Chapter 11

"Oh, where are your manners? You need some time?
Let's swap chests today, it might help you decide"

- Would You Be So Kind, dodie

Percy shows up at Annabeth's house at four fifty nine.

So what if he's a little eager, all right. So what. He's been waiting for this date for months now, and now the opportunity is so close he can taste it. Annabeth is insanely pretty and funny and she has a stupid laugh and three adorable animals and she's literally on the other side of the door with food and movies, and that's three of Percy's favourite things in the whole world, really, so can you even blame him.

He checks his phone, watches as the time switches to five o'clock, and then knocks on the door.

There's a muffled, "Coming!" and then almost immediately after a crash and a screech of alarm. A dog barks and Annabeth yells something that sounds suspiciously like, "Bradley you FOOL!" and then a timid mewl. A few seconds pass and then the door opens to reveal a slightly-lopsided Annabeth, wearing a sweater that shows a lot of her collarbones and a pair of leggings covered in cat hair.

Percy blinks. He doesn't want to admit it but he's hopelessly endeared. "Well, hi."

"Hi." Annabeth smiles, slightly bashfully. "Um. Sorry about all this."

"No problem." Subconsciously, Percy's eyes drift over Annabeth's shoulder and then he catches sight of something that makes him do a double take. "Did he break a mirror?"

Annabeth doesn't even have to turn around. Her cheeks flush red. "I probably should have learnt not to put breakable things on top of drawers."

Percy's eyes travel down to her hands. "Annabeth, oh God, you're bleeding."

"I tried to clear it up." She shrugs a little. "You know. It's not very romantic for you to walk in with one of my mirrors smashed on the ground."

"Annabeth, you goose." Percy rolls his eyes and pushes his way through the door, closing it behind him. "Here, let me do this for you. You wash your hands and bandage yourself up."

Annabeth obediently lets herself be herded upstairs. She's smiling a little awkwardly, but she's also got gratitude somewhere deep in her expression. "I'm so sorry," she says again. "This is meant to be a date and now you're fussing because I accidentally hurt myself–"

"Thalia was on the roller derby team in high school," Percy says. "Trust me, I've learnt to patch people up in no time. Do you have any iodine or anything?"

"I don't think so."

"That's okay, just rinse it with cold water. Now shoo, or I'll literally drag you upstairs."

Annabeth rolls her eyes just she troops upstairs nonetheless. Percy nods, quite pleased with himself, and then squats next to the shards of her broken mirror. Guiltily, Bradley lurks behind the dresser.

"You can't do that to your mama, you know," Percy tells him. "She's hurt herself, you know."

Bradley mewls and rubs his head apologetically against Percy's knee.

"Yeah, I know, bud. Still. Maybe just avoid the glass items next time, okay?"

Percy entertains the idea that Bradley can actually understand him and when he pads off towards the kitchen he's actually going to brood on his actions, so ignoring all sense of normality he nods again, pretty satisfied. He then starts to pick up the glass pieces from the floor, making sure not to cut himself.

"Are you talking to my animals now?" Annabeth asks, amused, coming down the stairs. Her left hand has been covered in a variety of Winnie The Pooh plasters and he rolls his eyes because of course Annabeth has Winnie The Pooh plasters.

"I had to give him a little telling off," Percy says. "To make sure he didn't injure his mama anymore."

"Well, that's very thoughtful of you." She comes down the stairs and plops herself down on the floor next to where he's squatting. Percy almost tells her off because the last time she was this close to glass she nearly sliced her entire hand up but also the warmth of her body next to his is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"How's your hand?" he asks.

"Good, I think. I don't think I quite realised how bad it was. I cut myself up quite a bit."

"Maybe that's a lesson that you shouldn't be around sharp items."

"That's not a wholly bad idea," Annabeth says honestly, choosing to ignore the light teasing. "The last time I was around something this pointy, aside from my darling animals, of course, it was those dreaded heels from the TCAs. And look what happened."

"I feel like you're always injured."

"That's true," Annabeth says. "Around Christmas is even worse. I swear, it's like, out to get me."

"Oh?" Percy scoops up the last of the glass and clambers ungracefully to his feet to deposit in the bin in the kitchen. Annabeth patters after him. "And why is that?"

"Every year, I always end up breaking something. It's ridiculous. Like, two years ago, Piper decided to be unnecessary and get a giant Christmas tree, up to our ceiling. And then I was trying to wrap Christmas lights around it but then I accidentally spilled my hot chocolate on the power socket and electrocuted myself really badly." She holds up her hand, her right one, and points to a small egg-shaped scar at the bottom of her palm that's a shade lighter than the rest of her skin. "You see that? That's where I was holding the lights in my hand when it went crazy. Then the year after that, so last year, we got a smaller tree, so accidents like that wouldn't happen, and when I was trying to put the star on top of the tree I fell off my chair and broke my leg."

The only story that surprises Percy is the one about the lights, because he's an embarrassing stalker who had watched her Christmas videos about eight times each and that was a story she hadn't yet shared online, but he nods like this is all news.

"Wow," he says. "You're a real klutz."

Annabeth scowls at him and perches herself on one of her kitchen stools. "I prefer the term 'targeted by fate'."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Percy wanders over to her fridge and peers into it. "Fancy a drink?"

"I'd love one."

He pulls out a bottle of apple juice (because he's classy and they're underage) (oh yeah he regards the law) and two plastic cups from the cupboard next to the fridge. He chucks them at Annabeth, who expertly catches the first one and then drops the second, and pads back over to the island, coming around opposite her and sitting down on the chair.

"So," Percy says to the empty chair across from him. "What's the plan?"

Annabeth resurfaces from under the counter with the cup in hand. "Well," she says. "I was thinking dinner and a movie. Or several. Depending on your stance on movies."

"I love movies."

"Oh, thank heavens, I was afraid you didn't and then I'd have to break up with you." Annabeth pours herself a glass and then pours Percy one, too. "Thoughts on spaghetti bolognaise?"

"One of the favourites."

"Marvellous." Annabeth takes a sip of her drink, and then pushes herself off her chair. "Well, go and wash up. I'll get everything ready."

Percy pauses. "Wait, we're cooking it now?"

"Well, of course. It takes at least forty minutes."

"Forty minutes? What is your pasta made of, metal?"

"We're making the pasta, that's why it takes so long. Now, go and wash your hands. I've just washed mine so it's fine. Do you want an apron or will you survive?"

"Uh." Percy glances down at his T-shirt and jeans. "I think I'll be okay."

"All right, then. You know where the bathroom is, right? Second door on the left?"

"Yep." Percy slides off the chair and patters off towards the bathroom. Already, he can hear Annabeth clanging around; as soon as he rounds the doorframe there's a metallic crash, like she just dropped a pan, and she shouts out, "Nothing happened!" almost immediately afterwards. He rolls his eyes and heads in the bathroom, coming to wash his hands, and then dries them on his jeans.

He heads back into the kitchen. Annabeth has just cleared the island of everything and has all her ingredients propped up in the middle, and when he walks in she looks up and beams at him. "All good?"

He gives her a thumbs-up and rounds the counter. "Why is there so much?"

"We're making a double batch," Annabeth explains. "I always get a little frenzied over spaghetti bolognaise and Piper will want some later when she comes home, so we can just freeze half of it and leave it in the fridge for her to boil later." She pulls her hair back into a ponytail and then plants her hands firmly on the counter. "Let's get going, then."

Now, here's the thing. Percy wouldn't consider himself a bad cook, by any form. In fact, he thinks he's actually quite good. He can make a mean pizza ("Percy, taking the plastic off a pizza and putting it in the oven doesn't count as cooking" "shut up yes it does") and he's been told his cookies are to die for (Mom's recipe. It's a family classic). But pasta is a whole new ball game completely.

"This is utterly impossible," Percy declares not two minutes in. He stares at the lumps of flour and eggs he's spread over the counter. "What is this even meant to be?"

Annabeth looks over and almost bursts out laughing. "My God, Percy, how have you already messed up this badly?"

Of course hers is perfect. She's got a beautiful ball of dough perched in front of her. Percy's just looks like a landslide of vomit.

"Here." Annabeth abandons hers and comes around to his. "This is fine, we can fix this."

"We really can't, Annabeth, do you see what this is."

Annabeth ignores her and sticks her hands in Percy's– experiment. She rolls her eyes. "You haven't even mixed it together, that's why it looks so awful."

"I'm– meant to touch it?"

"Well, of course. You need to knead the flour and eggs so they combine and eventually it'll become a ball, like mean."

Percy frowns tentatively at the mixture. "Can– you do it?"

"You're going to have to get your hands messy, rockstar. Come on, stop being such a celebrity."

"I am a celebrity," Percy mumbles childishly, but nonetheless with extreme reluctance he shoves his hands in his whatever-it-is and slowly begins to mix. Annabeth laughs at his face, a twinkly laugh that almost makes up for the sliminess on his hands.

They move onto the next step, which is rolling out the balls on the tabletop. Annabeth grabs a rolling pin and takes a war stance. She then tries to roll it out. It's quite funny to watch, to be honest. Annabeth is not a short woman – she's actually pretty tall – but it's almost comical to watch her stick her elbows out and push all her weight onto a ball of dough. She may be tall but she lacks strength.

Suppressing a smile, Percy asks, "Need a hand?"

"Not in the slightest," Annabeth says through gritted teeth.

Percy just shrugs and leaves her to her own devices. He finishes mixing his ingredients and grabs another rolling pin. Just to be an arsehole about the whole thing, he flexes his muscles and then, with a subtle glance Annabeth's way, just to make sure she's watching, he rolls out his dough effortlessly.

Annabeth scowls and pushes her rolling pin his way. "I hate you."

"Oh, babe." Percy winks at her and makes a start on hers. "We both know that's far from the truth."

He feels a flame of triumph in his chest when he sees her cheeks pink up.

As it turns out, anyway, his pasta ends up being hideous. Annabeth had suggested sprinkling a little water over it if it wasn't sticking together well enough, and because Percy is an absolute imbecile he had accidentally poured an entire glass of water over it and make it so wet it had the consistency of damp sand as opposed to, well, good dough.

"Oh, my," Annabeth says. "That– didn't go well."

"You don't say."

"We'll just eat mine," she says. "Wrap up yours and bung it in the fridge, Piper can have it later."

Percy laughs.

They put Annabeth's perfect pasta sheet through a thin cutting roller. Percy is given very strict instructions to hold the pasta firmly and steadily above the machine whilst Annabeth turns the crank ("if you mess this up we'll have lumpy pasta and that's not good at all"). He won't lie, when it starts coming out in spaghetti strips along the bottom, he does fill with childlike joy. He's never made pasta like this before, and even though it isn't even his dough that they're using it still makes him feel all sorts of excited.

After the entire sheet has been put through, Annabeth tapes chopsticks to the side of the counter and drapes the spaghetti over them. "We need to try them out," she explains. "Then we'll boil them and eat them."

"What was the point of actually making the pasta, may I ask?" Percy asks. "Like, does it taste any different to store-bought pasta?"

"Not really," Annabeth says. "But it's fun to do."

"Fun is a very subjective term."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "Oh, shut up." She heads over to her deserted drink and pours herself another cup of apple juice. She offers Percy the bottle. "Want any more?"

"I'm good, thanks." Percy takes a seat on one of the stools. Annabeth opts to remain standing, leaning against the counter. "So, what now? Do we go kill a cow to get the bolognaise?"

"Hysterical, honestly." Annabeth dances over to the fridge and pulls out a package of mince meat. "You're going to be making this for me. You've made bolognaise before, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Grand. The jar of tomato sauce is in the cupboard above your head – add that once the meat starts browning. I'll start boiling the water for the pasta."

They work together like a well-oiled machine. Percy is almost surprised at how domestic it all feels and he absolutely loves it. It's so natural, because when he was petsitting he spent enough time scoping out the kitchen for food he knows where everything is and the way they move is so fluid, it's a bit like a dance. Annabeth keeps putting all sorts of obscure spices and powders into his hands to put into the sauce, and frankly he's a little afraid that there's going to a chemical reaction or that it's going to turn radioactive with how much of each she's putting it, but she insists it'll taste just fine. Sure enough, after only seconds, the kitchen fills with a heavenly smell.

"Wow," Percy says. "That smells great."

Annabeth preens. "Told you so."

Soon, the food is finished. Annabeth mixes the sauce and pasta together and starts lathering it onto two plates. "How much do you like?"

"A lot."

"Awesome, me too." She heaps a portion onto Percy's plate and then another for herself, and then beams at him. "Shall we?"

They troop into the living room with their plates laden. Socks is taking a nap directly in the middle of the sofa, but Annabeth is completely undeterred. She balances her plate in one hand and picks him up in the other, collapsing down and then resting him next to her. Socks snoozes on, unmoved.

Percy tentatively perches next to her. Almost as soon as he sits down, Ron bounds out of nowhere and leaps onto the sofa, snuggling under Percy's arm. Percy laughs nervously afraid he's going to spill spaghetti bolognaise all over Annabeth's floor, but thankfully any and all disasters are averted when Ron settles against his thigh. He scratches his head.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he asks.

"I'm so glad you asked." Annabeth puts her plate on the coffee table and picks up a stack of DVDs that Percy hadn't noticed until now. "Here are the options. Unless you hate all of them in which case I have Netflix and also iTunes."

Percy flicks through the DVDs. Annabeth watches him nervously. "Why do you still have DVDs?"

"I'm an old soul."

Percy snorts and keeps looking through the selection. He pauses when he reaches one he is hardly surprised to see. "The Notebook," he says, deadpan. "Wow."

"The Notebook is a fantastic movie."

"I'm sure it is." Percy looks at the next one and frowns. "Pride And Prejudice? What's that?"

"You haven't watched Pride And Prejudice?"

Percy shakes his head.

"Okay, that's what we're watching. No buts." Annabeth clambers off the sofa and takes the case out of his hands. "It's such a beautiful film. I think you'll like it. I hope you will, in any case. Are you a fan of, like, olden-day movies?"

Percy wrinkles his nose. "Not particularly."

"I'll make you a believer," Annabeth promises, and the flush in her cheeks and earnestness in her voice tells Percy that she just might. "It's got such a wonderful story, and Keira Knightley is ever so good in it. And if you hate it within the first ten minutes, just tell me, and we'll switch it off and watch, like, Finding Nemo or something."

"Okay."

She switches on the TV and slides the DVD into the player, padding back to the sofa and settling into Percy's side. Percy's heart catches in his throat when he feels her lean her head on his shoulder but he doesn't say anything, just shovels spaghetti into his mouth and prays she can't hear the thump of his pulse.

The movie starts. It's nearing winter so the sky darkens quickly, and by the times they're half an hour the room is completely black, lit up by only the television screen. Percy can't help it, he really can't, but he gets quickly sucked into the movie, and he frankly hates himself for it. He's meant to be a man, dammit, and not enjoy an eighteen-century rom-com, but he really does. When the movie passes the hour mark, both of their plates are on the floor, and Annabeth is properly leaning against him now. Socks is draped over Annabeth's chest like a blanket and Ron has long since fallen asleep under Percy's armpit.

It's so domestic and natural Percy almost wants to cry.

The tears actually do start to fall minutes later, when Elizabeth and Mr Darcy are together in the rain. Percy swallows the lump in his throat and prays to every god out there that he doesn't actually cry, because Annabeth will never let him live it down if he does, but a few traitorous tears slip out. He sniffles as subtly as he can, but because Annabeth is practically plastered to him she hears it.

She adjusts herself. In the dark, her wide grey eyes look like they're glowing. "Are you crying?" she whispers.

Percy wipes his nose. "No."

She laughs softly. "You so are."

"You are too, don't laugh at me."

Annabeth smiles at him. She is crying, too, but she's completely unashamed. The tears only make her eyes glitter even more than they already do. "You're such a loser."

"Watch the movie, Chase."

She giggles a little and leans her head back on his shoulder.

The movie ends with a kiss. Percy has cried a lot more than he cares to admit because he's embarrassing like that, and he tries to subtly wipe his tears away with his sleeve. Annabeth's eyes are also wet, but she's smiling, and when the credits start rolling on screen she sits up and stares at him, her eyes shiny and wide and expectant.

"So," she says, a little nervously. "Did you like it?"

For some reason, in that moment, all Percy can do is stare at her. She's got freckles across her nose and a birthmark on her collarbone, and there's a siren going off in the back of his head screaming do you like it do you like it do you like me.

Of course he likes her. How can he not? She's like a magnet, drawing him and everyone else in. Thalia is smitten with her, and Nico absolutely adores her, and Percy is head over heels in love with her dammit. She's got three beautiful animals and every single Harry Potter book in her cabinet, and she can't catch to save her life, and she wears mismatching socks and bites her nails and likes salted pistachios and can cram thirty-two Maltesers in her mouth at once.

Percy looks at her face, at all of it. He feels Ron next to him and sees Socks on his back, balanced precariously on her lap. Their plates are together on the table and the room is still dark, lit up only by the TV screen.

She has never looked so beautiful.

Do you like me?

Instead of answering, Percy leans upwards and kisses her.

A/N hey guys!

so the ending isn't fabulous but hey at least we got a percabeth kiss! that's cool! i wasn't actually going to make them kiss now but i was literally just watching pride and prejudice clips on youtube and i got all yucky and sentimental and so voila the kiss is here woo

also v off topic but omg guys reputation is such a good ALBUmM (im not gonna go into a rant like i want to because i doubt many of you care but wow i was so surprised i thought it was gonna be kinda bad because of what people told me but it was so good! favourites definitely have to be dancing with our hands tied, getaway car, new year's day, this is why we can't have nice things and i did something bad wow it's just so good i definitely recommend)

anyway

thank you guys so so much for 157 reviews! that's literally insane honestly i love you all so so dearly (also allineedisabook your review almost made me tear up thank u xx) so thank you for being so great i love you guys xx

also my loves quick book recommendation but there is a book series called the naturals by jennifer lynn barnes and holy crap it is so good i read it a while back but i reread the series this week and i forgot how insane it is if you guys like teenagers solving serial killer mysteries that is the BOOK FOR YOU it's great go chekc it out

this an has been all over the place whoops

anyway! thank you all so much for your continued support i love you all dearly! i hoope you enjoyed and please tell me what you thought and i shall see you all next week! bye! x