I'm back! Hahahaha been a while hasn't it? I'm so sorry I disappeared off the face of the earth and I hope this makes up for it! Of course what would it be without my amazing beta, Venillashiz?
Delicious. Scrumptious. Fantastic. Superb. Amazing. Pie. Annabeth burped softly as she closed her eyes. The thoughts coiled themselves around her mind, her tongue savoring the last morsel of pumpkin pie as she leaned back on the couch. "Good?"
"Good… good pie." She hummed in response as she snuggled closer to her grinning boyfriend. Percy set down the fork on the plate in front of him and put his arm around Annabeth. As they drifted off to sleep, Percy couldn't help but think that inviting her over for a pie baking secession was the right choice after all. He shook his head as he smirked at the recollection of how he managed to convince Annabeth Chase - honorable hero of the Titan war – to bake pies with him.
"Pie baking? Seriously?" Annabeth's voice sounded incredulous even over the phone.
"No, I meant spreading fertilizers."
"…"
"Yes! Pie baking!" The receiver slipped off his shoulder slightly, muffling her soft reply.
"What?"
"… I'll go." Percy couldn't help the grin that broke across his face as he punched the air in triumph.
"…ercy."
"Yea. So don't forget, pie baking at 11:30 sharp, ok?" He beamed, giving his mother the thumbs up from his position at the sofa.
"…Ok. I'll see you then." Her soft replies made his elation falter slightly.
"Bye." The line went dead and Percy couldn't help but worry at the fact that her level of enthusiasm over their first date in a long time, was just as rock-bottom low as he had expected it to be. He bit his lip. Nevertheless, he, Percy Jackson was going to make her enjoy – what probably was her first pie baking ever – to the fullest extent.
At least until she had enough of his stupidity and left.
Percy shrugged and scratched his head. He had his full of worries for the day and he sighed as he reclined onto his bed, his head resting softly on his pillow. He'd just have to wait till Sunday to see then. A small smile crept its way onto his lips – Annabeth was so going to be blown away when she found out.
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She could feel herself sweating profusely as she stood in front of the pleasant yellow door. Worries raged her mind and the scene of Percy laughing at her for her terrible baking skills kept playing through her mind. She must have been standing outside their apartment for almost fifteen minutes now, in her usual neon-orange camp half-blood t-shirt and jeans, a frown on her face.
Annabeth sighed as another weird look from one of the neighbors flashed her way. Not so friendly a neighborhood either, she thought bitterly.
She lifted her hand to knock on the door when a muffled laugh came from the other side. Annabeth's frown deepened. Was this a joke? Another muffled giggle sounded from behind the door and Annabeth was beginning to get angry. Was Percy trying to play some kind of cruel joke on her?
"You better wipe that smirk off your face, Seaweed Brain, or I will," she growled, turning to glare at yet another spying neighbor. The curtains behind her were drawn but Annabeth could still feel their gazes sending waves of disdain through their peepholes.
She banged on the door again, silencing another snicker. "Open the door Percy! You know what, let me kick it open!" She swung up her leg, ready to swing it at the door when it opened with a soft click.
She was greeted by a familiar smirk on her boyfriend's face. Annabeth stuck her tongue out at him when he laughed at her foot inches from his face. "What are you doing? Tai-chi outside my door?" He snickered again.
"Haha, oh you're so funny Percy." She swung her leg, knocking him under his jaw and sending him reeling back into the wall. Annabeth sniggered, poking her tongue out at him and straightening her shirt. "Too bad I'm not in the mood for funny."
"I don't know what I see in you." Percy muttered as he closed the door and wrapped an arm around her waist. Bending slightly, he pressed his lips against her cheek.
Annabeth smiled as she turned to face him, her bag slipping from her fingers and landing with a dull thud onto the floor. Lacing her fingers through his, she lifted her face, feeling Percy's hand snake up her arm to tangle in her hair. Annabeth could feel him grin against her lips as he pulled her face closer to his.
Annabeth couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips as they broke apart. Picking her bag up, she slung it over her shoulder. "So where can I put this?"
"This way, my lady." Percy grabbed the bag out of her hands, and swung it by the handles. Annabeth rolled her eyes and followed after him, grinning. Percy opened the first door on his left and held it open for Annabeth. Peering inside, she raised her eyebrows at the turquoise walls and dark blue bed. His walls were decorated with tiny seashells and the window tinted a slight green.
Annabeth stepped inside. She couldn't help but giggle at the owl beanie she had given him on his birthday the year before, resting on his bed. Annabeth turned around when she heard the door shut quietly and the soft thump of her bag hitting the floor.
She couldn't help but gasp in surprise when Percy pulled her roughly against him. Pushing him back, Percy's knees hit the edge of his bed and their bodies, intertwined, landed roughly on the neatly made dark blue sheets. Grinning at the fact that they were now the same height, she closed the small distance between them.
The sharp knock on the door made the both of them jump in shock. Pushing Percy away, Annabeth called, "Yea?"
Sally Jackson was clearly smiling as she called back. "Hi Annabeth dear, can I come in?"
"N-"
"Sure Mrs Jackson! Come on in." She sent a glare at Percy before whipping back to grin at his mom.
"Hi honey, it's been such a long time." Sally Jackson walked over and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. She let go of Annabeth, holding her at arms length. "So are we making pies or babies here?"
Annabeth could feel the bood rush to her head as she blushed to the roots of her hair. "We…we weren't…we…I-" She clamped her mouth shut as Mrs Jackson laughed and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Come on, let's bake some pies!" Annabeth turned to look back at Percy who stood beaming with his hands in his pockets. He shrugged at her puzzled look and poked his tongue at her.
"So you can just knead the dough like that…yea, and just keep doing that…Knead the dough into balls…no! Not like that, balls Annabeth, balls, not those lumps, that one looks like a hydra for Zeus' sake!"
Annabeth looked up, frustrated, "Have you even tried this? It's frigging hard!" She yelled back at Percy who crossed his arms.
"Well, actually, I have tried it. And believe it or not, I can do ten times a better job than you." He shoved her hands out of the way, and grabbed the misshapen pieces of dough. Annabeth watched in awe as Percy kneaded the dough with the expertise of a professional.
"Ok, it's done. You see?" He pointed to the little lumps of dough on the table. "It's not as hard as it looks." He grinned, "Even a monkey can do it."
Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Seaweed Brain, I think your head's getting too heavy for that skinny body of yours."
Percy frowned, "Lean, Annabeth, lean. Not skinny." He glanced at the table full of ingredients. "Come on let's continue, the pie isn't going to bake itself. Zeus knows how scary that will be."
They laughed and Annabeth walked around the table to prepare the crust for the filling. "So, Kelp Face, any ideas on what we're gonna do for the next-" She glanced at her watch, "-half an hour?"
Percy grinned, "I'm sure we could think of something."
The door opened fifteen minutes later and through their second game of scrabble. Who would've known that two dyslectics would choose to play the only game they both couldn't win. Annabeth scoffed at the thought that three quarters of the words on the scrabble board were probably alien to anyone but themselves. Mrs Jackson had walked over, taken one look at the game and walked away, shaking her head.
"Alright kids, I've got the things we need for the stuffing. Just choose what type of pie you want, I've got apple, lemon, blackberry, blueberry, pumpkin and cherry."
Annabeth grinned, "I'll have the apple, thanks!"
"And I guess Percy will take the pumpkin? Honey?"
"Yea, thanks mom."
Annabeth crinkled her nose, as Mrs Jackson started humming and finishing up their pies. "You like pumpkin pie?"
"Yea, what's wrong with that?"
"No, nothing, I just can't imagine why anyone would be willing to go through such immense self-torture to eat a pie. I mean, pumpkin looks like mashed potato that has been left in a sewer for months and then soaked in pee. How else could anything look that awful shade of orange?" She shuddered at the thought.
Percy looked aghast. "It does not! How can you say that about pumpkin? Don't discriminate against vegetables, Annabeth!"
"Pumpkins are fruits you idiot, they're part of the gourd family." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"I don't care what family they're from or who their aunts and uncles are, I still like them!" Percy argued back indignantly.
Annabeth's jaw dropped, "You know, Seaweed Brain, out of all the stupid things you've said – and Zeus knows that there're so many things that you've said – that was by far the most ridiculously pathetic statement ever."
Percy chose wisely to ignore her statement as he picked up a fork. Annabeth scoffed,."Is that your weapon of choice?"
"No, I'm going to prove you wrong. C'mere." He waved her over to where their pies were sitting on the table top, steaming and smelling like heaven.
He poked the fork into the pumpkin pie, pulling a small chunk out of the centre. Annabeth watched as he swung around to face her. She backed away as he pushed to fork towards her, the pie quivering as it neared her face.
"Nonononono. Percy."
"Come on Annabeth, try the pie," he stopped abruptly, fork drifting in midair. "Heh, that rhymed."
"Percy, move away. The pie reeks ok? I can smell it. I can smell it from here! Percy!" Annabeth held her hands in front of her as she backed up against the wall.
"Go awa-ack!" She gagged as he stuffed the pie into her mouth.
Percy watched as Annabeth's face went through something of a humorous change. Her eyes widened then closed into slits. She closed her mouth slowly and he heard her swallow hard then she licked her lips slowly.
"…I don't think I got the full flavor, maybe I should try another piece?" She questioned tentatively, a hesitant smile widening on her face.
Percy couldn't help but crack a smile as well, before howling with laughter. "You should have seen your face! Hah! I knew it!" He grinned before skipping to cut a slice of both the two pies on the table.
Annabeth wiped her mouth as she moved to sit down, sharing a glance with Percy. "You've…never actually tried pumpkin pie before have you?"
"…ha…nope." Percy grinned as he sat down heavily next to her on the couch.
"I should have known. Here." He picked up the fork and fed her another piece of the pie.
"Mmmm…"
"Good pie…." She murmured again in her sleep. Percy grinned as he bent to press a light kiss to her lips.
Annabeth cracked open an eye to look at him sleepily. "Percy?"
"Yea, Annabeth?"
"Let's bake some blue pies next time."
And that's the end! Wait for the up coming one-shot! And please do drop a review on the way out, they make my day. Thanks! :D