See bottom for A/N
Percy is a man. A tough man, a strong man, a manly man… he's a firefighter for gods sake. He fights fires, carries old ladies, and rescues kittens from trees without so much as breaking a sweat. Except he does sweat because, you know… fire. Not only that, but he's also one of the few who's allowed to drive the firetruck, and if he wants to spend an outrageous amount of money on tiny plants, for no reason other than to have an excuse to talk to the pretty girl at the stand, then so help him, he very well will.
…..
It all started when the wire in one of old Mrs. Montgomery's bras got caught in the dryer, throwing a few sparks, which set the rest of the clothes alight, and the rest is history. Don't ask how they diagnosed the problem, Percy couldn't tell you, that wasn't his forte, and he probably didn't want to know. All he knew was that as the firetruck was racing down the old farm-to-market road, with sirens blaring and Leo whooping, Percy had caught a glimpse of a large wooden sign.
Chase Farms
He was only somewhat familiar with the family; his mom bought vegetables from Mr. Chase all the time, but he had never met any of them personally. Percy didn't really have time to care though, he had a fire to get to, but then he spotted something else. Just off the side of the small road, right after the large sign, there was a stand. Percy didn't have time to read the sign that was hanging on the stand, but he did manage to catch a glimpse of some golden blonde curls, and an orange shirt. He figured he would have to get a better look on the way back.
…..
Mrs. Montgomery's house had not burned to the ground thankfully; her laundry room was bit charred in one spot, but it could have been a lot worse. She thanked the firefighters over and over again, saying she would bring over a box of cookies to the station within the next few days. Percy told her it wasn't really necessary. (Okay he lied, it was TOTALLY necessary, but he wasn't about to say that to the woman whose house had almost burned down.) She said she would bring them anyways, and Percy reluctantly, but not really, relented. A Firefighter's gotta eat, you know.
As he and Leo walked back to the truck, Leo leaned over and whispered, "Hopefully she doesn't start another fire making those cookies, am I right?"
Percy shoved him, "She's a sweet lady, it's not really her fault her that one of her old lady bras was happening to fall apart."
"Yeah yeah, you're right. Besides, who would turn down free cookies?"
…..
As they drove back to the station, Percy kept his eye out for the stand, as they got closer to Chase Farms. They rounded the curve, and there it was. Percy tried his best to slow down just enough so that neither Leo nor the person running the stand, would notice. He took a good look at the stand itself. It was like one of those small stands you would see at carnivals or something like that, literally no bigger than a fruit stand. There was a sign that hung from the top, and Percy barely managed to make out the words.
Plants for Sale
That really meant nothing to Percy, as he couldn't really care less about plants, but the girl on the other hand, that was a different story. He didn't get a really good look at her, but he got enough of a glimpse to see that her hair, like he had noticed earlier, fell in beautiful, golden, wavy curls down her shoulders and back. And her skin was tan, a very natural tan that no doubt came from spending a lot of time outside, doing things like selling plants. She wore a simple, orange t-shirt, and some cutoff jean shorts than did otherworldly things for her long, muscular legs.
That was an image Percy was not going to be able to get out of his head for a long time. It took all of his willpower to not slow down more, but he knew if he did, Leo would know something was up. So he continued on past the stand, but he made up his mind to take a little drive around the country tomorrow, on his day off, and maybe get a closer look at the… plants that were for sale.
…..
The image of the blonde beauty had not left his mind ever since yesterday, but Percy knew better than to pine after a girl simply because of her looks. His mom had taught him better than that, and there was nothing that Percy wanted more than for his mom to absolutely adore whatever girl he brings to meet her. And he knew that if that was to be the case, then she needed to be so much more than looks; she needed to be smart, kind, compassionate, and driven. And fun too preferably, his mother had hastily added. But there's only one way to find out if a girl was any of those things; you have to talk to her. Percy shuddered, as he wasn't exactly the king of smoothness when it came to women, even with his being a firefighter. Leo always told him he lacked confidence, which apparently was a big issue, since women liked at least a little confidence.
"Look Percy, you're a fairly confident guy… except when it comes to women, then you literally think you're the worst thing since that time Connor Stoll hid the batteries for the fire alarms in the kitchen. You need to get over it, my dude."
Unfortunately for Percy, confidence was not something he could just switch on. But he figured he could still find a way to talk to this girl, using the excuse of buying plants. Who knows, maybe it would even help him gain some confidence. Just be cool, he thought to himself as the large wooden sign came into view, and eventually the plant stand as well. She was there, and Percy's heart jumped with some relief, and then realization that he had no excuse now.
He parked his truck on the other side of the road and got out slowly. There was no one else at the stand currently, just her… just Percy and her. Percy gulped, but he ran a hand through his shaggy black hair and made his way across the road to where the stand was.
The girl smiled at him as Percy approached, and his stomach felt like someone was playing a game of pinball in there. She wore a very similar outfit to what she had on yesterday, only this time her shirt was a soft white, with a few dirt stains on it. It complimented her tan and her golden hair really well.
"Hi!' the girl said cheerfully; her voice was soft, but it also possessed an air of intelligence.
"Hello," Percy managed to stumble out without too much trouble.
"What can I get you?" the girl asked.
"Um… I'd like to buy a plant."
"Okay…" the girl said with a slightly judgmental tone, and Percy let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. So she's not completely perfect, thank goodness, he thought, as he felt himself relaxing a bit for whatever reason.
"What kind of plant would you like?" the girl continued on with her question.
Uh oh. Percy now realized he had not thought this plan completely through.
"Uh… I actually don't know yet."
She raised an eyebrow at him, but she shook it off and leaned both of her hands on the stand in front of her.
"Okay, well what are you buying it for?"
Percy's mind raced, as he tried to brainstorm any possible reason that a grown man would be stopping to buy a small plant on the side of the road. Any reason other than the one he currently had.
"My apartment," He finally spat out, "It's kind of plain, and I thought it could use some… sprucing up."
The girl's mouth opened slightly, and her eyebrows furrowed.
"Was that a pun?" she asked pointedly.
"Maybe…" Percy replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.
She stared at him for a second, and Percy thought he had seriously screwed up, but then her face broke into a gentle grin, and she chuckled. Relief washed over Percy, and he felt a little better about himself, since he had actually managed to make this girl laugh. She then noticed him grinning and straightened her face up.
"It wasn't that funny." Her lips betrayed her though, as they were threatening to curve up ever so slightly. Percy just shrugged.
"Anyways," she began, "If you want to liven up your apartment a bit, I would suggest going with the Begonias or a Bromeliad, or even a Kaffir Lily, as all are colorful, and pretty easy to take care of."
Percy paid attention as she pointed out each of the different plants, and he had to agree, they were all quite pretty. But then one particular flower caught his attention; it was small, but it had lots of flowers on it that were a dark blue, with just a slight purple hue. He pointed it out to the girl.
"Oh, yes, that's an African Violet. It serves pretty well as a houseplant; you just have to make sure it gets plenty of sun."
"Can I place it by the window in my bedroom?" Percy asked humbly.
The girl nodded, but she gave him a slightly curious look. "If I may ask, why your bedroom? I figured you'd want it to be more on display for other people."
"I don't know… I just like this one a lot for some reason."
The girl smiled as she looked at the plant closely. "It is a very pretty plant."
"And it's blue, which is my favorite color," Percy said nonchalantly.
The blonde girl was now looking at him quizzically, with her head slightly tilted.
"Um, I don't think it is. I'm pretty sure it's purple."
Percy squinted hard at the plant.
"Nuh uh, it's definitely blue."
"It is literally called an African Violet."
"That doesn't mean it's purple."
By now, the girl had bagged up the plant carefully, and handed it over to Percy.
"Okay the,, here's your 'blue' plant that's actually purple." Her voice was laced with sarcasm.
Percy reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Judgy and sarcastic, aren't we?"
The girl narrowed her eyes at him, and Percy winced when he noticed how terrifying her steely grey eyes could be. Had they always been that pretty?
She pointed one of her fingers at him accusingly, "Don't test me, mister."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
She smiled smugly at that, and Percy rolled his eyes, but he chuckled as well. After he had finished paying, he said an awkward goodbye, and made his way back over to his truck, before carefully placing the plant in the passenger's seat, and driving off. Percy realized that even though he normally struggled with talking to women, he loved arguing with her. Percy then also realized that he didn't even know her name. Oh well, it didn't matter that much; he was already determined to come back next week.
….
The next week, on Percy's day off, he made the same trip as he had done before, only this time, he made sure to have a more thought out plan.
"Oh, you're back!" the girl exclaimed with surprise.
"Don't sound so upset about it."
She shrugged, "Eh, I'm not complaining. It was kind of fun arguing with you."
Percy grinned cheekily at her and replied with a soft "Ditto."
Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and Percy had to take a deep breath to collect himself, before taking the bold step of asking for her name.
"Um… My name's Percy, by the way… Percy Jackson."
Her grin got even wider if that was possible, and she reached out to shake his hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Percy… again."
"Har har. And you are….?"
"Annabeth."
Annabeth, Percy thought to himself. It was such a perfect name, and the way it sounded in his head was only topped by the way she said it herself.
"Annabeth… who?"
Annabeth laughed at him for some reason, and Percy blushed because he was obviously missing something.
"Think about it real hard, Percy."
Percy stared at her blankly. She chuckled again, and just shrugged.
"No worries, you'll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, are you wanting to buy another plant?"
Percy was jerked out of his thoughts by her question and tried to hide the embarrassed look on his face.
"Oh, yes, of course. Um… I was wanting to get a plant for my mom, since it's her birthday soon."
Annabeth smiled genuinely at him. "Okay wonderful. Do you know what kind of plants she likes? Or what color she likes?"
"Blue," Percy said quickly, "She also likes blue."
"Mhmm," Annabeth said biting back a laugh, "So, does she would want a purple 'blue' plant too?"
Percy rolled his eyes. "We are NOT doing this again."
"Oh come on, why not?" Annabeth whined playfully, "I do enjoy hearing your illogical arguments."
"And as much as I enjoy being right, I'm afraid I need to focus on this other thing for now. What is that plant over there?"
Annabeth looked over at the plant to which he was pointing. "That's a Wandering Jew."
"A WHAT now?"
"Wandering Jew, otherwise known as a Purple Heart."
"I see. I think I'll pass."
They spent some time looking at other plants, and Percy eventually settled on the Gardenias, stating that the fragrance reminded him of his mom's cooking.
"Big momma's boy, huh Percy?" Annabeth asked, as if she already knew, but wanted to be certain.
"Always have been, always will be." Percy replied.
"That's sweet." Annabeth said, and then she giggled ever so slightly at Percy's blush.
Percy paid for the plant, said his goodbyes, and then walked towards his truck. As he opened the door, he happened to glance up at the large wooden sign just down the road.
"OH… MY… GOD!"
He turned and glared at Annabeth, who was looking at him with a surprised and confused expression.
"Screw you Chase," was all Percy said, and then she busted out laughing, the sound of which caused Percy to grin as well. He stepped into his truck, and Annabeth gave him a small wave as he drove off.
…..
Over the next few weeks, Percy visited the plant stand several times, each one under the guise of needing a plant for some reason.
"It my best friend, Grover's, birthday."
"One of my coworker's is sick."
"My mom wanted another plant."
"I need some more to decorate my apartment."
That last one was definitely not true. Some of them would be true though, like the one about Grover. It was actually his birthday, and he was a huge environmentalist, and a big fan of plants. Percy actually gave him several, and Grover didn't complain. But he couldn't give them all to Grover without his best friend getting suspicious. So he gave some more to his mom, claiming that one of his coworker's wife was selling them, so she gladly took them. He also gave some to his coworkers, claiming that his mom was selling them, so they gladly took them. Percy never actually kept any of the plants himself; he had no need for them, but he did have the African Violet, the first plant he bought from Annabeth, sitting on the windowsill in his bedroom. He woke up every morning to see that plant sitting there, and he smiled because of it.
Percy learns a lot about Annabeth amidst the small conversations they have. He learns that she's not just smart, she's extremely smart; she went to college and got a degree in architecture at Columbia University. After graduation, instead of pursuing a career in architecture, she decided to come back to help her family with the farm, and that one day she would take over the farm from her parents. He learned that she has two younger stepbrothers, and that she absolutely hates spiders, which is tough considering where she spends most of her time.
He tells her a bit about himself too. She asks a lot about his mom, and he's more than happy to oblige her, and to brag on his mom a bit. He explains how blue came to be his favorite color, and of course, she makes some snarky comment asking him if he was devastated when he discovered that his favorite color was actually purple. All in all, visiting the plant stand is his favorite part of his week.
Today was different though, and not in a good way. Percy drove towards the plant stand in a pretty cheerful mood, but that mood dropped when he spotted the sleek red corvette parked directly in front of the plant stand. His throat was dry as he pulled his truck over onto the opposite side of the road where he usually parked, and then he glanced over to where Annabeth was.
She looked extremely radiant today, and that was probably because she was laughing. Percy normally would have been happy to see her that way, except that he was usually the one making her laugh. But now, it was another guy; he was tall, with short, sandy blonde hair, and a scar that ran down his cheek. As if his corvette wasn't evidence enough, the way he dressed also screamed rich. He wore a pair of khaki shorts, and a patterned button down that was untucked, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. The top three buttons were undone, and a pair of sunglasses were hanging from the where the fourth button was still up. He had a sleek Rolex watch on his left hand, and a pair of boat shoes on his feet. Percy was surprised money wasn't just falling out of each and every pocket this guy had.
The green monster of envy was welling up inside Percy, and he leaned against his truck as he watched the guy chat it up with Annabeth. He wasn't going to go over there until the guy left; Percy didn't trust himself to remain cool if he did. He did realize however, that this guy could be a perfectly cool guy, maybe someone Percy would get along with under different circumstances. Just because he has money doesn't automatically mean he's a douche. Percy heard another sharp fit of laughter coming from Annabeth; nope, he's a total douche, Percy decided.
But you have no right to be jealous, Percy told himself. He had no claim on Annabeth, they weren't going out, and she was her own person, she could make her own decisions. And if she decided she liked this guy; this good-looking, rich, confident guy, then so be it. They could already be going out for all he knew. Percy decided then and there that he was here for a plant, nothing more. Was he getting ahead of himself and overreacting a bit? Maybe, but jealousy and envy tend to do that to people.
After what seemed like forever, the guy finally got back in his car, and Percy realized that the guy hadn't even bought a plant. Percy wondered if that guy had really pulled over just to talk to Annabeth and didn't come up with some stupid excuse to do so. His situation was looking bleaker by the second, as he watched the red corvette peel out, and rip down the road.
"So um… Who was that?" he asked Annabeth, his voice coming out somewhat stuttering.
Annabeth smiled when she saw him and shrugged her shoulders as she answered his question. "Oh, just some guy named Luke."
So he's not a boyfriend, Percy thought with some relief. He stood there trying to figure out what he should say next, which was weird, because normally it was so easy for him to talk to Annabeth. But this Luke guy had messed with his confidence, and now he was trying to choose his next words carefully.
"Are you okay, Percy?" Annabeth's voice broke through his mind and brought him out of his thoughts.
"Oh um… yes, yeah. Sorry, I need a plant."
"Really? I thought this whole time you were coming here to buy seashells." Annabeth replied with playful sarcasm, but it didn't get to Percy like it normally would have. He just continued to stare at the plants.
"Really, nothing?" Annabeth said, as she looked at him strangely. "Normally you've got some snarky reply. Are you sure you're okay?"
Percy just nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, could I have one of the Orchids?"
The blonde girl looked at him analytically, her grey eyes narrowed, as she studied and considered him. She finally decided to shrug it off though, and placed the plant in a bag, handing it to Percy, who gave her some cash. He said a quick goodbye and walked briskly back to his truck and drove off, without looking back once.
He threw the plant away that evening.
….
Percy had a battle within himself over the next few days. The reasonable side of him told him that he should get over what happened the last time and go see Annabeth. But the emotional, illogical side of him said that he should never go to the plant stand again. He knew in his heart that that was a stupid idea, and that no matter how idiotically upset he was, he would hate not seeing Annabeth. But he had lost what little confidence he had slowly gained over the weeks, when he saw that guy, Luke, talking to Annabeth like it was something he did every day. So Percy argued within himself, as he fought fires and saved more kittens, and stared at the plant on his bedroom windowsill.
Finally, thankfully, his logical side won out, and on his day off, he got in his pickup, and drove to the plant stand. He regrets it for just a split second when he sees another car parked in front of the stand again, but he quickly realizes that he recognizes the car, and it's not Luke's.
Mrs. Montgomery is chattering on nonstop as Percy walks up to the stand and takes his place in line a few feet behind the old lady. Annabeth is smiling widely as she converses with the lady in front of her, and Percy can't help but notice how she is extremely respectful and kind to Mrs. Montgomery, no matter how long the old lady goes on and on about her cat, Doctor Stuffington. Annabeth's eyes look up briefly, and Percy notices how her lips curve up slightly when she sees him standing there. He bites back a goofy smile and listens as the two women in front of him have an, albeit one-sided, conversation about cats.
When Mrs. Montgomery finally chooses a plant and pays for it, she turns around and spots Percy standing there, waiting for his turn to talk to the pretty blonde.
"Oh, hey Percy, how are you?!" She practically jump him, and when she finally let's go, she still keeps a firm grip on his arm. "Tell me Percy, did you like those cookies I brought over to the station a while ago? They were kind of a new recipe, and I wanted to know if you enjoyed them."
"Um… Yes ma'am. We all liked them… a lot." Percy was rubbing the back of his neck nervously, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth smiling softly at him. At the same time, she was also looking at him quizzically, like she was trying to figure something out in her head.
"Oh well that's great! Again, I can't thank you guys enough for saving my laundry room!"
"It's really no big deal Mrs. Montgomery, it's um… it's our job."
Mrs. Montgomery smiled at him brightly, and as she turned to leave, she gave one last good squeeze to Percy's bicep, and he flinched, which caused Annabeth to snort.
As Mrs. Montgomery drove off, Percy turned to look at Annabeth, who was regarding him with an extremely amused, and also curious expression.
"Okay, what was THAT?" she asked, her question was mixed with laughter.
"What was what?"
"Well, first off Percy, did you not see the way she was practically groping your arm? Second, what was she talking about when she said something about her laundry room?"
Percy's face turned red at the first question, and then he blanched at the second. But he took a quick glance at Annabeth and felt himself relax a bit. This is Annabeth, man, he thought to himself, as he felt his confidence returning.
"Okay well first off, why do you ask? Do you find it so hard to believe that women might objectify me?" He motioned to himself with his hands as he said this, and Annabeth rolled her eyes, albeit playfully. Percy gave Annabeth a smug grin when he saw her face turn slightly pink, and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Whatever Percy, what about the other thing?"
"What other thing?"
Annabeth glared at him. "Don't play dumb with me, Jackson. She said you helped save her laundry room or something like that?"
"Oh right, that," Percy found this moment to be a great time to study his shoes. "Um… a few of my friends and I just helped her out with a project in her laundry room. That's all."
Annabeth didn't seem to buy this for one second, and she narrowed her gaze at him, as she leaned both of her elbows on the stand in front of her and placed her chin in one of her palms.
"Percy?" she asked softly, but Percy kept looking at the ground.
"Percy, look at me."
He looked up and met her eyes; her stormy, steely grey eyes that swirled about like whirlpools.
"What do you do Percy?"
"Um… what do you mean?"
Her facial expression never changed.
"What do you do for a living? What is your job, Percy?"
Percy didn't know why he hated talking about his job so much. Whenever he talked about the fact that he was a firefighter, he couldn't help but feel like he was bragging, which was stupid he knew. But he was an extremely humble person, thanks to his mother, and he never wanted to be placed on a pedestal, which he felt like he would be if people knew what he did. But he couldn't lie to Annabeth, and besides, she would probably see right through his lie if he did.
"Um… I'm a firefighter."
Annabeth's eyebrows rose up a bit, but other than that, her face did not change.
"So… that project you and your friends did in her laundry room?"
"One of her bras started a fire in the dryer."
Annabeth snorted at this, and Percy let a soft grin form on his face.
"I must say Percy, I originally wouldn't have pegged you as a firefighter, but now…" She gave his whole body a glance over, "I can see it."
"Look who's objectifying me now."
Annabeth rolled her eyes at Percy's smug grin. "Whatever, Perce."
His face turned red at the fact that she didn't deny it, and at the pet name, which was new. They stood there in a comfortable silence for a few seconds, until Annabeth reached across the stand and tapped his shoulder to get his attention.
"Hey," She spoke softly, "I'm glad to see you. I was afraid you weren't going to come back."
Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry about what happened last time. I… I don't know what came over me; that day was just… weird."
"Mhmm…" Annabeth nodded, but she had a look that told Percy she knew more than she let on.
"So, tell me something Percy," Annabeth said out of the blue. "I distinctly remember a firetruck coming by here not too long ago, and if I'm not mistaken, I believe it was heading towards old Mrs. Montgomery's place."
"Oh… oh yeah?" Percy's voice was oddly shrill at the moment.
"Yep," Annabeth said, popping the p at the end. "And if I remember correctly, that happened the day before you came to my stand the very first time."
Percy could feel himself starting to sweat up a storm. "Oh? What a coincidence."
Annabeth was leaning as far forward on the stand as she could. "Percy… where you on that firetruck?"
Percy chuckled nervously, "Well, you see…. Someone's got to drive the truck."
The air was filled with Annabeth's laughter, and Percy decided his embarrassment was worth it if he got to hear that sound over and over again.
"So, that's how you found me, huh Percy?"
"Guilty as charged," He said as he shrugged his shoulders, and Annabeth left it at that.
….
Percy was psyching himself up as he drove to the plant stand that day. Today was the day he was going to ask Annabeth for her number, at least, that's what he was telling himself. It was going to take a lot of getting himself in the mindset, and then a few seconds of courage. He felt like his confidence was at an all time high, ever since Annabeth had found out what his job was a couple weeks ago. Nothing had really changed on her part, she still treated him the same as she did before, which Percy was thankful for. The change had come from him; he couldn't explain it, but something about Annabeth now knowing what he did, and that he didn't have to feel like he was bragging when she found out, made him feel that much better about himself.
That confidence was threatened yet again, however, when he got to the stand. There was no one else there, at least not at the moment, but someone else had been there earlier. And Percy knew exactly who it was, as he recognized the pattern of tire marks that could only be made by Luke's corvette. Doesn't matter, he thought to himself, and he made his way over to the stand, where his stomach dropped when he saw Annabeth.
She looked great as always, her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, with a few loose strands hovering around the sides of her face. She wore the same white t-shirt with dirt stains that she wore so often, and another pair of cutoff jean shorts. The detail that made Percy's stomach drop though; was the small piece of paper she was twirling in her hand. He could easily make it out the digits that no doubt formed a phone number. Luke's phone number. Annabeth's face was expressionless, as she regarded the piece of paper in her hand. Percy decided to play off the fact that he already knew what the paper was.
"What's that?" He asked as he walked up to the stand.
"A phone number," Annabeth replied nonchalantly, as she placed the piece of paper down on the stand in front of her. She kept it though, Percy noted.
"What are you looking for today?" Annabeth asked him, her face now had a soft, kindly expression.
"Oh… um." Percy realized now that he was screwed. He hadn't come to get a plant, but to get her phone number himself, but now he wasn't so sure he could ask for it. After all, Luke had just given her his number, so now how stupid and desperate would he look if he came and asked for hers immediately after? He wasn't sure what she was going to do with the number, but he had to come up with a reason to buy a plant now.
"My mom wants another plant," he said hastily.
"Oh, wow, another one. I'm flattered that she likes my plants so much."
"She really does."
Annabeth paused for a second, and she got a faraway look on her face, which Percy recognized as her thinking face. Uh oh.
"If she likes them so much, why don't you just tell her where you get them, Percy? Then she could come get them herself, right?"
Percy's mind was racing, and though his mind is usually sharp under pressure, (he's a firefighter for heaven's sake) it every so often will fail him.
"Oh… um… She's just terrible with directions. She'd get lost trying to find this place."
Percy wasn't sure if Annabeth bought it, but she shrugged her shoulders and seemed to let it go. They discussed which one to get for Percy's mom and eventually settled on an Angel's Trumpet, which Percy said would look great on his mom's patio. As Annabeth picked up the plant to bag it, she caught a glimpse of something on the pot, and almost dropped the plant completely, her face white as she set the pot back down on the stand.
"Annabeth?" Percy asked concerned, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, um, nothing. It's just there's a spider on the pot… so now I don't want to touch it at all, maybe ever again."
"Oh I see," Percy said as he looked around for something to discard the spider with. "Do you have something I could take care of the spider with? A tissue or napkin?"
Annabeth scanned her stand, until her eyes rested upon something, and she gleamed, as she handed Percy the small piece of paper.
"Um, Annabeth," Percy said confused, but also hopeful, "This is Luke's phone number."
"I know," She replied pointedly, ignoring the fact that she hadn't even told Percy that it was Luke's number. "I was going to throw it away later anyways."
Percy didn't say anything; his heart was too busy bouncing with joy and relief, as he used the paper to discard of the spider. You definitely can't ask for her number now, he figured if she wasn't accepting numbers, she probably wasn't giving them out either. That didn't matter though, Percy was still too relieved to care about the fact that she might have a secret boyfriend, or some other reason to not accept a guy like Luke's phone number.
….
He missed out on the phone number, but this time, he was going all in, placing all his chips on the table, and rolling the dice. Leo always told him that you'll never get anywhere if you don't take a chance on something, and that applied to asking out girls as well. So Percy was going to take a chance. He felt somewhat confident that she might say yes, there was no denying they enjoyed being with each other, arguing and bantering flirtatiously. But, as with any guy who is about to ask out a girl, no matter how confident he is, there is always that bit of doubt. What if she has a secret boyfriend? What if she decided to go out with Luke after all? What if she just doesn't like me like that?
Percy threw these thoughts out his head, sort of, and determined to himself that he WAS going to ask Annabeth out on a date today. No matter what. If she agreed, then great! Everyone's happy! If she says no, then that's fine too. Percy will just forget all of this ever happened, and never go to the plant stand again. He'll move on eventually (maybe, probably not) and that will be the end of that. Percy hates to think about the possibility that he may never be able to stand seeing Annabeth again after today, and the thought is almost enough to ruin his determination completely. But he shakes his head and drives on.
The plant stand is there when he arrives, but something's different, something's missing. First off, there's no sign that says Plants for Sale, there's no plants, and most importantly… there's no Annabeth. Percy feel the weight of an anvil drop in his stomach, as he realizes that he may have blown it, he may have missed his chance. He waited too long, and now; he was never going to get the opportunity to be truly happy.
Percy slammed his truck door shut behind him and made his way over to the stand to inspect it closer, just to make sure. There was nothing there, no sign that it had ever even been used. Percy sighed, and ran his hands over his face and through his hair, as he paced in circles around the stand. What was he supposed to do now? He had gotten dressed up, sort of, in nice light blue jeans, and a form-fitting, green V-neck, that he wore specifically for this moment, when he was supposed to be asking the girl of his dreams out on a date. Welp, Percy thought, So much for that.
He was seriously considering waiting here for however long it took, until he saw her again. He then started to consider going up to the actual house, on Chase Farms, and seeing if she was there. He could just imagine though, the door being answered by her secret boyfriend, and Percy making a complete fool of himself asking about Annabeth. How much am I willing to embarrass myself for this girl? Percy asked himself honestly. He had just about made up his mind and was about to turn and walk down the dirt road towards the house, when he caught some movement coming from the few trees behind the stand.
There she was, walking towards him, wearing a high-waisted, blue summer dress, that came down to just below her thigh. The spaghetti straps showed off her incredible tan, and Percy thought he would never breath again. She held a sign in her hand, and she smiled at Percy as she made her towards him, not looking surprised that he was there one bit.
"Hey Percy, how's it going?"
"H-hey Annabeth…" was all he could get out.
She chuckled, and then moved to the front of the stand, where she hung the sign that she had been carrying. Percy looked at it.
SOLD OUT
"You ran out of plants?" He asked, his voice coming back down to a normal octave.
"Yeah, sold my last one yesterday. Sorry Percy, but I'm afraid I don't have anymore plants for to you buy."
Percy didn't say anything, as his mind began to ponder something.
"You're dressed up nice," He said matter-of-factly.
Annabeth smiled at him, and it looked like she had actually put on just the slightest bit of makeup, which made Percy worrisome.
His fears were confirmed when she replied, "Thanks, I have a date here pretty soon."
"Oh…." Percy's voice dropped, and he hung his head, "That's cool."
I'm still too late, he said to himself, she's probably going out with Luke in his corvette.
"Well, at least I hope to," He heard Annabeth say, "I'm still waiting for the guy to ask me out."
"If Luke hasn't already done it, I'm sure he will do it soon," Percy huffed.
Annabeth just rolled her eyes. "Who said I was talking about Luke?"
Percy was now looking at her with the most puzzling and confused face he could muster, and she had the audacity to just smirk at him.
"Annabeth… what are you talking about?"
"Good Lord, you're oblivious, Perce."
"Me?" he asked incredulously, pointing to himself.
"Yes, you! You big dork," Annabeth said, her voice was filled with amusement for some reason, though Percy could see nothing funny about this.
"I've been dropping hints for like… forever. Why do you think I never complained or asked why you come by every week, and bought out like half of my stock? Or why do you think I threw away Luke's phone number? Gods, I've been flirting with you for almost two months now."
Percy's jaw could not be any lower without it hitting the ground, as he stared at Annabeth with a bewildered look on his face.
"Just so we're clear… you want ME to ask you out?"
"That would be ideal."
Percy was silent for a second.
"But wait a minute, if you liked me, why didn't you ever ask me out, instead of waiting?"
Annabeth shrugged, "Eh, I considered it. But I know my worth, and I've had my fair share of bad experiences with asking guys out myself."
"So, you were going to let me risk getting embarrassed instead?" Percy made sure he didn't sound accusing when he asked the question, just genuinely curious.
"I figured any guy worth dating would be able to ask a girl himself, even if he did have a confidence issue at one point."
Percy rolled his eyes, "Too be fair, the reason I came today was to ask you out, not to buy a plant."
Annabeth smiled warmly at him, and she took a step closer. "I know, I figured you would. Why do you think I'm wearing this dress?"
"Wait…" Percy was confused yet again, "How could you possibly know?"
"Mmmm…" Annabeth tapped her chin like she was thinking deeply, "A girl has her ways." She moved even closer now, so that there was less than a foot between her and Percy. "You practically exuded confidence last time you were here, so I figured it was only a matter of time."
"I see," Percy hoped that he was still exuding confidence or whatever, "So now you want me to ask you out… properly?"
Annabeth nodded, and then she got a playful glint on her eye. "Unless you want to wait until Luke comes and asks?"
Percy's eyes narrowed, as he glanced down the road, just to make sure. "And what if he did? What would you say?"
Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him. "Do you really want to find out?"
"Nope," Percy replied quickly, "Not at all."
He took a deep breath; he didn't know why he was still nervous, since he knew what Annabeth's answer was going to be.
"Annabeth…" He said slowly, "Would you like to go out on a date with me?"
The blonde-haired girl smiled brightly at him, and she reached over to take his hand. "I would love to."
Percy's heart skipped a beat at the feeling of Annabeth's hand in his, and his smile stretched from ear to ear, as he led Annabeth over to the passenger's side of his pickup and opened the door for her.
"So where are you taking me?" Annabeth asked as they drove down the road.
"Um, well, I was already going to have lunch with my mom after stopping by…"
"Ooh, getting to meet the mom on the first date. I feel special."
Percy chuckled, and he glanced down at his right hand, which was still intertwined with Annabeth's. "You're not wrong," he said softly.
Annabeth's smile was radiant, and Percy knew he would do whatever it takes to keep it on her face forever. He could just hear Leo pestering him, saying how whipped he was.
"You know," Percy began, "That day Luke gave you his number, I was actually going to ask for your number myself."
"I wish you had," Annabeth replied, "Why didn't you?"
"I thought I would have looked to desperate… and, I figured that if you wouldn't even accept Luke's number, there was no way you would have given yours to me."
"And so you decided to ask me out instead?" Annabeth giggled with amusement.
"I gave myself an ultimatum, okay?"
"Yeah okay," Annabeth was still chuckling behind her hand that covered her mouth, but when she finally managed to stop, she turned her head towards Percy with a serious look. "I would have given it to you if you had asked. The reason I didn't want Luke's is because 'A'," Annabeth placed one finger up to show her first point, "I didn't like him, too cocky, and the corvette is such an impractical vehicle for where we live." Percy laughed at this. "And 'B'," she raised a second finger, "Because I don't want some guy to just give me his number and be done with it. He's not taking a risk doing that. If a guy wants my number, he can ask me for it himself."
"Well, in that case," Percy reached into his pocket with his free hand, and pulled out his phone, "Can I have your number?"
…..
They soon arrived at Mrs. Jackson's house, and Percy didn't even bother to knock, he just let himself and Annabeth in. He watched her as she took in the sight of the living room and the hallway, each filled with pictures of Percy's in his younger, and youngest, days. "Mom, we're here," He called out, and he heard some shuffling in the kitchen.
"We? Percy, is Grover with you too? I've been dying to see him again…."
His mom's voice trailed off as she stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room, where she saw the girl that stood right next to Percy. His mom placed a hand over her mouth, and Percy could make out the beginnings of a very hopeful smile.
"Percy, who… who is this?"
"Mom, this is Annabeth."
Annabeth smiled at his mom, and she stepped forward with her hand outreached. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Jackson…"
Percy's mom rushed forward and wrapped her in a hug, which definitely caught Annabeth by surprise, but she quickly recovered. "Please Annabeth," his mom said, "Call me Sally."
Sally eventually let Annabeth go, and hurried both of them into the kitchen, where she was almost done making lunch. Annabeth offered to help her, but Sally told her not to bother, since it was almost done anyways. Percy watched as Annabeth stood next to him, her glazing fleeting around the kitchen, before it landed on a particular object sitting on the counter. Her gaze narrowed, and Percy gulped.
"I must say Mrs. Jacks… I mean Sally, I really like your plants. Is that a Gardenia?"
Sally turned from whatever she was doing and gave Annabeth a glorious smile. "Why yes, my dear, it is. Percy gave it to me for my birthday not too long ago. Are you a big 'plant' person?"
Annabeth chuckled. "You could say that… I'm the one who sold it to Percy."
Sally flipped around and stared at her. "Are you serious, Annabeth?"
"Yes ma'am, I also sold him that Angel's Trumpet on your front porch."
Percy's mother was now staring at him with a shocked… and also scandalized look.
"PERSEUS JACKSON!" Percy thought that maybe she was overreacting. "Is she your coworker's WIFE?!"
Okay, maybe she wasn't overreacting.
Needless to say, Percy had a lot of explaining to do, but as he watched his mother and Annabeth bond over teasing him, he realized that it most definitely worth it.
"Did you keep ANY of the plants I gave you, Perce?" Annabeth asked teasingly.
He smiled. "As a matter of fact, I did actually."
A/N: Hey guys, I have another chapter of P&P coming soon, but I'll probably be dropping a few more short stories like this randomly throughout. I hope you enjoyed it! It was so weird to from writing about Percy in P&P, to writing this Percy, since they're such different… Percy's.
…Or are they really?
PLEASE REVIEW