Chapter 3: Her Curiosity

Percy

"Percy,"

He wasn't sure if someone was calling him. It felt so far away, but not that he couldn't imagine touching that voice. It called out to him again, softly after another.

"Percy, wake up."

He felt a pair of soft hands roughly shake his shoulders. If this person with an angelic voice was trying to get him awake, their attempt might be the worst possible way to wake someone up: by smacking his face and shoving violently at his shoulders.

"Ugh…" Percy grumbled and gained some of his consciousness back, "J-Just five more minutes…"

Thrown out of his peaceful nap, Percy wanted to curse at whoever it was because he didn't know why she had to wake him up at all. But then he realized some gaps in his memories, and his mind paused.

Wait a second, Where am I? What was I doing before this?

With how laggy his brain felt, Percy worked real hard and had to run his groggy memories through a couple of laps before he finally remembered. That's right, he was studying and having a tutoring lesson even though he wasn't at school, and it was Annabeth while she tortured him with a full chapter of calculus work that knock him out cold.

"Seaweed brain, wake up please…" There were more frantic shoves on his shoulders.

Right away, Percy knew it had to be Annabeth who was trying to get him awake, as she was the only one who called him with that silly nickname.

"Alright, alright! Knock it off already, wise girl." Percy sighed and got up reluctantly.

There was no doubt on his mind that Annabeth was being unreasonable, but the slight desperation in her voice made him a little worried. After all, she was doing everything to get him up, but why? More importantly, now that he remembered what happened to him before he went into a deep coma, the real question came: where the heck was he?

"What's up, wise girl…?" His voice still catching up to his half-working brain.

Feeling her presence on his right, Percy rubbed his eyes and tiredly sat up to glance around. Strangely, Percy didn't know why he felt so comfortable. Despite falling asleep on her study desk, his back didn't have a single sore spot. What's more, he was sitting on something soft and comfy.

A bed? But didn't I fall asleep on her fancy study desk with that high-tech shelf and cabinets? I definitely remember seeing the silk curtains flowing over her balcony before I fell asleep. So, does that mean I am somehow back in my own room?

Suddenly, he felt a gentle breeze brush past his body and shivers went through him immediately. It was coming from his right side too, where Annabeth was sitting and facing him.

Wait, this breeze felt… familiar? But my room doesn't have that big of a window.

Percy rubbed his eyes to clean the fogginess, and it wasn't until he took a look around his surroundings did some form of recollection hit him. Even then, he was still half-asleep so he couldn't figure it out all by himself, at least, not before he saw one specific thing in front of him.

"Huh?" Percy noticed bed sheets not belonging to his and a huge owl plushie on the bed with him, "An-Annabeth-th? W-Where am I?"

Now that his eyesight cleared, he pulled his eyes hesitantly over at the beautiful angel with soft blonde hair and almost had a heart attack. Of course, she was still sitting beside him this whole time.

"…." Those pursed lips and silences only meant one thing to him.

As natural as a blooming rosebud, she immediately shied away from his glance and blushed. With his mouth was hanging half-open, Percy would have found her expression to be insanely adorable if not for the situation he found himself in.

"Oh my God…." Percy was in disbelief, "Don't tell me… We did not-"

Finally awake enough to tell something was wrong, the sudden possibility running through his head right now frighten him a great deal. He felt a headache coming and no amount of pain killers could help him withstand—

Whack!

Of course, that surprise attack didn't help matters when he already felt like fainting.

With sharp reflex he barely caught on, Annabeth snapped so fast for her pillow Percy couldn't react at all. Being smack him across the face with it, he almost fell over because the weight behind her powerful swing felt otherworldly.

Though he expected as much after what he blurted out.

"Of course we didn't, you dimwit!" Those intense grey eyes and puffy pinkness on her cheek looked so adorable, Percy had to resist the urge to tease her, "You fell asleep, so I let you sleep on my bed, that's all."

It wasn't a full explanation. Nonetheless, it was all the reassurance he was looking for. Knowing that nothing happened between him and Annabeth, he couldn't be happier and relief settled over his tense soul. He heaved a sigh of pure ease.

Thank God. I almost thought we did something irreversible.

"We didn't sleep together, did we?" Percy asked with blithe casualness.

Despite her innocent-like charm, Annabeth looked ready to smack him again when her undeniable cherubic features made a deep sullen look at him.

Percy might be a clueless airhead sometimes, but even he had enough sense to realize how his choice of words was less than desirable when an angry flustered Annabeth had her crosshair pointed right at him.

"I mean, I hope we didn't share the same bed, right?" Percy laughed awkwardly, "Hahah…"

You are so lame, Percy.

Of course, Annabeth looked annoyed enough and gave him a scowl. Percy sighed and stop raising his hands in surrender. He relaxed, but only to a certain extend. At the very least, she didn't try to smack him with the pillow again, so he took that as a good sign.

"Idiot." She blurted out with her angelic voice trembling slightly, and Percy could only leave it up to his imagination on what really happened while he fell asleep on her bed.

To be honest, he didn't think it was that big of a deal. After all, he was only borrowing her bed, and since she was the one who carry him there, she must feel at least a bit comfortable with the idea herself too. He really thought it should be fine so long as nothing happened between them.

But of course, he never could have predicted the way Annabeth was dressed when she woke him up…

Can he really be blamed for coming up with that conclusion? He was a guy after all, and if a guy woke up to something out of a fantasy film, surely they reached the same conclusion.

In a manner that's way too suggestive to think about, Percy could still vaguely recall Annabeth leaning over him halfway while shaking him with those violent shoves. As much as he avoided looking at that one specific area, that revealing display couldn't stop from being seared in his mind. What's worse, she was wearing an elegant and proper nightgown all the way down to her knees. It look weirdly amazing on her, and it shouldn't have been much of a problem; if only she didn't sit on the bed in such a provocative pose after waking him. It really was a bit too much for him to see her sitting on her bottom, while her legs tilted behind her at the side, knees bent at an angle that parted her bare legs in front of him. Luckily, he couldn't see past her skin-tight skirt, but his eyes couldn't ignore how irresistible it felt to see just a little bit of her soft thighs below the hem of her nightgown. Not to mention, the way she tilted forward a bit, supporting herself with her hands in between her legs made his heart thumped and raced as naturally as his hormones ran through his body.

What she wouldn't do if she caught me staring at her like this…. Percy thought to himself.

Even now, Percy was trying his best to keep his face as straight as possible while keeping his mind devoid of improper thought about Annabeth: the adorable angel who woke him up to such an inviting and no doubt accidental display.

Percy would be lying if he said Annabeth's sudden attire didn't wake him up right away. If anything, he even felt a bit excited that he woke up to such a pretty and attractive princess, almost like he somehow got teleported to a fantasy world. Then again, it wouldn't be that far off from the reality he was in now.

Percy gulped down the hidden desire rising in him and managed to ask, "Ahem… So, what's up? Why did you want me to wake up? I guess something happened while I was asleep?"

Annabeth nodded as her expression grew deep in thought.

"I want you to come with me."

"Huh?" Percy was back to his clueless mode.

"Just follow me, seaweed brain." She sighed.

Being cryptic and not making any sense at all, Percy knew it was better not to ask for the full details and just do what his wise girl wanted. If anything, he just didn't want to get smacked with her pillow a second time. It's not a fun experience, and getting smacked once was already one too many.

Anyway, he didn't have a chance to even speak before Annabeth grabbed his hand and brought him with her. Percy suddenly felt a bit disappointed as his body was lifted off her bed, then as he was being dragged out of her room, he noticed just a faint blush on her cheeks while she lead the way.

"Wise girl… You are being unusually forceful tonight, you know?"

Not expecting Annabeth to just ignore his stupid comment altogether, she quickly closed the door to her room behind them without showing even an ounce of interest to reply. Still not letting him go, Percy 'followed' her through the mansion to wherever she was going.

Why is this happening again? It's one in the morning and I am taking another late-night stroll with Annabeth around her mansion. What's she planning this time? Are we going to the beach again? Gosh, I really hope my breath doesn't smell too bad…

They eventually ended up in what appeared to be a large garage adjacent to the mansion, an arch hallway connecting the two separate buildings. Percy had never been inside here before, and Annabeth left him by the doorway to go search for something inside.

"Need help?" Percy slowly approached her in the dimly lit garage.

She didn't answer him with a proper response, grunting something through her lips as she looked around each organized box being shelved on the far side of the garage.

"Annabeth?" Percy called her with a melody attached to his tone, "You okay?"

Again, she promptly ignored him.

Percy sighed.

Not having anything to do besides waiting, Percy decided to look around the garage that's bigger than most family homes where he lived. It was massive, especially when it's only for one vehicle.

As expected, her family's insanely expensive car, or it should really be called the over-the-top sporty race car in the build of a small limo, sat in the middle of this well-organized enclosed space. For a moment, the fancy and high-tech vehicle captured all his attention, and he wondered if there were anything like this in the world outside of her family. He highly doubted it.

It had to be the only one in existence, right?

"Does it have a name?" Percy blurted out his inner thought.

Annabeth separated herself from her current search and stared at him strangely, "What?"

Percy pointed at the futuristic vehicle that no doubt cost more money than his tiny seaweed-filled brain could comprehend, "The car, does it have a name?"

"Huh?" That unsuspecting and not-at-all impressed sound coming out of Annabeth made him wince. It didn't help that those narrowing grey eyes made him feel really stupid as well, "What the heck kind of question is that?"

Well, her reaction definitely answered that question…

"Come on… That's a valid question. If I had a car like that, I would have named it."

"Well, congratulation seaweed brain. I think you are the only one who would actually waste time naming something as stupid and unimportant as a car."

You are so mean, wise girl… Of course, Percy didn't like that, especially the way she was making fun of him for having that thought. Being dismissed with a scornful attitude, Percy was about to prepare a whole speech about why a car as futuristic as this should have its own name.

Then an idea popped into his head.

Percy grinned, "Fine. I guess I'll give it a cool name since you are too lazy and uninterested to give it one."

"What are you? A three years old?" Annabeth rolled her eyes and resumed searching for whatever she was looking for while ignoring him again.

Sulked by Annabeth's repeated attempts to mock him, Percy was about to give up all hope on his wise girl when he noticed her taking a small peek at him, eventually looking sideway at the car behind her with a pondering feature. She pursed her lips, as if thinking about a name for it too. Surprised by her attempt to be subtle and to hide her curiosity from him, Percy could barely hold back a laugh.

Hahah… Turned out you were interested too, aren't you wise girl?

"You don't have to hide it, wise girl…" Percy grinned so wide, "I just saw you looking… You are interested too, aren't you?"

Having almost fooled him with her tough outward appearances, a wry smile moved across Percy's lips when her defense crumpled, and once Annabeth saw him smile, her face scrunched up and those brows knitted with disdain.

"S-Shut up…" Annabeth hid away from him, "I just- Muhwa! You are so annoying, Percy. Knowing you, you'll probably come up with a really stupid name for it, and I definitely won't let you ruin another nickname like you did with me."

Percy barely gasped at that last part.

"Seriously though, I still can't believe wise girl is all you could come up with." Her playful taunt twisted a sharp knife deep in his gut. To add insult to his injury, her sneering smile made him feel even worse about himself.

Now Percy was actually irritated at the girl teasing him, "At least it actually makes sense! What kind of nickname is seaweed brain anyway?"

Glaring at each other throats, Percy wondered how pointless their arguments could get sometimes. It was always over small and insignificant things, and more than a few times, he'd gotten her angry just as he had gotten angry at her too.

Having a fight over their nicknames, that's a first for both of them…

But somehow, Percy loved it; these silly arguments that neither of them could back down from. Perhaps it's because they knew it was silly in the first place that made it so much more endearing.

Of course, it never made any sense when a fight was over, yet Percy just couldn't stop arguing with Annabeth over whatever it might be.

Just like now…

To be honest, Percy actually loved her nickname for him. It was cute, and it was something unique Annabeth gave him. He knew she felt the same way about his nickname too, as much as she liked to make fun of him for it, and when he found a faint smile on her lips, Percy instinctively brought a smile back and shook his head in despair.

We really are three years old… Percy reflected with a grin in his head.

Clearing his throat as quickly as he could, Percy steered them back to finding a proper and cool name for this one-of-a-kind vehicle.

"Anyway, I am thinking something like—"

The Chaser? Naw, that's so lame… What about…? The princess's- Ah! No way! That's too embarrassing to say out loud… Oh my God, these are all so terrible!

Percy wasn't sure what he expected from himself, but the results were without a doubt some of the worse possible naming ideas he could have come up with, so in that sense, it's about as expected for someone like him. Of course, Annabeth would have laughed at him for failing to come up with a really cool name, so before that happen, Percy desperately rummaged through the last of his brain cells for a miracle, and still, Annabeth beat him to it.

"Ah-ha! Found it!"

He immediately whined, "Aww! Not fair, I was thinking about it first!"

"I am not talking about that, you idiot." Annabeth rolled her eyes and waved her hands in front of him instead. A moment later, Percy realized she held two cylinder-shaped objects with handles. A smile appeared on her face as she came over to hand him one.

Percy blinked in confusion, "Why do you have two flashlights in your hands?"

Annabeth kept that smile on her face and finally revealed her intention the moment she woke him up in the middle of the night, then dragged him down to the garage all so she could dig through the boxes for two flashlights, "We are going for a walk in the woods, that's why."