Malcolm's P.O.V
I felt better once I'd spoken to Percy. I don't know why it was important to me to be the one to tell Annabeth but it was. I was seeing her best friend, and I wanted her to hear that from me. I knew she was okay with it when I had spoken to her last week but I just - I wanted to prove that I was serious about her, that I wasn't going to ruin it. Gods I hope I don't ruin it.
Piper and I were still a really new concept to me and I was still learning to listen to my heart. Though how reliable is something that feels like it's going to jump out of your chest and run a marathon?! I can never keep an even heart rate when I'm around her, and I sometimes feel like I'm going to bring my lunch back up when I'm around her too. Why was love so irrational? Why couldn't it be logical? Even as I asked myself that I could almost her Piper saying to me, feel it don't think it. I sighed, I really didn't want to make it complicated, I liked Piper and that was the point.
I sat in my cabin making plans for this week's capture the flag. My strategies were very similar to Annabeth's so usually we won. The Ares cabin had to really catch us off guard to beat us normally. Unfortunately the Aphrodite cabin had a strong alliance with them which would mean I had to go up against Piper and she was a challenging opponent. Maybe I could change their allegiance – I'd have to talk to Piper.
Percy's P.O.V
I woke up with Annabeth in my arms, her head resting on my chest. I watched as she slept, and she couldn't look more perfect if she tried. I couldn't believe tomorrow was our anniversary and my birthday, but I focused more on our anniversary. Four years, four years tomorrow, and what a four years they had been. I knew I was lucky, Gods was I ever lucky.
I thought about our up and coming wedding and I thought about our future together. My heart started doing little back flips in my chest, she always had had that effect on me and I knew she always would.
I loved everything about her, I loved how involved she got in a project, I loved how she scrunched her nose in frustration, and I loved her eyes, her eyes always let me know what she was thinking. I loved how smart she was, I loved how big her heart was, and I loved how she completed me. Gods, I could go on forever listing what I loved about her.
I knew I had a huge smile on my face, and before I had thought about it and before I could stop myself, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. And, inevitably, I woke her up.
"Good morning Seaweed Brain" she said to me groggily.
"Good morning Wise Girl, I'm sorry I woke you" I said leaning down to give her a proper kiss.
"That's okay" she said and kissed me back. "I like waking up in your arms" she told me matter-of-factly.
"I like it too" I responded and leaned in for a kiss again.
If every day started this way forever, well that would be alright with me. "Can you believe it's been four years, almost?" I asked her.
"Yes and no" she replied and I knew what she meant. "Yes because the first year was so painful in many ways, but no because even with that pain, in the first year there were some really amazing parts. And, the years after that, well those have been amazing too."
"Me too" was all I found I could say, although I wished she hadn't had had so much heart ache in that first year. It wasn't my fault that Hera had plucked me out of my life and sent me to the Wolf house, nor was it her fault. But, that hadn't stopped her feeling pain, worry and heartache.
"Don't do that" she said sitting up next to me and I felt instantly like something is missing from my chest now that she'd pulled away.
"Don't do what?" I asked sitting up next to her.
"Feel guilty about that year; we had some really great times too, remember those instead." She told me and leaned in for one last kiss before throwing the quilt back and getting out of bed. I sighed and got up too.
"I really do try; Annabeth but I can't help it. I feel awful that you were put through all of that because of me." She marched up to me, with an anger in her eyes that I've not seen in such a long time.
"It was not because of you!" She almost yelled at me "We went through all of that because of Hera and my Mom" her voice started to level out; I could hear that she was trying to calm herself down. I hadn't realised how much it still angered her and I felt bad about that too.
"I'm sorry; I wish I hadn't mentioned it. I didn't mean to stir this anger in you I'm sorry." I said and I truly was. "How can I help you dispel it? You shouldn't hold on to it." I said taking her hand.
"I think maybe Piper can help me with that, I'm sorry Percy" she said with a sadness in her voice.
"You don't need to be" I said bringing her in for a hug. "Like you said the last few years have been amazing, let's just focus on those for now." I kissed her one last time before we both got dressed and headed downstairs to start the day.
Annabeth had come to camp with me this morning and rushed off to the Aphrodite cabin to see Piper. One day I thought to myself, as I set up dummies in the sword arena, one day we will look back on that first year without feelings of anger or guilt. One day we will just remember the good. I wanted to let go of the guilt like Annabeth was trying to do with Piper. I thought I had let go of it, but the raw anger that she had this morning brought it all back. By not being there for her I had hurt her, even if I had lost all my memories apart from her. 'Snap out of it' I told myself. I knew why she was angry and I couldn't blame her. I hoped Piper could help dispel it, even as I hoped I knew Piper would be able to do it. I took a drink of water and I instantly started to feel better, and not a moment too soon, because the Hermes and Apollo cabins had turned up for their lesson.
Piper's P.O.V
It was early when Annabeth came by calling for me.
"I'm sorry to disturb your day" she said as we trudged into the woods to find a clearing where we wouldn't be disturbed.
"That's ok, this seems important" I said settling on the floor in the clearing and inviting my best friend to do the same. "You're angry" I noted, as she sat opposite me. Emotions were always something I could read, I was better in the areas, of love and lust as that was my mother's area of power. But, I knew Annabeth really well so I knew which emotion was bothering her.
She nodded as if opening her mouth was a dangerous option, I waited.
"Yes" she said finally "I have so much anger over Percy's disappearance and my mother sending me on that horrible quest under Rome which landed us in that place. I thought I'd dealt with it but" she paused and I interrupted, I'd not seen her like this in a few years.
"Something brought it forward, what happened?" I asked.
She told me about her and Percy reminiscing and how Percy had started to feel guilty and how her anger had become really strong.
"So are you angry at Percy for feeling guilty?" I asked her.
"No, I'm angry at Hera and my Mom, for making him feel that way. It's not his fault that he was used as a trade, that he was taken from me. It's not his fault that Hera told me I'd find when I found the boy with one shoe, only to not find him. It's not his fault that my mother set me on the quest of the mark. It's not his fault, it's mine." She said to me and I understood that she was not angry at Percy or her mother or even Hera.
She was angry at herself for reminding Percy how abandoned she had felt, how worried she had been for him, how strong she had forced herself to be in order to get back to him. She was angry that she had reminded Percy that her mother had sent her on that quest that had thrown her into the pit and that Percy being the ridiculous romantic that he was had jumped in with her. She was angry for stirring that guilt in him and as she told me all of these things the anger started to disappear.
"It was not your fault Annabeth, you need to let go of all of this anger, and by telling me about it you are. You know Percy will always feel guilty because that's who he is. His love for you is so pure, that the thought of hurting you, even if it wasn't his fault that he was missing, makes him feel guilty." I told her and I could feel a sort of peace settling in her.
"He's such a Seaweed Brain" she muttered and I could tell that Percy or at least the thought of Percy had calmed her down. "Will it always be like this?" She asked me "him feeling guilty for something out of his control and me being angry about it?" I decided to answer her question with one of my own.
"Do you feel like it will always be this way?" I asked and I saw playful frustration in her eyes, she knew what I was doing.
She rolled her eyes. "No I don't, and I don't understand why it boiled out of control today." I shook my head at her.
"Always a child of Athena" I said and she gave me a look which said 'duh, she's my mom'. "You always think you can understand with your brain what you should be trying to understand with your heart." I said "It boiled out of control because, I imagine, it's one of the rare times the two of you have brought up that first year. A lot happened between you two within that first year. You got together and from what you and other campers have told me it took you long enough to get that far." I paused and smirked at her before continuing. "You had four months of being together, happy and in love and then one day that came tumbling down. Then, and personally I see this as a positive, you met me."
She smirked at me but allowed me to continue without interrupting. "We set off to meet Percy and then off to defeat Gaia. And then when we came home the nightmares really took hold of you both. By the time you reached your first anniversary, you'd quite literally been to hell and back." She got a far off look in her eyes like a memory had surfaced.
"And still, he made an effort to celebrate it" she said and I knew what she was talking about. Percy as oblivious as he could be was also very perceptive. He knew that it was important more so than ever before to celebrate that they had been together for a year. It hadn't been the best year but it was a year that they had been together, a year where they had discovered that they were soul mates. It was a really romantic date, and he'd had to call in a lot of favours trading chores with other cabins but he did it. And, he did it for her.
"He's always been better at this than me." She said.
"This?" I asked though I was pretty sure I had a good idea.
"You know what I mean Piper" she sighed exasperatedly and I smiled back, not giving in.
"Do I?" I asked and in truth I did, but Percy hadn't always been better at it and I wouldn't say he was better at it now. I waited we were in an area, I was very familiar with, love.
"Romance" she said "he's more romantic than I am."
"I disagree" I told her and she scowled at me. "It only seems that way because you portray him as the most romantic person when you recount, dates, gifts, proposals ... do I need to go on?" I asked.
"My accounts of what happened are accurate, it's not my fault he's so romantic that you feel that's how I portray him." She said challengingly.
"You're just as romantic as he is, but guys don't recount events the way we do, so all our actions get lost in translation. While theirs makes them seem super romantic."
"So what you're saying is, Percy needs to be a better story teller?" She asked.
"What I'm saying is, Percy is never going to admit to the guys how romantic he feels you are. Guys don't do that. But, when you told me about his proposal for example and the effort he put into the owl diamond for you that painted a romantic picture. And - now don't get offend..." I paused and she eyed me suspiciously but didn't interrupt me "you get this really faraway look when you describe how romantic he is."
"I do not!" She protested but even she knew it was half hearted. I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed.
"I can't help how I feel." She said and I smiled at her somewhat smugly. "Yes, yes, I know that's always been your point" she said waving a dismissive hand at me like this had been my plan all along. It hadn't but it's nice when I win. I so rarely won against Annabeth.
"So what have we learnt?" I teased and if she had had something to throw at me I suspect she would have.
"That I should let go of my anger."
"And..." I prompted.
"That I can be romantic" she added although I did sense that she was reluctant to do so.
"Do you feel better?" I asked biting back any other witty remark I could have said. Annabeth could take a joke, but I didn't want her to feel like I wasn't taking this seriously, especially as she had asked for my help.
"Yes, thank you Piper, I'm sorry I interrupted your plans with Malcolm." She said and she did sound sorry, but I didn't mind and I knew Malcolm wouldn't either.
"That's okay, I'll make it up to him" I said, she raised an eyebrow at me and I laughed "not like that, Gods Annabeth! Get your brain out of the gutter." I joked and she laughed with me.
"It wasn't in the gutter Piper" she said once we had stopped laughing.
"Is it possible for a child of Athena to have such thoughts? I asked and I was curious, children if Athena had such a thirst for knowledge that I just assumed that they spent the whole time ignoring their feelings and filling their brains with facts. I wondered if I had inadvertently insulted the Goddess of wisdom by suggesting her favourite daughter's Brain was in the gutter. I hoped not.
I realised Annabeth had been silent for quite a long time as I had been left with my thoughts. I decided not to push the topic and instead said "Perhaps a topic for another time, want to find your future husband?" I asked starting to stand she nodded and we headed back in the direction of camp and I decided to ask Annabeth about her anniversary.
"So what have you got Percy for his birthday and your anniversary?" I asked her as we passed the creek.
"For his birthday I got him some books-" I gave her a raised eyebrow, Percy and books didn't go together very well. "-he wants to read to Estelle and he bought an illustrated version of the first Harry Potter but his dyslexia is so much worse than mine that he's really struggling. He's been practicing before he starts reading to her, but he's found it hard to get through a chapter." She told me and I was silent waiting for her to continue. "So I got a complete illustrated set translated into Ancient Greek."
"And, you say you're not romantic" I said shaking my head.
"How are books romantic?" She asked me "I mean I know my mother would say knowledge is the purest form of love and I do love a book, but they aren't even really knowledgeable, their fiction and not even romantic fiction."
"Really Annabeth?" I asked, I knew she knew the answer.
"I wanted to support him, he really wants to be a great big brother and if I can help him with that then I will." She said and I smiled it wasn't exactly what I meant but it was close. She was more romantic than she gave herself credit for.
"Close enough" I replied as we emerged from the woods into camp and I caught sight of a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks. I was pretty sure a child of Athena could have lustful thoughts, I thought to myself looking at my best friend.
"I hope he likes them" she said, we didn't get time to discuss her gift for their anniversary because as we walked into the heart of camp Percy walked towards us.
Annabeth's P.O.V
My talk with Piper and really settled me. I knew I would always harbour some anger about that time. But, I knew I had to let go of it, it wasn't fair to Percy if I held on to it, and it wasn't fair to me.
I Felt a little guilty about ruining her day with my brother, I decided to enlist Percy's help to make it up to them.
We were walking along the beach, my feet in the edge of the water as we discussed our plan.
"You do realise, both would tell you that you didn't have to, that they're happy to help you?" He asked and he was teasing me.
"I know, it doesn't mean I can't say thank you" I said "do you think we can pull it off in the time we have left today?" I asked him.
"Yeah no problem Wise Girl" he said to me, "Our usual strategy?" He asked referring to our battle plan and I laughed but nodded in agreement.
He kissed my cheek and then ran off in the direction of the cabins; Percy was the distraction, which left me with the set up.
I enlisted the help of several campers including Lacy, Will and Lou Ellen.
Lacy and Will helped me get everything set up ready and without their help I'm not sure I'd have pulled of the plan. We only had a few hours until the conch horn sounded for dinner and there was a lot to do.
While we set things up, Lou Ellen helped Percy with his distraction.
Percy's P.O.V
I spent the last few hours talking to Malcolm about sword fighting classes and plans to improve the camper's skills. Fortunately, Annabeth had sent Lou Ellen to help; she had headed off to distract Piper.
"Percy, as much as I enjoy your company and I like making a strategy as much as any child of Athena does. I was kind of hoping I'd get to see Piper at some point today." He said to me and I could see he was trying to be as polite as possible. I got it, I mean I was the same with Annabeth when we were at camp, but if everything went to plan he'd forgive me, I hoped. Before I could say anything a note flew into his hands, I knew Lou Ellen had sent it. "Okay" he said passing me the note "what have you done?" He asked.
I read the note.
When the conch horn sounds for dinner, make your way to the beach. Dress to impress.
I had to hand it to my future wife, she had thought of everything. But, then she was a child of Athena. I smiled and passed the note back to Malcolm before answering him.
"I've done nothing" I said truthfully, well half truthfully, I was after all the distraction. "Though it looks like you need to get ready so I'll leave you be." I said and stepped outside of cabin six and almost walked straight into Annabeth.
"Seaweed Brain" she said as I came to a stop.
"Wise Girl" I replied and smiled at her.
"How is he?" She asked as we walked back towards the beach together.
"I think he's quite irritated that I've kept him from Piper for the whole afternoon, not that he said that." I told her and she smiled.
"He's falling for her" she said like it was a fact.
"Yes, I think so" I replied but before I could say anything else, my breath caught in my throat at the scene in front of me.
There was a walk way lined with candles on either side that led to a table for two also lit by candle light. There were flower petals on the sand all the way up the walk way to the table. It looked breathtakingly my beautiful and I wasn't surprised. Annabeth always managed to take my breath away, and this was no exception. 'I'm going to have to up my game, for tomorrow night' I thought. I knew romance wasn't a competition, but Annabeth was hard to beat in well actually any aspect of life but she had always been more romantic than me.
"They'll love it" I told her and kissed her as the conch horn sounded in the distance for dinner.
"C'mon Seaweed Brain, let's get out of here" she said and we set off in the direction of home.
As we reached the edge of the path to home, I took one last look at the beach and saw Malcolm pulling out Piper's chair before walking around to sit in his chair. We were quite far away but I was pretty sure I could see a smile on his face.
The walk home was peaceful, Annabeth leaned into me, and my arm was resting around her shoulders. Her hair smelt like the usual lemons, I loved that her hair smelt like lemons. It had meant that we had to buy a polish that didn't smell like lemons though, because I just got distracted thinking of Annabeth instead of cleaning, and then she'd get annoyed with me because I wasn't helping. I chuckled to myself.
"What are you laughing at?" She asked me so I told her and she laughed with me.
"That's why you'd stand there staring into nothingness?" She asked.
"Well, yeah" I said "it's hard to concentrate on anything else when I've got you on my mind."
"That's" she paused "sweet, I think - though I don't like being a distraction" she stopped walking and turned to face me linking her arms around my neck. I placed my arms around her waist and leant down and kissed her.
"But, you're the best kind of distraction" I murmured before kissing her again. We were only five minutes from home but I would kiss her anywhere.
"I'm not being held accountable for you failing a test" she teased lacing her hands though mine as we started walking again.
"Wouldn't dream of it" I said kissing her forehead.
~August 18th~
I awoke to the smell of pancakes. I groaned, I was planning to make breakfast in bed for her. Every year we tried to beat the other out of bed to make breakfast for them on our anniversary. I had the first year, Annabeth the second, I had last year. I rolled over and looked at the clock, 8:39am, I frowned that can't be right. I sat up and rubbed my eyes and checked again, 8:39am but I'd set an alarm for 7:30am. I checked the settings, alarm was set to off, Wise Girl, she always had a plan I thought, and smiled. I got out of bed and dressed and made my way downstairs.
Nightshade greeted me at the bottom of the stairs wagging her tail. Since we'd had Nightshade in the house it was impossible to do anything stealthily, she always gave me away. I ruffled the fur on her head and she nuzzled my hand, she was always in a good mood and I was glad she was happy here. I'd never had a pet before, I mean there's Mrs O'Leary but she lives at camp so it's almost the same as Blackjack, so it was all quite new to me. I found Annabeth in the kitchen.
"You turned off my alarm" I accused, before I kissed her cheek and sat at the table.
"And, so what if I did?" She challenged teasingly, sitting opposite me and placing a plate of blue pancakes in front of me and herself. I smiled and shook my head.
"I wanted to make you breakfast." I said.
"And, I wanted to make you breakfast." She replied smugly knowing she'd bested me yet again.
"I get dinner then" I said and she smiled and me and nodded. We tended to celebrate my birthday in the morning and our anniversary in the afternoon. If I got away with it, and I rarely did, I made the whole day about our anniversary. I think I've only managed to get away with it once, and even then not really, we'd celebrated my birthday the next day.
Annabeth's P.O.V
I had deliberately waited until Percy had fallen asleep to turn his alarm off last night.
I knew Percy wanted to make breakfast, but I also knew he had plans for dinner too. Hey! He's not the only one that gets to put effort in for our anniversary! I also knew if he made breakfast he'd try and over look that fact that it was his birthday. Since his 16th birthday was supposed to signify his death, or so we thought, he had never wanted to celebrate it and I understood why. But, since then I had tried to make a big deal about it because he always did for mine.
After breakfast we sat in the theatre room to open his presents, mostly because it was the only place I was able put them where Nightshade didn't try to open them.
He had quite the hall this year too, though since we'd made peace with the Roman camp he got a lot of gifts from friends there too.
Hazel and Frank sent him a lovely pastel picture which I suspected that Hazel had drawn for him.
Reyna had sent a small model of a purple row boat and Percy started laughing.
Piper and Malcolm got him a book for his course which resumed in a couple of weeks. I had a feeling Malcolm had picked the gift.
Thalia sent a karaoke machine, which I suspected was a joke, after hearing him sing to his sister.
Will and Nico got him an interesting set of steak knives that looked like the swords from the armoury.
Leo and Calypso sent one of Leo's new inventions to make holes in soil for planting.
My family sent him a game, called Mr. X - I didn't know it, something to do with evading capture, it sounded strategic and fun.
We were meeting Sally, Paul and Estelle at theirs for lunch so we would do presents there as well. He opened my gift last.
"Annabeth" he said "thank you, these are amazing."
"I thought maybe you could teach Estelle two things, reading and Greek, I know it's an ancient language-" he cut me off by kissing me.
"I'm sure she'll love it, but I can also translate these as I read them and read to her in English. Thank you" he said and kissed me again.
"I'm really glad you like them" I said, and I couldn't stop myself smiling, I never normally gave him books because he hated reading normally. I thought it was really sweet that he wanted to read to his little sister, and if he wanted to read, well I had to encourage that.
"We've got a bit of time before we head out to your mom's, what would you like to do?" I asked him.
"We could walk Nightshade and then I know you wanted to get the invites ready to send out for the wedding we could do that too." He replied.
"Perfect" I said and at the mention of the word 'walk' Nightshade started barking playfully and wagging her tail as she waited by the door to be taken out for it.
~Author's Note~
I'm really sorry to leave it half way through the anniversary/ birthday day. I wanted to get something out for you to read and I've recently gone back to work so my time to write has decreased somewhat. I hope you like this chapter all the same and I've got quite a few ideas for continuing this so I may have more for you by the end of the week!
ILovebookshi – Thank you for your feedback! I'm so glad you like it – I'm drawing from some of my own experiences to, so hopefully what they're going through feels real. As always I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Tirzah19 – Thank you! I'm really glad you liked the parallel – I sent you a direct message to discuss the point you wanted clarifying so hopefully that was clarified? Let me know! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Happy reading all!
