Sing-Song

My eyes fought to stay open. My mouth opened in a yawn and I nuzzled my head into my couch pillow, giving up on trying to stay awake. Annabeth was on the opposite side of the couch, watching a National Geographic episode about ancient Egyptian architecture. The dull voice of the narrator droned in my ears and I slipped into a light sleep.

I dreamed I was on a small green hill with a picnic set up. Sparkling water, sandwiches, coke, apple pie, and a bowl of grapes were displayed. Annabeth walked over and sat on the red and white checkered blanket. "C'mon, Seaweed Brain," she laughed, "Have a seat." I sat next to her and she slid next to me. She leaned her small body into mine and laid her head on my shoulder. I was smiling and I looked down at her resting face. She looked back up at me and caught my lips in a kiss. The birds around us began tweeting and the sky was blue. Not a single monster was to be found… It was perfect.

I felt myself drifting out of sleep and my eyelids fluttered. The sky faded, Annabeth strolled away, the hill and picnic disappeared and I was on my old springy couch in the heart of Manhattan. The only thing that didn't fade away, strangely, was the singing of the birds. The quick chirps morphed into words and I shut my eyes so I could listen to the beautiful tune.

Just because everything's changing

Doesn't mean it's never been this way before

All you can do is try to know who your friends are

As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light

You'll come back when it's over

I wanted her to sing forever. She had such a phenomenal voice, I wondered why she had never sung before. Sadly, I made the mistake to tell her that.

"You have a great voice, Annabeth." I sat up.

A loud crash sounded from the kitchen, where she was washing the dishes. A pan was on the floor, covered in suds. The TV was turned off.

"P-Percy!" she gasped, "I thought you were asleep!"

"I decided to wake up. So, are you gonna sing another song?"

"I really can't. I mean, I don't sing."

"What the Hades was that, then?"

"That was me goofing off, I didn't know you were listening."

"Well, you should definitely goof off more!"

Annabeth sighed and picked up the pan, her hands shaking. I realized that her ears and cheeks were bright pink. She bit her lip and fumbled with the pan, trying to dry it. She kept blinking and licking her lips. I swung my legs off of the couch and hopped over the back. Walking all the way around the small couch was too much. "Annabeth, what's wrong?" I inquired, "I haven't seen you this jittery since, well, ever." Annabeth sighed again, dropping her arms. She slumped over to the couch and put her face in her hands. "It's just - " she stumbled, "I'm - I'm embarrassed, Percy." My eyebrows knit together. Why would she be? She was magnificent.

"Why?" I asked, "That was beautiful."

"I'm not the singing type, as much as you'd like to argue that."

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about, Annabeth. Now, my voice, that is something worth being embarrassed about."

I made her smile.

"I would get teased endlessly."

"Who would do that?"

"Oh, Leo, Piper, Clarisse, Travis, Conn- "

"If anyone was to tease you about this, I'd beat them up."

She smiled again and puffed with a silent laugh.

"Sure, Percy."

"I mean it though. I also meant it when I said you were a good singer."

"Stop it, Percy."

"Do you believe me?"

"I do, because you're a terrible liar."

"It's a win-lose situation."

"Alright, now kiss me."

Annabeth cupped her hands to my face and scooted closer to me, so that our thighs were touching. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her onto my lap. She wrapped her legs around me and we just stayed there, kissing, for what felt like hours. The kiss grew more and more passionate as the minutes ticked by and I barely came up for air. Annabeth slid her hands to the hem of my shirt and pulled it off gracefully over my head. I slipped my hand under her shirt and somewhat gracefully pulled it over her head. We were laying down, now, still locked in a kiss when Annabeth spoke, "I love you, Percy." I couldn't help grinning. "I'll say it back if you sing to me." I teased.

"Percy!" she scolded.

"Fine. I love you."