___♪___
Here comes trouble again, I better act carefully
She knows what she's doing to me and she makes it
look so easy
Here comes trouble again, my heart tells me to leave
But a girl like that's on a different level
Here comes trouble
- Honor Society
___♪___
The first time Percy sees her, he feels like he's been shot.
He is just about to go into school when he stops dead in his tracks. And he isn't the only one. No, him along with about every other testosterone driven male was ogling her.
She stalks across the parking lot like she's on a mission. Her dark black stilettos clunking on the pavement and her pink blouse ruffling slightly in the wind. Her black belt holds her short grey skirt in place and God, it shows her legs off perfectly. They are so long and graceful that Percy couldn't stop staring at them.
Her hair is naturally curled to perfection and cascades down her back in a way that reminds him of a waterfall. His hands twitch at the thought of running his fingers through the golden locks. Her piercing grey eyes shine brightly with the slight mascara she put on and they are so excruciatingly beautiful Percy had a hard time breathing.
But it's her lips that kill him.
Red lipstick covers her incredibly enticing mouth and Percy can't stop himself from imagining what it would feel like to kiss her. Her perfect plump lips that look so soft and inviting and man, you don't even want to know what he would do to have that lipstick all over him. Literally.
His daydream starts running a little wild and now he wishes he could just erase it all from his mind because his pants are getting tighter by the second. He curses himself and tries to clear his head but she has consumed it. She is all he can think about. Her hair, her eyes, her lips-
Holy shit she's walking towards him.
Percy tries to calm himself down and play it cool, but he is so far from cool at the moment that he thinks he might combust. He watches the way her hips sway and he can feel his palms sweating as his grip on the doorknob tightens. Why do hands sweat anyways? What's the point in that?
Once she finally reaches him, she crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow. She opens her mouth to say something, but all Percy can concentrate on is how her lips move. Her mouth forms into a smirk and that's when he realizes she was talking to him.
"You're drooling. You might want to wipe your mouth."
He has never heard anything more beautiful. As cheesy as it sounds, her voice is like music to his ears.
That is, until he finally processes what she just said.
Embarrassment washes through him as he lifts his hand to clean his mouth, but she stops him before he can.
"Here," she says while taking a tissue from her handbag, "let me."
He just stands there gaping like an idiot as she dabs his mouth. From the corner of his eye, he can see the other males surrounding them with their jaws basically on the floor. He is sure to get a hell of a lot of death glares later.
"There, all done."
He feels like a creep just staring at her, but she's so beautiful she doesn't even seem real. If someone ever tried to paint her, they'd never do her justice. And the fact that this insanely attractive girl was noticing his existence- Him. Percy Jackson. The loser of all losers. The guy who has no friends, sits in the back of class unnoticed, and is a complete mamma's boy. She's acknowledging him and Percy has to remind himself to keep his mouth shut before he says something stupid like 'Marry me'.
"I've never seen you around before," she says, her voice as smooth as velvet. "Are you new?"
His tongue has forgotten how to form words, so he nods.
She smirks. "You got a name Green Eyes?"
"Percy," he responds, and yeah his voice cracks. He's such a ladies man.
"Percy," she repeats, smiling a little. "I like it. I'm Annabeth."
Annabeth.
The name is mentally burned in his memory. It fits her perfectly. And Annabeth Jackson doesn't sound half bad either. Actually, it sounds better than anything he's ever imagined. God, he needs to calm down.
She's staring at him, and that's when he realizes he should really say something. So he goes for the classic 'It's nice to meet you', but it comes out more like "I like ice too."
She giggles and says, "Flustered are we?"
He lets out a shaky breath and replies, "W-What? No. I-I wasn't- I just-" Luckily for him, the school bell cuts him off.
"Well, I better get to class. Don't want to be late on the first day." She then leans in closer to him and for a second he thinks she's going to kiss him, but that fantasy gets chucked out the window when she goes beside his ear. He can smell the strong scent of lemons and vanilla that she gives off. It's so incredibly intoxicating and yet he can't get enough of it.
"See you around Green Eyes," she whispers. The contact of her hot breath on his neck makes him shiver. He can sense the smirk on her face as she pulls away and walks into the building.
Percy just stands there, staring at the spot that she had been in moments ago. He takes deep breaths to try to calm his racing heart, but it isn't working. What he isn't expecting are the numerous amounts of sympathetic glances he's receiving. He's been at this school for a grand total of about five minutes and people are giving him pity looks?
One guy with shaggy black hair passes by him saying, "Dude, you're so fucked." Percy isn't sure what he means, but he is sure about one thing.
Annabeth is trouble.
And as much as he doesn't want to, he has to stay away from her.
___♪___
First period goes by smoothly. It's second period that nearly gives Percy a heart attack.
He sits in the back row of his math class, trying his best to avoid any eye contact with the students who are blatantly staring at him. Some of the girls giggle while some of the boys sneer at him. He flinches when one of them throw a spitball at him, making them snicker.
Keep calm Jackson... They can smell fear.
The class begins and his teacher, Mrs. Dodds, starts explaining the curriculum that they will be doing during the year. Math was never his greatest subject. He despises it really. But he had promised his mother that he will actually try to get a good grade this year and make her proud. He wasn't going to let her down. Not after everything she's been through.
The class was already twenty minutes in when she walks through the door.
"Ah, Ms. Chase," Mrs. Dodds growls. Have you ever heard of the phrase 'all bark and no bite'? Well, this woman definitely had both. "So nice of you to finally join us."
Annabeth just smiles brightly. "Well, I had to grace you with my presence at some point."
Mrs. Dodds narrows her beady eyes at her. Percy can tell from their banter that these types of interactions were common. He's impressed with how Annabeth can stand her ground against this woman. She may have not been that tall, but Mrs. Dodds looks like she just came out of a horror film. She just has this vibe about her that makes her seem like a monster.
"I see your sense of humor hasn't left you," Mrs. Dodds snaps. "Let's see how funny you are in detention."
"Actually," Annabeth says in this sickly sweet tone that makes Percy's heart jump out of his chest, "the only funny thing about this whole conversation is that you think I'm actually going to show up to detention. It's the first day back Mrs. Dodds, can't we all just get along?"
Mrs. Dodds seemed to have steam shooting out of her ears. "I warned you last year Ms. Chase that if you skip another detention again, I won't hesitate to call your parents. Now go sit down next to Mr. Jackson over there."
Annabeth rolls her eyes and looks around the room until she spots Percy sitting in the corner. Her smile somehow grows when she sees him which only makes him duck his head so that she won't see his blush.
As soon as she sits down next to him, Percy knows that this is going to be a long year. For some reason, she smells better than she had this morning, and having her this close to him was making his brain go blank and his stomach do some weird flappy thing. How the hell is he supposed to pass this class with her sitting so close to him?!
"Hey Percy," she whispers. God she really needs to stop saying his name because his head keeps spinning a million miles an hour whenever she does. "What are you doing after school?"
"Uh... Going home?"
She laughs lightly. "Are you asking or telling?"
He coughs, trying to keep his voice steady. "Telling."
"Well, would you like to go somewhere with me?"
The room suddenly feels like the Sahara Desert. He definitely needs some water because his throat feels like sandpaper. "I-"
"MR. JACKSON AND MS. CHASE!" bellows Mrs. Dodds. "Would you like to explain to the class what's so important?"
Annabeth smirks. "Oh I was just telling my good friend Percy how I'm going to be vandalizing the school during lunch and throwing eggs at your car." The whole class snickers, even Percy can't help the small smile that comes across his face, but Mrs. Dodds doesn't seem to think it was so funny.
"Your sarcasm has just earned you another hour of detention Ms. Chase. I will see you after school." Annabeth just rolls her eyes.
The rest of the class is uneventful and Annabeth doesn't say another word to him. He's relieved about that since he can finally concentrate on the lesson, but he's also a little disappointed. He wants to know where she was inviting him to. He isn't so sure if he would go, but he is still curious.
The bell rings signaling the end of the period and Percy quickly tucks away his things. Just before he leaves, Annabeth drops a folded piece of paper on his desk. He looks at her to see that she's giving him a daring look with her signature smirk. He has to force himself not to stare at her mouth.
Stop staring. Stop staring. Stop staring.
"Just in case you change your mind about your evening plans, meet me at this address at six." She then gives him a wink that makes him feel like he was just stabbed in the heart and walks off.
He should just leave the paper. Or maybe even throw it in the garbage. But he doesn't.
Instead, he tucks it safely in his pocket and goes to lunch.
___♪___
God being the new kid sucks. Especially during lunch.
Percy's lucky enough to find a table, but unfortunately it's in the back near the trashcans. There's only one other person sitting there and when Percy asks to sit down, he just shrugs and continues eating his lunch.
Percy recognizes the guy from this morning. He's the one that told him he was fucked after he had met Annabeth. His black shaggy hair falls over his eyes, but Percy can tell that they were as dark as his hair. He has olive skin and wears an old brown aviator's jacket. He also has this scary loner aura about him, but that doesn't faze Percy's friendliness.
"So... What's your name?"
The guy stops eating mid-bite and gives Percy a why-the-fuck-are-you-talking-to-me? look.
"Nico," he grunts.
"I'm Percy." The conversation ends there, but Percy is determined to make at least one friend today. Even if it is a grumpy, anti-social guy who has an obsession with the colour black.
"So I see you like black. I'm more of a blue kinda guy myself."
Nico just raises an eyebrow.
"Do you play any sports? I'm thinking of trying out for the swim team."
Silence.
Okaaay... This is so not going like how he planned.
Percy opens his mouth to say something else, but is interrupted by a voice whispering in his ear, "Hey Percy." He nearly jumps out of his seat which only makes Annabeth laugh. Plus, he swears he sees Nico fighting a smile.
"Hi Annabeth," he mumbles while attempting to hide the blush that is clearly rising to his cheeks.
She smiles. "I just wanted to let you know that if you do decide to accompany me tonight, then I suggest you bring a sweater. It can get pretty chilly." She then touches his shoulder and, Jesus, he nearly dies right there. "I'll see you." She then walks a few tables down and sits with her friends.
"So I see Annabeth has found her new boy toy."
Percy looks up at Nico while trying to control his breathing. "What?"
He sighs. "She does this often. It's the same thing every time. A guy catches her eye, he falls madly in love with her, and she crushes his heart in the end. You're just the poor sucker who's been chosen."
Percy couldn't believe it. She's just going to use him and then leave him to rot when she gets bored? He couldn't even think of a word to describe how awful that is.
"How many guys has she done that to?" Percy asks.
Nico thinks for a moment. "Almost half the senior class. Everyone knows her game, yet they fall for her anyways. She's apparently too irresistible. Every guy she goes through thinks that they'll be the lucky one and get Annabeth to reciprocate their feelings, but that's never the case. They always get fucked over in the end."
"Were you one of them?"
He takes a minute to respond. "No... Let's just say that I don't bat for that team."
"Oh." Percy's surprised with that piece of information, but it feels good that Nico felt comfortable enough to tell him. "Well, at least you don't have to worry about falling in love with her."
Nico gives a low chuckle, and Percy can't help but notice how different he's acting from two minutes ago. "That's true, but you should really be looking out for yourself Percy."
"W-What do you mean?"
Nico raises his eyebrows. "You're kidding right? When she came over to talk to you, you were so red tomatoes would be jealous. Not to mention you were staring at her like she just saved the earth from being obliterated."
Percy feels the heat seep back onto his face. "I did not! I don't even have any feelings for her whatsoever."
"Good. It should stay that way, 'cause that girl is nothing but trouble. You seem like a decent guy Percy, I'd hate to see you end up like all the rest."
"Don't worry. I won't."
And with that said, they eat the rest of their lunch in silence.
And although he will never admit it, Percy can't help but sneak a few glances at Annabeth. Even with everything he has just learned about her, his heart still pounded uncomfortably when he sees her.
It hurt even more when she smirked at him.
___♪___
Percy flopped face down on his bed.
He looks at the clock on his nightstand again.
5:27pm
He's been contemplating for the past two and a half hours on what he should do. Should he stay? Should he go? Should he hit his head against the wall and see if the answer will just come to him then?
He has no fucking clue what to do.
Did he want to go see Annabeth? That's a definite hell yes. Should he go see Annabeth? Now that is a definite hell no.
Every time he thinks he has made a decision, his mind would go against it. He was driving himself mad and he only has so much time left before it's too late.
Nico had warned him about Annabeth's past. That should have been an immediate sign for Percy to pack up his things and run for the hills... But there is just something about her. Something that makes her stand out above everyone else and leave a lasting impression. It isn't just because she has goddess worthy looks (although it is a perk). It's in the way she presents herself with this confident and unwavering persona. Although her intimidating aura seems to be the way she is, Percy knew better. She was wearing a mask.
He knew because he has done the same.
If anyone was going to figure out the incredibly complex character that is Annabeth Chase, he wants it to be him. But he's a coward. He's afraid that if he somehow gets too close to her, he will become like all those other guys and fall head over heels for her. He doesn't want to get his heart broken. Plus, it didn't help that he has a microscopic crush on her already.
Okay, maybe it's more than microscopic.
He checks the clock again; 5:34pm.
He has to make a decision and fast. He is either:
A. Staying home and ignoring Annabeth for the rest of his senior year and continuing to live his boring life as 'The New Kid' or,
B. Go meet Annabeth and try not to get his heart crushed.
Nico was right from the beginning. Either way, he is totally fucked.
He takes out the piece of paper from his pocket and reads the address again. He doesn't know why, since he has basically memorized it by now from how long he has stared at it.
He sighs, gets off the bed, and puts on his sneakers.
"I'm so screwed."
___♪___
A library.
That's where he's meeting Annabeth. A small library that has definitely seen better days. It isn't even open and there is no sign of a certain blonde girl anywhere.
Percy checks his watch which reads that it is five past six. Was he stood up? God that would really suck. The first time he meets Annabeth (or any girl for that matter) outside of school and she already ditches him. Percy can't explain the aching feeling in his chest when he thinks of this. They aren't even friends yet. They are more like acquaintances, and for some reason he feels this strong connection to her.
For Christ's sake Jackson you just met her today!
Did every guy who was involved with Annabeth feel this way? No wonder they would get so crushed once she cut them loose. Percy's suddenly having second thoughts. Maybe he should just leave. It's obvious that she isn't even here anyways.
So he turns to walk back towards his house when a voice behind him says, "Well hey there stranger." Percy nearly jumps out of his skin, which only makes Annabeth laugh at his startled face. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay. I'm used to girls just popping out of nowhere and scaring the shit out of me."
Annabeth's smile grows wider and that's when he notices she isn't wearing any lipstick. In fact, she was barely wearing any make-up at all. Her outfit is different too. Instead of a blouse, high heels and skirt, she wore a pair of dark black jeans, sneakers, and a navy blue Columbia University sweater. Her hair is also pulled up into a high ponytail that makes her look very sporty. Not at all like the girl he had encountered earlier in the day, but he still thinks she is just as beautiful. Maybe even more.
His heart starts thumping to the beat of the claps in the Friends theme song when she takes his hand. "Come on, I've got something to show you."
"But the library's closed."
She takes out a set of keys from her pocket. "Not when you're the owner it's not."
His eyes widen. "You own a library?"
She pushes the door open and fumbles for the lights. "Yeah, my dad gave it to me." Her dad must be pretty damn wealthy to give her a freaking library.
The size of the library doesn't compare to how many books inhabit the place. Rows upon rows of books overflow every shelf there is. Percy can barely squeeze through the aisles from how many bookshelves there are. Annabeth tugs on his hand as she guides him to the back of the library. She finally stops at a brown door and turns to face him. Her grey eyes shining.
"Okay, you're going to have to close your eyes."
His eyebrows furrow. "What? Why?"
"So that you won't see the surprise." A mischievous smirk spreads across her face as she leans in closer to him. They now stand toe to toe and Percy's having a very difficult time to keep from staring at her lips. "Don't you trust me?"
The struggle to not let his eyes flutter shut and melt into her is harder than he had imagined. He takes a minute to respond, his voice hoarse when he finally replies, "Yeah."
"Good." Her breath is hot on his face. "Now come on."
Percy does as he's told and lets Annabeth guide him to wherever they are going. She tells him to watch his step as they near a set of stairs. They climb, and climb, and climb. By the time they reach the top, Percy is nearly out of breath. He really needs to get in shape. Or eat some broccoli.
He hears Annabeth open a door and a gust of cold wind hit his body, making him shiver. She pulls him along a few more steps until they come to a complete stop. She still holds onto his hand as she finally says, "Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Percy didn't know what he was expecting, but he sure wasn't ready to see this. He is now looking at an incredible view of the New York skyline. Not only that, the soft orange sunset makes the city look so incredibly magical it makes his breath catch at the sight. He is now in complete awe.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
He turns to Annabeth and Percy's knees nearly give out. He thought that the view of the city was something amazing, but looking at Annabeth now... She is definitely the sight to see. The way the sunset hits her face, and how her hair seems to glow.. She looks like an angel.
"Yes you are."
Her eyebrows furrow. "What?"
"I-I mean, yes it is. The city's beautiful."
"Yeah," she turns to look at the horizon, "I come up here to read all the time. It's quiet and calm. I like to think of this as my sanctuary from the world."
Percy wonders how many guys she has brought up here. Or is he the first that she's showed her rooftop getaway to? The way she talks about it, it doesn't seem like a place she would willingly exhibit to others. He hopes that's the case. He's too curious to not ask though.
"Have you brought other people up here before?"
Her lips quirk up as she shakes her head. "No. You would be the first." Percy's heart expands to the size of an elephant, but then her expression turns serious. "No one knows of this place Percy, and I would like for it to stay that way. Not even my family knows I go up here."
"If it's so special to you, why did you show me? I mean, we don't even know each other."
She stares at him. Her eyes bright with mischief and something else. Loneliness? "Maybe that's the point. Maybe I just wanted to befriend you because you seem different. When I look at you, I see someone I could trust. That's something I haven't seen in a long time."
She shrugs. "Or maybe I want to be around you for other reasons."
"O-Other reasons?" he stutters.
She smiles. "You're cute when you're flustered."
She then lets go of his hand and sits at the edge of the roof, her legs dangling. After a minute of composing his blushing self, Percy goes over to join her. They sit in comfortable silence, the sounds of the bustling traffic playing in the background.
As he sits there with Annabeth, he thinks of what she has just confessed. That she thinks she could trust him. He smiles to himself and makes a silent promise to her. That he will never betray the trust she has in him. He just hopes that she will do the same. Because after only a day of knowing Annabeth Chase, he's liking her way more than he should.
He sneaks a peek at her from the corner of his eye and is surprised to find that she's already looking at him. His stomach feels like it's being attacked by pterodactyls as he forces himself not to do something stupid like kiss her, or fall off the roof trying to.
He didn't care about what Nico had warned him about. Annabeth has something deeper in her that he needs to figure out. She's more than just the school heartbreaker. She's a girl that wants someone to trust in.
That night, Percy makes a choice.
He's going to become best friends with Annabeth Chase.
___♪___
Percy's life has finally started looking up.
He's been going to Goode High for three months now and for once in his life, he's actually doing well in school. It might have something to do with the fact that Annabeth is like the reincarnation of Einstein and she's a genius beyond measure, which helps a lot when she tutors him every Thursday at her rooftop.
He also doesn't have to worry about his mom so much anymore since his anxiety about Gabe coming back is finally decreasing. He's been carrying this irrational fear that the bulldog looking alcoholic will somehow find a way to break out of prison and burst their perfect bubble. He doesn't want his mom to go back to the way she used to be; thin, afraid, hollow. The colour in her eyes has come back and whenever she smiles, Percy feels the need to throw a party or something. All he ever wants is for his mom to be happy. Well that, and to figure out the complicated creature that is Annabeth Chase.
His plan to be best friends with Annabeth has been accomplished. They hang out as much as they can; going to amusement parks, movie theaters, the beach. Let's just say that the image of Annabeth in a bright red bikini is forever ingrained into his mind. Not to mention the images of her laughing with her head hung back at something stupid he'd done. Her wide grin when he won her that stuffed owl at the fair. The way her eyes would brighten when she'd talk about the latest book she's read. Or the knowing smirk that would spread across her face when she'd catch him looking at her for too long.
She even sits with him at lunch a few times every week, which Nico raised an eyebrow to, but never complained about. Percy thinks Nico likes when Annabeth is there since she constantly teases him about everything which makes him blush every ten seconds.
Nico's been more talkative towards Percy which makes him believe that he's made a second friend. He's even made Nico laugh and smile a few times which has to be published in the Guinness World Records or something because no one besides Annabeth has made Nico crack a smile. He learns about Nico's past and how hard it was for him to lose his sister and admit to his father that he is in fact gay. Percy even offers him a place to stay if his arguments with his dad about his lifestyle ever got out of hand.
One day, Nico and him were in his room playing this strange Greek mythology video game that Nico brought over. Nico is advertently kicking his ass when he asks, "So how are you and Annabeth doing?"
Percy's player gets beheaded by the hydra from how surprised he is at the question. "Um, fine? Why are you asking?"
He shrugs. "Just wondering if you were planning to ask her out or something."
"I wasn't." Even though he has thought of the idea billions of times. "Why? Did she say something to you?"
"No." His heart plummeted. "But I see the way she looks at you."
Hope springs in his chest. "Really? How does she look at me?"
"Like she wants to attack you and have your babies."
Percy's jaw drops as he glances over at Nico who looks like he is trying very hard not to laugh. "You're lying!"
A chuckle escapes as he says, "Yeah, I'm just messing with you. But I can tell she does feel something for you."
Percy's heart soars at the thought. Could she really feel something for him? His feelings for her have skyrocketed with every moment he's spent with her. He was right from the beginning that she hides behind this mask that she wears in public. But when they're alone, she shows him her true self. The real Annabeth Chase. And he can't even describe how incredible that girl is.
"I'm going to guess by the look on your face that you like her."
Percy smiles sheepishly as he admits, "Yeah. For a while now."
Nico sighs harshly as he puts his attention back to the screen. "Even after knowing about her past? She could still be playing you Perce. Have you even talked to her about it?"
Percy's anger rises as he says through gritted teeth, "No. She wouldn't do that to me Nico. Aside from you, she's my best friend. I trust her." He takes a calming breath and runs his fingers through his hair. "If she wants to tell me about it, she will."
He looks at Nico and finds him with a sad and defeated expression on his face. "I just don't want to see you get hurt Perce. I know you like her more than you let on, and if she leaves you, I don't want to be the one to say 'I told you so'."
Percy puts a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be careful. I promise. And hey, once I get enough courage to ask Annabeth out, then you can find someone too and we can all go out to like Montauk, or an amusement park, or something."
Nico's face tints a light shade of pink as he looks down at his controller. "Um, I don't know about that."
Percy bumps his shoulder. "Oh come on man, don't be like that. I bet you anything that there's a guy out there that will be more than willing to go out with you. Trust me."
Percy isn't sure he's supposed to hear as Nico murmurs, "Yeah, but not the right one."
___♪___
Luke Castellan.
The guy is an all around jock that has an ego capable of filling the Hoover Dam. Not to mention he has the face and body of a GQ model and his grade point average is definitely above normal. In short, he's perfect, and every girl wants him. And every guy wants to be him.
Percy gets along with the guy well enough. He wasn't keen on becoming his best friend or anything, but they exchanged conversation here and there. It isn't until he reaches Annabeth's locker on Friday when he decides that he loathes the popular jock.
He was meeting up with Annabeth once the ending bell rang so that they could walk to her library rooftop together. He grins widely when he sees her shiny blonde hair through the crowd of teens, but stops short when he notices she's not alone.
Luke Castellan is leaning against the locker next to hers with his dirty blonde hair swept to the side, his Letterman jacket over his shoulder, and a cocky smile on his face.
And Annabeth- His Annabeth- is laughing and shoving Luke's arm playfully.
Percy's vision tints red.
And jealousy takes over.
Not once throughout the whole school year has he ever seen Annabeth talk to Luke. Then suddenly he's acting all chummy, and she's just standing there giggling, and flipping her hair, and smiling at Luke the way Percy dreams she would smile at him.
Nico's words flash through his mind. She could still be playing you Perce.
Was she? Was she really just faking the whole time? Are they even friends? Was he some sort of project to her? An experiment? Would she break his heart too?
No. She wouldn't do that. She wasn't faking it with him like she's done to so many others. Their friendship is real. Their time together is real. She wouldn't hurt him that way. Not him.
Not him.
Keeping that in mind, he walks the remaining distance to her locker with his head held high. When he hears her laugh at yet another thing Luke says (what the fuck is so funny anyways?), he does his best to keep his jealousy at bay. He sees Luke wink at Annabeth and he swears he hears some of the female spectators sigh dreamily.
When Annabeth sees him, her smile widens. "Percy!" She embraces him in a tight hug, like she hasn't seen him in years instead of just a few hours.
Percy is caught off guard and stumbles a bit from her force. "Uh, hey?" Annabeth isn't much of a hugger, so the fact that she's hugging him so fiercely is a little unnerving... But he likes it.
She then does something that kills him on the spot.
She kisses him.
Albeit, it's on the cheek, but Percy's brain just keeps repeating: SHE KISSED ME! SHE KISSED ME! SHE KISSED ME! With the occasional: OH MY GOD!
It takes him a few seconds to realize she's talking to him.
"Percy?" she asks, giving him a slight shake on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
I think I may need a ventilator.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You sure? You looked like you were gonna pass out." Percy completely forgot that Luke was still there. He stares at Percy with minimal concern, his blue eyes cold as ice.
"I'm fine," he repeats.
Annabeth grabs his hand, entwining their fingers together. "Well, if your okay then we should get going. I don't want to lose our reservations and have our date ruined."
Percy may have gotten whip lash from how fast he looks at Annabeth.
DATE?! Since when were we going on a date?!
"Date?" Luke says, voicing Percy's thoughts. "You guys are dating?"
"Yes," Annabeth confirms, squeezing Percy's hand a little too tightly. "For a while now."
Percy thinks he may have woken up in a different dimension. He's pretty sure he would have known if Annabeth and him had become a couple. At least, he thinks he would know.
Luke's face takes one of rage and disbelief, which is a look that Percy has never witnessed him wear before. "So how long will this one last Annie? I give it a week. Two, tops."
Percy backs up a bit from how angrily Annabeth glares at Luke. Her stormy grey eyes look as if thunderclouds are about to burst out of them. "It's not like that Luke. He's different."
Luke scoffs. "Different? Yeah right Annie. No one has been able to break through to you yet and I highly doubt that this dweeb has been able to accomplish the impossible." He then leans in close to her face, too close for Percy's comfort. "Just face the facts sweetheart. I'm the one that has lasted the longest with you. Why not give us another chance?"
Percy's eyes widen. He never knew that Annabeth used to have a thing with Luke. Then again, he didn't know anything of her previous relationships.
"Because you're an arrogant prick," Annabeth sneers. "And I'll have you know, Percy knows more about me than you or anyone else in this damn school. So just do me a favor and fuck off Luke."
She then storms down the hallway with a confused Percy being dragged closely behind her.
___♪___
"Well anyways, thanks for helping me out back there."
They are now sitting on Annabeth's rooftop, their feet dangling over the edge. Apparently, the whole fiasco that happened at school was all an act to try to convince Luke that Percy was her boyfriend so that he would stop pestering her about giving him a second chance. Percy was, admittedly, more than a little disappointed to hear that everything she did was fake. But it was better than seeing her doing those things with someone else.
"No problem. It was an absolute honor being your pretend boyfriend. If you ever need someone to act that way in front of people, then I'm your man. I'll even kiss you for good measure."
She laughs and bumps his shoulder. "Nice try there Jackson."
Percy lets out an overdramatic sigh. "A guy can dream can't he?"
They sit in comfortable silence for a while, just hearing the car horns and feeling the wind across their faces. It's starting to get colder, since winter was coming around, but Percy didn't mind. He likes these quiet moments with Annabeth. They didn't need to force any awkward conversation. They could just sit together and enjoy each others company (and he likes watching the way the wind would blow the curls away from her face).
"Percy? Can I tell you something?"
He turns to face her. "Of course. You can tell me anything."
Her face is filled with nervousness when she looks at him. This was a first. Annabeth was never nervous about anything.
"I know there's a lot of talk about me and... How many guys I've been with."
"Oh." Holy crap, she's actually telling him about her past!
"Yeah. Look Percy, you've become my best friend these past few months and I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone. So I wanted to tell you why I do what I do."
His heart swells. "I trust you too Annabeth. And just so you know, I won't judge you. No matter how bad it is." She grabs his hand and gives him a thankful smile.
She lets out a sigh. "Okay, I guess it all started when I was nine. My mom and dad were getting a divorce because my mom caught my dad cheating on her with younger woman. It wasn't pretty, and I ended up having to live with my dad and Susan since my mom couldn't take care of me."
Her voice starts getting shaky, so he squeezes her hand to show his support. He had no idea that any of this had happened to her.
"Anyways," she continues, "my mom never came back for me and I was stuck with my cheating father. He gave me this library, that has been in the family for a while, as an I'm-sorry-I-cheated-on-your-mother-and-your-life-sucks present. He eventually had twins with Susan and from then on, he never payed attention to me again."
Percy couldn't believe it. Annabeth must have felt so neglected and unwanted, and her own father didn't even notice.
"I wanted him to notice me again. So I started doing bad things just so I would have a chance to talk to him. Even if he was unfaithful to my mom, I still loved him. I mean, he's my dad. I just wanted to feel loved by him. I wanted it to be like it was before."
A tear escapes her eye and she wipes it away angrily. "Since the delinquent acts weren't doing anything, I started dating around to see if that would get a rise out of him. It worked."
She looks out into the horizon. "I'd purposely date guys that my dad wouldn't like, just so he would start talking to me again. He would get so angry and have these pep talks with me about how I'm too young to date or that boys only want one thing."
"So you never liked any of the guys you dated?" he asks.
She shakes her head. "I mean, some of them were nice, but around ninety-five percent of them were jerks, or too full of themselves. Plus, they would all get really clingy eventually, so I would break-up with them before they got too attached. I looked at it as a type of game, and they were all the pawns. I know its sick and wrong, but some of them really needed a kick in the ass when it came to their egos. And after dating so many different people, I sort of lost a lot of hope in ever finding someone that could like me for me. Not the Annabeth Chase that they see at school with the make-up and designer clothes. But the Annabeth Chase that loves to just watch movies, read books, wear sweatpants, and eat Nutella like its the air I breathe."
He can do that. He can be that guy. Hell, he already is that guy! Every single freaking thing about this girl drives him crazy.
"God," she says with a dry laugh, "I just can't believe that it had to take the subjects of boys and dating for my dad to come around."
She puts her head in her hands and breaks down. Her body's shaking and her cries are silent. Percy's heart shatters at the sight. Here's the girl he cares so much about, in tears because of her messed up family life. The only thing he can think of doing is hugging her.
So that's what he does.
He puts his arms around her and embraces her tightly, trying to squeeze all the sadness out of her. She stiffens, and he immediately thinks that he has made a mistake and should just jump off the roof while he can, until she hugs him back just as fiercely.
"It's okay Annabeth," he whispers into her hair, "You don't need him or any of those other guys... You've got me."
And she does. She has him completely. From the first time he laid eyes on her, he was hers.
She leans back to look at him. The tears in her eyes made them sparkle, and damn it if she didn't look just as beautiful sad as she did happy. "Really? You won't leave me?"
"Never. I promise."
She gives him her wide, gorgeous smile and leans in to plant a lingering kiss on his cheek. "I don't deserve you," she mumbles against his cheek.
No, you deserve the world.
She separates from him and giggles. "Percy, your face looks like a fire truck." Her comment only makes him blush more. "Why're you so red?"
Because you're so freaking cute and all I want to do is kiss you right now.
"No reason." Her eyebrows rise in challenge. "Okay fine." He sighs and mumbles quietly, "Because you kissed me."
"What, have you never been kissed by a girl before?" she laughs.
God, he's so embarrassed he can't even look at her. So he looks at the building down the street with the creepy picture of a smiling dentist on the front.
"Hey." She puts her hand on his cheek and makes him face her. "It's okay if you haven't. I'm sorry I laughed... It's just hard to believe you've never kissed anyone before. I mean, you're an incredible person Percy, not to mention really attractive."
Sweet baby Jesus she thinks he's attractive! He does his best to look casual, but his grin basically covers his whole face.
"Really?"
"Yeah, most definitely. Do you have any idea how many girls have asked me for your number? Plus, they practically strip you with their eyes when you walk down the halls."
"What? No way," he laughs.
"They do Percy," she says insistently, "You're just too oblivious to see it."
It may also have to do with the fact that he only has eyes for her, but he doesn't say that.
"Any girl would be lucky to kiss you."
They stare at each other for what seems like hours. He doesn't want to kiss any girl, he wants to kiss the one that's sitting right in front of him. And with the way her eyes keep glancing at his lips, he thinks that maybe, just maybe, she wants to kiss him too.
"Do you-" she whispers, "Do you think, it would be alright if... If I... Was your first kiss?"
His heart leaps into his throat and his voice cracks as he answers, "What?" Damn it, he thought he had that under control.
"Well," she begins, and he thinks there's a hint of pink dusting her cheeks, "first kisses are usually memorable. So what better way to remember it than by kissing your best friend?"
He thinks he nods, or says something that agrees with her statement because she's giving him the chance to kiss her and the world just stops. All he sees is her. All he can think about is her. And her lips. And how soft they look. And God, he can't wait any longer!
So he leans in to kiss the girl he's been crushing on since the dawn of time, when her hand covers his mouth and stops him from moving. He may or may not have let out a small growl of frustration.
"Easy there tiger," she laughs lightly, "I'm not going to kiss you right now."
"How come?" he asks. Okay, it was more like a whine. He's pretty sure that now would be the perfect time to kiss him.
She smiles. "Because it wouldn't be the same. You can't just plan your first kiss. It happens when it happens. So one day, when you least expect it, I'll kiss you."
He sighs. Well, he's waited this long. What's a few more days?
"Fine." He then turns to look at the setting sun and pouts.
She laughs again. "Don't look so disappointed." She then rests her head on his shoulder. His arm wraps around her waist naturally, like they've done this a million times before.
"And by the way," she whispers, "I'm never leaving you either."
"Good, because you're not getting away from me." He looks down just in time to see her face burn a bright red.
Just like a fire truck.
___♪___
Percy can't believe his luck.
He's silently swearing profanities while glaring at the bathroom sink. He was imagining (for the billionth time) that today would be the day that Annabeth would kiss him. It's been two weeks and he's still gotten nothing. He was so distracted that instead of putting his contact in his eye, he pokes his eyebrow and his contact falls in the sink.
He hasn't been able to get a second pair so all he's left with are his glasses that he hasn't worn in public in over two years. His glasses are thin and square with a black coloured rim. He got them trying to look like Andrew Garfield from The Amazing Spider-Man, but ended up just looking like a complete dork with green owl eyes.
"Percy!" his mother calls, "Hurry up or you'll be late for school!"
As much as he likes seeing Annabeth, he hopes she's home sick or something, because nothing would be more mortifying than having her see him with these hideous monstrosities.
As he's about to leave his apartment, his mother stops him and pinches his cheeks. "Oh, don't you look handsome with your glasses!" she cooes. "I don't know why you don't wear them more often."
"MOM!"
"I'm just saying honey," she laughs, "you look quite strapping. I'm sure the kids at your school will agree."
They don't agree.
As he walks down the halls he hears a few snickers and he just knows they're talking about him. His day became even worse when Luke shoves him into the lockers.
"Watch where you're going geek," he sneers.
Jesus, he wishes he could just go home.
His hope that Annabeth would be home sick is crushed when he sees her in math. When she looks up at him, her eyes grow wide and her mouth drops open.
"Hey," he greets sheepishly.
"I didn't know you wore glasses," she says back in astonishment.
He sits down next to her, not looking at her eyes. "Yeah, I dropped one of my contacts down the drain. So I had no choice."
"You look good."
He looks at her, completely baffled. "I do?"
"Y-Yeah. Really good." She then turns away, her cheeks a dark pink.
"Uh, thanks," he says with a nervous laugh. She doesn't say anything else for the rest of class, but Percy's smile never wavers.
Once he reaches lunch, he doesn't even care about what he looks like anymore. Annabeth said he looked good (really good), so yeah. Screw the haters!
"Since when do you wear glasses?" Nico asks.
"Since I was like seven," Percy responds. "I wear contacts to school though."
"Oh," Nico nods in understanding, then looks over Percy's shoulder. "How come Annabeth's coming over here like she wants to rip you to pieces?"
Percy turns, and sure enough, Annabeth is stomping towards their table with a look that would even make pro wrestlers cry. His mind immediately begins to think of anything he could have done to piss her off, but it comes up blank.
"Percy," she says tensely while grabbing his bicep and pulling him out of his seat. "Let's go. Sorry Nico, he'll be back soon."
He doesn't know where the hell she's taking him, but he decides to just stay silent and ask questions later. She drags him outside beside the big pine tree that covers a quarter of the front lawn. She pins him against the tree trunk and that's when he decides that he should really apologize before she beats him with the tree itself (even though he still doesn't know what the hell he did).
"Listen Annabeth, I'm really sor-"
Warmth.
That's what he's feeling against his lips right now and it takes him a second, just a second, to realize what she's doing. And it takes him an extra millisecond to respond back eagerly.
She's kissing him.
And God help him, but he's honestly never felt so alive.
Her lips are softer than he had imagined, and they're so full, and warm, and Jesus he can't even think straight. He doesn't even know what to do with his hands at the moment. So instead of flailing them around like an idiot, he takes a chance and places one on her waist and the other on her cheek. To which she responds by wrapping her arms around his neck.
She starts to meld her mouth with his and he officially calls the experience euphoric. Kissing Annabeth Chase is absolutely, one hundred percent, perfect. And no one in the world could top what he's feeling right now.
She breaks the kiss and begins to move away, but he just follows. She laughs breathlessly as he mumbles, "Not done yet," and pulls her face back to his, kissing her more fiercely than before.
And they stay there, under the shade of the pine tree, kissing for almost the entire lunch hour.
And Percy has never felt so complete.
___♪___
Percy sits down across from Nico two minutes before the end of lunch.
Nico raises an eyebrow and asks, "What the hell happened to you?" He then squints his eyes at him. "Is that lip gloss on your mouth?"
Percy sighs dreamily. His lips are red and swollen and he may need an oxygen tank to fill his lungs, but he doesn't care. He feels like some lovesick fool.
"Hello?" Nico waves his hand in front of his face. "Anybody in there? Don't tell me you've gone brain dead."
He thinks that the next best thing to kissing Annabeth may be her expression afterwards. With her eyes half closed, and her breath coming out in short pants, and the way her cheeks are completely flushed. Not to mention the wide smile that spreads across her face and he can't help but feel some sort of pride in it since he's the one who put it there.
And that smile was for him, and him alone.
Her confession once they separated though, made his knees so weak, he would have fallen if it weren't for the trunk supporting him.
"God, you look so hot in glasses," she whispered.
He decided to NEVER take them off ever again.
Nico throws his arms up in exasperation. "I give up! The bell rang five minutes ago and your dazed look is really pissing me off. And can you wipe that stupid grin off your face, it's starting to creep me out."
Percy's stupid grin grows wider.
___♪___
He can feel it.
He feels it in the way she looks at him, and in the way she avoids his gaze when he stares at her.
He feels it in the way she holds his hand wherever they go, and in the way she stops talking when he rubs his thumb against the back of it.
He feels it in the way she pushes the hair away from his eyes, and in the way she glares at him when he plays with her curls.
He feels it in the way she smiles at him when he does something stupid, and in the way she laughs when he hugs her from behind and nuzzles her neck affectionately.
He feels it in the way their lips touch. Gentle caresses that make his brain melt and his heart shoot out of his chest. And in the way she immediately blushes when they pull apart.
They don't kiss often, but they kiss enough to make him crave more.
He's not sure if their a couple, since he hasn't even asked her on a date yet. But he is sure about one thing.
He loves her.
And God, he hopes she'll feel the same.
___♪___
"Can you stop acting like a four year old and just ask her?"
Percy is currently being pushed by an annoyed Nico down the hallway. Ever since he mentioned asking Annabeth out on a date today, the guy has been nothing but persistent. Probably because every time Percy sees Annabeth he hides behind a wall, or the occasional bush.
Percy presses his heels to the floor, stopping his forced movement. "What if she says no?"
Nico rolls his eyes. "Perce, you guys are practically dating already. I highly doubt she's going to reject you."
"Okay," Percy says with a sigh, "okay you're right. I'll just go up to her and do it."
"Right."
"Just look at her in the eye and ask."
"Exactly."
He pauses. "I don't think I can do it."
"Holy shit, Perce! That's it! You're coming with me and you're going to ask her, or so help me God I will punch you in the face."
So Percy unwillingly follows Nico all the way to Annabeth's locker, where she's standing, putting away her books. Once she sees them, she smiles and waves, while Percy's face turns pale.
"Just ask her to dinner and a movie or something," Nico whispers. "Now go. And don't choke."
Leave it to Nico to give the best advice.
Annabeth laughs as he stumbles in front of her. "Hey Percy, what's up?"
"Uh, nothing much." He scratches the back of his neck. "S-So, I um, wanted to uh, a-ask you something."
"I thought you got over that stuttering phase," she smiles.
"Yeah so did I," he mumbles to himself.
"I have to ask you something too," she says.
He lets out a sigh of relief. "Okay, you go first."
"Alright so..." She laughs nervously. "I was wondering if you were free this Saturday to go to the movies with me. Like, as a date."
Percy hits his palm against his face. "Oh my God..."
"Is that a no?" He looks at Annabeth to find the most defeated expression on her face.
"NO! I mean, yes. Yes, I'd love to go out with you."
"Okay, good. I thought you were going to reject me for a second there."
"Never."
She smiles and kisses him on the cheek. "Okay, so I'll see you Saturday."
He nods. "See you."
Once she's gone, Percy turns around to find Nico laughing at him. Percy scowls, which just makes him laugh harder.
"Not a word."
___♪___
Percy feels like he's going to throw up.
He's nervous as hell and he can't help but think of all the things that can go wrong. Like spilling the drink on her. Or losing his ticket. Or Luke showing up and whisking her away.
Jesus, he needs to calm the fuck down.
"Hey, you okay?"
He looks down at Annabeth and smiles, but it feels more like a grimace.
"Don't worry," she says while wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm nervous too." She then leans in and kisses him. Immediately, all of his worries are washed away. She pulls away too soon for his taste, but he doubts the people in line will appreciate two teens making out in front of them.
Once it's their turn to pay for their ticket, they go up to the booth to find a pretty red headed girl who looks oddly familiar to Percy. She smiles as they come closer.
"Hi, welcome to Cineplex. What would you like to-" She stops talking then gives Percy a questioning glance. "Percy? Percy Jackson?"
"Yeah?"
Her green eyes brighten. "Don't you remember me?"
He looks at her name tag which reads Rachel and that's when realization dawns on him. "Oh Rachel! Hey, how are you?"
"I've been good. I haven't seen you in so long! Since the eighth grade right?"
"Yeah. You look so different." Back in the day, Rachel had braces and wore paint splattered pants, and now her hair seems curlier, her face more defined, and basically, she looks grown up.
"You too. Like a good different. You're definitely taller than you used to be. Do you still swim?"
"Every week."
"I can tell," she smiles.
Annabeth coughs beside him. "Oh sorry. Annabeth, this is Rachel Dare, my friend from middle school. Rachel, this is Annabeth, my-"
"Girlfriend," she cuts in.
Percy looks at her, stunned, while Rachel raises her eyebrows. "Girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Annabeth says, narrowing her eyes. "Does that surprise you?"
"Well a little," Rachel admits. She then turns to Percy. "Tell me the truth Perce, how much are you paying her?"
Percy laughs, but he doesn't think Annabeth finds it so funny. Noticing the anger in her eyes, Percy quickly pays for their tickets and says goodbye to Rachel. She waves as they walk away and calls after them, "Don't be a stranger Percy! Message me sometime!"
"I don't like her," Annabeth grumbles.
"How come?" he asks, while taking her tense hand in his.
"She was all over you! Even after I said I was your girlfriend she couldn't keep her eyes off you."
"Wait a second," he says, stopping in his tracks. "Are you jealous?"
Her face turns red. "What? Don't be ridiculous."
"You totally are! I can't believe it!" he laughs. "Why are you jealous of Rachel?"
"I told you I'm not jealous!" She then starts to stomp off to the popcorn stand, but he hugs her from behind before she can.
"Percy let me go!"
"No, Annabeth. Even if you aren't, you have no reason to be jealous. I'm here with you, not her. I like you." He then places a soft kiss on her neck and she sighs.
"I'm sorry. I guess I get a little overprotective with the people I care about."
His heart thumps so loudly, he's afraid she can hear it. "It's okay. I feel the same way."
And that's when everything goes downhill, because as soon as Percy looks up, he sees him.
No. Not him. Why's he here?! He shouldn't be here!
"Percy?" Annabeth turns in his arms. "What's wrong?"
He looks down at her. Panic consuming his every thought. "We have to go."
"Go?" she asks, confusion clear in her face. "But we haven't even seen the movie yet."
He looks back to where he saw him, but he's disappeared. "We have to go Annabeth, now." He grabs her hand and drags her towards his car.
"Percy what's going on?"
"There's no time to explain."
They speed off towards her house, all of the images flashing through his mind.
The fist.
The belt.
The knife.
His gruesome evil face, smiling down at him.
His mother on the floor.
And blood.
Blood everywhere.
He parks in front of her house. His hands shaking. She takes his hands in hers and looks at him with wide grey eyes.
All Percy can think about is that he's seen him with her. He now knows who she is. Percy can't let him hurt her. He can't. He has to keep her safe. But he's scared.
Dear God, he's so fucking scared.
"Percy..." she whispers.
"I'm sorry Annabeth," he replies, his voice unrecognizable to even himself. "I'm sorry I ruined our date."
"Forget the date Percy. Tell me what's wrong."
He shakes his head. The memories of those God awful times consuming him. "I-I can't. Please just go inside, where it's safe."
"Hell no." She takes off her seatbelt and leans in to hug him fiercely. "I'm not going anywhere. I promised I would never leave you and that's exactly what I'm going to do. So you're stuck with me buddy."
He lets out a breathy laugh. She has absolutely no idea how much that means to him. Especially in the completely vulnerable state he's in right now.
She pulls back, but not enough to distance herself from him entirely. She entwines their fingers together and asks gently, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
He takes a deep breath, composing himself for what he's about to reveal to her. He trusts her more than anyone and by telling her this horrifying part of his past, she will know everything about him.
"When I was three years old," he begins, "my father died in a plane crash. He was doing some business overseas, but something went wrong and the plane never arrived. They found it a few weeks later in the middle of the Atlantic."
Her hand tightens against his. He's glad for the reassurance.
"So after a few years of being a single parent, my mom eventually married this guy named Gabe Ugliano. He was nice at first, but after a while of living with him he started drinking a lot. And then the drinking led to arguments. And the arguments led to screaming. And then the screaming led to him beating my mom and I every other night."
He hears the small gasp she makes, but doesn't stop. He needs to get this out.
"I was mostly his target though. But, I think the worst part of it all wasn't when he'd hit me. The worst part was the look in my mother's eyes when he was finished. She'd stare at me and I swear, it was like a piece of her would be broken every time. But during those moments, I would have taken every punch, kick, and whip if it meant that she wouldn't get hurt."
His vision is getting blurry and his voice is shaking. He looks at Annabeth and sees that she's already crying. Silent tears streaming down her beautiful face.
"Then one night, he drank more than he usually did. I don't remember much, but I could hear my mom screaming for him to stop and that's when I felt this overwhelming pain in my side. And when I looked down, all I saw was a knife and blood. I passed out and when I woke up, the cops were there arresting Gabe and my mom was on the floor being treated by doctors."
"She had called 911 during the fight without Gabe noticing, so now he's in jail and we started a new life. But today, at the movie theatre," he took a shaky breath, "I thought I saw him, Annabeth. And it scared the shit out of me because he could have seen you and I would never be able to live with myself if-"
Annabeth cuts him off with a hug so fierce, he could barely breathe. "Percy," she whispers, her voice full of emotion, "he didn't escape, okay. He didn't. We can even check with the police to make sure, but I promise you he didn't."
She pulls back enough to look at his face. "Listen to me. Your mother's safe, I'm safe, and you're safe. He can't hurt us, alright. He can't."
He stares at her for what seems like an eternity. He finds that the longer he looks at her, the less afraid he feels. She's right and he knows it.
"How do you always know the right thing to say?"
She cups his face. She smiles softly when he leans into it. "I'm not sure, really. I guess it comes naturally when you're in love."
His heart stops and he thinks he just died.
His reaction makes her smile wider. "I don't know if it's too soon to say this, but frankly I don't care anymore... I love you, Percy."
He's speechless. And honestly, he doesn't even know what to do anymore. This night has been such an emotional roller-coaster he can barely think straight.
But one idea does come to mind though.
He kisses her.
And God help him, but it's the best damn kiss he's ever had.
"I love you too," he says against her lips. He feels her smile and he swears electricity starts humming through his veins. "Some first date, huh?"
She pulls away and laughs. "It was intense, I'll give you that."
He laughs along with her. "Well, I promise to make it up to you the next time."
She looks back at her house and bites her lip. "Tell you what... How about you come inside and watch a movie with me? I'll even let you pick."
"Hmm, depends. Do you have Finding Nemo?"
She just rolls her eyes and laughs. "God, I'm in love with a ten year old."
"Hey!" he protests. "Finding Nemo is a classic. Do you have it, or not?"
"Yeah, I've got it you big dork."
He kisses her cheek. "I think I love you even more now."
Her smile turns fond as she leans him to kiss him again.
And they may or may not have made out for ten more minutes before going inside. Percy doesn't like to kiss and tell.
___♪___
Over the next two months, Percy feels that Annabeth and he have never been closer.
Now that they know absolutely everything about each other, there isn't anything in the way to make them question their relationship. They're completely open with each other and they aren't the only ones who've noticed.
It seems that the entire school is enamored with them. A few people have even come up to Percy to congratulate him in being the only person who has been able to capture the attention of Annabeth Chase and not get crushed in the process.
The only thing that Percy doesn't like though, is the fact that Nico is still persistent on the idea that Annabeth is going to hurt him in some way. "I'm just looking out for you, Percy," he would say. "I don't want you to get your heart broken."
It's during these moments with Nico that Percy notices the lingering looks he gives him. Or the way that his face tints the lightest shade of pink when Percy catches him staring for too long. Or the way that he slightly scowls when Annabeth comes by to give him a hug, or a kiss, or to tell him that she loves him.
He brings the idea to Annabeth and she just rolls her eyes and says, "You just noticed now?"
Okay, so maybe he's a little oblivious. Or a lot. Whatever. The main thing is that he thinks Nico likes him. And he's not really sure what to do about it except confront him.
He just hopes it won't ruin their friendship.
"Hey Nico," he says one day at lunch, "I was wondering... Do you like anybody?"
Nico nearly chokes on his french fries. "What?"
"I was just curious is all," Percy responds casually. "I mean, you haven't mentioned anyone before so I was just wondering if you did."
Nico's face turns the darkest shade of red he's ever seen. He glares at him and mutters, "I might."
"Who?"
His glare intensifies. "None of your business."
"How come?" Percy challenges. "I'm your closest friend after all."
Nico's face softens. "It doesn't matter Percy," he sighs. "The guy won't like me back anyways."
"If I guess who the guy is, would you tell me?"
"Probably not."
"Well, I'm guessing anyways." He takes a deep breath, hoping Nico won't punch him for asking this. "Is it me?"
Nico's eyes shoot to his. The intensity of the look sending chills down his spine. He's never seen him so angry before.
"Who the fuck told you that?" Nico asks, his voice eerily calm.
"No one. I just, sort of... Assumed?"
"Yeah? Well, your assumption's wrong." Nico gets up from the table and without another word stomps out of the cafeteria.
"Nico! Wait!"
But as he bursts out of the lunchroom doors, Nico's already gone.
Percy doesn't see him for the rest of the week.
___♪___
Friday is when everything went downhill.
Percy's at his locker, getting his things ready for the end of the day. He still hasn't talked to Nico and he's trying to figure out what to say to him this weekend when someone taps his shoulder.
He barely turns around when a pair of lips smash into his.
Instantly, he thinks: Annabeth.
But when he puts his hands on her waist, he notices that this girl is shorter. And her mouth doesn't feel the same. And she smells like roses instead of the familiar lemon and vanilla scent he adores.
This isn't Annabeth!
He immediately pushes her away and, to his utter horror, Drew Tanaka stands in front of him. Her ruby red smile spreads wider as she winks at him and walks away, leaving him completely dumbfounded.
"Percy?"
He looks up and of course, Annabeth is there, staring at him with a look that can only be described as heartbroken.
Tears are welling up in her eyes and her breath comes out in short pants. "How could you?"
"Annabeth," he says, his own voice sounding like it's choking, "it's not what it looks like."
"Really? Really? Because it sure as hell looks like you were just making out with Drew Tanaka!" She's yelling at him now, something she has never done before, and he can practically see all the trust she's had in him leaving her body, her soul, her heart.
The tears are now streaming down her face, her fists shaking. "I thought you were different! Was this all a lie?! Does our relationship mean nothing to you?!"
"Of course it does!" he exclaims frantically. "I love you! Annabeth, please just-"
"Save it. Just... Just leave me alone."
And with that she runs out of the building, leaving Percy and his shattered heart behind.
A hand clamps on his shoulder. "Sucks doesn't it?"
He sees Luke out of the corner of his eye, but he can't face him right now. All he can do is stare at the place she had just stood.
"Don't worry about it Jackson. There are plenty of other girls out there. At least you were the longest to stay with her."
No, he can't lose her. He can't.
"It's not your fault the little slut has trust issues."
Percy's vision tints red. And the next thing he knows, Luke's on the floor holding his cheek with a satisfied smirk on his face. Like he wanted Percy to punch him.
That's when everything clicks.
"You're a fucking bastard."
And with that said, Percy runs out of the school, determined to talk to the one person who he can always talk to about anything Annabeth related.
Nico.
___♪___
"Go away."
Percy barely has enough time to step back before the door slams in his face.
"Come on, Nico!" he says while knocking on the door for the tenth time. "I need your help!"
The door opens again. "What the hell do you want?"
Okay, so we're dealing with grumpy Nico today.
"Well, first of all, I wanted to say that I'm sorry."
Nico eyes him warily. "Go on."
"I'm sorry for being so persistent on trying to figure out who you like and I'm sorry for accusing you of liking me."
He sighs and rubs a hand over his face. "I lied to you, Perce."
"What?"
"You weren't wrong" he explains, barely looking at Percy in the eye. "I did like you."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Awkward silence passes before Nico asks, "Do you want to come inside?"
"Sure."
They sit on the couch for a few minutes, shifting uncomfortably before Nico says, "I didn't want you to know."
"It's not your fault I'm completely irresistible."
Nico laughs, and it makes Percy feel good to see him smile again. "Yeah, I'm not so sure about that."
"I don't believe you. Do you want to hear my theory?"
"Not really, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyways."
"And you are correct. So, my theory is that you liked me for a while and once Annabeth started to come in the picture you kept reminding me of her past so that I wouldn't spend time with her anymore. Is that true?"
Nico stares at him for a minute. "You know, you're smarter than you look."
Percy grins. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
"And you're right, by the way. I was jealous, which was stupid because I've never met two people more perfect for each other than you and Annabeth. So, I'm sorry for that."
"Don't be sorry. You can't help who you like. But, can we at least be friends again?" He holds out his hand for Nico to shake. He had recently come up with a cool handshake for the two of them to do. Nico wasn't too fond of the idea, but he did it anyways.
Nico does the handshake and smiles. "Yeah, of course. Besides, it doesn't take that long to get over you. I'm pretty sure it's gone by now."
Percy feigns hurt. "What? It can't possibly be over that fast!"
"Sorry," he shrugs. "It only took about five minutes."
"Saddest five minutes of your damn life," Percy grumbles.
Nico laughs, then his face turns back to his regular serious demeanor. "So tell me, how'd you fuck up with Annabeth?"
"Why do you think I did something?"
Nico gives him a look.
"Okay, fine" he sighs.
And by the end of the story, Percy may have gotten a slap upside the head.
But also a high-five for punching Luke in the face.
Honestly, he's just glad to have his friend back.
___♪___
Percy's just happy that Annabeth's dad let him inside at all.
He's never met the man before since he's always on business trips or doing some other important stuff. So to say that he was surprised and unnerved at seeing Mr. Chase in person was a complete understatement.
"She's in here," the older man says gruffly.
Percy opens the door to what he believes to be Annabeth's room and finds her on her bed reading a fairly large book. She looks up at him and glares and for a moment, Percy thinks she might throw the book at his head.
"Hey," he greets sheepishly.
She turns her face away from him.
He steps closer to her, cautiously, afraid she might still kill him with her book. He makes it safely to her bed and sits beside her. She shifts away from him and that one action causes him to feel like his heart has just been ripped apart.
"I wanted the chance to explain Annabeth," he says, his voice soft. "Would you give me that, please?"
She takes a shuddering breath and replies barely above a whisper, "I am so mad at you."
He sighs and decides to take a chance. He leans in closer and hugs her, tucking her into his side. She melts into his arms immediately and grabs a hold of his shirt, as if he'd disappear if she didn't have some sort of grasp on him.
"I know you are," he mumbles into her hair. "But you have to believe me Annabeth, I didn't want to kiss her. It was all a ploy that Luke created to separate us. She kissed me first and at the beginning I thought it was you, but as soon as I realized it wasn't I pushed her away."
He pulls back to look at her face, her entrancing grey eyes looking like shattered glass. His voice goes unsteady at the sight. "I promise you I would never hurt you like that, Annabeth. I love you so much. You believe me, right?"
She blinks at him and looks down at her lap.
"So many people have hurt me before, Percy. And I've hurt others. What's to say we won't hurt each other eventually?"
He cups her cheeks with both hands making her look at him, determination flooding through his veins. "Because we're different. Our love is a once in a lifetime sort of thing, Annabeth. And I'll be damned before I'd let you slip away from me. We belong together, you and I. And nothing and no one is going to get in the way of that."
She sighs and quirks her lips up a bit before running her fingers across his cheek. "You don't play fair, you know?"
His eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean?"
"Well, how am I supposed to stay mad at you when you say such sweet things? Not to mention you wore your glasses today."
He feels his face burn and smiles bashfully. "I thought it might help since it's your favourite look on me."
She grins playfully while toying with the hem of his shirt. "Not my favourite," she whispers, her breath hot on his face, "but a close second."
Percy makes a strangled noise at her insinuation and she laughs, her smile brightening up her face. Her happiness almost makes up for his embarrassing reaction... Almost.
Oh, who's he kidding? This girl is his fucking world.
___♪___
"Percy? Can I ask you something?"
"What is it beautiful?" he responds, nuzzling her neck.
Annabeth lets out a content hum before asking, "What did you think of me the first day we met?"
He takes a moment to think back to all those years ago, when he first laid eyes on this goddess of a woman sitting in front of him. He was so awkward back then, not that he's still not a little awkward now, but he's much more confident in himself as of late. Especially with Annabeth at his side.
His arms tighten around her, bringing her closer to his chest. "I thought many things when I first met you."
"Tell me," she says, running her fingers lightly over his arms. He can't believe that she can still make him shiver when she does things like that.
"Well, I thought you were gorgeous-"
"Obviously."
He tickles her side, making her giggle. "Shush, you. Anyways, I also thought that you were incredibly intimidating-"
"What? How?"
"Annabeth," he deadpans, "you looked like a runway model and spoke with so much confidence that it made me wonder why the hell you were talking to me at all. Plus, you were openly flirting with a guy who had no experience with girls whatsoever. Now stop interrupting."
She smiles and gestures for him to go on.
"Okay, and I also thought you were big trouble and I had to stay away from you."
"Really? That's weird."
"How so?"
She turns in his arms to look at him. "Because I thought the same thing of you."
Confusion spreads across his face. "Why did you think I was trouble?"
"Because I didn't want to fall in love, Percy. But one look at you and I instantly knew that you'd be the one to take my heart."
And with those words in his mind, he kisses her like he's never kissed her before, with the wind blowing in their hair, the cars honking in the never ending traffic, and the New York City skyline as their backdrop.
And as Annabeth wraps her arms around his neck, he can't help but feel a sense of euphoria.
Here, on their rooftop.
Fin.
hey loves!
i hope you like this one
i'm thinking of adding more oneshots that are not by justanotherwisegirl.... no promises tho.
___♪___
it hurts but its okay i'm used to it