Annabeth is exhausted. It's finals week so she hasn't gotten much sleep and she's been working night and day on her final project for architecture (the only class that matters) on top of picking up extra shifts at the bakery so she can afford to buy her brothers a Christmas gift.
It's been snowing all morning and frankly, Annabeth's lucky she made it to work. The shop isn't too far from her apartment but she's been so tired after her week of finals that she hadn't even wanted to get out of bed this morning. It is, after all, her first day of winter break and after the crazy week she's had churning out finals left and right, she had half a mind to shut off her alarm and go back to sleep. She can't afford not to go into work, though, so she'd dragged herself out into the snow and trekked through the cold to the shop.
So here she is, frosting four dozen cupcakes at 6:30 in the morning while the snowpocalypse rages on outside. Jason's supposed to be here, but he'd texted Annabeth and said he'd be late because of the weather. So when he walks in 30 minutes after his shift is supposed to start Annabeth breathes a sigh of relief.
"Thank god you're here," she says when he hurries in tying his apron around his waist.
"Yeah, sorry I'm late," he says picking up a bag of bright pink frosting.
They move seamlessly together, a well-oiled machine in the kitchen, and no wonder since they've both been working here for three years.
"Annabeth, I've got some red velvet here ready to be frosted," Sally said poking her head around the corner.
Annabeth nods and finishes the last of the chocolate mocha cupcakes she's working on before she moves onto the new red velvets.
Jason is good at decorating the cupcakes but Annabeth is fantastic. She's always had a steady hand and an artistic eye and Sally always says she's lucky she found Annabeth because for someone who can bake so well, she can't frost a cupcake for shit.
"Oh, and I'm thinking of making some of those cannoli cupcakes you two love so much."
Annabeth glances at Jason and grins.
They open at 8 and Annabeth is surprised by how many people have braved the snowpocalypse (because this has become the official name for the neverending snowstorm) for one of Sally's baked goods, although Sally is an exceptionally good baker so it's not entirely shocking. By about 9:30 the rush has pretty much died down and the only people left in the shop are a few regulars sitting at their normal tables, reading their morning papers. Annabeth heaves a sigh as a mom and her three small children leave the shop, their shouting voices still audible through the window. She turns to Jason, who is leaning against the counter, and shakes her head.
"I will never understand why people risk their lives for cupcakes."
"It's because my cupcakes are the best!" Sally says peeking out from the back.
By midday, traffic has definitely slowed down. Now there is only one person in the shop, a college-age girl sitting in the corner, scribbling away in a notebook, and no one has entered the small shop in almost an hour.
When the bell over the door rings, Jason is wiping down tables, circling closer and closer to the customer in the corner (Annabeth can tell he's infatuated, he does this every time the girl comes in) so she wipes her hands on her apron and leaves the display case alone. The man standing before the register looks to be about her age with untidy black hair and a blue woolen scarf wrapped around his neck. His eyes remind Annabeth of the view of the Sound off Long Island at the camp she attended as a child.
Annabeth is about to ask what she can get him when the guy walks around the counter and grabs the last blue cupcake out of the case. She's so shocked that she's almost speechless. Almost.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The guy looks up, his fingers in his mouth as he licks the bright blue frosting from them. His eyebrows disappear into his (messy, messy) hair and he just blinks at her.
"Uh,"
"This is a place of business, you can't just help yourself to whatever you want! It's stealing! And it's unsanitary!"
All her rant seems to do is amuse him because his lips are quirked in the start of a smile. She about to tear into him (for real this time because who comes into a bakery and just helps themselves?) when Jason intervenes.
"Annabeth, it's ok-" Jason says, hurrying over to the counter.
"Yeah Annabeth, it's ok," the stranger says with an amused grin. "I'm just here to see my mom."
It's Annabeth's turn to blink stupidly. "Your… mom?"
He takes a bite of the cupcake and nods. "My mom."
Annabeth purses her lips. "I thought you were in Miami or something."
She's heard about him- Percy Jackson. Sally talks about him all the time. And so does Sarah, for that matter (she loves her big brother like no other). But this is the first time she's actually met him.
"Tampa actually, with my dad."
"Right."
Percy stuffs the rest of his cupcake in his mouth and grins at Annabeth, the cake and frosting all stuck in his teeth. Annabeth narrows her eyes in disgust and shakes her head.
"Jason," Percy says holding his arms out. Apparently they're friends because Jason smiles and claps Percy on the back. Percy reaches into the backpack slung over his shoulder and pulls out a snowglobe with palm trees and a flamingo in it. "For you," he says presenting it to Jason with a bow. Jason snorts and shakes the tiny, plastic thing.
"Oh, and this is Annabeth Chase," Jason says gesturing to her.
"I'm Percy," he says offering a hand to Annabeth.
"Yeah, I gathered as much."
"Sorry I don't have a snow globe for you."
"Don't worry about it. I usually don't buy gifts for strangers either."
He studies her, a curious smile on his face, for a moment. "You don't like me, huh?"
"I don't know you. And you caught me off guard. It's kind of my job to keep people from stealing."
He smirks. "Well you're certainly doing a fine job."
"Percy? Is that you?"
Sally rushes out of the back and throws her arms around her son. Percy smiles and hugs his mom tightly. Annabeth can admit to herself that she's a bit surprised- her brothers are 15 and they refuse to let their mom hug them. He follows Sally back to the kitchen with a fist bump for Jason and a wink for Annabeth. She rolls her eyes even as a smile quirks her lips upward and goes back to work.
The days leading up to Christmas are nothing short of crazy. Annabeth is good under pressure, though, and she and Jason run the shop like nobody's business. Clarisse works a few days now that she's back from school on break and the new trainee, a high school senior named Nico who keeps to himself, is a godsend. Usually Annabeth and Jason can handle things on their own, but with Christmas approaching so quickly the shop is ridiculously busy and Annabeth is insanely grateful for the extra help.
There's also the fact that most days, Percy comes in for his mom. He's actually a fairly good baker, having grown up under his mom's tutelage, and he's also really good with customers. He's got a natural charm that seems to make most people love him. He also looks pretty cute when he inevitably gets flour on his face when he bakes. He's pretty much always smiling and he likes to wink at Annabeth and watch her try not to blush as she scowls at him. He's annoying and goofy and clumsy (he's tripped over the welcome mat at the door twice already) and Annabeth keeps having to remind herself how infuriating he is (because otherwise she starts thinking she might actually kind of like him).
Sally still stops in to check on them most days, her daughter Sarah often clutching her hand. Sarah is talkative as usual (Annabeth has a huge soft spot for the little girl), telling Annabeth all about her winter break and how much she loves having Percy home. She actually talks about Percy a lot.
"He's been living with his dad for a couple of years now. He owns a marine life rescue and Percy's always loved the ocean and marine animals, so after graduation he moved down there," Jason says looking up from a box of napkins.
"You went to school with him?" Annabeth asks as they take inventory one night after close.
"Well, he was a year ahead of me. He's your age," he says glancing up slyly.
Annabeth just nods and goes back to work, listening quietly as Jason tells her about Percy.
The day before Christmas Eve, Jason, Nico, and Clarisse leave early, leaving only Annabeth and Sally to close. They're halfway through the routine when there's a knock on the door. Annabeth's eyebrows knit together in confusion but Sally just smiles and hurries to open it. It's Percy, of course, his dark hair is dusted with snow and his cheeks are red from the cold.
"Sarah just called- she and Paul are home. I was just on my way and figured I'd stop in and we could go together."
Annabeth smiles into the dishes she's washing because she's pretty sure her brothers would never even think to be so considerate.
"I can finish out here, sweetheart. Why don't you go help Annabeth with those dishes, get us all out of here quicker?"
Annabeth almost protests but Percy smiles at her and her stomach does this weird swooping thing and she doesn't trust herself to talk. They work in silence, except for the time when Annabeth accidentally drops a mixing bowl into the water and splashes the both of them. Percy laughs and Annabeth finds herself laughing along, despite the fact that she'll have to walk home in the snow with a sopping wet shirt.
When they finally do get to go home, Annabeth wishes Sally and Percy both a 'Merry Christmas' and hurries home before they even have their jackets on. Her apartment is, thankfully, warm after the trek and she jumps immediately into a hot shower. As she lays in bed later, she wishes more than anything that she could just spend the next two days holed up in her apartment in her pajamas, watching White Christmas on repeat because that is the only scenario in which she enjoys Christmas.
Christmas, all holidays really, wear her out. On the 24th she spends the day with her mother, which is always an affair. She spends half the day listening to her mother talking on her phone dealing with grad students whose research absolutely can't wait (and god knows what else) and the other half listening to her mother's new boyfriend (another of her grad students) prattle on about Athena's genius. Plus, they have duck for dinner and Annabeth hates duck.
Christmas with her dad's family couldn't be more different. Matt and Bobby spend the whole day hopped up on sugar, yelling into the headsets of their brand new Xbox, despite their mother's remonstrations. Annabeth's father and stepmother take it in turns, the former peppering her with questions about school and work and the latter jumping in to brag about the twins. It's a long evening surrounded by her stepmother's family and Annabeth really can't wait to get home and change into her pajamas. The mashed potatoes are good, though.
It's the day after Christmas and Annabeth is working again. She's always shocked by how many people are up and out so early the day after Christmas. They all bustle in with scarves wrapped tight around their necks, clutching shopping bags, hoping a cupcake will appease their crying children. Usually Annabeth doesn't mind the rushes but she's absolutely exhausted. Suffice it to say, she's had a long two days which is why by the time noon rolls around, she's ready to fall asleep on the counter.
"Annabeth, why don't you take your lunch," Jason says, herding her out from behind the counter. She smiles at him gratefully and hangs her apron up. She doesn't have a lunch though, so she has to hurry across the street to grab a sandwich from Delphi Subs. They're fantastic and cheap and Annabeth finishes her turkey on wheat with plenty of time to go back to the shop and take a nap in the back.
When she gets to the break room, though, she finds that it is already occupied. And the occupant doesn't even work there.
"Merry Christmas!"
She doesn't even manage a polite smile- she has to save those for the customers. Instead, she grunts and falls onto the rickety old couch.
"Christmas is over."
He cocks an eyebrow and purses his lips as though he's fighting a smile.
"Is Annabeth Chase, cupcake decorator extraordinaire, a Scrooge?"
Annabeth shakes her head and closes her eyes. "If I weren't so tired I'd be worried by the fact that you know my last name."
"If you weren't so tired, you'd probably use that clever brain I'm told you posses and realize my mom gushed for about 20 minutes when I asked her about you."
Her eyes fly open and she finds him looking at her intently. She doesn't know what it is but his gaze makes her squirm. It's like he's looking at her soul or something, and she hates how dumb that sounds but it's what it feels like.
"Why did you ask her about me?"
He shrugs. "Probably because you're really pretty but you also scare the hell out of me."
She's shocked by the bluntness of his answer and doesn't really know how to respond.
"Why do I scare you?"
He chuckles. "You're kind of intimidating. I'm pretty sure you were about to judo-flip me that first day we met."
Annabeth huffs indignantly. "You just marched straight behind the counter and took a cupcake! What was I supposed to think?"
Percy laughs and Annabeth cracks a smile.
"I'm not scary," she says.
"If you say so."
They sit in silence for a beat until Annabeth speaks again. "I asked Jason about you."
The grin that she receives for that one is unreal. A few of his bottom teeth are crooked but they're insanely white and his eyes seem to sparkle.
"I-"
What Percy wants to say, Annabeth doesn't find out because Nico barges in looking even paler than usual.
"Oh, sorry to interrupt," he says, glancing quickly between the two of them, his cheeks going red. "Percy, there's a girl out front asking for you." He doesn't look at Percy, instead focusing on the notice board to his left.
Annabeth does look at Percy, though. His cheeks are pink now and his eyes are wide.
He mumbles an apology to Annabeth, who averts her eyes to her hands in her lap, as he brushes past Nico, who follows close behind leaving Annabeth alone. She glances at the clock on the wall and sighs- her lunch is over.
Percy is sitting at a table near the door with a red-haired girl in paint-covered overalls, laughing. Nico is out on the floor as well, wiping tables as far away from Percy as possible.
Him too, huh? At least she isn't the only one who's gone over the goofy, green-eyed boy.
Annabeth ties her apron around her waist and helps Jason box up a rather large order of wedding cupcakes that have just come out of the oven, pointedly not looking at Percy and his friend.
"Don't worry," Jason says quietly when he catches Annabeth 'not' looking at them for the third time. "That's just Rachel. They've been friends since middle school and I don't think there's anything else going on. Plus I'm pretty sure she's sleeping with her lit professor."
Annabeth feels herself blush and knocks Jason's arm with her own. He grins down at the blue and white Winter Wonderland cupcakes he's boxing up and smiles, knowing that this is Annabeth saying thank you without actually acknowledging that she cares who Percy talks to at all.
When Annabeth is closing later, Percy appears from the back with a broom and starts sweeping.
"So," he says uncertainly, as if he's afraid Annabeth might eat him.
"So," she says with almost as much discomfort as Percy.
"Look, about Rachel-"
"Don't worry about it. You're certainly allowed to have a girlfriend or whatever." Even after Jason's little 'pep talk' she still finds that she's still irrationally jealous. (Not that she'll actually admit it to anyone.)
"She's not my girlfriend," Percy says quickly.
"No?" Annabeth says, trying to sound detached and not even the tiniest bit gleeful even though she kind of is.
"No. There was a time in middle school for a few weeks where I thought- but no. She's just my friend. And I'm pretty sure she's in some weird relationship with her literature professor but I don't think I'm supposed to know about it."
Annabeth tries to smother a smile. (She briefly wonders if Rachel knows how many people know about her relationship with her professor.) Because somehow she knows Percy is telling the truth. He's got this earnest expression, like he's begging her to believe him. And she does.
Annabeth is working on a wedding cake a few days before the new year early in the morning when she comes to a very important realization: Percy is leaving soon.
She almost drops the fondant rose she's working on. Percy has only been around for a few weeks but he's a part of life at the shop now. She glances over at him, pulling a tray of scones out of the oven. He shakes his overlong hair out of his face and smiles when he sees her looking at him. He winks as he pulls his oven mitts off and unties his flour-covered apron to switch it out with a clean one.
She loses herself in crystal sugar and fondant like she usually does which allows her to push Percy's departure to the back of her mind. She concentrates instead on the details, draping fondant and making flowers out of gumpaste. It's familiar, comfortable, and most importantly, it doesn't require her to think.
"That looks good."
She looks up from the cake and blinks. She hadn't even realized Percy was in the room and yet, here he stands, pulling a tray of scones from the oven with mitted hands.
She looks back at her cake and studies it objectively for a moment. It's a five layered cake with a white and silver color scheme. It's a bit extravagant for Annabeth's taste with all the coarse sugar made to look like snow and the silver pearls arranged to look like expensive jewelry on top of all the white gum paste flowers covering the bottom two layers. She's working on the blossoms for the top of the cake at the moment and as she sticks another one on top, she decides that Percy is right, it does look good.
"Thanks," she says with a small smile.
"So. Annabeth Chase," he says with a nervous smile.
"Yes, Percy Jackson?" she says with a snort.
"I was wondering if you want to get coffee with me. Somewhere that isn't here."
Annabeth feels her stomach flip flop because gods yes does she want to get coffee with him outside of work. But her throat also constricts because he's leaving soon so what good would it do to start something with this boy who's leaving in a matter of weeks, even if she does really like him?
"I- I would love to, but I'm not sure it's a good idea."
His hopeful expression falls off his face almost comically and he looks so disappointed that Annabeth is tempted to apologize and tell him they can go get coffee right now. But she doesn't.
"I'm sorry. I-"
"Nah, it's all good. Don't worry about it." He smiles but his cheeks are red and he hurries out of his oven mitts, practically running out of the room.
Annabeth sighs and bites her lip. She can't help the disappointment that settles in her gut as she finishes her cake.
Why does everything suck?
It's New Year's Eve and Annabeth is wearing a black dress that is far tighter than anything she would usually wear. She's let Jason convince her to come to a party at one of his friends' houses. Mostly she said yes because Jason had (finally) gotten up the courage to ask out the customer from the bakery and this party would be their first official date. Also, it's possible she said yes because Jason assured her Percy would be there.
"Woah," Jason says when she meets Jason at the shop. The party is just down the block so they'd decided to meet up and walk there together. "Lookin good, Chase."
She punches him in the arm lightly and says, "Shut it, Grace." He's wearing a pair of jeans that fit him perfectly and a grey blazer that emphasizes his wide shoulders. She grins. "You don't look so bad yourself."
The party is at Jason's friend Reyna's apartment and the place is absolutely teeming with people. There is music blaring and people are dancing and it looks like a scene from a movie. Annabeth turns to say so to Jason but he has already caught sight of the girl from the bakery, Piper.
Annabeth smiles and shoves Jason in Piper's direction.
"Go on, ya big charmer."
Jason rolls his eyes and looks around.
"I don't want to leave you alone," he says tentatively, barely loud enough for Annabeth to hear over the music.
"I'll be fine. I'm not completely socially inept."
Jason knocks her arm with his and smiles before he hurries through the crowd. Piper smiles when she sees him and Annabeth feels truly pleased for her friend. Piper really is pretty with her chocolate brown hair and her form-fitting pink dress with chunky combat boots.
Annabeth gets herself a drink from the kitchen and plants herself by the stairs. She nods her head to the music as she searches the crowd for someone she knows (ahem, Percy). She's on her second beer when someone pokes her ribs from behind. She jumps with a yelp, slopping her beer on the floor.
Percy is standing there, grinning like an idiot, in a pair of grey skinny jeans and a denim button down. A hint of a five o'clock shadow darkens his jaw and his eyes are practically sparkling with mirth.
"You made me spill beer on my shoes, you jerk," she says without heat as she slaps his arm.
He has the decency to look sorry, but only for a few seconds.
"Let me get you a new one then!" he says brightly. "Well, a new beer, not new shoes. Although, I guess if I ruined them I could get you those too."
Annabeth shakes her head fondly and shoves her glass into his hand.
"My shoes are fine," she says, and he takes off into the crowd with a wink. "And bring back some napkins while you're at it!" she yells over the crowd.
Percy turns and gives her a cheesy smile and a thumbs up before he disappears. Annabeth feels her stomach flip flop and she silently berates herself because he's leaving, remember? There's no point starting anything.
When he returns, he is carrying two blue plastic cups (who knows where her red cup's gone) and a huge stack of napkins. He hands Annabeth both drinks and then bends down to wipe the spilt beer from her feet. It's incredibly endearing.
"Don't worry about my shoes, Percy." He stands and takes his drink from her, looking sheepish and stashing the wet napkins on a nearby bookshelf. Annabeth purses her lips but doesn't say anything.
She watches him as he takes a drink of his beer and scans the crowd. He's humming and his head is bobbing in time to the beat. There's a slight smile playing at his lips, just like always. It's like he's perpetually happy.
Annabeth spends most of the night with Percy, teaming up against Jason and Piper for a round of beer pong, watching people dance as they become increasingly more intoxicated, arguing about the merits of pop music (Percy hates it, Annabeth refuses to dislike a whole genre of music and besides has he heard Taylor Swift? That girl is a total genius). She doesn't even realize how much time has passed until people start counting down from 30 and someone is shoving a plastic glass of champagne into her hands.
Someone turns the music down and Annabeth can hear her blood rushing in her ears. Her eyes are suddenly drawn to Percy's mouth and it doesn't help her self control one but when he licks his lips.
25, 24, 23
He takes a step closer and lays a hand on her forearm. "Annabeth, I-"
She jerks back and shakes her head. "You're leaving, Percy."
20, 19, 18
"What are you talking about?"
"You're going home soon. You're leaving," she says angrily. What's he playing at? He knows very well what she's talking about.
14, 13, 12
"Annabeth, I'm not leaving. I'm starting at NYU next week."
9, 8, 7
Annabeth feels her stomach lurch. He's not leaving?
"You're staying?"
He smiles that stupid smile and his eyes are all sparkly again and Annabeth feels her cheeks heat up and hope bloom in her chest.
3, 2, 1
"Happy New Year, Annabeth," Percy says amidst the cheering and hollering, his eyes boring into hers.
Annabeth reaches out and pulls him to her, kissing him the way she's wanted to for so long now. His lips feel nice on hers, soft if not a bit chapped, and he tastes like beer and spearmint (she vaguely remembers him popping a piece of gum not too long ago, the sneaky bastard).
It's probably the most cliche thing in the world but Annabeth doesn't care; she can't see any New Year's fireworks, but the two of them have their own fireworks at the moment.
"I thought you knew!"
Jason is looking properly cowed and Annabeth resists the urge to giggle.
"How would I know? No one told me!"
Jason grimaces. Apparently he thinks the best way to say sorry (even though they both know it's unnecessary) is to take the bag of orange frosting in his hand and squeeze a blob onto Annabeth's nose.
It almost turns into an all-out food fight (mostly flour and frosting) but Sally arrives with a very tired looking Percy in tow and Annabeth and Jason try their best to look innocent.
"I'll be on the office if you need me," Sally says sticking a finger in the frosting that is now stuck to Annabeth's apron and sticking it in her mouth. She makes a noise of approval as she leaves the room and when they hear the door click shut, Jason, Annabeth, and Percy crack up.
"I think I hear Clarisse calling," Jason says, his attempt at subtlety, when the laughter dies down, and he leaves the room.
Annabeth paws at her face, trying to wipe the flour and frosting away. Percy grins at her and thumbs away the rest of the gooey orange stuff.
"Hey."
Annabeth shakes her head despite her smile and her heart suddenly starts beating like she's just run a marathon.
It's been two days since the New Year's Eve party and Annabeth and Percy have been texting like crazy, but this is the first time she's seen him since that night. He still hasn't shaved (she's pretty sure he's trying to grow a beard) and he's wearing a shirt that makes his eyes look obscenely green.
"You look cute in orange. It's your color."
She shoves him playfully and turns back to her cupcakes. "Shut up, Jackson."
She almost fucks up the last cupcake when a small, badly wrapped box appears under her nose. She blinks up at Percy rather dumbly but he just smiles.
Annabeth takes the parcel and tentatively unwraps it. The smile that overtakes her face is ridiculous. She has no clue how this boy does this to her.
In her hand sits a small, plastic snow globe with a miniature New York City skyline inside. The words I LOVE NYC are written in gold around the bottom.
It's cheap and dinky and he probably bought it at a bodega somewhere down the street but Annabeth immediately knows that she will put it on her bedside table when she gets home.
"Just in case you're still confused about where I'm gonna be for the next few years," Percy says casually, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"You're such a dork," she says wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Yeah, but you're the one who likes me."