Don't Think So Much Annabeth
Chapter VI: Is This Really Love?
7 Weeks
"I love you Annabeth." Her heart stopped for a second when he spoke. Warmth and happiness started to bloom inside, the thought that someone could actually love her until she remembered.
Annabeth burst out crying for the second time that day.
"I—I'm so sorry Percy!"
Before Percy could even begin to register what had just happened, Annabeth rolled over and practically dove on him to wrap her arms around his neck. Percy just stroked Annabeth's hair like he had done earlier, allowing her time to calm down.
"Annabeth, I don't understand. What are you sorry for?" She started crying harder and shook her head rapidly.
Gods she felt so horrible about this whole situation. Usually she had a level head, but to be fair she'd never been pregnant before. Levels of hormones she wasn't used to were surging throughout her body making it hard to take a step back and process. Telling Percy wouldn't make him run or try to hurt her, she knew that, but for some reason even the thought of trying to tell him made her want to cry.
Percy sat them up, holding Annabeth's face to make her look at him. She didn't even want to know how she looked right now. Her lip was quivering, and her face and eyes were undoubtedly puffy from crying. Her stepmom had always called her an ugly crier and she was inclined to agree.
"Do you promise not to get angry?" Percy's eyes widened almost imperceptibly at her sudden question.
" I promise." Her tense posture relaxed slightly. Not that she even needed the promise. Percy was not Luke.
"Do you remember that night? I mean, of course, you remember, but do you remember what happened? I'm sorry, I know you do remember a night but—" Percy kissed Annabeth to quiet her rambling and pulled her closer.
"I know what you mean," he chuckled, "and I could never forget." Her cheeks flushed crimson but quickly paled again.
"Well, I know we took certain precautions, but I'm not sure they worked very well per se…" His head tilted to the side in question, silently urging her to further explain.
"Something important must have broken that night and neither of us noticed." Percy still looked lost.
"Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you Percy?" He thought for another minute and then shook his head.
"I don't remember breaking anything. I know we almost knocked the lamp off of the end table in the foyer, but we didn't break it." Annabeth almost smiled at Percy's obliviousness, but blew out a breath of frustration instead.
"Percy, please try and think harder." Another few minutes passed before he shook his head again.
"Sorry Annabeth but I honestly have no clue what you're trying to say." Annabeth usually thought it was really cute when Percy was confused like this, but now she was just growing more and more frustrated. Why was this so hard? She burst before she could stop it.
"You seaweed brain the condom broke! I'm pregnant!" She gasped and covered her mouth as soon as it slipped out.
"Hey, I'm not a seaweed brain, wait what?!" Annabeth quietly whispered it again and bit her lip.
They sat there in silence for a couple minutes, Annabeth fiddling with her hands and Percy staring at the bed sheets. She was mentally preparing herself for any scenario that Percy could throw at her: anger, throwing things, walking out, telling her off—everything except what he actually did, and effectively floored her.
"I am so sorry Annabeth. Are... are you angry with me?" Annabeth's head shot up to see Percy looking like a scolded puppy who chewed up the furniture.
Before she knew it, she was laughing softly while tears ran in a steady stream down her face. Percy just sat there, looking at Annabeth in pure confusion. He probably was thinking she was a complete loon at this point. First, she was sobbing and scared and now she's laughing and borderline hysterical.
"Annabeth?"
"No Percy, I'm not angry. If anything, I thought you would have been angry at me."
"How could I be mad? I mean it does take two people to make a baby, and well, I'm obviously one of those two people involved. Why did you think I'd be mad?" Annabeth bit her lip as she contemplated telling Percy her reasoning for believing the worst thing could happen right off the bat. She'd only told two people before, Thalia and Luke, and telling Luke hadn't been the greatest idea she'd ever had. Percy could see she was struggling to tell him something, so he shifted them back on the bed and pulled Annabeth close, back to chest, to let her know she could go ahead.
"My parents weren't married when Mom got pregnant with me. She thought Dad would be happy to have a child, but he wasn't. He never wanted me, and he made that very clear when I was very little." It wasn't the whole story behind Annabeth's parents and childhood, but the short anecdote would provide plenty insight as to why she was afraid Percy would be angry.
"That's horrible. I'm sorry Annabeth." He nuzzled her neck and the small action reassured her he wasn't mad. Whenever she told anyone about her Mom, she didn't want pity. It was the people who understood, and instead offered her simple understanding, that became her closest friends.
"It's fine, I'm good now. I accepted it a long time ago."
They were silent for a few minutes, just absorbing everything from the last few minutes. As Annabeth opened her mouth to ask Percy if he wanted to spend the day together tomorrow, he gently placed his hand over her stomach.
"So, a baby, huh? When did you find out?" Annabeth tensed and Percy pressed a few kisses on her neck. She knew this was his way of reassuring her and she appreciated it.
"A week ago. Thalia found out too, by digging through my garbage of all ways." They both shared a laugh over that, the last vestiges of the tensions dissolving.
"Have you been sick with the flu or something too, or have you just been having morning sickness?"
"I think it's just been really bad morning sickness, but it just started about five days ago."
"I don't like how sick you are Annabeth. Why didn't you go to the doctor earlier when you found out you were pregnant? Maybe they could have done something to help ease the morning sickness." He had a point, but the thought of potentially running into her stepmom made her want to hyperventilate.
"Well, when I was about four or so, Dad remarried a woman who has a doctorate but in pediatrics. She works at the Women and Children's hospital and I knew that's where they would refer me. I don't want to give her anything to gloat about since she hates me in the first place, and I could only imagine the ammo she'd gain from this situation." Annabeth muttered the last part, clear hate ringing through her voice.
The psychological damage she'd had to fight to reverse throughout college was a challenge, and Annabeth would rather move from the state than risk it.
"Annabeth, I'm going to suggest something, and I want you to consider it. Promise me you'll consider it?" She turned so that they were facing each other, while his arms were still wrapped tightly around her, and nodded.
"First, will you move in with me?" Annabeth opened her mouth to immediately start her argument but was cut off by Percy kissing her.
"You promised to consider it." She bit her lip and looked anywhere but Percy's face. She managed to slowly push all preconceived arguments out of her thoughts and decided to go down the questioning route.
"Why do you want me to move in?"
"So I can take care of you and the baby. Seeing you so sick and weak today scared me Annabeth, and I know I could be there for both of you more if you just lived with me. I'm also not exactly opposed to sharing a bed with you either." A small smirk graced his face and Annabeth couldn't help but let out a short laugh. His grin was adorable.
"Okay, those are a few good points, but what about your job? I don't wanna interfere with your career. You've skirted around telling me what you do, and I've respected that by not asking or searching your name online." Percy raked his free hand through his hair and slowly let out a breath of air.
"Interfere with my job? Annabeth I've caused one of the biggest job interferences possible on your end."
"If I moved in with you, you would just work from home?" Despite it being a question, it came out sounding more like a statement. She was busy turning over in my mind he still refused to tell her where he worked.
"Yes. Also, I could cook for you, and if you wanted I could take you to another doctor's office so your stepmom wouldn't know a thing." Annabeth started biting her lip again, and Percy knew she was honestly trying to think it through.
"But Percy, we've only known each other for six weeks. For all you know this baby might not even be yours, and I could just be trying to scam you for money."
"I know you're not like that Annabeth, and I know that if you needed money you could get it easy enough with one of your house designs. Do I really need to say it?"
"Say what?"
"Don't think so much Annabeth. Please move in with me? I need to be able to protect you and my child." Annabeth's heart warmed when Percy said 'my child' but she was still skeptical about moving in with him.
What would others think about her suddenly moving in with a man they had never seen her with until a month ago? What if her father and stepmother found out she was pregnant and not married? Someone was bound to eventually blab to her Dad and stepmom.
"Percy, I just don't know if I'm ready for this or even able to think clearly at the moment."
"Annabeth, did you enjoy tonight?" She nodded yes.
"Did you enjoy the fact that I stayed when you asked me to?" Another nod.
"What about when I said that I loved you? How did that make you feel?" She started to say that it had made her feel awful, but that was because he still didn't know about the baby yet. How did she feel? Thinking hard she remember the warmth and happiness that filled her before reality bitch slapped her back into the sanity corner.
"I was… happy. I had a hard time believing someone could love me." Percy gently tilted her face up so that he could look directly into her shimmering grey eyes.
"I can make you feel like that everyday Annabeth. What's stopping you from saying yes?" She broke out of Percy's hold to lie on her back, both hands buried into the mass of blonde.
"I don't know, Percy. I guess I just don't want to be judged. I was judged for everything by my Dad and stepmom growing up and I'm afraid of that again." Percy grabbed her again and pulled her close.
"Who cares what others say or think about you? I love you, and I know Thalia has never kept a friend for more than a month before she met you so she must like you a lot too. Besides, wouldn't you like to rub that happiness in all of those people's faces who want to see you unhappy?" Annabeth giggled again, thankful for Percy's sense of humor and ability to infuse it into serious conversations in just the right way.
"If I say yes?"
"You and my offspring will be sleeping happily in my bed tomorrow night. Easy as that."
"Alright, fine. I'll move in with you." The grin that plastered itself on Percy's face could have lit up New York's Time Square. He hugged Annabeth to him tightly, but she could tell he was trying his best to avoid putting pressure on her stomach. Despite his seemingly blasé nature, Percy was proving to be very thoughtful.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" He repeated excitedly. She giggled again at Percy's enthusiasm and surprisingly, not one twinge of regret or second thoughts even dared enter her mind.
"You said 'first' earlier. What's the second question?" Percy ran his hand through his unruly hair yet again in nervousness.
"Ah, well, I didn't think I would even get to this point. I honestly thought you were going to fight me tooth and nail about moving in with me." Annabeth raised an eyebrow and smiled. He knew her well.
"I decided to be nice and only fight fair. So, what did you have in mind, Percy?"
"Promise you'll give this one some thought too, and not get mad or anything?" Annabeth was a bit confused by the last part he tacked on but nodded in consent anyway.
"Marry me."