Chapter 72 - On What Grounds? Coffee. (AU)
published: Monday, 19 October 2020
Timeline: Mortal AU; Percy and Annabeth are 28 years old
Synopsis: Annabeth Chase walks into Starbucks every morning before work, and for some strange reason, the barista can never get her name right. Percy Jackson, barista by night and PhD student by day, finds that coming up with increasingly creative ways to get a customer's name wrong is a brilliant way to spend his 6am shift.
Contain(s): Coffee shop AU; Percy, Frank and Hazel as coworkers; workaholic businesswoman Annabeth Chase
—*—
Percy slumped over the counter, peering warily at the door. It was 6.03am and the flood of customers were about to arrive; a mix of hungover youths, bleary college students, doctors and nurses, and slimy corporate workers.
The students were Hazel's favourite batch. "Just like we used to be," she would snicker. And Percy would remind her that, most of the time, Frank simply didn't even turn in his work. Not for lack of trying, but Frank could be very forgetful.
Percy had worked at this same small joint for little over a year now, alongside Hazel and Frank, who were pretty much the best coworkers ever. 6am shifts were really shitty, but necessary for Percy to put himself through the NYU PhD program for marine biology. He had a day job, sure, at a research firm in Queens, but it didn't pay very well.
They had a routine every morning. Rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to greet the customers — the worst job, because at 6am, not many people were awake enough to be polite.
Percy lost today; he lost a lot, actually, and he'd have to check out Hazel and Frank's conspiracy against him one day. At 6.04am, Will Solace came in — a medical intern at the hospital down the street. Will had been coming here as long as Percy could remember; he worked some crazy hours and downed about five lattes a day, which couldn't be healthy.
Around the same time, Nico di Angelo, one of the college kids, stumbled inside and promptly opened his laptop. He and Will would sit together for fifteen minutes — sometimes in silence, sometimes with random conversation — and then they would walk out the door and head in their separate directions. Percy had no idea what the hell was going on there, but he'd just accepted it as normal after all these months.
Other customers, some new ones Percy didn't recognise and some regulars, came in. As 6.30am approached, Grover and Clarisse would arrive — preschool teachers, though Percy had never understood how someone like Clarisse could ever be allowed to be within a one-metre radius of children.
Shortly after, there was Reyna (just Reyna, because her surname was one of the world's mysteries) one of the less slimy corporate workers. She actually worked on Wall Street, but lived nearby, so she would pick up breakfast on her way to the train.
By 7 o'clock, Percy was slumped over the counter, zoning in and out of Hazel and Frank's conversation. It sucked to third-wheel with them sometimes, but it also meant that Percy didn't always have to put effort into talking.
The bells at the glass door jingled, and Percy glanced up to see a blonde woman walk in, pushing against the door with her back as she held her phone to her ear, her other hand gripping black, leather briefcase.
Oh, she's pretty, was Percy's first thought. Striking grey eyes, curly golden hair, tall and slim.
"She's new," Hazel whispered. "First impressions?"
Percy snorted. "Slimy corporate, duh." Grey pantsuit and ponytail were dead giveaways.
The woman was on the phone, her face scrunched up in a disdainful expression. "No, the report has to be sent out today, Jason—Call Piper and ask where the hell her submission is, I can't miss this deadline, the meeting is next week—" She closed her eyes, seemingly ticked and holding in her anger. "No, no, okay, hold on, I'm at the counter," she paused, listening, then rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's a Starbucks, so I can expect them to absolutely butcher my name—"
Sparing a glance at Percy, Annabeth pulled the phone away from her ear, eyes flickering to the menu overhead. "Java Chip Frappacino, thanks." Her gaze landed on him again, and Percy watched amusedly as her eyes widened fractionally.
She had to be insane. It was, minimum, 2 degrees outside, and she was still going to drink an icy drink.
"Will that be all?" Percy asked.
She nodded distractedly, the person on the phone still speaking.
"Who should I make it out to?"
"Uh," she blinked. "Annabeth Chase." Seeming to break out of her daze, she returned to her phone call.
Percy grabbed the plastic cup and a marker. A smirk tugged at his lips as he recalled her words.
Three minutes later, Percy made sure that he was paying attention as Hazel raised the cup to the light to read the name. "Um, Annie Bell Chase?"
Percy saw her jaw drop and indignance flash through her eyes. Annabeth took her drink, eyeing him distastefully as she left. Percy watched her leave, unable to help the grin that broke out on his face.
The next morning, Percy was surprised to see her come in again at the same time. Ponytail, a navy blue pantsuit this time, and determination in her posture. She wasn't on the phone this time, but tapped her foot impatiently as she made the same order. "Annabeth Chase," she enunciated.
"Abigail Chase," Hazel called out, the hint of a smile on her face.
Annabeth glared at Percy. "It's Annabeth," she said this time before leaving.
The next day was "Avery", which Annabeth reacted to with outrage.
After that came "Apple".
"I swear that that's what you told me," Percy said innocently.
Annabeth crossed her arms. "Really?" she demanded. "Apple?"
"Hey." Percy raised his hands in surrender. "You could be Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter for all I know."
Annabeth pursed her lips, looking like she wanted to retort, but she turned on her heel and left.
After that week, Percy decided to get a little more creative. Really, he couldn't stay limited by logic.
On Monday morning, Hazel took one look at the cup and burst into laughter. She didn't even try to hide the gleam in her eye as she called out, "Air Conditioning?"
Percy had underlined the 'A' and 'C', and he gave her a friendly wave as she walked up with gritted teeth to sweep up the drink.
Tuesday was "Atlantic City".
Two weeks passed, and Percy wasn't even halfway through the name bank in his mind. Annabeth actually smiled on the second Friday — "Assassin's Creed". She caught herself after a second though, shooting him a withering look before exiting.
Monday of the third week came, and Percy found that he was still glancing at the clock at 7.30am. No Annabeth. He found himself strangely disappointed.
Maybe it was just a two-week thing. Maybe he'd never see her again.
Then at 7.45, the doors burst open, and Annabeth walked in, hair cascading over her shoulders in a waterfall of curls. "Early meeting," she clarified when she got to the front.
Percy had her drink ready and was scribbling down the name, eyeing her. "No ponytail?"
Annabeth's brow drew together for a moment, then she seemed to understand his meaning. Her right hand drifted to her hair. "Oh, right. The meeting was with my boss. Apparently, it's an essential part of work to look pretty," she said with an eye-roll.
Percy shrugged. "Weird that you think you wouldn't look pretty in just about anything."
Annabeth's cheeks went so red that Percy had to hide a grin as she stumbled away, staring pointedly at anything other than her. God, it was way too easy to tease her.
It was "Arm Chair", today.
The next Monday morning, knowing that Nico and Will were the only customers in for the next half an hour, the three of them sat down together with them, making casual conversation over their morning coffees.
"We should do something other than serve you coffee," Frank suggested. "As fun as it is, it kind of sucks."
Hazel hummed in agreement. "And we could invite the girl Percy's been flirting with for almost a month now."
Percy gaped at her. "What?"
"Oh, come on," Frank insisted. "Annabeth Chase? You told her she looked pretty last week."
"As a joke," Percy protested. "It's the whole basis of our conversations."
"Yeah, and then when she winked at you the next day, you blushed and didn't speak for a full minute."
Percy winced. Yeah, that was kind of true. He hadn't expected Annabeth to be the confident-at-flirting type, even if they were just joking around.
That day was "Air Canada".
<<< >>>
Percy squinted at his phone. Google Maps was telling him that the route to Rachel's wedding was over two hours by train. Why would anyone get married in New Jersey?
Probably because of her lame new fiancé John. Urgh, John. Percy made a face at his phone. Rachel had had all the right in the world to get together with her co-worker just two weeks after they had broken up, but it didn't help that Percy had known that John had liked her even when Percy was still dating Rachel.
John was a douche, and now they'd invited him to their wedding, and Percy couldn't just not go because that would mean admitting defeat and having to see John's irritating smirk.
John living rent-free in Percy's mind was one of the reasons why he so passionately hated the man, but the other was the distraction he posed that caused Percy to bump headfirst into the other person who lived rent-free in his mind—
"Ow!" Percy felt someone's shoulder nudge into the right side of his chest, and he stepped back with open-mouthed, ready to say something, but the words were lost on him. "Annabeth Chase?"
And it was her. But also not.
Because this wasn't workaholic Annabeth, this was breathtakingly beautiful Annabeth who had her curls tumbling down her shoulders and who was wearing a purple dress that made her eyes pop and fell down her hips in cascading fabric.
"...Wow," Percy managed, swallowing hard despite the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.
Annabeth's eyes raked down his figure, taking in the tailored suit and green tie. "What are you doing here?"
Percy frowned. "Could ask you the same thing. This is NYU."
"Wow," Annabeth said, raising an eyebrow. "I had no idea."
Percy hated that he blushed. "I study here," he said meaningfully. "Marine Biology PhD." He lamely held up his rucksack as if in explanation.
A smile tugged at her lips. "Didn't peg you for an intellectual."
"Ouch," Percy mimed clutching his chest. "I'm actually a genius." He snorted. "Nah, I'm kidding, I'm actually so stupid."
Annabeth really did smile this time. The grey in her eyes shone and Percy took a second to recover his wits.
"Well," she continued. "I came in as a guest lecturer today."
"No way," he laughed. "What did you talk about? How to talk on your phone 24/7?"
She rolled her eyes. "Architecture," she filled in.
"No way," Percy insisted. "How are you an architect?"
"I have a degree," Annabeth said indignantly. "And I've always wanted to be an architect..." she paused. "But somehow ended up becoming a corporate sleaze."
"Sorry," Percy said apologetically.
She waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine."
Percy searched her expression. It wasn't fine. And to Percy's surprise, he actually wanted to know why. He wasn't usually a fan of social interaction, especially with someone he barely knew, but Annabeth was different. Annabeth was a mystery Percy wanted to solve.
(And possibly kiss at some point.)
"You know you've blushed twice in the last minute, right?" Annabeth pointed out.
Percy blushed.
"Thrice," she added.
"Please don't," Percy groaned.
She sized him up. "What's with the suit?"
"Oh, just casual Friday," Percy told her. "I'm kidding. Have my ex's wedding, actually."
Annabeth's nose scrunched up in a way that made Percy think a dreamy; "adorable".
"Sorry," Annabeth said sympathetically. "Do you at least have a date?"
"Nope," Percy popped the 'p'. "I'm so excited for it."
Annabeth's mouth twitched. "I can tell."
A moment of silence passed between them.
Percy was torn between cowardice and his desperation to ask her out.
"Well, see you around," she said finally, taking a step forward as if to walk around him.
"Do you want to go out sometime?" Percy blurted out, his heart hammering wildly. He watched nervously as she turned around, a smug look on her face.
"Tell you what," Annabeth said, walking towards him. She stopped in front of him. "How about, I go as your date to this wedding, as a favour, and in return, you learn how to spell my name?"
The grin that broke across his face was inevitable. "And then, coffee after."
"If you insist." But she was grinning too.
Amidst his delirium and dizzy happiness, Percy glanced between his tie and her dress. "Wait, we don't match."
Annabeth bit her lower lip as she reached out an arched hand to slide the end of his tie through the loop and pull it off in one eloquent sweep, undoing the top two buttons as she did so
Percy released a breath he didn't know he was holding as she stepped back and held out the tie to him.
She hummed thoughtfully. "Actually, I think it's open collar season."