8 Hours Before The Wedding

May 25th, 2019

Hermes Uptown Cleaners

4:40 am

"Hi," Annabeth greeted the attendant with a tight smile. "I need this wedding dress cleaned as soon as possible," she told him, throwing the dark trash bag on top of the counter. "Ideally within the next hour."

"Uh..." the man stared down at the bag with a frown. He picked at it with cautious hands before turning back towards Annabeth. "Let me check with the owners," he said with a forced smile.

"What are you doing?" Percy hissed the second he was out of earshot.

"Who?" Annabeth turned, blinking at him in disbelief. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Percy pressed, looking horrified.

"Um," Annabeth hummed awkwardly, eyes darting around the small room. "Getting the dress cleaned?"

"No," Percy insisted with a shake of his head. "Haven't you ever heard of being charming?"

"It's called being assertive," she assured him with a scoff, rolling her eyes at the comment. "Watch," she gestured with an arch of her brows, turning back towards the employee who was returning. "He's about to come back and tell me how—"

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," the man lamented, unknowingly interrupting her. "We're really busy right now. I don't think we'll be able to get that dress cleaned tonight. If you'd like to leave it overnight, we can have it to you first thing on Monday—"

"No!" Annabeth exclaimed with wide eyes, having forgotten Percy. Panic rushed through her. "I need it by ten tomorrow—please, I'm the maid of honor, I can't mess this up."

The attendant said nothing but his expression didn't look optimistic.

"Annabeth," Percy considered softly, turning towards her to speak to her privately. "I think—"

"No," Annabeth cut Percy off suddenly, staring up at him. "We need it clean by tomorrow morning—"

The employee cleared his throat awkwardly, catching both of their attention. "I'll give you two a minute to discuss your options," he affirmed, nodding his head before retreating to the back room.

The second he was gone, Annabeth turned to Percy, her eyes full of alarm. "Percy," she uttered, feeling for the first time tonight that they had met a challenge she could not surpass. "This dress needs to be clean by tomorrow."

"I know," Percy tried to calm her, "and we'll get it cleaned but—"

It was no use.

"How?" Annabeth demanded, throwing her arms in the air. "It's not like I can clean it. And this is the only dry cleaners open this late. The rest are over an hour away and we only have seven hours until the wedding!"

Her hands were shaking.

"I promised Hazel everything would be perfect. She's expecting everything to be perfect. What will her parents say?—they'll use it as an excuse. They'll blame Frank. They'll blame his age. They'll say he's too young to understand and it'll be ruined—"

Percy reached out, taking her hands in his, just like he used to,

She went silent, just like she used to.

"I know," Percy nodded, swallowing deeply as her searching eyes shot up to his. He took a deep breath, inspiring her to do the same. "I can figure this out, I promise."

"I—" Annabeth protested quietly, the hint of frustrated tears glittering in the corners of her eyes.

"I've messed so many things up," Percy pressed, his hands still holding hers. "Please, let me get this right."

"Okay," she agreed finally, taking a deep breath and stepping back.

Her features changed then. It was barely noticeable—he shouldn't have noticed it, but he did. And the minuscule shift in her facial features as she stared up at him—like she trusted him, like he might actually have a chance to deserve her—was a sight he'd yearned for years. It incited such a horrible deep ache in his chest, the resurgence of a chip in his heart that hadn't been properly patched, that he could barely keep his own expression even.

"What do you need from me?" Annabeth asked with a sniff, determination pressed tightly in her lips.

He felt himself smile before he could tell himself not to, a shadow of his former best friend appearing before his eyes.

8 Hours Before The Wedding

May 25th, 2019

Grand Hotel

4:49 am

"You're probably tired," Jason declared, staring down at Piper. He was pacing. His hands were on his hips. He reminded Piper of a stressed dad—not that she would ever tell him that.

"Mh," she hummed with a noncommital shrug. Her nausea had yet to pass, but it had definitely subsided, leaving behind the faintest stir in her gut.

"You should probably go to bed," Jason decided then, seemingly unable to keep still.

He rushed out of the bathroom and into the hotel room. She couldn't see him, but she could hear the soft rustle of covers and sheets being ripped off the bed.

"Jason," Piper protested from her spot on the ground.

She really didn't want to move. The tile was surprisingly comfortable.

He didn't reply, frantically glancing around the room.

With a tired sigh, Piper reached for another saltine and pulled herself off the floor, using the counter to drag herself up.

"Jason," Piper said tiredly, manuvering herself into the bedroom. She was surprisingly stable on her feet as she approached him. He had gone still, balancing his weight precariously on one foot. "Don't you think we should talk about—about earlier?" Piper offered awkwardly.

She threw him her best smile, but in the mess of her mind, she wasn't sure how it fell upon her lips. If his expression was anything to go by, it didn't look good.

"Earlier?" Jason asked, raising his brow as if he had no idea what she could possibly be referring to.

"Jason," Piper struggled, chuckling shallowly and trying to look past his facade of indifference. "I—" she took a deep breath, pushing her hair behind her ear and sincerely wishing she couldn't taste bile on the back of her tongue. It really dulled the moment. "I love you too."

"Oh," Jason blinked. He looked like he'd been punched. He still wasn't moving—wasn't really breathing either. The only indication he was alive was the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed thickly. "Okay," he nodded carefully, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah," Piper muttered clumsily, her cheeks reddening at his utter lack of response. Was this not what he wanted? She blinked at him, eyeing him up and down, trying to gauge his response but she learned nothing. He was still staring, his gaze a terrifyingly blank slate.

"Can you give me a minute?" he requested suddenly, his brows furrowed and serious.

"Um," Piper laughed awkwardly, seriously hoping this was some kind of joke. "Yeah," she agreed after a tense second. "I guess that's fine."

"Just a second," he promised her, offering her the tiniest hint of a smile.

"Okay," Piper said him tightly, trying her very best to ignore the thunderous pound of her heart against her ribs.

Jason walked past her and out the door of the hotel room, closing it behind him. The door rattled unnecessarily as it shut, as if to punctuate nausea making a resurgence in her stomach. Piper found herself unusually hopeless. She wondered if Annabeth had been, right? Maybe risks were too dangerous—even when they were calculated.

Then she heard Jason's scream pierce through the thin hotel walls.

Piper jumped, whipping around. She could easily count the number of times she'd heard him scream. A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind in the five seconds it took her to reach the door.

What if he was injured? What if he was getting kidnapped? Blue eyes, blonde hair. He would probably sell for a high bounty on the black market. What if she had to buy him?

The intrusive thoughts swarmed Piper's mind as her fingers wrapped around the door handle, yanking it open. When she saw him, however, she was shocked to find him smiling.

"Are you okay?" she questioned severely, mouth agape with confusion.

"Yeah," he laughed, turning towards her with a dazzling grin. "Fine," he confirmed, nodding.

Her breath caught in her throat, her heart going uncomfortably still.

"You love me," Jason said then, the expression lighting up his features. His eyes were swimming in wonder, like he still didn't quite believe it.

"Yeah," Piper replied dumbly, a similar smile coloring her cheeks.

"Yeah," Jason nodded again, still watching her from a distance as if the illusion might disappear if he neared. She wished he would—near that is.

A doorknob jingled behind Jason, alerting Piper to reality. She suddenly recalled where they were, then remembered that Jason had just screamed in a hotel hallway.

"C'mon," Piper beckoned Jason inside, holding open the door. As he drew closer, she felt her pulse race until she could hear nothing else.

7 Hours Before The Wedding

May 25th, 2019

Hermes Uptown Cleaners

5:06 am

If Percy had had to describe Annabeth in five words or less, the last word to come to his mind would have been flexible. It was why he was amazed when she nodded her head without even hearing his plan and went out the door to wait for him outside.

Percy wasn't any type of savior—and although he would describe his actions as heroic, he wasn't a hero either. He hadn't done much really. He's simply slid a hundred across the counter and pleaded until the attendant agreed to help them.

Bribery, some might call it. Charm, he liked to say. It was all the same in his book. He really didn't think he would have needed the money if Annabeth hadn't been rude in the first place, but he kept that to himself.

Percy inhaled deeply, fighting a yawn as he poked his head out the door. It had started raining—just barely, but a drizzle nonetheless. The raindrops fell sporadically across his forehead, lukewarm and tepid. Percy frowned, wiping them away as he searched for Annabeth. He didn't see her. His frown deepened.

Stuffing his fists into his pockets, Percy stepped outside. He narrowed his eyes, looking down the street for the long t-shirt and sweats Annabeth had changed into before leaving. He had only traveled a few steps when he spotted a huddled figure hiding in the alcove a few doors down.

"Annabeth," Percy called.

Her eyes light up at the sound of his voice. His heart panged as she rushed towards him, eyes bright and curious. Her curls bounced along with her, having taken a life of their own in the fresh humidity.

"So?" Annabeth questioned, impatience held in the pressure of her lips.

"It's raining," Percy pointed out, frowning at her.

"Yeah," Annabeth scoffed with a light laugh. The sound sparkled in the rain around them. "I noticed," she said evenly, furrowing her brow at him.

"Why didn't you come inside?" Percy questioned, he looked more confused than concerned.

"You asked me not to," Annabeth replied with a simple shrug of her shoulder, as though it were obvious.

Percy exhaled, his breathy chuckle spilling into the warm summer air.

It hadn't been obvious—nothing was ever obvious with her. He wanted to tell her that. He wanted to tell her so many things. He wondered if that was obvious as well.

Percy stared at Annabeth, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he observed her. She didn't seem to notice, glancing around at the street around them before wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm.

It must have been obvious, Percy thought. He must have been obvious.

He didn't know how it couldn't be obvious that his pulse raced at the sight of her, that he hung off her every word, that a compliment from her meant more than a dozen from another.

He wondered if she'd heard the stories, of his endless slew of girlfriends and hookups, his inability to keep any of them around. He figured someone had mentioned how he'd get unusually silent whenever someone brought her up, of how his eyes would turn glazy and wistful, of how, whenever he tried to explain, they smiled pitifully at him before breaking up with him.

Hookups came easier. There were fewer consequences for being vaguely in love with a girl you never dated.

"And?" Annabeth questioned, leaning towards him. She looked anxious, her fingers tapping against her arms.

"Hm?" Percy replied, meeting her gaze.

A bead of rain fell from her lashes. He traced the movement with his eyes.

"The dress," Annabeth pressed. "Will it be ready in time?"

"Oh," Percy laughed, shaking his head at the fog that glazed his mind when she was around. "Yeah," he assured her. "I told you—"

Before he could get the words out, Annabeth's embrace wrapped around him. The wind left his lungs as fast as any lingering thoughts left his consciousness.

"Thank you," Annabeth muttered into the curve of his shoulder, her lashes tickling the paper-thin skin of his neck, just over his pulse point. He wondered if she could feel the way it rushed.

"Yeah," Percy blinked, his voice deeper than he remembered it. He wrapped his arms around her waist, hesitantly returning the familiar gesture. Her warmth was bleeding through the fabric of his jacket, burrowing into him.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there. It could have been a day or a year—realistically, he figured it was more like five seconds—but when she drew away, unlocking her arms from his neck, and stepping back, he felt the air shift.

He allowed his hands to fall from her waist, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He thought about what Piper had said, you're obviously into each other. Was it obvious?

Percy looked at Annabeth, trying to gauge anything except nonchalance from the guarded expression she constantly wore nowadays. She shivered and he felt a sliver of guilt impact his chest, suddenly remembering that she'd been standing out in the rain for much longer than he had.

"We should head inside," Annabeth said softly, pushing back a stray curl.

Oh, Percy thought then, maybe he was wrong. Only if you're sure, Jason had always advised him, and he wasn't sure.

"Yeah," he agreed, stepping back and allowing her to lead the way.

8 Hours Before The Wedding

May 25th, 2019

Grand Hotel

5:19 am

"So," Jason sang as they entered the room, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

"I still think we should talk," Piper told him, pressing her lips together in anticipation.

"Oh," Jason said blankly, his smile abruptly giving way to dread. "God," he moaned, running his fingers over his crew-cut hair. "Is this the I love you but I'm not in love with you talk?" he questioned desperately. "Because like—I hate to say it, but I'm hopelessly horrendously in love with you Piper."

"Jason—" Piper began, incapable of hiding the smile beginning to peek through her attempt at severity.

"No," Jason shook his head, falling back onto the bed behind him. "I really can't handle this right now—"

"Jason, no," Piper laughed, her giggle making him sit back up, furrowing his brow. Hope danced across his blue irises. "It's not that," Piper calmed him.

"Oh," Jason blinked up at her, sitting up and straightening. "Okay then, yeah let's talk," he agreed, smiling softly. The smile she'd missed so dearly. The one that said I support you no matter what—even if what you say hurts me. She hoped it wouldn't.

"Do you remember why we broke up?" Piper began. She took a seat next to him, having felt awkward hovering over him.

"Yeah," Jason laughed, throwing her a goofy grin. "I'm not a goldfish, Piper. I can still remember most of college."

Piper rolled her eyes, fighting back a smile. "I just mean—do you remember how we felt?" she attempted to explain.

She wasn't doing a very good job if Jason's face was anything to go by.

"Uh," he narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand."

"I mean," Piper considered, trying her very best to be kind. Kindness over honesty. Kindness kindness kindness she tried to remember. "I just—"

"What?" Jason pressed, frowning.

"I can't do long-distance again," Piper proclaimed, feeling the words spill out before she could sweeten them. "I hated it. It was horrible, feeling like I was losing you piece by piece. I would get so annoyed—and I didn't like the person I was becoming," she rambled.

"So then we just won't do long distance," Jason concluded as if it were easy.

"I know but you have work and I—" Piper began.

"It doesn't matter," Jason insisted, cutting her off. "I don't want you to have to quit your job. You sacrificed your happiness for me when we broke up, and I'll do the same if I have to—I'm happy to really."

"Jason," Piper sighed, biting her cheek, unsure how to tell him she actually loathed her job.

"Anyway," Jason continued, ignoring her to get all his thoughts out at once. "I put in for a transfer ages ago—to start working out here at the San Francisco office and it finally went through so," he shrugged, "I'm coming back."

"You put in for a transfer?" Piper said, her voice wavering uncertainly. Her heart stuttered uncomfortably at the realization that Jason had left his job—the one he loved more than anything—for her.

"Yeah," Jason told her sheepishly, looking confused as to why she wasn't more excited. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up—but," he licked his lips, facing her fully now. "Surely you know, I did it all for you. It was only for you."

Piper felt her blood run cold, bitterly aware that her chest was swelling at the thought of him returning. She inwardly chastised herself, knowing he'd given up his dreams. There was no reason for her to be happy. She shouldn't be happy.

"All that's left is to tell Percy," Jason explained, clasping his hands in his lap. "I don't know how he'll take it," he revealed honestly, his voice quiet. "I'm a little worried, if I'm being honest—but, yeah," he shrugged again, "love me or love me not, I'm coming back."

"I do love you," Piper assured him carefully, not wanting to hurt him anymore. "But—" she blinked back emotion, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "Is this what you want?"

"Yes," Jason nodded fervently, frowning at the question. "Of course. I want to be with you."

"No," Piper remarked, growing antsy. One of her legs wouldn't stop shaking and her feet couldn't keep still. "I'm not doubting whether you want to be with me, but—but work has always been so important to you. I'm worried about how—how I'm messing with your priorities."

Jason had never looked more bewildered. He'd stopped smiling completely now, any hint of humor had abandoned his features.

"You're my priority," Jason told her firmly.

"Jason—" Piper sighed, more heavily this time, frustration unquestionably confirmed by her tone.

"Fine, Piper," Jason sighed, agreeing. "I wanted to be romantic, but if you want to know all the nitty-gritty details then I'll tell you."

Piper fell silent, shooting him a grateful look.

"I love my job," he told her confidently, his eyes crinkling at the corners like they always did when he talked about his career. "And luckily, I'm good at it too." He reached forward, taking her hands in his. She let him as long as he kept explaining. "But I want to be closer to home for my mom," he remarked, "and the new SF office is new and modern and like—super nice and they have free snacks and—and I want to make a name for myself out here."

Piper bit her lip, smiling at the passionate tone of his voice.

"Is that what you want to hear, Piper?" Jason huffed, cocking his head. "I love you and I want to be with you—be near you—but at the end of the day, this move is what's best for my career and for me. It's the reward of working hard and getting lucky. Is that what you want to hear?" he asked her again, arching a brow dubiously.

"Yes," Piper nodded furiously. "Yes!" she exclaimed again, her face flushing bright red. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear because I fucking hate my job," she blurted, feeling tears spring to the corners of her eyes. She wasn't upset, just overwhelmed. She was found was easily overwhelmed when Jason was around. "It fucking sucks," she laughed, shaking her head. "And every day, I wonder what my life would have been like if I'd just gone to New York with you."

Jason was quiet, listening carefully.

"I convinced myself that I did the right thing though," she told him. "It was what was best for you and now I know that's true, because look at everything you've accomplished."

Piper sniffed, staring at her hands in her lap as she waited for Jason to say something. She hastily wiped away a stubborn tear, her heart beating heavily in her chest. She felt Jason's hand brush her chin, curling around the curve of her jaw and urging her gaze up.

Piper lifted her eyes to oblige him, watching him through her dark lashes. He was smiling. She didn't know if that was good or bad—probably good, but she was too nervous to think rationally right now.

"You hate your job?" Jason asked softly, his fingers trailing up her cheek to cup her face.

"Yeah," Piper nodded sheepishly, pouting her lips. "I was too embarrassed to admit it though."

"And you still love me?"

He was so close Piper could feel the question as it left his lips. He lifted his other hand, brushing away the dark hair that had fallen into her eyes. Her pulse raced beneath his fingertips and his smile widened marginally.

"Of course," Piper told him, her mouth curling upwards.

"Good," Jason said, his grin finally cracking his lips as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

Piper's chest surged, her heart soaring. Her mind flickered, worrying about everything that might go wrong. She thought of all the terrifying possibilities that accompanied his return. Then she wondered if she tasted like vomit, wishing she'd had the foresight to brush her teeth. But then she considered how horribly sweet It was that Jason was kissing her anyway, and forced the rest of her worries out of her mind.

Jason loved her and she loved him. For now, that was all that mattered. Her mind at peace, Piper couldn't help but smile into the kiss, raising her hands to pull him closer, hating the space between them. Jason's lips mirrored hers, falling to her neck a second later. His heated breath grazed over the column of her neck. She gasped as his teeth scraped her pulse point, sending delectable ripples of desire across her skin. She tilted her head back, her heart on the brink of bursting with joy.

"Wait," Jason breathed, pulling away for a second.

Piper swallowed a gasp, wrenching her eyes open to stare at him.

"You don't have a boyfriend, do you?" Jason asked, cheeks rosy.

Piper blinked, then, ensuring she'd heard correctly, pushed his chest. Jason looked surprised, falling back onto the bed with his eyes wide.

"Of course not, you idiot," Piper laughed at his alarmed expression, straddling his hips and leaning over him.

"Yay," Jason beamed up at her

Piper rolled her eyes, tugging at the buttons of his shirt. Her cheeks hurt from smiling, and she thought her lips soon might too. In the meantime, she decided, she would put them to better use.

a/n: inching closer to the finish. sorry, this took so long and that I said Thursday and it is now Sunday lol. anyway, didn't edit as always.

dedicated to ThisOneBetterNotBeTaken and Night734286 and akisabookworm for being cutie pies

love u all