Percy's POV
It was a cold February day at Camp Half-Blood. I was standing on the porch of the Big House watching all the guys running around the fields, from their cabins to the camp store then back to their cabins, trying to see if they had picked the best Valentine gift for their girlfriend/crush.
Yep, that's right, I said it. Valentines Day. The time of the year where all the Aphrodite campers run around putting pink, red, purple and white silk sashes all around the camp. Covering everyone's cabins, including the Ares campers, and placing flowers and cut outs of hearts that will talk to you about what gifts would be best to get. Yeah, creepy. Though not as creepy as the singing flowers that can make puppies grow from their roots if your lover wants a pet. Yeah, not the best time of the year for demigods.
But unlike all those other guys running around like Hera had just sent a heard of mad cows after them- and I will tell you, I have seen too many of those to know exactly how you should run away- I was completely stumped about what to get for my perfect girlfriend who can tell you anything there is about Greek mythology, but still keep her sparkling gray eyes to have that loving look in them. Sigh. Yeah, I am such a terrible boyfriend.
It's our first Valentines together and as a couple. I just recently became a year round camper and not only was I nervous about spending my first V-day with my architect loving girlfriend but also as my girlfriend!
And I still don't have a gift for her.
I had been so busy running around for Chiron, trying to spend a weekend with my mom and keep the Gods happy that I didn't have time to get something for the most important person to me.
I glanced down at my watch. Nine thirty.
I wasn't going to be seeing Annabeth till five thirty at the Lousy-Loving-Lovers-Who-Were-Lollygagging party which, of course, the Aphrodite campers are making everyone attend.
Maybe Chiron would let me borrow the van and run down to the town and grab a gift for Annabeth real quick.
I slowly stretched my back until I heard it crack and stood straight up. I searched the mad cow like running boys till I spotted the area where the satyrs were all standing. And there I saw my best friend, Grover Underwood.
I quickly, but paced, walked over to him and tapped his shoulder. He turned and smiled at me as he said, "Hey, Perc."
His curly reddish-brown hair wet to the edge of his forehead and just barely hid his tiny butts of things he calls his horns. His shaggy go-T made him look like a rogue hippie that had been hit by a bus of goths and had to get surgery on his legs that got switched with a goats butt. Yeah, goat butt.
My best friend is half man, half goat.
"Hey, Grover. I need to ask you something." I mumbled so only he could hear me.
As soon as we got a few feet away from the group of love struck satyrs, I looked at my best friend sheepishly and said, "I need some gift ideas."
There was a long pause and then I heard his bleeh voice he made when he was either nervous, full on caffeine from coffee or laughing. I didn't need to guess what the reason was for.
"You still haven't gotten Annabeth a gift yet?" He asked me.
"Shh!" I yelled trying to block out his voice to any on going campers that would hear him.
"Dude, isn't this you and Annabeth's first V-day together?" He asked me in a lower voice.
"Well, yeah." I said embarrassed. "But, I have been . . . you know."
"Yeah, I know." He said, understanding why I hadn't been able to go before.
"Well, what are you gonna do with Juniper?" I questioned.
He and a tree nymph, Juniper, had been going out for a while and Grover was crazy for her. Juniper was a pretty and sweet girl, nice and easy to get along with. Also, she was great to Grover. Though her faded greenish skin and deep ivy colored hair kinda put an impression on her at first glance. But you get over it soon.
"Well, . . . " Grover said blushing and looking at the ground where he was kicking the dirt. "I got her a wire fence to put around her tree so that the monsters wouldn't eat her leaves anymore. It's light green with pretty flowers and fruits around it, but if the monsters try and eat it it leaves a bad taste in their mouths and they won't eat it anymore."
I paused for a moment. Nope, can't get Annabeth a wire fence for our fist V-day. . . . or hopefully ever.
"That's really cool, man. I know she's gonna love it." I smiled at him and slapped his back.
His face lit up. "You think so?" He asked me.
"Of course, dude." I said. "Hey, look I gotta go. See you at the party."
"Okay, good luck with the gift thing." He yelled after me.
Yeah, I'm gonna need it.
As I tried to think of another gift idea, I felt something hard hit my face and I fell backwards. I rubbed my head where I had hit the ground and slowly looked up to see Chris Rodriguez standing over me.
He blinked till he realized it was me who he hit.
"Oh Gods, Percy, I am so sorry!" He exclaimed as he offered me his hand. I gladly took it and he helped me back up to my feet.
"No problem, Chris." I reassured him.
Chris was a big guy. Buff, but scrawny at the same time. Nice, but not too nice. Brave, but not too brave. He was like a balance beam. A perfect amount of everything. He had shaggy brown hair that was kinda pushed to the side. He always wore plain and simple clothes, yet he had this classy and rich look to him. As I said, balanced out.
"Alright. Oh hey, I heard this is your first Valentine with Annabeth." He said to me with a small smile.
"yeah, . . . " I said slowly.
"Yeah, I remember what my first V-day was like with Clarise." He laughed like it was an inside joke.
"Was it that bad?" I asked him, kinda afraid of the answer.
"Oh Gods, it was terrible." He chuckled.
I gulped. Oh, great. Thanks a lot, Chris.
"But, hey I guess that's what its all about, right?" He asked me. "Trying to impress that special someone and ending up giving them an empty box of your feelings, huh?"
I blinked. Then it hit me.
"Light bulb." I muttered.
"What?"
"Oh, uh, nothing Chris. Thanks a lot man, you just gave me a perfect idea!" I said getting ready to dash away. Then i stopped.
"Oh, yeah." I said turning to look back at him. "What did you get for Clarise?"
He gave me this shy, but serious expression as he said sheepishly, "Trust me on this one, Percy. You don't want to know."
I held my breath and then sprinted away, trying to keep my idea for Annabeth in my head while praying to the Gods that Chris didn't get her a cannon. Oh Gods, please, not a cannon.
Annabeth's POV
For the past three hours I had been digging through my closet trying to figure out what I was going to wear to the party. I sighed, looking at all the outfits I had already said no to, which was my whole closet.
I had been on edge all day. This morning I had gotten an Iris message from Thalia saying that Artemis had allowed her to spend the day at Luke's grave. I had held my breath the whole conversation before she said she had to go. I hated her for wanting to go and visit the grave of a traitor. Yet I was sad that I wasn't going to be going with her to visit the grave of one of my dearest friends.
Then I had the worrying about the whole first Valentines Day with Percy. Oh Gods, Percy. The most perfect man on the planet. His dark black hair and his mesmerizing smile. How his sea green eyes twinkled when he looked over the ocean and how they turned even brighter when he looked at me.
Our first Valentines together and as a couple, I want it to be perfect. But how can it be perfect if I have no outfit and I'm still unsure about the Luke problem.
Don't get me wrong, I love Percy. I trust him with my life and I would never do anything to ever hurt him. Yet, Luke had been the first guy to make me feel special in the brother kind of way. But even so, fist guy to make me feel special. I just don't think it would be fair to keep Percy and still be unsure about my feelings.
maybe i'll just break it off tonight. take a break.
I turned to look at the clock. Four thirty. I have been in here all day, still nothing. As soon as I let out my breath I felt another presence in my room. I looked up to see a young women looking in my mirror as she put on her red lipstick. Just from the first whiff of her perfume I knew it was, "Aphrodite?"
She put her lipstick away and turned to me with a beautiful smile.
"Hello, Annabeth darling." She said cheerfully.
"Uh," I started as I rose from my bed and stared at her. "Not to sound rude or anything, but what are you doing here?"
"Oh, isn't it obvious? You and Percy!" She smiled.
I felt my cheeks get hotter just at the mention of my boyfriend.
"Why?" I asked.
"Come now, Annabeth. You and Percy have the strongest connection I have seen in centuries. I can't just let you push him out of your life!" She said, sounding appalled.
"But, how did you-" She waved her hand cutting me off.
"I am the Goddess of love, and I am strongest on the day of love. Also, I can tell just by looking at your face you are having trouble dealing with your feelings." She said as she looked back at the mirror.
I quickly placed my hands on my cheeks as if to try and feel the worry on my face.
"Yeah, but-"
"Annabeth, think about it. Yes, Luke was special but even you admitted it to him. It was a brotherly love. Are you trying to tell me that you have the same 'brotherly love' for that hunk that is somehow a child of that hippie fisherman?" She asked questionably, only looking away from her reflection for a few seconds.
I paused and thought about it. How long I had spent with Luke and Thalia, then the quests and adventures I had with Percy. How we had slowly become more then friends.
"No." I mumbled softly to her.
She smiled.
"Well, the party will be starting soon and Zeus strike me with lightning if I let you go out not properly dressed." She exclaimed.
She snapped her fingers.
I looked down to see my old pajamas had turned into a light gray silk tank sleeved dress that went to a few centimeters above my knees and had a elastic band around my stomach so it was tight around my upper body, but flowed out on my lower half. It had white veins streaking all over the silk with white leaves and red roses attached to the drawn veins. I had a small clump of silver bangles on my left wrist and silver heart locket chained around my neck. Of course, she also included red flats to the combo outfit.
I walked over to the mirror and saw my hair had been lightly curled so it had a natural wavy look to it. Then I had perfect looking makeup already placed on my features. A soft shade of red eye shadow had been placed over my eyes, dark eye shadow that made my gray eyes brighter and glossy looking lip gloss placed over my lips.
I smiled at my reflection and quickly turned to the door. I had to see Percy, tell him how much he meant to me and that Luke doesn't matter any more. I mean, he will always matter to me but as a friend.
I quickly walked to the dining pavilion where the party was being held. I could feel people staring at me and whispering about my outfit, but I didn't care. I just wanted to see Percy.
Though when I reached the party, he was no where to be found. After a few moments, a few of the Aphrodite campers gave a speech about how this was a party about "love" and how kissing was aloud but no "making out" or anything like that. Though they looked relatively disappointed while they said it. Music started playing and I stayed on the side lines looking around for my awfully late boyfriend. Suddenly I felt a light tap on my shoulder and when I turned I saw a pair of sea green orbs staring at me.
"Annabeth?" I heard him ask.
I blushed as I looked down and said, "Percy."
He was dressed in a white dress jacket with a purple short sleeved shirt underneath it, faded jeans and white converse. I felt so stupid and over dressed until he reached over and planted a soft kiss on my forehead and whispered, "You look beautiful."
"I could say the same for you, seaweed brain." I smiled, hoping he couldn't see my blush.
Before he pulled away from me, I saw the large and brightly wrapped present under his arm. When he was in front of me he noticed me looking at the box and smiled.
He took my hand and softly squeezed it as he whispered in my ear, "Come with me."
I let him drag me to the beach, away from the party, where the sun had started to set. He turned and gave me the most loving smile I swear he had ever worn.
"Here," He said as he held the box out to me. "I didn't know exactly what to get for you, but I think you'll love it."
I looked from him to the present to him to the present once more. I slowly ripped the white rapping paper off to reveal a regular box. I opened it expecting a book or something, but there was another wrapped box. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but he just smiled and nodded for me to continue.
I opened two more boxes till I had one more wrapped box. I sighed just ready for another box, but when I unwrapped it I found myself holding a small silver box with beautiful pictures of the sea and mermaids dancing-literally- around the sides. I held my breath as I slowly lifted the lid to reveal. . .
An empty box.
There was nothing inside. I blinked and looked up to stare at my confusing boyfriend, but as soon as I did I felt his lips gently press to my jaw line and his hands dig through my hair.
"W-what?" I asked, stuttering as his lips caressed my cheek.
I felt him laugh a little against my face but he softly answered, "It's a box full of my love for you. All of my friendship, sadness, joy and love I have felt even since I laid eyes on you."
He slowly pulled away from me and place his forehead against mine and look into my eyes. Suddenly the box felt a lot heavier then it did five seconds ago. I slowly knelt down and set the box against the soft sand and stood back up to place my forehead against his once again.
I had tears in my eyes and I smiled at him as I placed my hands against his cheeks. Suddenly the whole speech I had been planing on telling him about my feelings didn't matter. He understood. That's all that matters.
"I love you, too." I whispered as I gently placed my lips to his. I felt his arms wrap themselves around my waist and pull me closer to him.
As the sappy music played in the background from the party and I allowed Percy's kiss to get more passionate. I knew that even though those Aphrodite girls were getting diamonds and perfumes, I had the most special gift anyone could ever ask for.
Alright, so this is an OLD story I wrote like a year ago. Lately I have just been waiting for the next Percy Jackson book, Athena's Mark, to come out. Even though that doesn't happen for another four months :/ Man, why do they have to do each book a year apart? Total torture! First let me say, I haven't done First person in a long time and while I was going back and editing I was going to make it third, but Percy just always feels right in first. I think that was what made me so sad about the new series. No Percy POV D: Ah well. Still Awesome. I got this idea from my Christmas present to my best friend, gave her empty box of my love...her reaction wasn't as nice as Annabeth's...I tried. I think Percy just presented it better than I did.
Characters belong to Rick Riordan A.K.A one of the COOLEST guys alive!