(Based on: Percy Jackson and the Olympians)
AU – Percy Jackson is very, very tired. But, of course, he has to attend his best friend Jason's wedding. This, of course, leads to many crazy things, but meeting her was one of the most memorable.
Part I
"PERCY!"
I winced and placed the IPhone on the table. I tapped on speaker and walked over to the fridge.
"What?" I called back.
I was very, very tired and was in need of some dinner. I really didn't feel like making a sandwich. I was bored with sandwiches. I felt like eating pasta but I didn't want to cook pasta. Plus it would take a while and I was starving.
"I need to talk to you about something very important. About my future." Jason's voice continued.
I decided I would order some Chinese takeout.
"Okay." I turned around to the cabinets and fished around for the slip of paper containing the Chinese Food number I always kept.
"I asked Piper to marry me."
What?!
"What!? Why didn't you tell me? What the hell Grace. I thought I was your best friend." I ran my hand through my hair and sat on the counter table. I could hear a laugh on the other line.
"It was a surprise. Anyway, Piper is a fashion designer, right, so I asked some unknown friend to walk in and ask her to make a wedding dress, right? So she says, "Make it any way you want. I trust your judgment." And she walks out, right? So then Piper had never made a wedding dress so she gets excited and starts designing it. She told me when she got home she felt bad 'cause she made as if it were for herself like I knew she would. So she goes back to work, right, and the so called friend comes in and says she doesn't want the dress after all, and Piper was all like, "So what do I do with it now?" and the friend was like, "Use it for yourself", and BAM I come in and I pop the question and she cries and now I am a engaged man."
I was quiet for a moment, taking it all in. I could almost picture Piper with her nut-brown skin and odd garbs she wears, even though she makes famous clothes and is rich as hell. She doesn't like to bring attention to herself even though she is beautiful.
"Sounds awesome. Did someone tape it?" I pressed the home button on the IPhone and tap on Safari, starting to Google the Chinese Place number.
"Yeah. I could actually send you the video. I'll call you right back." Jason hung up and I dialed the number that appeared on YELP.
"Hello?" Came a voice with a thick Chinese accent.
"Hi, yeah. Can…Actually never mind." I hung up and Googled for Little Ceasar's instead. I dialed the number.
"Hello?" Came a regular sounding voice.
"Hi, yeah, can I order some pepperoni pizza?"
"Will that be all?"
"Um, yeah. The name is Percy Jackson."
"OH! PERCY! Yeah. A regular. Alright the total will be five dollars and I'll be right over."
I hung up and immediately get a text from Jason. I opened it and see a five minute video with the cover frame of Piper crying.
Jason called quickly. "Did you get it?"
"Yeah. Nice cover."
"I chose it myself. Anyway. I didn't call you for that. The wedding is on the first of February."
"What?! That's, like, in a week."
I heard the doorbell and press the phone against my ear.
"I know. It's just, I love her so much, Percy. No joke."
I sighed, not only because he'll probably want me to go, but also because I know how much Jason loves Piper.
I opened the door and payed for the pizza. I walked back to the counter and stuffed the first pizza into my mouth.
"And when did you propose?"
"Like…on December 15th…."
"You waited all this time to tell me?!"
"I was just so busy…ANYWAY. I need you to fly over as soon as possible."
Whoop, there it is.
"Jason…" I sighed. "I have the accounting firm over here and we just got case involving gold diggers, possibly."
"That sounds boring as hell."
I didn't say anything, only because he's right.
"I want you to be my best man Percy."'
I spat the pizza out and reached for a cup of water.
"Come on Percy. We went to the same high school and college and we did everything together. Don't say no. And you know how much Piper loves you."
"It's just…It's in California." I grabbed another slice.
"PERCY JACKSON YOU WILL BE MY BEST MAN OR I WILL MURDER YOUR NEMO DVD."
"You wouldn't."
He accidently took my Nemo DVD when he moved to California to work as the manager of some super important company. I love Nemo. I love anything to do with the ocean. I love sea animals and sea plants. I just love the sea. It had a lot to do with growing up in a cottage by the sea with my mom.
There was a shuffling and then the line went dead. The phone began ringing again, but this time in Facetime.
I sighed and answered the phone, seeing Piper's face appear on the screen. Her eyes looked especially beautiful. I can't really tell what color they are. They change from blue to gray to green in the matter of a minute. Her hair is in her trademark braid with a feather dangling from the hair tie.
"YO." Piper shouted.
"Hey Piper."
"Are you eating pizza by yourself on a Friday night?!" Jason appear3e then, his blonde hair messy and his blue eyes sparkling.
"I guesso'." I waved the pizza in front of the camera and took a bite. "Where are you guys?"
"We're at Jason's parent's house. Family dinner." Piper said. "Well I mean it's over now. We are on the sofa."
"SO ARE YOU GOING TO BE MY BEST MAN OR WHAT?!" Piper shouted. But then she laughed. "Never mind that's not my responsibility. I already chose my best woman."
"That exists?"
"Maid of honor, I mean." Piper passed the camera to Jason, who wass watching the TV.
"Percy. What is your final answer?"
I rubbed my eyes.
"Alright…"
I plopped down in the Airport waiting terminal and slipped out my IPhone. I had a text from Grover, my assistant, saying that some other guy from the company was taking over. This made me angry for many reasons. Number one: it wasn't me. Number two: this was a big case, which meant good pay. And it's not like I was poor or something, and needed money, but I just really wanted to buy my mom a new house. She was struggling ever since she divorced from my step-dad. God I hated that guy.
"Sorry. Hi. Are you using that charger?" A soft voice came up from above me, and I looked up to see a blonde lady with a phone in her hands.
"I-um. Oh. No. You can use it." I reached over to the stand beside me to unplug my IPhone charger and I shoved it into my backpack. I watched the girl as she reaches down and plugs it in. Her blonde, curly hair wass tied up in a ponytail, looking a bit messy but still nice. I could see her grey eyes, which look misplaced in such a pretty face. They give her an edge. Like maybe she could murder someone and make it look like an accident
"Can I sit here? Sorry I just don't want to lose it." She turned to me now, rubbing her arm.
"Yeah, sure." I stood up, towering over her small figure and plop down in the seat directly next to it. She gingerly sits down and clears her throat. She rolls her sweater sleeves up and fiddles with her fingers, opting in a second to grab flint off her black jeans.
I open my IPhone and begin to type in a reply to Grover.
Okay thanks for the alert. I'll be back in a week or so. No more than two.
I hit send and click it off, sighing and then turning it on again to check the time.
11:48 PM
Grover had booked me the red-eye flight for New York from 12 o'clock to the same Friday Jason called me. Talk about being good friend…
"You flying to LAX too?" I said, hoping to break the ice and stop the awkward silence we got ourselves in.
"Yeah." She said simply.
I cleared my throat yet again, and then thanked God Grover texted me to stop talking.
Ok boss. I'm closing off the firm rn see you later
"RN?" I said out loud, confused from the text. I felt old for not understanding text lingo even though I was only 23.
"It stands for 'right now'." Annabeth informed, licking her pretty pink lips and smiling at me.
"I…did not know that. I feel old." I laughed, and she laughed too and I felt very accomplished.
"How old are you, then?" She continued, tucking in a loose strand of hair from her forehead.
"23." I said.
"I'm 23 too. Funny." She reached over to her phone and began replying to a text.
"That your bofriend?" I asked, which sounded for a minute as If I was coming on to her. I winced at the thought.
"I am single, actually."
"So am I."
She turned back to me and we eyed each other momentarily before she smiles. "Annabeth Chase."
"Percy Jackson." I reply, shaking her hand.
"Attention passengers for the flight 9023 for JFK airport to LAX. We will now begin boarding. First class passengers first." A voice piped over the megaphone, and I glanced at my ticket. Sure enough, printed on there is first class and I stood up to grab my suitcase. It took me a moment to realize that Annabeth is doing the same.
"First class?" I asked her, handing her a blanket that had fallen to the floor.
"Yeah, you?"
"Mmhmm. Need help?"
"No, I'm fine thanks."
I let her walk ahead of me as we checked in and start going down the tube towards the airplane's doors. We greeted the pilot and the workers, then settled down in the assigned seats, which, coincidentally, are right beside each other.
"Hm." I said as Annabeth slid into the window seat. "I wanted the window seat." I mumbled, putting the bags away. She smiled at my comment.
When we were seated, she turned to me.
"So what were you doing in New York?" She asked, peering up at me with those steely grey eyes that reminded me of the clouds outside.
"I live there. I work as an accountant but I'm leaving to San Diego for…business. You?" I reached into my backpack and slipped out my computer.
"I actually live in California. San Francisco, to be exact. I came to New York because I was offered a job in some architect firm. I told them I'd think about it." She looked forlorn then, so I decided to ask her something different.
"You're an architect?" I asked, and bingo, her face lit up and she got a pair of dimples at the corners of her lips.
"Yes! Oh my goodness, I love architectures and buildings and New York was amazing. Would you like to see some of my designs?!"
I didn't know how to say no to her like this, so I nodded and tried to look excited.
She reached into her backpack and took out her sketchbook, which was old and crinkly. She opened it and took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts I guess.
"It's not an old sketchbook I just bought it so it like that. Nice, eh? Anyway, I only have like two done so you'll have to compromise with that." She opened the leather cover to reveal the first page, which showed a garden of some sort. It had a pond with lily pads, a Chinese little house thing, a small red bridge over the pond, and a big willow tree looming over it all.
"Woah." Was all I said. She was biting her lip expectantly.
She flipped the page to reveal a two story house with each room in 2d form from the top. It had 5 rooms and 3 bathrooms, along with a greenhouse and a backyard stocked with kid's toys.
"These are really good. Is it…your dream house?"
She closed the sketchbook and shoved it back into her backpack. "Sort of, yeah." She sighed and then smiled brightly. "But I've got all the client sketches on my computer. Those were personal. I've actually never showed anyone that. But I though, hey, I'll never see him again so why not?"
"You're right…." I thought then. "Can I tell you something?"
Annabeth nodded.
"I'm working my ass of working to buy my mom a new house." I blurted out. "I had a bad dad and stepfather, you know, they used to beat her and my stepdad helps us financially and stuff, because she works in some cheap candy store. So I really want to do that, you know? SO stick with this lame ass job to do it."
I took a few breaths and then let it all out. Annabeth was right. I'd never see her again, so why not vent out? I hadn't ever told anyone that…
"I hate my family and I want to move out but I can't, not yet, because I don't have the money yet. So when they offered me this job I was going to take it but I felt bad for leaving them…I don't know what to do…My step-mom calls me nasty things and says I'll never do anything with my life, you know? And I think I'm starting to believe her. I hate my life. I hate it." She turned away from me, then, and I could hear her sobbing quietly.
I suddenly felt compelled to hug her, so I did. I reached over and twisted her face away from the window and I hugged her warm body against mine and I leaned my chin on her head while she clutched my shirt.
It felt weird to think that I had just met Annabeth, but still felt as comfortable with her as I did with Jason. Was that weird?
The plane ride went by so fast, I never realized I hadn't slept. We talked and talked and talked, non-stop, about our lives and problems and emotions. I felt sad that I would never see her again.
"I guess this is it." She said softly, reaching over to fix my hair.
"I guess so. Is someone going to pick you up?"
"No. I, uh, was going to take cab to my hotel. I have an some business to do later on." She fidgeted with her backpack and slipped out a piece of paper. "The Springhill Suites."
I felt an urge to kiss her, suddenly, so I blinked a few times and then searched through my pockets.
"Mine's next to yours. We can go together!" I exclaimed, and she smiled and hugged me.
I didn't want to leave her. Not yet.
"It's two in the morning!" She blurted, and we both laughed. "I must look horrible."
"You look adorable. Your hair all messed up and your cheeks all blushy." I said before I could stop myself. "WE, should, Uh, get a cab." I said suddenly, trying to ignore her red cheeks and sparkly eyes and soft lips and warm…
I ran out of there and hailed a taxi, watching a yellow cab stop in front of me. A bald man loaded our suitcases as I waved Annabeth over.
"Springhill Suites." I told him.
Annabeth squished comfortably besides me and she glanced up to meet my eyes.
I felt, then, a warm feeling in my chest and I did not think before I pressed my lips to hers. Watching them all night was different than feeling them against my own. They were soft and warm and eager to kiss back.
"Roll up…" Annabeth suddenly turned to the driver. "The partition please."
The driver chuckled and the black screen rolled up, and I turned back to Annabeth.
But I didn't say anything before I kissed her again. I prodded at her lips with my tongue and she eagerly opened them, and I explored every crevice of her mouth. She moaned and whimpered and GOD I wanted to do so much more. I wrapped one arm behind her behind her back and put the other on her waist, leaning down to kiss her neck from her jaw and down, until she was clawing at my back and whimpering.
I pressed my lips to the open skin revealed from the sweater, where her clavicle jutted out. I lay her down on the seat and rolled her grandma sweater up towards her breasts and then forcefully yanked it off her. She wore a white bra and continued my path of kissing her down her neck and then her collarbones and then her breasts and she made some whimpering sound in her throat and she lifted off my shirt and scratched at my back and I winced. I could feel her hot breath in my neck and I bucked my hips against her, causing a groan to erupt in my throat.
"The…" She began, tugging at my pants. I helped her slip them off and I yanked hers off, realizing we are both in our underclothes. I slipped her underwear off –polka dot- and took my own off. What happened next is a blur. I sat down on the seat and she straddled me, her face tucked into my neck. I thrust into her quickly and I knew it wouldn't last. She screamed and moaned and I sucked her neck, unclasping her bra and groaning as her breasts raked my chest. I felt her shudder above me and I knew she had finished.
"I'm going to…" I moaned, and she pushed herself off me and I finished into my sweater.
"We're here." The driver shouted through the screen, tapping it for extra warning. The driver door opened and then the trunk and I groaned.
I swore under my breath and handed Annabeth her clothes.
"It's too hot…" She mumbled, slipping it on. I smiled and fixed myself up before opening the door and inspecting the sky.
"I forgot it's two in the morning." I helped her out of the car, suddenly embarrassed at what we had done in the car. I watched her inspect the paper and then to me, blushing and rubbing her leg.
"Bye, I guess." She said quietly.
"Bye, I guess."
And Annabeth Chase walked into the hotel.
"We're all going to meet at this restaurant, all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. To get to know each other. It's at Aunt Emma's at ten in the morning. See you then, Percy." The voicemail from Jason said.
I groggily slipped into the shower and washed myself. I did everything in a sleepy state, but when I went downstairs to get my coffee, I woke up instantly.
"Excuse me, would you happen to know where the Aunt Emma's is?" I asked the receptionist, and she smiled.
"There is only one in Los Angeles, and that is…" She rummaged through some papers and handed me explicit directions. I thanked her and hailed a taxi. I gave him the directions and slipped into the seat, remembering how Annabeth and I…I sighed and wondered where she was now. Did she leave for San Francisco? Did she regret telling me all those things?
I ran my hand through my hair, then sipped the coffee. I glanced out the window and saw palm trees and teenagers walking around in shorts. This was very different from New York.
"We're here."
I payed the driver and glanced at my watch.
10 AM
I cursed and threw my coffee into a trashcan, then headed into the homely looking restaurant. I scanned the small place for Jason, and immedeatly spotted his blonde hair and Piper's braided hair. I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked over to him, ruffling his hair. He jumped up and hugged me tightly.
He held up the Nemo DVD.
"You ass." I jokingly told him, and he laughed. Piper walked over to me and embraced me as well.
"Glad you came. Jason was ready to burn that DVD." She laughed.
Jason cleared his throat, and I saw all the people who were also sitting in the table.
"Hey guys! THIS, this cute guy over here is Percy Jackson, and he is my best man!" There were a few scattered laughs, and then Jason continued. "This is Leo Valdez." He pointed to the guy seated right next to me. He was a scrawny Mexican guy who had floppy curls. He smiled at me. "Then there's Frank," Chinese young guy who was too big for the seat, "Nico," pale dude who looked kind of scared, "for the ladies…That there is Hazel," A dark girl with honey colored eyes and a bright smile, "Calypso," a pretty girl who seemed shy. "and Piper's maid of honor, Annabeth Chase."