I do not own PJO
It was a sunny day in Manhatten, New York, and the perfect kind of day to walk out and enjoy the weather, but all Annabeth could think of was him. Percy.
He had been missing for weeks, and honestly, she was worried sick, though she would deny it if anyone other than the people at camp and Percy himself asked. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers through Blackjack's mane, spurring the horse through the air and above Percy's apartment
Desperately hoping that she'd open the door and he'd be there, she rang the doorbell for the third time that month. Sally immediately yanked it open, her eyes wide and full of hope. But one glance at Annabeth's stricken expression and the empty space behind her told her otherwise.
Her shoulders drooped again, but invited her inside for coffee. Annabeth shook her head wearily, glancing back at the pure black Pegasus on the sidewalk. "No thanks," She declined. Sally nodded, giving her a hopeful smile before closing the door.
Almost on instinct, she swung her leg over Blackjack's back, and nudged him towards the direction of Central Park-in specifics, the Great Lawn. The area was crowded with mortals, milling about and chatting with friends, sunbathing and picnicking, couples kissing and looking so in love that she wanted to cry.
They had it all, the hero and heroine of Olympus, admired, envied, and almost worshipped by the younger demigods. Life was so perfect and she had been foolish to think that it would last.
Life as a demigod would never last in happiness. She slid off Percy's Pegasus, giving him a pat on the back and a handful of sugar cubes that she'd shoved into her pocket. The horse munched on the sugar unenthusiastically, as if the sugar tasted different without Percy there to give them to him.
She swallowed down a sob and gave Blackjack one last hug, and he nudged her hand affectionally, almost as if he were comforting her. She sighed, rubbing his muzzle and walking onto the grass.
The bare stems tickled her feet, and laughter filled her ears. They sounded like taunting, if not worse, as she sank onto the moist grass and buried her face in her hands. Blond curls cascaded down her shoulders, tangled and sloppy. She couldn't be bothered to brush them these days; what could be more important than finding Percy? She was so worried that sometimes she wondered if she should've ever fallen in love with him in the first place.
The familiar, overpowering smell of perfume alerted her to someone besides, her, and when she looked, she saw a young woman with golden blonde curls, styled to perfection, and crystal blue eyes. Perfect pink lips pursed as the goddess Aphrodite stared at her, as if accessing her appearance.
With a flick of her finger, her hair combed itself and fell down her back in perfect ringlets. The tattered Camp Half Blood t-shirt and jeans shorts were replaced by a gray v neck and a pair of black skinny jeans.
Annabeth tapped her foot impatiently. "Lady Aphrodite," She said politely. "Any news about Percy?" The love goddess shook her pale blond head, putting her finger to her lips.
"This visit is against Zeus's permission," She explained. "But I'm afraid that even I cannot break an oath on the River Styx." Annabeth frowned, confused, and then it hit her-The Olympians knew where Percy was. Even her mother, Athena, who had told her that she had no clue.
The gods had told her to find the answer in the boy with one shoe, but so far, Piper and Jason were still on their quest, with the annoyingly energetic elf, Leo. So no answers there. She turned and stared hard at the love goddess, who only smiled. "Love is hard, darling," she told her.
Annabeth nodded, too weary to actually deny the fact. It was true, though. "And it leads you through twists and turns. One second you're feeling like you could burst with happiness, and the next you feel like everything is falling out from under you." Aphrodite smiled slightly. "Remember when this happened, dear?"
Before she could protest, a scene flashed before her eyes. It was an old memory, one of Percy and her sitting at the lake in Camp Half Blood. His bare feet kicked in the water, and her past self grinned up at him like he was her whole world. One of his arms was wrapped around her shoulders, the other holding hers as they watched the water dance.
Neither of them needed to speak to embrace the moment, and before she knew it, Annabeth was yanked out of the memory and back into reality. She wasn't there; Percy was gone.
She didn't realize she was crying until a manicure finger whisked away a stray tear
Aphrodite stood up, brushing invisible specks of dust from her designer pants. "I must be going now," She informed her. "Zeus is growing suspicious of my presence." She smiled one last time. "And you won't lose him, darling, I have big, big plans for you two!" She vanished in a cloud of pink, and Annabeth didn't know whether to be relieved that she would see him again, or annoyed that Aphrodite was going to mess with her love life.
She chose to be relieved; she already had too much annoyances in her life.
Standing up, she noted absently that her knees were slightly damp from the grass. flicking off the stray pieces of green from her new jeans, she headed towards the edge of the lawn, where Blackjack stood, waiting.
Flinging herself onto his back, she leaned down. "You'll see Percy soon again," She told him. "Promise." And this time she knew it was a promise she could keep.
Percy sighed from his spot on the couch, listlessly staring out the window. It was a cloudy day, and a drizzle of rain thrummed against the window. And he could not get rid of the nagging feeling, telling him that there was something important that he had somehow managed to forget again.
Hitting himself over the head for his stupidity, he let his eyes wander around the apartment before they settled on a picture of Annabeth and him. She had his arms around his neck, and the flash had gone off just as they kissed. Involuntarily, he felt his lips pull upwards into a smile.
Annabeth... It was her birthday. He started, leaping off the couch. Shit shit shit what should I get her shit shit shit. He couldn't think properly as he pulled on his shoes and slammed the door to his home, almost running into his neighbor, who stared after him, obviously confused.
He dashed into the nearest shop and quickly purchased a banquet of roses, her favorite flower. But it wasn't enough for a birthday, especially hers. Never enough.
His phone buzzed and he picked up, glancing at the screen.
WISEGIRL: Meet me at three? Same coffee shop as usual.
SEAWEEDBRAIN: No problem. See you!
He checked the time, and cursed under his breath. 2:43 already?
Dashing into the next store, which happened to be a dollar store, he glanced around, taking in the sights and smells. No way would he buy anything for Annabeth here. He quickly turned and backpedaled, heading into the next shop.
When he noticed that it was a jewelry store, he was about to back out until he noticed the ring. He caught his breath, staring. It gleamed in the lighting, nestled in a gray velvet box. The silver setting caught the light and reflected it onto the diamond setting, which seemed to glow like liquid moonlight.
In that instant, he knew that he had to get it, despite how expensive it was. Besides, drachmas would easily pay off any fee—they were pure gold, and he had an unlimited supply courtesy of his father.
"Excuse me," Percy called. The attendant looked up; a woman in her mid-twenties with brown hair and blue eyes. She smiled politely, walking over to him.
"How may we help you?" She asked, gesturing to the selection of rings. He immediately pointed towards the ring that had caught his eye, and the woman plucked it from the counter and set it on the glass "This one? I'm afraid it's rather expensive, almost three thousand dollars—" He nodded, extracting a drachma.
"I'm afraid we don't accept th—" She peered closer at it. "Excuse me for a second?" She picked up the box and dialed a number on her phone, still sneaking glances at the drachma. Hanging up, she analyzed Percy's face. "Is that a drachma?" She sounded puzzled, and sure enough, when she picked up the metal, it bent easily.
Percy frowned. The face seemed familiar, but he didn't have time to dwell. "Percy?"
His head whipped up at his name, and all of a sudden he realized why the face was so familiar. "Atlanta?" The former hunter nodded. "What are you doing here?"
Atlanta smiled. "Quit the hunt," She admitted. "I was tired of watching my friends die one by one while I stayed alive." She shrugged. "I'm guessing this is for Annabeth?" Percy nodded. He fidgeted, glancing at the time again. 2:50.
"Alright," She told him. "I'll take the drachma, and give you the ring, okay?" she smirked. "Besides, I'm sure this drachma is worth much more than the value of your purchase." He accepted the box, thanking her before running outside again.
He was breathless by the time he reached the coffee shop and almost ran into Annabeth standing by the door.
"Percy! There you are!" She beamed at him. "Thank the gods—you aren't late again." He laughed at that one too, and set the box and the flowers on the table. She took one look at the velvet box and gasped. "Is this—" She couldn't seem to go on. "Percy, if this is marriage—we're only nineteen—one day—" Her face was red as she tried to explain.
Percy's face turned bright red too. "No," He admitted. "It's a promise ring. I promise to marry you one day. I promise to protect you, to stand by you. I promise to make you happy for the rest of our lives." Grasping her hand, he slid the silver band onto the slender ring finger.
She stared down at it, dazed, and smiled at him through her tears. "Thank you," She throws her arms around him and presses her lips against his, and as his hands tangle in her hair he thinks, maybe spur of the moment thinking isn't bad at all.
A/N: Read and review! I'll try to update my other stories, but this was floating around in my head and I just had to get it down on paper.
Blue cookies for whoever recognizes the reference to a Percy Jackson book in the first oneshot!
-Johanna