Note: Travis, Katie, Percy, and Annabeth are thirty in this. Travis and Katie are married; Percy and Annabeth are married.
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Mr. Hammer waltzed into Percy's office. "Mr. Jackson?"
Percy looked up from his laptop. "Yes sir?"
Mr. Hammer wiped the remains of a Big Mac from the corner of his mouth. "Are you done with that report?"
Percy's hand moved from his desk to his thigh and moving towards his cell phone. "Another paragraph and I'll be."
Mr. Hammer burped; it smelled vaguely of Coke. His teeth had a piece of meat in them. "Well, I want it done before you go home. Understood?"
Percy's mouth opened to explain. "But sir, I have a date with my wife tonight—"
Mr. Hammer leaned closer to Percy's face with eyes in slits. "Understand?"
"But—" Percy sighed. "Yes sir." Mr. Hammer left Percy to call his wife.
She picked up on the first ring. "Percy, our reservations are in an hour, and you have to get ready. Where the hell are you?"
Percy flinched. "Annie, I have to work late. I'm sorry."
Annabeth laughed. "You think you're in the clear? No sir. I'll cancel our reservations, and we will discuss this at home. I'm disappointed."
Percy sighed. "Annabeth, please don't be mad."
"Too late," she snapped.
Percy's fingers clicked on the keyboard. "Look, I'll make it up to you."
He could hear her huff, but she didn't respond.
"I love you," he said.
She hesitated. He could see it in her mind. He thought she would say it back, but instead she just hung up.
An hour and a half later, the apartment door unlocked before being slammed closed.
Annabeth stood up from the couch. She slapped him.
"What the hell?" He hissed at her.
She scoffed. "Don't 'what the hell' me! I'm the one who should say that. You've worked late for the past three nights."
Percy's mouth dropped open. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Annabeth glared at him. "You know good and well what it means."
Percy's shoulders slumped. "You… you think I'm cheating on you?" He asked in disbelief.
Annabeth pursed her lips. "Well, that's what it looks like," she snapped.
"Annabeth, I would never cheat on you. You can call Mr. Hammer; he'll tell you that I was working late," Percy said softly.
A door opened quietly and light poured into the hall. A black-haired, gray-eyed little girl walked sleepily into the living room. "Mommy? What's going on?" She wiped her eyes with the little four-year-old hands of hers.
Percy picked up the little girl. "Rosie, nothing's going on. Come on, let's put you back to bed."
She laid her head against his chest. "Okay Daddy," she said.
Percy rubbed her back. "We'll continue this conversation in a moment honey."
Rosie yawned while Percy laid her down on the bed. "Sweetheart, nothing's wrong, okay? Mommy and Daddy are just disagreeing a little."
Rosie nodded, and Percy went to leave the room. Right before he flicked out the light, Rosie said, "Daddy, there's a monster in my closet."
Now, Percy being a demigod and everything, he had to make sure. There was a hellhound's eyes glowing from the back, but he realized with its yip, it was just Mrs. O'Leary. She bounded out and got next to Rosie's bed. "Good ol' Mrs. O'Leary." He strode to the light switch. "Night girls." He blew them both kisses and closed the door after flicking off the light.
He went to the living room. She was there with a bag. "Where are you going?" He whispered.
Annabeth frowned. "I'm going to Katie's for the night." Annabeth's eyes were getting misty. "We already talked it over."
"Doesn't Travis live there too?" Percy asked in desperation to get her to stay.
Annabeth wiped an eye with her pajama shirt sleeve. "He's going to stay with the neighbors, so Katie and I can talk. He's such a good man. He'd never cheat on Katie."
Percy tried to control his breathing. "I haven't, but Travis has!"
Annabeth's breathing hitched. "He did? And you knew?"
Percy sighed and plopped down on the couch with his face in his hands. "Look, I just saw it when I was getting your coffee yesterday morning. He was sitting at a table with a woman," Percy explained.
"How do you know they were on a date type thing?" Annabeth countered.
Percy looked up. "They were groping each other and making out."
Annabeth recoiled. "In Starbucks? Talk about major PDA."
"I know… Anyways, I didn't want to say anything because it wasn't my place," Percy finished. "I really wanted to go over there and punch him because Katie is one of the meanest but nicest people you will ever meet."
"Who's first?"
"You."
"Aw, thank you," Annabeth said with her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now, anyways, I'm leaving."
Percy grabbed Annabeth's wrist. "Please, Annabeth, I swear on the River Styx that I've never even looked at a woman with as much affection as I look at you with."
She yanked it out of his grasp. "You don't have to do that just to cheat." She then picked her bag from the floor and grabbed her keys off the hook before closing the door.
Percy ran to the door and into the dimly lit hallway of their apartment building. "Wait!" Annabeth paused without turning around. "I love you Annabeth." He called.
She scurried down the stairs and into her car.
(((())))
Annabeth's voice shook. "And… And then…"
Katie's door opened. "Hey, I forgot some underwear. Sorry," Travis said and grimaced at the couch strewn with tissues.
"No, it's fine. Come sit with us Travis." Annabeth patted the cushion next to her.
Travis came over and swiped the tear-stained tissues onto the floor. "It's okay Annabeth."
"Well… The worst part was when he said that he never cheated, but someone we're very, very, " with each 'very', Annabeth scooted closer to Travis, "close to cheated on his wife, and I just didn't believe him. I mean, this guy is a terrific person with a beautiful—"
Travis closed his eyes and shouted, "Katie, I have something to tell you!"
Annabeth took the last tissue box under her arm. "I think I'm going to bed, but before I do…" She socked Travis in the jaw. "Night."
Annabeth felt like she floated to the room. As she lay down, she could hear the screams of Katie. (Of course, they were replaced by moans an hour later as Travis and Katie made up.)
(((())))
Percy pulled the window up. How he got up there on his wobbly ladder, he has no idea. He then climbed into the neat and orderly guest bedroom in Travis and Katie's apartment. Rosie was safe with Mrs. O'Leary and his mother at his apartment, and Percy planned to have Annabeth safe in his arms soon.
Her sleeping face was facing the other direction, so he couldn't see it. He crept into the queen size bed with her. His arms wrapped around her, and he dug his face into the lemon-scented hair.
"Percy?" Annabeth's voice broke the silence.
"Yeah."
Annabeth blinked. "I'm sorry for thinking you were cheating and not telling you I love you."
"I know. I'm sorry for everything though because if it wasn't for the stupid paper, we wouldn't be in this mess," he replied.
"Shut up." She flipped sides, so she was facing him. "I'd rather have a big argument than have Rosie go hungry."
"True."
Annabeth decided she had missed his lips all night. She leaned in and kissed him lightly.
He kissed back with as much passion as her.
"Come on. Let's go home." Percy said and stood.
Annabeth linked their hands together as she stood. "Yeah," she agreed.
(((())))
Katie and Travis got up to an empty guest bedroom and a note on their fridge.
Katie,
Percy snuck into my room last night, and we made up (NOT like you did though). I have gone home. Thanks for giving me a shoulder to cry on.
Love,
Annabeth Jackson
P.S. Hi, this is Percy really quick. Travis, I'm GLAD Annabeth punched you. Katie's a good girl and she doesn't deserve mistreatment.
Katie smirked. "Yeah, Travis, you heard him."
"Shut up."