"My lady," Percy greeted gracefully as he got out of his car. Annabeth had yet to make it to his car, but Percy was a gentleman. He opened the passenger seat. A smile came to Annabeth's face as she looked at him. There was a tired look in her eyes, and it looked like she was done with the day. "Rough day?"
"Just long," Annabeth admitted. She adjusted her purse on her shoulder. There was a bag in her other hand. Annabeth moved towards the passenger's seat. "Thanks for picking me up. I hope I'm not intruding."
"You never are," Percy promised. He waited for Annabeth to get in the passenger's seat and closed the door for her. As he walked around the car, he opened the backseat and passed her a bag of food. "Surprise."
"Percy, you didn't have to," Annabeth began. She took the bag, and her smile widened.
"I could tell from your voice that you were having a long day," Percy said with a shrug. He got in the driver's seat. "There's water in the front cupholder for you."
"Thank you," Annabeth said. She seemed to relax into the seat and opened the bag. Annabeth ate a few fries. "How is your day?"
"I was trying to keep Nico and Thalia from killing each other," Percy replied. "Nico was upset about how Thalia was treating Reyna, and the two kept calling each other names. I made them talk it out, and Thalia should be apologizing to Reyna tomorrow. And hopefully invite her to come out to the bar with us."
"I've been trying to get it through Thalia's thick head, but you know how she never listens," Annabeth said with a dramatic eye roll. Percy grinned and started to drive. He was more than happy to pick Annabeth up after she didn't have a ride home. And, he wouldn't be a good driver without getting her dinner.
"She's worried about getting together with Reyna only for Reyna's mom to break it up. Which I get, but I don't know if Thalia has to worry about that," Percy explained.
"She mentioned the same to me," Annabeth added with a sigh. "I told her that she can't be scared about putting her heart out there. It sucks to be turned down or go through a break up. It's a part of life. If you want something, you need to seek it out. You can't let it slip through your fingers. If you do, you have no one else but yourself to blame."
"Yeah," Percy agreed as a lump formed in his throat. Annabeth didn't seem to notice as she opened her sandwich wrap.
"You don't mind me eating in your car, do you?" Annabeth asked as she quickly looked up.
"Of course you can eat. That would just be cruel of me to buy food and make you smell it the entire ride home," Percy teased. Annabeth smiled and focused back on her food.
"How are you feeling running the store?" Annabeth wondered.
"I feel okay, I guess. I'm just worried about what is going to happen once Reyna is out for surgery. Especially if Lupa isn't there. Who am I going to turn to?"
"Your other managers," Annabeth replied with a grin. "It took me the longest time to lean on the other managers and learn how to delegate. They are there to help you. Everyone at the store is a team, and while you may be the captain, it doesn't mean you can't ask for help."
"Thanks, Annabeth. That makes me feel better," Percy admitted.
"You can also text me anytime that you need," Annabeth offered. "I know the systems and policies aren't the same, but I can still help you brainstorm or give you advice."
"I'm lucky to have you," Percy said softly. He glanced at Annabeth and saw a blush creeping up her face.
"I'm lucky to have you too, Percy. Especially because Piper doesn't want to chauffeur me," Annabeth joked.
"Piper is so mean," Percy said dramatically. "She is right about one thing, for once. You do need a new car."
"I'm going on Monday to look at some," Annabeth promised. "Piper offered to take me."
"I'd offer to help, but I know that you'll spend a few hours researching this weekend and finding the right one," Percy stated. Annabeth nodded her agreement. A comfortable silence filled the car as the two relaxed. Annabeth was focusing on her food, and Percy was lost in thought.
Annabeth was right. If Percy wanted something, he needed to seek it out. He already watched Annabeth fall in love with Luke because Percy was too scared to put his heart out there. He had no one to blame but himself. Now, he had to take action.
Percy needed to tell Annabeth how he felt. He was going to. The only question was how. Should he stop the car then and there and pour his heart out? Invite her to dinner and then confess? The only problem with that was he didn't know how Annabeth would react.
If she said yes, Percy would probably pass out on the spot from happiness. The problem was if she declined. For one, Percy was worried it would ruin their friendship. He had seen how Annabeth reacted to Reyna asking her out, but it wasn't like they were super close. And, it was easier for Annabeth to decline because there wasn't a chance that she returned any of those feelings.
There was a good chance that Percy would ruin his friendship with Annabeth. He didn't know her for a few weeks and decided to ask her out. He knew her for years and didn't act on his feelings. He turned her away and stood to the side as she fell in love with another man, silently hoping that their relationship would fail.
What if Annabeth did have feelings for him? It could be a good thing, or it could be the reason their relationship wouldn't work. What if what Annabeth thought dating him couldn't possibly work?
"Percy, are you okay?" Annabeth questioned. Percy blinked out of his thoughts and turned his head.
"Yeah," Percy lied. He shook his head. "Sorry. Just got lost in thought."
"It's no problem," Annabeth dismissed. "I was just wondering what we're doing this weekend. After the bar."
"I'm not sure," Percy said. He glanced at Annabeth. "I know Thalia is playing a gig, but she didn't say what she wanted to do after. More importantly, is Grover going to be there?"
"He might be," Annabeth teased. Percy scoffed, and Annabeth laughed. Another silence settled over the car, and Percy wanted to fill it. Not because it was awkward; he just wanted to spend all of his time talking to Annabeth. He didn't want to waste a second of it.
But unfortunately for him, he soon found himself at the entrance of Annabeth's neighborhood. Percy drove to her house and stopped outside of it. A frown muddied his face as he saw another car on the side of the road, right by the mailbox. There was a person standing at the door.
Annabeth stared out the window as the man knocked on her front door, oblivious to the fact that the woman he wanted to speak to wasn't inside. Annabeth took a deep breath and seemed to steel herself. She opened the car door.
"Annabeth," Percy began. Annabeth paid no attention to him as she got out of the car. She closed the passenger's door. That caught the man's attention as he turned towards them. Percy quickly got out of the car and followed behind Annabeth as she made her way to the front door. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he wanted to be there for support.
Luke Castellan studied them. The last time that Percy had seen him, the man was the face of happiness. The sun seemed to shine through his golden hair, and his blue eyes were full of joy. Now, Luke's hair was ragged and matted like he had just rolled out of bed. His eyes were red, and Percy wasn't sure if he had been crying or not.
"What do you want?" Annabeth questioned as she squared her shoulders. Luke seemed to stumble slightly. He focused on Percy for a few moments and glared. Percy just moved closer to Annabeth, to let her know that he was there for her.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I shouldn't have cheated on you," Luke began. He took another wobbly step towards them. There was the slightest stammer to his voice, and Percy could smell the alcohol from where he was standing. "You need to take me back."
"You cheated on me, and I need to take you back?" Annabeth repeated indignantly. "Why would I do that?"
"I made a mistake," Luke argued.
"We were going to get married. You didn't just make a mistake, you knew what you were doing," Annabeth hissed.
"I made a mistake, and I regret it. You have to give me another chance," Luke insisted as he took another step towards them.
"I don't have to do anything, Luke. I would have never cheated on you," Annabeth seethed. "I wouldn't have thrown away years of our relationship, not to mention our whole friendship, for the first woman who would open her legs for me."
"Annabeth, it was a mistake. I was drunk, and she tricked me," Luke began. Annabeth glared.
"I know you were sober, Luke. There was no alcohol in the room. Both of you weren't drinking. Do you know how I know? Because I remember every second of that night. How happy I was to be back. And then how you broke my heart and shattered my world. I loved you, and you threw that all away."
"If you love me, you will take me back," Luke demanded. He closed the gap between him and Annabeth. "Someone who truly loved me would see I made a mistake and would forgive me."
"Did you come crawling back here because she found another man?" Annabeth questioned. Luke glared, and he grabbed her arm tightly. Percy immediately shoved Luke back and stepped in between him and Annabeth.
"Don't touch her," Percy growled.
"Percy," Annabeth whispered from behind him. Percy kept his gaze on Luke.
"What are you even doing here, Jackson? I thought you left your friends behind to get some fancy job," Luke snarled. "Or, did you come back hoping to pick up the scraps? Trying to be a strong shoulder for Annabeth to cry on, so you could sleep with her?"
"That's enough!" Annabeth snapped. "Luke, you need to leave. Now. If you don't, I'm calling the police. If I ever see you around here or at my work, I will call the cops."
Luke glared at them and shoved past Percy. He stormed towards his car. Percy moved around Annabeth just in case Luke decided to rush back towards them. Luckily for him, Luke got back in his car and started the engine. It took another minute or two, but he drove away.
Annabeth let out a shaky breath. Percy immediately turned towards her and saw the tears in Annabeth's eyes. Percy spoke, "You okay, Beth?"
"Y...yeah," Annabeth stuttered. She cleared her throat and opened her purse. Annabeth tried to grab her keys, but her hands were shaking badly.
"Annabeth, are you okay?" Percy repeated. Annabeth slowly looked at him.
"No," Annabeth admitted. She pulled her keys out and slowly walked towards her front door. Annabeth unlocked the door as her hands shook, and she opened it. She didn't step inside. "I don't want to be alone."
"Do you want me to stay the night?" Percy offered.
"I don't want to burden you," Annabeth whispered. She looked away. "I can call Piper. Or Thalia."
"Annabeth, you don't believe what Luke said, do you?" Percy asked. When she didn't look at him, he started to reach out. He stopped himself and retracted his hand. "I didn't come back just to 'pick up the scraps'. I really regret shutting you out in the first place."
"Why did you?" Annabeth questioned. She looked further away. "I know you said that it was because you were job hunting, but I know there is more to it. I just wanted to ignore it, but I can't."
Percy stared at Annabeth, and she slowly looked at him. The tears were still in her eyes, but she had yet to cry. Annabeth spoke, "Tell me the truth, Percy."
"I never approved of your relationship with Luke," Percy finally admitted. It felt like a weight was lifting from his chest, followed by a sucker punch as he realized what he had said. Annabeth studied him, still not responding. "I... didn't think he was the right guy for you."
"Why?" Annabeth pressed. She crossed her arms and turned away like she was shielding herself. Percy knew that he could lie to her. Make up some kind of excuse. And, she would believe that lie. It was easier than facing the truth, but Percy was tired of hiding from his feelings.
"Because I've had a crush on you ever since high school," Percy admitted. Annabeth's eyes widened. "Back then, you were so focused on college, and I was too. When we went to separate colleges, I didn't want to start a long distance relationship because that wasn't fair to you. I thought that maybe my crush would just go away in those four years, but it didn't. Something had been missing those four years, and it was you."
"I wasn't sure what to do. I was scared to ask you out and ruin our friendship. I was so scared that you would say no, or that you would think I only tried to get close to you to date you. It sounds so stupid now, but there was just something that held me back. I just... maybe I'm not the right guy for you. You're smart, beautiful, and I don't think I could ever meet anyone better."
"Then, you got a boyfriend, and that hurt, Beth. It hurt so much to watch you have this relationship with a guy, who at the time was a great boyfriend. He was better than me in every aspect, and it seemed like he could give you the life that you deserved. I kept hoping that you two would break up, but then, you showed up with that ring on your finger."
"And fuck. Annabeth, that hurt me the most. My heart broke that day, and I didn't know what to do. That's why I left the store. Not for another career opportunity, but because I could not stand to watch the woman I love be happy with another man. I know that's not fair, but I had to get away. Your relationship with Luke was this oppressive topic that took my breath away anytime you were nearby. It reminded me of what I was missing out on."
"Being away didn't provide me with the clarity I wanted. It didn't help me get over my feelings, but it did help me ignore them. To push them to the back of my mind. Without having to look at you every day, I could shove my feelings away. Now, I realize how much of a fool I was being. I loved being with you. It was just fun hanging out with you, and I always look forward to our weekends because of you."
"And, I didn't come back into your life just to sleep with you or be the rebound guy. Thalia dragged me to your store because she wanted their coffee, and we just happened to run into you. And going to the bar with you again made me realize what I was missing out on by just being friends. I miss that so much."
Percy finished his rant and tried to catch his breath. His heart was racing, and he was out of breath because he spoke so quickly, afraid that Annabeth would interrupt him. Annabeth stared at him and seemed to be digesting everything that she had heard. Percy swallowed painfully.
"I'm sorry," Percy whispered. He let out a sigh. "I shouldn't have thrown all of that on you, not after Luke showed up."
"Percy," Annabeth began. Percy took a step back and turned away.
"I should go," Percy whispered. As he tried to turn away, a hand grabbed his wrist tightly.
"You're not going anywhere, Seaweed Brain. Look at me," Annabeth said gently. Percy stared at his car for a few moments. He took a deep breath and looked back at Annabeth. "I don't want you to run anymore, Percy. I want you to be honest with me, and I'll be honest with you. Deal?"
"Deal," Percy said after a few moments.
"I don't want to be alone tonight," Annabeth admitted. "Luke's words bothered me. It was stupid to think that you just wanted to sleep with me and that was why you came back. I know how hard it was to admit the truth, and that's why I don't want you to leave now. I don't want to make things awkward between us."
"I missed you. I missed the phone calls and the texts. All the time we hung out. I could tell you anything, Percy. Without you there, I didn't know who to talk to. I'm best friends with Thalia and Piper, but they are not you. Something about you makes it so easy to bring down my walls and let you in. So, please don't run when I tell you this," Annabeth said.
Percy felt his heart break. His shoulder sagged. Tears came to Annabeth's eyes, and she looked away, "I don't think I'm ready to date again. Not right now."
"I didn't think you would be," Percy said. He felt tears well in his eyes, and he swallowed back the lump in his throat. "That's why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to make you feel like you had to like me back or go on a date with me."
Annabeth looked away. Percy slowly reached out and pulled her into a hug. When Annabeth didn't fight, he tightened the hug and spoke, "It's okay, Annabeth. It hurts that you need time, but I knew you would. And you know what, I'll be here. Whether we ever go out or not, it doesn't matter. As long as we stay friends. I never want to push you away like that again."
Annabeth's shoulders shook as she sobbed. Percy held her close and rubbed her back with one hand. He kept a tight grip on her with the other. Percy allowed her to cry, and he spoke in her ear, "I'll be here for you from now until the end of time. I promise."