AN: Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews.
Chapter 27: I am Falling in Love with You
Annabeth
A full hour and a half had gone by, yet dinner was still not ready. It was already past nine o'clock at night.
However, we never noticed because—
"Whoa! No way! You actually got the limited edition set? How?!"
Well, who would have thought? Excitement filled my room, it turned out Percy and I had a lot more in common other than how fast we've become friends, teetering on the edge of becoming something more. I smiled as he exclaimed again.
"Oh my God! I've never even seen this cover art before!" He held another light novel between his hands.
Marveled by every bit of my collection, Percy was fully immersed in another world. Seeing him like this, I too was lost in another world. My grey eyes shone as they've never before, captivated as he ran back and forth, touching everything like a little kid. There was a giant grin on my lips while I kept myself two feet behind him, following his gaze as he trailed from one interest to another.
And yes, we've totally forgotten about the five feet rule, especially after what happened half an hour earlier…
Neither one of us could have seen it coming, but when we fell over together, my body was completely tangled up with him on the couch. It threw us into a very compromising pose, with him on the bottom and my body up top. I was sitting on his lap with both my legs straddling either side of him, while my hands fumbled accordingly, ending with my right hand forward toward his broad shoulder, an anchor point to keep myself steady, while my left arm folded itself between our heaving chests.
Meanwhile, Percy had his hands on my lower back to hold me still.
At that moment, the idea that we could lay so closely on top of each other was unfathomable, much less of it becoming a reality. The burning heat deep within my body, a type of intensity that's on a completely different level, enveloped me. It most likely enveloped him too.
Even now, I couldn't understand it fully, because instead of recoiling away like a normal person, or just smacking him repeatedly until he fell off the couch, I did neither of those things. Rather, I stayed sitting on top of him longer than either one of us was expecting.
When we caught eyes, green and grey mixed together, everything just became frozen in stasis and we were both left dumbfounded. I still remember both our hearts stopped beating at the exact same point in time. Nothing was being said out loud. Our consciousness switched to an automatic mode.
Vaguely, I remembered trailing the index finger of my right hand down his shoulder, drawing a squiggly line and stopping over his heart, feeling the rhythm of his steady breathing through the rising and sinking of his strong chest.
Then I sank my right ear close to his chest, listening to the sound of his heart thumping at sonic speed. I was wrong. Both our hearts were beating so fast, it just felt like they stopped beating altogether.
Percy's hands kept on my back that whole time, his arms crossed in a way that hugged me close to him.
Everything would have stayed that way, maybe progress even more if it wasn't for a gentle breeze blowing through the terrace and into my room. It chilled the fantasy-like warmth between us, and that was enough to suddenly return the initial phase of our consciousness.
It eventually ended when we heard pages of a book being flipped open constantly. A gust of wind did that, and before we knew it, our minds were fully aware of what's happening once again.
Of course, we blushed not a split second later before working our tangled limps to madly scrambling off each other. An awkward atmosphere found its way to us effortlessly. Percy sat on the couch, not looking at me and waiting for something to happen. I sat with my legs behind me on the floor, barely able to look at him while waiting for something to happen as well. Yet, nothing happened.
It wasn't until I decided to follow my instinct did something finally happened. Innate reactions after another, I found myself going away toward my bed and tried to clean up the mess Thalia made without passing so much of a glance or a word to Percy.
For some reason, I never got the chance to clean up, and somehow, Percy got involved in the whole process, which was how we end up here now. His fascination for all the manga and novels I've collected throughout the years drew my eyes to him constantly. It was exactly what we needed to break the thick awkwardness that surround us, and now, I wasn't even remotely aware of our embarrassing moment on the couch nor the teasing that happened before. Neither was he.
"I never took you for someone who likes these kinds of stuff," I ask bemusedly from behind him.
"Are you kidding me?" He was ecstatic, "Besides, that should be my line! I mean, this is amazing! How did you even manage to get all this? Some of them don't even sell in this region."
"I have my ways." I gloated smugly.
Instead of replying, Percy fell silent all of a sudden as his body hovered over one specific Blu-ray disc in between a pile. His right hand was trembling as he moved forward to touch it. I peeked over his shoulder and saw him half-agape and drooling.
I laughed, "Yep! That's the limited, limited edition. I believe that's only 5 copies in the whole world."
Like a priceless jewel, Percy reached forward and held the box with apprehension and care. Speechless as he stared at the front sleeve cover, admiring and losing himself for a moment, Percy soon turned to me and open his mouth to speak. A suppressed laugh escaped me. It was pure nonsense, just a mix of incomprehensible mumbles coming through his soft lips.
I knew what he was saying though.
"Wanna watch it together?" I offered him a smile too.
"Th-there a-are exclusive- f…footages h-here…" He barely said it out loud, "H-How in the world did you get-? Oh never mind… I'll definitely watch it with you!"
I laughed and reached out for the disc, "It's a promise then."
He carefully handed it back to me, "Hell yes! I can't believe I get to watch it after all these years. I am so glad I get to watch it with— y-you…" Then his voice slowly dropped out of audible range.
Even after knowing Percy for a full week, it turned out there was still a lot I didn't know about him. Most would think that's normal for two new people coming together, but when it came to Percy, it felt like I should have known just everything about him. I was hopeless in that sense, and it just proved how infatuated I was with the boy I accidentally spill a huge cup of sticky coffee on.
"Um… but it doesn't have to be anything— you know…"
His nervousness could be felt from the way his eyes suddenly took a dip downward in sheepishness. I didn't know what was making him so nervous, that's until I realized how stupid I was for glossing over a huge question mark with my original offer. Finally, I pick up on what he was saying and blushed away.
"No! Of course not! It's definitely not a date. Ahem… just two people watching a movie together, right?"
He nodded vigorously, "Yes. Mm-hmm. Not a date at all."
An uncomfortable air held us in silence. I couldn't bring myself to say anything, not after almost causing another misunderstanding. Neither could Percy. We stood there, growing red with embarrassment. It just didn't help that forty minutes ago, we were laying on the couch together while unexplainable things happened to us.
I thought back, the mere memory of his arms holding me tight around my back, our bodies all over each other, his green eyes and the way I lost myself in them, that indescribable heat burning within my body…
Soon, we caught eyes again. Seeing each other with huge red blushes that refused to calm down, we didn't wait to avert quickly. Awkwardly, I went over to my nightstand and set the Blu-ray disc on it. I didn't dare to turn around to face him.
I wonder what he's thinking about that whole thing on the couch.
Fifteen minutes went by like the blink of an eye, and since then, I found out a lot about Percy's love for anime and manga; he was just like me in the sense that we shared a lot of the same taste. This new side of him was all a secret to me until now. More of a traditional guy, he loved the classic stuff way more than the recent ones being produced, but there were still a few favorite shows he loved now.
"You've got to appreciate them, even if they are not produced at a higher quality compared to the ones nowadays." That's what Percy said to me when we went through some older manga and movies, "It's the roots, and without it, we wouldn't have gotten to what we have now."
It was that sentiment alone that spark my sudden interest in Percy's passion for this medium. Revealing his beliefs, he suddenly intrigued me greatly. It made me wonder.
"S-Say… When did you get into watching them? Why do you love it so much?"
The reasons why I loved them so much were the heartfelt stories they were trying to tell, the emotional nuance behind each panel or scene, and the fantastic art behind it that I could only hope to match. Now, I wanted to know about Percy's, his reasons for loving them as much as I did.
"Huh..?" Percy wasn't expecting it.
I looked behind me and waited for his answer. Though when I saw his uncomfortable look did I realized how rude it was to ask him something so personal. Surely, it came out of nowhere. I stammered, trying to pull my question back.
But I couldn't. I held my curious gaze at him.
"Umm… You are going to think it's weird."
I shook my head, "I am not."
I tried to give him as much reassurance as possible. He cleared his throat and sighed, "I- I… To be honest, I never like the world we're in right now. I- I might actually hate it too. I guess watching and reading them just provide a sort of new escape for me."
He chuckled unsurely, "It's silly, right? It probably doesn't even make any sense to you…"
I paused and kept my grey eye to his. Enchanted, my reply flew out instantaneously, "No. I- me too…"
His explanation didn't faze me one bit, because deep down, I felt exactly the same way. I watched him with a bit of awe as he blinked at my unexpected answer. A brief smile moved across my lips, and soon, his puzzlement was gone, replaced with the same small smile that moved over his lips too. Our eyes locked, shared feelings unwavering, before he went on a tangent quickly, revealing even more than I had hoped. His nervousness for talking about it was seemingly gone in an instant.
"If there's one thing I really appreciate about anime, it's how much I loved the music behind it. It's so relaxing for me when I hear them. Oh! I also loved how inspirational it made me feel to see people put so many hours into creating art like this. It's incredible how well their drawing and sketches can look."
Percy continued, "Oh Oh! I can't believe I didn't mention this, but there are some anime where the comedy is so on point—"
His words gradually fade to the background as I stared unconditionally at him.
"- I mean, remember that scene from… can you believe how—"
Holding him and nothing else in my sight, a rush of tingles ran from the base of my body all the way up to my head. It ignited, fireworks and sparks flickered into a beautiful spectacle of bright colors. It was a display I couldn't get enough of.
Everything was beginning to feel unreasonable and irrational, and much like an abrupt monsoon season over a huge river, I believed I have just fallen a little bit more in love with Percy.
Bringing up one favorite thing after another, I found myself absentmindedly focused on the way his eyes glow bright, that shining emerald reflecting itself onto me. Watching him move slightly on his spot, his body posture tilting along with his eager hand gesture, while explaining all about what he loved about our shared hobby, I couldn't possibly control how lost I was in Percy.
There was another feeling rising deep inside me as well; I felt sort of content like home was only a few feet away from me, and once I got inside, I would forever be safe and sound. It would be a dream come true. This sensation held close to my heart, keeping me on my toes and I felt a very different kind of joy I've never felt before.
"A-And…"
When he trailed off, my awareness picked up on it right away and I hurriedly blinked that sudden daze from my head. I gave him a look only to be met with a quizzical expression on his face. He was staring back at me in the same manner, until a lopsided smile moved across those lips soon after.
"You okay? You seem like you are daydreaming." He smiled gently.
At that point, I was fully aware of how lost I was earlier. He caught onto it easily, which was why he stopped to ask if I was okay. Blushing timidly, I looked away from his gaze and turned toward my bed
Never in my life had someone managed to take all my attention away like that, to feel like I've completely lost myself and enraptured by that other person. Percy was the first person, or rather, my first real crush who I've developed strong feelings for, to do that to me.
"Ahem… Fine. I am fine." Trying to hide my untamable flusters, I reached out quickly to pick up three books on my bed and held them with both hands. I didn't say anything more to Percy, only focus on making my way inside the hidden library of mine.
Immediately, Percy offered, "Do you want help?"
I shook my head in quick succession, "I've got it."
Systematically, I picked up after Thalia's mess and organized them back into their proper place. At the same time, Percy stood on the sideline and watched me.
I should have been uncomfortable, after all, being observed by my crush while worrying about every move I made would have felt very self-conscious. But… I didn't feel self-conscious. Rather, our awkward silence was filled with ease when Percy kept his eyes on me, his body leaned on the back of my couch, while I did my own thing, pacing back and forth between my bed and the hidden library room.
"So… music, huh?" I brought it back up.
Percy shrugged, "Yeah, I like listening to them at night. There are a few osts I really like out of all the anime I've watched though."
"Hmm…" I thought about it, "Maybe you can play them for me tonight? I wanna hear it too."
"Oh? Are you sure? We m-might not have the same taste, you know?"
But that's exactly why I want to find out what kind of music you like listening to, Percy… and if we somehow shared the same passion with it too.
I nodded firmly to end his protest, "I just want a listen. It wouldn't hurt anyway, right?"
Percy gave in pretty much after that, "F-Fine, but you better be prepared to cry, okay?"
That matter-of-fact blunt warning gave me a huge clue already, but I kept my mouth shut and left the reveal for later. I wanted to be surprised when I finally hear his anime playlist.
There were still five more books on my bed ever after three trips back and forth. Damn, Thalia really did tear through my library with no regard whatsoever. As far as her out-of-the-line teasing went, this was just unfair on so many levels. I mean, she's basically abusing her power as my extended older sister, forcing me to put up with her stupid shenanigans. I really should have a talk with her soon about messing with my stuff.
"Umm…"
A pause settled in my room.
"Hmm…"
Like before, we couldn't continue our conversation and ended up with a heavy veil over our heads. This time, it was much thicker than before. It wasn't until I was picking up the last three light novels on my bed did Percy spoke about something else. His voice sounded apologetic and sincere.
"So, about what happened earlier? I am sorry…" Percy said sheepishly, "I know I was kind of a jerk, and you probably didn't feel too comfortable about me teasing you like that, especially with your d-diary and stuff. I shouldn't have done that, with how personal it was."
My heart thumped faster, warming my chest as I made my way to the hidden library to put away another stack of books. I kept my attention on his words throughout, listening closely.
"I mean, we aren't- I know we are just friends from school, and because of that, I felt like I've crossed a line with you. It's was wrong of me to do all that to someone I've only met a week ago."
It was a clear attempt trying to turn back time between us, but I knew better because a stutter followed.
"Even though we… at least to me, we…" He didn't say it.
His uncertainty about which side of the equation he was on… I felt it— because that same uncertainty held me too. We were like two seals, not knowing whether we liked the land or the sea more than the other.
He chuckled inwardly, "Anyway, I was completely out of line. Sorry… Obviously, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, Annabeth. I'm not going to force you to. From now on, I promise I won't do that anymore, and you have every right to hit me if I did, deal?"
But Percy… For some unknown reason, I didn't mind it as much as I thought anymore. The teases, the playful quips I shared with you today, our flirty interactions, and the way your body and mine got tangled up on the couch earlier…
In my less-than-ready-to-admit-true-feelings side of me, everything with us was all beginning to feel all too precious to me. I wanted him to keep doing that: to keep doing everything just like he would normally do with me. I didn't want some unnecessary rule to keep us from being ourselves.
"Yeah, you were a huge jerk, Percy, but…"
To think that just half a day earlier, we were still in school and weren't remotely as close as we were now. It felt like so much had happened in such a short amount of time, and in actuality, it did. In less than an afternoon and evening, it continued to faze me how our relationship could have grown as much as it did. Physically touching him, holding hands for comfort, hugging him close with reassurance…
If we continued at this pace, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that something serious might actually happen between us tonight.
And it scared me a great deal that there was some part of my being that's looking forward to it…
In the end, I smiled sweetly at his apology. After all, it was the nice thing to do, "Fine… It's a deal, but if you try something like that again, I won't go easy on you."
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw him grin. He flashed a playful smile at me, "Noted. I promise not to tease you like that anymore. If I did, you can throw as much pillow at me as you want."
Oh Gosh… Smirking, he made fun of me just right after we agreed on no teasing, but I secretly loved it.
"Good. I'll hold you to that." I kept my smiles.
Once I've placed the last book back in between its series, I shut the door and lock it back in place. With a bit of manual effort- since Owlfred was with Thalia in search for Jason, meaning that it couldn't be automatically shut, I slid the wooden panel back in its original position, and once again, the secret room disappeared from the naked eyes and was essentially as seamless as the wall itself.
I smacked my hands together a few times with a job-well-done satisfying smile.
With that done, I shifted to my bedside table, being careful and gentle when I placed our promise inside a small little drawer. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to watch it with Percy soon.
"You know, I don't think I could get used to seeing that." Percy said suddenly and faced the wall, "I mean, now I can't stop but feel like there are many more secret compartments like this in your mansion."
He paused in the middle, "Wait… Is there more?"
I passed a smug smirk at him, "If you are here regularly, I'm sure you would know it like the back of your hand."
"Hmm… regularly," Percy mumbled to himself until we both caught the meaning behind it.
I stared at him blankly. Percy stared back at me speechlessly. It was only after the awkwardness grew over the rim of the glass did we coughed and clear our throats at the same time.
"Not that it can't happen…" I said with a dry and half-working voice, "I mean, you are not unwelcome here, so..."
I shifted around on my feet and nervously twirled a finger in a strand of my loose wavy hair.
"Um… Thanks?" Percy answered, but it sounded less of a reply and more of an unknown.
We cleared our throats at the same time.
"Ahem. But hey, since I told you my reason, wanna tell me why you loved them too?" Percy asked curiously with a faint smile.
Our awkwardness was all gone now. My lips twirled up to form a grin.
-Line Break-
"And that's how you draw a Pikachu."
I picked up the thin paper and examined it closely, "Whoa…"
He smirked, "So, you like it?"
It wasn't just an outline of the famous Pokémon. This was a full art, filled in with different shades of shadows that made the drawing come alive. In ways that I couldn't grasp, the process all took less than fifteen minutes, and just like that, Percy produced a drawing that's a thousand times better than anything of worth inside my sketchbook.
"T-This is amazing…" I was in awe, "Where did you learn how to draw like this?"
He froze.
"Tyson taught me the basics." Percy said softly as his gaze traveled away, "He loved drawing."
I froze too, watching him as a small and solemn smile moved across his lips.
"I guess learning how to draw… it felt like I am keeping a part of him alive."
My heart sank and melted a bit. Empathy filled me completely, and I felt a deep, affectionate warmth spread through my body, "Percy… you are a good person."
He tilted his head sideways to the left, offering a hopeful plus reassuring smile for me, "Thanks, Annabeth. You are a good person too."
As per usual, the moment we caught gazes, we immediately got lost in each other. I stared into his eyes a bit longer this time and felt our sudden mood shifted toward something else. It happened yet again, where we slowly grew unaware of our surroundings, left with only our feelings being conveyed through my stormy grey eyes and his sparkling wavy green eyes.
He was the first to clear his throat this time, "B-but anyway, I taught myself most of it; how to draw from memory and stuff. When I really got into the anime world, the illustrations from novels and manga as well, I decided to give it a real try. It was so difficult at first, but somehow, it came together a few years ago… with many online tutorials and a lot of practices afterward."
Able to shake out of my sudden lovey-dovey daze with Percy, his explanation left me feeling rather envious of his skill. Yet, I was happy. It was the very first time I discovered what Percy was good at, and it made me feel closer to him. I wanted to keep that going between us.
After being routinely being reminded of his 'failing' academic, it's refreshing to know something he's good at. It felt nice, if not, I was sort of proud of him in a way.
But knowing his struggles to reach this point, I felt really disappointed with myself. If I'd put more time to practice like Percy did, instead of giving up with half-hearted tries, who knows, maybe I'll be able to sketch drawings just like a pro too, "I only wish I could draw as well as you do."
I was so lame. Lamenting on something that I didn't give enough time for was making me feel so much worse. Sure, I was good at many other things too, but… that bugging thought got stuck in my head regardless.
Then— Percy smiled for me. His kindhearted expression pulled an unexpected understanding from deep within me, and suddenly, my self-pity was gone almost instantaneously. That smile grew when I stare keenly back at him, the grief look on his face slowly replaced with a friendly one, "So, do you draw too?"
Any lingering pessimism I felt soon disappeared. Somehow, I was feeling much better about myself, about him and me, and everything suddenly seemed a little lighter.
I grinned back humorous, "Yeah," Then a sardonic sigh escaped me, "That is if you are talking about sticks figure? Then yes."
I made him laugh.
That eased me. If he was willing to show me his talent with a pencil, then maybe I'll show him all my terrible drawings too. It's not like it could get any worse.
"Wanna see mine?"
He nodded, showing me his playful intrigue. As a result, my cheeks widen and puffed outward with a stupid and silly face. I had never done that before, and my features probably weren't used to giving off a look like this, but I didn't mind it so long as it was Percy who saw me like this.
I reached between the stacks of notes and books, pulling my sketchbook away from the pile and brought it on the desk. I let him have it.
"D-Don't laugh at me, okay?" I tried to hide the shyness on my face.
Percy smiled, making no such promise before he flipped it open. My cheeks grew red steady, waiting for his feedback at my utter failure attempt to draw a vase with flower, an even more terrible attempt at a cute anime girl on the other page. Despite being a harsh critic for myself, it honestly didn't even look like a humanoid figure, much less a person with real personality and emotions.
"Um…"
I shut him up before he could be snarky, "I said don't laugh, Percy!"
His eyebrows raised, an amusing smile on his lips, "Th-this is… a pretty good try, I guess? I mean, it's supposed to be a flower vase, right?"
I hung my head quietly, blushing with pink cheeks and nodded back.
"Well, at least I could tell it's a flower vase, so not bad…"
Being sarcastic, I slapped his shoulder, "Don't make fun of me, you dummy."
In the end, he laughed despite all my warnings. I grumble annoyingly, but a small and hidden smile moved over my lips anyway. Hating him and loving him at the same time, I let out a loud huff and snatched my sketchbook back before shoving it back into the stack, "Jerk."
That amusement faded really slowly much to my painful self-consciousness, "Hey, come on… I said it's not bad. At least they are not stick-figures…"
I smacked him and caused more laughers.
Asshole…
Now I wished I never told him my reasons for loving anime and all their inspirations. Ever since then, we spent a few moments at my work table while I discovered how good Percy was with creating pictures with just a pencil, a piece of paper, and his hands. It come up after I told him how much I loved the beautiful and stylish art behind it, which ended up with him giving me a taste of what he's capable of, and also how we ended up with him laughing at me.
"You are cute when you pout, wise girl," Percy said as his laughs ebbed.
"Huuahhh? W-Where did th-that come from!? Y-you dummy!"
I almost fell off on my steady feet, shocked by his sudden boldness that came out of nowhere.
He formed a lopsided smile on his lips, not giving my blushing reaction any clue as to why he said that. All I wanted was an explanation: Did he really mean that? Do I really look cute to him? Why did he say that now, if at all? Perhaps he's testing the waters with me? Or was that just a really stupid outburst on his part? He didn't look embarrassed by what he said though… Or is he just hiding it behind a front? Maybe he's actually freaking out right now?
Well, I certainly was freaking out, his compliment- or is it a slip of the tongue? Aahhh! It was enough to drive me crazy with thoughts.
Then I remembered something from before: he called me cute when I woke up in his car too!
"Mmm…" He mused over my reaction with such a childish grin, I shrink back in shyness and my body quivered at how he made me feel, "Well, enough about me. What about you, wise girl?"
I kept my gaze below his chin, "Wh-What about me?"
It had been another twenty minutes since, and somehow, our conversation about my terrible drawings diverted somewhere else and weirdly led to me. Using some unwieldy magic on me, Percy, with his absurd level of charisma, easily veered off-topic and got me pinned up against the wall with his next question.
He asked innocently, "What are you good at?"
"Uhh… I- I don't know…" It was so out of nowhere, I didn't have a reply.
He tilted his head sideways in such an adorable fashion, it added to my speechlessness.
"Well, I know you are smart already, and I found out you have the same hobby as me." Percy said interestingly, "But I don't know what you are good at."
"Percy… I- I…" I couldn't think of anything on the spot.
Percy even pouted which indirectly shut off my brain function for good. Though when I managed to think of something now, it was so obscure that it wouldn't be something that Percy's interested in, I was pretty sure…
"I- I design stuff…" I blurted out despite my indecisiveness.
Instead of being uninterested, that somehow kept his attention, "Design stuff? Oh! Wait, is that what this huge drawing tablet is for?"
Passing a glance at the dark screen laying across the desk, I nodded, "My mom's an architect, and I sort of have an obsession with it too."
In a surprising twist, he went on, "Really?! So you design buildings and stuff?"
"Sort of…" It felt more and more natural over time, "I do it just for fun. I mean, I do give her inputs sometimes, and I guess some of the new designs for the new world trade center were from me, but of course, I am not as good as she is."
Percy was shocked somehow, "Wow! You made designs for the new World tra— that's… you are amazing, Annabeth."
It was a genuine compliment, but I wouldn't let myself feel that way.
"I also write a lot…" I revealed, "I mean, reading so many books all the time, I guess I have some wild ideas. Sometimes, I do creative writing just for fun too. It's not like I am any good at it, but-"
I paused when I noticed a strange look on Percy's handsome features. He was looking at me in a weird, spellbound kind of way, and I felt like I was on the verge of losing myself again.
"Wh-what…?"
He replied as if nothing was wrong, "Nothing… I just think- Anyway, I hope I can read your stories someday?"
"Oh?" I wasn't sure if I should let him read any of my writing, but I wasn't against it either. I forced a reply through my hesitation in the end, "Uh… sure. Maybe someday…"
He left me with a final smile, "Promise?"
Holding out his pinky, I sighed at his childishness but smile anyway, "Fine. I promise, Percy."
We locked our pinky together. It was another promise between us, and I felt elated. After all, we've learned a lot more about each other just by spending some time together in my room, and deep down, I knew I wouldn't have it any other way.
But predictably, the small moment we had soon faded away. Left with our faint shared smiles, it brought another bout of awkward silence as it effortlessly found its way to us again. Growing weaker on our lips, I cleared my throat in my hand and gestured at the time on my transparent glass calendar, lit up with a digital display and placed on the side of my desk.
"At this point, I wondered if we are really having dinner tonight." I pointed out of the blue.
Percy noticed this as well, "Maybe somethings happened that's keeping them…"
Even I couldn't deny there was a possibility that Percy was right. Given my mom's cryptic plead, and now with what happened to Thalia and Jason when they were supposed to watch over us, a high probability that something beyond what we were supposed to know seemed certain, and it was what kept us lock here together.
Then, without warning…
Grrrr!
We looked at each other, then my eyes tilted down at Percy's abdomen. It growled again.
"Um…" It was Percy's stomach, "Sorry,"
A half-chuckle passed through my lips, "You hungry?"
He nodded sheepishly, "Yeah… haven't eaten much during lunch today. It was the same as last time." A sigh of defeat left his lips, leaving me with a wry smirk.
Oh, wait! The bag of chips…
I grinned back, "There's a bag of chips on the coffee table if you want it."
He lit up with a surplus of energy.
"Really?" Percy madly dashed off the chair and almost jump over the couch just like Thalia did, except his was a lot more ungraceful than hers, "Oh! It's my favorite flavor too! Yes!"
His antics made me laugh spontaneously.
One huge chomp after another as he sat on the couch, a contend sigh left him as if he's finally getting the sustenance he needed to keep himself alive. It was so dramatic, and I instantly fell in love.
But we were separated by a comfortable distance away now, so I didn't waste this opportunity to think for a bit.
Since our dinner kept getting delay for whatever reason, it meant that we had to stay inside my room even longer than I'd hoped, which further the chance that we were going to get more awkward with each other.
Given that I wasn't trying to get too close to him, yet wanting to at the same time, I decided to take a gamble with my next step, not at least until dinner was finally ready for us.
"Hey, Percy?" I called him, my eyes dip a bit down when he looked at me, a mouthful of crumbs and seaweed spices on his lips.
"Yeah, what's up?"
I bit my lips in amusement, despair, and embarrassment.
"You want to come and watch the view with me on my terrace for a bit?" I whispered almost inaudibly, "I mean, it's not like we are going to eat anytime soon."
Percy blinked a few times until he realized what I was saying.
"Oh." He blushed, "S-Sure… I don't mind."
He hurriedly brushed his lips with a finger only to realize his own embarrassment, "Umm… where is your bathroom?"
I hid a snicker and pointed, "Over there,"
He shot me an embarrassed smile, "Be right back."
He went and disappear inside the small closet corridor, then I heard a surprised and also suppressed shriek from within, followed by the scuttle of his many footsteps as if he was rushing past it.
Suddenly, I realized what just happen. It was an oversight on my part, but with Percy inside already, it felt rather pointless to be embarrassed or get work up with blushes— yet, either of which was heeding my control whatsoever.
Stop it, Annabeth… Just don't think about it.
Pushing on my cheeks with both hands, I managed to get an easygoing smile on my lips, doing my best to ignore Percy for now and pick up the last book on my bed. My diary…
It would be a risk to put it back where Thalia found it, but given that she already knew its existence, it would be impossible to keep her from digging it back up no matter where I hide it. I sighed.
Climbing over my bed, I went to my study desk and slip it back into my drawer.
Maybe I'll write something tonight too…
Then I left everything in my room as it was and went left, heading toward the southern end of my room.
Between the sliding glass panels out onto the terrace, the silk white curtains held an opaque veil along the open space, a soft breeze would occasionally give glimpses of the view outside. It wasn't until I brushed my hand over it, slipping my head underneath the curtain, did I catch the stunning view.
It was only for a second because a strong breeze blew right past me at once, shaking my balance and causing my long wavy hair to fly in the wind. I closed my eyes, pulling my hair back down. Even my uneven parted bangs were messed up in the process, I tried to comb it all back in place.
To no avail, it felt pointless.
When the wind finally died down, I opened them again and settled my eyes on the full view again.
"Aa-ahh…" I sighed breathily.
It never ceased to take my breath away.
Whenever something bad happened, this was the one spot where I feel at least a bit calmer. It was my own haven. Being able to see as far into the horizon of the ocean, above the starry skies, the endless forest that surrounds us, the mesmerizing fountain in the center courtyard, my mind would drift into emptiness, easing all my worries and feelings. It was pure bliss.
Then I felt a presence behind me, "Percy?"
I turned around.
Like my instinct told me, Percy was out of my bathroom already. He stood on the edge of halfway coming onto the balcony, the silk white curtain still flowing into his figure and brushing him lightly.
"Jeez… Don't just stand there without warning," I complained softly.
He made some murmurs, "Um…"
His green eyes were more or less glossed over from the moonlight so I couldn't really capture his feelings, but it's obvious he was lost in something. I replaced my frown and smiled at him.
"It's quite a view, isn't it?"
I turned back around and rest my elbows on the fancy and elegant barrier, leaning a bit forward.
He whispered softly, "Y-yeah, it is."
Percy took a few small steps until he was a good ten feet from me. He was on the left side. I was on the right side. Leaning over the ornate marble barrier just like me, he rested his hands on smooth granite and took a look at our courtyard below.
"T-this is- I don't think awesome could even fit this context," Percy said in complete awe.
"Outrageous, isn't it?" I smiled, "I mean, all this just for me? You probably think I am some spoil rich girl or something."
He chuckled.
"Oh, please don't get the wrong idea, wise girl, because I do think of you as a spoil rich girl." He quipped wryly, "I mean, you are the first person I've met who doesn't need to remember their family's phone number."
A slow grin formed over my lips, but I whined at him instead, "Ahh come on… It's not fair! Stop teasing me so much, Percy. You wouldn't like it if I do that to you constantly, right?"
It worked beautifully. Percy couldn't react after that, his features were completely dumbstruck by my blushing display. It was on purpose, of course. I grinned.
"Eh… Sure, I guess you have a point."
I scoffed at him, then sighed mockingly in hopelessness.
Unaware, the empty space close in from ten feet and to eight feet, an unknown force shrunk our physical distance from each other, as well as the atmosphere around us.
"So, what do you think?"
Holding up a finger as I pointed to the far edge of the horizon, tilting my arm upward so I could point at the navy blue skies above too, I wanted to know what he thought about this view. His response was the least of what I was expecting.
"Umm…" He hummed softly.
"Umm?!" I was shocked, "You are joking, right?"
"I mean, it's pretty." He corrected.
I blinked in shock, "Pretty? Wow… your vocabulary sucks."
That little jab left him absolutely bemoaned, "Oh come on… you know I am not good with words. Plus, I don't carry the entire dictionary in my head like you do, wise girl."
Five feet now…
I gasped, "At least I know words that have more than six letters and also means pretty, Percy."
"Well fine! Let's hear them then…"
Three feet now…
The grin on my lips widen.
"How about stunning? Captivating? Beautiful? Takes my breath away? Or many other ways you could describe something other than pretty?" I said smugly, "I can keep going too if you want me to."
A disappointed scowl added to the look on his face, he was mildly annoyed with me.
"Yeah-yeah… I get it, wise girl. You are the ultimate vocab master." He waved me off with a half-sarcastic smile, "Here's a useless award for you."
Inches away… He made his way closer.
"There. Now you have a crown. Happy?" Percy pulled his hands back down after placing an invisible crown on my head. His finger brushed the side of my head, wavy blonde hair met his soft touch, it lingered for longer than a moment and something powerful began raising from within me.
I couldn't help but blinked a few times at the more-than-friendly smile on his lips. His face lit up when he looked at me.
I felt a similar smile broke through, "Thrilled."
One inch away— brushing on each other…
Percy scooched further toward me. I scooched to my left as well. Neither of us was trying to notice the obvious closing of the ten feet gap between us.
"That reminds me…"
Our shoulders touched…
"Maybe I should get some vocab studies in your tutoring lessons too," I smirked, keeping my eyes at the horizon where the stars seemed to shine the brightest.
A little bump, pressing much closer—
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Amused, he cracked a light chuckle and moved his eyes away from our shoreline, the white sandy beach, and the rhythmic crashing of blue waves.
We could hear it from here, the sounds hypnotized us.
I looked left and planned to smile.
But—
Percy looked right too and the whole world froze around us.
The trees stopped rustling. The clouds stopped moving. The stars stopped shinning. We were in stasis while the whole world kept going without us.
Stuck, we couldn't pull away. A magnetic force pulling green and grey together, no amount of willpower could separate the gaze we held. Soft and gentle… yet, tense and intoxicated…
"P-Percyy…?" His name croaked softly through me.
He didn't- couldn't say anything. Soon, I was in the same boat he was.
Lost and afraid, the only thing keeping me steady was his green eyes, the feeling of his warmth passing over my hand and our shoulders.
Then something tilted…
Neither of us knew who initiate, but it wouldn't have mattered.
Our face drew close.
Twelve inches apart…
Are we a-about to… have our first kiss?
Six apart... My whole being was lost even deeper into him than ever before.
Am I really in love with him?
One apart… Percy slowly pulled his eyes close. I did the same.
Yes.
Five centimeters… The heat on his lips drew me forward.
I am falling in love with you, Percy.
One centimeter.
We—
