michael about anything but the truth." Annabeth said, with a playful smile. Percy immediately relaxed.
"Alright. That was exhausting anyway. I really don't see much of a point of faking that we don't know each other if I'm being completely honest with you." He sat beside Annabeth on the couch. Michael was still frozen in spot.
"You two, you, live, you, what?" Annabeth sighed.
"Yes Michael. Percy and I live with each other. We have been for the whole school year."
"Why?" Percy smiled hesitantly.
"She moved down here and since we've been dating-"
"So you are dating? Julia and Rebecca are convinced you have a crush on him." Percy laughed.
"They think you have a crush on me? That's adorable wise girl." Annabeth playfully slapped him.
"I'm not the one whose been falling in love with me since he was twelve." Percy mocked hurt.
"You say that as if you weren't either." Annabeth put her head in her hands.
"You drive me insane."
"I love you too."
"That's not what I meant." Percy looked back up to Michael.
"Alright Michael secrets out. Annabeth wanted to hide our relationship as a 'fun game'. Didn't think we'd last so long but-"
Annabeth cut him off. "I'm not dependent on you Jackson, I can live without you."
"Apparently not, since you have a 'crush' on me." Once again, Percy was smacked with a pillow.
"Okay, I'm gonna leave you two to your work. Because that's the reason we have this entire predicament, right Percy?" Percy smiled sheepishly.
"Well this way we can end the secret, right?" Annabeth shook her head, and with a final parting word, she slipped into their-Percy's room. Percy smiled at Michael and they sat to do some work.
"So you two have been dating this entire time?" Percy hummed in response. "And you never hated each other?" Percy laughed at that one.
"Once upon a time we kind of did, when we met at least. It's a long funny story. But I could never hate her."
"And you didn't hit her-" Percy tensed at that one.
"I would never hurt Annabeth." The intensity in Percy's eyes was startling. "Not on purpose, at least." (in the other room, Annabeth's heart fluttered). "Anyway, let's get this ridiculous project done, and since secret's out, we can get takeout after." That night Michael really got to know Percy, and a part of Annabeth he had never seen before, a part of her where she really shone.
And Michael knew she was only glowing because of Percy. He knew they were perfect for each other.
And he decided he wouldn't tell anyone about their little relationship either, not just because they asked nicely.