Percy's POV
My best friend from college, Jeff, was getting married today in Florida. It hadn't been too hard to get down there from New York and I was enjoying the ease of travel.
Of course, I still couldn't fly there because Zeus would blast me out of the sky, but the drive was pleasant.
I was a bit worried for the wedding, however. I was the best man, and it would be interesting to attempt a speech. I also would barely know anyone. I knew Jeff's fiancée, Nancy, pretty well, but the rest of their friends, I'd only met briefly. My close friends pretty much consisted of Jeff, Grover Underwood, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and Annabeth Chase. I saw Grover and Rachel often, but it seemed that Annabeth and I never got to meet in person.
Sure, I texted, emailed, and called her often, but nothing could compare to seeing her in person. We were both too busy with our jobs – she was an architect, I was a marine biologist – to meet and we just agreed to talk a lot. But I was sad because honestly, out of my friends, she's my best friend. But, back to my anxiety problems.
The final reason I was nervous was because I didn't know who I was walking with. The maid of honor had been unable to get off of work for the rehearsal dinner and was flying down the morning of the wedding; she'd still get ready with the other bridesmaids. Apparently, they'd been hinting to her that I was single and since she was too, she should go after me. I was afraid that she'd be one of those clingy girls that wouldn't let go of me the whole night.
I hadn't had much time to worry about that last one today though. Immediately after the groomsmen all woke up, we had to start getting ready. The colors of the wedding were silver, blue and green – vibrant colors for a happy occasion – and I was excited to find that my suit brought out my eyes, making me actually look handsome. I really did want to look good for Jeff's sake. All of the groomsmen did pictures at the hotel right after getting ready.
Nancy and Jeff were having a very traditional wedding in that the bride and groom weren't allowed to see each other on the day of. So that meant I wouldn't see the mysterious maid of honor until she walked down the aisle.
Finally, pictures were done and I helped Jeff relax a little before the wedding. He was obviously tense, for good reason, so I gave him a little pep talk. He appreciated it and we went solemnly outside under the palm trees, where the ceremony would take place.
While waiting for people to come down the aisle, I focused on the ocean behind me. The fish were talking loudly to me, begging me to come it. I projected my thoughts to them – a skill I'd long ago mastered as Poseidon's son – to tell them I'd come in later. I also gave them directions to the beach near my hotel so that they could come see me when I went back there.
The peaceful rhythm of the waves was lulling me into a ruminant state of mind and I just barely snapped out of it as the music became louder and Nancy's parents began to walk down the aisle.
Jeff's parents were next down the aisle and I instantly became more alert; the maid of honor was coming down next.
The maid of honor appeared and began to walk down the aisle, her head down. The shimmery silver dress hugged her figure excellently, making her look like a vision. Her smooth hands held a bouquet of blue, green, and white flowers, adding color to her image. Her straightened blonde hair was side-parted and shining golden in the hot Florida sun. There was something familiar about her.
Then, she looked up.
All I saw were beautiful, stormy gray eyes, wonderfully accented by a bit of black eyeliner, a silver dress, and all the natural beauty the gods can give. I was looking at the most beautiful woman in the world.
And her name was Annabeth Chase.
Annabeth's eyes swept over the groom's side and when her gaze locked on mine, she faltered a moment and I swear that I was about to melt. I could hear the ocean's waves getting larger as my emotions overwhelmed me. I fought to calm myself so that I didn't flood the wedding. I didn't know how I'd explain that one…
The ceremony was a blur because all I could bring myself to do was sneak glances at Annabeth. To my profound joy, I often caught her sneaking glances at me as well. The only part I remembered was the kiss because, as Jeff dipped Nancy, I caught a clear view of Annabeth and could only imagine kissing her. Well, and I remembered when the minister said, "I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff and Nancy Schmidt." But that was only because my mind was ringing with the thought, I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Perseus and Annabeth Jackson…
Okay, so maybe a wedding wasn't the best place to be seeing my longtime crush and best friend for the first time in years…
Nancy and Jeff walked down the aisle to applause and I realized that I'd be with Annabeth now. Happily, I stepped onto the aisle and offered Annabeth my arm and stared into her eyes.
She graciously accepted, laying her hand in the crook of my arm and sending shocks of pleasure through my body.
"Is that really you, Annabeth?" I whispered.
She beamed up at me. "Of course, Percy, who else would it be?"
I shrugged with a smile. "Some pretty girl trying to trick me into thinking she was my best friend."
Annabeth scoffed. "Who would do that?"
I grinned brighter and happily led her to the end of the aisle, where wedding planners were waiting to take us towards the room where the reception was being held. The wedding party was going to make special entrances in couples after everyone else had gone in, so we were directed to the hallway outside of the room.
Annabeth and I stuck close together, not talking, just enjoying each other's presence. As we were waiting in the hallway, Jeff and Nancy approached us.
"Congrats!" I exclaimed, patting Jeff on the back. Annabeth repeated this and hugged Nancy quickly.
"So I see that you two have hit it off…" Nancy smiled smugly, probably thinking she had been a match maker.
"Oh please, we hit it off a long time ago." I smiled, throwing an arm around Annabeth's shoulders. She wrapped an arm around my waist and cocked her head with a smile matching mine.
"Meaning?" Jeff had obviously heard the implication in my voice.
"Well, we've only been best friends since we were 12." I laughed at the shell-shocked expressions on Jeff and Nancy's faces.
"You're kidding!" Nancy exclaimed.
Annabeth and I both shook our heads, still laughing.
"No, we've been through plenty together…" Annabeth replied, looking up at me with obvious remembrance of all of our quests. "And I know all of Perseus Poseidon Jackson's deepest darkest secrets and embarrassing stories."
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the look that Jeff gave me after hearing my middle name. "Just like I know Annabeth Minerva Chase's deepest darkest secrets and embarrassing moments. Three words Annabeth: Bermuda triangle incident."
Annabeth blushed and glared at me. "Well then, Mount St. Helens."
"Hey, that wasn't completely my fault!" I protested, blushing.
"Peace, you two, peace!" Jeff said, grinning at us before going to talk to other members of the wedding party.
"Hey, you look really pretty, Annabeth," I smiled at her softly, silently apologizing for my teasing.
She smiled back in return. "You aren't looking too bad yourself."
The wedding planners then got everyone in a line for our big entrance. I heard the other couples making extravagant plans to dance strangely when they walked in.
"We're going to just walk in normal, right?" I asked, slightly panicked.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Of course. Just bow or something; I'll curtsy. I think we're walking in to Sweet Child O' Mine."
I nodded seriously and offered my arm as we prepared to go in. We were announced and we walked in with bright smiles. I bowed, feeling Annabeth curtsy next to me, and waved to the crowd before leading Annabeth to our seats. We sat until it was time for speeches.
The father of the bride spoke first and I was cracking up the whole time. Nancy was bright red from embarrassment, but she was laughing, so that was a good sign. I was still pretty much in tears when I stood up to make my speech.
I was nervous about my speech, but just tried to let it flow naturally. I talked about Jeff's strange experiences with me in college and when he first told me about Nancy. Basically, I told everyone what I felt about Nancy and Jeff's relationship; and this was that they were perfect for each other.
Annabeth spoke after me and I was laughing throughout her speech as well. She hit many of the same points I did and I noticed that Nancy was in tears from both of our speeches. As Annabeth sat down, Nancy got up and ran to us, hugging us quickly before going back to her seat.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Annabeth and I caught up on some stuff that we hadn't talked about through emails yet and I learned about all of the buildings she's made so far.
The dancing came quickly and I took a deep breath to calm myself. A slow song came on.
"Hey, Annabeth… Do you want to dance?" I asked nervously.
Annabeth jumped up quickly. "Of course!" She grinned and pretty much dragged me to the dance floor.
I put one arm around her waist and grabbed her free hand as she rested her other hand on my shoulder. We swayed back and forth to the music and I felt incredibly content, the girl of my dreams dancing in my arms. I saw Jeff and Nancy giving us smug looks but I ignored them, focusing on my beautiful best friend.
The night was a blur, passing quickly with a lot of dancing with Annabeth. I don't think I strayed from her side much the entire night. It was wonderful.
Finally, it was time to go home and slowly, the room emptied of people. Annabeth and I stayed late with Jeff and Nancy to collect lost items and clean up a bit. Jeff held up a pair of sunglasses. "Hey, do you know whose these are?" He asked.
"Those are mine! Thanks, Jeff!" I exclaimed, reclaiming my sunglasses.
"You almost forgot your sunglasses, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth laughed.
"So, what's the matter with that, Wise Girl?" I challenged, raising my eyebrows.
"Nothing, nothing," Annabeth grinned.
Jeff and Nancy gave us funny looks. "Long story," I said in explanation.
We all stepped outside to call a taxi back to the hotel, but I suggested walking. It was a beautiful night with nice weather and the walk wasn't far.
I let Jeff and Nancy walk hand in hand in front of Annabeth and I. I wanted to hold her hand so bad, but I wasn't able to, afraid to offend her. We were passing the beach outside the hotel when I stopped.
"Want to walk on the beach?" I asked Annabeth in a whisper. She nodded.
"Jeff, Nancy?" I called out. They stopped and turned back.
"What's up, Percy?" Jeff asked.
"Why don't you two keep walking? Annabeth and I wanted to walk on the beach for a little bit." I replied.
"Well, why don't…" Jeff began but Nancy tugged on his arm.
She smiled apologetically and said, "You two go ahead. We'll be walking back." She then pulled Jeff behind her down the street. I walked with Annabeth down to the beach and turned her towards me, trying not to get hypnotized by the way the moon lit up her gray eyes.
"Do you want to go into the ocean with me?" I asked hopefully.
She hesitated. "I don't know… My dress is so nice and my hair and makeup is too…"
I held out a rubber band. "Put your hair in a bun and I can keep your hair and face dry."
She did as I said then gestured to her dress. "What about this?"
I grabbed her hands. "Please Annabeth! I'll make sure to dry off your dress when you get out. I'll give you an air bubble and everything." I gave her the puppy dog eyes.
"Fine," she grinned. "I can't say no to that face. Are you getting wet?"
"Well, I'm going to keep my face and hair dry because my hair is actually tame today." I smiled and laughed as she ruffled my hair until it looked like its normal messy mop.
"All better." She smiled angelically.
"Fine then, I'll get fully wet if it makes you feel better." I rolled my eyes.
"Yep, it does," She laughed.
"Alright, we're going in. I have a promise to some fish to keep." I grinned at her surprised face. "I told the fish at the marina I'd come in later." I explained before she could ask.
She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Okay, I'm ready."
I think she expected me to grab her hands and pull her in or pick her up and throw her. I proved her wrong and scooped her up bridal style. She gazed at me in shock as I slowly walked towards the water before diving in, creating an air bubble around her head.
She gazed around the ocean in wonder; I grabbed her hand and pulled her out farther, talking to a few fish along the way. I showed Annabeth some of the secret crevices in the ocean and strange creatures that most people wouldn't see. Some fish even led me to the home of a school of colorful fish who glittered iridescently in the moonlight.
After 10 minutes or so, I used waves to propel Annabeth and I back to shore. She grinned brightly at me as we rose out of the ocean.
"Thanks Percy, that was amazing!" She gushed.
"I'm glad you liked it." I smiled. I looked her over, noticing that her dress clung to her shapely figure. I snapped my eyes back to her face, not wanted to seem perverted, but I couldn't help but think about how much of a woman she'd grown up to be.
"Could you dry me off?" She asked hopefully.
I quickly complied, laughing as she felt her dress, amazed that it was dry. I dried myself off as well and led Annabeth back to the sidewalk. As we walked farther down the street, I noticed that Jeff and Nancy were kissing against a wall.
They pulled away from each other as we walked up.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," Jeff grinned.
"You guys left and we were by ourselves… And well… Yeah…" Nancy looked embarrassed, but she smiled.
I raised my eyebrows. Maybe they had gotten drunk, even though they told me they wouldn't. "Sure, let's just head back to the hotel."
They nodded and we all headed back. It was a quiet walk back to the hotel. The honeymoon suite was on the same floor as the room for both the groomsmen and bridesmaids. We all headed up together and Jeff and Nancy said goodbye before walking off towards the honeymoon suite.
"I'll walk you to your room," I said to Annabeth.
She nodded and we walked just a few feet to her door. "Well that was anticlimactic," Annabeth smiled.
"You bet," I grinned. "Did I tell you that you looked beautiful tonight?"
"Only a few hundred times," she rolled her eyes. "You look quite handsome yourself."
"Thanks…" I grinned. Not wanting to leave, I struck up a new subject. "So, what have you been working on lately for architecture?"
"Just one of Daedalus's ideas."
"You still have his laptop?" I asked, surprised.
"I would never give away that laptop, even to save my life." She vowed. "Anyway, it was one of his more advanced ideas. I was thinking of setting it up in New York so I could come visit you."
"Seriously? That's amazing!" I was elated. She had been trying to come see me!
"I'm glad you think so," she laughed at my enthusiasm.
"You know," I began slyly. "Thinking of that laptop makes me think of that quest in the labyrinth."
She frowned slightly, trying to see where I was going with that thought. "That was one of the rough quests…"
"Yes, definitely. But it had some highlights." I grinned.
"Like?" She asked, already blushing slightly. She knew what I was talking about.
"I don't know. Maybe you kissing me at Mount St. Helens."
"I don't recall that," Annabeth lied smoothly, only a blush betraying her.
"I'm sure you do. Remember I got blasted to Ogygia and you thought I died." I reminded her.
"Okay fine, yes I do remember. Only because you mentioned getting blown to Ogygia because you blew up Mount St. Helens."
"Hey, I was saving myself from being burned alive by telekhines! You would have done the same," I said defensively.
"I'm sure I would have," She chuckled at my obviously comic face.
"But still, you admit to kissing me." I tried to take control of the situation again.
"Yeah, I do," she shrugged, inching a bit closer to me. "Was it a bit like this?" She asked innocently before standing on her tiptoes and kissing me lightly on the lips.
I pretended to ponder as she pulled away – I could feel warmth spreading through my body from her kiss. "No," I said slowly. "It was a little more like this."
I leaned forward and kissed her lightly, but instead of pulling away, I tangled one hand in her hair and caressed her cheek with the other. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I moved one of my hands to her waist, pulling her closer to me. She eagerly responded, kissing me deeper.
After a few moments – or they could have been hours for all I knew – I pulled away, my breathing heavy. Annabeth still had her eyes closed, her breathing erratic as well.
"I've been waiting to do that for a long time." I smiled at Annabeth as she opened her eyes. "I've had a crush on you for a while, you know."
"For how long?" Annabeth asked coyly.
"Probably since I woke up in the infirmary to find a certain blonde-haired girl caring for me after a Minotaur attack, getting angry at me almost the minute I woke up," I laughed.
She laughed too. "That wasn't completely my fault I got mad! You were being such a Seaweed Brain! But, I've liked you for a while too."
"How long?" I asked innocently.
"I don't know… Maybe since I walked into the infirmary to see a certain black-haired boy drooling adorably in his sleep after a monster attack."
"Hey, I don't drool anymore!" I exclaimed.
"Sure you don't. Let me see your pillow." She said calmly.
"Um, no…" I muttered.
"And why not?"
"Because there are drool stains…"
"Exactly." Annabeth smiled smugly.
There was silence for a few moments.
"Hey, Annabeth. Do you think you could get off of work for a few days?" I asked.
"Depends… Why?"
"Because I was thinking about extending my stay here for a few more days. I'm liking the Florida weather. I wouldn't mind some company."
Annabeth grinned. "They can't start building without the plans and I've got the plans in my suitcase. How about another week?"
"Sounds perfect," I smiled at her before giving her a quick peck on the lips. She smiled blissfully before slipping open the door and going to her room.
I walked in a daze back to my own room. Something told me I'd be seeing a lot of Annabeth from now on.
A/N: Inspired by my cousin's beautiful wedding in Florida years ago. I just remember seeing the place where it was being held and having a sudden epiphany, whose product is now before you! Sorry about the rough editing and thanks for reading!