Hi peoples. This is a story about Annabeth and Percy's life after things calmed down in Olympus and while they move into adulthood. I have not read the Trials of Apollo or Magnus Chase series, so this doesn't include any information from them and is as if they don't exist. Warning: it's super gushy. Please keep in mind that this chapter is just the pilot chapter, though. I hope you like it!.
I Don't own any rights to any of the Percy Jackson characters. They all belong to Rick Riordan.
After the war against Gaea, it had taken awhile for life to return to normal. After everyone had cared for the wounded and tended to the damage of the war, things had been quiet. Still, many had experienced injuries of the body, the mind, and the heart, and some of these wounds were permanent.
Percy and his friends were still grieving over the "loss" of their own fallen friend, Leo. Still, they had their own agendas and moved on with their lives together, but not without feeling the pangs of sadness when seeing things that reminded them of him.
The couples spent a lot of time alone, whether it was training, doing chores, or just taking walks by the water. Percy and Annabeth often found themselves alone together and no one really cared because they had been through Hell, literally, and Tartarus had been the worse thing they, or probably any mortal or demigod alike, had ever experienced. They only made it through the unimaginable hardships wrought there by clinging to their bond with each other. A love like that is almost unbreakable, but Percy was starting to get worried.
Percy knew that, no matter what, he was completely in love with Annabeth, It was the kind of love where every stress and problem he had just seemed to ease in her presence. He knew every one of her faults and found ways to love them in ways that can't be explained. He saw himself marrying her and having children together and growing old with her at his side, something basically no demigod had ever experienced, all in the comfort and safety of New Rome.
But, while thinking of the future, Percy wondered if Annabeth envisioned the same plans that he did. He had mentioned New Rome to her before and, in fact, she had asked him to talk about it more while they had been in Tartarus, but they had never came to a resolution and Annabeth had never really conveyed how she felt about it. In the time that had passed since they had been in Tartarus, he had been hoping she would bring it up, as she was good at remembering important things like that. He just needed to know if she wanted to go their with him. If she didn't he had no idea what he would do. He couldn't see himself being accepted into some Ivy League school like her. Colleges don't normally choose students based off their ability to control water or save Olympus and he was barely passing some of his classes. Studying wasn't really one of his priorities.
Today was the day that he was going to ask her how she felt. He had planned a date by the lake for them tonight He had even cooked food for a picnic, including his specialty and her favorite thing he cooked, blue spinach and chicken Alfredo. Annabeth had agreed to bring Percy's favorite desert, blue chocolate chip cookies. They had both embraced Percy's love of blue food and it had kinda became one of their things. Normally, after, eating and talking for awhile, they would walk along the edge of the water and possibly end up making out. Both Percy and Annabeth were really excited for the date, as they always were, but Percy was also kinda nervous, not wanting to pressure Annabeth about the future.
What Percy didn't know was that Annabeth was also nervous about tonight's date, but for slightly different reasons. She had noticed that Percy had been acting rather weird lately, like he was nervous about something. He would always become rather distant as she would talk about some of her designs or the classes she was helping lead around camp. Honestly, she was worried he wanted to break up with her. She knew he had a restless soul and a need to keep moving that he couldn't help. She also knew that she was more of the quiet, still type herself. She worried she wasn't satisfying his inner needs and that, despite his love for her, he needed to do whatever was best for himself. He couldn't force himself into a life he considered boring just to please her, and she wouldn't want him to. She also knew he would wait as long as possible to break up with her to spare her feelings and that he would do it in the kindest way possible, because that was just who he was. Still she feared it and couldn't imagine her life without him.
They met by the sandy spot at the edge of the lake, where they always met for their lakeside picnics. As they sat down to eat, there was very little conversation. They basically just exchanged compliments about the food. Things were starting to get pretty awkward as they finished their food. Finally, after they were finished, Percy said "Let's go for a walk."
This is it, thought Annabeth. She just knew he was about to break up with her. Afraid and already hurting inside, Annabeth couldn't bring herself to look Percy in the eye.
Percy noticed her inability to meet his gaze and it made him even more nervous. He was trying desperately to work up the nerve to mention New Rome. Finally, he got up the nerve to say something.
"Annabeth? I think we should talk," he said, sounding super nervous.
"Okay," replied Annabeth in a distant voice, still refusing to look at him. A tear escaped the corner of her eye, but he couldn't see it with the way she was keeping her face turned from him. Suddenly, she couldn't take this anymore. She was Annabeth Chase, she wasn't going to just let him leave without trying to reason with him. "Look, Percy, there has to be another way." She finally looked at him.
As soon as Percy saw the tears, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait, Annabeth what's wrong? Is New Rome really that bad of a place to live. It's safe and I don't know, peaceful? Annabeth?" Percy started getting frantic because he couldn't figure out why Annabeth was crying.
"New Rome? That's what you wanted to talk about? I thought...I thought you were breaking up with me." Annabeth hugged Percy tightly. "Of course, I'll go to New Rome with you."
"You thought I was going to break up with you? Annabeth, I'd never do that. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you." Percy couldn't believe Annabeth had thought he'd ever leave her and silently kicked himself for ever giving her reason to think it.
"I love you too. Just...please never leave me," she said as she pulled back and met his eyes.
"I wouldn't dream of it Wise Girl," he replied, smiling down at her. This made her finally smile. He always knew what to say to cheer her up.
Okay. So that's all for now. I hoped you liked it. Please leave comments. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible. :)