Hi, people, this is the last chapter! I've had a great time on this journey, writing through all of this. Honestly, the original theme was supposed to be about getting over heartbreak, but I usually have trouble sticking to the original themes, so now it's mostly fluffy. Eh, what can you expect from a fanfic.
Though, I did sort of cover heartbreak, right? First few chapters. Either way, I think this is still a pretty realistic and nice story.
Enjoy!
Annabeth
She tugged up her cardigan sleeves and followed with Percy's windbreaker. He glanced down and frowned. "What are you doing, Annabeth?"
"Very obviously our ice cream is going to drip, and I don't want you to have sticky sleeves." She gestured to a rapidly melting scoop of raspberry sherbet a toddler beside them was holding.
Percy crossed his arms. "Thanks, Mom."
Annabeth elbowed his side. "Well, sorry, but you're not capable of handling some things by yourself."
He scoffed loudly. "Um, I am totally capable of doing stuff like that myself."
"Yeah? Then can you not hold up the line?"
Percy realized they were right in front of the counter. He sheepishly apologized to the people behind them and studied the menu. "Do you guys have anything blue?"
The guy at the register raised a bushy eyebrow. He was scrawny and just developing a wispy mustache, so the sailing cap and whale t-shirt uniform looked way too big and ridiculous on him. He coughed and studied the glass display. "Yep. The blueberry ice cream, the whale popsicle, the dolphin popsicle–"
Annabeth held up a hand, cutting him short. "Percy, can't you see?" She hissed to him. "We're at an ocean-themed ice cream parlor. There's a lot of blue."
Percy bit his lip, and his forehead wrinkled in concentration. "The dolphin popsicle," he decided after five minutes or so.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "A scoop of mint, please. Medium-sized cone."
The whole line sighed in relief when their ice cream was handed over.
They were heading down the large lobby with a statue of a shark when Percy's eyes lit up. "The gift shop!"
Annabeth shook her head. "No way. Let's go there after walking around."
"Why? It's not like I spend the whole morning there. Besides, I'm sure you'll find something you'd like."
She rolled her eyes again. "Maybe. But I'm willing to bet that you'll want a giant whale or sea turtle toy, and then you have to carry it everywhere. Besides, what it you drip ice cream on it?" Annabeth wiped a streak of melted blueberry from his hand and sucked her finger.
Percy made a face at her. "Annabeth, really?"
"What?"
"You just sucked your finger! Isn't that supposed to be childish? Am I growing on you?"
Annabeth flushed and shoved him. "No, you're not. I was-I wasn't think-argh! You are not growing on me!"
Percy teased her until she dragged him into the aquarium. Percy's eyes glowed as he spotted the huge fish tank that took up a whole wall. He rushed over, beaming at the long, colorful fish.
His enthusiasm was infectious, so Annabeth trailed behind him and also smiled into the tank. Once Percy was done admiring them, he wandered off to the next closest tank, still holding Annabeth's hand and leading her around. They both wowed in sync at the jellyfish, bubbling upwards, and tentatively touched the surface of the electric eel tank. Percy claimed that he felt a current, but Annabeth just rolled her eyes. There was a very small glass tank, small enough to hold a classroom pet, with little seahorses inside. Percy cooed at them and obviously wanted to pick up the tank and carry it home. He waved at the dolphins and squatted down so he could be eye-to-eye with a stingray. The stingray gave him a look, like: little punk and flapped off. But Percy wasn't deterred and raced over to the miniature tropical fish area.
When they entered the baby shark petting area, Percy disappeared and reappeared by the edge of the little pool while Annabeth slowly followed behind. Her boyfriend was already enthusiastically washing his hands and promising to the worker that he would be gentle while she peered into the pool. The little dappled sharks lazily glided over the sandy floor, swimming in aimless directions in anticipation for their feeding time.
Suddenly Percy, with his newly soap-scented hands, gripped her forearm. "Annabeth, aren't you going to do it?"
She shook her head. "Nope, we're just here for you. I'm good."
He raised an eyebrow. "Scared of being bit, Beth?"
Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose. That was the oldest trick in the book. Unfortunately, it worked, because there was no way she was going to let her partner think she was a coward. She marched over to the sink. "Not at all, Jackson. I was planning on taking pictures of you getting overexcited and using them as blackmail."
"What? Annabeth!"
She dried her hands and smirked. "Kidding. There is no reason I would ever need to blackmail you. Unless….the worlds' water all ran dry and you're hoarding your warehouse full of Blue Coke."
Percy crossed his arms. "I don't have a warehouse. It's more of a barn. And if there's no water I'm not going to share. Do you know how many bottles I need to drink every day to stay alive?"
Annabeth thought for a bit. "Twenty thousand?"
"No! More like fifty."
"Unbelievable." She went over to the pool and dipped a finger in, checking the temperature. Percy followed and stood right by her so that their sides touched. She felt her breath hitch a little, even after all this time, but she slowed her heartbeat and concentrated on the small sharks.
When one swam by she lightly touched the top of its head. It moved ahead without slowing. But when Percy grazed its fin, it stopped and hovered by his hand. He let out a delighted laugh and stroked its back.
Annabeth pouted behind his back. Of course sea animals would love Percy. No, cross that out. Of course every living thing would love Percy.
Once they greeted every single shark in the pool, Annabeth discovered a purple starfish. She moved to touch it, with Percy right behind her. Their hands brushed, and all of a sudden Percy's fingers wrapped around hers. Their combined hands lightly touched the starfish.
Grinning, Annabeth shifted her fingers so they were properly holding hands under the water. Percy leaned it with a vibrant smile and kissed her cheek. Giddiness flared through her, and she gently brushed her lips to his collarbone. His eyes were pinned right on hers, so intense Annabeth felt her back stiffening. She could barely make out anything in those twin circles of sea, but she saw the telltale glitter of excitement and longing. She moved in, her eyes trained on him, when a little shark brushed against their hands. They both jumped.
Still, they smiled at each other, fingers tightly weaved together, until Annabeth's calves ached from standing in the same place for so long. Percy noticed with a frown and he gently lifted their hands from the water. They split up to each get a towel, but once their dried off, Percy's right hand found Annabeth's left, and they continued out in the aquarium hand-in-hand.
Percy explored every single fish tank in the place. Annabeth found herself copying him, grinning at the fish, tapping on the tank in irregular patterns, or tracing their paths on the glass. They watched the dolphin feeding with maybe a little too much enthusiasm before entering the front lobby again.
"Well, it's time we hit the gift shop, Bethie." He dodged her smack at the nickname and raced off.
Percy, true to Annabeth's prediction, got ginormous toys. He found an arctic seal longer than his torso and a blue whale around the size of the actual animal. He also took a giant sea turtle that was probably half the size of his bed. But he didn't stop there. He also got a sizable pile of the medium-sized toys along with a plethora of wood or plastic keychains.
Annabeth picked a tiny orca keychain for her key ring and a sea glass bracelet. At Percy's insisting, she got a slivery-blue beta fish toy the size of her palm.
The cashier offered them huge paper bags without batting an eye.
While they were driving home, Percy snuggled with all his toys and named them. The blue wall was "Spots," the arctic seal was "Whiskers," and the sea turtle was "Shelly." He wanted to name it Shell, but Annabeth put her hand down there.
When they arrived at his apartment to drop him off, Percy nagged at her to hug Whiskers. Annabeth made a dubious face, but he snuggled the seal in her arms and made his signature puppy dog face and Annabeth couldn't help but hug Whiskers tight.
With a huge victorious grin, Percy headed into the building, dragging giant bags the size of him and blowing a kiss to Annabeth.
Five months later
Percy
He linked his arm in Annabeth's and sighed. "Beth? Are you done?"
"I want to finish my job, okay?" She nudged him away and continued with grilling her peppers and mushrooms.
"We get to leave work early!" he exclaimed. "Why are you still doing this stuff?!"
Hazel came over and smirked at him. "That's what you get for dating such a focused a hardworking girl."
Percy groaned and leaned against the counter. "Hazel, I do not need to hear that. I already know how difficult she can be all of the time."
Annabeth jabbed him hard in the ribs. "Um, hello? I had to carry you to the car twice because you walked into a road sign!"
Hazel covered her mouth to hide her chuckles. "Alright, you two. No need for squabbling. Annabeth, you get an early leave. You should go." She touched Percy's shoulder with a knowing grin and hurried off.
"Both of you?" Annabeth flipped a pepper. "Fine. Just let me finish these. I can't just turn the grill off."
So Percy patiently waited for her, stealing some of Leo's taco sauce and finishing a bottle of Blue Coke as she finished the veggies. Once they were all piled onto a plate, Percy raced over, tossed his bottle in the recycling bin, and dragged Annabeth through the restaurant.
These days, the whole place looked different. Annabeth rushed in on a rainy day, examined the room, and started scribbling away on her sketchbook. She lobbed a bit more money from her apparently very successful mom and added some changes. The restaurant itself got a second floor for storage and for napping (Leo's suggestion). The roof got a sleek glass floor, with little ridges for planting a garden. There was even a little canopy with wooden lounge chairs. The restaurant's inside was pretty different too. The crackly plaster walls were now thick brick ones. They got smooth, round oak dining tables with cushioned chairs encircling them. The little center statues were still kept, of course, they were a must. The carpeting was a patchwork of colors that fit their slight mish-and-mash theme without being too outrageous. Surprisingly, Rachel was an artist, and her paintings, along with Hazel's works, were hung all over the walls with narrow white frames. Large, battery-powered lanterns replaced the lightbulbs, up on the walls beside the tables or on the ceiling. Reyna got a new desk, made of "soft stone" according to Annabeth, with a glass top and an incredible carving of the logo on the front. She had a small wall behind her, just slightly longer than her desk, separating her from the dining tables. The windows were enlarged, and they had extra-large sills for Katie and Miranda's plants. There was even extra space for their watering cans and gardening tools. As for the fire escape, they got it fixed so that it wasn't rusty anymore, with gleaming metal rails and steps. The final touch was a group picture they took in front of the restaurant, all in their uniforms, holding a couple of pizzas, and goofing off. It was enlarged and hung right about Reyna's head.
Once they got outside and were driving off the Percy's beat-down Toyota, Annabeth leaned against her window and glanced over at him. "Alright, what are we doing? Seriously, do you need to surprise me every time?"
Percy smiled cheekily. "This is the last time, I promise. I'll give you a clue though: it's kind of far away, off to the east, and my favorite place ever."
Annabeth tapped her lip, thinking. "The grocery store with Blue Coke? Real romantic, Perce."
He made a face at her. "Seriously? That's your best guess?"
"No, I was joking! Is it that really big swimming pool?"
"Really close. That's second favorite."
She ran her hands through her hair. "Um, your old house with your mom?"
"Okay, that's also really close."
"Your current home?"
"No way, it smells like dirty laundry."
"Okay, you've never brought that place up before. So I have no idea."
Percy grinned at her. "That's fine. We're close." He drove for a little bit and parked in a mostly deserted stretch of pavement. They went down the lot and Annabeth gasped. In front of them was a small section of beach. The sand was dark, and the waves were low and frothy, but it was still a really incredible view.
"I should've guessed!" Annabeth complained to herself while Percy led her down the beach. The sand was damp, sticking to the soles of their feet, but neither of them stopped grinning. He tugged her off to the side and unfolded two lounge chairs he carried from his car. They plopped down on them and stretched their faces to the sun.
"This is nice, Percy," she murmured over to him.
He took her hand. "Yep."
"You seriously have been holding out on me, though."
"Well, how else would this place stay private?"
Percy drove Annabeth home later so she could get her swimsuit, and they splashed around the whole morning. He even got her to do laps with him, even though the waves jostled them around. Finally they got tired, and Percy lifted Annabeth to the sand and flopped down. She settled comfortably in his arms.
"Well?"
"What?"
"Got anything else in mind?"
He looked over at her with a smirk. "Yeah." His hand captured her cheek and soon their lips met. It was a gentle, short kiss and they slowly broke apart.
Heart thumping, he pulled them both to standing. "I've been waiting for this for so long, Annabeth. I know this is too soon, and I'm rushing into this, but I want this so bad. You make me feel like I could never, ever be alone again. And you're someone I trust my life with. So," he got down on one knee. Annabeth's lips spun into an "o". "Annabeth Chase, will you marry me and complete both of our lives?"
With a swallow, he took out a box from his pocket. Inside was an elegant sliver ring with little crystals studding the band and a small heart-shaped diamond. He watched her breath slow.
Annabeth tugged him upright and stood up on her toes to meet his lips. When they pulled apart, Annabeth's face split into to a huge, ear-to-ear grin. "Yes, Percy Jackson. Yes."
Annabeth
Annabeth nervously clutched her bouquet, inhaling the scent of lavender and lilies and irises, hoping they'd calm her nerves.
The top deck gleamed in the sunlight. Everyone was standing in their formal clothes, and a loose white rug was arranged in the middle of them. A cutesy balloon arch hung above the altar. All in all, it was a very simple occasion.
Percy, dressed in a form-fitting tux, glanced over at the cabin. He looked pretty nervous too. But Annabeth lifted her chin so he could see her through the window. A faint smile broke out on his lips. When the preacher held out his hand, Annabeth finally smiled back.
She pushed open the cabin doors to wedding music. Her bridesmaids trailed behind her silently, and the flower girls threw confetti and flower petals onto her dress. The guest blew kisses and shouted congrats and grinned hugely as she made her way down the aisle.
Finally she stopped in front of Percy. He smiled affectionately down at her, and Annabeth felt her heart warm inside her.
"You look great," he whispered.
"You too."
"Perseus Jackson, do you take Annabeth Chase as your rightful wife?"
"I do." His voice was light, like he was really happy and amused, not formal at all. Percy simply wasn't formal.
"Annabeth Chase, do you take Perseus Jackson as your rightful husband?"
She stilled her emotions to stutter out an "I do."
Their rings were slipped on, and then the preacher stepped back with a grin. Percy's arms wrapped around Annabeth's waist and tugged her closer to him. She braced her arms on his shoulders, stood on tiptoe, and pressed her lips to his.
Happiness flared inside her like fireworks. She felt her heart speeding up and everything disappearing from her mind except for Percy, Percy, Percy.
When they broke off, too soon, she thought, Percy's cheeks were adorably flushed and his arms were still steady around her. She winked and he stepped away, tugging off his tux jacket. Everyone stared at them in confusion as Annabeth zipped her long, simple dress and Percy shook off his dress shoes. Within seconds a pile of fancy clothes lay beside them and they were both in swimsuits. Annabeth was in a frilly white one-piece, while Percy had black swimming trunks, to fit the theme. They waved at their friends and family and jumped off the boat's edge, hands entwined.
Annabeth grinned at her husband as they rushed toward the water. "I love you," she said right before they crashed into the waves.
Alright, that's a wrap!
Lilie0107: You are the nicest ever! Thank you! I'll try to not blabber so much then.
AliaPace-Percabeth: Heh. I feel that all the time too.
Meistar: Really? That doesn't sound creepy to me. But yeah, your wish is granted!
DDaughterofAthena: Okay, I can't manage a single thing. Is it on now? I tried my best. And thanks for the compliment. I definitely did work hard (kinda).
Guest: You know some actually suggested the same thing some time ago. So I followed both of your suggestions. It's a great idea though. I didn't exactly have a lot of wiggle room, because, well, how many ways can you even shape a small-town pizza store so this is mostly interior design. *cough* And um, sorry, I won't actually keep this up since it's the last chapter, but maybe there'll be a sequel.
So guys, if you think this story is too short, I'll write a sequel. And of course, this other story is coming out soon. If you guys have been around since I first started out, you'll know that it's a rewrite for Betrothed to the Wrong Person. Yeah, that was one sucky store.
Anyway, so yeah. I had tons of fun writing this and reading your reviews. I hoped you actually enjoyed each chapter. I'm going to miss this story.
Au revior,
Pride-and-loyalty