June 18th

Hanging out after 'the incident' is awkward at first, but they've adapted. Neither of them mention that their friendship had almost become Instagram official or that Percy had practically written an album of romantic ballads for her. Things are tense but not unbearable, and that is enough for the both of them.

Thursday night is movie night, Percy had announced, storming into her apartment that evening. He'd unpacked a bag of takeout food and 'The Hunger Games' box set on the kitchen table before Annabeth had been able to stop him.

"Percy! We have guests!"

Apparently they've reached the stage of friendship where you didn't need permission to show up at the other persons place, but maybe Percy needed to learn to drop a heads up. Behind Annabeth is Piper and four people Percy hasn't met before.

"Dam, I didn't bring enough food."

Thanks to Piper's Instagram and Annabeth's Youtube content, Percy recognises 2/4 of the people in front of him. Jason looks just as preppy in real life as he does in photos, though the small scar on his upper lip adds a certain level of mystery about him, until he informs Percy that it was due to him being a greedy toddler. Hazel, who is remarkably short compared to everyone else in the room, has an air of wisdom about her. She seems pleasant enough but the glare she sends Piper after she makes an offhand comment at her expense is enough to make Percy shiver. Her eyes are amber but the flecks of gold sprinkled in her irises makes him wonder whether she's even human. Frank is built like a wrestler with the attitude of an awkward pre-teen, an endearing combination of clumsy and smooth. Percy hadn't come across Frank amongst his media stalking, but it didn't take long to realise that he was the boyfriend Hazel often referred to. Leo is slim with curly black hair and impish features. Percy is informed that Piper was best friends with him in middle school and high school and when he cracks a joke about Percy's odd timing and heads straight to the takeout food, it's abundantly clear the boys are going to get along.

It's a good job these people are chill, Percy thinks as he introduces himself to them, because I just stormed into the apartment with a plan to hijack Annabeth away from this perfectly pleasant get-together.

As it so happens, Jason is a big fan of the Hunger Games franchise so opts in on the movie marathon. The seven of them pile onto the couch in a heap and shove each other until they have enough space. Percy finds himself between Frank and Piper but before he can protest, Annabeth has wriggled her way over to sit on the floor at his feet, Luna in tow.

His brain numbs when she pushes herself up against the couch between his legs and gets comfortable. It hangs unspoken in the air between them, the weight of the last time they were in this room, Percy had serenaded her and they'd been so close to kissing that it had almost broke him to pull away. By the time he'd cleared his thoughts, Katniss was on the way to the Capitol.

Somewhere during the arena, Luna jumps into his lap and he sticks his tongue out at Annabeth.

(Leo comments that Luna knew something needed to stay hidden and suddenly Percy isn't so smug anymore.)

All the food is gone when they switch disks and Jason diplomatically decides it's the perfect time for a bathroom break and to replenish the snacks.

Much to everyone's disgust, Annabeth rolls her head and makes her neck click before getting up for a quick stretch. Concentrating on taking Luna out for her own bathroom break is easier than trying not to stare at Annabeth so Percy does the former, strolling up and down the sidewalk for a few moments and hoping the fresh air will clear his mind.

It works momentarily, but Annabeth's changed into pyjama shorts and a hoodie while he's been out and now his brain is just as muddled.

Hazel drifts off halfway through the third film and so Piper decides to wake her to get her into a bed.

"She can take mine." Annabeth offers from where she's curled at his feet. "I can stay on the couch for tonight."

Piper isn't very subtle about the wink she offers in response, but no one says anything about it.

A half hour later, Frank and Jason call it a night.

"I'm gonna head to bed, too." Piper says, getting up and tugging on Leo's arm. "Leo, you look tired, you should sleep as well." He looks as though he couldn't think of anything worse but does as she says, leaving Percy and Annabeth alone in the room.

Annabeth moves to sit beside Percy now that there's the space and he pretends not to notice the distance she's put between them.

They've both seen the movie before and they start to inch closer to each other in anticipation of the jump scares and by time the characters on screen are underground, Annabeth has a leg across his lap and his arm is around her shoulder, pulling her in. Percy catches a whiff of her lemon scented hair again and holds himself back before he can dwell on the last time he'd held her like this.

"Scared, Chase?" He teases when she tucks her head into the crook of his neck. When she shakes her head, her hair tickles his chin.

"Not a chance, Jackson."

They poke fun back and forth until the jump scare inevitably catches the both of them by surprise. Percy's laugh gets stuck in his throat when he realises that her arms have snaked around his torso beneath his jacket.

When the movie finishes, they're a mess of tangled limbs. He's sure that the feeling of her fingers against the skin of his exposed waist might be making him dizzy.

Annabeth isn't much better. Trying to remain composed around him was becoming difficult and part of her ached to kiss him right there and then. The other part of her knew that she needed to wait this out. Percy was a good guy - sure - but she was still sceptical. Better to hold back on getting too attached before it all went wrong. And who knows, she thinks maybe she would quite like something permanent with Percy.

It's nearing on 2am when he leaves the apartment and Annabeth's suddenly very glad that no one else was up to hear their ramblings (Annabeth is on the verge of tears when she tries to explain the significance of who sings what musical motif in Finale Ultimo of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' because that's the important stuff right there and Percy contemplates whether fishes in different bodies of water would be able to communicate). Their nonsensical chats about which animal has the biggest heart - blue whale in case you're curious - may have brushed over their childhood traumas but there's only so many 'Daddy Issues' jokes a person can make before you have to take the hint.

It's nice to have found someone to be so completely careless in conversation with. There's no need to tread carefully.

Annabeth's mind is whirring when she tries to get to sleep that night because the paranoia always hits when you need to shut down. She glances at the time, he's surely at his own apartment by now, probably asleep. Would it seem clingy if she text him?

absoluteannabeth heyy thanks for the surprise movie night tonight, it was good to have you round. i'm sorry if i'm making you feel put aside and maybe we should talk about the other night but i guess i'm just not the most spontaneous person with stuff like this. just know i really appreciate you

Annabeth hits send before she can change her mind but that doesn't prevent the lingering feeling of regret or the image of her message burnt into her eyelids when she screws them shut. She hopes he doesn't need her to spell out that she has feelings for him. It must be pretty clear by now.

When she thinks about Percy, she can envision something solid, permanent, the idea is enough to terrify her. It's all she's wanted. Call it cliché but unwavering love, a stable home and a perfect family is something she's dreamt about since she was a kid. It's the polar opposite of how she grew up.

Frederick Chase is a kind man, but smarter in intellect than emotions. He'd been understanding of his high school sweethearts choice to split so she could raise the baby without interrupting his studies, but things never did work out like that and Athena fell ill during her pregnancy. A baby no longer seemed so appealing and so when the system got hold of the kid, they made sure to send her to her family: Frederick.

Maybe Annabeth would've had a better childhood if she'd grown up with her aunt and cousin instead of her dad.

She shouldn't complain, things had been good for a few years. Frederick knew what a kid needed and Annabeth was disciplined enough not to bother him while he worked, but then he fell in love and she was put aside for her brothers. Frederick just didn't have the patience for three children and Annabeth was a big girl, she could look after herself.

FYI: she couldn't and she did work that out, but that's a whole other story.

Anything that Annabeth had once had, was now gone. Nothing lasted more than a few years and she was always left to piece together the shattered glass and crumbled ruins of what she'd grown used to. She didn't want Percy to be the same.

percyjackson18 no worries at all. maybe talking would be sensible but i get it, take all the time you need. don't worry about me, i don't wanna pressure you into something you don't want. i'm too impulsive and i think i pushed us too soon. i'm sorry x

She doesn't reply. Instead, she opens Instagram and posts something that's bit sitting in her drafts since the night he'd sung to her. It takes her a moment to think of a caption but she does and she tags him in it before pressing share.

In the photo, he's beaming at her face behind the camera. She'd been laughing at his childish antics while he'd been playing guitar and passionately singing to himself. It had already been posted on her snapchat but she didn't have 'followers' on that in the way she did on instagram, only a few of her friends.

absoluteannabeth heart of a blue whale but seaweed for brains