August 7th

His apartment was crowded when she arrived for dinner. There were people Annabeth was unfamiliar with and people she barely recognised, but she couldn't see Percy. Spotting a familiar face, she headed towards where Grover was sat.

There was a girl beside him with straight, strawberry blonde hair so long that it gathered a little on the seat of the couch behind her. She had a small, upturned nose and large, brown eyes. Annabeth guessed that she would be quiet petite but it was hard to tell from the hoodie she was drowning in.

"Annabeth, hey, this is Juniper." Grover smiled and patted down the seat beside him for her to join. "Percy will be glad you could make it."

The atmosphere was a little overwhelming so Annabeth settles to nod at Grover and have a look around. She recognises Estelle, Sally and Paul from the tea party she'd attended a few weeks ago. Estelle is wearing a skirt with two mermaid fins at the bottom and a top with the 'Finding Nemo' logo and various fish stitched onto it. Vaguely recalling when Percy had mentioned his and Estelle's obsession with sea life, Annabeth isn't surprised to spot the shells and starfishes on Estelle's headband. Sally waves in her direction and Annabeth lifts her hand in response.

Stood with the Blofis family is a boy with floppy, blonde hair and freckles and an older man with a cane. The elder of the two has a rather impressive beard and thin framed glasses, but he smiles kindly at Estelle as she dances at his feet, so Annabeth decides he must be friendly.

Grover and Juniper let her in on their conversation on the effects of climate change and their fast food preferences. Sure enough, the topics entwine rather well and Grover holds a good debate as to why enchiladas are the most eco friendly fast food item and should be replacing every McDonalds.

"So, where are they?" Annabeth asks after 20 minutes of making polite chatter.

"Oh, The Halfbloods?" Asks Grover. When she hums, he explains. "There'll be here soon. This happens every year when they release their first single. They're in the studio the day of the release tweaking everything they can before the public hear it."

"I'd give them another 10 before they burst through the door." The blonde boy joins in, offering Annabeth a tentative smile. "I'm Will, Nico's boyfriend."

Sally mutters something to Paul and the two of them share a knowing smile.

Sure enough, the door swings open and in marches the three of them. Thalia looks like she didn't get dressed this morning and is wearing a pair of loose fitted, maroon sweatpants and a Green Day shirt that looks to have seen better days. Nico is dressed casually in a pair of black, ripped jeans with chains hung from the belt loops and an aviators jacket that looks a few sizes to big. And Percy... His blue jeans are faded and ripped, though unintentionally, and his shirt is tight. Annabeth pretends not to notice the way it stretches over his shoulders and across his torso but Will catches her staring and whispers in her ear.

"It's okay, I was the same with Nico last year." Her head snaps up to meet Will's eyes. Is she being that obvious? "It gets easier when you can do this."

She doesn't have time to ask what 'this' is before Will has waltzed over to Nico and they're kissing. Or maybe it's a full blown make out session. Annabeth looks away, not wanting to invade their privacy.

"Hey, you." Percy's voice over her shoulder makes her jump. "Glad you could make it."

"Of course, I couldn't miss this."

They're so close. His hand catches her hip when she turns to look at him and her skin feels hot under the thin t-shirt. Annabeth can see his adams apple swallow hard and when she looks at him she has to tip her head back. She glances at his lips before his eyes but that's only because of the angle making them so close to her face, right?

She goes to shove him playfully but instead she presses her hand to his chest and rests it there. His heartbeat hammers under her fingers.

Annabeth isn't stupid, she knows they're inevitable. Sooner or later, she's going to cave and kiss him and they'll live happily ever after or they'll break. It takes everything in her to just roll her eyes and smirk at his glances instead of closing his mouth with her own but she manages. It's too soon for them to fall apart and she doesn't want to lose him yet.

Dinner is several delivery's from the local takeaways and a batch of cookies specially baked by Sally that afternoon. They're still warm when Annabeth bites into the blue dough and the melted chocolate is sticky in her mouth. It's heavenly.

It's just gone 11pm when Estelle finally grows tired and cuddles up on the couch besides Annabeth. Percy is mid-conversation with Chiron, Thalia and Nico which looks pretty instense but she doesn't miss the way he glances over at them and his stance softens as he watches Estelle crawl into her lap.

For a three year old, she's remarkably articulate, Annabeth notes. She yawns and babbles about her favorite Disney films, quizzing Annabeth on princesses and show tunes.

"You look like sleeping beauty because you have pretty hair. But she's boring. I think you should be Cinderella." The young girl gasps from where she's tucked herself into Annabeth's arms. "Or Rapunzel. She's cool. She hits people with the pan and has a pretty voice, like you. Percy showed me your pretty voice. I think I'm going to steal it like octopus lady does to Ariel. I want a pretty voice like yours..."

Estelle's eyes are closed as she mutters, so Annabeth doesn't reply. She does, however, feel her face flush. Percy talks about her with Estelle? The thought of him with his little sister discussing her 'pretty voice' makes her heart swell.

"Do you need rescuing from this little guppy?"

Thalia is stood beside the couch staring at Estelle. Her expression is soft and contrasting to her usual stern exterior. Annabeth vaguely recalls that The Halfbloods had been a band longer than Estelle had been alive and Sally had practically adopted them as her own children, that would explain the way Thalia seemed to smile at Estelle more than anyone else. They were practically sisters.

She almost shakes her head but she can see from Thalia's gaze that she wants to hold Estelle, so instead she smiles and passes over the young girl.

"Percy's in the kitchen."

With that, Thalia carries Estelle off to what she guesses is a bedroom for her to settle in.

Annabeth had been in Percy's apartment before for many a movie night or afternoon of music where they would both sit on the floor and harmonise to the entirety of Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi's repertoire while he strummed the chords on his guitar, but the atmosphere tonight is heavier. Their single 'Up All Night' goes public at midnight. This is the first thing he's done properly for his career since they'd met. Of course, he'd written and recorded songs, but those weren't public knowledge. Lots of those were for her ears alone. This was bigger than all of that and could potentially set the tone for the success of the band this year.

"Seaweed Brain," She greeted when she spotted him nursing a cider. He must be nervous, she knew he tried not to make a habit of drinking.

"Annabeth," Percy's lips pulled into a smile and he tugged on her arm to get her closer to him.

She pouted when he towered over her again. There wasn't too much of a height difference but she jumped and perched on the counter to make it more even regardless. Percy's laugh was quiet but it still echoed in her brain.

The clock was ticking as they nattered. 11:20. 11:30. 11:40. 11:50.

Percy's hand began shaking and she pressed it between her own palms. "Relax, Percy, the song's great. You'll be nominated for Song of the Summer before you know it. You should just be worried about cleaning yourself up for that awards show. I'm praying on behalf of whoever needs to get a comb through that nest you've got on your head."

He rolls his eyes but looks no less stressed. In a split second, Annabeth decides to pull him into a hug and he relaxes into her arms. It's not particularly comfortable for her. The exposed skin of her thighs sticks to the counter and her legs are pressed between him and the edge of the marble, but she's not in any pain so she puts up with it for him.

They mustn't have moved for a long time because Annabeth hears everyone count down from 10 in the room next door.

9. Percy pulls away and meets her eyes.

8. 7. "Thanks for that, I guess I needed to take a minute."

6. 5. 4. Their eyes search each others faces for an indication. Annabeth briefly remembers telling herself not to do this, not tonight when she could lose him so easily.

3. 2. He glances at her lips and raises an eyebrow questioningly. Of course, he was checking she was okay with it, that boy was too selfless for his own good. Maybe that's what made her decision for her.

1.