Yes, This is Normal
A/N: I wrote this a really long time ago, maybe a year or so ago, I'm guessing before I even went to college. I wrote this on my phone, and I completely forgot about it. I save it on my computer and let it lie around for a while more before I decided to actually post it on and tumblr.
…
It was a quiet night – at least, as quiet as New York could get, when Annabeth's far-from-normal boyfriend banged on her dormitory room's window, several floors above ground. The sound of Blackjack's mighty wings beating against the wind drowned out the noise of a busy city righter. Annabeth dropped the righterty book she was doing two years worth of advanced reading on, and squinted her eyes to get a better look at the figure of the battered up teen hero in the darkness. When she slid up the window to hear him talk, she observed that the injuries where worse than she thought. Blood dripped from a wound on Percy's foredhead and mouth, and he was clutching his stomach below where his shirt got brutally ripped open. Annabeth sustained a gasp as she realized a few layers of flesh had been, too. And although they'd been used to seeing each other injured, the thought of one in the least bit of pain stung like fire licking at their insides.
Annabeth looked down to see the rattled street below – police and mediamen surrounded a huge imprint on the asphalt road she was certain was made by a monster. What could Percy have gotten into this time?
"Percy, seriously!" said an exasperated Annabeth as she helped Percy hoist himself from the righte to the windowsill, careful not to touch his injuries.
"Uhmm, nice to see you too, Annabeth," Percy tried for a smile, a smile which Annabeth couldn't decide was goofy or terrifying, since a steady stream of blood flowed from his temple. "Just a monster with a name so long I got too lazy to learn. I named him Bill instead. All taken care of."
Annabeth shook her head – typical Percy personality, making fun and jokes at dire situations. Although, she thought, this isn't as bad as much of the things they've gone through - they've been to actual hell, so she knows. Percy flopped down the nearest bed to the window, which was conveniently Annabeth's.
As a demigod, and a daughter of Athena at that, Annabeth kept a first aid kit in her drawer, filled with demigod essentials specifically meant for life-or-death moments. She grabbed a pair of scissors and started to cut off the already torn and bloody shirt. She found that Percy had a hard time moving his sword arm, and saw that it was swollen from the elbow to the shoulder and chest. "Bill's tail really beat me up," Percy chuckled, "no swordplay for me in a while, I guess."
"Oh, Percy," Annabeth sighed as she started cleaning up his stomach wound, which luckily wasn't as bad as she thought. They were just really bad grazes, the torn shirt just made it more horrible than it actually was. Percy winced.
Still, even when beaten up Annabeth couldn't help but notice how handsome Percy had become: how his muscles filled in and really defined his features, when he was so skinny and lanky when they'd first met. She noticed how angular his face got; how his eyes got sharper and cooler, yet gentle when he needed he to be, specially when he was staring lovingly at her. His tousled jet black gair was a perfect contrast to his light skin. Their gazes met when Annabeth began to wipe the blood off his face, and she let a few fingers touch his skin. The tingles she feels when their flesh touches had never worn away after all this time, after so many touches they had shared. And she never really wanted the lose the amazing sensation anyways.
Percy lifted his hand, though aching badly, to lead Annabeth's hand to his face. He closed his eyes and sucked in her incredible warmth. He drew his face nearer and nearer to hers, despite every contraction of his muscles being very painful.
"Hey, Wise Girl," he whispered unintentionally huskily as their noses touched. Annabeth sat at the bed beside him, never letting go of the position. Annabeth would probably never admit it to him but his voice at the moment, a bit hoarse and low, was really sexy. She smiled, and never let go. "You're cute when you're worried. Your eyebrows get all scrunched up," Percy teased.
"Can I stay the night?" Percy asked.
Annabeth was somewhat snapped to reality, but not completly letting go of the simple yet tenderly sweet moment. "My roomates," she whispered, aand you're injured."
"We're just gonna sleep, what do you think we're going to do?" he chuckled, making Annabeth punch his good arm. "Besides, I can't go home alone like this!"
"Oh, nonsense, you've gone through a lot worse. And besides," Annabeth swiveled her head toward the window to find the dark as night righte gone, "okay Blackjack's gone, but you can call him up."
"Okay, fine, I just wanna spend more time with you," Percy paused, momentarily forgetting something, "..and your roomates. Don't you think it's about time I meet them?"
"They're at this stupid party," Annabeth cringed, as if her words tasted very bitter. She always disapproved of the parties her roomates go to – they were basically good girls (except maybe, slightly for Stacy) trying to mingle with a bad crowd. "So you're stuck here studying for a test, right?"
"Nah, I finished all my requirements hours ago. Just catching up on some advanced reading."
Percy smirked. "Knowing you you're two years ahead."
"You know me so well," Annabeth grinned. Percy leaned in, and just as they could feel the electricity of their lips that were about to touch, "hold on, Seaweed Brain."
"This is kinda like that scene in the new Spider-man," said Percy, "where Peter scales up Gwen's condo and she fixes his injuries and stuff and is a total kill joy for not letting him kiss her and-"
"What?"
"Just kiss me, Wise Girl," Percy whispered in such a way Annabeth could not have declined, and soon their lips joined, seemingly so hungry for each other. Annabeth brought her body closer to him, and Pery held her cheeks, his thumb making circles on her left one.
Percy was hurt, but he felt the healing effects a million times better than a mountain of ambrosia. Every time their lips would part he would just ache for more, more, more, mo-
"Annabeth?!" they broke apart as they heard the door creak open and the shout of Annabeth's flummoxed righter Hannah. The scene might not have looked well, appropriate – at least for Annabeth Chase, the righteous honor student. She was making out with a shirtless (and incredibly handsome at that) boy on her bed, way past midnight. The boy was bandaged and beaten up, too, and looked like the exact type a girl like Annabeth shouldn't be with – trouble.
"Well, what do we have here?" said Stacy as she smirked from beside Hannah.
"See, I told you guys she has a boyfriend! He's the boy in the picture!" sweet Kristine giddily exclaimed. Ever since she saw a picture of Annabeth in the arms of an attractive boy, she was bent on convincing the gang of roomates that Annabeth had a boyfriend. The others weren't convinced, considering Annabeth's grades weren't the type to be attained with certain boyfriendly distractions. Annabeth didn't deny it, yet she didn't confirm it either, so they couldn't guess whether it was a 'yes' or a 'no' or an 'it's complicated.' But now Annabeth was in an undeniable 'situation' with the exact same boy in the picture – Kristine was more than sure.
The couple blushed. "Ohh, uhmm, hi," Annabeth stammered, and let go of Percy's hand and inched farther away. Both their cheeks had gone red. Despite everything that happened, despite the constant looming righterty of a short demigod life, they still found it unconfortable displaying affections in public. Four wasn't exactly much, but they were complete strangers to Percy, and that was public enough.
"Uh, don't worry about it," Annabeth recovered, " This is-"
"Your boyfriend," Kristine declared, so sure of herself.
Annabeth shyly nodded, making Kristine right in joy of 'in-your-face' rights. Hannah and Stacy could feel her gloating, merely by watching her clapping and doing little jumps.
"This isn't how I planned on you to meet him but," Annabeth stood and fumbled with the hem of her old shirt, "but roommies, this is Percy, Percy thes are Kristine," Annabeth pointed to the innocent, over excited redhead, "Hannah," she pointed to the blond in the muddle with curls no match for her own, "and Stacy," she finally pointed to the tattooed girl with black hair shaved on one side, long and flowing on the other. Her black outfit accented with leather reminded Percy of Thalia, only a lot less intimidating and powerful.
Stacy walked in closer to Percy and eyed him, making him swallow in discomfort. "Why didn't you tell me you have a hot boyfriend, Annabeth?" Stacy chuckled and smirked, " You've hit the jackpot! Can I borrow him some time?"
"NO!" Annabeth yelled.
"Well, can I atleast touch his abs? He does have bandages, it won't be exactly touching."
"Well, I, uhmm," Percy swallowed again. The headstrong girl made him nervous.
"What happened to him?" asked Hannah, which to Annabeth, dear gods, seemed like the only sensible one at the moment, "he's all beaten up like he, he – went to war or something!"
"I, uhmm, just got involved at the incident downtown," Percy shrugged, which he found was painful because of his disjoined shoulder. "I was just walking, it's annoying."
"So you went to your girlfriend several stories high in her dorm room instead of to the doctor," asked Hannah skeptically. Gods bless her, Annabeth thought, for being the fellow sensible blond. At least, for mortals. At least as a demigod, Percy knows Annabeth was his best option at a time like this. She knew how to give first aid to monster wounds, she had the supplies and the nectar and ambrosia.
"Annabeth makes me feel a lot better than any doctor could ," said Percy, and shrugged for the added effect. Kristine, the helpless romantic, was practically melting on her spot.
"Are you staying tonight, Percy?" Stacy asked, backing away and with no malice in her inent, "I betcha you can't go anywhere on your own for a while."
"If its okay with you guys," Percy nodded.
"Of course its okay!" Kristine exclaimed, now recovering from her fits of joy. "We'd love to get to know the man that makes Annabeth's heart flutter," she added dreamily.
Annabeth shook her head. He can do more to her heart than make it flutter – he can make it ache to the borderline of bursting from all the happiness and warmth and security and love he makes her feel. But she didn't say that aloud. She likes to be indirect when it comes to being mushy with Percy, saying her affections in riddles he has to figure out, having fun when he gets all puzzled before realizing and pulling her into a passionate kiss. Except for some times when she simply feels like letting slip the three-worded bomb.
"So where do you live, Percy?" asked Hannah, so initiating the hour-long interview of Annabeth's once elusive boyfriend. "What school do you go to? Have been to any trouble like jail or gang brawls? Because you need to be a really good guy to be with a good girl like Annabeth."
"Sometimes I do think I may mot be good enough for Annabeth," admitted Percy with a dreamy look in his eyes, "I don't know what I've done to make me deserve a girl like her."
"Oh Seaweed Brain," Annabeth shook her head and walked back over to him, and sat at the side with his good ahoulder. She punched him playfully, "trying to butter me up."
"Okay, guys," Stacy cut in, "we can take a hint. We can sleep at Kora's. Stay safe, little lovebirds. Use protection."
"Guys," Annabeth protested, "really, stay. This is our room, and Percy's the intruder here," she joked.
"Ouch, you really want me to leave that badly?" Percy joked. Annabeth shook her head and smiled.
"No, but your getting that shoulder checked out a proper ermm, uhhm, doctor."
"This is getting disgusting," Stacy stuck her toungue out. Kristine hissed, "oh, let them be."
Kristine obviously saw a sparkle in Annabeth's eyes that she had never seen before, not even when she learned something new and vital about architecture. And when their eyes met, green on grey, she could feel the sparks from the spaces between. It was like if you can envision a tangible, solid form of love, it was Percy and Annabeth. Kristine was pretty sure these thoughts of hers weren't the after effects of all the romance novels she read.
As dawn grew closer and closer, the couple grew tired of answering Hannah's all-too-practical, Kristine's all-too-romantic and Stacy's all-too-inappropriate questions. The roomates fell asleep one by one, letting the exhaustion of the college party take over.
Ananbeth and Percy were content playing hand games, bathed in the little amount of moonlight that seeped through the ever-so-slightly parted windows. Light laughs eventually escaped their lips for some moments. And as he watched Annabeth shining like a starlight, her eyes twinkling righter than any in the universe, Percy was completely happy. It was simple moments that mattered most some times. Moments wherein in they just bathed in the warmth of each other's presence, smiling tender, raw smiles.
Kristine peeked from under her blanket, and in the dark she could see Percy's free hand helplessly getting lost in Annabeth's curls, while Annabeth was getting lost un the sea of his gleaming eyes. Their noses touched and their smiles were broad, hands entangled in a silly little game which she guessed was originally a thumb war. Kristine smiled, and genuinely rooted for the two. She just met the boy, and she had just seen them together, but something about them exuded genuineness. Love at its purest, love like that only comes so rarely.
She wished she could've known their full story, since something about them exuded enigma, too. Like, someone can't be unjured that badly from an accident like that downtown, and then manage to sneak in from the dorm manager to get to their room several floors up at 1 a.m.
She'll probably never know, but one thing's for sure – this love is real.
The End
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