A/N: Hi friends! Sorry that took an obscenely long time. I honestly hate myself. I actually spent most of the time trying to work on the next chapter which I thought would be part of this, but it ended up being longer than I next update will be very soon! Update about my life: My birthday was a few weeks ago, and I'm done with my job! I literally had like an hour or two of free time every night including eating but that's done and dusted now. Currently on vacation in Athens! Feeling all the mythology and I love it so much! Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review, favorite, and follow! :*

Chapter 10: Double Trouble

"Don't you think you're being a little too eager about this? How do you know you like him?" Annabeth asked, pushing Piper away from her with her leg.

"I didn't say I like him as in like him. Like I could go my whole life without seeing where this goes. But do I want to see where it goes? Hell yes. Jason is so nice and interesting and hot. Oh my god he's so fucking hot." Piper faked fanning herself as she collapsed onto the couch next to Annabeth.

"You do realize that the more you're around him, the more likely you are to let it slip that our relationship is a scheme?"

"Scheme ,shmeme, Annabeth. You know me. These lips do not kiss and tell—I know that's not what the saying refers to but you get it. Besides, if anything, I can distract him from noticing anything."

"What about when we break up?"

"Oh please. If there's nothing there, as you say," Piper glanced at Annabeth pointedly, "Then you can make it an amicable split, which means we don't have to do anything."

"But what if—" Annabeth asked, but Piper cut her off.

"You really don't have any more arguments, Annie. Besides, don't you want me to be happy?" Piper pouted.

"Ugh I suppose so," Annabeth sighed. Piper looked at her expectantly. "You guys would make a cute couple," Annabeth conceded.

"Yay! Now set me up babe!" Piper squealed, hugging Annabeth tightly.

"Okay, we need to approach this casually. Make it seem like we're not making a big deal out of this. All right, Annabeth—we're cool, we're cool," Annabeth muttered to herself.

Piper laughed. "Remind me why you're setting me up?"

"Because I'm the one that has an in."

"How'd you get cool enough for that?"

Annabeth shot Piper a dirty look then turned her attention back to her phone. "Dear Percy," she started saying aloud as she pretended to type. "Piper is absolutely infatuated with Jason. Please tell me he feels the same way otherwise she's going to DIEEEEEE of heartbreak." Annabeth cackled.

Piper smacked her. "Don't joke. You would do that."

"You're right. But that's the second step." She winked. "Here, how does this sound: 'Hey Percy, what does Jason think of Piper?'"

"Mmm… It could come across like I like him and want to know if he likes me back."

"But you do?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't need to know that. Just say you think we're cute or something."

"Ok fine. 'Hey Percy, did you see Jason and Piper the other day? They'd be so cute together, don't you think?'"

"Acceptable." Piper looked over Annabeth's shoulder. "Just send it before I rethink it."

"You sure? If it's a risky text, I can revise it."

"Nah," Piper waved her hand dismissively. "It's only a risky text if you care enough about it's contents. I told you—no crush here."

"Uh huh," Annabeth vocalized sarcastically. She hit send. "Well your not-risky text has been sent, Pipes. Now we wait."

"Oh I hope this goes well. I mean—" she recovered after Annabeth glanced over. "I wonder what's on TV"

Percy's phone beeped. He and Jason were having some quality bonding time, which really consisted of video games, song writing, and roasting their family. Thalia was meant to come over later to work on music, so Percy was trying to perfect a bridge, but it just wasn't happening. The notification was a welcome excuse.

He glanced down and furrowed his brow as he read the message. "Jace," Percy started. "What do you think of Piper?"

Jason looked up from his own notebook. "She's gorgeous. And she knows her literature," Jason said, getting a dreamy look on his face.

"All right there, lover boy," Percy said, suddenly uncomfortable with his cousin's ability to be in touch with his emotions, something Percy could only do with his music. "Do you like her?"

"Yeah she seems really cool. I'd like to ask her out. But I don't know if that's okay with you and Annabeth."

"Why does it matter what Annabeth and I think?" Percy asked, confused.

"I mean, you guys are together, and I just don't want you guys to feel uncomfortable. Like since you're our common link, we'd probably spend a lot of time with you guys, and if you don't want us together, it would be awkward."

Percy thought about how considerate, if a bit bonkers, Jason's reasoning was. Percy had never considered anything like that while pursuing a girl, albeit he had to admit that none of the girls he'd pursued were even remotely important to him. Still, he found himself wishing he was that good of a friend. It was putting himself before his band that got him in this whole fake dating situation in the first place, and he spent every day trying to redeem himself in his friends' eyes—both in this relationship with Annabeth, and personally.

"Well, I'll have you know," Percy said, pulling himself out of his thoughts, "That Annabeth and I would like to set you two up. She just asked if I thought you guys would be cute together."

"Oh. Well would we be? I never think about that kind of stuff."

"I mean, you guys definitely looked like a couple the other day, so sure."

"Sweet. So what now?"

"Well let me respond." He started typing

Ya I guess. Jason thinks Piper is cool. Wht does she think?

Yeah she likes him. Shall we set them up?

Hell yeah. What you got?

Piper says double date :/

Percy chuckled to himself. Piper or you? ;)

Shut up Jackson. She doesn't want to screw this up. As if us bickering will make it any better.

You never know. We always keep things interesting. ;)

He could feel Annabeth rolling her eyes as the three dots bobbed up and down. Whatever. Let's just plan this shit.

Annabeth and Piper showed up at the restaurant that Annabeth and Percy had picked. Hestia's Hearth was a young, upscale restaurant that served homey organic dishes. Piper had been once with her father for his birthday and loved it, and it had been on Annabeth's post of places to try for as long as it had been around. As they stepped inside, Annabeth evaluated the interior. The lighting was warm, as though lit by a million candles, while the wooden floors were a warm orange color, with matching accents on the creme walls. A small fire crackled just beyond the entrance area, and Annabeth noticed a few sconces in the wall holding Greek vases. Annabeth was instantly at ease.

The hostess said something cryptic into her headset then motioned for them to follow her. She led them through a maze of tables, all of varying sized, each cozier than the last. When she finally stopped, it was in front of a table in the corner occupied by two smiling boys. Percy and Jason, in coordinating crisp collared shirts—dark blue for Percy and light grey for Jason—stood up and pulled the chairs out for their respective dates. Jason pulled out an enormous bouquet and handed it to Piper. Percy, after a quick glance from Jason, followed suit. The bouquet Percy handed Annabeth was undoubtedly smaller than Piper's, but was, to Annabeth's mind, more beautiful. It was a myriad of roses in varying pastel hues, with sprigs of baby's breath tucked in, which looked exactly like a floral arrangement she had created in her home a couple of weeks prior.

"You really didn't need to get me a bouquet," Annabeth said, quirking her eyebrow. When Piper finished thanking Jason, Annabeth turned to him. "And you didn't need to force Percy to get me a bouquet—I know he's not that kind of person," she said without any bitterness. She got along rather well with Percy, but he was not a romantic by any means, and pretending otherwise would undoubtedly result in crushed hopes and disappointment.

"Oh, actually it was his idea," Jason said happily.

"Oh!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Thank you then, dear," she said, as Piper hit her thigh with her hand under the table and Percy made a conscious effort to study a very interesting spot on the table. She put her hand on his, which made him look up at her. He smiled a slight grin, replaced a second later by his winning smirk. Annabeth did not know what happened, but she was again struck by how confusing this boy was—to the point where he seemed to be two completely different people.

The group of four made small talk until they ordered there meals. Piper then turned to Percy and made as if she had something to say. "So Percy, how'd you two meet?"\

"Didn't Annabeth tell you?" Percy gulped, trying to size up Piper and Annabeth.

"Oh she did, but I wanted to hear it from you," she smirked. "Do you know, Jason," she asked innocently.

The blond boy laughed. "I heard briefly at your party, but these two skimmed on the details," he said good-naturedly.

"Well," Percy started. "Chiron, our manager, called me in obscenely early one morning. When I got there, him and Annabeth's manager, Reyna, were sitting there, plotting. As I sat there, cursing them for making me get up so early, this beautiful girl walks in. I'm not going to lie, we argued quite a bit that day. But I liked how she didn't fawn over me because of who I was. So I called Chiron, who called Reyna, and she agreed to go out with me for some odd reason. This was definitely their plan the whole time—it just irks me to know they're probably toasting each other every time we go out."

"Awwwww that's so cute!" Piper squealed, giving Annabeth a long look.

"Wait, you guys were set up?" Jason asked. "How come you never mentioned that?"

"I thought we did," Percy replied. "If not, it's probably because I hadn't come to terms with someone else being right."

"So this isn't—" Jason started.

"Dude, I could never be forced to date someone and you know that. I don't know what Chiron's reasons were for setting us up, but they aren't my reasons for dating Annabeth." Percy's hand clenched and Annabeth quickly covered it with her own.

The food came shortly, and more small talk was made. Piper talked about a shoot she had done recently in Greece and all of the amazing places she had seen around the country. Jason then started gushing about his, Percy, and Thalia's most recent trip to Greece to see their family. Percy occasionally chimed in a detail Jason left out, but, like Annabeth, he preferred watching how purely interested in each this new couple was.

Finally, dinner came to a close. As the plates were being taken away, Annabeth spoke up. "Ok so how are we dividing the check?"

"Oh, Percy and I already took care of it," Jason responded.

"I'm sorry, what?" Annabeth felt herself become angry.

"Oh no," Piper whispered.

"Percy, why did you not let me cover at least part of the bill?"

"We thought it would be easier this way!"

"We?" she turned to Jason and glowered.

"Guilty," he said, trying to maintain composure but looking mildly terrified.

"You didn't even ask!"

"Annabeth, calm down," Piper said, trying to pacify her friend. "I apologize, guys. Annabeth is all about equality. Honestly, I am too, and I agree with her, but in case you couldn't tell, her temper is wild." She shot Annabeth a glare as she said this last bit.

Annabeth took a deep break trying to regain composure. "Sorry about the outburst guys. I just don't like being in debt to anyone. But I guess I'll get Percy back for that." She grinned at him evilly.

Percy gulped at Annabeth's words and made sure to get behind her as they made their way out of the restaurant.