Work Text:
Sometimes, you get what you’ve always been wishing for
And most times, it’s not on your deadline, that’s alright
I was worn out and jaded from trying on people to love
But you fit so well
When they ask why, I can never explain
But a symphony played when you told me your name
And I took that as a sign
i.
Their first Valentine's day was spent with Annabeth searching for Percy and him training at the Wolf House, so Annabeth had extremely low expectations for what to expect on their second. Percy took any opportunity he had to call it their technical first Valentine’s, arguing that the first one was traumatic and kept them apart, and therefore didn’t count. He also kept any and all plans to himself, which only irritated her (he always called her bluff, though).
When she wakes up on the day, it’s to a spam of texts from Percy, rather than her alarm.
percy <3 (07:24 AM)
its valentines day
happy valentines day
i am in fact in love with you
my wise girl i love you i love you
i can’t wait to see you later today but for now have a great day at school
i may have paid off one of ur friends to put something in ur locker
ANYWAY LOVE U HAVE A GOOD DAY
me (07:29 AM)
you didn’t even give my alarm a chance
but i love you so much this is the cheesiest thing to wake up to
you’re ridiculous but happy valentines <3
ps have the best day i already want to kiss you
pps its unfair u paid one of my friends off why wasn’t i given the option
to pay one of ur friends off >:(
She hates the absolute clicheness of the way he texts her, but she also can’t help the way her cheeks flush and the way she wishes she could wrap herself around him in that moment. She almost has to force herself up, running through her morning routine and tugging on her uniform before heading out of her dorm.
Her friends are at her locker before she is, small smiles on their faces as they greet her. When she’d first transferred in, she hadn’t planned on making many mortal friends–it was far too tricky to her and she hated the idea of lying, but she managed to find a group and clicked with them. They’d met Percy within a week of knowing Annabeth, and they found their relationship far more interesting than anyone else's', taking any opportunity to ask Annabeth about him and to help him be an absolute gem of a boyfriend.
“Morning ‘Bethie,” One of her friends teases, “Lovely day, isn’t it?”
“Shut it.” Annabeth responds, rolling her eyes despite the smile on her lips, “Percy already told me he put something in my locker.”
She tries not to tear up in front of her friends when she pulls out a goodie bag of her favorite candy and the small teddy bear holding a heart.
The rest of her day goes by with nothing exciting, but Annabeth practically runs back to her dorm once the final bell rings. She has Percy’s schedule memorized, and she knows that his classes always run an hour later than hers do, giving her enough time to change and meet up with him. What she doesn’t expect, however, is for Percy to already be in her dorm, a massive gray cat plushie in his hand, the other holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Well, shit, you’re early.” He says, in lieu of a greeting, and Annabeth lets her backpack fall to the floor as she practically jumps into his arms. The flowers and plushie fall from him as he wraps his arms around her, pressing his lips to hers without missing a beat. She hears the soft thump of the flowers onto the floor as she tightens her hold around his neck, her legs wrapping around his waist as she pulls away.
“Happy Valentine’s day.” He whispers, a smile pulling on his lips that she mimics, “I thought you had another hour.”
“I do,” Percy responds, giving her a small squeeze, “but my last class is gym and I wanted to surprise you, so I skipped.”
“Normally I’d hate you for skipping, but I missed you.” She responds, using one hand to brush back his hair, and he grins, “You saw me two days ago.”
“Mm, don’t care.” She buries her head in the crook of his neck, mumbling the next words against his shoulder, “Still missed you.”
She feels him press a kiss to her hair, “I missed you too. And for as much as I love holding you like this, I kinda made plans for us today.”
“Are you gonna tell me what they are?”
He laughs, “No, you just need to change and look cute, which you already do.” He kisses her forehead, and Annabeth removes herself from his arms, “That gives me no hints.”
Percy has a smile on his lips as he gives her a quick kiss, “We’re getting food, that’s a hint.”
Annabeth rolls her eyes, but says nothing else as she pulls an outfit from her closet and heads to the bathroom. She has zero idea of what Percy has planned, so she opts to play it safe–opting for a pair of ripped up mom jeans and a red, cropped off-the-shoulder long sleeved top that one of her friends had sold her on, despite claiming she would never wear it. She flies through a quick makeup routine and manages to tame the frizz of her hair before making her way back to her dorm, where Percy was laying on her bed.
She grabs her white Docs from her closet before sitting beside Percy, “Is this appropriate for your plans, or do I need to change?”
He looks up from his phone, sitting up as his gaze skims her body before meeting her eyes, “You’re always beautiful.”
“That doesn’t help, like, at all.” She shoves him gently as she tugs on her second boot, and Percy laughs, “It’s good, yeah-– just wanted to compliment you again.”
She kisses him, then grabs hold of his hand, “C’mon, let’s go.”
He’d planned an indoor picnic for the two of them. She doesn’t quite know how he convinced the landlord to borrow the penthouse apartment of his building, but he’d laid out a picnic in the living room, right beside a large window displaying New York’s skyline and taped up strings of fairy lights, an attempt to make up for the lack of electricity. She feels tears burn the back of her eyes as he guides her into the apartment, and all she can do is kiss him.
“So, I got you something.” Percy says, once the empty plates are stored back in the basket and Annabeth furrows her brows, “Were the massive cat and flowers not enough?”
He grins, grabbing his jacket from off the floor and pulling out a small box from the pocket, “They weren’t, no. Those are cliches, this is more personal.”
“You’re spoiling me.” She responds, quietly, and he gives her a short kiss, “You deserve it, though.”
She takes the small box from him, shifting slightly closer to him, knees brushing together, “Do I have to open it right now?”
“I mean, I’d like that, but if you don’t want to you don’t have to.”
Annabeth studies him for a moment, then tugs open the box anyway. There’s a small necklace inside, with a small, round pendant adorned with stars and a moon. She feels tears burn in the back of her eyes as Percy reaches into the box and tugs the necklace out, undoing the clasp.
“When we, um, when we were in Tartarus, I missed the sky.” He begins in a low voice, reaching the chain around her neck to put it on her, “I know you did, too, even though we really didn’t talk about it then. And I know that the sky, specifically the stars, mean something to you. We don’t talk about it that often, but I figured you deserve to carry a part of the sky with you.”
“Percy…” She feels the tears fall before she can stop them, and she kisses him–her hands holding his face and the taste of her tears and strawberries blending together and she’s pouring everything into it: how much she loves him, how sorry she is for their past, how she never, ever wants to let him go.
“I love you.” She whispers the words as they part, and he gives her a smile as he brushes back her tears, “I love you, too.”
She knows her gift to him, a new skateboard with a hand decorated deck, doesn’t quite compare, but he peppers her with kisses until she’s flat on the blanket and her laughs are echoing through the empty apartment and there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.
ii .
Valentine’s day in college became more mundane than either of them expected. They’d spent their freshman year at a party followed by kisses late into the night, and sophomore year included Annabeth cramming for an exam and Percy spending the night with her with takeout. It’s not that they didn’t care, it’s just that the two had gotten so used to miscellaneous dates that Valentine’s was just another day.
Junior year, however, and waking up in Percy’s arms in their shared apartment, made it feel far less like any other day. She feels his lips against her shoulder before she can even open her eyes, and she can’t help the smile that forms on her lips as she shifts, turning to face him, “Good morning to you too.”
He grins, “Good morning. You’re pretty.”
She can’t help but laugh, sleep-filled and barely awake, “Yeah, I’m sure my bed head’s real hot.”
“Oh, 100 percent.” He responds, leaning forward to drop a kiss to her lips, “I love it.”
Annabeth rolls her eyes, “You’re cheesy.”
“Mm, you love it.”
“I’d love it if you made us pancakes for breakfast.” She responds, rolling over so she’s laying on top of him, and she feels her body shake as he laughs, “Damn, using me for my cooking?”
“Why do you think I’ve dated you this long?” She jokes, then leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek, “Please?”
“You need to get off me first, ‘Beth.”
She’s quick to comply, and within 30 minutes she’s sitting on the kitchen counter as Percy’s pouring out batter into a pan. It’s not like this is a rare way for the two of them to spend their mornings together–they’d discovered long ago that Annabeth’s cooking skills were extremely limited and Percy often took over, but something about it always left her with a particular feeling in her chest.
When she and Percy first planned for their futures, back when they were just barely 17 years old and fresh out of their second war, she’d figured it was a pipe dream–that either the Fates would find a way to tear them apart again or that he’d get tired of her and eventually walk out. The Fates never did come in the way, though, and he stuck around, choosing her time and time again.
“You’ve got that face, ‘Beth.” He says, not looking at her as he flips a pancake and pulls her out of her thoughts. She straightens, “I don’t have a face.”
He laughs, giving her a quick glance, “Yeah, you do. You’re thinking about something.”
She shrugs, “I was thinking about how much I love you.”
He flips the pancake onto a plate, “That’s not what you were thinking, but I love you, too.”
She studies him for a moment, watching as he pours batter onto the pan for another pancake. Quietly, she says, “How do you do that?”
“Make pancakes?”
“No,” She bites back the urge to roll her eyes, “how do you know what I’m thinking?”
He’s silent for a moment, his attention focused on the cooking. She watches as he flips the pancake before turning the burner off, then turns to her, “Do you remember when we had lunch in Rome, back before you went on the quest?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Of course I do.” She responds, and Percy nods once, “Do you remember what you said to me?”
“I said a lot of things.” Annabeth says, and Percy takes a small step forward, “Okay, I’ll give you another refresher: I was quiet, scared, and I asked you something similar to what you just did.”
He places his hand in hers, and Annabeth stares at their intertwined fingers, “I told you I knew you.”
“Do you know what I thought the minute you said that?”
“You never told me.” She looks up, and he gives her a barely there smile, “I wondered why you liked me, considering you really did know me.”
“It makes me love you more, though.” She defends, and Percy laughs, “Can’t I say the same about you, though?”
He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, “I know you, ‘Beth. Honestly, you probably know me better than I know me, and I know you better than you know you, and it’s one of my favorite things about us. It means that I love you completely, that despite everything, I love you and I’m gonna love you forever.”
I know you. The words ring out in her head much louder than he had said them, and she responds by leaning forward and kissing him.
“I love you.” She whispers, their lips just barely parting, and he smiles, “And I love you.”
He kisses her once again, this time much shorter, and his arms wrap around her waist, “Can I give you your gift now?”
“Didn’t you plan something for tonight?” Annabeth raises an eyebrow, watching Percy as he reaches into the cabinet above the fridge. It remained empty for the most part, seeing as Annabeth could never reach it and Percy found it stupid, but he pulls out a small gift bag and turns to her, “I did, obviously, but still–I want to give it now.”
He hands her the bag, light pink and no bigger than her hand, and places his hands on her hips, “Open it.”
“You’re pushy.” She responds with a small smile, but reaches in and pulls out a small box. She looks up at him, “I told you to stop getting me jewelry, Percy!”
“You know I don’t fucking listen.” He says, then gives her a short kiss, “I like buying you jewelry, just take it.”
She exhales a huff before tugging the box open, revealing a thin, gold ring with a small heart and a matching bracelet. She feels her heartbeat quicken and the butterflies burst in her chest as she runs a finger across the top of the accessory, ignoring the burning in the back of her eyes.
“It’s not–it’s not an engagement or promise ring or anything.” Percy says, almost in a rush, causing her attention to snap back to him, “I know you don’t want that any time soon, but I saw these online and I just–I figured they’d look good on you.”
She uses one hand to cup his cheek, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. She loves him, she’s never going to not love him, and here he is panicking over Annabeth misinterpreting a gift. When they part, she gives him a smile, “I love it. Thank you.”
She sees him deflate slightly, the anxiety in his chest dissolving, and she slips the ring out of the box and onto her hand. She gives him another quick kiss, “Is it my turn now?”
“You can wait till tonight.” He responds, but Annabeth hops off the counter anyway, “That’s not fair, so, nope!”
She runs over to the sofa and grabs her bag, pulling out the gift box she’s hidden for a week. It’s a square jewelry box, the same size as her palm, and she tossed on a red bow.
“You hid my gift in your backpack?” Percy asks, once Annabeth returns to the kitchen, and she nods, “You’re the biggest snoop in the world, you would have found it anyway.”
“I’m hurt you think I’m a snoop.”
“And I’m trying to go one holiday with surprising you.” She presses a kiss to his lips, then hands him the box, “Open it.”
She’d be lying if she said she was confident in the gift, but she figured the sentiment behind was good enough. She’d picked a black metal bracelet with a thin black band where she’d gotten it custom engraved with Morse code. It was a 3 A.M Etsy purchase, something on impulse that she wasn’t quite sure he’d even like.
He studies the bracelet with slightly furrowed brows, and Annabeth tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “It’s, um, it’s Morse code.”
“I figured that. It’s cool, I just–I don’t know what it means.” He responds, meeting her eyes, and Annabeth takes one of his hands. With a light finger, she taps the code out onto his palm, “Never again.”
It takes seconds for the words to register in his head, and she watches his expression soften, “‘Beth.”
“Do you like it?” It’s a childish question, honestly, but her anxiety can’t help it. He gives her a smile, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead, “I love it, so much.”
She watches him slip it on his wrist before placing the box on the counter, then wraps his arms around her, “Our pancakes got cold.”
“Mm, don’t care.” She wraps her arms around his neck, “I love you.”
He brushes his lips to hers, the smile still playing on his lips, “I love you, too.”
iii.
Annabeth had expected Valentine’s day plans to die out after college, but Percy never quite relented. It’s not like it was a crazy date or anything, but the thought was there: he’d surprised her with a weekend trip up to the Montauk cabin, letting them immerse themselves in their own bubble. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been in their own world before, not by a long shot. Post graduation, they’d moved back to New York, braving the risk of monsters and opting for a small apartment in the Lower West Side. It felt more like home than anywhere else Annabeth had ever been, despite it being a shoebox of an apartment and filled with a mix of secondhand, thrifted furniture and whatever they could finance from furniture outlets. It was hers and Percy’s, and that’s all that mattered to her.
“Do you remember our first kiss?” Percy asks her. It’s their third night at the cabin, the last before they head back to the city early morning, and they’d opted to curl up in blankets outside by the fire pit, roasting marshmallows and talking. Annabeth twists the stick in her hand, shifting her gaze to him, “You mean the one before you disappeared for two weeks to be with a goddess?”
Percy rolls his eyes, “No, and I came back for you, by the way. I meant the one when we got together.”
“Yeah, of course I do.” She sits up slightly, taking a small bite of the roasted marshmallow and turning her body toward him, “Why?”
“I dunno.” He stares into the fire pit for the moment, “I was in love with you then, you know.”
Annabeth studies him for a moment. He’s still focused on the flames, and the way they’re reflecting in his eyes makes something flip in her chest. Carefully, she places down the stick she was roasting marshmallows with and cups his cheek, turning his face to her. He’s beautiful, she thinks, but she’s always believed that.
“No, you weren’t.” She whispers, and his brows furrow, “Huh?”
A small laugh leaves her as she withdraws her hands, leaning back on her palms, “You didn’t love me then, Percy. Maybe a part of you was thinking maybe you could, especially considering everything with the Styx, but no–you didn’t love me then.”
“Enlighten me, then, Wise Girl,” He begins, pulling out the nickname that he’d grown to rarely use, “when did you know you loved me?”
“You’re annoying, no.”
“You hurt me, ‘Beth.”
She gives him a slight shove with her shoulder, and he laughs as he grabs one of her hands, “C’mon, entertain me.”
“You’re not allowed to tease me.” She quickly says, and he leans over and kisses the side of her head, “Never. Now tell me.”
Annabeth exhales a breath, “It was, um, maybe two months into you being missing. We were technically together for half a year then. I used to spend so much time with your mom, just updating her and trying-trying to cling to the idea that you were still alive.”
She pauses, meeting Percy’s eyes. He’s silent, studying her with half furrowed brows and a concerned expression that makes her want to kiss him. Instead, though, she continues, “I’d come over and it was raining that day, so I was soaked, and your mom told me to just grab something from your room. I… I hadn’t been in there since you went missing, and I walked in and something in me was screaming.
“I grabbed one of your hoodies–one from your old swim team–and when I put it on I just lost it. I was sitting in your room, with you missing and your mom in the kitchen, just bawling my eyes out and praying to absolutely anyone who was listening.”
She gives him a small smile, blinking back the unshed tears burning her eyes, “All that ran through my head that day was ‘I love him and I can’t lose him for good’.”
Once she finishes, Percy leans forward and presses a kiss to her forehead, “You never told me that.”
She looks down at their intertwined hands, her gaze fixing on the way he’s rubbing circles on the back of her hand, “I don’t like to remember those days, if I’m being honest.”
“I’m not going anywhere again.” He reminds her quietly, his lips hovering over her skin, and she presses a short kiss to his lips, “I know.”
He pulls away, and Annabeth takes the opportunity to sit up properly, shifting so her knees are brushing across Percy’s legs, “Your turn.”
“For what?”
“Tell me when you loved me, Seaweed Brain.” She gives him a small flick on his bicep that he ignores, “I did. You didn’t believe me.”
“Because I know you didn’t love me then, come on.” She leans forward, kissing the corner of his mouth, “Please?”
“You’re gonna say I’m lying again.” He huffs, and Annabeth shakes her head, “No, I won’t. I promise.”
“Well, if you’re forcing me.” He begins, picking up his marshmallow stick with his free hand and poking at the fire, “It was back when the semester had just started, like, a week or two after our one month anniversary. You used to always come over on Fridays, remember? Or on days where you didn’t have much homework, but those were rare since you were an overachiever–”
“Hey!” She interjects, which only makes him laugh, “I’m sorry! Anyway, you used to come over, and sometimes you’d get there before me and just hang out with mom until I came home.”
“This is so much backstory. I was there too, you know.” She teases, and he puts down the stick to give her hip a small pinch. She jumps back, a small yelp leaving her.
“Stop interrupting, I’m telling a story here.” He says, and Annabeth sniffs, “Fine, fine. I’ll shut up now. I love you.”
He rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face and Annabeth gives him a quick kiss on the cheek before he continues.
“Anyway, like I said, two-ish weeks after our one month anniversary I came home and I just–I had the worst day. I had failed a pop quiz, forgotten a paper at home and got docked points, and I’d also gotten like a C- on a test I’d expected at least a B on, but when I got home, I heard your laugh in the kitchen.
“I’d, um, I remember walking in and you were sitting at the counter with my mom, and she was telling you some story and you had this big smile and you just–you fit . And then you saw me, and you practically jumped up and gave me a hug and you were wearing my Montauk hoodie, a touristy one my mom got me as a joke that I wore all the time.”
He gives her hand a small squeeze, “That was the first time you ever wore my clothes, and I just–I looked at you and everything, all the stupid anger and the shitty thoughts left my head because you were there, and I knew I loved you. And yeah, you’re gonna think it was early, but it wasn’t. I loved you then, I was falling in love with you when I bathed in the Styx, and I love you now.”
It takes a moment for Annabeth to react, but once she does, she settles herself in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, “I love you, Percy.”
His lips pull into a smile that makes her heart flip, and his hands sneak under the shirt of his that she’s wearing to wrap around her, “I love you, too. You’re it for me, you know that?”
She kisses him, intending for it to be short and sweet, but Percy holds her a bit tighter and he kisses her until she feels her lungs caving and she has to pull away. Her heart is pounding in her chest, and it absolutely thrills her that even after so many years he still gives her that same feeling-the same one she knows will never go away.
She laces her fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck, “You’re it for me, too, you know.”
“Mm, really? I think you could do better.” He hums, his finger tracing a pattern on her spine and sending a shiver down her body. Annabeth shakes her head, her eyes locking in his.
“You’re the best thing. I don’t want anyone else. You could probably upgrade, though.” It’s an offhand comment, but Percy’s brows furrow slightly and she sees something momentarily flash in his eyes.
He kisses her forehead, her cheeks, then the corner of her lips, “I love you. I don’t want anyone else. You’re kinda my forever, and then some.”
“Are you saying you’d find me in Elysium?” She whispers, their faces mere inches apart, and Percy nods, “Elysium, Isles of Blest, rebirth–I’d find you through all of it, ‘Beth.”
He brushes another kiss to her lips, “I may think prophecies are stupid and I hate the Fates, and maybe before I knew you I also thought soulmates were, too, but you–you’re my soulmate. I’ll keep finding you, no matter what. You’re my past, future, everything in between.”
Her heart’s pounding so fast she feels like her chest is gonna burst, and all she can do is hold him tighter, “You’re mine, too.”
The smile he gives her is everything in the world, and she knows then and there that she’ll do anything to keep that smile in her life.
Five years later, and I’m still yours
Ten years later, and I’m still yours
Fifty years later, and I’m still your beginning and middle and end
Five years later, and I’m still yours
Ten years later, and I’m still yours
Fifty years later, and I’m still your beginning and middle and end
Beginning and middle and end (Oh)
Will you be my beginning, my middle, my end?