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“Rachel, we need to set up the apartment. We can’t just keep kissing—“ A soft pair of lips on her own interrupts Annabeth, muffling the complaint. Wide green eyes blink up innocently at her like Rachel hasn’t been stopping their preparation for Valentine’s Day. They were in charge of making the apartment all romantic and decorated. While Percy and Reyna were cooking in Sally’s kitchen right next door. Since neither her or Rachel can really cook, side effect of being the daughters of a rich father. Plus, she ran away to a camp that automatically had food at anytime so. Anyway, between her eye for interior decoration and Rachel’s artistic talent, it should’ve been a quick job.
However, her lovely girlfriend seemed to be in a mischievous mood today. Enough that, instead of decorating, Annabeth has ended being somewhat pinned against the wall and subjected to many kisses. Of course, she could easily push Rachel off, but she doesn’t want to potentially hurt her. Besides, this wasn’t a bad situation, just a troublesome one. The Oracle looked smug as she blinked innocently up at Annabeth before sneaking another peck, “Don’t be like that! Just 5 more minutes of kissing then we can start.”
There’s no way Rachel will keep her word, she’s been saying the same thing for the past hour after all. She tries a different approach this time, “Look there’s only another 30 minutes before our lovers are done. Do you want to be faced with Reyna’s disappointed look and Percy’s sad face? You know how much it means for them that this is as romantic as possible.”
Her girlfriend pauses at that, eyes darting to the clock. Clearly, she hadn’t been paying too close attention to the time. And with that moment of distraction, Annabeth seizes the opportunity to pry one of Rachel’s hand from the wall to bring it up to her own cheek. She leans into it, slightly turning her face to press a kiss into the middle of the palm. Her eyelids flutter, a calculated move to look as pitiful as possible, “Please Rachel? I want all of us to have a great time for Valentine’s Day. But if the apartment isn’t decorated then it won’t feel as special.”
She can practically see her lover’s resistance crumble, like a building getting demolished in one strike. Annabeth doesn’t prefer getting her way like this but modern problems require modern solutions. Either way, Rachel does reluctantly step back to free her from the wall. She presses a thankful kiss to the crest of the Oracle’s forehead. And like it was supposed to be, decorating only took half an hour.
“See? It was fine that we had our free time beforehand.”
“I might’ve enjoyed it more if I wasn’t constantly worrying that we wouldn’t make it in time.”
“Oh please, if you were really worried, you would’ve actually stopped my attempts at kissing you. We both know you have the better reaction speed.”
“…Shush.”
Annabeth can see Rachel’s mouth open to make another self satisfied remark but the front door swings open at the moment. Both of their heads snap up at the sound, and then they both tumble their way towards the noise. Reyna stands in front, one of her hands holding open the door and the other taking out the key from door knob. Percy was right behind her, pushing a small cart with a ton of dishes. Along with a platter with 4 mini cakes balancing on his other hand. She chuckles at the pleading look he gives her. But she obliges his silent request, not without kissing Reyna on the way though. The Roman lets out a little relieved sigh before gently kissing back as Annabeth smiles into the kiss.
There’s a gasp full of fake jealousy beside her, “She’s been complaining about me kissing her for an hour straight and you just waltz on in here and get one willingly from her!”
Percy pouts as she takes the platter of cakes from his hand, “And I haven’t even got a kiss.”
She sees Reyna shrug from the corner of her eye, a barely visible smug smile on her face, “Guess I’m just the better lover.” Annabeth rolls her eyes, as if she has never been in one of these playful bickering sessions before. Then she tugs Percy’s shirt to have him lean down for a kiss. From the noises behind her, it’s safe to say that Rachel got her hands on Reyna too.
“There, now all of you are even. Now can we please enjoy our free time?” Her lovers obey, all of them somehow slipping away from the front door to the living room. She watches Percy and Reyna, just to see their reactions to the decorations now littered across their apartment. Aurum and Argentum had little bow ties on, expressions somehow looking exasperated even if they were completely stoic. Both of them had a heart shaped sign on the front of them. One said ‘Will you be’ and the other said ‘our valentine?’
Other than that, paper cutouts of hearts were sprinkled around the place. Strung along the walls or ceiling, on table tops, and even tucked between the couch cushions. The most easily spotted ones had little messages written on them like ‘love you to Olympus and back’ or ‘not even the gods can stop me from sneaking into your cabin.’ The rest were blank except for the few they explicitly hide for a nice surprise. More notably, there was not one god related thing inside. Just in case Aphrodite decided to take a sneak peak.
Of course except for the one exception of a Cupid statue drowning inside a blacked out container. That was little bit for all of them but mostly for Reyna and Percy after Nico confessed that the god forced him to come out before he was ready.
Then there were photos, the ones with all of them was placed front and center so anyone walking in would be able to see them. The rest with just some of them or solo photos were scattered about the rest of the apartment. Places where only one or two of them usually lingered had photos that mostly contained those who didn’t. Just so they can look at their lovers. On the couch, where they’re about to be eating on since the dining table didn’t allow all of them to be side by side, had all of their favorite blankets and pillows.
Plus Reyna’s cape, although it’s actually for Annabeth and Rachel to share rather than its rightful owner. Now while Annabeth knows that they specifically decorated to show their love, it still makes her face flush when Percy’s and Reyna’s eyes visibly soften at the care put into it. Rachel, on the other hand, preens like a bird as they gazed the apartment with appreciation and love. Immediately after the plates were set down, Percy and Reyna moved as if they had planned it beforehand, pecking Rachel on the cheeks in unison.
The delighted giggle it draws out of the artist brings a soft smile to Annabeth’s own face. Until she realizes it’s her turn too late and a pair of lips lands on each cheek. Then she’s back to blushing her face off. Her boyfriend snickers, his hand coming up to poke her cheek, “Aw tomatobeth is back!”
“…I’m going to compliment the food until you’re a tomato.” But as the dishes are spread across their living room table, she finds it hard to not complement everything. It was truly amazing. Whether the assorted bruschetta appetizer. Or main course of steak, stuffed baked potato, and roasted carrots. Or the finale of what she can now tell are mini lava cakes dusted with powered sugar and decorated with cut fruits. A three course meal for all four of them.
Truthfully, she’s speechless, so she takes a page out of their book and gently pulls Reyna down to kiss her. Her hand comes up to hold her girlfriend’s cheek like she had Rachel do before. Their hands intertwine as Reyna brings up one of her own hands to hold it there. Annabeth leans back, eyes flickering to her other girlfriend who’s pulling away in the same manner as her. They share a little smile before switching kissing partners. She pulls back from Percy, a fond smile on her face, “You two have outdone yourselves. Thank you, both of you.”
Her boyfriend smiles, the soft and indulgent one he only gets around one of them, “No problem Wise Girl. My answer is yes, by the way.” She tilts her head, she didn’t ask a question. He studies her for a moment, before angling her head towards the two metal dogs. She makes a little ah sound in realization when she sees the question hung on their necks. He takes the time to peck her on the forehead, “Come on, the food is gonna get cold.”
Annabeth nods, feeling a tug on one of her hands. The one linked with Reyna as her girlfriend tugs her to one end of the couch. The Roman sits by the arm of the couch, then her to the left, next was Rachel, before finally Percy at the other end. Reyna’s cloak is tossed over the laps of Annabeth and Rachel as the others got comfy with the rest of the pillows and blankets. This was their usual set up, Percy and Reyna liked sitting on the ends to better ‘protect’ their lovers. Rachel likes being sandwiched and she didn’t have any preferences. Although being protected does feel nice after everything.
She feels her girlfriend’s hand leave her own, and she finds herself missing the warmth immediately. But it’s soon replaced by one of the appetizers hovering near her mouth. Reyna gives her a soft look, and well, how can she not indulge her when she looks at her like that.
In all, it was a very sweet Valentine’s Day for all of them.