Annabeth POV
Koi No Yokan. The Japanese word to describe the sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love.
No, not love at first sight.
This feeling isn't the passing, "Oh my, he is so handsome, it is love at first sight!" Koi No Yokan is the deep-rooted feeling that the future of love is inevitable.
As Percy was hunched over the airport ticket counter, his black sweatshirt and grey sweats covering his tall form, my mind was stuck on the idea, that this was Koi No Yokan.
The year after I graduated from Boston College, I was thriving off of the promise of the future, and spent a year traveling the world. The experience I gained from each month spent in a new country was unfathomable, but my fragile bank account took a hit.
While in Japan, I stayed in a very small motel, overcrowded and unsanitary. I stayed with a complete stranger, named Katie, but she was another free spirit from America, who was doing a photography trip. One day she asked me, "Do you believe in love at first sight?"
Katie was deep in thought, so I didn't answer and she ended up answering her own rhetorical question. "I don't believe in love at first sight, but I believe in Koi No Yokan."
"Annabeth," Percy approached me and my trip to memory lane was cut short. I looked up at him. He had a goofy smile spread across his lips, which automatically lifted my spirits even higher. In his hand was a new ticket, the final destination being San Francisco. "I am officially your boyfriend."
I laughed, a real laugh. Not a giggle or a small puff of air, but a real belching laugh. Percy was like a doctor, who fixed sadness. Who gave bravery.
I hoisted my backpack over my shoulder, and Percy did the same, and walked over to gate C19. One look at the screen, which I could read thanks to my glasses, and I learned that our flight was scheduled to depart in just over an hour, and boarding would start in 30 minutes. I moved over to sit in an open seat near our busy terminal, and Percy, to my disappointment sat in the row directly across from me, not in the seat next to me. I lifted my backpack on to the seat to my right to act like I knew like he was going to choose the seat across.
No words were spoken as I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to my one friend from New York, Piper Mclean, telling her I was safe in Denver and I would call her tonight. I added an emoji of a turtle, which was our symbol that meant 'SOS WE NEED TO TALK'. She would understand, and eagerly await my phone call, where I would tell her of my notion to invite Percy home with me. I knew she would chastise my irrationalness, but would see the value in having a decoy to lure the attention away from me, and on to poor Percy. I am going to really owe him.
Speak of the devil, I glanced up at him, and he was leaned over, elbows on knees, staring at me with his almond shaped eyes. I was suddenly self-conscience of my travelling appearance, and immediately regretted the fact that I didn't wear my contacts or comb my hair or cover the small pimple on my forehead. I was aware of my naked face, and messy hair that was covered by a simple black hat.
I was prepared for him to start asking questions about the hell storm that he was about to enter in to, but instead he asked, "It is 19 degrees out. Why the hell are you wearing a tank top?"
I glanced down with a slight grimace, remembering the red wine, and my beloved North Face jacket stuffed in my carry-on backpack. I would have to do some serious stain removal when I arrived at my parents' house if I had any hope of wearing the white jacket ever again.
"I had an incident on the plane ride over. Red wine, white jacket, crying baby, total disaster. And all of my other clothing is in my checked bag."
Percy's sea green eyes sparkled in amusement. "I don't even want to know. Are you cold right now? I have a wind breaker in my carry on that I can grab for you." He started to rustle around in his own backpack, and I wanted to stop him, because I wasn't very good a receiving aid from anyone, due to my stubbornness, but the way he sounded so hopeful at the end of his statement lead me to bite back my refusal, and put on his forest green windbreaker over my tank top.
I was rewarded the second I slipped on the thin jacket. I stopped the sigh from escaping me. It smelled like boy, which, unless after the gym, is such an amazing smell. It smelled like cologne and citrus and mint and comfort, all mixed together.
I forgot how amazing and therapeutic the smell could be. It had been a long, long time since I've been engulfed in the jacket or arms of a man. One of my roommates in New York, a man named Argus, smelled like body order mixed with marijuana. Not pleasant. Not comforting. Not Percy.
"Thank you Percy," I said. We met eyes, and we both understood I was saying thank you for much more than the windbreaker.
"So Angel," he began. His use of the word angel instead of my name slightly confused me, but excited me nonetheless. I would ask about it another time. "I have quite a few questions. And I'm trying to decide which is the most important to ask."
I had a sudden flash of sympathy for this man. He dropped everything for me, is going clear across the country to spend the holidays with my pompous brothers and parents who I'm bound to snap at and create awkwardness at some point in the trip, and isn't spending the holidays with his family, who he could be mending relationships with.
He surprised me with his question. "So, what kind of food will we be eating?"
I stared at him, trying to gage if he was serious or not.
"Like, I'm not a picky eater, and the past years I've just gone to buffets alone because I've been training, so my expectations are low, but there is something special about a home cooked meal, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I was just wondering what we will be eating."
My heart melted into a puddle of goop in my chest. The innocence and purity of the question caught me off guard, coming from the tough man, who was sulking and so serious just an hour ago.
"My step-mother, as evil as a paint her out to be, cooks a mean Christmas dinner. A ham, potatoes, biscuits, green beans, everything you could possibly want. And daily meals too. We will eat at home most nights, but she really is an amazing cook so don't worry."
My mind started to wander, and I wondered if he was allergic to anything, then I realized, I know absolutely nothing about my so called "boyfriend".
"Percy!" I screeched, a little too loudly I realized, when the family seated next to us cast an annoyed glance my way. "I don't even know your middle name and we have to play the act of serious couple! Bobby and Matthew and their lovers can finish each other's sentences they know each other so well. We have to learn everything there is to know about one another!"
He stared at me for a second, then spoke a truth that stung for a second. "Annabeth, I know that every situation is different. But I also know that if you don't want to be compared so harshly to your step-brothers by your parents, then quit comparing yourself to them. Just because they are close with their girlfriends, it doesn't mean you have to be a carbon copy of them to gain your parent's respect."
I averted my eyes away from his in embarrassment. What he said was hurtful, but the truth in his words was even more painful. Why did I continually compare myself to them?
Because my parents made them out to be perfect?
Because I wanted to achieve that amount of adoration from them? Or just a little bit of attention?
Percy started to realize the affect his words had on me, and opened his mouth to take them back. "Annabeth, I'm-"
I cut him off. "Nope. I appreciate honesty more than anything. Thank you for saying that, you're right. It is something I need to work on, and I hope you can help me with it this trip."
"Oh that reminds me," he said. "Just one more question, and then we will play our little 20 questions to get to know each other. What is the time table for our little trip? When will we come home?"
I pulled out my phone from my waist band of my leggings, and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. Once I had the calendar app open so I could visualize the next few weeks, I spoke. "So, today is December 21, and we come home on January 2, which essentially makes the trip a week and a half."
I paused to gather my thoughts. New Year's meant a midnight kiss. Then I realized, Percy and I were "dating" and expected to kiss all the time. And expected to share a bed. Oh, lord I didn't think about any of this. My mind went into hyper drive, thinking about all of the possible upcoming complications that we would have to face.
Percy seemed to sense my sudden shift of mood, from carefree with him, to stressed when thinking about home, and he stood up from his seat in the row across from me, and moved my backpack and sat down on my right.
He slowly reached his long arm up and around my shoulder, in a gesture of comfort, and I found myself leaning into Percy's touch. His fingers slowly went up and down my arm, giving me goosebumps, even though I was wearing his windbreaker.
My grey eyes brimmed with tears, without me realizing it at all. I tried to blink them back, but before long, it was useless and they fell down my cheeks. I turned my face, to hide in Percy's arms, so the rest of the world couldn't see my moment of weakness.
I mentally started to punch myself. I couldn't remember the last time I cried, and here I was crying on the broad shoulder of a man I met four hours ago. My family made me feel insecure and weak, the complete opposite of the person I strived to be every day.
Percy slowly reached his arm away from my shoulders, and I immediately thought that he saw me for the mad woman I was, and he was going to take back his offer to be my fake boyfriend.
Instead he surprised me by grabbing my face with his two hands. Percy gently removed my thick glasses, and sent them on his lap. His palms were warm, and his thumbs came up to gently wipe my tears away. My doe-eyes gazed up at him, waiting for his next move.
"Listen to me angel. I know that you are fighting demons, just as I am. You may feel weak right now, but together, we are going to help you feel strong. I am going to help you get through this weekend, and in some way, we are going to have a bit of fun with it." His minty breath fanned my face.
"I'm so sorry. I'm stronger than this," I whispered.
"I know you are. Now prove it to me, and more importantly, yourself."
My tears slowly seemed to stop. He was a mere stranger just hours prior, and now this man formed into my closest confidante. The fact was frightening, especially for a girl who hasn't had that for as long as I could remember.
With my new-found burst of confidence that would hopefully carry over into the week, I sat up straighter, and Percy's hands dropped from my cheeks. I leaned over and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek. I felt his face muscles shift to form a slight smile. "Thank you Percy. You have no idea how much this means to me," I whispered while still close to his face.
"Flight 1724 to San Francisco, boarding first class and priority now" the voice over the intercom rung out.
The dose of reality seemed to slap us both across the face. We straightened up, and put more space in between us. As the other passengers for the flight stood around us, we rose too and prepared to board.
Three-hour flight here we go….
