I'd say sorry for the cliff-hanger, but by now you guys shouldn't be surprised. Okay and also thanks for 20k views, like wtf that's amazing ily all!
Disclaimer: Rick Riordan is far better at cliff-hangers then me. Guy literally ended an entire book with our favorite couple hanging/falling off a cliff. To hell. Smh.
~headline: is this a fairytale, probably not, taxes exist~
…
He notices her first. Turned away with Piper, arguing about something. He walks forward, but then she turns around. And there she is. Curly blonde hair. Tanned skin. Calculating grey eyes he wants to explore. He walks towards her, slowly. Threads his hands through his hair still enchanted. He stops. Smiles. And everything is at peace.
Being completely honest, he didn't think he'd ever see her again. Didn't think that he'd ever move on. Thought he'd be in a perpetual state of loss. But there she is, making all of the past thoughts he had confirmed himself, be scratched away. Even when Percy knew that he was going to see her again, he figured that she would deny him. Maybe she will. He doesn't know. All he knows is that now, they're running toward each other at full speed.
It's almost unspoken. His legs start moving, picking up the pace as he races over. She runs too, her legs thumping against the grass below her. It feels like eternity, though it's probably only a couple of seconds. Finally. Finally. Finally.
It's finally happening. The moment can't be more perfect, though the next ones that are following will probably top it off. He can't get to her fast enough, it feels like time slows down, as cliche as that sounds. But, you know what? Cliches aren't that bad. After all, in the movies, they always lead to dreams coming true. And Percy knows that's certainly what this is. A dream coming true. A really good dream.
It's her. It's her and he's happy. So, so happy. As he runs, her phone bumps up and down in his pocket, and he reaches out as they meet in the middle. They embrace, hug, and it's all quiet. A speechless expression of joy and love.
This is the girl who he's shared his secrets and fears with. The girl that he's spent over a year talking to. The one her was his friend when no one else was. The girl whose wit and charm and intelligence he fell in love with, even though it was over a screen. Wordlessly, Percy finds lips touching slowly, and it's unexpected. Something Percy didn't think would ever happen, but needless to say, it is. He feels at home with his lips on hers, and he tugs her closer.
He didn't even know she liked him that way. He thought it was unrequited, that when they met they'd be friends. But despite those false thoughts, he's damn glad for this. Glad that they've met in the middle with a tight hug and embrace. He feels like the fates have favored him, that he's finally had some genuinely helpful good luck. The short time they spent together at the meet and greet was precious, extremely. But it wasn't as long as Percy wished it would be. Five minutes will never be enough, even endless amounts of time will never be enough. This is something— someone— he wants to be with forever.
Forever. That's a scary word. But it's really the only one that properly capitalizes on what he feels. This is straight falling in love, this is the definition of what loving forever means to Percy. It's cheesy, causing delusions and more the commence, but it's true. As Percy has said time and time before, it all feels more than true. Better than the truth.
After what seems like seconds, but is probably actually minutes, Piper clears her throat from the gazebo loud enough for the both of them to hear. They jump apart, Annabeth with a red blush to her cheeks. Did he cause that? He's certainly very happy if he did. She smiles at him softly, and he returns it.
"I told you it wasn't a blind date." Piper's voice comes from behind them, and she smirks at Percy. He wonders what that's about.
Annabeth, facing opposite to her, turns around at Percy's side. "This is much better than that." She looks over at him with this loving expression in her twinkling eyes. "Much, much better."
"No disappointment?" Percy asks, unable to form a full sentence. He's a little bit gobsmacked, because although he did know he'd be meeting her again, she certainly didn't think it would be in this manner.
Annabeth's eyes narrow a bit. "How'd you do this anyway?" She asks, and her hand brushes against Percy's. He takes it a bit hesitant, and wraps his around hers.
"You didn't see my post." Percy establishes. "I— I could show you. It would put things in context a little bit better."
She swallows. "Okay, yeah, I'd like that."
He pulls out his phone, and then goes to his Instagram, right to his most recent post. He then hands his phone over to her. She takes it, and then reads it. Percy looks down at her, trying to gauge her expression, but it doesn't really change. It stays still, the same look she just gave him.
She takes her time reading through it, scrolling through each of the black boxes, until she reaches the end. She looks up from the phone with a smile on her face, and then hands the phone back. "Percy— that's honestly so sweet of you. I don't know what to say." There's a tint to her cheeks.
"You don't have to say anything."
She brings her arms around his neck, almost like she doesn't care who's watching. Piper, thankfully, turns away to give them some privacy. "But I want to," she says, "for the first time ever, I just don't know how to put it into words."
"Come on, it can't be that hard." He jokes. Though he knows it must be. The only reason he's not completely speechless is because he wasn't taken by surprise. Though this alone is enough to leave him at a loss for words.
She sighs. "I love you too." She says quietly, leaning in. "In case you were wondering."
"Of course I was wondering, Annabeth."
"I just wish things were easier."
"I'm sorry I dragged you into all of my mess."
Annabeth shakes her head. "No, I'm grateful for that. Well, not the jerky media part of it, but I'm glad I finally got to meet you. It's just everything is changing now."
"I guess that's life."
Annabeth puts her head against his chest. "I guess it is."
He feels Annabeth's phone in his side-pocket, and then slowly pulls this out. "Uh, I got this back for you. From the idiots who stole it. Threatened them with a law-suit or two. You are a minor."
Annabeth chuckles. "I love how you say that so casually."
Shrugging, he hands it over to her. She takes it, and then runs her finger over the case. "Uh, I think I need to thank Piper." Annabeth says. Percy nods, and she turns around, walking toward her. Percy follows. "Piper?" Annabeth calls out to the girl, who is sitting in the gazebo. From the angle he's at, it looks like she's playing crossy-bird.
Piper looks up. "What?"
Annabeth rushes over, and gives her a hug. The girl looks extremely affronted, and then settles into it. "Don't let this become a normal thing," she mutters, but Annabeth just squeezes her harder. Percy smiles. They look like genuine friends. He's glad that they both have some of those, they're hard to come by.
"Thank you for everything Piper," Annabeth says. "I— I'm really glad to have you as my friend. If there's anything I can do to repay you, I just feel like—"
Piper pushes her away. "Enough with the sappy stuff. You can buy me food later." She counts on her fingers. "Four different trips. Just…" she waves her hand. "Let me play crossy-bird."
Annabeth's face falls. "I don't want to leave you alone."
"Stop being thoughtful. It's weird. I'm good."
Piper rolls her eyes. "Come back when you're done." She looks up at Percy. "One strike and you're out Jackson."
"I thought it was three."
"I make my own rules."
Percy smiles, and then Annabeth turns around to him. "We have a lot to talk about." She says, looking up at him, her eyes wide.
Percy nods. "Yeah, we do."
…
They walk a while in silence, still holding each other's hands. Annabeth eventually clears her throat, and speaks. "Did you ever think that this would happen?"
Percy sighs. "Honestly?" He says, "No. I thought I would just keep getting disappointed. We had only spent five minutes talking, and then everything happened, and I wasn't even sure if you cared that much. I guess I thought it was a lost cause."
"But you still put that post out." She replies while shaking her head a little bit.
Percy shrugs. "I knew that I had to at least try before giving up. And even if nothing happened there, to be honest, I'd probably try again. I didn't— don't— want to lose you."
"You said—" she starts, and then swallows, "you said that I gave you a sense of normality. What does that mean?"
Percy sighs. "It means that while I was in a world where I couldn't step outside without being worried about the media, a world where I had to show myself as something I wasn't and pretend that I loved someone I didn't, I still had someone to hold onto, my rock. Someone that made me remember who I really was at the end of the day. Someone who didn't seem to care who I was, but what I was. I don't know. I've made tons of mistakes, but I guess the biggest one was letting myself go. I already knew what being normal, I guess, felt like, and now that I had a taste of fame, something more than a taste, a full meal, I missed that. And you gave me that."
"Oh." Annabeth says. "That— I'm still really sorry for mischaracterizing you Percy. It makes me feel shitty every time I think about how I was trashing you without even knowing who you really were.
He shakes his head. "It's not your fault. You took what you saw and made assumptions. Everyone does that. Hell, I do it all the time." He felt his chest tighten, and as he looked at her smile, sullen, yet happy, something reassured to him. "Can I ask you something?"
Annabeth looks up. "What?"
"You— you said Percy Jackson saved your life." It almost feels like he's talking about a different person when he says that. But Percy Jackson is him. It would just feel so weird to say, I saved your life, wouldn't be right. "But you didn't really say anything more to that. What do you mean?"
Annabeth bites her lip, and then looks down. "I was in a place where I didn't know who I was. I felt like I didn't have anything. When I say Percy Jackson saved my life, or you, whatever, it was more about what his— your— music gave me. A little safe space. It was what encouraged me to begin my blog. And during a time where I was in a deep depression, one I didn't even know the source of, it gave me some life. I don't know where I would be without it. And this depression I was in, it came out of nowhere. Struck me from behind. I didn't even realize how far into it I was until it hit me that no one would care if I was gone. I sort of went into this whole nihilism phase, thinking that life was meaningless," she laughs a little bit, but it's a sad sort of laugh, "I can't believe that I'm telling you this, but I genuinely thought that if I was gone, no one would care. And I thought that if life was meaningless, why…" she hesitates. "Why live it?"
Percy's heart is pounding really fast, and he pushes her closer to him. "I'm so sorry. I'm glad that I could somehow help you, even when I didn't know you." This doesn't feel like he's talking to a plan or something. He's talking to a lover, her, Annabeth. "If there's anything I can do now—"
Is he saying any of the right things?
She cuts him off. "I'm out of that state now, don't worry. I found a passion, I strengthened my relationships, I started to actually hold onto things. I understand everything a bit better now. I'm basically out of that state." Basically. That feels so indefinite. "My mother's death obviously made things harder, but I stopped thinking that way a while ago. I think I've tried to block it off," she blinks, "but now as I'm getting more adjusted, I'm sort of letting myself process it more."
"I'm glad for that."
Annabeth smiles. "So am I."
…
There are a lot of things Percy doesn't understand about the world. There are a lot of things he doesn't know about himself. But one thing he knows is he has people he can count on. People he can rely on, knowing they'll have his back. Despite the fact there's been plenty (and he means plenty) shitty people in his life, the people that make it better are the ones that will never leave. Well, hopefully.
Acropolis, Annabeth, whatever you call her, is the person that has given him happiness. Looking too far into the future can be disappointing, but despite that, it's still important to talk about. They walk around quietly for a while, settling on a bench in a more secluded area than before. As far as Percy notices, no one is at the park, but not being cautious has almost cost him this entire relationship, so he wants to make sure he doesn't mess up again.
"Annabeth," Percy says slowly as she leans her head on his shoulder. "What do you want… for the future?"
She takes his hand. "I— I don't know." She hesitates, "But I want to make sure we stay together. Friends, in a relationship, whatever."
Friends don't really sound right to him. A puzzle piece hasn't quite clicked yet with that word. It's partially there, but not fully. "I'd like a relationship." Percy has always been shown as a non-relationship guy. He's joked that he doesn't want to settle down. But… since Acropolis, Annabeth, has come into the picture, that's changed. And he wants that part of his image to change too.
"Yeah." Percy says.
Annabeth swallows. "But I want to go slowly. I'm not sure about making it all public yet. School is hard enough as it is, and I just— I don't want the media to get in the way of anything."
"Neither do I." A small breeze goes over them. "I really like you. Love you."
She removes her hand from his, and then puts it around his shoulder. "Yeah. I do too."
They turn around once more, leaning into each other, joining in the middle with a kiss. It isn't nearly as intense as the first one, more slow and steady. That's what wins the race, right? He smiles against his lips, leaning closer. This moment, the last couple of moments have all felt so perfect. For all the horrible things he's experienced, this makes everything better. Infinitely better. He knows many people haven't gotten lucky like this. He knows that people fall out of love. But as he holds her closer to him, he thinks that won't be happening anytime soon. He doesn't find himself falling out of love from her.
Breaking apart allows him to breath a little bit, and he puts his hand to his heart. It beats fast, Percy can tell his cheeks are probably just as pink as hers. "I'm worried this is a mistake." Annabeth says outright, as they break apart. "For your career."
"I don't care about that." He pulls her closer. "You matter more to me than that." He smirks, "and to be honest, I don't think they can drop me. I have some stuff against them. I want you to be my girlfriend, and no ones going to stop that."
She blushes. "Same." Annabeth quirks an eyebrow up. "But what's 'stuff'?"
He pulls out his phone, and opens it up to his voice memos app. He finds the right recording, and then plays it to her. It starts with him singing, and he blushes even more, looking up at Annabeth who's nodding her head up and down. "Is that something you wrote?" She asks. "Or are you just showing off now?"
"Just some improv." Percy blushes. There's a lot of that going around today.
Annabeth rolls her eyes but also smiles.
The recording goes on, and there's a lot of fumbling, probably as he's packing up his stuff and leaving. For a minute it's silent, and Percy looks over to see if it's paused, but then it plays the conversation, and Annabeth's eyes widen. "That's downright nefarious." She says as it finishes. "Dionysus Vino. What a tool."
"Yeah, well now it's lawsuit time."
She chuckles. He decides he likes her laugh, it's not super pretty, but it just really shows all of her joy being released, not holding back. There are so many new things he's learning about her, so many things that were left out in their messaging conversations. Those were special, yes, but if it's possible, even more joy comes from seeing and talking to her in person. "You say that a lot."
"A lot of people deserve to get law-suit-ed." Is that a word?
"I wasn't aware that a lawsuit could go into verb form."
Percy shrugs. "When you're famous like me," he jokes, "anything can."
"So cocky. I didn't think you'd be that cocky in person."
They laugh along with each other, and it's perfect. For the rest of the time, they joke and talk and just have fun together. Percy can't wait to see her again because after all, they're girlfriend and boyfriend. Boyfriend and girlfriend. The thought makes him giddy. Maybe it's going a little fast, but come on, they've been talking for a year. It's been pretty damn slow up until now.
Knowing a lot more is coming for the two of them is scary. The paparazzi, the media, his management, friends, even maybe Calypso is terrifying. But he's willing to go through that all, because in the end, he knows he'll still have her.
…
~love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together (Aristophanes)~
I hope this satisfied all of your percabeth cravings. More coming soon, there's just a couple more things to resolve! Monday I may or may not update bc of just life and stuff, so if I do, that's great, but if I don't, well, you know (kinda) why. Leave a review! Lmk what you think! Stay safe and healthy! Until the next chapter!
TheLil'Lion