To say that Percy was shocked was an understatement. The blonde girl in front of him, she didn't move a muscle. The shy smile was still locked on her face. "I thought you were in California." Percy managed out. Annabeth bit her bottom lip and tucked some of her hair out of her face behind her ear.
"I was." She said simply. Percy didn't stop gaping.
"You moved back?" He asked, shell shocked. She laughed a little.
"I'm here aren't." She teased.
Percy's seas green eyes scanned over her, not in a creepy stalker way though he was sure it would be perceived as such, but in a disbelief way. He couldn't believe his eyes, he felt like they were lying to him. He looked for any signs of the little girl he had once known, the hair was the same and so were the eyes, yes she had been cute in a baby way before, but it all looked different now. Percy understood her confusion when seeing him in a leather jacket, it was also a far cry from the kindergarten days.
"You gonna say anything Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth teased, calling back to the nickname she had given to him as a kid when he had dived into the oceans, ending up with a mass of seaweed on his head. The memory resurfacing made Percy smile fondly.
I can't believe it." He said, looking over her appearance again and again. She rolled her eyes at him, probably because of him stating the obvious.
"Wow, I didn't figure that out already." She said sarcastically.
Percy's smile grew into a wide grin, the familiar wit she had even as a young child. "Of course you did wise girl." Percy said, the nickname rolled off his tongue smoothly, as if he had been saying it for months at this point, rather than years ago in his childhood. Annabeth laughed, clearly she liked the nostalgia too.
"How did we find each other at a party no less?" She said with a slight shake of her head.
Percy shrugged. "Beats me, but I'm glad it happened. I just can't believe Thaila didn't tell me." Percy said, slightly bitter about his punk friend withholding such a big and important secret.
Annabeth put a hand out as if to say, well… "Did you ever ask her? Before tonight?" She asked, though the look on his face told her all she needed to know. Her lips quirked up into a smirk. "That's what I thought." The tone in her voice was victorious.
Quickly though, Annabeth started walking past Percy, again having him follow her blindly.
"I feel like we should catch up. Or something, on last the past 5 or something years." Percy said, in a slight daze. Annabeth laughed, the sound ringing around the empty maze.
"I moved away 7 years ago. Did you stalk me for two years?" She said with an amused smile. Percy sputtered for an answer before his brain computed that she was just pulling his leg.
"You are one cruel woman." The black-haired boy pointed, earning another twinkling laugh from the blonde.
So I've been told." She said with her hand on the car door handle. Percy unlocked the car with two clicks and she slipped inside. "But sure. We can catch up." Annabeth smiled up at him when he got into the driver's side. God, how did he not recognize her smile? It was so clearly and obviously hers.
"So when did you move back?"
"Right before freshman year, say Thalia on the first day back and well… we're friends again right?"
"Ah, and boy am I mad that she never told me you're back."
"Why would she do that?"
"I don't know, maybe because I would want to know if my childhood best friend was back in town?"
"...Percy it's Thalia."
"Touche."
Annabeth leaned back in triumph. Clearly, she hadn't changed a bit, still proud as ever to win and doing it often. Percy started up the car, deciding that he'd head home and prayed that she wasn't the one driving her friends. She fiddled with the radio a bit before deciding that she didn't like any of the songs they were playing and elected to play music from her phone.
Her blonde still princess looking curls bounced as she nodded her head to the music slightly. Hm, maybe looking at Annabeth every 5 seconds and not the road was objectively unsafe. But Percy argued that she was way too pretty to not be noticed. Knowing it was her and not a random stranger, Percy felt a bit better about wanting to tell her she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.
"How was California?" Percy asked. Annabeth hummed.
"It was fine, more your crowd than mine at first. Lots of people, lot's of social gatherings. I ended up mixing with a lot of different crowds. But apparently I've adopted that classic Californian girl clothing look." Annabeth said with a slight laugh.
"Well you didn't look punk, goth or emo so the next choice was mainstream." Percy defended himself.
"I'll give you that." She admitted. But before he could revel in the victory, Annabeth spoke again. "But do tell me. How did surfer and swimming Percy become punk rock and skater boy chic?"
Percy scoffed at her question. "One, no one calls me skater boy chic." He corrected her. Annabeth rolled her eyes and looked to do a mock curtsy.
"Oh, my bad." She said, voice full of sarcasm. Percy chuckled.
Two, I started skateboarding and here we are. Leather jacket and all." Annabeth looked Percy one over again and hummed in what he guessed was approval.
For the rest of the ride, they both stayed quiet, only humming along to the songs if they knew the melody. It was comfortable, as kids they could never shut up around each other but now some 7 years later they had fallen back into a rhythm of banter and peace.
Annabeth didn't seem surprised when Percy brought her back to his house, and since he hadn't ever moved she knew where it wasn't without even a peep from him. "Is your mom home?" She asked. Percy shook his head.
"No, some book club thing, she's out for the night." He explained. The blonde opened her mouth in a silent, ahhhh makes sense.
"At least we need to explain anything." She said with a slight smile. Percy nodded in agreement and flopped onto the couch, followed by Annabeth who sat pristenly.
"You really haven't changed." Percy snickered.
Annabeth rolled her eyes at him. It was now that Percy remembered her eyes weren't some light blue, they were a steely almost metallic grey. He recalled loving the color as a child, always wanting to find silver jewelry to match them.
"Are you just as loud and annoying as before?" Annabeth said with a raised brow.
Percy grinned at her proudly. "Yep!" Annabeth shook her head but smiled fondly.
Percy sat up a little straighter. "So what have you been doing at school to hide from me?" He asked. Annabeth laughed slightly.
"Sure, my life revolves around you and staying away. I'm in debate, I usually win, of course. Um… oh I moved up to teaching Judo at a studio, it's on the east side." Annabeth said. Percy snorted.
"That sounds dangerous, how many best friends are gonna get judo-flipped by your students?" He said pointled, still vaguely feeling the pain of being slammed onto his back by the small blonde girl he called his best friend. Annabeth smirked proudly at him.
"A lot. Anyways, I manage the girls swim team and the water show." Percy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why haven't I seen you then?" He cried out.
Annabeth shrugged. "It's been 7 years, you've probably seen me and just not recognized who I was. I know I've seen you. I just didn't know my seaweed brain would be clad in black and have a streak of blue in his hair. Though it makes sense now." Annabeth said nonchalantly.
Percy's heart swelled in hearing her say, my seaweed brain. "Right, I guess I just noticed tonight."
Annabeth bit her lip, a sign she was thinking. "Speaking of which, aside from my clothes, why did you approach me? I know you're social but you're not the type to walk up to strangers." She asked.
Oh, well how did he explain it was because he thought she was really pretty and he was just drawn to her? "Uhhhh." He drawled as she urged him to explain. "Um… I thought you just looked out of place. I don't know." Percy lied, averting his eyes.
Annabeth raised a brow. "Wow, you didn't mention that before? No seriously, though. What in the heck possessed you to come talk to me?" Annabeth said with more sarcasm than water in the sea.
"I- I thought you looked really pretty." He admitted after 1 minute of Annabeth's piercing stone grey gaze.
She looked slightly taken a back and he swore he saw her cheeks flush pink. "Well, you could have led with that." She said, quickly composing herself. It was Percy's turn to roll his eyes and sass her.
"Oh yeah, cause going up to a stranger and saying, hi you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen how is your night is totally a good idea. Knowing you, you would have flipped me right then and there." Percy said.
Clearly he didn't even know what he was saying but Annabeth sure did, she was speechless. Now her face was clearly red and her eyes were everywhere but on him. Percy, as oblivious as ever was confused as to what caused her change in demeanor.
"I wouldn't have flipped you if you said that." She managed out softly.
Percy's mind did a backtrack and suddenly all the red emergency alarms rang out in his head. "Oh! Uh, really?" He sputtered. Annabeth nodded slightly, for once having a shy smile on her face. "Well, I guess I'll say it. You're somehow gotten even pretty since the last time I saw you." Percy was now matching the color of the rug so well, which was fire engine red, if he lay down face up, you'd lose his head in the threading. Annabeth hid most of her face with her hands.
"If it's anything to you, you've gotten attractive. Very." She covered her entire face after her confession, missing the now cocky smile on Percy's face.
"Really? Just now?" He prodded at her, earning a laugh as she pushed his face away.
"Oh my god, shut up." She said, in a loving manner of course. Percy laughed and pulled her into a hug, though it was only a side one.
"I'm glad you're back." He said happily, feeling at home and at peace with her in his arms. Though they were just loosely set around her waist, she basically melted into his chest and almost snuggled in.
"I'm happy to be back too." She said, her voice slightly muffled into his chest.
They sat there for a while, just listening to each other's breathing till they synced up and the slight whirring of the heater. Annabeth shifted and looked up at him, her eyes shining bright and apparently like a glittering silver.
Using her hands, she moved up and kissed him softly on his cheek. Percy's entire face burnt up and a dopey smile spread across his face and not even for a second did he think of disguising it. "Thanks for saying I'm pretty." She said shyly, looking down and wringing her hands.
In a bout of courage, Percy lifted her head with his forefinger and pressed his lips against her. She gave a small gasp but accepted the kiss nonetheless. Her lips were soft and tasted like caramel. Percy never did feel like something was missing from his life, but it was probably because he didn't know he was missing something. Now he felt like there was a new light in his world, something had changed and there was no way he could go back. He was in a whole new world with just him and Annabeth.
That is until the door opened and his mom shouted for an explanation.