Sorry I disappeared on everyone for so long. This story is finally complete after 8 months. Hope you are all safe. Read and review.
I uploaded my first HP story today as well, its already completed so check it out.
Percy never had it easy in life. He had a broken family; he still remembers the numerous arguments his parents had when he was younger. Sally Jackson is a patient woman, she had to be if she raised Percy all alone, despite all the mischief Percy got to he had never heard her once raise her voice at him but it was during those arguments with Poseidon that he heard her scream, voice filled with anger. Afterwards when Poseidon stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut, Sally would come to him, apologizing for screaming and make him his favorite chocolate chip cookies, adding blue food coloring to cheer him up. He smiles sadly at that memory, that was one of the worst times in his life, his friends had abandoned him, his grades were slipping and his parents were separating but his mom made everything better. He worked hard to reach where he is today as such a respectable marine biologist with no help from his father whatsoever. He had to apply to the internship program in Olympia Aquariums seeing as it was the best place for him, he worked his way up the company through the years. His relationship with his dad had improved somewhat, because he was civil to him and was able to hold a conversation with him which was a lot more than a few years ago. Poseidon was trying his best to patch things up with his son but Percy knew it was futile after the years of abandon, sure he longed for the father he had when he was younger but he wasn't the same person now and Poseidon wasn't either. Percy thought that over the years he had built up a certain tolerance to things that rattled him out of his bones but it looked like that wasn't true. His mind was still reeling from the new information he got, Annabeth liked him – maybe even loved him. To say he was confused was an understatement, he was pretty sure he never led Annabeth on. He found her pretty the first time he saw her but he also knew that she wasn't one for meaningless relationships and then it turned out that she already had a boyfriend, Percy was never someone who had serious relationships or helped someone cheat on their boyfriend, no those were the two rules in his 'relationships'; 1. It can never get serious, nothing more than meaningless make out sessions or sex, and 2. Never help anyone cheat on someone else.
He considered Annabeth a good friend, he was still surprised by how much he opened up to her. He never does that; sure, he makes friends easily but that doesn't mean he shares so much about himself and so soon. He never even shared his mom's cookies with Grover, how he felt compelled to do so with Annabeth, that too more than once, he isn't sure. He thinks it maybe the tears in her eyes or the gloomy expression on her face but he can't be sure, it could be the cute smile or her wide stormy grey eyes too. Still he is confused, he didn't expect this confession when she asked to meet today. He calls up Grover, hoping he has some good input to this situation but the phone is busy and Percy thinks he can deal with this later to jump in his bed and sleep.
Only that sleep never comes, he lays tossing and turning in bed all night, replaying Annabeth's words in his head. Her expression after, the tears brimming in her eyes and he feels guilty. He brought those tears in her eyes. The final question she asked still plays in his mind and he chides himself for not telling her that yes, he does want to be friends with her. She walked away before Percy could fully process her question, his mind was sort of out of it, still replaying the confession she had made. He felt a little giddy knowing someone as perfect as Annabeth was asking him out and, in another universe, where he wasn't as broken as he was here and somehow believed in love maybe he would say yes. He makes up his mind to go talk to Annabeth as soon as possible, and apologize for ever leading her on and tell her he still wants her as a friend.
The next day comes but he is busy with meetings out of New York City and he doesn't get to see Annabeth, when he finally arrives at work the day after she is nowhere to be seen. Katie tells him about how she left early to go to San Francisco instead of waiting for Christmas break in a few days because her mom fell sick and her dad is currently in Indonesia. Percy is grateful for the reprieve but disappointed because he thinks that her sudden disappearance also has something to do with him. He calls her but she doesn't pick up and his chest constricts at the thought of losing Annabeth as a friend. He tries calling her again, multiple times but the phone keeps ringing and he disconnects just before he reaches her voicemail. He texts her too but with no success there either.
The next few days pass in an uneventful frenzy for Percy, the pain in his chest growing with each day with no reply from Annabeth. Grover doesn't seem to know what to do with him and Percy regrets going to the Stoll brothers for advice.
It is Sally Jackson, his kind, patient, loving mom that finally gives him good advice when he visits her for Christmas. She knew with one look at his face that something was wrong and honestly Percy doesn't mind telling her, he can never really keep anything from his mom anyway. She listens patiently and then tells him to follow his heart, she is the one who tells him that she always knew that one day he would fall in love despite all his claims. She tells him that even though the last few years of her marriage were bad, if she had the choice, she would still do it all over again because the feeling of her being in love was amazing. Percy doesn't understand how his mom can say this after the bad arguments and fights she had over the years and he doesn't believe that he has fallen in love with Annabeth either but he strangely feels lighter talking to his mom about it.
By the time New Year rolls around and everyone is back to work, Percy feels a lot better and he is anticipating seeing and hearing from Annabeth again. What he doesn't expect as soon as he walks into the office is to hear the news about Annabeth's engagement to Luke. He is baffled at the news, and surprisingly a little heartbroken, he finds it hard to digest the news but seeing Annabeth's left hand with the giant diamond ring from across the room makes it hard to breathe.
He wishes he could go back to that day when Annabeth said she liked him and say something, anything else except what he said. It pains him seeing Annabeth already moving on, he questions it. Her relationship with Luke is something Percy knows very well about but now it seems that she was getting engaged to the man she never truly loved, was it because of him. Percy sees Annabeth greeting others with an overlarge smile on her face, showing off her left hand to anyone and everyone. She looks happy on the outside, he reckons. The question is 'Is she truly happy?'
When Annabeth finally reaches him, he is surprised when she hugs him quickly with a huge smile on her face. Its only when he sees her eyes that he realizes that Annabeth is miserable inside, her beautiful gray eyes always shining or stormy look dead to the world. He doesn't know what to say to her so he just congratulates her with a small smile on his face, no matter how much he is hurting inside too.
Two months later, he is still miserable inside. He's asked Grover and Stolls and Bob and even his cousins, Thalia, Nico and Jason. He didn't expect much advice from Thalia, Nico or the Stolls, they are hopeless at romance, Katie is still running from Travis every day but even the others are no help. Every time he looks at Annabeth's hands (which is every few minutes) or talks to Annabeth like before (her eyes light up at first but then suddenly flash and turn dark again) or sees Luke pick up Annabeth, he once again feels his stomach drop and his chest hurt. He even tries to not talk to her but that only lasts a day before he gives in.
Finally, he decides that his mom is his best bet and goes to see her. The cookies don't help but she does. She is the one who tells him that he is in love and that no matter what the ache in his stomach and chest won't go away until he does something about it. Percy's first reaction is disbelief, there is no way he is in love but then he thinks about it and understands that may it just is. His next reaction is anger at himself, he promised himself he would never fall in love and he went and did just that but that doesn't last long when his mom explains how one can never help who we fall in love with or when. His next reaction is anger at Annabeth for going and getting engaged to Luke but that doesn't last long because he can never stay angry at Annabeth so he rages in his mind at Luke. But subconsciously he knows that Luke may be a prick but he didn't deliberately go and get engaged to the woman Percy loves.
It takes him another two weeks to finally go and try to talk to Annabeth about his feelings but she is already there with that fake-too-happy smile telling him about her wedding scheduled for June this year and he can't get anything out except for a bleak "Congratulations".
It's already late March and he has less than two months before Annabeth marries an insufferable idiot who has a stick up his _. It took him weeks to build up his courage to talk to her and he didn't even do that. He doesn't know how he can do that again.
The next day, after another big meeting with some clients, Poseidon joins his side, "That was a good meeting, Perseus. You are doing well in your job."
He scowls at his full name, but nods at his boss/father happy to know he was doing well at the job he worked so hard for, "Thank you, I think we may be ready for some changes in the company."
Poseidon nods dispassionately, "That is all well but I want to know why you seem so down every time I see you."
Percy replies icily, "You know why."
Poseidon smirks at that but shakes his head, "No, not that. I know you think that I am responsible for all those fights and arguments we had with your mother but with work so bad, we had a lot of problems then. I just wish you had never heard any of the arguments but that's in the past, I loved your mother and still love her now but I also know we would have never survived this long. Your mother loved me passionately but I always loved work more. That doesn't mean we still aren't friends though. I never regret going after her, if I had let her walk away that summer, I met her I wouldn't have even her friendship. And I wouldn't have you" he ends in a soft tone.
Percy looks up, surprised, this was the most he heard Poseidon say about non-work-related things to him directly in a long time. He was also surprised at the tone of affection he could hear in his father's voice. He is struck speechless but he gives his father a small smile, the first he has given to him in years and walks off.
That night laying in bed, he can't help but think on his father's words. His father. Percy hadn't thought about him like that in so long, it was always his boss, Poseidon. His words make him think about Annabeth and Percy knows whatever he does, he doesn't want to lose Annabeth.
Once that idea is in his mind, he can't sleep and without even bothering about the time, he pulls his clothes and goes to Annabeth's house, just a short drive away.
When he rings the bell, the first question out of Annabeth is "What are you doing here at 3 goddamn AM?"
He rubs the back of his neck with his hand, grinning sheepishly at her cute pajamas.
"I couldn't wait until the morning to see you, sorry" he says, rushing his words out, looking at his feet "juswanna tell youthatiloveyoutooandIam yours ifyouwillhave me."
Annabeth looks at him questioningly, "Can you repeat that a little louder and slowly?"
He looks up at that and he can see the amusement in her eyes and the quirk of her mouth and her EYES are finally alive again, the grey storming brazenly.
"I love you too and I am yours if you will have me" he says, this time more slowly but still as soft and not looking at her.
It seems that she heard him anyway because she laughs and pulls him in her apartment, "Good thing I gave Luke back the ring yesterday, never liked it anyway."