Archive of Our Own

Annabeth took a deep breath as she knocked on the Jackson’s apartment door. It wasn’t the first time she was visiting Percy at his home, but the number was still under five, and Sally — as welcoming as she always was — scared Annabeth a little. Percy cared so much about his mom and her opinion, and Annabeth wasn’t good with moms or maternal figures.

It didn’t take long, only a moment later the door swung open, revealing Percy’s blonde curls and bright smile. “Hey! You made it!”

“Yeah,” Annabeth nodded awkwardly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Are you- are you ready to go?”

“Not yet, Mom said I can’t leave until I put my clothes away,” Percy rolled his eyes but moved aside, gesturing for her to come in. “Ma! Annabeth is here!” Sally appeared around the corner to the kitchen with a warm smile, putting her hands on her hips.

“Annabeth, it’s so good to see you again!” she said. “Especially considering how much Percy talks about you, I feel like I know more about-”

“Ma!” Percy cut his mother off, cheeks red as he glared at her. Sally raised her hands as if conceding defeat. Annabeth bit her lip as she looked between the two — it was so easy for them. It was never easy with her dad.

“Alright, alright,” she said. “I’m gonna be leaving in just a few minutes to meet Paul, so make sure you take your keys with you. And get your clothes put away or I will donate them.”

“Yes, Ma,” Percy nodded, giving her a brief kiss on the cheek as he passed her, gesturing for Annabeth to follow. She did, smiling tightly at Sally as she walked through to Percy’s bedroom. He opened the door and let her through — it was small, only really room for his bed, desk, and dresser, but it was clean — much cleaner than it usually looked through their IMs.

“Did you finally learn how to put your dishes in the sink?” Annabeth asked teasingly, eyes glancing over the posters covering the walls — they were usually too blurry for her to see. They were diverse in subject, from dinosaurs to dirt bikes to bands. He had a model sailboat on a shelf above his bed and a model of the solar system hanging from his ceiling. It was cluttered and lived in. Everything her bedroom at her dad’s wasn’t.

“You just sit at the desk, this shouldn’t take too long,” Percy nodded at his desk — just as full as the rest of his room. There was a laundry basket of folded clean clothes sitting on his bed, so she did as he asked, dropping down in the rolling chair. She continued her inspection of his room, this time looking at the opposite wall. It was much the same, with a large poster of a New York Street and a mirror right next to the door and-

She froze, head tilted as she looked at the mirror. Percy had taped pictures all around the perimeter, and they were a mix — a few of Grover and the two of them, a couple of him and Tyson, one of him and his mom, and several group pictures from camp — but on one side, all in a row, were four different pictures of her. The first, the highest, was the first one she ever sent him, in the fall after their first quest from her and her dad’s trip to Washington D.C. It had several layers of tape holding it up, peeling up at the corners.

The next one was the next summer, after they returned from their quest to get the Golden Fleece. She was sitting on the shores of the canoe lake, leaned back, relaxed and smiling. She was pretty sure Silena was the one to take that picture, as the girl had a need to document everything, compiling photo albums of each summer that were kept in the Big House.

The third picture was actually of the both of them, from last summer. It was the fourth of July, when the sun was just starting to go down. They were sitting together on a blanket on the beach, waiting for the Hepheastus’ cabin fireworks show. They were sitting close together, sides pressed together, and Percy’s arm was propped up behind her back. He was looking down at her, while she was looking at the camera, his grin soft and smile lines evident. Looking at it made her blush.

The last picture was recent — only a few months old. She had sent it with one of her letters, and it was her in her new uniform on her first day of school. Her hair was freshly braided and she had actually put on a little bit of makeup (mascara and some tinted lip balm, but still). She wasn’t originally going to send him the picture that her dad insisted on taking, but when she mentioned how embarrassing it was, Percy had requested a copy. She didn’t realize it was so he could tape it to his mirror.

“I think you’re really gonna like this movie, Beth,” Percy said, shaking Annabeth from her picture induced stupor. “It’s a reshowing, it came out forever ago, but it’s a comedy more than it is a horror movie.”

“I’m sure it’ll be good,” Annabeth agreed, turning her attention to his desk instead. She didn’t touch anything, but she took in everything that was scattered across the surface and on the shelves. On top of the hutch was a decorative cardboard box — it seemed out of place in his room, as it was clean, and a soft purple color. Curiosity got the better of her and she stood, standing on her toes to try and see what was inside — thankfully the lid was not all the way on and the contents were visible.

And it was her letters. What seemed to be every letter she had sent to him in the past four years was in the box, folded back into their envelopes. From what she could see, they were all worn, edges soft from repeated handling. “Annabeth?”

“What?” she whirled around, eyes wide as she took Percy in. His clothes were put away, and the laundry basket somewhere else as his bed was now clear.

“You good?” He furrowed his brow, glancing behind her. “Oh. I didn’t- I didn’t realize that was out.”

“You kept them?” Annabeth asked softly. “My letters?”

“Course I did,” Percy nodded and stepped around her — though the room was so small, he still brushed against her arm and it sent what felt like a lightning strike through her skin and muscle, straight to her heart. He grabbed the box and brought it down, taking the lid completely off. Now that she could see everything, she could tell that she was correct before — the letters were well-worn and read, and all there. Even a few notes that she had left in books he had borrowed were stuffed in the sides. “Did you- do you keep my letters?”

“Yes!” Annabeth confirmed quickly. Percy’s letters to her were stuffed in a ziploc bag in the side pocket of her duffel — that way, if she ever had to leave in a rush, they would be with her. “I just…I didn’t realize you did. Boys aren’t usually so…sentimental about this kind of stuff.” At least, that’s what Silena had told her.

“Well, they’re important to me. They’re your letters,” Percy shrugged and fit the lid back on the box, setting it on top of his desk. “Of course I was going to keep them. Now, we gotta go, or we’ll be late, and Ghostbusters waits for no one.” Annabeth could only nod, following Percy out of his bedroom. It seemed Sally had already left, as the apartment was empty. She could barely focus on anything except her footsteps and the pounding of her heart they exited, Percy locking up behind them. They walked down the stairs together, Percy holding the doors open for her, even shoving past her back a few times when she tried to get them herself. He even paid for their tickets and popcorn, and it wasn’t until they were sitting in the dark theater, side by side, that Annabeth let herself smile.

***

Annabeth sighed as she glanced out the window. She had come to New York for her Spring Break and while she was spending most of her time at camp, Percy insisted she spend a few days with him in the city. They had gone to the Natural History Museum in the morning, and Percy had followed behind her, not complaining once about how long she was taking, and even bought her the enamel pin she had eyed in the gift shop (that she immediately stuck to her backpack).

After they finished at the museum, the weather was getting cloudy, so he led her to what he claimed was the best pizza place in the city, and bought them a few slices, and she had to agree — it was pretty delicious. But in the time it had taken them to scarf down their lunch and debate what they wanted to do for the rest of the day (she wanted to go to the library, while he wanted to take her on the Staten Island Ferry), it had started raining.

“You good, Beth?” Percy asked, gently nudging her foot under the table with his.

“What?” she sat up a bit, and looked over at him, his brows furrowed. “Oh, yeah, I just…I washed my hair and had Silena braid it the first day I was at camp, and the rain can mess them up. But it’ll be fine,” she shook her head. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, we can go to the library, since it’s raining, and I’ll take you on the ferry tomorrow,” Percy stood and shoved his chair in, walking in front of her to hold the door open. They hunched close together as they walked, Percy tugging his hood over his curls, but Annabeth didn’t have that option. They hurried along the sidewalk to the nearest subway station, and as soon as they were underground and safe from the rain, Annabeth reached up to check on her braids and see if there was any frizziness. She frowned when she felt…nothing. They were completely dry. She ran her hand down the length of them and got the same result. She looked over at Percy, who was the same — not a drop of water on him.

She didn’t say anything as she followed him through an exit door to get onto the platform, and if later that night, she let him have the extra cookie from the batch that Sally made, he didn’t need to know why.

***

Annabeth huffed as she was tugged down the sidewalk, Percy’s fingers laced with hers as he led her toward their destination — their favorite smoothie shop. Normally, they’d be meeting Grover, but he was stuck in Wyoming, so they promised to pour one out for him. “Percy, can we slow down just a little? Your legs are a lot longer than mine.”

“Sorry,” Percy did reduce his pace, walking with her rather than in front of her. “How’s that assignment for your history class coming?”

“Makes me wish we never fucking left Tartarus,” she grumbled. “I’m gonna get it done, but I just can’t bring myself to care about the history of the capitalist system in the United States.”

“We didn’t have to worry about capitalism in Tartarus,” Percy agreed. “When we get back home, you can work on it if you want? I’ve got an essay for English I gotta work on.”

“Maybe,” Annabeth sighed gratefully as they reached the smoothie shop. Percy opened the door for her, and then ordered for the both of them, paying before she could protest. “Can we drink them outside? It’s nice.”

“Sure,” Percy agreed and once they had their styrofoam cups, they made their way onto the small patio, and chose a table tucked in the corner. Annabeth settled in her seat, and watched as Percy did the same, though he angled himself a bit awkwardly. Percy hooked their ankles together under the wrought iron table, and told her all about the new guy on the swim team (he was a bit of a tool, but a good swimmer, so they were putting up with it for now).

As they sat together, sipping their smoothies, Annabeth noticed something. Every time she shifted in her seat, Percy did too. It wasn’t very obvious, minute, little movements, but it was every single time. It wasn’t until he got up to throw their empty cups away that she realized why he was doing it — the sun. She was sitting facing the sun, but with Percy sitting across from her, he was blocking the direct sunlight from bothering her. When Percy returned, hand held out for her to take as she stood from the chair, she grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him down into a kiss, humming happily against his lips.

“What was that for?” Percy asked once they finally separated, eyes a little cloudy and lips swollen.

“I just love you,” Annabeth kissed his cheek. “Now c’mon. I wanna get back to yours. It’s bright out here.”

***

Taking the subway when it was rush hour was not something Annabeth liked to do, but sometimes it was necessary. She and Percy were going to see a movie, and the only time there were tickets available were right at six in the evening. After shouldering onto a packed car, Percy wrapped one arm around her waist and grabbed the bar to steady them as the train jerked around. Annabeth let herself lean her weight against Percy, wrapping her arms around him as well, sneaking her hands down to tuck in the back pocket of his jeans. He smirked a little and kissed her head, but didn’t say anything — it would be useless. With how crowded and noisy it was, and their height difference, she wouldn’t be able to hear it.

She could feel Percy’s fingers playing with the end of her braids — they were long, and she had left them loose, since she knew he liked them like that. They stood together for about half the ride, when the seat closest to them was vacated. Percy glanced around and then herded her over to it, gently pushing her until she sat down, standing directly in front of her. Annabeth pouted up at him, hooking a finger in his belt loop, but he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t until they were out on the street, Percy’s arm around her waist, that she brought it up.

“I like standing with you,” she argued. Percy just shrugged and gave her his signature, troublemaker smirk.

“Oh well.”

“Oh well? That’s all you have to say?” Annabeth huffed. “You’re annoying.”

“And so are you,” he leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” she grumbled. She went to open the door to the theater but stumbled back as Percy yanked her to a stop, stepping forward so he could open the door instead.

“Will you let me do my fucking job?” Annabeth rolled her eyes and waited at the second set of doors for him to open them, pinching his side when he rested his arm over her shoulders.

***

Annabeth dropped onto the couch in the Jackson apartment with a relieved sigh. “Tired?” Sally asked from her armchair, flipping the page of her book.

“So so tired,” Annabeth agreed. “I had two different projects due and a test.” Sally grimaced in sympathy.

“That is rough,” she agreed. “I made cookies last night; Percy saved you a few. They’re on the counter.” Annabeth was up and heading to the kitchen immediately, snatching the bag to rip it open. She shoved half a cookie in her mouth, moaning quietly as it melted against her tongue — she didn’t know what magic Sally Jackson had in the kitchen, but these were the best cookies she’d ever had and they never disappointed.

She took the rest of her cookies back with her to the living room and collapsed onto the couch, curling up in the corner. Sally tossed her the remote to the TV without a word, and Annabeth was grateful to just find her favorite detective show and turn on a random episode (she liked figuring out who the criminal was before it was revealed). Percy had swim practice and wouldn’t be home for another hour and a half, so she settled in to watch.

It took two and a half episodes for Percy to walk in the front door, and the second he saw Annabeth, his eyes lit up and he smiled. He dropped his backpack on the floor, ignoring Sally’s protests, and practically threw himself on the couch to get to Annabeth. “Percy!” Annabeth shrieked a little as she was manhandled, her legs tugging over his lap, his arms around her waist.

“I missed you,” he muttered, nuzzling his nose behind her ear. They hadn’t been able to meet up that week thanks to all the work she had to do, so it had been five days since they had last seen each other, and as corny as it was, Annabeth was feeling it too.

“I missed you too,” she revealed, and as much as she wanted to kiss him, that was not something she was going to do in front of his mom. As comfortable as she had gotten with Sally in the last few years, she was still her boyfriend’s mom. She was spending the weekend here, though, and she knew Sally and Paul usually had date nights on Saturdays, which would give them plenty of time. “How was practice?” Percy didn’t need any more prompting as he launched into a tirade about that not so new boy who was now becoming more trouble than he was worth, and the coach asked Percy to talk to him as captain first to try and get him to get his shit together.

“I don’t think he took in anything I said, but I guess we’ll see at the meet next week,” Percy sighed. “I’m just glad to be home now. Ma, how was your day?” Annabeth snuggled closer, laying her head on Percy’s shoulder as they talked, and was even close to dozing off a little when Percy sat up abruptly.

“What?” she whined a little.

“I got you something,” he carefully pushed her legs off his lap and stood, heading back toward his room. Annabeth looked over at Sally and caught her gaze, but she just shrugged. This wasn’t unusual, really, at least once or twice a month, Percy would randomly give her a gift. It was usually something small, a little trinket, or something he remembered her saying she needed. The last gift was a tube of her favorite tinted lip balm after she lost hers on a date. Before that it was a pair of gold laurel wreath earrings, and the time before that it was a new satin scrunchie after hers lost its elasticity.

Percy rejoined them and handed her a bag of candy — one of her favorites, a Greek Yogurt chew. “I had to go over to Astoria for Mom, so I stopped by the bodega that has these.” Annabeth took the bag and reached up for him, Percy taking the sign and leaning down to kiss her briefly (Sally was right there).

“Thank you,” she said sincerely, already tearing the bag open to grab one of them, tossing it in her mouth with a pleased hum. There weren’t many places to get these in the city, so she wasn’t able to get them very often, and Percy remembered that.

“You’re welcome,” Percy dropped back into his spot, and before she could even think about moving, he was tugging her legs back over his lap, hand laying on her thigh (bare, inching just barely under her uniform skirt). “So, have you figured out who the killer is yet?” he asked, gesturing to the TV.

***

Percy was standing with a few gold medals around his neck — to no one’s surprise. Annabeth rolled her eyes as she watched from her spot in the stands with Paul and Sally. He had come first in all but one of his heats, and he was talking with some of the other boys from his team. “At least this means he’ll be able to get a swimming scholarship if he goes to college,” Sally sighed. They had all talked about making sure that Percy didn’t attract too much attention with his swimming, and to be fair to him, he wasn’t breaking national records or anything, but he was toeing the line.

Finally, the meet was officially called as the last relay finished and the winners announced, so the three of them made their way down to the edge of the pool where Percy was waiting. He was soaking wet, for once, since magically drying himself off would raise a few eyebrows. “Congratulations, baby, you did so good,” Sally hugged him tightly, rubbing his back.

“Good job, kid,” Paul clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks,” Percy beamed. “And thanks for coming.”

“We wouldn’t miss it,” Sally promised. “But we do need to leave. Paul got us those Broadway tickets, and we gotta go get ready. You got your keys?”

“Yeah, they’re in my bag. Have fun,” Percy and Annabeth both bid them goodbye with a wave before Percy turned to face Annabeth. The pool area was mostly clear by now, most athletes in the locker room and families waiting outside rather than in the chlorine stench. “You’re getting your hair done soon, right?” he asked, eyes running the length of her braids.

“Uh, yeah, I was gonna see if Clarisse or Hazel could do them when we go to camp on Monday,” Annabeth said, frowning a little. “Why? Are they a mess?” Percy shook his head quickly and wrapped his arms around Annabeth, smirking a little.

“No, I just wanted to make sure it was okay to do this,” and with that, he fell backwards, dragging Annabeth with them, straight into the pool. They sank straight to the bottom, and Percy created a small air bubble around their heads, laughing as she glared at him.

“What is wrong with you?” she huffed, hands clenched around his arms.

“Just recreating our second kiss, since I can’t really recreate our first,” he pulled her in close, pressing their lips together with a happy noise. Annabeth melted against him, hooking her legs over his hips. They stayed in the water, pressed against the wall, for Gods knows how long, but when they finally emerged, the space was completely empty.

“Ready to go home?” Annabeth asked.

“Let me go get dressed and then we can go.” Annabeth waited on the front row of the bleachers, completely dry. It didn’t take him long, and soon they were heading toward the subway station.

“We have to stop at my dorm so I can get my hair stuff,” she reminded him, but unexpectedly, Percy’s cheeks darkened and he shuffled awkwardly.

“Actually, we uh, we don’t,” he said, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“What? Percy, I have to wash my hair, and I love you, but I cannot use the stuff you or your mom have,” she said gently, but Percy just shook his head again.

“I-I know, but I…the last time you stayed the weekend, you had to leave early to go wash your hair, and so the next time I went to your dorm, I made a list of all the stuff you use and I…” he mumbled the last part so that she couldn’t hear, and then they were descending into the station so it wasn’t until they were seated on a subway car that she could prompt him to finish what he said, though she was pretty sure she already knew what it was and it was probably gonna make her cry the next time she was alone.

“I bought all the stuff you use so that you could just wash your hair at my place,” he finally finished, shy and not meeting her gaze.

“You really did that for me?” Annabeth asked, reaching up to cup his jaw.

“Of course I did,” he didn’t hesitate. “And I can braid your hair too, if you want. I know I’m still learning, but I could do something simple-” Annabeth pulled him down into a kiss, mindful of the fact that they were in public, but didn’t pull away until her lungs were aching for air.

“Thank you,” she whispered. Percy just smiled, and leaned their foreheads together for a quick moment before pulling away. They were quiet for the rest of the trek home, and the apartment was dark when they returned — and would be for hours, since Sally and Paul were out. “You wanna help me take my braids out?”

“S-Sure,” Percy agreed. “You need a pair of scissors, right?”

“Yep, and rat tail combs will make it easier, but they’re not necessary if you don’t have them,” she said thoughtfully. “My braids are thicker, so they’re easier to take out.” Percy nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, coming back out a moment later with a pair of standard scissors in his hand.

“How…” he trailed off, as if he wasn’t even sure what to ask. Annabeth laughed a little and took them from him, holding one braid out. She tried to remember how long her hair was and then moved down a few inches, cutting off the rest.

“About that length,” she said sweetly. “Now, you cut while I put on my show and then we can take the braids out.” Percy sat on the edge of the couch, dropping one of the throw pillows on the floor between his feet for her to sit on. He obediently cut her braids where she showed him as she navigated to her crime procedural, setting the remote on the coffee table as an episode began to play.

She took one of the braids that Percy had already cut and began deftly unraveling it, dropping the fake hair in a pile next to the ends of her braids. Percy had finished cutting them off quickly and had moved on to helping her take them out, listening as Annabeth talked out the mystery of the episode. She leaned back against the couch, tilting her head to rest on his thigh as they worked, and it took almost three episodes, but they got her braids out and natural hair free.

“Can I take a shower now?” she asked, using Percy’s knees to push herself to her feet.

“Course, I’ll uh…I’ll get your stuff,” Percy’s cheeks were back to being a little red as he stumbled to his room, coming back to meet her at the bathroom door with a box full of all her usual products — shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair oil, curl cream, moisturizer, even edge control and a brush to go with it.

“Thanks, Percy,” she stood on her toes to press a soft kiss to his cheek before stepping into the bathroom. She took her time as she washed her hair and scrubbed her body, finally turning the water off a long while later, the mirror completely fogged over and steam still floating in the air. She took the time to completely moisturize next, hair wrapped in a towel to soak up as much water as possible.

Then she realized she didn’t bring clothes in, and she didn’t really want to put her other clothes back on. She huffed a little and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around her chest. It was a little short, rising high on her thighs, but it wasn’t like Percy hadn’t seen her naked before anyway.

“Percy?” She opened the bathroom door and walked down the short hallway to the living room, giggling a little when Percy tripped over his own feet when he saw her. “Can I borrow some clothes?” She had some here, for emergencies, but it wasn’t anything comfy.

“Y-Yeah,” he nodded quickly, curls bouncing with the hurried movement. “Same place as always.”

“Thanks,” she grinned, watching as Percy’s eyes trailed down the length of her body, stopping at her legs. She walked slowly, glancing over her shoulder at her boyfriend, giggling again when she noted his eyes trained on her ass. When she was in his room, she rifled through his dresser and tugged out one of his old and worn long sleeved shirts. It was big on her, sliding off one shoulder and reached further down than the towel did, but she still pulled on a pair of underwear and pajama shorts (though they were completely covered by the shirt anyway).

She joined Percy on the couch, the TV now playing some cheesy old horror movie. She had barely made contact with the cushion before Percy was tugging her over and into his lap, spreading her legs on either side of his hips. “Miss me?”

“Always,” he mumbled, hands running up and down her bare thighs. “You done for the night?”

“Yeah, it just needs to dry. I’ll style it in the morning,” Annabeth leaned forward, both her hands pressed against Percy’s abdomen, laughing when she heard it rumble. “Hungry?” Percy groaned and dropped his head on her shoulder, burying his face in her neck.

“You smell good,” he said instead of answering. “You always smell so good.”

“Thank you,” Annabeth tangled her fingers in Percy’s curls, scratching his scalp gently. “What do you want to eat?” It took them a while to settle on something, but eventually they agreed and spent the rest of the night cuddling on the couch as they watched whatever movie Percy put on.

***

Fucking finally.

They were officially high school graduates. Percy had graduated the weekend before, and now they were at hers, and she was searching for him, Paul, Sally, and Grover in the crowd. Thankfully, her boyfriend was tall as fuck so she was able to find him pretty quickly, and was enveloped in a tight hug, her feet lifted from the ground.

“Congratulations,” Percy whispered in her ear. “I’m so proud of you.” Annabeth beamed as he set her back on her feet, careful of the heels she was wearing, and she didn’t get a second to breathe before Grover was hugging her, sniffling softly.

“I just can’t stop picturing seven-year-old Annabeth, the one that I met in the sewer,” he wiped his nose. “And now look at you! And you’re starting college in the fall!” She laughed a little and hugged Grover again, blinking back the tears in her own eyes.

“I love you too,” she said, squeezing him again before pulling back. Sally was next, though her protruding stomach made it a little more difficult.

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” Sally whispered. “I’m sorry that your dad couldn’t make it, but I am honored that I got to be here.” The reminder of her father was bittersweet. It was the boys’ middle school graduation, and he had elected to be there for that. It had taken a lot of talks with Sally and Paul about her dad, but recently she had made peace with the fact that he was never going to be the dad she always dreamed of, but if he could be that dad for the boys, then she wasn’t going to be mad at them for that. She was still pretty pissed at her father though.

“Thank you,” Annabeth quickly wiped her nose and jumped a little when Paul wrapped them both in a hug.

“Two of the three have graduated. Just think, we’ll have to do this again in 18 years,” Paul said teasingly, smiling down at her, and Annabeth bit back the tears again — she was not going to cry right now. “Let’s get loaded up, our reservation is in half an hour.” They were taking all three of them out to celebrate Percy and Annabeth’s graduation, at a nicer Italian place that they loved but was too expensive to go to anything other than a special occasion.

Annabeth was squished in the middle of the backseat between Percy and Grover — not that she really minded being pressed against her boyfriend. Sally was a little teary-eyed the entire drive, one hand rubbing her stomach as she told them stories about baby Percy and how he had gotten in trouble or expelled from his different schools.

“Alright Ma, we don’t need to tell every story,” Percy protested after she had gone into detail on the time was found in a sea otter exhibit at an aquarium on a school trip.

“I think we do,” Grover argued. “I remember the first week we met…” Annabeth was giggling uncontrollably by the time they were seated at the restaurant, Percy’s hand on her thigh and Grover on her other side while Paul and Sally were across from them. It was a nice dinner — the food was delicious and Sally kept getting weepy over how she was of them all, but by the time the plates were cleared, Annabeth was ready to have some quiet time. When she was a kid, and then at camp, whenever she was overstimulated, she could just go and be by herself. Before she ran away, she hid in the closet in her bedroom, and her dad and stepmom never noticed her missing, so she could stay as long as she liked. At camp, there was a small stretch of beach on the sound that was a bit harder to get to, as it was isolated though a small thatch of trees, and she would spend however long she needed just sitting in the sand and listening to the ocean, letting it calm her racing mind (and yes, she understood the irony that her soulmate would be the son of the sea god).

“I think we’re gonna take a walk, if that’s okay?” Percy suggested once they were outside the restaurant. “We’ll meet you back home?”

“Of course, just be safe, okay?” Sally kissed all three of their heads (Percy had to duck down so she could reach) before she and Paul left with a wave. Annabeth was forever grateful that Percy knew her so well and could always tell what she needed.

“Central Park’s not too far away, wanna go there?” Grover suggested, always one to seek out the natural world. But she and Percy agreed, and they were on their way. They were quiet as they walked, Annabeth holding onto Percy’s arm for support. Her heels were starting to hurt her feet, since she wasn’t used to wearing them; but she had faced Tartarus itself — she could stand wearing her heels for a little bit longer.

They wound up near the Conservatory Garden, walking leisurely along the path as they reminisced about everything they had gone through to finally get here — high school graduates, Annabeth with a college acceptance, Percy with a scheduled date to take the FDNY EMT test, and Grover working with national parks. Annabeth sometimes didn’t believe that they had actually done it, they had survived everything thrown at them before they were even 18.

They had walked around for almost half an hour when Grover bid them goodbye — he had a date with Juniper — so Percy and Annabeth began their walk home. She was leaning more heavily against Percy now, as he told her about the movie they had to go see. He concluded his argument (not that she was even going to say no to begin with) and then stopped, looking down at her.

“Put your arm around my neck,” he said, and Annabeth frowned, confused, but did as he said, and a moment later, she was lifted in the air, one of his arms in the crook of her knees and the other behind her back.

“Percy!” she gasped, tightening her grip on him. “What are you doing?”

“I can tell that your shoes are making your feet hurt,” he shrugged. “I can carry you so why wouldn’t I?” Annabeth felt her skin heat up, and she leaned in to kiss his cheek, leaving behind a slight stain of her lip gloss. She didn’t think he’d mind.

***

A few weeks after their graduation, Sally had handed Percy the keys to the cabin in Montauk along with strict instructions of not getting pregnant (My child and my grandchild cannot be the same age, Percy) and sent them on their way. As embarrassed as Annabeth was by the fact that Sally knew that she and Percy had sex, she was grateful to get the alone time. They would be heading to camp after their weekend alone, and it was difficult to get time away from everybody because unfortunately, Percy had gone too far on the whole camp leader thing, and curated an open door policy for his cabin.

They had three days in Montauk, and Annabeth didn’t think she put clothes on the entire time (barring the few times she put on a bikini to go to the beach). They had gone through a stupid amount of condoms, but they were on the same page as Sally — there would be absolutely no teenage pregnancy.

On the last day, they had finished packing only about twenty minutes before they had to leave when Percy had lifted her by the backs of her thighs and dropped her on the bed. He had shoved up her shirt to kiss over her stomach, fingers working the button of her shorts open. “Percy, we have to leave soon,” she panted, hands tangling in her curls.

“So set a timer,” he snarked, hooking his fingers in her shorts and underwear, tugging them both down her legs until they hung off one ankle. “But we only have so much time before we’re at risk of being interrupted constantly, so I’m putting it to good use and spending it where I belong.” He didn’t say anything else and buried his face between her thighs. Annabeth gasped and writhed against the mattress as he worked his tongue over her, muscles clenching as she quickly climbed toward her orgasm.

Percy wasn’t kidding when he said he belonged there — ever since they started fooling around, before he had ever been kidnapped by Hera, he had begged to do this for her and he took every opportunity presented. And now, over two years later, he was an expert. He knew exactly where to lick, suck, and bite, how to move his tongue, and when to add his fingers.

Annabeth was on the fucking Isles of the Blessed as Percy drove her to three consecutive orgasms, the last one leaving her a panting, sweaty mess just as the timer went off (of course she actually set one — they had to leave by their checkout time. She wasn’t going to risk Sally getting charged something extra because they were busy having sex).

She frowned as she sat up a little — she could see how hard he was in his shorts, but when she reached for his button, he took her hands in his, kissing the palms of both. “I’m alright, Beth. You get cleaned up real quick while I get the bags in the car.”

It took her another minute to collect enough brain cells to push herself up and off the bed, tugging her underwear and shorts back up her legs. She did as he said, and slowly limped to the bathroom (she couldn’t feel her legs) and wiped herself down quickly, meeting him back at the front door.

“All good to go?” he asked, running his hand over the small of her back and down to the back pocket of her shorts. She nodded and let him help her to the car, standing back so he could open the door for her, using his hand as leverage as she slid in the seat. She wiggled a little to get comfortable, grinning as Percy slid his hand over her thigh as soon as he had the key in the ignition.

***

Annabeth was glad to pass the torch of head counselor for Athena cabin onto Malcolm, because it meant she got free time the other campers did not. She wasn’t the only one — Clarisse did, and Katie and Travis too.

They were all laying on the banks of the canoe lake in the late afternoon. They could hear the activities of the other campers, but no one was nearby, giving them a semblance of privacy as some of the oldest kids. It was their last summer before real life hit them — Travis and Katie were going to college, but Clarisse elected to stay at camp and move up to a newly created position just under Chiron as Camp Activities Supervisor.

“Where’s your boyfriend, anyway?” Clarisse asked, glancing around. “He’s usually following right behind you like a puppy.”

“We are not attached at the hip,” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “He’s helping with sword fighting lessons.”

“More power to him,” Travis said. “Now that I don’t have to, you couldn’t pay me to run any of these lessons.”

“And which lessons would you even be in charge of?” Clarissa asked. “We don’t teach petty theft as a class.”

“I’ll have you know that I have racked up enough value to be convicted of grand theft — if I ever got caught,” Travis retorted.

“That’s not the brag you think it is, babe,” Katie sighed.

“I don’t know, sounds pretty impressive to me,” Percy said, and Annabeth sat up, squinting her eyes as she looked at her boyfriend. “What have you guys been up to?”

“You’re looking at it, Jackson,” Clarisse said. “You know you don’t have to say yes every time Chiron asks for help, right? Nobody likes a kiss ass.”

“Eh,” Percy dropped to the ground next to Annabeth and leaned in to kiss her, the bill of his cap nudging her forehead. It wasn’t often Percy wore hats, since they matted his curls a bit, but the arena was in direct sunlight and he liked wearing sunglasses even less — at least when fighting. “Some people do.”

“Please go be gross somewhere else,” Clarisse requested with a retch. “I’d rather kill myself than watch this. Why do you think I threw you into the lake?” Annabeth rolled her eyes a little and nuzzled hers and Percy’s noses together, ignoring the complaints. “How was sword fighting?”

“It was nice. I like that I don’t have to prep these kids for fucking war,” Percy leaned back, putting his weight on his hands. They all made a sound of agreement at that. Annabeth reached up and snatched his hat from his head, moving to put it on, but stopped at something tucked into the front brim. She reached in and tugged it out, gasping loudly when she saw what it was.

“Perseus Jackson!”

“What?” Percy smirked, looking smug as all fuck at the flush of her cheeks. “It’s my picture. I can do what I want with it.”

“What picture?” Travis asked. Annabeth glanced over her shoulder to see all three of the other teens sitting up and watching them curiously.

“Nothing, there’s no picture,” Annabeth insisted, hastily trying to grab the polaroid that had fallen into her lap when she dropped it from the shock. Before she could, however, Clarisse had reached around and snatched it, whistling appreciatively when she saw it.

“Alright Chase, I didn’t know you had a rack like that under those camp shirts,” Annabeth groaned in embarrassment and hid her face in her knees. It was a picture that Percy had taken of her one night a few months ago when they had the apartment to themselves. She had bought a lace and mesh blue bralette and underwear set to wear for Percy, and he literally got down on his knees to beg to take a picture of her in it. His stupid big eyes and promise to make her come as many times as she wanted swayed her and she had let him take the picture (it wasn’t super risque apart from her lack of clothing, as she was simply sitting on Percy’s bed on her knees, straddling his pillow with her arms pushing her breasts out a little more and — okay so maybe it was a little risque).

“Why the fuck is it in your hat?” Annabeth shrieked. “I thought you were gonna keep it in the box with the letters!”

“But then how would I look at it all the time?” Percy asked teasingly. “It’s one of my favorite pictures of you.”

“It is a really good picture of you,” Katie commented, the picture now in her hand as she and Travis inspected it. “This color looks good on you.”

“I’m going to the lava wall and I’m killing myself,” Annabeth declared, dropping back on the towel she had been lounging on. She watched as Percy retrieved the picture and tucked it back in his hat, shoving the whole thing back on his head.

“Don’t do that, Beth, then I’ll only have the pictures,” he leaned down to kiss her nose. “The one I have in my wallet is much more appropriate, I promise.”

“You have a picture of me in your wallet?” Annabeth sat up on her elbows. Percy didn’t bother responding verbally, just tugged the leather from his back pocket and opened it up. In the front pocket with a clear window was a picture of her. It was a little older, from around Christmas, wearing a thick coat, hat, scarf, and mittens, and smiling in front of the Rockefeller Tree. “Oh.”

“I actually hate you two,” Clarisse huffed. “Genuinely. These kids are gonna grow up thinking soulmates are real or some shit.” “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Clarisse,” Percy grinned sarcastically as he shoved his wallet back in his pocket.

“You better remember it, because it’s the last nice thing I ever say to you,” she grunted as the conch for dinner sounded, effectively ending one of the most embarrassing conversations of Annabeth’s life.

***

Late in July, Annabeth went back to San Francisco to visit her family. It wasn’t something she really wanted to do, but it was her dad’s birthday, and she hadn’t seen them since the holidays. It was a quick trip, only a weekend, and Percy had to stay back to study for his upcoming EMT exam, which made it all the more stressful.

When she finally got back to the Jackson’s apartment, Sally and Paul were lounging in the living room watching a movie. She was happy to greet them both with a quick hug, but then she begged off to shower after the airplane ride, and then she went to hers and Percy’s room to take a nap.

She wasn’t sure how long she was asleep, but when she woke up, it wasn’t long before she could hear the front door open again, followed by Percy’s voice. He got louder as he walked through the apartment, but he stopped at what she thought was the kitchen doorway. “It smells like Annabeth.” Only a few seconds later, the bedroom door was flung open and Percy threw himself on the mattress next to her. It was a small bed, so they were entirely pressed together as he kissed all over her face, exclaiming how much he missed her.

“You’re never crossing state lines without me again, these past three days were awful,” he whined, burying his face in her neck. “Promise?”

“I promise,” Annabeth rubbed his back, though she really felt the same. She hated being away from him for extended periods, but at least they were always in the same city and she knew if she had said one word, he would have dropped everything and come to her (he still would have done that if she was in San Francisco, but it would have been a lot harder).

“Can we just lay here and cuddle the rest of the night?” he asked, nuzzling his nose against her jaw.

“Sounds like Elysium to me,” she agreed, not that they had much of a choice. They still slept on Percy’s twin mattress, so if they wanted to ensure they stayed on the bed, they had to get as close as physically possible — not that it was really an imposition. Percy hummed happily and adjusted their positions a little so Annabeth was more on her back and he was laying on top of her, head tucked against her tits. She rolled her eyes but just brought her hand up to run her fingers through his curls, occasionally tugging lightly at the grey streak that matched her own.

***

As much as she loved Sally and Paul, Annabeth was so glad she and Percy were able to move out, especially after Estelle was born and there was a baby waking up every two hours crying. It wasn’t a fantastic apartment, since they only had Percy’s salary and the money she was given for being architect of Olympus (and hadn’t that been a fight with the Olympians). It was a one bedroom, and the entire apartment was about the size of a cabin at camp, but it was theirs.

They hadn’t entirely unpacked yet, they still had a few boxes that were more personal and sentimental stuff than anything functional, but Annabeth was determined to get them done. She had a free day as her one class was canceled when the professor got sick, and Percy was working a 12, so she was determined to make the most of it.

She got through the first box easily, hanging the photographs (Percy had moved on from a side of his mirror to an entire cork board full of pictures of her), putting the trinkets on different surfaces, and sliding the books onto the shelf. The second box was more of the same until she came across a small leather journal she had never seen before. Curious, she opened it, and on the first page was an old polaroid of her — and she meant old, probably from when she was 13, wearing her camp shirt.

As she flipped through it, her heat beat loud in her chest, pounding her ribs. In Percy’s handwriting were lists and notes and thoughts and gift ideas all about her. Books, movies, and tv shows she liked. Her order at their regular coffee shops and restaurants. Her birthday, favorite color, clothes size. Her preferred hair and makeup products. Her favorite candies and snacks. All interspersed with polaroids of her over the years. The deeper in the notebook she got, the more deep the knowledge was. It started with the basic information, and slowly got more in-depth. Her life, all spelled out on leather and paper.

Percy had trouble remembering little details. She did too, it was the ADHD that all demigods were cursed with. And Percy, years ago, had made the decision that she was important to remember. To write down all these small facts and pieces of information. She glanced at the clock — it would still be hours until Percy got home, giving her plenty of time to execute the plan forming in her head: finish unpacking and cleaning, make Percy’s favorite dinner, put on his favorite blue lingerie set under one of his shirts, and give him the best sex he’d ever had (she had her own list too, after all, she was just better at hiding it).

***

Why did she think she could handle three classes in a day? It was worse than Tartarus. Starting at nine, she had three lectures every single Tuesday, and she wasn’t done until 4, and then she had to get back to the apartment, which was usually close to an hours commute thanks to it being so close to rush hour.

Thankfully, Percy wasn’t working, so when she got home, he was already cooking dinner. She didn’t bother doing anything but dropping her bag by the door, going straight into the small kitchen to wrap her arms around him from behind.

“Rough day?” Percy asked, turning so he could hug her back, lips pressed to the top of her head.

“If one more white boy who thinks he knows better that me, the fucking architect of Olympus, I am going to pull out my knife and stab them,” she promised. Percy nodded and pushed her back just a little, moving behind her to tug her jacket off.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he muttered. “After dinner, we can watch some of your show, I’ll run you a bath, and then I’ll eat you out until you fall asleep. Sounds good?”

“Sounds perfect,” she nodded. Once he had her jacket off, she turned to kiss him before heading to their bedroom to take the rest of her clothes off, dropping them in the pile on what she was pretty sure was their laundry basket. She pulled on a pair of shorts and one of Percy’s shirts, meeting him back in the kitchen. She sat on the counter while he cooked, stealing kisses every time he got close enough to pull between her legs (which was pretty often considering how small it was).

They ate on the couch since they didn’t have room for a table, her favorite show playing on the TV, though they didn’t pay too much attention to it, too wrapped up in talking, stealing bites from each other's plates. Full and sated, Percy led her to the bathroom, which was larger than it should be for the size of their apartment, but the shower and tub combo was not something Percy was willing to budge on. As son of the sea god, he really needed access to water somehow, and since going to the ocean wasn’t convenient with their current apartment, a good bathtub was the compromise.

“Wanna shower now or after?” he asked, already turning the tap on, sticking his hand under the water to check the temperature.

“Now,” Annabeth decided quickly. She was stale and sweaty and she didn’t want that to mix with her bath water. Percy undressed her, kissing each bit of exposed skin as he went. He helped get her braids into her shower cap, and then held her hand to help her step over the edge of the tub. He stripped once she was under the spray, getting in behind her. It was common for them to take showers together — she liked the built in time to just be with Percy.

They took their time in the shower — they didn’t have sex, or even fool around, but there was a lot of kissing and hands touching everywhere as they scrubbed each other with the soap. Eventually they did separate, and Percy stepped out, turning the tap back on and plugging the drain. “Thank you,” Annabeth leaned over to kiss him once more before laying down in the slowly rising water. She tugged off the shower cap, making sure her braids were all falling over the side and not at risk of getting wet.

“You’re welcome, baby. Shout if you need anything, okay?” Percy waited for her confirmation before leaving the bathroom, leaving the door open just a crack. She turned off the faucet once the water was high enough and settled back to relax, letting her mind drift to her current project for one of her design classes (thankfully an independent one, meaning she didn’t have to deal with anyone else’s stupidity).

She stayed in the tub for a long time — long enough to call for Percy to bring her a glass of water and then a book. He delivered each item with a sweet kiss. It wasn’t until she was finished, water draining from the tub, and she was wiping the fogged mirror clean, that the water stayed steaming hot despite the near hour long soak.

***

They didn’t get to go out on date nights too often — between Percy’s 12 hour shifts, her classes, classwork, and just general lack of money, it just wasn’t a priority. But it was her fall break, and Percy was on his four off, so they decided to splurge a little and go out to a nicer Greek restaurant.

Annabeth didn’t have to open a single door herself, and the one time she tried, Percy had actually fucking slapped her ass to get her to stop so he could do it for her. He pulled her chair out at the table, and then slid it closer to his once their waiter had walked away. He made sure to ask what she wanted and then ordered it for her, and when she dropped her napkin on the floor and had to reach down to get it, Percy’s hand slid over to cover the corner of the table.

If Annabeth didn’t know any better (better being that this was how Percy always acted, not just on date nights), she would think he was trying to get laid. Except they had already had sex that day, late in the morning after getting to sleep in a couple extra hours. And he had eaten her out on their couch in the middle of the afternoon, kneeling with his head between her thighs for almost an hour.

After a shared dessert, Percy paid and led her out of the restaurant, arm wrapped around her waist, hand low on her hip. Her feet were starting to hurt a little from her heels, but they were going straight back to their apartment, so she didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to, though, because only a block or so from the restaurant, Percy instructed her to wrap an arm around his neck and then was lifting her with one arm, supporting her under her knees.

Annabeth knew she was soaking through her underwear. The restaurant they chose wasn’t too far from their apartment, so they walked all the way home, and Percy didn’t struggle or falter under her weight once. He only set her down once they were standing outside their front door. He unlocked it and led her to their bedroom, guiding her to sit on their bed.

“You know you don’t have to do all this,” Annabeth said even as she raised her right foot to Percy’s waiting hands, watching as he undid the buckle, gently sliding it off.

“Yes the fuck I do,” Percy glared at her. “Ma didn’t raise a bitch, I treat women, you, the way you deserve to be treated.” Annabeth couldn’t stop the heat that rose to her cheeks, and the wet between her thighs. “Stand up.” She did as she was told, turning around and moving her braids so he could get to the zipper of her dress, sliding it down the length of her back. His fingers brushed against her bare skin, sliding under the fabric to push it off her body, letting it pool on the floor. He unclasped her bra next, and Annabeth let that fall as well, turning when she was just in her underwear.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Percy muttered, reaching down to wrap his hands around her thigh, lifting her with ease. He was still fully dressed, shoes still laced even. “Can’t believe I was lucky enough to pull you.” Annabeth gasped a little when his mouth made contact with her neck, immediately finding the one spot that made her melt.

“Perce- please!” she panted, clinging to Percy as he knelt on the edge of their bed and carefully dropped her near the pillows. He kissed down the length of her body, between her tits and over her stomach until he reached the hem of her underwear. It didn’t take long before she was completely naked (and he wasn’t) and his mouth was put to work. She didn’t know how long he spent between her thighs, but she came twice before he finally fucked her, wringing another two orgasms out of her.

She was exhausted by the time he was wiping her clean and helping her into her pajamas (a new pair of underwear and one of his oversized shirts. He even knelt behind her and helped slip her braids into her bonnet, tying it just the way she liked it. “Need to brush your teeth and then you can go to bed, baby,” he urged. She let him pull her to the bathroom, taking the toothbrush from him after he squeezed the toothpaste onto it and wet it.

Cuddled back up in bed together, Annabeth was content to let him lay on top of her, head nuzzled in her chest and arms wrapped around her torso. He was quick to fall asleep like that, her nails scratching his scalp, and she followed not long after.

***

Being on her period was always a toss-up for Annabeth. On the one hand, it sucked. She had awful cramps, her flow was heavy, she got headaches, and she craved anything sweet. On the other hand, Percy’s normal behavior was amped up tenfold.

She was on her third day of this cycle and he already bought her four different bags of candy, massaged her lower back, reheated her heat pack approximately twenty times, and made her come at least six times (that one had taken some working up to back in the beginning of their relationship. She had been so apprehensive to let him see or touch her while she was bleeding, but he had reassured her time and time again that he didn’t give a fuck, and reinforced that promise by eating her out for so long that she couldn’t feel her legs after).

She was laying on the couch, finishing up a reading for one of her classes, when Percy returned with her favorite soda, sandwiches, and yet another pack of candy. They ate together at the coffee table, and then she laid down on top of Percy while he rubbed her back, a movie playing on the TV.

About halfway through the movie, she wriggled a bit and sighed as she felt blood leak into her underwear (thankfully, she was wearing her period panties); she had a tampon in, but it had been a few hours, so she knew she needed to change it. She started to sit up, and Percy let her, but his hands moved to her hips, squeezing slightly.

“Bathroom, I’ll be right back,” Annabeth said, and stood on slightly wobbly legs. The cramps were bad, but not debilitating, so she made her way to the bathroom. Unfortunately, the second she sat down on the toilet, she was doubled over in pain, biting her lip to muffle the sob. A few minutes later, there was a quick knock on the door and then it opened, Percy standing in the frame.

“What’s wrong, baby?” He asked, moving to kneel in front of her once he saw the tears dripping down her face.

“Fucking hurts,” she grunted, clenching her eyes shut as another cramp squeezed her insides. “Need to- need to change my tampon but I can’t fucking move.”

“Okay,” Percy nodded and opened the cabinet under their sink and grabbed the box of her tampons, tugging a new one out. “Spread your legs.”

“What? Percy, n-no, you are not-”

“Annabeth,” Percy cut her off, eyes sharp as they bore into her. “I know you inside and out. This is not a big deal. Now spread your legs.” His tone left no room for argument, so she reluctantly spread her legs. He spun a wad of toilet paper off the roll and then carefully pulled her tampon out, wrapping it up and throwing it in the small garbage can. He wiped her clean with gentle strokes and sat up to put the new tampon in, checking in with her to make sure that it was in correctly, then pressed a kiss to her lips before standing to wash his hands. “I’ll reheat your pack, okay? And then we can lay down in bed and take a nap.” He helped her stand and tugged her underwear back up her legs.

“Thank you,” Annabeth whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he kissed her one more time before leaving the bathroom. She could hear the microwave going, so she padded into their bedroom, dropping onto the mattress and wrapping herself up in their duvet. A couple minutes later, he climbed in next to her and shuffled them around until she was laying on her back between his legs, heat pack against her lower stomach. With the soothing heat against her skin, and Percy’s comforting presence, Annabeth was drifting off before she knew it.

***

Annabeth loved their weekends at camp. They didn’t come back every week, but they tried for at least once a month. They had spent the day helping with different activities, Percy with sword fighting and the stables, and Annabeth was doing Greek lessons and the lava wall. It was good to keep their skills sharp as well. They didn’t face too many monsters after their trip through Tartarus and their destruction of the literal Earth, but it never hurt to be prepared.

After dinner, instead of going to the campfire, they snuck off to the beach, along with some of the older campers: Clarisse, Chris, Will, and Nico. Annabeth was stretched out in the sand with the other four while Percy was floating in the water, occasionally diving down when one of the fish grabbed his attention.

They had gone through all their usual topics to catch up — Annabeth’s college classes, Nico’s ambassadorship, Clarisse’s job — and were now onto telling stupid stories about their lives. Nico was regaling them with the stupid shit that a Roman centurion had said to him when Percy rejoined them on the sand, shaking his curls out a little as he dropped next to Annabeth. A little later, they got onto the topic of their first quests, and Percy was telling them all about the Arch when Annabeth frowned at one of his details.

“No, we were already up in the Arch when the Chimera attacked. I mean, after the train obviously,” she corrected him. Percy turned to look at her and narrowed his eyes slightly.

“We were outside the arch when it attacked,” Percy argued. “I was in the fountain and-”

“You’re not remembering it correctly,” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “You were in the fountain because we were trying to heal you but then we saw Echidna and took you inside. We were going up the arch to pray to my mother, and that’s when we saw her inside the museum. She didn’t attack until we were already all the way at the top and you shoved me into the stairwell.”

“Well yeah, I wasn’t going to let you sacrifice yourself,” Percy said. “But no, she attacked first and then-”

“Boon,” Annabeth cut him off. Percy’s mouth snapped shut and he stared at her for a long moment before sighing and laying back in the sand.

“Fine.” She grinned smugly and patted his stomach.

“Did you just say boon?” Chris asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Boon? Like, a reward?”

“I guess it kind of is a reward,” Annabeth mused. “But yes, I did.”

“Right,” Chris nodded, though he still looked confused.

“I think what he’s trying to ask is how it got Jackson to shut his stupid mouth,” Clarisse prompted. “Since he’s not really that good at it.”

“Hey!” Percy protested but sat back up. “It was a code word we came up with way back when we were kids. If I was doing something that led me down the wrong path, Annabeth would say boon. Now…she uses it to stop an argument. Though that’s kind of how she used it then too.”

“And you just stop? Percy I sent the Gods Medusa’s head Jackson just stops?” Will raised an eyebrow.

“Well, yeah,” he shrugged. “It’s Annabeth.”

“I think I actually hate you,” Nico groaned. “You’re the worst. How did I ever have a crush on you?” Annabeth laughed and tugged Percy into a quick kiss before laying down with him, her head on his bicep. They stayed out until the moon was high in the sky and everyone else had retired to their cabins. Nico and Will were the first to split, saying a quiet goodbye. Chris was next, and Clarisse followed not long after. Finally, when Percy was on the verge of falling asleep, Annabeth coaxed him up and led him up the path to the Poseidon cabin.

“What are we doing?” Percy asked, words slurring a bit.

“I’m getting you ready for bed,” Annabeth answered, urging him to sit on his bed. She untied his shoes and tugged them off, throwing them near the foot of the bed. Next came his shirt, replacing it with one of his old, worn ones. Finally, she swung his legs up on the bed to get his shorts off, leaving him in his boxers. “Okay, under the covers, c’mon.” Percy was sluggish, but he did get his hips up and off the mattress so she could yank his blanket down, tucking him in with a soft kiss to his forehead. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Beth,” Percy smiled up at her, squeezing her hand once before his grip loosened, falling into a deep sleep. Annabeth smiled to herself as she let his hand fall to the bed, checking him over one last time with one last kiss to his curls.