Percy was an absolute nervous wreck. It wasn't because of the tux, or that Paul would officially be moving into his mom's apartment after their week long honeymoon, or that something demigod related would happen at the wedding and it would be ruined. No. It was because he had invited Annabeth.
It had felt right, in the moment. His mom had asked if he was inviting Rachel and Annabeth, and Percy, for some reason, had felt inclined to say, "No, just Annabeth." Who in the hell knows why he did that. Maybe it was because, somewhere far in the back of his idiot brain, he realized Annabeth hated Rachel for that reason. He also knew he should probably decide, because the negative energy between Annabeth and Rachel was definitely enough to ruin his mother's wedding. Or, maybe it was just because he wanted alone time with Annabeth. No, that couldn't be it. It was the ruining the wedding thing, he tried to convince himself.
So he had picked up the home phone and called her. He had almost IMed her, but he lost the nerve at the last minute to do it in person.
"Hello?" A voice he vaguely recognized as her stepmom, Susan, answered the phone.
"Hi, is Annabeth there?" He asked, tapping his hand on the kitchen table.
"She is, who's calling?" Susan asked.
"Percy. Percy Jackson."
"Oh, of course! Hold on just one second." Her voice became more distant as she called, "Annabeth, sweetie, Percy's on the phone."
"Annabeth's boyfriend?" He heard one of her brother's pipe up.
"Annabeth has a boyfriend, Annabeth has a boyfriend." The other one taunted. Percy couldn't even tell them apart in person, let alone over the phone.
"Shut up!" He heard Annabeth yell, and he grinned because even if they had changed, she hadn't and he hadn't. They were still Annabeth and Percy.
"Percy?" He heard her voice clearer now, a little out of breath like she had ran downstairs when she had heard Susan.
"Uh, hey." He said intelligently. Nice one.
Annabeth just laughed. "What's up?" He heard stairs creaking on the other end.
"Nothing, really. I was just wondering, uh, how you were?" Oh wow, no wonder she called him Seaweed Brain.
"I'm okay, Percy. Stressed, but okay. How are you?"
"Fine, listen that's not why I called. I mean, I care about how you're doing, but I have another reason for calling, not that-"
Annabeth cut him off, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Percy, just tell me."
"Doyouwanttocomewithmetomymom'swedding?" He rushed out without taking a breath, and even he wasn't sure of what he had just said. When did he decide that he wanted her to come with him? Brains were weird. There was a reason he didn't always use his.
"What was that?" Annabeth asked, but he was pretty sure she had heard. She was taunting him.
"Will you come to my mom's wedding? It's the first weekend of May, and, um, I really want you to come. I mean, my mom and Paul want you there, too I just-"
"Percy, of course I'll come." She said gently.
"Really?" He said with too much enthusiasm, but he just heard a chuckle on the other end. "Great! I, uh, I'll tell my mom to get you a room with the other guests who are coming from far away."
"Okay, sounds good." Annabeth said, and he could hear the small smile 2,600 miles away from him.
"See you soon."
"Yeah, see you."
Percy was about to hang up, but the two of them stayed on the line, the only sounds their soft breathing. "Annabeth?"
"Yeah, Percy?" He could imagine her, cross legged on her bed, biting her lip in an oversized sweatshirt. The thought made him smile.
"I miss you."
"I miss you, too." She said softly, and the two of them, apparently satisfied with that goodbye, hung up.
Now, he was sweating at her hotel door, Paul's Prius waiting outside for them. His mom and Paul were obviously already at the venue, and they had decided it wasn't the most dangerous thing in the world for Percy to drive to the wedding. Besides, he was getting to be a pretty good driver. Other wedding guests passed him, saying hi and clapping him on the back. Annabeth had yelled out a "Coming!" a few minutes ago, but still hadn't opened the door. Apparently even Annabeth was late sometimes.
"Sorry." She said, whipping the door open breathlessly. "I couldn't find my earrings, and…" She was talking, but Percy wasn't listening. Annabeth looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a navy blue dress – shift dress, he was pretty sure they were called, but he couldn't be sure – with white embroidery designs in it. She was wearing black heels, and he was surprised and grateful at the same time to find that he was still an inch taller. She had on minimal makeup, and her grey eyes were shining. Percy found himself noticing things he had never noticed on Annabeth before, let alone any girl. The color eyeshadow she was wearing, how her lips were a pouty pink, how her curls bounced effortlessly and she had somehow managed to get the frizz out of them. Percy resisted the urge to touch them, and luckily before he could do anything else stupid, she interrupted him. "Percy? Are you even listening?" She asked, with a hand on her hip, a position that she had been in many times in front of him, but now was making his mind turn to mush.
"Uh, yeah." He mumbled, running a hand through his hair. Jeez, he needed to get a grip. "Let's go."
She slipped an arm through his, linking them. "Okay, Seaweed Brain." She said with a contagious smile.
-0-
The wedding went perfectly. His mom and Paul looked so happy, and he found himself feeling nothing but happiness for them. They both deserved the world, and every doubt Percy was feeling about having to share his mom slipped away as the day went on. The wedding was a little long, especially for a demigod with ADHD, and he could tell Annabeth was getting restless beside him.
The reception was right by the wedding. It was a beautiful day, and the perfect temperature out. His mom and Paul had decided to have the wedding in a meadow about thirty minutes from Manhattan, in Jersey. His mom had worn a traditional dress, since this was her first real wedding, and Paul's first. He and Annabeth had gotten separated, Percy being introduced to all of Paul's relatives, and generally being shown off to every person that walked. Not that he didn't like the attention, but he wanted to find Annabeth. Last he had seen her, she was talking with his now cousin, and Percy wasn't really excited about the way that the guy had been looking at her.
He found her sitting at the table with their names on it, chatting with Paul's mom. "We've known each other for about four years." He heard her say.
"Well, you two just look so cute together!" Paul's mom – Christine, maybe? Percy was never good with names – told Annabeth with a huge smile.
Annabeth laughed nervously, but before she could respond, Percy cut in. "Hey, I've been looking for you."
"Hey." Annabeth said, standing up with Christine. "It was so nice to meet you, Chris." Oh, so that was it.
"Oh, you too!" The older woman said, grasping Annabeth's hands. "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other." She said with a wink, and took off.
"What was that about?" Percy asked.
"I think she thinks we're already married." Annabeth said with a laugh, turning to face him. "You doing okay? It's a little…" Annabeth gestured around.
"Chaotic?" He offered. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's kind of fun, to meet everybody."
"I'm sure you don't mind the attention." She joked, tucking a curl behind her ear.
Percy chuckled, shoving her playfully. "Good thing you called her Chris before I could talk. I was about to call her Christine. Gods that would have embarrassing."
Annabeth laughed. "Of course you were, Seaweed Brain."
We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds until he realized that maybe it was the guy's job to ask if she wanted to dance.
"Uh, do you want to maybe…?" Percy trailed off, trying to keep his hands from shaking.
"Dance?" Annabeth finished with a smile. "Of course, Percy." So he took her hand, leading her to the dance floor. She slipped her hands around his neck, while his settled at her waist. They hadn't ever done it this way before, but it was better than the other way. It was almost impossible to step on her toes this way, even though Percy was sure if anyone could screw it up, it would be him. They swayed for a while, before Percy started to talk.
"Listen, Annabeth." He started, "I'm sorry."
"Percy, it's-"
"No, listen. I should have called. I should have… I don't know. I shouldn't have let us grow so distant that summer. Just, seeing you today made me realize how much I really miss you."
Annabeth smiled tightly. "It's okay. I could have made more of an effort too, okay?"
Percy knew that wasn't true. After everything that had happened last summer between them, that kiss, Calypso, Rachel, he knew he had to have been the one to make the first move. "Let's just… let's promise to not let things get between us this summer. And, I'll call you every day until the start of camp. I don't want to fall out of touch again, Annabeth."
"Okay, Seaweed Brain." She said, a grin now spreading across her face, and Percy couldn't help a grin from finding its way to his. "Sounds good." She whispered, and stepped closer to him, eyes never leaving his.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, nestling herself in the crook of his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her tighter. Usually, whenever he and Annabeth did something that was more than just friends, he convinced himself that that was all it was. Friends hugged. Friends put their arms around each other in front of camp bonfires. Friends sometimes could find each other attractive. Surprisingly, tonight, he found himself just giving in. This wasn't what you felt for a friend. It was something more. Having her with him, in his arms, felt so right that even Percy couldn't be that oblivious.
-0-
They swayed to the music silently, for close to an hour. People swirled around them, but the two of them were lost in their own little world. Paul and Sally danced close by, and Paul looked over, surprised to find them in such a position.
"Annabeth, right?" He asked Sally, as they twirled around the dance floor.
She looked over to where he was glancing, and laughed. "Yes. The girl Percy's always talking about."
Paul chuckled. "She comes up in every conversation, yet he doesn't like her."
Sally rolled her eyes. "They're oblivious."
"They look pretty comfortable right now." He noted.
"Yeah." She agreed. "I would bet that he comes home from camp this year with a little announcement."
"You mean you would hope." He said, smiling down at his wife.
She just laughed, and he twirled her around, grinning from ear to ear. They could worry about Percy later.
-0-
The wedding was over too soon, in Percy's opinion. His mom and Paul were leaving for the beach cabin in Montauk tonight, and Percy wasn't exactly looking forward to being on his own for a whole week.
"You'll be okay?" His mom asked as she zipped up her bag. "There's enough food for the whole week, so no need to go shopping."
"Mom, I'll be fine." He said with a slight roll of his eyes. His mom was awesome, but sometimes she could be a little overprotective. He was almost sixteen, and had lived on his own the past three summers at camp. That was probably the fifth time in the past hour that she had asked him if he would be okay. "Just go have fun."
"Okay, okay." She said smiling and wrapping him into a hug. "Call if you need anything at all."
Percy just nodded and gave Paul a hug next, who looked like he was trying not to laugh at his now wife. "Be good, Percy." He called as they headed out the door, his mom giving him one last wave.
It wasn't long before Percy started to get bored. He had ordered pizza, ate the whole thing on his own, and had been watching Criminal Minds for the past two hours. It wasn't the best choice of shows when you're spending a whole week alone, but the thought hadn't crossed Percy's mind until it was too late.
He shut the TV off after his third episode, and checked the clock; barely 8:30. Percy groaned, throwing a pillow across the room. What was he going to do all week long? The school week wasn't so bad. His friends would probably come over after school and they'd play video games or something, but it was going to be a long weekend. Annabeth's five blocks away. Some voice muttered in his head. He shook the thought away. They had just made up, she didn't want to hang out with just him right now.
He played video games for fifteen minutes, until he decided that fake war was boring. He even tried homework, but his dyslexia and ADHD was acting up so much that he didn't even make it through the first problem.
Finally, picking up the phone, he gave in. "Annabeth?" He said, after she answered on the second ring.
"No, Percy, the other Annabeth who owns this phone. Yes, of course it's me, Seaweed Brain." She said with a laugh.
"Hey!" He protested.
"Sorry." She said, pretty unapologetically. "What's up?"
"Um, nothing really."
"Nothing. You called to talk about nothing?" He could basically see her smirk over the phone.
"I'm bored." He whined. "My mom and Paul left."
"Oh, poor Percy." Annabeth said, mocking him. "Mommy left him."
"You're impossible." Percy sighed.
"Kidding, Seaweed Brain. Be right over." He could hear her shoes hitting the wooden hotel floor.
"No, you don't have to, I was just seeing if you wanted to talk – "
"Honestly, I'm bored too." She said, cutting him off. "We can watch a movie or something. I'll be there in ten minutes. 81st and York, right?"
"Uh, yeah." He said, wondering how she knew that. Then he remembered Annabeth was a weirdo and had looked in his bedroom window from the fire escape.
"Okay, see you soon." She said, and hung up before he had the chance to respond.
It wasn't long before she showed up at his door. "Hey." She said with a little smile. She had changed out of wedding clothes, wearing leggings and a camp t-shirt.
"Hey, come in." He said, stepping aside.
She noticed the pizza box on the counter immediately. "Sally's not gone even one day and you've already made a mess."
Percy just rolled his eyes. He had learned a long time ago that the more you got teased by Annabeth, the better she liked you. She was sweet that way. "Come on," He said, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the couch, "Let's watch something."
"You can pick." Annabeth said, leaning her head back so Percy couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed.
He grinned. She was so going to regret that. "Finding Nemo." He said, producing the movie from the back of the shelf.
Annabeth shot up. "You're kidding."
"Nope. It's my favorite movie." He said, giving her a goofy grin. "Poseidon's kid, remember."
"You're ridiculous." She said, shaking her head, but he could see the smile as he settled down next to her. The movie strted, and Percy realized how close he had sat down next to her too late. It was making it hard to pay attention.
It wasn't long before Percy felt Annabeth's soft curls fall on onto his shoulder. It wasn't too late, almost 10:30, but they had had a long day. Her breath was more even now, and he recognized that she was asleep from all the times they had spent together on quests. He leaned them back on the edge of the couch, and before he could even think about what he was doing, pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Pretty soon, he was sound asleep.