"Percy, do I look fat to you?" Annabeth asked, looking at her profile in the mirror. She'd gone from a size four to a size six since the twins had been born, and her abs were slowly, but surely fading away. She placed a hand on her stomach and took a deep breath in and then out; a sigh.
"What? No, of course not." Percy assured her. Annabeth frowned and faced him.
"Are you placating me?"
"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to lie to you?" he asked walking to her side so that they both stood side by side.
"No, but you might mislead me if you think it will make me happy."
"You aren't fat Annabeth. You're gorgeous."
"I have stretch marks."
"So? I'm getting wrinkles around my eyes. I'm not even thirty yet."
"You're twenty-five, you don't have wrinkles, Percy." Annabeth said rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless at Percy. He shook his head and persisted.
"No, really, I have wrinkles. It's pretty bad if I say so myself."
"You liar. But I appreciate that you're lying to make me feel better."
"I mean it, Annabeth. You're beautiful. The most beautiful woman in the world."
"Really? Prettier than Aphrodite?"
"There's no comparison." He said fearlessly. Annabeth glanced up on habit, and hit Percy when he laughed at her fear.
"We should get the kids from your mom." Annabeth said placing her hand on his cheek. He stroked her hand and grinned underneath her perusal.
"Maybe, though she was talking about having them sleep over."
"And you failed to mention this for a wonderful reason, right?"
"Mostly because I knew you wouldn't mind."
Annabeth grinned and flicked his forehead. "Really? Well, I guess it's great you know me so well."
Annabeth turned away from the mirror and hugged Percy around his middle.
"Do you feel better, Annabeth?"
"Yeah, I guess. It'd be pretty silly to assume I'd stay the same after having children and settling into a somewhat peaceful life. Not to mention I do look pretty good considering. At least I'm not that much bigger."
"I wouldn't mind if you weighed more. Gives me more of you to love." he teased her wrapping his arms around her tighter and spinning just a bit.
"`More of me to love'? Is that an innuendo I hear from the mouth of the father of my innocent children?"
"Well they came from somewhere, and they won't be innocent for long. I mean, they're already four."
"Yes, they are, aren't they? We're gonna blink, and they'll be graduating."
"Or having dates." Percy added looking very wistful, indeed.
"You know, Juniper said that Sage already has a crush on a little sapling near the camp." Annabeth said, thinking of their friends' own young child that was just over two years older than their own.
"Really? Oh well I'd like to see how Grover would handle that." Percy laughed. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"You weren't so calm when you heard that Kevin boy had kissed Silena on the cheek." Annabeth teased, referring to Percy's small freak out, claiming the boy had been a monster.
"He was a fishy kid—no puns." He said when she saw the sly grin on Annabeth's face.
"I'm simply stating that you're not very calm as a dad. Save the freak outs for when they're needed." She advised, pinching his cheeks.
"You just love to bother me, don't you?" he asked his cheeks still in her grasp.
"Of course. You are my Seaweed Brain after all." She grinned resurrecting the old nickname. They hadn't used it, or its counterpart in years, it felt like.
"Is that right, Wise Girl? Because I thought I outlived that title. I did help Silas with his math. He told me he had the highest scores out of the class." Percy bragged. Annabeth rolled her eyes and flopped onto their bed, lying on her back.
"That was due to the intelligence he inherited from his mother, I'm sure." Annabeth argued patting the space next to her for Percy to go.
"I just realized something." Percy suddenly said rolling on top of Annabeth instead of next to her. He supported his weight, on his arms though.
"What did you realize Percy?" Annabeth asked leaning forward to whisper in his ear.
"We are alone. As in no small children who giggle or gag when we so much as kiss." Percy said. She rolled her eyes at her husband, but tilted her head to look him in the eye.
"We are alone, that's true."
"I'm hearing an objection in your tone."
"You are. Mostly because I have an evening planned, if you didn't remember. Why do you think I was in front of the mirror?"
"Self-reflection?"
"Nice pun, but it won't keep me here. Rachel wanted to talk. Being an eternal maiden keeps her incredibly bored, especially with all of the `suitors' her dad tries to set her up with."
"She's still talking to him?"
"Yeah, she figured since she's surrounded by demigods and Chiron, and Apollo all day that she can deal with her dad."
"I don't know. He's pretty crappy as a dad. Is her mom even still a factor?"
"Rachel foresaw some problems."
"She can do that? I thought it was limited to god prophecies." Percy said looking quite surprised.
"You know, considering she was your friend first, I would think you'd know all this."
"Well I'm currently trying to get a doctorate, so I can be Doctor Percy Jackson. Expert on marine life." Percy said, rolling to the side, and off of Annabeth.
She sat up and kissed Percy on the lips.
"Sorry to leave, but Rachel needs someone to talk to.
"Iris messages work."
"Percy. . . "
"Come on Annabeth, we hardly get to spend any time alone anymore. Humor your husband." Percy pleaded. Annabeth looked at his green eyes and sighed.
"Fine. But you get to explain to Rachel why she's going to be sitting alone in a tea shop."
"Tea? Why is she drinking tea?" Percy said making a face.
"It's better than coffee, according to her, and I gotta say, tea is pretty amazing."
"No it's not! Coffee is the gods' gift to any hardworking demigod."
"Well, she's not a demigod." Annabeth argued. Percy nodded.
"True. Come on, lie with me talk with me." Percy sat patting the spot. Annabeth launched herself onto the bed and let herself bounce.
"I can't remember why you got so playful." Percy said grinning at Annabeth face, which was scrunched up.
"I had to keep our children entertained."
"That's why." Percy said. Annabeth looked over at him.
"Why what?"
"Why you're so beautiful. You think of other people, and our children most of all." Percy said turning to her and grabbing her hand.
"We're such saps now. I like it." Annabeth smiled.
"Really? I thought you'd be against it." Percy replied looking incredibly surprised.
"No, I find it incredibly fulfilling being a mom. Juniper told me how amazing it is, but no words can describe it."
"Well, you're pretty good. But I'm not looking forward to you being the `hot mom'."
"`Hot mom'? I'm a hot mom?"
"Definitely. And I'm the hot dad."
"We're going to embarrass our kids, aren't we?"
"Oh, definitely." Percy said snuggling up to Annabeth.
AN: You guys, I apologize. I can't believe it's been so long. But hopefully after this chapter I can get back into my game and upload for this, and the chapters won't be so blah. I guess I could take a legitimate hiatus, but I don't think it would help, as much as just fighting through it. So, adieu to all of you! But before I go thank you to MushMush153 for leaving this review and making me realize that I had some work to do! Thank you dear for your words!