Yea

Chapter 12

It wasn't her style.

Annabeth liked clean, modern, new. Concrete and glass with LED lights and a smooth black pavement driveway.

The house Percy had just impulsively bought was far from that. And even farther from civilization. She had to squint down the road to even see the neighbors mailbox and the house itself was nestled amongst a council of ancient oak trees, gnarled with age and looking like wise old friends welcoming her home.

That was the weirdest part of all.

It felt like home.

Instantly.

At first she didn't want to admit it. It was simply a calmness that spread outwards from her chest. A part of her relaxing as she stepped onto the property. But the longer she stood there, in awe of its warmth and the way it reached for her, the more she couldn't deny it. Maybe it was because it was a gift. Or maybe she was just desperate to have a place to call her own.

"I know it's old," Percy muttered into his hand as he wiped his face. "It needs a bit of work. But it's closer to Chicago than living in town, and close enough to town that you'll never be far away from…" Me.

He didn't say it, but she could feel it. That anxiousness at being separated. She wasn't even aware of it until the moment she considered leaving for a coastal city over a thousand miles away from him.

But with this house…

"When was it built?" she asked instead.

"Uhhh 1940ish I think?"

"Funny, I never thought of living in a farmhouse before."

"Then-"

Annabeth waved him down. "No Percy. It's perfect. It's absolutely… perfect."

The sun caught his eyes when he looked at her. So green it hooked her into place, forcing her to stare. There was a warmth in them that hit her square on and settled itself into her heart. With his slightly nervous smile and wind rustled hair, she found herself swallowing hard and turning her attention back to the house. Her pulse beating mayhem against her sternum.

And that's when the light dawned on her like a slow sunrise.

The house reminded her of him. Old fashioned with little decals around the peaks of the roofing and on the gables, a type of sturdiness that withheld the tests of time, open with a wrap-around porch on the ground floor and a little balcony on the second. A soft greyish blue all over. If Percy was a house, that'd be it.

"You know I can't accept this." Annabeth said slowly as if she were realizing this for herself. She placed a hand over her chest to calm the pumping fits. "It's too much."

Easy Chase.

She was still in her PJ's with a coat thrown over her shoulders to guard from the last chill of spring. The late afternoon sun was glaring over the cornfield across the street and hit the house at such an angle that it appeared as if the windows were winking cheekily at her. It was beautiful. And it was perfect. And it was truly too much.

"It wasn't that pricey!" Percy said abruptly. "In fact it's already paid for. No mortgage or anything."
Annabeth reeled. "Percy Jackson! I swear-!"

"I had a bit of money saved up!" Percy put his hands defensively.

"And you decided to just blow it all on me?!"

"Well… yes… I don't want to lose you."

Her head was spinning. It made her dizzy. Perhaps she was still hungover from Calypso's wedding. Perhaps this was all a dream cooked up by booze and a poor sleeping position.

Without thinking, she crunched down the long gravel driveway and re-evaluated the house from a closer perspective.

The area outside smelled like deep woods, damp from rain, and rich earth perfect for a garden. Little cracks were etched in the blue paint, and the white trimmed porch and eaves were starting to be worn back by harsh weather. Years of hosting icicles, Annabeth believed.

She still couldn't get over that it was her house. If she wanted it. If she accepted it.

"Four bedrooms, three bathrooms." Percy said as he quietly stood beside her. "It came with a few acres of land. Mostly wooded land so that's pretty cool. Also there's a pond with a stream out back."

Annabeth took the steps two at a time. The front door was soundless and new and thankfully unlocked. Inside, she couldn't sit still. Couldn't stop until she'd seen every inch of the place. The vintage thick boarded hardwood floors, the outdated kitchen with its wooden countertops, the bathroom that had a weird toilet you flushed by pulling a cord and its mosaiced tiled floors, the living room with a window seat lined with shelves (perfect reading nook?!), the master bedroom and its little balcony that overlooked the front of the house. Her footsteps echoed back to her as she paced. The emptiness of the house was ripe with potential, itching to be made into a home one piece of furniture at a time.
She ended her mad dashing on the balcony overlooking the long driveway and the field of sprouting corn waving to her across the street. Standing there, she was closer to the hush of the oak trees bustling with the soft breeze. Rippling the sunshine through their rich green leaves. It felt like they were singing to her.

"Are you okay?" Percy had struggled to keep up. He stayed a few feet away, in the safety of the house. Maybe he didn't have as much faith in the old balcony as she did.

It was only when she caught his severe expression that she noticed her eyes were burning. She had tears on the corners of her cheeks, threatening to fall. Hastily, she wiped them away.

"I can't accept this Percy," Annabeth muttered, shaking her head for the millionth time.

Why did her chest feel so heavy? Why did it hurt her that he was doing this?

"Yes you can!" Percy said with conviction. Taking a step closer. "You just need to sign a few papers and it's all yours! I can even help with fixing this place up."

"No, no it's not about the repairs," she said a bit breathless. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her face, the breeze in her hair. This place felt too good, too natural. Her problems had never been so easily solved. "Like… what do you expect me to do with so much? Four bedrooms Percy? Four?!"

"I don't know. Sleepovers. Guests. Roommates. Whatever you want!" Percy said, a little exasperated. "I want you to build whatever life you want! Just sign the papers!"

"And what about you!?"

"What about me?"

"You blew all of your savings on a house for me, what are you going to do to build your future, huh?"

"I already have my house next to the bakery."

"A tiny one bedroom, half bathroom house!" Annabeth scoffed. "You have absolutely zero room to grow in that place!"

"What do you want me to grow?!" Percy snorted. "A beard?"

"You don't even have room for a goldfish and you expect me to be satisfied with this… this mansion in comparison?! I won't stand for it." Annabeth huffed, crossing her arms. "You know you could really use a place like this."
"For what?" Percy said. "Storage?!"

"I don't know. With all this land you could grow your own berries for the jam fillings in your donuts. Or you could even grow your own wheat! You could use the garage to build a better sign for your bakery, which is something I know you've wanted to do for a while now. Plus with the size of that kitchen you could experiment with new recipes from the comfort of your own home instead of sitting in that sterile metal baking hell at the bakery until three in the morning!"

Percy looked insulted. "And what about you? Huh? You could have your own home office here, Annabeth. An entire room dedicated to your architecture stuff! Or a home library! You'd never have to pick and choose what books to keep because you'd have enough space for them all! And don't get me started on the morning jogs you could take in that forest with that freaking stunning pond and stream."

A yank was her chest. A yes. Please. But she couldn't yield.

She crossed her arms. "Well you'd have enough room to finally display your mothers antique egg collection. That dining room downstairs? Perfect size for a glass cabinet filled with her precious things."

"Well-" Percy quipped. "With the financial security of this house you could probably start up your own architecture firm."

"Well you could finally get a dog."

"Well you could finally throw big parties whenever you wanted."

"Well you could host events for investors of the bakery."

"Well you could finally grow a sunflower garden. I know you want one."

"Don't pretend like you wouldn't love to have a lawn to obsess over you old man."

"Not as much as you'd like your own archery range. It would take very little effort to build one here."

"Well if we're talking about building things, I'm sure it would be easy peasy to put in a swimming pool here."

Percy took a deep breath, his eyebrows furrowed. Holding it back, debating to say it, then in one breath- "Well you could build a family here."

That silenced her.

Gave her knots in her esophagus and butterflies in her stomach at just the thought. Silently she stared at him, gormless because yeah this house would be perfect to build a family in. Four bedrooms? All that space? Close enough to a major city that it made easy access for major hospitals and some good schools but far enough away that they wouldn't feel the high crime rate of such a city? It was so perfect.

At her silence, Percy turned sheepish. "Well not here if you don't like it here. Just with the investment of this house I meant. Like if you sold it you could buy a place where you'd wanna raise kids or a place your husband would like better… or… yeah. That kinda stuff."

They could build a treefort.

She didn't know why that was her first thought, it just was.

If she had kids there, if she lived there long enough to be remarried and bring babies home, she could build a treefort in one of the old oaks just outside. And her kids could play there all day if they wanted to. Or splash in the stream, or catch frogs in the pond, or find salamanders under rocks in the woods, or teach chipmunks how to take peanuts from their hands.

Styx, she wanted it so badly now.

"What about you?" Annabeth croaked. "Don't you ever want to build a family?"

Percy's eyes softened. His head bowed slightly. "I… I don't really think I'll ever get that stuff."

"Why not?"

That question pained him. She could see it in his eyes, his stance, his shoulders. It was as if he had all the answers on the tip of his tongue but something too cruel for words was holding him back from spilling it all out.

"I don't know," he finally said. "Just a feeling."

Annabeth reconsidered. Knotting her fingers together. She loved the warm breeze playing with her hair, she loved the smell of old wood on the inside of the house. She loved the fact that there was a fireplace in the living room.

"Was that… you being insecure just now?" She asked quietly. "Was that what Thalia's talking about?

Or was it something else. Was the topic of future children harder because children didn't come easy to a couple without proper apparatus.

"Perce, if you don't think your worth-"

"It's not that. Trust me Annabeth. It's… not that."

Why did he sound so in pain?

Sighing, Annabeth rubbed the back of her neck. "Well you should live here. No matter what your future plans are. I think it's a gorgeous house, and beautiful land and that it could make you really happy."

Percy chortled. "Absolutely not. If you don't want to live here, I'm reselling."

"Reselling!?" Annabeth gaped. The property was an absolute treasure, how could he think to-

"I only bought it so you could take your dream job in Chicago."

So that I'd stay here.

Annabeth had to smile at that. Percy was truly a sweet guy. "I'll take the job in Chicago anyways. I'll stay"

"How?" Percy's face scrunched up adorably.

"I don't know. I'll get a loan or something."

"Annabeth! That's no way to prepare for your future!"

"Well, I can't accept your gift! It's too big!" Annabeth hmphed.

"Well then, I'm selling this place and paying for whatever area you settle in so you won't get trapped into a loan!"

"Percy!" Annabeth scowled.

"Annabeth!" Percy said just as chastising.

For a moment they stared each other down. Percy was the first to break eye contact with the tips of his ears burning red. He was never great at staring contests.

"If you don't live here, I'm selling it." Percy laid out the line in the sand.

Annabeth ground her teeth. Thinking, thinking, thinking. Then-

"I don't want it in my name if that's the case. If I live here, the property is in your name and you count as my landlord. And I'll pay rent like any other tenant." Annabeth tilted her chin back a little victoriously.

Percy's expression steepened. "Rent is a dollar a month then."

"Seven hundred a month, not counting utilities."

"A dollar."

"Fine, six hundred and fifty."

"A dollar."

"Six hundred including utilities." Annabeth said sternly. "Final offer."

Percy's stare hardened. He held his ground. "A. Dollar."

Annabeth reshifted her weight on her legs. Percy didn't often get so stubborn, but when he did even mountains didn't move him. She needed a way for him to benefit from this. A way where he reaped the fruits of his labors and enjoyed the money that he spent. A way-

It clicked.

She leaned forward, cornering him.

"Fine, a dollar a month," she said flippantly. "On the condition you live here too."

Percy's jaw slackened. "Me?! I have a bakery to run!"

"The bakery isn't too far from here. It's normal commute time." Annabeth said nonchalantly.

"So… you'll live here and take the job in Chicago without getting a loan or paying me a high rent if I just live here with you?"

"And-" Annabeth added, still thinking things through. "You move in today." She outstretched her hand towards him. "Final final offer."

"Today?!"

"Or tomorrow. It's kind of late for today."

Percy eyed her hand. Nervous, jittery. As if unsure he locked eyes with her one more time. "So you promise you won't take a loan out or move to LA if I live here with you?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

Percy took a huge shaky breath. "You want me to live with you?"

"I don't see why not." Annabeth reasoned. "Do you… not want to live with me?"

"No! No! It's not that! I just… I never thought about it before… Living with you…"

"Makes sense right?" Annabeth grinned at him. "I mean we do get along famously. Plus this house is huge for one person. I don't think I could live here alone."

Percy was quiet. Thoughtful. For a second she thought he was going to decline. Because of me? Is he distancing himself? Was I too presumptuous?

But he took her hand anyways.

"What am I doing," he mumbled to himself.

.oOo.

The deal was more finely tuned over some Chinese takeout while they sat cross legged on the porch watching the sun set.

No matter what Percy tried, he couldn't get Annabeth to agree to sign on as an owner of the property. Not even joint ownership. He had a feeling she was trying to prime him into loving the place before she moved on so he'd keep it for himself.

What she did agree to do was to furnish the house and pay utilities.

"It's only fair," she kept saying. "You bought the place. You own it. I'll just make it cozy and pay all the extra fees."

Which was fine by Percy. He could build a cake so beautiful it made people cry but he couldn't interior design to save his life. Maybe once she filled the insides with pretty things she would agree to sign on as a property owner.

But she doesn't know how little it cost you.

The house itself was five hundred thousand dollars. Percy planned to pour another hundred thousand into it in repairs and renovations. He was also considering building a greenhouse out back. Maybe he would take up that pool idea.

With all settled, he'd probably still have over two hundred thousand dollars left from Nico's 'gift'. Retirement money maybe. Or traveling money. Or maybe he could just stop by the homeless shelter downtown and make their day.

None of his hard worked for cash had gone into the purchase of the place. It felt like cheating. He wished he could just pull her aside and tell her about Nico, the wealth that was dispensed on him because of his uncle. It wasn't from his own hard work.

"So…" It was the first thing Thalia had said to him all morning. She set herself down on a cardboard box in the hauntingly empty room and set her eyes on him. "Moving in with her now."

He'd left the care of the bakery in Alison's capable hands and had rented a truck. Embarrassingly enough it took him two hours to come to terms with the fact that he needed help moving his bed. He tried to avoid Thalia by calling Jason and Frank instead.

Bad decision, Thalia was hanging out with Jason and Frank, trying to prank call Leo on his honeymoon.

Piper and Hazel were already helping Annabeth with her things so they powered down to him and made a party out of hoisting a bed down the stairs. He didn't need much help really, just the bed and a nightstand. He planned on keeping his little house so he could slowly retract from the new address and leave it completely to Annabeth.

"You disagree," Percy muttered.

"No. I'm a little disappointed in your cowardice and I'm really questioning Annabeth's social smarts but I don't disagree. Now you have no reason to not tell her how you feel."

Percy wheeled around at her, hissing. "Keep your voice down! She's in the next room."

"Well if you weren't a sop then she'd already know and you two would be sharing that master bedroom."

"She liked the balcony! Of course I'd let her have that room." Percy said a little coldly. "And no. If she knew how I felt about her I doubt she would've wanted to live with me."

"Really?" Thalia tsked while moving to stretch herself across his bare mattress. "The girl who spent a night drunk making out with you couldn't possibly harbor feelings for you? Do tell."

"Just because she's a physical affection junkie doesn't mean she likes me, Thals."

"And there you go. Being insecure again and letting your doubts cloud your brain." Thalia sighed.

Technically, he could kick her out. The thought did cross his mind. But Thalia was a bit of a butthurt personality. She wasn't going to take any actions against her lightly.

Besides, Percy could put up with her jibes.

"You'd think she'd see your feelings for her." Thalia said absent-mindedly as she sprawled herself backwards on his bed to stare up at the ceiling.

Percy stopped his meticulous sock folding. "Why?"

"Well you bought her a bloody house Jackson, you're not exactly being subtle."

There was that, he supposed.

He was taking her to Greece, a little fact Thalia didn't know yet. Not to mention their dance at Leo's wedding wasn't without its awkwardness.

Percy tucked another pair of socks into his dresser slowly. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking.

"What if she knows?" Percy wasn't really asking Thalia. It was more of a question he just needed to say out loud. "What if… what if she can see it and is ignoring all of my obvious ass signs so that nothing will become awkward between us."

"Yeaaahhh," Thalia sighed, shaking her head. "Annabeth is book smart, not people smart. One of her blonde friends taught me that."

"Jason?"

"Suure. Jason."

Percy brushed his hand against the wall. The wallpaper needed to come off, it needed sanding and priming it painting. The floorboards needed to be sanded and the trim needed to be replaced. The longer he was in the house, the more flaws he was finding in it. It made him feel guilty. Like he'd trapped Annabeth here against her own free will in a place that was probably leaky, drafty and weird smelling. He was midway through taking a deep mournful sigh when Annabeth came running into his room with a radiant smile on her face.

"MY ROOM HAS A LADDER TO THE ROOF!" She grabbed his hand excitedly. Pulling him along like an overstimulated puppy. "I CAN PICK ACORNS RIGHT OFF THE TREE!"

Annabeth did indeed have a ladder to the roof. It was one of those collapsable ones that swung up with a panel in the ceiling. It led to a little hatch in the slanted roof, past a crawl space. The roof itself wasn't too steep that anyone was fighting to keep their grip. Instead, Piper and Hazel were already lying flat against the side, looking up into the intertwining branches of the oak trees. Smiling lazy as the heat of the spring sun poured over them.

"Isn't this cool!?" Annabeth said, beaming at him so brightly that everything else just melted away.

Numbly, Percy nodded.

Thalia punched him in the back of his thigh a second later, prompting him to scramble over the lip of the hatch and onto the ceiling. Annabeth grabbed his hand to steady him, still maintaining that heart stopping smile.

Percy went up six shades of pink and had to pretend to be very interested in how far they were off the ground to avoid getting noticed.

"This is it?" Thalia refused to move any farther out of the square hole. She kind of looked like a gopher. "Yeah. Real smart guys. Just a hundred year old roof. Let's all stand on it."

"Is that Jason down there?" Piper asked as she squinted towards the end of the driveway.

Hazel propped herself up to look. She had the tiniest hint of a baby belly but suddenly had all the mannerism of a very pregnant woman. "I can only see his shadow."

"Me too."

"Darn trees."

"Die of a roof collapse for all I care," Thalia grumbled as she gingerly let herself back down the ladder.

Annabeth was squinting down their long driveway too now. The direction of the sunlight was not in their favor. Percy could make out the slanted shadow, lollygagging at the end of his driveway, right next to the mailbox but he couldn't make out a distinct outline. He couldn't even tell how tall the person was.

"Jason? That you?" Piper cupped her hands to her face to call out.

The figure flinched.

"Yeah?" Jason said from directly below them. In the house.

Annabeth made a face. "Is it a neighbor waiting to say hi?"

Percy was going to suggest they all go and greet the stranger when his pocket buzzed. A text message. Struggling with his jeans, he yanked out his phone and scrolled to the message. From Nico of all people.

Nice place you got here. Mind if we talk for a bit?