I was inspired! I am making up for lost time with this super special, fluffy, Percabeth-filled chapter! Enjoy!
Still not Rick Riordan. Is this really necessary for me to say anymore?
"Yes, here's your money. Thank you, good night, have a nice life." Annabeth said to the pizza delivery boy coldly, closing the door.
"WHY WON'T YOU GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER, BABE?" came the slightly muffled shout from behind the door. "WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?" Percy was turning red, and Jason was trying to hold him back. Piper surreptitiously stood in front of them, trying to block the scene from Annabeth's view should she turn around. Annabeth opened the door, and smiled tightly.
"If you do not leave right now, I will arrest you." The boy's eyes raked up and down her body.
"You can arrest me anytime, honey." Percy growled from the corner.
"Alright," Annabeth said, pulling her gun from her bag and leveling it at his head. "You are under arrest for assault, trespassing on private property, and resisting arrest." The boy's eyes widened.
"Uh..." he laughed nervously. "You can't arrest me... you only have a gun!" Annabeth smirked, and wordlessly pulled her FBI consultant badge from her pocket.
"I warned you not to mess with me, honey." The boy screamed like a little girl, and she hit him on the head with the butt of the gun. He crumpled to the ground on the first step. Piper sighed, looking bored.
"Is he dead?"
"No, just unconscious. He might have a concussion in the morning, though." Piper rolled her eyes and watched as her friend deftly put her gun and badge away. Percy watched from behind her, awestruck.
"I'll get the gardeners to put him at the front gate?"
"And have them take the money for the pizza too. Someone's manager is going to be getting a call." Annabeth hefted the pizza box above her shoulder. "Come on, guys. It's time to eat some pizza." Jason shrugged.
"Fine by me!"
They all crowded around the kitchen counter, quickly devouring the extra-large cheese pizza. "Thid id delidioud," Percy mumbled through a gooey bite of pizza.
"Don't speak with food in your mouth," Annabeth said, waving at him absentmindedly. "It's very rude." Percy swallowed his bite in one gulp.
"Sorry," he mumbled. Piper and Jason were having a Lady and the Tramp moment with a long string of cheese, and giggling. "Uh... don't chew with your mouthes open, guys." Percy looked at Annabeth for approval. Annabeth's lips turned upwards marginally. Oh, Percy, she thought. What am I going to do with you? Piper started to glare at Percy out of the corner of her eye, but softened when she saw the ghost of a smile on Annabeth's face. Jason and Piper were almost at the middle when the string of cheese broke. "Aw," Piper pouted.
"Just because we finished eating doesn't mean I can't kiss you," Jason smiled, leaning in and kissing her sweetly. Percy wrinkled his nose.
"Aw, come on guys. We didn't need to see that," Percy whined. He glanced at Annabeth nervously to see if she had noticed his use of the word "we". "Uh... we should probably start Finding Nemo now! We don't want it to get too late. It's already 9:30," he amended quickly.
"Fine," Piper said, looking annoyed at being interrupted.
"To the movie room!" Percy exclaimed happily, running into the hall. Annabeth couldn't help but smile at his childish innocence and excitement over a movie. Piper couldn't help but notice Annabeth's smile. And Jason couldn't help but notice the evil grin spreading across his fiancée's face.
"Jason," Piper hissed, grabbing his arm as he walked towards the hallway. "I have a plan."
"It's evil, isn't it?"
"Yep. It's absolutely brilliant." Jason sighed in defeat.
"Fine. What's the plan?" he asked. Piper leaned over and started to whisper furiously in his ear. His eyebrows raised.
"You think that'll work?"
"I'm positive. Now let's get to that room before Annabeth picks a seat."
Annabeth stepped into the move room. She had always liked watching movies in here- and not just because of the giant screen. The ceiling was designed to look like the night sky, and glittered with faux stars when the lights were turned off. Annabeth sometimes liked to sleep on the plush couch when she needed to relax. The room was furnished with a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf full of movies, a plush, extra-large couch, and two fluffy armchairs. Percy was swiping through all of the movies, and pulled out Finding Nemo with a whoop of triumph. "YES! FOUND IT!" He jumped up and down ecstatically. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
Piper skidded into the room, pulling Jason along behind her. "Sit on the couch, Annie," Piper said, slightly out of breath. Annabeth glanced at Percy, who was inserting the DVD into the built-in port on the wall. She cautiously sat down on the farthest corner of the couch. Jason claimed an armchair, and Piper stood in front of another. Annabeth's eyes narrowed, but Piper clapped her hands and the lights turned off. The beginning credits were just starting when Percy sat on the opposite end of the couch. Piper ran over to Jason's armchair and jumped onto his lap. "Should I move?" Percy whispered.
"You can't get up in the middle of a movie, Percy! You should know that!" Piper giggled. Annabeth glared at her friend in the darkness. Someone was going to pay later.
It was ten minutes into the movie when Percy couldn't take it anymore. "PIPER, JASON. PLEASE STOP MAKING OUT!" he shrieked. Piper lifted her head from Jason's to look at Percy, blushing to her roots in the darkness.
"Yeah, guys. Please save it for the honeymoon. Or at least the bedroom. It's distracting," Annabeth said, not looking away from the movie. Piper and Jason blushed an even deeper shade of red.
"We'll be right back," Piper stammered. "We just need to... have a moment." She and Jason stood up and ran into the hall, closing the door behind them.
"We're not going back in there, are we."
"Nope!" Piper said happily. "But one plus to this plan is that we have the rest of the house all to ourselves for the whole night." Jason smiled.
"Alright. Let's go watch a movie in bed."
"My thoughts exactly," Piper smiled back at him.
Annabeth was slowly relaxing away from the corner of the couch. Nemo's dad and Dory were currently talking to a shark. "Good movie, isn't it?" she whispered to Percy. Why did I ask him that, she wondered. I'm supposed to hate him! Percy looked at her, slightly startled.
"Yeah. It's my favorite," he replied. They settled into a slightly uncomfortable silence.
"Mine too," she whispered. Percy smiled, and their silence became more comfortable.
Fifteen minutes later, Annabeth was starting to get cold. Will Percy notice if I get the blanket from that armchair? Will he be offended? She shook her head. It doesn't matter what he thinks! he brain exclaimed. Just get the blanket if you're cold. Annabeth started to stand up, but Percy beat her to it. Grabbing the blanket, he asked, "Are you cold? You should have said something earlier." He walked over and tucked the blanket around a rather shocked-looking Annabeth. "Do you mind if I share?" Annabeth shook her head no. WAIT, WHAT? Annabeth shrieked in her mind. I don't want to share my blanket with him! Or do I? Percy gently pulled the blanket around them both, leaving a respectable amount of space between them. The blanket wasn't very long, though, so it barely covered Annabeth's thigh. I'm freezing, she thought to herself. Looking at Percy, she sighed dejectedly. "You should move a bit closer. The blanket isn't helping either of us like this."
"Ok..." Percy said, cautiously moving next to Annabeth.
Annabeth's breath caught in her throat at his close proximity. She could smell the slight hint of salty sea air on him. If she reached out, she could run her fingers through his hair. She watched as his chest rose and fell, his eyes sparkling with the light of the movie. She could feel the heat of his arm through his sleeve. Subconsciously, she moved a little closer. She heard him let take a little breath, then release it. "Are you still cold?" he barely whispered.
"A little bit," she breathed.
"I'm going to put my arm around you. Is that okay?" he asked, concern shining in his eyes. Annabeth took a deep breath.
"Okay," she whispered. Percy moved a little bit closer, and carefully laid his arm around her. Annabeth couldn't help but notice that they fit perfectly. She allowed herself a little smile, breathing in the scent of Percy and basking in his warmth. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was home.
The seagulls in the harbor were squawking "MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE" in front of the Sydney opera house when Annabeth's eyelids began to droop. She yawned. "The Sydney Opera house is a wonderful piece of architecture. Did you know that construction started in 1958, but it opened on October 20, 1973?" She yawned once more. "It holds 5,738 people at full capacity-"
"Shh," Percy murmured, playing with a stray curl that had fallen out of her bun. "You're tired."
"I am," Annabeth agreed sleepily, snuggling into his side. Percy's eyebrows raised. He had imagined holding Annabeth for so long, and now she was here in his arms. A dreamy smile spread across his face, and he held his love close to him. Soon after, her breath evened, and she began to snore softly. Percy yawned as Nemo convinced the other fishes to escape the fishing net together. I wonder if this will last? Percy wondered. But she's here right now, and that's all that matters. Slowly, his eyes began to close, the faint sound of wedding bells echoing in his ears.