"I can't do this."

"Percy," Annabeth sighed, crossing her arms. He was seated on the couch, his fingers dug into his black hair, only causing it become messier. "Come on, it'll be okay. You'll be at work-you won't even think about," she said soothingly, reaching her hand out and rubbing it down his back. He relaxed just a little at her touch.

"This is so stressful."

"It's Lily's first day of school. She'll be fine, Percy, you know she will."

Percy groaned and dropped his head against the back of the couch. "What if she's like me? What if something happens and we have to move her to another school? And what if something happens there and we have to move her to another one? Annabeth-" Percy's head flew off the back of the couch, his green eyes huge. "That was the worst experience ever. I don't want her-"

"Shh," Annabeth said quickly, shaking her head. If he weren't so traumatically worried, he'd be cute. "Stop worrying so much. You're going to freak her out and then she's never going to go."

"Good. We can home school her. You're smart-you can do it."

"We don't need to home school her, Percy. Lily is almost six years old. She will do perfectly fine."

"I'm ready!"

In a flash of pale pinks and purples, Lily flew out of her room and straight into Percy's lap. Percy look up at Annabeth, pouting. Lily may not be her biological daughter, but there was no possible way she was going to let Percy keep Lily home today.

Annabeth took her seat next to Percy, and Lily climbed into her lap. She slid her tiny backpack off of her shoulders and pressed against Annabeth's stomach.

"Will you check again, please?" Lily asked.

For the third time in the past twenty-four hours, Annabeth zipped open the backpack and checked to make sure there was a notebook, a crayon box, and her lunch box.

"You're all good," Annabeth said to her. Lily threw her arms around Annabeth's neck.

"I'm so excited!"

Annabeth shot Percy a look over Lily's shoulder, and Percy dropped his head back against the couch.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes!"

Percy stood up and pulled Lily out of Annabeth's arms. He squeezed her tightly and peppered her face in kisses. Lily giggled and Percy smiled at her, his eyes sad. Annabeth knew he'd had a hard childhood, his father never being around, and abusive stepfather and jumping from school to school every year. She completely understood why he was so worried, but she knew Lily was going to have so much fun at school. She didn't have the same struggles Percy did.

Annabeth stood back up and planted a firm kiss on Lily's cheek, then Percy's.

"Come on, then. We don't want you to be late on your first day!"

Percy sat at the bar, slowly drinking his strawberry milkshake and watching Annabeth work. He wasn't up to working at the moment, and he had confidence that his staff could handle everything. He just wanted to go pick up Lily and bring her home, and have her snuggle up against him with Annabeth on the other side. Even though, in his mind, he knew Lily would be back in just a couple more hours, it still felt like he lost a part of him. He was so used to having her around, it felt quite lonely without her asking questions every three minutes, or telling him he was her knight and he must carry her around all day because she was the princess.

Annabeth noticed his glum look and she made her way toward him, dodging servers holding up trays of food.

"How are you holding up?" Annabeth asked. She reached and brushed her fingers across Percy's forehead, moving his hair away from his eyes.

"I'm sad," Percy answered truthfully. "I miss her."

"Aw, poor baby," Annabeth said, frowning. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "We can go pick her up in a couple of hours."

"Hold me," Percy said dramatically, burying his face in her neck. Annabeth laughed and squeezed Percy's shoulders hard. "What if she has to move schools?" he asked again.

"Then we'll move her to another school. And then another, and another, and another…we're just not going to home school her," Annabeth said firmly. She felt like they were a married couple, arguing over their child. She wished he would marry her; she would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with this man. The idea struck her odd; just a few weeks ago, she wouldn't speak to him, refuse to admit that she actually kind of liked him. And now she was thinking of marriage? Why was she so infatuated with Percy?

A man at one of her tables waved at her and she pulled away from Percy, grasping his chin with her fingers and smiling. "You'll be okay." She kissed him quickly, and disappeared just as fast, disappearing in the mass of tables and people.

Percy realized he was acting like a baby. In fact, he was perfectly aware. But it was his daughter's first day of school. He had the right to pout, right? Right?!

He nodded to himself as he took another sip of his milkshake. Right, he answered.

Annabeth propped herself up on her elbow and watched as Percy stretched, shed his clothes, and climb into the bed.

"She's asleep," he said, grinning.

Ever since they picked Lily up from school, Percy's mood had been excellent. The whole way home and during dinner, Lily told them everything. She'd made a new friend, a little boy named…Lily couldn't remember, but she said he was funny. She also received her name on a nametag, like the other little kids, so they could know her name.

"They had a princess crown!" she emitted excitedly around a mouthful of pizza. "I can be a princess at school and home!"

Now, Annabeth's arms ached from carrying around trays of food all day, and she just wanted to snuggle up next to Percy and-maybe-sleep.

Percy rolled over to Annabeth and kissed her exaggeratedly, making loud, wet noises. She laughed and pushed him away. She wiped her mouth and rubbed Percy's spit on his chest.

"Ew," he said, frowning. Then, without even a warning, he rolled over again, squashing Annabeth beneath him. He flipped so that they were facing each other, and he grinned.

"Get off me," Annabeth grunted, pushing her hands against his shoulders.

"Who said that?" he whipped his head around, his eyes completely avoiding the girl underneath him. "Is someone in here?"

"Your head is full of kelp!" she laughed, squirming underneath him.

Percy dropped his eyes to her, finally. "It seems I've caught a beautiful girl," he said, making his eyes big and wide and sparkly.

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth replied, snapping her teeth at him, warning him if he came any closer, she'd bite him. Percy laughed, shaking his head, and he leaned down, kissing her, but for real this time.

"I love you," he breathed.

Annabeth's stomach clenched hard at the sound of his words. She was frozen for a moment, her lips unable to form the words she was thinking. In that tiny span of time, Percy's phone began to vibrate. He rolled away from her and reached for it.

"Hello?"

Annabeth stared at the ceiling, knowing without a doubt she loved Percy. She was just so surprised that he said he loved her, that the connection from her brain to her mouth had been severed, and she just couldn't say anything. She wanted to say it now, but he was occupied.

Percy's back and shoulders tensed suddenly, drawing Annabeth's eyes back to him. "What?" he was saying. He shook his head. "No, no, I don't-no, you can't. You can't see her….Fine, call him, I don't give a shit." Angrily, Percy slammed his phone on the nightstand.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked, lifting herself back up on her elbows. "Who was that? Is everything okay?"

When he didn't answer, she reached out, brushing her fingers against the dip in his spine. He jumped at her touch.

"That was Mia," he said slowly. "She wants to see Lily…."

Percy dropped back down on the mattress and Annabeth immediately wrapped her arms around him. He was silent for a moment, his dark eyebrows furrowed and his eyes glued to the ceiling.

Then, suddenly, "What the fuck?"

"Percy-" Annabeth started. She hated it when he was mad, but he shook his head furiously.

"No, seriously, Annabeth. Why won't she leave me alone-leave us alone? She's never been a part of Lily's life, and she's grown up perfectly fine. I want her to go away. These past five years have been bliss. She told me-she told me she was going to call her lawyer. She's fucking stupid-"

"Shh," Annabeth said, repeating the same thing she said earlier, except this was an entirely different situation. She hadn't ever seen Percy so angry before. It was strange to be the one comforting him when it was usually the other way around.

Percy huffed and rolled his eyes. "God, I can't believe I dated her." He snuggled into Annabeth's neck, and huffed again, muttering curses underneath his breath.

"I love you too," Annabeth said quietly. It was silent until Percy laughed.

"What a perfect day to confess our love to each other."

heheheh