After the quest.
Percy woke up, like any normal day at camp; the sun was bursting at its seams to illuminate Camp Half-Blood on this day. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. "Hey Annabeth," Percy smiled. Last night Annabeth had joined him for a movie in his cabin.
"Morning Seaweed Brain," she smiled at him.
Percy gaze at her lovingly, and sloped down to kiss her on the forehead, gently. "Morning," he said.
She giggled, "Mmhmm." He slid out above her and walked to the bathroom, turning at the doorway and pitched her a smile. "See you later Seaweed Brain," Annabeth called and stepped on top the cold tile floor from Percy's bed.
He frowned, "Okay." Annabeth left back to her cabin.
The conch shell sounded as Percy opened his cabin door to the day. Smiling, waving, he passed through the crowd of demigods heading to the pavilion for breakfast looking for his Wise Girl. "Hey!" He called and rushed over to her. "How are you?"
"Hungry," she responded with a her Daedalus laptop in her hands.
"What are you working on this early in the morning?"
"What I should have finished last night," Annabeth spoke, eyes glued to the screen as Percy smirked, "don't smirk at me, Percy Jackson."
He laughed, "All aright Annie." Annabeth didn't mind the nickname when it was Percy, she smiled. They split up as they entered the pavilion.
The whole camp filed into the space, Chiron being the last to enter. "Demigods," he said. That one word echoed through the pavilion as everyone was silent. "I believe it is one of our own's birthday, one of our saviors, Percy Jackson."
Cheers started up and the campers began chanting, "Percy! Percy! Percy!"
"I would like to congratulate him on all his accomplishments, and wish him a well deserved, happy birthday." Chiron smiled down at Perseus.
"Thank you," he mouthed in return.
"Your welcome," was the mouthed reply. They smiled at each other.
"Perce!" Grover came up.
"There you are, G-man!" Percy beamed at his best friend.
"Wanted to wish you a happy birthday!" He laughed.
"Yeah, thanks," Perce replied. They talked a little they ate. Although, they were interrupted a lot by other campers coming to say "happy birthday," to Percy. He'd have to say, it was nice to be noticed like that.
Clarisse came up to the table, "Hey Princess," Percy looked up from his conversation with Grover.
"What's up, Clarisse?" He smiled.
"Happy birthday," she gave a genuine smile, and in an instant it was gone.
Chris came up behind her and said, "Have a good one." Throughout this period of happy birthday wishes, Annabeth did not join the table. Thalia and Nico passed by, on their own, wishing Percy to have a good one, but Annabeth.
Percy moved from breakfast to the swords arena, where the Athena cabin was also scheduled to be. Annabeth, unfortunately, was not there. Instead, Malcolm and Percy spared, Percy winning somewhat easily.
"You're good," Percy said, helping Malcolm up.
"Thanks, happy birthday Percy," he said while dusting himself off. A few more birthday wishes and off to the strawberry fields with the Demeter and Hermes cabin.
Perce sat in the dirt, and plucked the ripe strawberries off their vines, not noticing when the Stolls came up. The happy birthday song started up, and a miniature explosion happened, leaving Percy caked in, well, cake. He turned and saw the Stolls, laughing of course.
"Happy birthday Percy," they said in unison, "You take the cake!"
He gave a thanks-for-the-thought smile and laughed. "Thanks," Percy said. "I'll get you back, later," he whispered. Goosebumps appeared on Connor's and Travis' arms as they bolted from that section of the fields.
Katie approached him, "Don't kill then, alright?"
"I don't know about that, Katie." The pair chuckled.
"How about a deal then?" Katie asked. Percy turned to look up at her better. "Do whatever with Connor, but leave Travis alone. Kay?"
"What's in it for me?" Percy asked.
"I'll finish the rest of your strawberry picking today," she replied in a business tone.
"Deal," he agreed and shook hands with her. Dusting himself of dirt, not yet cake, he was standing and about ready to leave.
"Almost forgot," Katie called when Percy's back was turned to her. "Happy birthday, Perce!"
He laughed, "Thanks Katie!" He waved back and continued walking back to the cabins. Stopping, Percy spotted an Annabeth walking to the Hades cabin. Sneakily running, Percy walked behind her a few steps before she noticed.
"I know you're following me, Percy," Annabeth stated.
"How'd you know?" He was smiling as she turned.
Annabeth's jaw dropped, "What happened?"
"It's my new look, don't you like it?" Percy responded as sarcastically as possible.
She laughed, loudly and fully, "Really, thou. What happened?" Her eyes squinted as she laughed hard still, and Percy loved that look.
"The Stolls," he said.
In between her laughing, she said, "Do you want to get back at them?"
"Already have," he smiled approached Annabeth slowly.
Annabeth stopped laughing, "How?"
"Made a deal with Katie. Connor's all mine. Katie gets Travis, and I don't have to pick strawberries." Percy smiled.
"Good job," she replied as Percy closed the distance between them. "What kind of cake is it?"
"Why don't you taste it for me?" He enclosed her in a crushing hug, spreading cake all over Annabeth too.
"Ah, Percy!" She giggled. "Stop," she said trying to get her voice back to normal.
"Fine," he stopped moving, but still held Annabeth in his arms. He leaned in and kissed all over her face and neck, ending on a sweet kiss on her lips. Percy pulled away.
"Oh come on," Annabeth said and smiled. "Well now I have to get cleaned up."
Percy frowned, "What about just coming with me to the beach?" his eyes perked up.
"No, Percy," she said. Annabeth extricated herself from his arms and headed back to her cabin, leaving her path to the Hades cabin. Perce went back to his cabin.
Opening the door, his smiled got brighter, "Tyson!"
"Brother!" Tyson smiled through an Iris message.
"How's it going?" Percy said as he got closer after closing the door.
"Good, dad wants to talk with you," Tyson said.
Percy gulped. "Hello Perseus!" Poseidon called as he appeared in the Iris message.
"Hey dad," he replied.
"Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday! Sorry I can't make it tonight," the god said.
"Tonight?" Percy asked.
"Whoops, it's nothing Perce, have a good birthday! Hope you like your present!" Poseidon smiled.
"What present?" He replied.
"I told Hermes to deliver it this morning, oh well. I'll call him up later." The god said.
"Percy!" Tyson waved from the back. "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks, bro, talk with you all later," Percy positioned his hand to wave through the message.
"Okay, bye," Poseidon said,
"Bye," Percy waved his hand through it and went to shower.
Coming out, and leaving his cabin again, it was lunch. The crowd swept him to the pavilion. This time, Annabeth joined him at his table.
"Hey," she said.
"You all packed?" He asked.
"Yeah," she replied. Annabeth was going to stay over for a few days before heading to a California for school. They ate fast and Percy went to retrieve her stuff to stack on top of his. Waiting at the border, Thalia and Nico approached.
"Have a good one," Nico said again and told a joke as Leo came.
"Yeah, have a good one," Leo said with a double meaning.
Percy turned red. "Shut up," he blushed.
"Aww," Leo teased. Nico smiled.
Annabeth was blushing too, her back to Percy's conversation.
"Stay safe, Annie," Thalia winked.
"Thalia!"
"Yeah, safe," Piper said.
"Oh gods, you two," Annabeth shook her blushing head. She mentally face palmed and turned to look a Percy. At that moment, Percy turned to look at her and their eyes met.
"Annabeth! Percy!" Sally called just beyond the border. Percy waved and said his goodbyes. He grabbed Annabeth's bag and headed up the last few feet to the border. Chiron galloped to a position Percy could see him. He waved a goodbye and smiled.
"Hi Sally," Annabeth said.
"Hi Annabeth," she smiled and hugged her.
"Hey mom," Percy said after dropping Annabeth's bag in the trunk along with his.
"Hi birthday boy," she crinkled her eyes as she smiled and walked them around the car. Annabeth and Percy slid in and said hello to Paul. They drove off from camp and reached their home in a few hours, stopping once for some fast food snacks.
Inside the apartment there were blue streamers, balloons, and a plate of blue cookies waiting to be eaten. Percy sat at the counter and was about to begin devouring, but felt the stare from his mom. He offered everyone else in the room one before beginning the devastation of the blue cookies. The door rang, and Sally left the kitchen conversation to answer it.
"Hi Sally," a voice said.
Another said, "Hi Ms. Jackson."
"Please, Nico, call me Sally," she responded and invited them in. Nico and Thalia stood in the doorway.
"Surprise," Nico said.
Percy laughed, "Hey Nico, Thals."
"Ready to go?" Thalia asked.
"Almost!" Annabeth called from the guest room. She came out in a beautiful blue dress that made Percy's jaw drop a few inches.
He stared at her, and stuttering, he said, "You look even more beautiful."
"Aww," Sally smiled at her son. "Percy," she said snapping him from his Annie-trance. "Go put on the outfit on your bed."
"Okay," he said half consciously. Standing up from the counter and walking down the hallway, he kept his eyes glued on Annabeth, miraculously, he didn't hit anything too badly on his backwards walking to his room.
A few minutes later he walked out in a white v-neck and jeans. It showed off his obvious ripped-ness, and it was Annabeth's turn for jaw dropping. Nico smiled, it was his outfit choice for Seaweed Brain. And even Thalia would have had to agree, it was pretty perfect. Paul successfully tossed Percy a set of car keys, and said, "Be back by eleven and you get the car."
Percy looked at him, flabbergasted, "Thanks Paul," he went up and hugged him, "thanks mom," he side hugged her.
"Don't forget a jacket," Sally said and handed him a jacket-Nico's jacket of choice for the outfit and rushed the four of them out the door. "Have fun, but not too much," she kissed him good bye.
The demigods left and drove around for the night, laughing, smiling, having fun. Back by ten-thirty, Percy opened the door on a candle-lit homemade blue cake. He smiled and helped everyone in. Annabeth was wearing his blue letterman swimming jacket. There was a friend photo, a family photo which had to include Annabeth, and one with everyone there. Cutting the cake, Percy got a slice twice as big as everyone else.
"Thanks mom," he said again for the cake. "Thank Paul," he smiled.
They talked for awhile, open presents, and it was eleven-thirty when Nico and Thalia left, shadow traveling back to Camp Half-Blood. Paul and Sally left Annabeth and Percy alone on couch.
"Hey, Percy," Annabeth said, her head positioned on his chest, his arm around her.
"Yeah?" He replied.
"Happy birthday," she scooted up and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks, Wise Girl."
"I have a present too, just hold on." Annabeth reached under the coffee table and pulled out a small box.
"I wonder what it is," Percy moved to a sitting position, Annabeth as well.
"Open it."
Percy slowly pulled the ribbon apart, letting it fall to the ground and lifted the lid. Inside, beneath all the tissue paper, was a disc. He got up and pushed it into the DVD player for the tv. The screen lit up, and Annabeth appeared on the screen.
"Happy birthday Seaweed Brain," digital Annabeth said. "This video is for you, watch it when you're bored, when you're tired, when you're feeling down, when you feel sad. And especially when you're missing me."
Percy paused it. "I don't have words to explain how I feel right now, Annabeth." She blushed. "I can only say, I love you."
"I know." Annabeth smiled.
He pulled her closer, "I'll watch and keep this forever, Annabeth." Percy buried his face in her hair. "I'll miss you when you're gone, Wise Girl."
"I know," she said. "I love you too." Annabeth tilted her head up and met Percy's. they shared a blissful kiss. Pulling apart for air, she said, "Happy end to your birthday."
The clock read 12:01 as the words left Annabeth's mouth.