Chapter 21: Soulmate

Percy POV

The fog rolled over the bay, as ships bustled through the busy port. Annabeth and I were skipping rocks and walking along the bluffs above the water, and I couldn't help but marvel at the difference in natural beauty here, compared to Colorado. I was used to impressive peaks covered in snow, but there was something mysterious about the ocean, especially one so dark and eerie as this.

Annabeth skipped a rock that went for 12 little skips, setting the record, and essentially winning our 'who could get the most skips' competition.

Annabeth let out a shriek as I grabbed her by her small waist and hoisted her over my shoulder. She began hitting my back, in between bursts of air as she was laughing so hard. Her laugh was contagious, and I found myself struggling for air as I held her tightly.

"Percy I am seriously…." She cut herself off with more shrieks as I began pinching her waist, where I knew she was especially ticklish. I couldn't help the smile that took over my face, end to end. How could anyone keep a straight face when you have an angel laughing because of you. My ego soared a little bit.

"I am never going to talk to you again unless you put me down." She let out in one quick sentence. I momentarily stopped, because that was a hefty threat.

She let out a huge breath when she realized my recently tickling would stop, and I slowly lowered her to the ground. I kept my arms on her hips over her jacket, and quickly found her grey eyes, that seemed to be illuminated by the foggy atmosphere. She had a mischievous look in her eyes, clearly brought out by our playful banter.

The past 4 days were some of the most blissful, stress-free, euphoric days of my adult life. Ever since Annabeth and I decided to quit walking on eggshells and just embrace our unique relationship for all that it was, it was like I finally found that youthful joy that has been so buried deep in me since my dad's death.

We explored San Francisco like geeky tourists with a disposable film camera, took a ride on a cable car, took a ferry to Alcatraz, went to multiple museums, explored some of her favorite local hikes, watched the stars in her hot tub, ate all sorts of different types of food, and had more sex than horny teenagers.

It felt like every chance we would get, our mouths would latch on to one another, with no way to be pried apart. Annabeth would simply wear a nice skirt out to the city, and I couldn't keep my hands off of her.

For the first time since I could remember, I wasn't fighting demons deep inside of me. I wasn't thinking about my dad, or 'what ifs', or the future. I was simply enjoying the moment.

Annabeth broke my thoughts and said, "Do you want to sit down over there and watch the water? I brought a blanket in the car."

I nodded my head, and learned down to place my lips on the top of her head for a brief moment. It was as if she knew that I was thinking, and just needed a second to slow down. She brought her hand up to the back of my neck, before stepping away and running to the parking lot for the mentioned blanket.

Once we were settled, me sitting with my legs extended leaning against a sand dune, and her laying down with her head in my lap and my hands in her hair, rubbing her scalp in a slow motion, we were silent for a few minutes. But not the awkward, thinking of what to talk about silence. Instead, it was one of our things where we both fill our own heads with thoughts about the past, present or future, then when we are ready, we discuss.

That was one of my favorite things about being with Annabeth; we understood each other like no other.

Back when I was a younger and idiotic, and sleeping with a number of girls so high it's a shock I didn't get an STD, I refused to believe that soulmates existed. There's no way that there was only one person out there in the world who you are meant to be with. If soulmates were real that were to mean that we didn't actually have free will, because we were meant to be with that one person.

Then I met Annabeth.

The way she drinks 4 cups of coffee every day, even when I tell her that her heart is going to stop. The way she constantly seeks our adventure in her life, and chooses to frequent places like trampoline parks and bumper cars when she is 24 years old. The way she cries when she's frustrated. The way she strives for perfection, and to be her best self.

If she's not my soulmate, then I don't know what I believe anymore.

My hands kept slowly rubbing her scalp, messing up her curly head of hair, but her eyes were closed and she looked content, so I made no move to stop.

Finally, after about 15 minutes of us in our own thoughts, Annabeth broke the silence. "So, what did Grover say on the phone?"

I talked to Grover on the phone for over two hours last night in the Chase backyard, when Annabeth was already curling up in bed, and because when I came back into her lavender themed bedroom, she was snoring slightly with a book open next to her head, we never discussed the conversation.

"Ah that. Well, so you know how I texted him a few days ago about wanting to come back?"

Annabeth nodded. She turned in my lap so instead of looking out at the water she was looking up at me. But I kept my eyes on the water, entranced in my own thoughts.

"So he pretty much chewed me out for a solid 30 minutes, about how much of an idiot I am, and told me he loves me and misses his best friend, then we discussed where I go from here," I let out a brief chuckle, wondering the same thing. Where do I go from here?

I continued, "Grover called a lot of my main sponsors, and though most of the contracts aren't going to actively pay me money to not compete, as soon as I am back in competitions, I should be able to keep all of my big sponsors. And I have a decent amount of savings, so financially, I should be fine."

I took another deep breath. It felt good to talk this through with someone, other than Grover.

Except the more I thought about my future in skiing, the more I also thought about my future with Annabeth, and how the fuck those could coexist. The fact that our flights home were supposed to be in 3 days was looming, yet it was unspoken between the two of us.

Annabeth stayed still and silent in my lap, but grabbed my hand, and held it on her chest. My heart swelled at the small action.

"As for making the Olympic team, I have about 11 months until the trials, but I should hopefully be competing well before in smaller comps all over the world wherever there is skiable snow that to get my name out there again, and to get back into being the athlete that I know I can be."

I finished my words with a lot more strength than I started. I may skip over the X-Games and I may have to adapt my skiing to deal with my injury, but I know that if anyone can handle the shit hand of cards I was dealt, it's me.

I looked down at Annabeth, and caught her eyes looking back at me. She slowly raised herself in a sitting position, and put her head close to mine.

"If anyone can do it, it's you Percy Jackson. I believe in you."

It was simple, but the resolve behind her words took my breath away. As I raised one hand to her back, I leaned closer and brought my lips to hers. Our mouths danced, and she moved to straddle me, and situate her body directly on my lap, while maintaining our kiss. I cupped her ass through her black leggings and felt the desire burning within me.

Annabeth nipped at my bottom lip with her teeth, and I had to pull myself away, panting.

She was flushed red from the cold and our hot and heavy make out session, but looked at me with a look of "what the hell?"

I laughed at her expression, and kept my hands on her body. "I am getting way too excited for a public beach. Lets take this home?"

She looked at me with mischief, and placed a quick peck on my cheek. "Want to go have sex at the infamous "lookout" that we all would go smoke weed and hookup with each other in high school?" She asked.

I let out a bellowing laugh.

"I'd love to angel."