Prompt: When Thalia tells them to eat hamburgers after the war. Thalia discovering romance

It was a relief to be back in Manhattan. Nearly three weeks after the war, the city had returned to normal: honking vehicles, obtuse pedestrians, the clamor of voices and construction work making a strangely comforting din. A lot of times, Thalia found the city too much to take in, especially if she and the Hunters had been in the quiet of the woods for a few weeks. But after hearing it be so eerily quiet during the war, it was a relief to have it back to full, mostly controlled, chaos.

Her table at Le Parker Meridien looked out over West 56th Street, so she had a good view of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase as they strolled up the sidewalk…holding hands.

"Interesting," Thalia muttered, resting her elbows on the table and leaning forward as she watched them approach. When they reached the restaurant, they paused outside the doors. Annabeth glanced up and down the street, as if looking for Thalia, but then she laughed at something Percy had said. Then, she kissed him quickly…on the lips.

Thalia started to grin. It only grew wider when Annabeth and Percy walked into the restaurant and saw her sitting there, at a table with a clear view of the street. She watched them exchange a glance, then walk resignedly over to the table. Annabeth dropped into the seat across from Thalia.

"Well?" Annabeth crossed her arms. "Just say it."

"Say what?" Thalia was still grinning.

"You know what."

"Uh, what's Thalia going to say?" Percy asked as he cautiously lowered himself into the chair beside Annabeth.

"I am the lieutenant of Artemis." Thalia leaned back in her chair, the smile still on her face. "It's against my dignity to say 'I told you so.' Even if I did, in fact, tell you that this kelp-head actually liked you."

Percy muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Pinecone Face," while Annabeth rolled her eyes before saying, "Fine. You were right. Happy?"

"Thrilled." Thalia was still smirking, even as the waiter came to take their drink order. Once he'd left, she said, "So, when did this start? Officially?"

"August 18th," Annabeth said. "Percy's birthday."

"And how's it going so far?"

Percy and Annabeth exchanged another look, as if both nervous to admit the truth. Finally, Annabeth said, "It's good. Right?"

"Oh yeah," Percy said, nodding quickly. "Really good."

"That's great," Thalia said, genuinely. "I'm happy for you guys. Seriously."

"Thanks." Annabeth smiled. "I was afraid you'd give me a hard time."

Thalia shook her head as the waiter returned with their drinks. She waited until he'd left again, then said, "The Hunters aren't for everyone. And that's okay. You two are good together."

They both smiled and exchanged another happy look. Thalia was telling the truth. She was happy for them. Plus…

"Besides," she added, taking a sip of her drink, "if you two got together on August 18th, that means I won the betting pool. Remind me to talk to Connor Stoll the next time I get to camp. There's a stack of drachmas waiting for me."

And Thalia had to grin again at her friends' outraged expressions.