Authors Note: To my knowledge, the credit for this AU idea goes to tumblr user apharthurkirklands
Disclaimer: All ownership rights go to Rick Riordan.
Yesterday was colorless: the entire world appeared to him in only black, white, and shades of grey. Nothing about this was abnormal, for it had been like this everyday for the past 23 years of his life. No, he wasn't special; it was like this for everyone until they met their soulmate. Yet, yesterday was strange, because not only did the world look monotonous, he felt the melancholy. Yesterday, somehow, everything was even duller than it usually was. Yesterday was bleak. Yesterday was horrible. The pouring rain splattered against the light grey sidewalk as the day passed uneventfully. He finally fell asleep at 11:59 PM, after having stared at his dark grey ceiling for 20 minutes.
Today, he found, was not much better. This time though, the misery was replaced with panic as he tore down the streets of New York. He could not be late for this annual meeting with the company's top investors. He was sprinting toward his office building that was only a block away now, and he looked down at his wrist to check the time. It was 8:57 AM. He had three minutes to run a block, up 3 flights of stairs, and down a hallway to get to the conference room. But that momentary glance down at the time caused him to barrel into a girl walking out of a nearby shop. He felt the heat of the hot coffee wash over his skin, and he looked down at his shirt to see a huge dark grey stain against his perfectly white shirt.
"Oh my gods I'm so sorry," he heard a voice say.
As he was still assessing the damage done to his shirt he chuckled, "No worries, it's just as much my fault if not more." He reached into his back pocket to grab his wallet so he could quickly offer her some cash to buy another cup, in the hopes he could briskly continue on his journey to his office. But he heard a slight gasp, so quiet that he thought he imagined it. It was too late of a reaction for the accident, so in the depths of his mind, he wondered if this was the one. He mentally prepared himself before looking up.
But when he stared into her eyes, they were grey, just like the rest of the world, and he started to turn so he could continue on his way to his office across the street.
But there was a brightness that flashed in the corner of his eye, a brightness that he hadn't ever experienced before. And then he noticed the coffee puddle at his feet was no longer a dark dark grey, but a different dark color that he didn't recognize. But, it was most definitely not grey. And when he quickly snapped his head back up to take in her entire appearance, he noticed that the only thing grey about her, was her eyes, which he decided was the most beautiful shade of grey he had ever seen.
And when he peered into her eyes, he felt the spark of a connection that only a soulmate could ignite. Some color — he had no idea what to call it— blossomed across her cheeks, and she seemed to be at a loss for words as much as he was as she smiled shyly at him. He quickly shoved the dollar bills in his hand back into his wallet, which he pocketed, and he opened his mouth to say something, anything. Nothing came out. She seemed to be having the same problem, but she managed to utter her name at least, "Annabeth, Annabeth Chase."
And that's when he was finally able to reply "Percy, Percy Jackson," as he smiled at her and felt the cliche butterflies flit around in his stomach. It was 9:58 now. He extended his hand in an offer of a handshake.
But, she pulled him into a hug, because the need for a handshake when they knew they were soulmates seemed absurd. And then he lead her into the coffee shop to buy her the cup of coffee that he owed her. They had a lot to talk about. He didn't care about the meeting anymore, and today was definitely a whole lot better than yesterday. Today was vibrant: the entire world was bright.
Exactly 1 Year Later
He was staring at the ceiling that always seemed to flicker between shades of dark blue and green depending on the amount of light bouncing around the room. It reminded him of waves in the sea reflecting rays of sunshine. He glanced over to his soulmate's sleeping form before groaning and dragging his feet to the edge of the bed, and regrettably onto the carpeted ground. After missing last year's meeting (which he regrets exactly not at all), he could not be even a second late for the meeting this year.
On her nightstand laid an open box that held an item that glistened in the sunlight. (She didn't want it to get damaged while she slept, after all).
As he sat down at their kitchen table, cup of coffee in hand, he opened the morning newspaper. It was one of the few things left in the world that remained in the greyscale he knew only for 23 years of his life. He chuckled to himself. How could he have been so stupid when he first met her? Annabeth's eyes were nothing like the grey that was splayed out on the table in front of him. No, not at all. Her eyes might be grey, yes, but they sparkled in a way the rest of the world had not until he met her.
Tomorrow, as it would always be as long as Annabeth Chase loved Percy Jackson, will be colorful.
A/N: Some notes: The entire meeting of the two occurred in the span of a few seconds. The rest of the world had started to change to color when he looked into her eyes, but he was focused on the eyes, and not the rest of the world. The change from gray scale to full color isn't instantaneous when they meet which is another reason why he doesn't immediately notice the color until he sees the flash of the sun.
Anyway, I hope you liked the story; i'm sorta on a percabeth sprint so if you have an idea for a oneshot you would like me to write, then let me know and maybe I can write it…
And let me know what you think of the story!