Title: The Three Times He Proposed (and the One Time She Said Yes)

Author: Pamela Turpin

Rating: T

A/N: Okay, my first PJ fic – ignore my pathetic attempts at good ff and just…read. Dedicated to my closet. How would I live without you? Run naked around the street? I don't think so.

I.

The first time he blurted it out was when they were only dating for 8 months.

Well, actually, if you know enough about the 21st century, you'll know that 8 months is basically a decade in most modern relationships – by then you'll probably be thinking up of wedding decorations and if your behind looks too big in your engagement party dress.

So, it shouldn't really have been a problem. Okay, they were only 16 years old and one of them were busy rebuilding a Greek god haven and the other just finished kicking the arses of mythological baddies and their little minions (or, in the giant's case, slightly larger yet completely stupid minions). Their mother/father were Greek gods/goddesses, their status/being was demigod/food for monsters, yet they were completely in love, so you can't really argue against anything.

You see, Percy was on his way to the dance Annabeth's boarding school was holding, and, as usual, got tracked down by the typical couple of pythons. He wasn't all that scared of the pythons – but then he would probably be late to the dance and Annabeth would start ranting about how the gods were too unfair to them and break out crying in the middle of the street (ugh, hormones).

He finally fought his way through the damned pythons (getting grime all over his clothes) and tried, as gracefully as he could, walk up to Annabeth and wait for her to scream at him.

Well, she didn't. She shrieked at him. She told her about how being a demigod completely sucked (well, he didn't argue against that) and how Percy just couldn't be normal for once, and then remembered that it wasn't really his fault that monsters chased after him, and then cursed at Zeus (getting the typical lightning response).

But then, he suddenly blurted out 'Marry me' for no reason, and then covered his mouth because it was the last thing he wanted to say next to something like 'Happy birthday' and 'It's a boy!'.

Annabeth glared at him. 'If this is your way of an apology, it'll only prove how thick you are, Seaweed Brain.'

Curse Aphrodite, Percy thought.

And so, with that thought, Annabeth resumed to her ranting and Percy didn't speak a word.

II.

The manticore clawed his way to us in the middle of Wal-Mart.

Effing pain in the ass, I thought. And he has to do it in Wal-Mart.

It wasn't as if Annabeth or I had never fought against a manticore. Dr. Thorn was enough practice. But then, this time, the Hunters were nowhere in sight – unless they were shopping for Barbie-hating T-Shirts here. Which I highly doubt. I know, I'm really smart. Annabeth rubs off me.

Annabeth whispers something in my ear and puts on her cap secretly, and tries to sneak behind the manticore. Just as she was about to stab the thing, I heard a shriek. The tail had almost gotten Annabeth's face.

I could hear footsteps towards my way as I tried to stab the manticore somehow with Riptide. No luck. Annabeth swiftly took her cap off and I could see a long cut on the ride side of her face.

'Damn it,' I say, tempted to have a good look at the cut, but in the slight half of a second I take a better look at Annabeth's face, the manticore pushes us through a door that says 'Staff Only'. I stumble backwards, and Annabeth goes down with me.

The manticore picks up the two of us and throws us into a room that's freezing cold. The freezer of Wal-Mart. I'm not really sure if the real name is just 'freezer', but whatever.

I try to get on my feet and reach for Riptide (which had skittered across the floor) when the manticore gave a quick, evil laugh and slammed the door to the freezer, locking it behind him.

Annabeth had only opened her eyes. They widened in a mixture of surprise and fear as she saw where we were.

'What the hell?' She sat up. 'It's freezing cold.'

I sighed and sat next to her. 'The door won't open. Unless you happened to have some sort of large, metal stick in your pockets.'

Annabeth glared at me. 'Not your best joke, Seaweed Brain.'

I shuddered from the cold air. Annabeth laid her head on my right shoulder, her hands around herself, trying to keep warmth. I put my arms around her, too.

'I'll try to tell Grover,' I say, and concentrate on him. Telling him where we are. He understands and is coming straight away. I know we shouldn't be in immediate danger, but being in a freezer is not fun.

I take the free time to inspect Annabeth's wound. Nothing much, just a normal cut. If only I had brought some nectar or ambrosia, everything should be fine. But still, there might have been poison, and even if I look straight at the cut for an hour I wouldn't be able to find out if there had been any (well, duh, I'm a demigod, not the knower of all things injuries).

We both stayed in a huggle position for some time while finally almost freezing to death. Annabeth kept on shivering, and I could feel my skin covered entirely in goosebumps.

Suddenly, she started crying for some reason.

'What if we don't get out?' she sniffed her nose. 'What if, say, we freeze in here to death?'

I sneeze in reply.

'We will get out,' I manage to say while still shivering. 'And to make this whole freezing at Wal-Mart experience more exciting, I'm going to propose to you, because it's kind of romantic to propose to someone while covered in goosebumps.'

'Definitely a turn-on,' she rolled her eyes before realizing what I had just said.

I grin at her expression. 'I, Percy Jackson, hereby ask you, Annabeth Chase, to marry me.'

'Proposals aren't that formal, Percy,' she said, before kissing me. And I took that as a yes. But then, she gave a frown at me.

'Percy, we're only sixteen. Snap out of it.'

(And, yes, they did get out of there. After almost screaming at Grover for being completely late. Though, they kind of enjoyed it.)

III.

Percy could be such a Seaweed Brain.

Especially when he hadn't defended himself enough and lost a fight to an empousa.

As soon as I heard the news, I rushed my way towards the infirmary.

Grover was waiting for me. He had this slightly sympathetic look on his face but his eyes were fresh from crying.

It was as if Grover's face was the warning sign telling me I'll never recover from this experience.

He led me to Percy's bed. Concerned campers were crowded around his bed – but then, I only had eyes for Percy. Fuck whoever they were.

But it seemed that he didn't have eyes for me. Literally.

Because, the next thing I know, Chiron is telling me that the empousa somehow injured his eye membranes and that he was blind. For the rest of his entire life.

I'm not the daughter of Athena for nothing, though. My mind processes what he's saying, scanning for any hints of lies before I come to realize he's blind.

He's fucking blind.

Percy.

His eyes were my favorite part of him. Sea green. Green forever over blue. Luke's were those pained blue eyes I used to love. Emphasize on used to. Percy's were beautifully sea green – so deep I might drown in them, or sometimes just reminding me that his mind really was full of kelp.

Sea green reminded me of my childhood. Of right now. Of the future we might be able to have, with a little bit of luck.

And then he goes blind.

His eyes are wide open, but I know he can't see a thing. His eyes are still sea green, but they were without any emotion, and so blank. Empty. Emptiness replaced those loving eyes.

Percy is able to hear my presence. 'Wise Girl?' He manages to say, his arms outstretched, trying to find me. I let him find his way to my cheek.

'Seaweed Brain?' I say, controlling my tears. No. I won't cry. I won't cry in front of all these people. Mostly, I won't cry in front of him. 'You're really too thick sometimes, you know.'

'I know,' he replies faintly. His soft hands caress my cheek. A tear uncontrollably rolls from my eyes. I know he can feel it roll onto his hands.

I wipe it away from my face. 'Percy, you know that I'll always be here for you, right?'

He nods numbly.

'And, I haven't forgot the last time you proposed. I told you to snap out if it. It was myself who should have,' He traces my jaw line. 'And I'm saying yes.'

Percy automatically opened his mouth to argue, but I stop him.

'…and, no, you won't be able to change your mind. Blind or not, I still love you.' I kiss him on the cheek for emphasis. 'I'll take care of you forever. And that sounds cheesy and something alike the romance movies we make remakes of. Still.'

Percy's hands move onto my hair now. He finds a loose strand of hair and tucks it behind my ear when he suddenly grins. 'Do I see a blush on your face?'

I automatically open my mouth in defense. 'No, I'm probably overrun with too many emotions and I'm burning with frustration at your little problem, Percy Seaweed Brain Jackson—' before I realize what he just said.

He could see.

He blinks his eyes, and I freak out. It has to be a medical miracle. It really has to be.

And then, along with all the other campers, they shout out – 'April Fools!'

They've tricked me into a marriage.

I laugh along with them.

Drama and humor was Percy's thing. And he agreed.

It was a one-of-a-kind, happy-ending kind of proposal.