Home Again
The next morning, Annabeth found herself stark naked, awoken by a cool breeze, sending shivers through her body. She pried her eyes open, clutching at the covers but never found them. Sitting up, she saw Percy sleeping beside her. She smiled inadvertently at the sight before realizing he had dragged the entire queen sized quilt across the bed to wrap himself in it.
"Percy," she groaned, giving him the strongest kick she could muster in her sleep-dazed state.
"Mh?" he grumbled in response with a bob of his head.
Annabeth chuckled, knowing he hadn't been truly roused by her calling. Covering herself with the sheet that had been thrown to the ground, Annabeth reached for her phone checking the time. Noting they still have a few hours before their meeting, she turned back to Percy. She curled her fingers around his biceps, planning on shaking him awake, but upon seeing the peaceful, exhausted look on his face, Annabeth couldn't bear to interrupt his sleep.
With a sigh, Annabeth pressed a kiss to his temple and pulled herself out of bed. She considered returning to her room to shower but didn't really want to shimmy her way back into her pencil skirt, so, with one final glance Percy's way, she entered his bathroom.
Annabeth turned on the shower and turned towards the mirror while she waited for the water to heat. With a slow finger, she traced the trail of lovebites she had covering her clavicle and breasts. She found herself smiling rather recklessly at the sight. They felt like art; each bruise a unique shape and color. She wondered if she'd ever be without at least one—not while Percy was around, surely. He was much too fond of them himself.
"Beautiful." She heard his voice suddenly. Whipping her head to the bathroom door, she noticed he had opened it and was watching her, leaning against the door frame with a smug expression.
Annabeth tried to ignore the warm, fuzzy feeling that shot through her, a light blush threatening to give her away.
"You're up," she remarked with a quiet smile, turning back to the mirror and running her fingers through her curls in an attempt to preemptively untangle them while still dry.
"I couldn't sleep knowing you'd be showering alone," Percy smirked, sauntering into the room to stand behind her, unfazed by his own nudity.
"Do you usually have a companion?" Annabeth asked him, flicking her eyes to meet his in the foggy reflection.
"No," he chuckled, his breath fanning out over her shoulders. She found herself oddly relieved by his answer. Percy wrapped his arms around her waist, his fingers tracing shapes into the dimples of her hips.
"What are you doing?" Annabeth laughed lightly, her lips curling at the edges.
"I don't know," Percy admitted softly, his words barely a whisper. If his lips hadn't been brushing the shell of her ear, she wouldn't have heard. "I like... touching you—I just like you, really," he revealed, his fuzzy gaze following the movement of his fingers in the mirror. "I like you, Chase."
"I like you too, Percy," Annabeth replied, struggling to swallow as a tension, as thick as the steam that surrounded them, curled itself around her heart threateningly, not squeezing, not yet.
"But do you like me like me?" Percy returned, his eyes still averted. He felt her pulse race across his lips, felt her diaphragm constrict under his delicate ministrations.
"Like like? What are we," Annabeth laughed again, but the sound was hollow this time, too breathy and rushed, "third graders?"
"Annabeth," Percy growled against the skin of her neck, his voice gruff.
She wondered if it was because of her—but no, certainly not. He had just woken up. That was why. That was perfectly reasonable—
"If I asked you..." he trailed off, his tongue lapping at her pulse point for a second, momentarily disorienting her. A groan pressed against her lips, but she rolled them together, determined to remain composed. "To have dinner with me," he finished. "What would you say?"
"We did have dinner," Annabeth responded, her voice teetering on hoarse. "Yesterday."
Percy met her eyes then, the bright green irises shooting up to meet hers. Though he didn't show it, there was something about the lines of his features that read of sadness. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but the pressure was building up inside her chest and—and she was scared. Gods, she was so fucking scared.
"Annabeth," he sighed, blinking slowly.
She felt an unhealthy amount of pain at the disappointment imprinted in his gaze.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, dropping her head so her stare swept over the curve of her breasts. "Can we talk about this later?" she questioned, biting her lip as she spared a peek at him.
She could barely see him in the mirror, the fog had grown too strong.
"It's okay," Percy said with an easy smile that looked much too casual to be real. He reached for her chin, tugging it up and turning her head before kissing her softly, warmly, chastely.
It made her want to sob, and she had no idea why.
"We should get in the shower," he remarked against her lips. "I doubt the hotel would want us wasting so much water."
"Is that why you're showering with me?" Annabeth joked, attempting to lighten to mood. "To conserve water?"
"We must all do our part for the environment," Percy sniffed, before taking a step back and slipping off his boxers. "You know what they say, not all heroes wear capes."
"Mh," Annabeth laughed, unreasonably relieved as the tension in her chest started to ease. "Some wear nothing at all."
-00000000000000000000-
The rest of the day went surprisingly smoothly. Annabeth and Percy prepared some last minute notes for their meeting which they, in Percy's own choice words, "crushed".
That night, they arrived at the airport two hours early, per Percy's requirement. "If I'm gonna get back on that death machine," he'd said, only half joking, "you bet your ass I'm gonna make sure I'm not pressed for time or stressed out beforehand."
Annabeth had laughed, loudly, lovingly—but relented nonetheless.
She was relieved he hadn't brought up their pre-shower conversation. She hoped it would never come up again, though somewhere inside her, she knew it was an issue she would be forcedto face sooner or later.
She'd known what he was asking, what he was really asking, but she was scared. She was teetering on the edge of something—some great, glorious fall—and she wasn't sure what would happen when she reached the ground, wasn't sure if she would survive, if they would.
He was asking her on a date—on a real date. He wanted to make them real.
It was a terrifying prospect—but, would it truly be any different?
Annabeth looked over at Percy seated next to her. Despite his anxiety, the long day had managed to tire him out to where he'd fallen asleep once the plane had reached a comfortable cruising altitude. He mentioned it had something to do with her calming presence, but Annabeth chose to ignore that little detail.
She looked at her hand, intertwined with his. She had been less hesitant the second time he'd reached for her.
They had never been on a real date, had never called themselves boyfriend and girlfriend, but those facts did little to squash the terrifying warmth his presence brought her. Even though they had skipped all the awkward steps of early relationships, they still hugged and kissed and fucked and—shit.
They had never defined the relationship. They had never had the talk. They—
No. No, no, no—that was all wrong. They had defined the relationship. They had defined it day one. They had signed a contract for gods sakes.
He couldn't ask her on a date. He couldn't have feelings. No, that would be a breach of contract.
The thought offered Annabeth no peace of mind. Her fingers tightened around Percy, her throat suddenly unusually scratchy.
But if he'd asked, would you have denied him? A voice in the back of her head whispered, sending her heart racing. She gazed down at him. His head was balanced against her shoulder—the sight sparked a peculiar wave of nostalgia within her—and he was drooling. It was cute.
Annabeth gasped. His calloused fingers were shifting under hers. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't remember to breathe.
He was drooling, and she found it cute.
"No," Annabeth admitted out loud, her voice lost in the soft roar of the engine.
Yes, if he'd asked she would have said yes.
-00000000000000000000-
When they got to New York, they had planned to go their separate ways, but Jason picked Percy up from the airport and—quite forcefully—offered Annabeth a ride home as well.
It struck Annabeth, as she sat in the back of Jason's very environmentally conscious Prius, that he was probably the person who knew the most about her and Percy's relationship. She guesses Piper didn't know as much as Jason did. Percy seemed a more open, trusting person than she was. She wondered when that trait of hers had developed. Had it existed since birth?
"So," Jason began, his eyes flicking to Annabeth in his mirror. "Did your meetings go well?"
"Yes," Annabeth confirmed with a tight smile. Percy nodded in concurrence.
"And did you two have fun?" he questioned.
Annabeth froze, her blood going stiff in her veins. Yes, he definitely knew more than Piper did. She shot a glare at Percy who only rolled his eyes at her.
"Yeah," Percy told his friend. "We even managed to have a great time despite Miss Chase's strict erudite nature."
"Did you have a chance to see the beach?" Jason asked, slipping into easy conversation with his old friend. "I hear the water is beautiful."
"Mhm," Percy affirmed. "I would love to return for vacation or something."
"What about you, Annabeth?" Jason's eyes remained on the road when he spoke this time. "Would you consider going back?"
"Oh don't ask her," Percy interjected with a smug grin. "Annabeth Chase doesn't do vacations."
"It was wonderful," Annabeth assured Jason with a practiced expression, kicking Percy seat hard in the process. "I would love to spend some more time on the island. I just hope my work schedule allows it."
"Meet any fun people?" Jason continued as they neared her neighborhood.
"Most of our work associates are really nice," Percy explained. "But I did meet this really nice girl on the beach."
Annabeth had already heard about the beach blonde he'd met during dinner the night prior, but that didn't stop a stupid jolt of jealousy from ripping through her. In the rearview mirror, she saw Percy's green eyes dancing with mirth and was sure he'd mentioned her on purpose.
"Fun," Jason remarked with an awkward nod, a slightly confused crease appearing between his brows.
Annabeth rolled her eyes before meeting his in the mirror.
She glowered at him.
He winked back.
Gods, he would be the death of her.
-00000000000000000000-
By the time Annabeth got home, it was nearly one in the morning. She quietly opened the door to her apartment, expecting Piper to be asleep. Instead, she found her sitting at the kitchen counter, eating pesto pasta out of a plastic bag.
"Hey!" she greeted excitedly when she saw Annabeth enter.
"Hi," Annabeth replied, eyeing the plastic bag in her roommate's hands with a bemused look.
"Oh," Piper smiled, putting up an elegant finger as she finished chewing her mouthful. "All the Tupperware is dirty," she explained when she was finished. "I swear, I become walking disaster whenever you leave," she laughed.
And in that moment, she felt a rush of affection for the small brunette who, despite all Annabeth's guarded emotions and inadvertently cutting comments, loved her nonetheless. She wondered if anyone could care for her the same way, hoped Percy could—
No. No, she didn't. She absolutely didn't.
She couldn't. There was a contract in place. There was—
"Annabeth," Piper called quietly, breaking what was sure to be a cyclical thought process. "Is everything okay?"
There was such care, such love, in Piper's eyes Annabeth was once again speechless, on the brink of tears. She wondered why moments like these left her so. Perhaps it was because there had been so little love in her life up to this point she had never needed to voice it. Perhaps it was because she had never tried to communicate her feelings, had never felt a need for it.
It didn't matter. Not really. Not now, anyway, because before she realized it, Annabeth was crying—sobbing, really. Big, ugly, ugly sobs.
"Annabeth!" Piper exclaimed, her eyes widening at the sight. She suddenly sprung into action, abandoning her food and steering her friend towards their couch, her voice soft and soothing. "Annabeth," she repeated, wiping the blonde's tears. "What's wrong? You can tell me, I won't judge you. I won't tell anyone. You can trust me."
It only made her cry harder.
"It's too much," Annabeth said finally, her every syllable interrupted by a severe hiccup. "It's too much."
"What's too much?" Piper questioned. They were sitting on the couch now, Piper's arm wrapped around Annabeth's shoulder.
"I—I can't explain it," the blonde cried into her friend's neck. "I—I don't know how."
"Annabeth," Piper cooed, stroking her hands down her friends back. "It's gonna be okay. Whatever is going on, it's going to be okay. Everything works out in the end."
They continued like that, Piper whispering soothing words to Annabeth until half-past one, when the sobs had become sniffles, and the blonde's tears had lost all their salt. It was only then, that she was able to speak.
"What happened Annabeth?" Piper asked. "Does it have something to do with work?"
The blonde nodded against her friend.
"Okay," Piper nodded. "Does it have to do with your mother?"
Annabeth paused, biting her lip as she struggled to breathe. Finally, she shook her head.
"Does it have to do with Percy?"
"Yes," Annabeth squeaked out.
"You can tell me anything," Piper insisted, rubbing slow circles on the blonde's back. "If you need to vent, I promise it won't leave this apartment."
"I—I like him," Annabeth confessed, her voice meek.
"Mhm," Piper nodded, not realizing the gravity of her words.
"I like him, Piper," Annabeth cried. "And I can't."
"Why not?" Piper asked. "Even though your parents don't get along, you could still be together."
"No," the blonde shook her head reverently. "I'm bad for him. I'm a disease that's eating away at his—his goodness." She sniffed again. "Besides, I can't. It would be a breach of contract."
"Um," Piper flicked her tongue out, wetting her lips. "I don't think they put that kind of stuff in contracts, Annabeth. I mean, your mom is crazy, but she's not that crazy."
"I don't think you know my mom," Annabeth chuckled hollowly; the sound held no joy or mirth. "But it's not her contract, it's mine."
"Annabeth," Piper whispered kindly, putting aside her confusion as to what contract she was speaking about and addressing her other harsh statement. "Why do you think you're poisonous? You're an amazing person. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend."
"No," Annabeth insisted. "You don't get it."
"Then help me understand," Piper requested.
"Why are you friends with me?" she asked softly. "I'm not even that nice to you."
At that, Piper laughed—loud and warm.
"What do you mean?" the brunette returned. "I love you. You don't have to be nice to me. That's what love is, it's caring for someone unconditionally. Whether they're nice to you or not, you love them no matter what."
"And you love me?" Annabeth breathed. Her tears had stopped falling, but her skin was still stained red.
"Of course," Piper laughed, then, noting her friend's severity, she repeated, softer this time. "Of course."
Annabeth sighed, the emotion seeming the tiniest bit less scary coming from her best friend.
"I love you too," the blonde remarked with a small smile. "You know that right?"
"Yeah," Piper nodded, her eyes gleaming. "Which is why I know, that anyone would be lucky to deserve your love."
Annabeth felt her stomach twist painfully at Piper's words. She felt a sudden urge to vomit, a dreadful darkness clawing its way into her mind. She wondered if this was what love felt like—wanting to vomit while also feeling warm and comfortable.
"I don't love him," Annabeth clarified after a thick swallow. "I just—I just care."
"Yes, yes," Piper grinned, ruffling the blonde's hair lightly. "Are you feeling a little better?"
"Mhm," Annabeth hummed in affirmation, an ill-timed sniffle escaping her.
"Do you want to talk about what happened on your trip?" Piper offered. "I happen to love spontaneous vacations to the Caribbean."
"No," the blonde shook her head, reaching for a pillow and leaning back against the couch. "Could we just watch some TV?"
"Yeah," Piper took the remote, turning on the television and quickly clicking through the DVR. "Let me see what we have recorded."
"Wait—" Annabeth said suddenly, peering towards the TV. "Can—can we watch that?"
Piper turned to her in disbelief. "You want to watch the bachelor?" A smile played on the brunette's face. "I thought you said it was all fabricated drama and fake love."
"I know," Annabeth blinked, once, twice. "But—but I think it might be nice to imagine it might be real."
Piper said no more, a troubled look flickering over her features before she switched on the show.
a/n: I realize this isn't written very well, especially the end. But it's late, and I just kind of want to be done w this chapter. Sorry, not gonna edit.
Anyway, I'm in college now and very busy but I'm gonna try to procrastinate by writing so, wish me luck.
p.s. check out my new poll pleaseeee
p.p.s. this chapter is dedicated to KianajLau and the guest who pointed out I never revisited what happened with the park, the police, and the pool in like chapter 4 or something. So, don't worry, guest. I definitely forgot about that, but I've worked it into the story just for you.
iciao!