Percy POV
The only word to describe the car ride back to Annabeth's parents' house?
Awkward.
The first introductions had gone great, or at least I thought so. Which didn't explain the tense silence that consumed the minivan.
Multiple times, questions would form at the tip of my tongue, like So what do you do for a living Mr. Chase, or The temperature sure is warmer here than it is at home.
But the words got lodged in my throat, and I knew Annabeth should be the one to diffuse the awkwardness, not any futile attempt I could throw out there.
I glanced over at Annabeth, and saw her face scrunched up in Annabeth fashion. I hesitantly reached my arm over, and set my hand on her knee that was bouncing up and down.
The bouncing stopped, and she didn't look at me, but from the side of her profile I could still see a smile stretch across her face.
She was still wearing my jacket, and damn she looked good in it.
"So dad," she started, and I wanted to cheer at the end to the silence. "Are Bobby and Matthew here yet?"
Her dad glanced back in the rearview mirror at the two of us, before he spoke, "Bobby and Fiona are already at the house. Matthew had to work another day, so him and Sarah will be here tomorrow night. Boy Sarah is getting big. It is going to be so exciting…."
He kept talking about his pregnant future daughter in law, but I tuned him out and I watched Annabeth's reactions.
The way she looked at her dad, I could tell she loved him, no matter how frustrated she may get. I had to tear my eyes away, and instead look out of the window.
Just like her dad was her childhood best friend, my dad was mine. And it hurt like hell to think about the lack of my father figure so long in my life.
Annabeth and Fredrick held a conversation for a while, mostly her dad speaking with Annabeth chiming in here and there. I stayed silent, observing the scene around me. I had flown into San Francisco once, and then drove Northwest to Lake Tahoe, for a skiing competition.
Now, however, we started driving South.
It was about sixty degrees out, in sharp contrast the below freezing temperatures in Aspen, Colorado. The bay was decorated with ships and fog covered the area, giving it a mystic feel.
Annabeth must have caught me looking outside, and she placed her hand on top of mine that was still situated on her knee. Her hand was warm.
"Yeah," she spoke to her dad, but while facing me. "It feels good to be home."
…
After driving for another 40 minutes in the classic Bay Area traffic, we pulled up at two story house. It was characterized by high, peaking roof tops, and a larch porch with stone walls surrounding the front. The front lawn was green, and it was refreshing to see landscaping that wasn't just the snow, as I was accustomed to.
We all filed out of the minivan, and I nearly groaned at the feeling on stretching my legs.
Being 6'5" and sitting in the back of a cramped car was not an ideal combination. I reached up and down, and cracked my back.
I noticed Annabeth looking at me with curiosity, and I wanted to flip her off, but decided to settle with sticking my tongue out at her, in fear of offending her parents.
No need to piss them off on day one of the journey by telling their only daughter to fuck herself…
At my childish antics, she threw her head back and laughed. I stared at her, and soaked up the beauty in the simple action, before walking towards where she was standing near the trunk of the car. I reached over her to open the back, and grabbed both of our bags.
She raised an eye at me, as if to say, "try hard?" But still gave me another sweet smile.
Fredrick, who was watching the exchange, finally spoke. "Percy you can take those bags up to Annabeth's room. I take it you will be staying together?"
We briefly looked at each other, before Annabeth made the executive decision that I was too chicken to make.
"Of course, dad."
"Perfect honey," he said. "We remodeled the guest room into an office, so I'm glad that will work out perfectly. Follow me Percy."
I cast one fleeting glance over my shoulder at Annabeth, and followed Mr. Chase up the front steps into the house. The second I walked in, I recognized the Christmas decorations all over the spacious floor plan. A large tree, real evergreen, was situated in the center of the living room.
My admiring was cut short by Fredrick's voice. "I'm glad you're here Percy. Annabeth deserves someone."
As I was searching for words, I came up blank. I didn't know how to reply. I wanted to tell him that she truly did deserve someone amazing, but I would feel like a liar, even though I guess that's what I am.
Before I could come up with an answer, he opened the door to what I assumed was Annabeth's room, and said a fleeting, "make yourself comfortable" and walked back down the stairs that we just walked up.
Annabeth's room was designed and decorated in Annabeth fashion, would I could acutely recognize at this point in our relationship.
The walls were painted lavender, and the room was accented with grey. A king bed was placed in the corner near the window, and a bookshelf took up the majority of one of the other walls. She had a vanity with light that was turned off currently, but I imagined would be bright when plugged in. A door that led to the closet was near the other door that was for the adjacent bathroom.
"It's been a whole year since I've been in here," Annabeth said from behind me. I turned to face her. She had a nostalgic look in her grey angel eyes. "I don't know why they keep it the exact way I had it in high school. I only come back once a year."
She slowly moved from her place in the door way towards me. I stayed still, not wanted to change her train of thought, curious as to what she was going to say.
"My dad and I painted the walls together. I wonder if he remembers."
She came forward, and slowly wrapped her arms around my waist.
I went as still as a statue, but then slowly lifted my own arms, so that one went to the back of her head, feeling her soft curls, and the other to the small of her back. Her arms squeezed just a tad bit tighter at my movement to return the embrace.
"I'm so thankful for you Percy. It's been one day, and I already notice the difference in my own happiness," she whispered. After a second she added, in an even fainter tone, "I need you here."
My grip on the back of her head tightened, and I felt an overwhelming wave of protectiveness course through my veins. Her dad was right, Annabeth deserved someone, and even if it was just for a week and a half, that was me.
And I wasn't going to waste this opportunity to make her happy.
Or this opportunity to get to kiss her…
She slowly pulled back from me, and I also reluctantly let go. "Ready to go meet Bobby and Fiona? Try not to drool too hard," she said.
"I'll try. No promises," I replied. But my eyes were locked on Annabeth.
A/N: Not super long, but two updates in a day. Thoughts on the story so far?
