Work Text:
Annabeth was overdressed for this dive bar scene.
Her feet hurt from hours in unforgiving stilettos, her mouth hurt from forced smiles at unforgiving senior managers, and her head hurt from sleep deprivation as an unforgiving Thalia dragged her towards their party’s table.
She wants to go to sleep so badly. She’s already said as much, but she thinks it bears repeating, which only serves to give Thalia the continued opportunity to blatantly disregard her complaints. So much for a best friend.
She had already spent the evening at her architecture firm’s annual Sponsor’s gala, kissing ass and then internally applauding herself for separating feelings and facial expressions so well. By the time the night wrapped up, her nerves were frayed. She didn’t have the energy to keep up social appearances anymore. But tonight was also Thalia’s 25th birthday, and every excuse she offered the birthday girl had already been rejected. Every escape plan had been blocked with alarming foresight. There was no way out of here–she’d already given it her best try.
Cheers to Thalia’s brain reaching full development. She wasn’t putting it to good use so far, in Annabeth’s opinion.
Her floor length satin gown did not shine as designed under the dim lighting of the bar, and the grimy table clashed spectacularly with her freshly manicured nails. No one cared though; they were already crowding her with greetings and hugs that she gladly returned. Despite the exhaustion in her bones, she couldn’t deny that it felt good to be surrounded by friends. It was comfortable to just be herself. No expectations, no judgment, no hiding the tired aura of being overworked. Just her, old friends, and… the undeniable stench of weed.
As if on cue, Grover pulls her into a hug, giggling into her ear and slurring, “Annabeeeeth! It’s been so long… oh my gooooooddd I’ve missed you!”
She pulls away to look at his bloodshot eyes. “Oooooh my gooooooood,” she lightly mocks in return, “how much have you already had? You look like you’re over the moon!”
Grover just giggles again and lets her go, imminently distracted by the loaded nachos that have just been delivered. Judging by the amount of people who move with him to devour the late-night snack, it looks like the number of people under the influence far outnumber the number of people who aren’t. Which makes sense, given the setting.
As she finishes up her hellos and small talk, she catches the eye of someone she doesn’t know yet. She clocks it as strange–Thalia has been her friend since they were in diapers, and they’ve long since merged friends from any and all stages of life. Briefly, she notes how handsome he is, and is possessed by the strangest train of thought:
‘I wonder what it’s like? To grow up that beautiful? For his dark hair to fall perfectly into place, looking windswept, for his green eyes to dazzle anyone at first encounter and tip the odds of society, that so favor beauty, to line his pockets…’
She’s shaken out of reverie quite literally, as Thalia falls back against her. Steadying her best friend under the elbow, she tries for a neutral tone as she asks, “Who’s that guy? Have you been keeping secret friends from me?”
It comes out more breathy than intended.
Thalia follows her line of sight, then cackles. It’s loud and sudden and nearly unbalances them both. Once Thalia regains her composure, she replies, “That’s Grover’s new friend from college. Percy Jackson. Maybe if you stopped cooping up in your stupid design studio, you would’ve met him way earlier, like the rest of us did.”
Annabeth grimaces at the accusation, but they both know she does have any defense.
“He’s cool, you should introduce yourself,” Thalia finishes with the suggestion, accompanied by too much eyebrow wiggling to be taken as innocuous.
Annabeth rolls her eyes, but ends up doing exactly that. She glides into the seat next to him, trying to act nonchalant as he fixes her with a troublemaker smirk.
“Hey,” she starts, “I heard you’re a new friend of Grover and Thalia’s. I’m Annabeth, I’ve been friends with them since forever.”
“Annabeth Chase, right? I’ve already heard quite a lot about you from them. I’m Percy Jackson.”
“I’m not sure I want to know what they’ve said. Any story for high school or before should be immediately disregarded as completely fictitious.” She’s trying for a detached sort of friendly. A lighthearted laugh, harmless eye contact. She’s pretty sure she’s hit the mark, despite the fluttering in her stomach that started the moment she heard her name in his husky voice.
He mirrors her tone, assuring her, “It was all good things, don’t worry. The main takeaway was that you’re a genius and half this city was designed by you. It all sounds… pretty amazing.” The hint of admiration at the end, and the lack of sarcasm throughout, is enough to send blood rushing to her cheeks, and she breaks into a genuine smile. From there, the ice is effectively broken, and as he asks her about her work, any further attempts to regulate her reactions or put up a facade fall away. She chatters excitedly about her latest project, her dream project, and her favorite existing architectural feats. He listens intently, seeming truly interested and asking questions, making her pause to clarify points that she’d forgotten weren’t common knowledge to laymen. They eventually transition to how Percy met Grover in a marine biology class, his love for the ocean, and how much he’d love to finish up classes and start with field research work.
It isn’t until Thalia’s birthday shots are lined up and they’re being cajoled to join in the festivities that Annabeth finally notices the time. In the rush of movement, she quickly hugs Thalia goodnight. She hears her whisper, “Try googling him,” which is so strange she freezes for a second, before regaining her wits and slipping out before being noticed.
Later that night, after the bliss of taking off her shoes and showering, she finds herself fighting the heaviness of her eyelids to, in fact, google “Percy Jackson”.
He’s a former competitive swimmer who almost made it to the Olympics.
That tidbit makes her eyes fly back open, fatigue waylaid by a consuming curiosity to know more. He hadn’t mentioned that at all. Unfortunately, “almost”-Olympic athletes don’t take up that much space on the internet. The search ends disappointingly early, having blown through his stats and standings. The last thing she watches is a YouTube video from the NCAA, where the interviewer asks him if he has a favorite book.
“Oh, um,” he hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck, “I don’t really read that much. I have dyslexia, which makes it hard. I guess I would say… Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller? My mom got me a copy in a special typefont. I like fish so much, my ADHD couldn’t drag my attention away either.”
The last thing Annabeth does before letting sleep take over is order an identical copy. She needs the typefont accommodation too, and while she doesn’t love fish, something else is going to focus her attention on finishing the book.
~~~
The wine is cold like the shoulder that I gave you in the street,
Cat and mouse for the month or two or three,
Now I wake up in the night and watch you breathe
Annabeth is at an impasse.
She isn’t sure what to do about this Percy Jackson who’s been occupying her mind. She’s busy with work, she’s always been busy with work, and she’s grateful for that fact. She’s one of the most promising up-and-coming architects at a prestigious firm, and that type of headstart can only be pried from her cold, dead hands. But it seems like her ADHD has chosen a second hyperfixation, and she’s spent a record amount of time reading about fish and thinking about the piercing green eyes of–well, practically a stranger. So what should she do about that? What could she even do?
She tells as much to Thalia, who just rolls her eyes and says, “Be normal and be his friend. And you better start being normal now, cause here he comes.”
Annabeth whips her head around so fast she hits herself in the face with her ponytail. Lo and behold, Grover is entering their regular diner with Percy in tow, looking as casual as can be. Before she can think, she starts to stand up. As her two friends and new… acquaintance notice this, she feels her entire body burn with embarrassment. Her only option now, she decides, is to fully get up and leave. Pretend like she was planning to go all along, some urgent business to attend to, so sorry she can’t stay the whole time. She definitely does still have work back at her office. She mumbles something along those lines as she gathers her things and rushes out. Her phone dings before she’s around the corner.
So much for being normal -Thalia
~
It continues like this for a few months. Annabeth really isn’t sure how to handle herself, or what’s gotten into her. Percy Jackson was bound to start showing up to their mutual friends’ events, and eventually become part of the friend group-proper. But despite that inevitability, she finds herself escaping gathering without goodbyes when he shows up, or ignoring him by flitting between other friends too fast to be cornered. She throws herself into her work even more (much to all her friends’ chagrin) to try to clear him away.
She doesn’t know if he notices, but not everyone is oblivious.
Eventually, Thalia and Grover can’t stand it. They trap her in her own apartment.
“Look,” Thalia growls out, while Grover looks slightly intimidated behind her. “You’re being ridiculous. He’s just a normal guy. You have to stop working even more just to avoid him. You’re avoiding all the rest of us, too.”
“And he’s very nice! He’s not scary or weird or anything, so I don’t get why you’re so against him!” Grover pipes up in his friend’s defense.
Thalia just rolls her eyes at this wild misinterpretation of Annabeth’s actions. “Percy or no Percy, the way you’re working isn’t healthy. You’re going to burn out. Love for what you do and ADHD hyperfixation doesn’t change that.”
Annabeth opens her mouth to protest Thalia’s second point, but she’s cut off before she can start. “Don’t even try,” Thalia says sternly, “I know you’re overworking. You’ve been overworking. Take a break, make a friend, and don’t overthink the process of making a friend.
“Who cares if you think Percy Jackson’s eyes are pretty or if you spend a little extra time thinking about his fish or how he was cheated out of his Olympic quals. Just get to know him, and then either you become friends and stay that way, or you progress to something else.”
Grover’s eyes widen at what was a revelation only to him.
“Whatever,” Thalia continues. “It’s not like our friend group can’t handle it–just look at Jason and Piper. Perfectly cordial.
“Just. Let go and let god, yeah?” Thalia concludes her speech with this underwhelming attempt at wisdom.
Annabeth snorts at the cliche, then sighs and nods. It’s no use trying to pick apart Thalia’s perfectly reasonable argument.
“Yea, I know. Thank you for hosting this intervention. I just… I haven’t had a crush in years. I don’t know how to start handling it.”
Thalia’s face splits into an enormous grin. “Don’t worry, you’ll be ok. Besides, you know how to make friends, and that’s your starting point. I’m so glad you came around so quickly, cause we invited him over, and he’s due to get here in about 5 minutes.”
“WHAT?” Annabeth screeches.
Grover has returned to looking intimidated, with a side of sheepish. “Well,” he explains, “He was starting to feel a little bad about you avoiding him. So we said you invited us all over, and it really lifted his spirits. Plus, you wouldn’t have been able to run away if we were all at your own apartment.”
Again, a perfectly reasonable argument. Thalia and Grover’s fully developed brains are really going to waste if this is what they’re spending their time concocting. Annabeth doesn’t even have time to yell about what an invasion of privacy this is as she manically tidies up before their new guest arrives.
~~~
In the winter, in the icy outdoor pool,
When you jumped in first, I went in too,
I’m with you even if it makes me blue
As it turns out, Percy and Annabeth made fantastic friends.
After their forced encounter at her apartment, they fell naturally back into the same ease they found the first night they met. They burrow away in conversation at parties. When he and Grover move into a new apartment together, she buys them an avant-garde flower vase they display proudly in the front hall. She helps them arrange furniture to maximize space and function. Percy joins them for their late night diner runs, having grown very fond of the “blue razzle” soda drink there. Sometimes Jason or Piper come, too. Percy and Grover start stopping by after classes to walk her home from work, effectively preventing her from working overtime. When she gets a promotion, they all help throw a surprise party. As she makes her rounds, thanking everyone for being here and supporting her, she realizes that she counts Percy as one of her closest friends among the crowd. She doesn’t know exactly when or how it happened, but it feels right.
For a long time, Thalia and Grover had been her closest friends. The power, the brains, and the support. They still are, but their intimate trifecta has undoubtedly grown to four. Despite years of sharing introductions to people from their other walks of life, that’s never happened before.
And yea, sometimes she still gets a strange jolt through her body when his gaze lingers a moment too long during her pseudo-lectures, or when their hands brush to grab napkins after Grover spills a drink, but she manages to push it down. His mouth that switches between smirk and smile and shit-eating grin, his bright eyes that light up upon seeing her, his brows that furrow in confusion or shoot up in surprise when she shares absurd facts–now they all only radiate comfort.
It’s nice to have another friend. She doesn’t want anything to change.
~
And because she was such an amazing friend in return, she was now nearly naked in below freezing temperatures on a public beach.
Maybe she shouldn’t have listened to Thalia in the first place.
This was some annual tradition called a “Polar Bear Plunge”. Apparently, Percy had participated every year since he was a kid. It consisted of diving into the ocean in the middle of January in order to raise funds for marine conservation. His mom, Sally (an absolute angel of a woman who relished Annabeth with stories from Percy’s childhood, including how he first took to water by jumping in headfirst and scaring her half to death), had driven the pair of them all the way out to Montauk for this. The rest of their friends had bailed at the last minute with an array of very creative excuses.
As they line up at the starting point, Annabeth fixes Percy with her dirtiest look.
“This is a race, too? You’ve got to be kidding me. Who in their right mind would race into the gods-forsaken ocean?” Her sharp tone is dulled by the chattering of her teeth.
Percy seems irritatingly relaxed for someone in just swim trunks under these conditions. “Don’t be such a negative nelly. It’s not fun if it’s not a race! Plus, I bet I can beat you to the water.” The last part comes with just a hint of arrogance, and Annabeth can’t help but take him up on the challenge. Screw his years of swimming and record-breaking athletic achievements. She had 12 years of taekwondo and 24 years of spite to fuel her.
He must see the defiant glare in her eyes, because his face mirrors her competitive expression and soon they’re both crouched down, focusing on the horizon in front of them, bodies coiled as they wait for the start signal.
Once the announcer yells, “GO!”, it’s a mad dash for the waves. Percy has an advantage since Annabeth is unused to the sand’s texture, but once they draw closer to the sea and the sand solidifies with moisture, she catches back up. It’s impossible to tell who actually makes it first. Any thought of rubbing in a win or disputing a tie is erased by the frigid reality of what they’ve done.
Or, rather, what she’s done. While her body seizes violently and her breath comes shallow and fast, he’s at peace. She doesn’t know where to go; staying in the water in cold, going back out is possibly colder. It isn’t a question for Percy, who keeps going deeper, cutting beyond the break zone to lie on his back in the calmer waters. She might’ve been able to hold her own on land, but Percy definitely wins here.
Once he notices she hasn’t followed, he quickly glides back and wraps her in a tight hug. “Sorry, Beth! I got carried away, but I think I won the race. Do you want to go back now?”
She ignores familiar emotional jitters (although, it’s hard to differentiate with all her physical jittering) from feeling his solid muscles against her skin, separated only by a bikini.
“Whatever, Seaweed Brain,” she mumbles, pushing him back slightly and picking the slimy leaf off his head. “It was, at best, a tie.” She can’t really elaborate the way she wants to, she’s so frozen from the temperature.
Percy just chuckles. “Come on, you look like you’re actually going blue. As much as I love the color, I don’t think it’s your look. Mom made sure we had the extra fluffy towels; we’ll get you nice and toasty so your memories of this experience will only be positive.”
And that sounds wonderful, but something makes Annabeth pause. “No, let’s stay at least 15 minutes. If I’ve already made it this far, I might as well up my body’s brown-fat ratio and reap some health benefits.”
Percy’s smile is dazzling. “Alright, Wise Girl! You read the article I sent about cold water diving?”
It takes every bit of her conscious motor control to roll her eyes. “Of course, I read all your articles you send.”
“Well, I don’t know, even Grover doesn’t always read them, and they’re related to our major. Thalia definitely doesn’t care about them.”
“Grover’s focus is forestry, so they’re not always related to him. Compromise on the riparian areas with him. As for Thalia, well… you probably send too many for her to care. I only give her very short articles or updates on my work to fit her attention span.”
“Well, that might be partly your fault, for showing me that software to transcribe any text into a dyslexia-friendly font. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have even read all the articles I’ve sent.”
“You’re welcome for saving your academic career. Besides, I’ve read all the books on your nightstand at this point, when you clearly haven’t, so what’s a few more articles?”
And so they continue that way until Annabeth becomes such an alarming color that Percy calls it before the official 15 minutes is done. They turn in for the night at Sally’s beach house, relaxing under fluffy blankets and watching Finding Nemo on the couch. Percy slowly drifts to sleep, despite his best efforts otherwise, as Annabeth works color and feeling back into her extremities. She watches his features smooth out to blank, matches his slowing breaths.
Effectively alone now, she simmers into uninvited thoughts.
She followed him into the ocean today. She would’ve done equally outlandish things for any one of her closest friends. Would he do the same for her? Did he consider her the same way? Would he let her be with him, go with him, no matter what circumstance? For how much longer?
~~~
Which takes me back to the color that we painted your brother’s wall,
Honey, without all the exes, fights, and flaws,
We wouldn’t be standing here so tall
“So… we’re gonna run out and buy some more… uh… paint, and you two can sort… something out, I guess.”
Grover’s voice is so hesitant that Annabeth wants to snap at him to just say his piece and be done with it, but before she can, Thalia is dragging the poor boy out the front door, calling out, “You have an hour to fix whatever is going on before we get back!”
So that left Percy and Annabeth glaring at each other from across the room. Estelle, Percy’s little sister, had requested a wall color change to match her other redecorating goals. Entering the 2nd grade was a big deal, and she wanted to commemorate the milestone. Annabeth, Thalia and Grover had offered to help out. The latter two were obviously regretting their generosity.
This tête-à-tête between them had been a long time coming. Over the past few months, Annabeth had once again buried herself in work and started declining invitations, waving Percy and Grover away when they came to walk her home, and replying less frequently to texts. This was a regular cycle that her friends were already used to, besides Percy, who was still too new to know. It usually coincided with project deadlines. However, it seemed to be more intense and longer lasting than usual. At first, they hadn’t questioned her, but then Thalia started asking if it was because of her increased responsibilities after the promotion, and finally they’d had enough and started forcing her out again, the way they always did.
She enjoyed herself among friends and started to pull herself out of the work haze. Then a new problem presented itself in the form of Rachel Elizabeth Dare.
The friend group wasn’t new to exes joining or remaining in the fold. And Percy had brought her around himself, stating that they were still good friends. All fine and dandy.
Unfortunately, Rachel Elizabeth Dare waltzed in and immediately pissed Annabeth off.
The first strike was telling Annabeth her work as an architect was strictly in the design realm, and didn’t count as an art form since the ultimate goal was a practical physical structure. It was condescending from her perspective as a “true artiste”, presumptive about Annabeth’s skill range, and overall incorrect.
The second strike was drawn after witnessing multiple, infuriatingly casual touches Rachel and Percy shared, even though they both denied lingering romantic feelings. She was always grabbing his arm as she laughed, and he absentmindedly tugged on her hair when she talked. Once, Annabeth caught Percy tugging on her own curls the same way as Thalia regaled them with a story about her mother’s second divorce, and she got so angry she swatted his hand away and stormed out.
The third strike happened right before Thalia and Grover arrived to paint. He had told her, with naïve excitement, that he was taking a trip to St. Thomas with Rachel Elizabeth Dare, so she could paint and he could SCUBA.
“I don’t get what your problem is! What has been going on with you, Beth?” Percy shouts in exasperation, throwing his hands into the air. “You went into a work frenzy, Thalia told me that was normal until it wasn’t, and then you were coming back to us and now you’re acting weird again! What is up with that?!”
She narrows her eyes. “I’m NOT acting weird! I just think that painting this entire room sea foam green is going to look awful in a few years, and it’s not even what Estelle wants!”
“Don’t even try, Wise Girl. I know you don’t care if this room is sea foam or robin’s egg blue or Vantablack. Besides, Estelle sounded fine with Rachel’s suggestion. She’s 7 years old and she can repaint whenever she wants. What is actually going on?”
“Exactly!” Annabeth nearly shrieks. “Who tries to influence the room color of a 7 year old?! And she’s wrong, Estelle’s original dark blue would look so much better with her new curtains!”
“She doesn’t care that much! This isn’t about Estelle or Rachel or paint. You’ve been weird for weeks now. You’re going back to work when we’ve just pulled you out, you’ve been picking stupid fights with me every chance you get, I mean–what has gotten into you? Was it something I did?” His tone becomes softer, almost pleading, but Annabeth is too lost in the heat of the moment to care.
“Not about Rachel? You absolutely Seaweed Brain! How is this not about Rachel and her terrible recommendations that you’re so happy to accept? Being so eager to frolic off with her to St. Thomas and abandon the rest of us?!”
At this confession, Percy pauses, mouth opening and closing with unformed words. He looks genuinely shocked and confused. Annabeth stubbornly maintains eye contact, even as her skin melts away with embarrassment at revealing her hidden insecurity. After what feels like an eternity, he settles on reaching out and cupping her face between his hands. They’re calloused and warm and feel so much like home it makes her heart ache.
“Annabeth,” he says her name slowly, with care, as if making sure to catch every syllable. “I’m not abandoning you, or anyone else. I’m going on a one week vacation to see marine wildlife. You know, my passion that you’ve always supported.
“I’m only going with Rachel because her family has a villa there. It’s an all-expenses paid trip, otherwise I wouldn’t have even considered it.
"I know… I know you two don’t get along very well. But you’re both important to me, and I want you two to get along. You’re both so similar, I was honestly really surprised when you didn’t… get along.” Percy finishes a bit lackluster, having run out of vocabulary to describe the testy interactions between the two women.
Annabeth knows this is an olive branch of sorts, words of reassurance. They don’t do enough, but she accepts that he’s trying. As she deflates from the fatigue of arguing with a best friend, she asks, “If we couldn’t get along… and she can’t come into the friend group because of that… would you choose her over us?”
Her voice comes out small and hesitant. Her whole life, she’s felt like a second choice. That’s what made Thalia and Grover so special to her. They always put her first and she did the same. She thought she had developed that same level of connection with Percy, but if he was so swayed by Rachel Elizabeth Dare, then she was wrong, and he was going to leave her too. She knows this isn’t completely fair on her part, either, but she needs to know before she gets hurt. She can’t give Percy this context without a promise to stay, because the wound he’d leave behind would be that much bigger.
Percy’s face shows so much conflict it sinks her heart without a word. She pushes his hands away without malice, just sighing and turning back to the paint chip samples. He, at least, has the sense to look ashamed, knowing he took too long to answer and now the moment is gone.
When Thalia and Grover return (sans any paint), they’re silently painting the walls in midnight blue, per Estelle’s original and reinstated choice (sans any adult influence).
It only takes three minutes for Thalia to round on them and demand to know what the hell happened to create this “stifling atmosphere” and why.
“Well, um, Annabeth uh… seems to not like Rachel, and so she’s not happy about me going on vacation with her,” Percy offers awkwardly.
“Well, um, YEAH, you idiot. None of us like her. No offense, Percy, but she came in and started insulting Annie like it was her job. Not even so much as a ‘nice to meet you’. Did you actually not see it happening before your very eyes?” Thalia hisses.
Percy shakes her head, and she plows on without acknowledging his ignorance.
“Look, I know it’s hard to understand, but me and Annie, we’ve been together from the start. Grover, from almost the start. You should count yourself unbelievably lucky that you’re even in our mini-group. Call it juvenile, or clique-ish, or whatever, but when you’ve been through a lot of shit, you’re only gonna let some select people see all of you. And when you work up the nerve to let it actually happen, you want them to accept all of you in turn.
“I remember you whining to us over a year ago about ‘That Annabeth girl seems so cool, I really liked her, why does she keep avoiding me?’ Well we knocked some sense into her then, and we’re knocking some sense into you now. She’s reverting back to her unhealthy work habits, that’s how much she hates being around Rachel. Remember when you were complaining about missing her so much?! Now you’re the one driving her away!
“It pains me to say out loud, Jackson, but I care about you, too. We’re a proper quartet now, and I will always choose you three first. So figure this out. I’m not tolerating this suffocating tension between you two anymore.”
Grover adds a small hum of agreement at the end of her tirade. They all return to silently painting their own wall. Thalia hasn’t exactly fixed anything; but, Annabeth figures, it has to get worse before it gets better, and she’s thankful Thalia was brave enough to stay some of the things Annabeth would’ve let fester.
When they’re done, Estelle exclaims over how pretty it looks and how thankful she is in that adorable way only children can pull off. She runs out and then slowly walks back in, carefully holding a plate of Sally’s freshly baked blue cookies. “They match my wall!” she squeals, blissfully ignorant to the strained smiles from the four friends.
If only every instance of running out resolved like this, Annabeth thinks bitterly.
~~~
I want to drive away with you,
I want your complications too,
I want your dreary Mondays,
Wrap your arms around me, baby boy’
Rachel Elizabeth Dare texts her the next morning to apologize. It’s sincere, heartfelt, and honest. Annabeth is shocked as she reads and rereads it, and even more so when a follow-up message offers to meet in person to hash out their differences.
They do so over coffee at a neutral location. Rachel confesses that she felt insecure about how strong Annabeth’s bond was with her friends, especially Percy and Grover, who Rachel was looking to as lifelines to ease her into the group socializing experience. She also admits that she has a bit of a “snob” issue that she’s been working on, as an abstract artist from a wealthy family who can afford to focus on the impractical.
“Honestly, I’m not even sure if it was purely a “snob” thing, or if I just didn’t have enough knowledge of architecture to care. Percy talks so much about your work, after all, he admires you so much, but I immediately wrote it off. That wasn’t fair of me. I’m sorry. Percy suddenly had such a strangely large amount of knowledge about it, I should’ve known it was coming from you because you’re passionate and skilled in your field.”
In turn, Annabeth explains why the comment hurt her so much, as someone who dedicated and sacrificed so much for her work, only to be continuously discredited and told it wasn’t as important as she made it out to be. She also tells her how she felt uncomfortable with the way Rachel and Percy physically interacted so casually, even going as far as to say she can’t pinpoint why and knows it isn’t fair, but it just rubbed her the wrong way. At that, Rachel lifts an eyebrow.
“You… really don’t know why?”
“Again, I know it’s not a real problem. I shouldn’t have cared. But I did, and I took that out on you, at least in part. I’m sorry for that.” Annabeth sighs. “Probably yet another kind of internalized misogyny I have to root around for and weed out.”
Rachel smiles at this. “Yea, society really messes us up like that. Well, when you figure it out, let me know. I forgive you.”
Their conversation continues into other shocking sources of societal misogyny (including heartwarming bonding over the fact that both their fathers wanted to ship them away to finishing schools rather than deal with their individual ambitions), and by the end Annabeth feels a sort of peace with Rachel. They won’t be best friends, but they certainly can “get along” just fine.
~
In the meantime, she and Percy have lingered in a détente. They’re back to acting the way they did before, much to Thalia and Grover’s relief, but underneath it all, they know they have to hash it out. This time, Percy is the one who’s busy, preparing for his tropics trip: getting his diving gear together, arranging lists of what he wants to look out for, and creating logs for the data he plans to collect. If he gets this right, he could knock out a big part of his senior research thesis for graduation, and either get it done early or petition for school-sponsored trips to similar tropic waters.
Annabeth knows how important this is to him, and how supportive he was during her crunch times, so she doesn’t push for resolution yet. She just thanks him for reaching out to Rachel and sends him resources on how to best organize Excel sheets for later analysis.
During the trip, he sends tons of photos through the waterproof case Thalia got him. Annabeth replies with enthusiasm, noting markings that show if a fish is male or female, or particularly healthy areas of coral, or rarer sightings of reef sharks.
A week is a long time. With a lot of fishes.
Percy is due to return the next day, and just as Annabeth is sending him a reminder to pack his floss from the hotel bathroom cabinet, she hears a knock at her door.
It’s him. He’s here. A whole day early?
The confusion must have been obvious on her face, because he busts out laughing and pulls her into a hug.
“Surprise! Guess who just landed an hour ago, rushed home, showered, and is now here?”
Annabeth matches the broad grin across his face. Not bothering to answer his rhetorical question, she fires back, “Did you remember your floss from the bathroom?”
His eyebrows furrow for a second before his face drops. “Shit, I didn’t. Whatever,” he recovers, “Floss doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m here and my mom let me borrow her car. Let’s go for a drive.”
Annabeth pulls on the fastest outfit of her life, then follows Percy to the street and into the car, where they immediately groan at the traffic.
“This city is the worst,” Percy complains. “They should send everyone on a paid vacation for a year and knock the whole thing down. You should lead the redesign so that the streets actually make sense and don’t force cars to run into each other.”
“Where are we going?” Annabeth asks, trying to figure out the best route in her head.
“That’s a surprise. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, Wise Girl.”
“That is a highly alarming statement and I can’t do that. You know I hate accidents.”
“Anyways,” Percy replies smoothly, “I’ve been thinking about that building sketch you sent.”
Annabeth decides to let him distract her, however unsubtle the transition was. “Really? What’d you think?”
“Well, obviously, it’s beautiful. It’s different from what you usually send though. It doesn’t feel like the classical style. It’s very…symmetrical.”
“Very astute observation, Percy,” Annabeth states sarcastically, “But classic design can be symmetrical. More importantly, it’s because the designated space for the building was square. There’s only so many artistic liberties I’m allowed to take.” She tuts dramatically as if taking over neighboring space and knocking down the buildings that already existed in them was a perfectly reasonable action, and was shot down for inexplicable reasons.
Percy pauses, and his next words come out stilted, as if he’s still figuring out what to say as he says them. “Well, obviously, classical can be symmetrical, that’s not what I meant exactly… And the columns and elevated steps, too, are still classic in your favorite way… There are just… other aspects of it… that are… different.”
Annabeth isn’t really sure what his goal is, but she’s always happy to talk about her architecture and she knows he actually listens. “If you mean the set up of the aerial view, I got my inspiration from Ghanaian Akan culture. I’ve been slowly expanding my expertise beyond just ‘classic’”–she physically acts out air quotes–“Greco-Roman styles for a few years now, and the building is meant to be a multicultural center for the city, so I thought that would be a great reason to bring in other influences. Of course, I can’t start mashing all the eras of architecture together, or else it’ll just look ridiculous, but this one inclusion felt appropriate. Besides, what happens inside is what really matters.”
“And the exterior will have giant, literal fire walls.”
Annabeth giggled at that. “Jealous that they won’t be the typical water walls seen on building facades? I wanted to shake things up. Besides, it won’t be real fire. Not all the way up, anyways.”
“It’s an Abusua pa surrounded by four hearths.”
Percy’s deadpan statement takes Annabeth by surprise. When she looks over at him on the passenger’s side, his expression is unreadable. Serious, she supposes. The streetlights flashing by illuminate and obscure his face in turn, and it makes him harder to decipher. All she can offer is a quiet affirmative.
“When Thalia told me those things, that day we were painting Estelle’s room, I was so confused. What was she talking about? What had you all gone through? I was so upset that I wasn’t being trusted with that information or that I might’ve been a bad friend in a way I didn’t even know.” Percy’s voice is quiet. Annabeth is holding onto every word, trying to make sense of the abrupt transition as her heart fills with innumerable, unnameable emotions.
“After I confronted the mess with Rachel, which, again, I’m so sorry about, I didn’t know what to do next. Obviously it didn’t start and end with her. So I thought, the next thing Beth loves most besides us is her work. She pours her entire soul into her work. Maybe that’ll tell me something.
“So I went through your archives that you once sent. I’m sorry to say I hadn’t done it before, but honestly, you’ve done so much since your internships in high school, it wasn’t very realistic to do with in my free time until then. And then I had to parse out the projects you had creative control over, not the ones you sketched under someone else’s direction. And then, for the projects you had done before becoming friends with me, I had to do some reverse research on the inspiration behind them. I read the articles you sent as you did current projects, so at least I was up to date on those.
“And then you started this project after we fought and you weren’t sending articles anymore, and I wasn’t sure if it was because you were mad at me or something else. So I had to reverse research this building too, and you know what? It was a great starting point.
“You already know I love water, but I think you love fire, Beth. From your first independent project, solely Greco-Roman, you’ve always added in a hearth wherever you could find the space. As far as I could tell, your first venture out of the classic style was with Celtic influence, and that building was made in the shape of a Triquetra. You made that design around the same time Grover was abroad in Ireland, studying their deforestation crisis.
“Then Thalia took pity on me and told me about her own past. I had no idea she had endured all of that as a kid. I mean, she still talks about her mom in this carefree way, movie star glam life, how could I have known she had grown up around substance use problems and weeks alone unsupervised? I didn’t have a cushy life, either, but I always had my mom. And by the sound of it, Thalia always had you. I figured the reverse was also true.
“Then it all made so much sense I felt stupid for not putting it together earlier. The Abusua pa, the Triquetra, the hearths–they all mean family, togetherness, safety, strength. And they always represented your friends. Your friends–Thalia, Grover, and by some miracle, me–we’re your family. I don’t know what your story is, Beth, but if it’s anything like Thalia’s, then you were right to wonder if I understood you. Because I always had my mom, and never doubted that she would leave me.
“But let me make this very clear, right now. I understand the importance of family. And I will never, ever leave you. I will never abandon you. I will never reduce you to a secondary priority, and I apologize again if I did that without meaning to with Rachel. I don’t like ultimatums and Rachel is important to me, but she’s not family. I will always put you first.”
At this point, Percy has pulled over somewhere. His mood seems to lighten significantly at his conclusion, rolling back his shoulders and turning off the car. He quickly becomes horrified when he notices Annabeth silently crying in the passenger’s seat.
“I’m glad someone got something off his chest,” Annabeth hiccups, attempting humor.
“Oh my gods, Beth, I’m so sorry again, I just wanted to get all of that out and let you know how I felt and I thought it would be comforting, I was aiming for comforting, and I had to watch the road so I didn’t notice–” he rambles on like this for a little while longer while Annabeth waves him off. When she finally gathers herself enough to wipe her tears and speak properly, Percy offers, “Do you want ice cream? There’s a little shop around the corner.”
This brings Annabeth’s attention back to their surroundings. “Where are we?” she asks. Something seems so oddly familiar here, but she can’t quite place it.
“This is the first building you had free reign over,” Percy gestures to the apartment complex sheepishly. “I figured that would be my destination because… symbolism, I guess?”
Annabeth’s eyes widen as the memories piece back together. “The affordable housing complex in factory alley?”
He nods. “Yep. You know, my mom and I used to live in one of these apartment buildings before she started writing and selling books. You did really great work here, Beth. Most of the time they’re super shoddy cause no one cares about the poor.”
Annabeth can only nod, looking at the fruition of the project she had been ecstatic to take over so many years ago. It had been a throw away thing, because Percy was right: no one cared about the poor. But she was a young upstart and fought so hard for the unique star-like shape of the complex so that everyone would have windows with adequate sunlight.
She tells Percy this story behind the building. Over scoops of ice cream, she also tells him about her mother who walked out on her family without explanation, her father who cared more about work than her, her stepmother who forced her out of the house too soon, and how Thalia was, in fact, there for her through it all. He tells her about never knowing his biological father, his evil ex-stepfather who inflicted so much hurt, the profiling he faced at school that followed him into his swimming haven and ruined his chances at competing internationally.
She tells him about how she and Thalia have been healing together, and trying to forgive their families, too, in the process; how it’s brought them even closer as their parents use the same technique (lavish gifts) to connect even though that’s not at all what they want; how this night has been a cathartic practice in being vulnerable, which Thalia likely already knew when she shared before. Percy thanks her for trusting him enough to be a part of the process, and expresses amazement at their generosity towards their families; he doesn’t know if he could do the same, but maybe one day he could reach that point.
At the end of the night, they’re exhausted and emotionally drained, but so much more connected and in sync. At her door, he understands her instinctively when she looks back at him over the threshold, following behind her and getting ready for bed alongside her. They fall back into the pillows and wrap their arms around each other as they easily slip into a deep sleep.
In the morning, Annabeth’s alarm signals the start of a new week. The sky is overcast and it’s a typical dreary Monday.
Percy’s strong arms still encircle her, his even breaths brush her forehead. She wants this. She wants all of it, and she finally thinks she can have it.
~~~
I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with Paper Rings,
That’s right, you’re the one I want,
I hate accidents, except when we went from friend to this,
Darling, you’re the one I want
In Paper Rings, in picture frame, in dirty dreams,
You’re the one I want,
In Paper Rings, in picture frames, in all my dreams,
You’re the one I want!
The rest naturally comes together. It’s much like the ease of their friendship after Annabeth got over her initial crush, only this time, she’s letting those impulses flourish as their feelings grow stronger together.
One day, after work, Annabeth slips her hand into Percy’s as Grover bleats, “Bah, gross, ok, I guess this was gonna happen at some point.”
It’s without a second thought that Percy leans in to kiss Annabeth’s cheek at her door, and that she beams back in approval.
It’s obvious that Annabeth has to be the one to tell Percy to kiss her on the lips instead, and that he happily complies.
It’s expected they share laughs as they bring their bodies together for the first time, and then basal responses that guide Percy to set Annabeth’s nerve endings alight.
It’s a matter of course that their larger friend group finds out and congratulates them, and they continue to gravitate towards each other in those settings, an arm slung around the other’s shoulders.
It’s natural evolution that their photo frames update with recent events: Percy and Grover’s graduation, Annabeth’s newest building unveiling, Thalia’s latest venture into the hunting woods, yet another night at the local diner.
The words "I love you" aren't so much a revelation, but rather a descriptor for what's already occurred.
As always, Thalia says it best.
“It’s so weird, like slugs having sex, like yes it’s inevitable and a good thing, even, but also like weirdly gross like I shouldn’t look but also can’t look away!”
This was describing Percy sliding a paper ring, fashioned from a straw covering, onto Annabeth’s hand.
Annabeth just scoffs, “Oh please, Thalia, it’s not like I’d ever accept this. Don’t be so dramatic.”
She ignores Percy’s mischievous smirk and her own blush betraying her.
“Right, Ms. I'm-Rich-Cause-Daddy's-Money-Replaces-His-Love would never fall for such a gimmick,” Thalia mocks. With all their trauma out in the open, they’ve begun to make light of it, in their ongoing journey of healing.
Missing the main point, Grover bemoans, “You two can’t get married yet! Annabeth is already stealing my roommate way too often. Give him back! I’m lonely!”
“Yea, Wise Girl, give me back,” Percy pleads.
“Oh, go, go back then! Far be it for me to hold you back from your true love. I don’t want you anyways,” Annabeth says, as all of them hold back laughter at the weak charade.
“That's true, she didn't want anything to do with you. She went into quite the frenzy when she realized you might be friends, or, god forbid, something more. Might've been for the best, cause he can’t afford to give you anything better than that flimsy paper,” Thalia muses.
They all actually burst into laughter at that, because it’s mostly true.
“Hey!” Percy interjects. “That’s not fair. She knew what she was getting into, dating a researcher.” The rest of the night whittles away with well worn-out protests from Percy and Grover about their criminally underpaid field work.
Later, as they lay side by side in the moonlight, Annabeth whispers that she would. She would have him with paper rings. When she thinks of the future, he’s an immutable part of it. She gave up on shiny things and fairytale rings when her family fell apart the first time and money seemed to be all she had. Now, she held onto unwavering faith in her found family. And she would have them regardless of anything.