Bow ties and dancing tutorials

"Mom, it's pink!"

"So what? I think you look adorable!" Sally refused to back out so easily. "Besides, it's trendy. Don't be a whiny baby," she tried to reason with her son, although she knew well that she's fighting a lost battle. Percy is a nice guy, but he's stubborn as mule.

"Oh, cut that! We all know who's your baby. Pff!" he pouted and folded his arms.

"C'mon, Percy! You're acting like a jealous three-years- old," Jason tried to sound serious, but failed. "And you should totally buy that bow tie. Kinda goes well with your personality."

Even Sally cracked a smile.

"And by that condemn myself on life as Valdez's and yours laughing stock. Yeah, right. I've got a reputation to keep. Bad boy and stuff like that, and I'm certain I can't do that when I'm wearing baby pink clothing garments," he kept gesturing randomly with his hands, like he does every time when he's trying to make a point.

"Actually, it's fuchsia," Jason stated.

"Man knows his shades of pink," Percy raised his hands in mock-surrender. "Although I still refuse to be seen in public wearing this," he held it between his thumb and forefinger in front of him, like dirty underwear. "Maybe you should buy it for Cassidy, because you obviously love her more than me," was the last sentence he spoke before he threw offending garment in Sally's direction and walk out of the shop.

"Percy, you're behaving childish. Dude, you're almost eighteen. Act like it!" Jason tried to keep up with him.

Suddenly, Percy stopped and turned around, almost colliding with him. "I brought you like a moral support, and now you're giving me moral lesions. Dude!"

Jason sighed. "I'm not giving you moral lesions. Just trying to explain you how weird is for a grown man to be jealous over three months old baby. That's all, I swear."

"C'mon! Let's get some food. This shopping is freakin' tiring. I seriously don't know how women do it all the time, and actually enjoy it," he spoke lastly.

"So, I heard you did your prom shopping," Annabeth more stated than asked. She sat on kitchen counter, waiting for baby formula to warm up. Sally went out half an hour ago, leaving them to look after Cassidy.

"I did," Percy stated simply, playing with his car keys.

"And?" she tried to seem nonchalant.

"Mother tried to make me buy pink bow tie. Jason didn't help. We ate. Then I bought penguin suit, bow tie that's not pink and a pair those weird fancy shoes. Content?" he gave her one of his do-not-push-it looks.

Annabeth stood up and walked towards Cassidy's room. Percy absent-mindedly tapped kitchen table with his keys. He was so deeply in thought that he didn't hear his girlfriend approaching him.

She sat down on his lap, something Percy didn't mind. "I feel something is wrong. Do you wanna talk?"

"Everything is fine. It's just that…" black-haired son of Poseidon paused, and she waited patiently. "It's college. It's studying. It's the baby. It's Apollo. And now even prom. I'm so stressed! I feel like shit."

"I know, I'm stressed ,too," she sighed and lowered her head, putting it on his shoulder.

He took her hand and slowly caressed her back. They just sat there, enjoying comfortable silence.

Percy was first to speak. "Do you really want to go? To prom, I mean."

She shifted so she could look into his eyes. Beautiful sea green eyes she fall in love with over and over again every time she sees them.

"I do. I want to feel like normal high-schooler for once. You don't?" she asked and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I, um…"

Ananbeth raised her eyebrow, strategic movement that defeats him every time.

"I can't dance," he bravely admitted. Needless to say, he was surprised when his girlfriend burst out laughing.

"Neither can I, but I think I have solution for this one." She stood up, took his hand and pulled him towards living room. She took Sally's laptop and plugged in the charger.

"I don't think I know what are you doing," Percy was confused.

"Wait and see!" blonde beauty winked at him. She opened YouTube and typed 'dancing tutorials' in search box. "What do you want to dance? Hip Hop, Cha cha cha, Tango? Maybe quickstep?"

"I-I really have no idea what that means."

"Ah, there it is! Viennese Waltz!" she shouted triumphantly.

"Uh, what?" he starched back of his head, sign that he's completely lost.

She played the video. Cheerful Spanish music blasted trough speakers.

"I thought Vienna was in Austria. Why is this song on Spanish?" Annabeth kicked his stomach to hush him.

They tried to follow instructions, but kinda had problem understanding the guy who tutored for he spoke Russian or something like that. They ended up stepping on each other's toes every few seconds.

Eventually, they gave up. "Okay what's next? Mmm… What's Kpop?"

"No idea. Let's see. Okay, I'm playing Fire by BTS." He clicked the video.

Five minutes later they still stared at screen.

Once again, Percy broke the silence. "Wow, that was intensive." He leaned towards the laptop, intending to replay song. "Bunch of good-looking Asian people who sing and dance insanely well. I didn't understand a word of this song, but I still thi-" he stopped. "Annabeth? Do you hear me?" he waved his hand in front of her face.

Annabeth still stared. "I must know that guy's name. Move!" she ordered. She googled them all. "My goodness! They are so hot! Especially Jungkook. And Jimin. Piper must hear of this."

Percy gave her the look. "Later. She'll hear later," she gulped.

"There. Now we're listening to Fantastic Baby by BigBang." Percy hit the 'play' button. Halfway through the song, they were dancing like mad people and screaming 'boom shaka laka' along with singer. Needless to say, they ended up replaying it fifty times.

"This thing is dam catchy. I think I will sing it for the rest of my life." They sat on couch, exhausted.

Annabeth stood up. "I'm hungry. I'm off to buy some groceries for lunch." She kissed him and walked off, leaving him to drown in Korean music. He was halfway through fifth song when he heard crying.

Of course, he forgot little monster was here. When he grew tired of crying, he went to nursery. There she lies. His little sister. Cassidy Shireen Blofis (Paul, being the biggest Game of Thrones geek ever, insisted that at least her middle name should be show-related). He sighed and picked her up. "There, there… Don't cry."

He rocked her slowly. She looked at him with big blue eyes. He swore he saw a hint of smile. Nah, at least she stopped screaming.

That's how Annabeth and Sally found them ten minutes later.

Sally smiled. "I've got something for both of my babies." She held up two pink bow ties, one small and one bigger.

Look of terror passed over her son's face.