Hey all! Here's the chapter you wanted. Probably. Hopefully.
The next morning is a little weird, meaning the glances we get from the crew when we leave the cabin together. When we go up on deck after breakfast, the view is a little different. There's green in the distance, and we're approaching fast. When I ask the captain about it, I'm informed that we are out of water, so we are using the wind as well as the rowers. When Percy hears this, he volunteers himself and the other royals for rowing duty. Then head down, leaving me with nothing to do except bother the girls.
"So, Piper…you and Jason?" We've climbed up in the rigging, and are in front of one of the sails, so it isn't too windy.
"So, you and Percy?" She shoots back.
"Um, obviously," Hazel laughs. Piper sighs.
"It's really not anything…I mean, I want it to be something, but it's just not. I keep trying, and he just…I don't know."
"Want us to persuade him?" Reyna offers. Piper gives a laugh.
"No, I don't want him to think I'm desperate."
"Oh, we can be sneaky," I reassure her. "He'll never know what hit him…in fact, I'm taking lunch down to the four of them, I can inquire for you."
"Don't be obvious," she warns me.
"Oh, I won't. While I'm gone, interrogate Hazel about her and Frank.
Hazel goes bright pink as I climb down, stopping at the kitchens for the lunches that I take to the bottom of the boat. It's dark, sweaty, and smells gross. I'm wearing a bright yellow tunic today, and white leggings, so I stick out. The sailors whistle and laugh, blowing kisses to me. I can't hold back a smile as I make my way to the back four benches where Percy, Jason, Frank, and Leo each have their own oar to row. Leo's grumbling and grunting, taking a bunch of breaks. The other men are sweaty, but faring better. I drop each lunch on the benches next to them, plus a quick kiss for Percy and a wink, then sit next to Jason. He looks surprised.
"Hey, Annabeth."
"Hi, Jason. How's the rowing going?"
"Oh, same old, same old, I guess. How's the upper world?"
"Oh, I'm glad you asked. I wanted to let you know something."
"And…"
"It's about Piper."
"Oh."
"See, I'm fairly sure she likes you, but, well, she doesn't like waiting. So she's been flirting it up with a few different men. Right, men?" I yell the last part, and get a chorus of whoops, cheers, and laughs. Jason looks like he's swallowed a bug.
"So—"
"You should make your move soon, buddy. If you don't, well, then you can say good-bye to her."
"Ok. Yep. Got it." I get up and walk over to Percy, hands on my hips.
"You gonna take a break for me, mister?" Percy gives grin and sets his oar over. I swing my leg over his lap and plop down. I hear rustling as the sailors turn around to watch.
"They're watching," Percy murmurs to me as we touch forheads.
"I don't care. I miss you." I punctuate every sentence with a kiss.
"Yep. But I'm sweaty."
"Well, I'm yellow."
"You're—" He glances at my tunic. "Oh."
"Oh is right. Give me a proper kiss, no more pecks."
"Much obliged," He whispers, putting his hands on my hips to slide me back slightly. I give a giggle in anticipation, and he smiles at me, and leans forward. I lean back, and I'm laying on his lap, head hanging over. I wrap my legs around his back to keep from falling, ignoring the cheers. Then, slowly, he brings his face right to mine, kissing me. I kiss him back, feeling like I haven't for years. He sits up, I sit with him, and run my fingers through his hair, making it stand straight up with sweat. We break off and lean foreheads again, smiling.
"You smell," I mumble, tracing his cheek softly with my finger.
"I noticed," He says, laughing his laugh that I feel, since I'm so close.
"I have to go."
"I have to get back to work."
Despite our words, we sit there for a few more seconds. Then, with a sigh, I stand up and get off his lap. He looks at me with his baby-seal eyes, and I laugh.
"I'll see you later," I say, blowing a kiss. "Piper will collect your trash in about ten minutes, so eat up." I walk out, ignoring the sailors asking for their turn, feeling only his eyes on my back.
I climb back up the riggings and sprawl out, moaning, my eyes closed.
"What's a matter, Annabeth?"
"I love him."
"But…"
"But we can never be together!"
"He's at the bottom of the same boat you're on!"
"So far away…"
"You're being a little dramatic."
"I don't care! I want him!"
"Do you want to hear what Hazel thinks of Frank?"
"Yes…no…I don't care!"
"Well, she likes him. He likes her. They can't get a relationship going because they're too nervous that it'll mess up their friendship."
I open my eyes and sit up.
"This is intriguing! Well, Hazel, my advice is: go down there, tell him you love him, no matter what, and look him in those beautiful, sea-green eyes, and kiss him, and—"
"Annabeth."
"Hmm?"
"Frank. Not Percy. Frank."
"Don't say that!"
"What?"
"Not Percy…"
"Ugh, you're infected with love. And you smell like sweat."
"His sweat!"
"What did you tell Jason?"
"I told him…I told him that I thought you liked him, but you didn't want to wait, and had been flirting it up with other men on this ship. The sailors down there all agreed. So then I said he'd better make his move soon. Then I got up, and told Percy to put his oar down, and I got on his lap, and then I told him—"
"Annabeth, please keep your romance life to yourself."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Then I told the four of them to eat up their lunches, because Piper would be down in about ten minutes."
"What?"
"Jason looked hopeful."
"Gah."
I continue to lay, moaning, until Piper goes. Then I sit up and grumble. She comes back, cheeks flushed.
"Well?" The rest of us demand, all at once.
"Well… I got the trash. Then Jason asked me to sit, and I sat. He told me what you said, and then he said…he said…please stop flirting with other men, because he's trying to get his nerve up, but the flirting isn't helping. Then I said hurry up and get your nerve up, and he said...I already did. And then he kissed me." We ooh and aah, and she blushes. "So then, when we were done, the sailors were hooting at the top of their voices. Could you hear them?"
"Maybe. They seem to like romance," I comment.
"After they had quieted down, I went over Percy to tell him the state you were in. He's basically doing the same thing, and has bits of wood stuck in his hair because the others were tired of listening to him moan. He tried to convince me to take his place so he could charm you, but I declined. Then he moaned some more, and told me to tell you that he loves you, and will come as soon as he could. I said she probably says the same thing. He smiled, and said I don't suppose you'd give her a kiss for me, and I told him no, that'd be weird. He sighed, and told me to remind you of that day in the forest, after he missed the bird…? Annabeth?"
"Oh, Percy!" I moan, fall back, and throw my arm over my face.
"We're pulling into docks! Oh, gosh, Annabeth, look!" I peek out from under my arm, then move it so I can get a better look.
And gasp. "She wouldn't!"
I look again, and it's still there.
The welcoming party. From my mother. The whole city. The whole entire city, and possibly more, is at the docks, waving and cheering. For Percy and me.
Lovely.
I had SO MUCH fun with this chapter! I hope the length is acceptable…as in, it had better be! This is the longest chapter I've written for this story! Chapter 6 came close, but this one beat it by 21 words…yeah. Review, please.