Yes I know you all probably want to kill me for not writing in practically forever, but I just haven't had any muse to write anything worth putting up. I lost interest in my stories, so I kind just left you all in the dark, and I'm real sorry about that. Anyways, first thing I've ever written in present tense… enjoy c:

Love lures you in, plays with you, then spits you out like nothing ever happened. Life, family, and men have taught Annabeth that the world is just a place to make your own path, make your own choices, and listen to nothing but your conscience—but how can a simple trip to the corner coffee shop change that?

Love is blind

They say that love is blind. That when you love someone, you see their quirks and habits completely different than the rest of the world. They say that the feeling of love suppresses the critical thinking part of the mind, thus, making you 'blind'. Annabeth Chase doesn't believe that. The blonde haired-grey eyed 18-year-old believes that the person chooses who they love. She believes that love doesn't wheedle its way into the mind. She doesn't know how to really love. Her life wasn't filled with it. Her first boyfriend, Luke Castellan, broke her heart when she found out he only liked her because she was "hot". Both her parents disowned her, and she lived with a friend until she could pay for her own rent.

Now living in a small apartment and majoring in architecture, Annabeth makes her way to a nearby coffee shop, her Daedalus laptop tucked under her arm. It's unusually crowded inside and she has to wait 20 minutes for her decaf mocha. Looking for a place to sit, she sees an open seat in a booth by the back door. As she gets closer, she notices a young man slumped in the booth. Gathering her wits she approaches the young man. He doesn't seem to notice her, so she takes in his appearance. Messy black hair hung over his eyes, a blue V-neck with an old worn brown leather jacket, dark skinny jeans and well-worn red high-tops, a long finger traces the top of his coffee mug.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth starts. He looks up, flipping his black bangs away from his eyes. They are the color of a stormy sea shrouded in mist. She clears her throat. He doesn't seem to blink. "May I sit here?" He nods, slowly. As she sits down, he looks back at his coffee mug. She notices that it's still completely full and seems to be cold. Annabeth takes a sip of her coffee.

"I'm Annabeth Chase," she says, startling both the man in front of her and herself. He takes a moment before sticking his hand out.

"Percy Jackson," he states simply.

From there on, the conversation continues for hours. They agreed to meet up again. Then again, and again. After what Annabeth thought was their seventh or eighth meeting and a little after their first month of friendship, she realizes they knew a lot about each other, yet they have met anywhere else but that coffee shop.

The next few days go by and all Annabeth can think of is Percy. The way his lip curls when he smirks, when his eyebrows scrunch when he's confused or worried, the way he plays with his bottom lip when he's concentrating, when he traces the top of his coffee mug with his finger as he listens patiently to her rambles about architecture. The way his laugh makes her stomach flutter and her heart pound, when he runs his hands through his hair when he's nervous. The way he fiddles with his pen when his ADHD acts up. The way he doesn't like to be in the middle of everything. The way he rambles about sea life and how he used to swim so much at Montauk Beach. How he's selfless, witty, funny, loyal, and a whole lot of other characteristics. She can't think of anything, but that she may be falling for her coffee shop friend.

"Annabeth?" Percy's voice cut through her thoughts as she typed in some notes about her new project. They are, again, at their regular meeting place. "What color is your hair?" His question took her completely by surprise.

"My hair?" She replies, "it-it's blonde." She was now staring at Percy. Had she missed something? Percy continues. "I've always thought blondes where pretty. I've always loved blondes... Especially the one sitting across from me."

Something clicks inside of Annabeth. His eyes, shrouded in mist. He doesn't like to be in the middle. He keeps his fingers on his coffee. How he doesn't blink often. How he used to swim. How he didn't see her right away, because... he couldn't see her.

"Percy, are-are you blind?" She asks quietly. He only shrugs in response. Then something else clicks. He just said that he loved her, and he doesn't even know what she looks like. Annabeth always thought that men loved women because they can look at them. That they didn't care about who the ladies were, at least that's what Luke showed her. Now Percy has shown her that not all men are like that. Annabeth suddenly slides out of her side of the booth and next him. She slowly pulls him into a hug.

"I don't want your sympathy," he mutters, turning his head away.

"This isn't sympathy," she replies, a smile tugging the corners of her lips. He turns toward her.

"Then what would you call it, Wise Girl?" Now he's smirking.

"It's called, seaweed brain-"

"Seaweedbrain?" He chuckles. They are both so close that she can feel his breath across her cheek.

"It's called, seaweedbrain, love." She leans forward and captures his lips. She wraps her arms around his neck, and he wraps his around her waist. He kisses back.

So maybe love is blind. In a literal sense or not. But either way, a lover doesn't see any flaws in their significant other. Annabeth learned this, and she knows now that love can happen without choice, without even a thought.

END

Short and sweet. Not even 1k words.

R&R

- XxSeaOwl