A/N: Here we are! Hope you like it!
Annabeth is jittery.
Perhaps the whole going to California thing is finally catching up to her.
It's a mixture of excitement at starting a whole new project and the nervousness of figuring it all out. It's wonderfully terrifying.
Which is perhaps the best way to sum up what she's been feeling ever since she walked out onto a rooftop one night with a hope and no idea of what was to come.
This is good, she tells herself, she needs this. She's making moves, she's going to figure it out, she tells the pair of jeans she's packing. The jeans don't respond but the crease as she folds them feels like a sign.
She stops to stare at the absurd amount of clothes laying everywhere. Packing is hard, not because it's actually a hard task, but rather because there's so much of it.
So, when her phone rings a second later, she gratefully seizes the opportunity to take a break.
"Hey Pipes, what's up?"
"What's up with you! You're the one about to fly out tomorrow morning, how's the packing going? Do you need any help?"
She stares at the blue blouse in her hands, debating on whether or not she should take it.
"Do you think I should take that baby blue blouse?" she asks Piper.
"Yes," comes a firm reply.
So she folds it up and adds it to her suitcase.
"Oh, and I wanted to let you know that I'll be a little late to dinner today, but I'll definitely be there!" Piper adds.
"I expect nothing less," Annabeth responds with a smile. "And that's fine, just let me know when you get out."
"Will do, I gotta go to class now."
"Alright, have fun!" She half-heartedly tosses a shirt aside.
She can imagine Piper making a face. "Thanks."
And with the short phone call out the way, she really should get back to packing—she does leave tomorrow morning after all. But she just can't bring herself to.
The nervous energy that had been slowly building the entire day rises to the surface and overtakes her again. The jittery feeling is back.
But then she freezes, staring at the scene in front of her. It's vaguely familiar, like she's been here before, done this before.
Maybe she has.
Maybe she decides to go exploring. But this time, she knows the route like the back of her hand. Maybe this time, the door swings out to reveal a small rooftop area, bathed in the yellow light of the setting sun, and she's made her way to the cracked concrete and loud vent fans and two ratty lawn chairs purposefully.
She's just in time to watch the sun disappear slowly behind the other buildings and it really sinks in.
It's been a year.
A year since she came up here one night and found a silhouette against the light that she had no idea would become so achingly familiar to her one day.
A whole year and she's no longer the lost girl filled with a stubborn independence with no clear path to light up her way.
And now. Now she's found it. Now she doesn't need to tuck away those thoughts eating at her because she's figured it out. Sure, she doesn't know what will become of it, but she's found it, and it's hers to pursue.
Something she wouldn't have been able to fully realize without one thing she had never even dared to hope for the day she had climbed up the stairs to a little rooftop—Percy.
Just the thought of him warms her heart.
And life isn't just fine anymore. Consistency, routine, and complacency are fine, but now, even though she still has her software testing job, life isn't just fine anymore.
It's exciting and creative and she has something to look forward to when she gets home, a clear goal to work towards.
Life is great and frustrating and everything but fine.
She jumps as arms slide around her waist and her back bumps against something hard. She doesn't need to turn to look to recognize the familiar ocean scented cologne, the feel of strong arms, and the feather light kisses on her head.
She sighs, content.
And then she turns around and pulls her boyfriend in for a kiss that gets deeper by the second. And as his hand hurriedly pulls her back inside, she catches a glimpse of two empty lawn chairs bathed in yellow light for a second before the door shuts behind them.
-.-
Percy loves Nico, truly. But the music is just too damn loud. It's shocking how thin the walls are—because he can hear the dull thumping of a bass through a whole floor now that the third floor apartment is empty.
As it is, he's trying to get some writing done, and while he probably likes whatever Nico's listening to, the constant thumping is just not conducive to writing.
He sighs and slips on his slippers to climb two flights of stairs.
"Hey Nico!" he shouts as he knocks over the music. Twenty seconds later, he's tired of waiting and pulls out the key he still has to the place.
"Nico!" he shouts again. Nico factually turns to look at him, clearly surprised at the intrusion.
"Dude, volume, I can hear it two floors down!" Nico somehow manages to get the message and moves to turn it down, but instead of being relieved, Percy is frozen in place.
He remembers this conversation…
"There's no way you heard it two floors down," Nico grumbles.
"I couldn't hear the words but the bass felt like a thumping."
"That's the power of my new speakers!" Nico declares proudly.
"Well, please lower them, I'm trying to…" he pauses. The truth slips out so easily he doesn't even bat an eye.
"I'm trying to write."
"Alright," Nico agrees, turning the volume back up (but not as loud as before) as Percy closes the door behind him. He dawdles on the stairs, his mind racing to bring back a memory from a year ago.
A whole year.
He remembers his instability in life, his inability to write, and how he had fallen asleep to an empty word document.
Now, though, he thinks as he settles back in front of his Google doc with a nearly complete book on it, now it's a bit different.
He's managed to find some stability, actively work towards his dream. He finally feels like he's figured out something of life.
And it's because of a story he never knew he could even write: Annabeth.
He smiles at the thought of her.
He hears the door squeak open and lips brush lightly against his forehead, grounding him in a way he hadn't thought possible. He closes his eyes at the touch, the lemony scent enveloping him.
The footsteps retreat as his eyes skim over the last paragraph of the document, looking for any obvious mistakes. Satisfied, he takes a minute to deliberate before he converts his thoughts into words and starts to type again.
He types the final words of his very first novel.
Now, a year later, he's on his way to making his dream a reality. He doesn't know how it'll go, if he'll succeed. But he's doing it.
He's one step closer.
A/N: This is the "official" last chapter of this book. There is another short Ending chapter coming out tomorrow and then next week the epilogue. But we are basically at the end of this journey (though stick around for the final two updates!)
Did anyone get the parallels in this chapter? (I think it's quite obvious but then again it's been nine months since the first chapter so maybe you've forgotten). I thought the most fitting way to end this was with how it started. These characters have grown so much since the beginning and I appreciate you all joining them for the adventure.
Thank you guys so much for reading! Please Review! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
And as always, thanks for reading!
See ya! :)