A/N: Hey guys! Back again with a bonus chapter for the month in lieu of my eight year fanfiction anniversary! Hope you like it!
This chapter takes place after chapter 21
"Oh my god! Percy!"
The delight in Annabeth's voice is contagious and he can't help but smile as he turns around to face her, having finished with the dishes in the sink.
She's still clutching the towel she had been drying her hair with as she walked up to the kitchen island, but her gaze is frozen at the cup in front of her.
"It's so pretty!" she gushes, sitting down at the bar stool across from him, towel carelessly set aside in favor of pulling out her phone.
"Thanks," he replies, chuckling at her excitement. Honestly, it hadn't been that difficult and seeing her reaction makes him want to do it again for every drink. He takes his own cup in hand, bringing it up to his lips for a taste, before setting it back down.
"Not bad," he mutters to himself.
"Not bad? Percy, this is so nice!" Annabeth is already angling her phone to take a picture of her cup, a latte featuring the swan design he'd made for her.
"You haven't even tasted it," he teases lightly. But his heart has been rapidly melting ever since he first turned around to see her delight. And even now, with her damp hair falling in front of her face as she taps away on her phone, her smile is still visible.
"I know it's good," she assures him, setting aside her phone and wrapping her hands around the cup.
He watches, with only a slight anticipation, as she lifts the cup up to her perfect lips and takes a sip.
"I was right!" she proclaims before taking another sip.
His heart is close to bursting at the way her eyes are sparkling up at him, as if he's something amazing, and not just the person who made a swan on her latte.
To cover it up he manages a small chuckle and hopes it doesn't sound like he's choking on the air leaving him from simply being in the presence of his girlfriend. That would be embarrassing and not at all (definitely) true.
His phone buzzes and he pulls it out of his pocket, hoping it'll help calm his rapid heartrate. It's a notification from Instagram that Annabeth has posted.
Opening it up reveals a picture of her latte art swan, and in the background, just slightly out of focus, his hand holding his own cup.
"Call it what you want, but dating a barista has its perks," he reads her caption, setting down his phone to look at her. She's mid-sip and just shrugs in response.
"It does."
He smiles, moving to take another sip. "You forgot to crop my hand in the background."
"No, I didn't. That was purposeful."
"What? Why?" he asks, confused. Annabeth picks up her towel and begins to dry her hair again.
"Well, I know we're keeping our relationship private, but it's not a secret anymore," she explains. "So I like having you…present, in some way, in the part of my life I show to others."
She says it casually, as if her words don't knock all the air out his lungs all over again. (Being around Annabeth is starting to be a health concern at this point.)
"You…I…uh…" he stutters, unable to find a suitable reaction until he finally settles for "oh."
She looks up at him, amusement dancing across her face, as she takes another sip. She looks at him as if he should have known that.
In a way, he guesses, he should have. Annabeth doesn't post that frequently on social media, but when she does he ends up being a part of it in some way. She's also quick to defend him if someone brings it up, no matter what people say or call them.
He finally meets her eyes again to find her still looking at him, clearly watching and waiting for his revelation to be over.
"You know I love you," she says softly. "Don't know why you're always so surprised."
He's gotten better at it now, more accustomed to this joy, the presence of the woman he loves. But there are moments, like this one, where it hits him all over again.
Like, he's dating Annabeth freaking Chase. And not the famous actress but the person, the girl, Annabeth. And someone like her would make anyone freak out.
"I'm not, I just…" he trails off, trying to find a way to voice his thoughts. "Sometimes it just hits me all over again."
She nods, reaching a hand across the island counter to intertwine their fingers. "I know what you mean, sometimes it hits me too that I'm with you."
And that doesn't make any sense to him at all but he's helpless to the sincerity in her voice.
He might spontaneously combust (which would probably be bad for their kitchen) so he tries for a joke.
"Maybe you should wear my initials on a chain, then I'd always be present, as you put it."
"That's a good idea…"
He chokes on his latte.
Annabeth gets up and walks over to his side, patting him on the back as he tries to breathe.
"Are you okay?" she asks, giggling a little.
He covers his face with his hands, mumbling into them. "You're going to be the death of me."
Annabeth pries his fingers away from his face with a laugh. "I was serious, you know, it's not a bad idea."
"It's a terrible idea!" he counters. "Like, how controlling would I have to be for you to wear that?"
She shakes her head, taking his hand into hers. "It's not that, Percy. I wouldn't wear it because you…own me or something like that. It's because you really know me. And few people can say that.
"I mean," she continues. "People out there think they know me, know us. Some of them are fools, acting all high and mighty…" she pauses letting out a frustrated breath. "That's why I said call it what you want. I don't care, 'cause I have you. And you're above all this, and you're always coming to me."
And with that, she pulls him closer, resting her head on his chest. His arms automatically encircle her waist. He will never know how he got this lucky in life.
"You always have me," he agrees, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
They stand there for a moment, just holding each other, before Annabeth pulls away.
"Come on," she says, pulling him along. "I have a latte to finish, and you have some shopping to do."
He lets himself be pulled along, the smile never leaving his face.
A/N: Shoutout to 3 different anons on tumblr for the prompt mashup that inspired this fic (private not secret, call it what you want, and fluff)! Just some soft and cute feels for this one, I hope you guys liked it!
Please Review! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
And as always, thanks for reading!
See ya! :)