Chapter Text
She woke with a start, blinking through darkness. Her head was resting on a firm pillow, rising and falling steadily beneath her. Her arm shot out, searching for something familiar. Her fingers collided with soft skin and suddenly everything came rushing back to her. She lifted slightly and looked up at Percy’s peaceful face above her, breathing shallowly and she bit down a grin. She rested her chin back on his chest and stared at him.
He really was beautiful, with his long dark lashes, and high cheek bones. God had certainly taken his time with him, and she greatly appreciated his service. It was worth the wait if this was how he turned out.
She began to trail her fingers softly along Percy’s chest, tracing the smooth skin when they suddenly ran over a jagged bump. Her eyes flickered down to a thin white scar, and she once again wondered how he had gotten it. She further searched his torso and found several more lines and small discoloured marks littered across the vast plane. Her stomach churned nervously as she considered the stories behind them. One or two she may have been able to excuse, but so many? Her mind flashed back to when she and Percy sat on his bed, when he confided to her that his stepdad was an asshole and she started to wonder whether he had severely downplayed just how much of an asshole the guy really was.
Her hands continued to follow the scars absently, like they were a puzzle that she was trying to solve, when she caught Percy’s eye. She pulled her fingers away and smiled at him sheepishly.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
He grinned softly and tried to shrug which wasn’t easy with her body pinning him down to the seat, “s’okay.” She stared at him curiously, too nervous to let the question actually escape her lips, but he seemed to understand anyway, “it wasn’t as bad as you think.”
“How bad was it, because it certainly doesn’t seem good,” she asked a little harshly.
She tried to keep her voice even, but she could feel the anger brewing in her gut and seeping into her tone. She just couldn’t fathom someone doing something like that, and to Percy of all people. He may not look it, but he was the nicest, sweetest, most genuine person she had ever met, and the thought of someone laying their hands on him- there wasn’t a single word for how much it disgusted her. Her palms which rested on his chest curled into tight fists involuntarily.
He closed his eyes with a shaky sigh, and she forced her fingers to relax. Her anger wasn’t what he needed right now. He needed support, not an interrogation.
“Sorry, you don’t have to tell me,” she added quietly.
He cleared his throat, his eyes opening but unable to meet hers, “it wasn’t all the time. Just when he was in really bad moods and only when my mom was gone.”
“Your stepdad?” she asked softly, needing confirmation.
He just nodded, his face looking pained, and she began to regret bringing it up because she never wanted to see him in pain.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry that it happened, and I’m sorry for bringing it up and making you relive it again. But thank you for telling me.”
He offered a small smile, but she was glad to see that it was at least a genuine one, as he tried to shrug again.
“I’m glad you asked. It would’ve come up eventually,” he muttered and then he craned his neck to press a tender kiss to her lips. He shook his head, his mouth brushing against hers, “this is too serious, this should be a happy occasion.”
She grinned against his lips, her heart bursting in her chest. She still couldn’t quite believe this had happened. She couldn’t believe he actually reciprocated her feelings, and now they were something. She didn’t know what exactly, they were more than just friends that slept together, but they weren’t dating just yet. It was something in between, something with the promise of more, and it was exciting, and it was enough. This whole day had felt surreal.
“You’re right, a very happy occasion,” she agreed.
“For the record, this isn’t what I had in mind when I invited you out for the day,” he said suddenly. “Just thought you should know.”
She laughed lightly, “you mean you didn’t plan on getting me naked in your backseat.”
“Well, I’m certainly not complaining, but I don’t want you thinking this was just an elaborate ruse,” he explained.
“Wow big words,” she joked.
He rolled his eyes, “you’re insufferable.”
“You seemed to like me plenty not too long ago,” she threw back.
He raised an eyebrow, “oh I’m sorry, I seem to remember you saying something like, ‘oh shit, fuck, Jesus fuck’,” he repeated her words in a bad imitation of her.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she pursed her lips, “whatever.”
He laughed lightly and then fell silent. She looked up to see him chewing on his cheek pensively, maybe a little nervous.
Finally, he spoke, “do you think we should, like, stop sleeping together while you’re deciding about NYU and Berkeley?”
“What, why?” she asked affronted.
“It’s just,” he paused, running his fingers through his hair, and why was that so attractive? “If we keep acting like nothing has changed and then you do end up going to California, that’s really going to suck. And like obviously I want you to go there if that’s what you want, but I don’t think I can keep acting like this is just casual fun when I like you this much. And the thought of ending this suddenly, really sucks. And now, we’re in this in between stage and I just don’t really know what the protocol is. We’ve sort of done everything backwards, so maybe we should pause, just until you’ve decided, and that way you can focus on your decision and not worry about starting something new with me. I don’t know if that makes sense, sorry,” he stammered.
I did make sense. She understood as much as she hated the thought of putting the brakes on whatever this was. Especially after finally, finally stepping on the gas, and getting a small taste of being with him like this.
She pressed a kiss to the smooth skin of his chest below her, taking the opportunity to touch him while she still had the chance, “I guess I know what you mean, it would be hard to continue just business as usual.”
His worried expression morphed into a grin, “this is just business?”
“Yup, purely transactional,” she joked.
“Wow, you’ve only been using me for my body?” he asked affronted while his eyes gleamed beautifully.
“I think that’s always been pretty obvious,” she answered smugly.
“I’ll take it I guess,” he said with a little laugh.
She buried her face into his neck to hide the wide grin that was spreading across her lips. Even though she finally admitted that she liked him, she refused to give Percy the satisfaction of knowing what he could do to her.
“So, if you stay, then I get to take you on a proper date, and if you go, then I’ll be your biggest supporter,” he whispered.
She nodded, still hidden in him, as her heart swelled for this amazing boy. He shifted beneath her, reaching and stretching his beautiful muscles, searching for something. Finally, he managed to pull his phone from his pants pocket and held it above her.
“Shit,” she heard him mutter.
“What?” she asked, muffled.
“It’s 10, I told your dad I would get you back before it was dark. My mom is probably freaking out too,” he sighed.
She pulled herself up, hovering over him with a pout, “we can go, I guess. Don’t worry about my dad though.”
Percy smiled at her whining, “I know, but I don’t want him to hate me.”
“What does it matter?” she laughed.
“Well, he’s your dad, and I- I’m your something, and I don’t want him to think I’m a bad influence,” he explained.
She bit back a grin because she knew he was attractive, but she still wasn’t accustomed to this sweet, cute, shy side of him, and she was scared of how much she already loved it.
“You are a bad influence,” she joked. This time he was the one to pout, and he looked so genuinely sad that she added, “Percy it’s fine, I’ll explain everything to him, I won’t let him judge you.” She cradled his face in her hand, tracing his cheekbones, “And honestly, I don’t really care what his opinion of you is, I like you and that’s all that matters.”
He gave her a small smile, “I like you too, Chase. But we should really get out of here, so could you put some pants on, you heathen?”
She rolled her eyes and slid off of him, both of them quickly getting dressed. They jumped back into their seats and sped towards her house. Halfway through the drive, she felt Percy’s fingers fluttering next her hand tentatively. She didn’t move for a few minutes, waiting to see what he would do, but eventually she got impatient and just snatched his palm in hers and placed their clasped hands onto her thigh. He kept his eyes firmly on the road, but he had a little smirk on his lips as he drove with his free arm. God that was hot. She could get used to this. The warmth of his hand gripping her thigh, feeling safe and slightly turned on.
Too soon they were pulling back up to her house, and Percy was jumping out his car so he could run around to her side and open the door for her. She just rolled her eyes at him again and let him help her out. They walked towards her front porch, and she spotted the kitchen light on through the window. Her dad was probably still awake, trying to play the role of a good, present father now that he decided he wanted to be more involved in her life.
They stopped at her door, and turned to face each other. She didn’t know when she would see Percy next. There was still a week before the end of school, they had exams and then their graduation, and she had to make a life altering decision during all that. She took a moment to take him in. His dark tousled hair and defined jaw and his dazzling green eyes and the small dimples in his cheeks as he grinned at her. She soaked him in, tracing every line and rugged curve. She had a feeling he was doing the same thing.
“Don’t be stranger, Chase,” he said finally.
She smiled, “I won’t. I’ll see you at graduation, right?”
“Assuming I pass everything,” he quipped.
She punched his shoulder, “you will, don’t bring that energy over here.”
He laughed, “okay, fine, yes you will see me there. And hopefully afterwards too.”
“You’ll be the first to hear,” she promised again.
He grinned happily, “good. I’m going to kiss you one more time just in case, because it will really suck if I can never do this again.”
He dipped his head down and pressed his mouth firmly to hers. It made her kind of forget everything just for a second, and all she knew in that moment were the feel of his lips, and his salty chocolate smell she loved, and the press of his chest against hers, and the tingling sensation that spread across her skin as his fingers dug into her back. He was annoyingly amazing at this.
She sighed against him just as he pulled away, leaving her breathless.
He smirked like he knew exactly what he was doing to her, “see you around, babe.”
He turned before she could get another word out, so she was forced to watch him in a daze as he got back in his car and drove away. She stood at her door, staring at the empty driveway for far too long, before she was able to get her legs working again and she headed through the door.
She ran into her dad as soon as she walked into the kitchen, it was unavoidable. He was leaning against the counter, looking upset and tired.
“Sorry,” she started.
“Annabeth, do you know what time it is?” he asked sternly.
She sighed, “yes, I’m sorry. We just got distracted.”
“I expected that boy to have you home at a reasonable hour,” he grumbled.
She frowned, “dad, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but you don’t get to start telling me what to do, since deciding to father me like two weeks ago. It wasn’t Percy’s fault.”
“I trusted you to be responsible enough to at least answer me,” he pressed, sounding exhausted.
“Well, I’m not used to receiving texts from you. You’ve never cared enough to ask before,” she shot back.
His shoulders slumped and he sighed, dragging his hand over his face, “I know. I have no right, but I was worried. I didn’t know where you were, and you weren’t answering my texts or calls.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I should’ve answered, but please don’t judge Percy. It really wasn’t his fault,” she implored.
He nodded and finally relaxed, “so, this Percy?” he began.
“Oh God dad, not this,” she groaned, covering her eyes.
“You’ve never let a boy pick you up here before,” he pointed out.
She shrugged, “yeah, I guess.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” he continued.
“No, or I don’t know. We’re figuring it out,” she muttered.
“Do I need to talk to you about protection?” he questioned.
“Okay! That’s enough, I think,” she nearly shouted and raced out of the room, “you’re a little late on that one,” she added quietly, listening to her dad chuckling behind her.
She ran up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her. She fell onto her bed, exhausted, finally pulling out her phone. She hadn’t checked it since this morning when she texted the group chat about Percy inviting her out for the day, aside from the exception of Luke’s unfortunate phone call. The thought of it made her flush even now. She probably enjoyed that a lot more than she should have, but she was pretty sure that it was entirely due to the fact that Percy was ordering her around and taking control in that way she adored. She loved how his eyes lit up, he would smirk arrogantly, his deep voice firm and confident and his hands grabbing at her insistently.
She swiped up through her recently missed texts, most from Piper, Hazel and Rachel, all of them freaking out because she had stopped answering. She laughed as she read through them.
PIPER (11:55am):
Yay get it bitch!
Let us know how it goes
RACHEL (11:57am):
Yes
Many updates pls
HAZEL (11:58am):
Good luck
Have fun
Be safe
RACHEL (1:12pm):
Hellur?
Do you think she’s dead?
PIPER (1:23pm):
For sure
m.i.a for far too long methinks
HAZEL (1:46pm):
You’re so dramatic
Annabeth pls answer, I can’t be left alone with them
RACHEL (2:34pm):
Why so mean :(
PIPER (4:48pm):
Literally so rude and for what?
Where did this blonde bitch go?
RACHEL (4:52pm):
Percy’s throwing her back out as we speak
HAZEL (5:23pm):
My finger is literally hovering over the ‘leave this conversation’ button
PIPER (5:45pm):
She’s bluffing
RACHEL (6:01pm):
Let her do it
Annabeth rolled her eyes at their antics and typed out a response.
ANNABETH (10:56pm):
Calm down
im back
HAZEL (10:57pm):
Oh thank god
PIPER (10:58pm):
Yayyy
She lives
RACHEL (10:58pm):
How was the date tho
HAZEL (10:58pm):
She said it wasn’t a date
They were just hanging
PIPER (10:58PM):
I don’t buy it
Spill bitch
ANNABETH (10:59pm):
So it was kind of a date
RACHEL (10:59pm):
I fucking knew it
Let’s goooo
PIPER (10:59pm):
Suck it Hazel
HAZEL (10:59pm):
I was respecting her wishes
Stfu
RACHEL (11:00pm):
Gasp
She swore
ANNABETH (11:00pm):
Only hazel is a valid friend
PIPER (11:00pm):
abc is trying to distract us
spill the tea
RACHEL (11:01pm):
Tell us
Tell us
Annabeth pressed the facetime button at the top of their group chat and the phone began to ring. They all picked up within seconds, chattering noisily and asking a million questions.
“Soooo, how did it go?” Piper said the loudest.
She shrugged awkwardly, “it was good. We just went to the skatepark, and he taught me techniques and stuff.”
“Aww, that is so cute,” Hazel cooed.
“What else though? What else,” Rachel cut in.
Annabeth scratched her neck and smiled shyly, “I don’t know, we got coffee and hung out mostly.”
“You’ve literally been gone all day,” Piper pointed out.
“They fucked again for sure,” Rachel accused.
Hazel shrieked, “stop! Did you have fun, did anything happen?” she tried to ask sensibly.
“Yeah, we chatted, and he said he wanted to take me on a real date another day,” Annabeth muttered softly.
Even Piper awed at that, “babe! This means he likes you back, aren’t you excited?”
Annabeth nodded, “yeah of course. I’m so happy, but he knows I’m still trying to decide about NYU and Berkeley. He said we should pause until I’ve decided.”
“What did you say?” Rachel wondered.
“I mean, it sucks but I agreed with him. I understand,” Annabeth answered.
“Do you know which one you’re choosing yet?” Hazel questioned.
Annabeth sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, “I don’t know. I mean NYU makes more sense, right? But I’ve been planning on Berkeley for so long. I’ve wanted to move to California since I was like 14. It feels weird to switch last minute after all this time.”
“Plans change. You said yourself that NYU has the better program and campus,” Piper mused wisely.
“And you’ll be closer to us,” Hazel added helpfully.
“And Percy,” Rachel added unhelpfully with a smirk.
“I’m team New York,” Piper said.
Rachel leaned in closer to the screen and uttered more seriously, “look, your main reason for choosing Berkeley was to get away from your family, right? But you guys are better now, so stay. You love NYU, choose it for that reason, not any other reason, but just because you love it, and you deserve it.” Then she began grinning again, “stay with us, and Percy.”
Annabeth smiled and rolled her eyes as Hazel put in her two cents, “it’s up to you Annabeth, you choose whatever feels right. Maybe you could make a pros and cons list.”
“Ooh those are her favourites,” Piper bounced excitedly.
“That’s actually a good idea,” Annabeth decided.
Rachel clapped once loudly, “great, so now that we’ve cleared that up, we deserve details. All the juicy secrets.”
Piper nodded, “yup, no more avoiding it. You have to tell us everything we want to know.”
Annabeth just exhaled tiredly, she knew there was no weaselling her way out of it this time. She just had to bite the bullet. Her friends wouldn’t stop until they knew the truth. There was no point in trying to hide or avoid it. Honestly, sex talk came more easily to her than the feelings stuff. Sex was always something so inconsequential to her before Percy came along, she never cared about telling her friends about her exploits.
“Fine, what do you want to know?” she groaned with resignation.
“We’ll start easy, what else happened on the date?” Rachel questioned.
“Like I said, he taught me skateboarding, we both admitted we have feelings for each other, some guy was being an asshole to us, then Percy and I slept together in his car-“ all their eyes widened but she barrelled on, “then he drove me home, gave me a kiss and here we are.”
“I am obsessed with that,” Piper laughed.
“I’m only slightly jealous of the car sex, but enough of the easy stuff,” Rachel cut in. She chewed on her lip for a moment, like she was trying to think of the best question to start with, then she finally spoke, “I’m guessing the sex is good if you’ve been doing it for almost three months. I just need to know, is he like, you know, big?” she finished, her eyebrows waggling.
Annabeth rolled her eyes and just said a simple, “yes.”
“How big?” Piper pushed, completely ignoring the utter anxiety and distress on Hazel’s face at the subject matter.
“I don’t know exactly, definitely the biggest I’ve ever had. Like the first time I saw it, I thought it had to be some kind of joke because it was so big,” Annabeth told them, a smile fighting at her lips.
Rachel groaned, “this isn’t fair. I called dibs on him, you broke the code,” she whined petulantly.
“I’m going to give you like two more questions and then we are shutting this down,” Annabeth warned them.
“Has he made you come?” Piper wondered next.
Annabeth thought about it, “yeah, like three or four times.”
“Ever?” Rachel asked, sounding slightly underwhelmed. “I guess that’s not too bad.”
Annabeth couldn’t help tumbling into a fit of giggles, “ever? No, what the fuck. No, not ever. I meant like each time. He usually makes me come like three or four times every time we sleep together,” she explained, her eyes squeezed shut as she cackled loudly.
When she finally opened them again, all of their mouths were hanging slightly ajar, even Hazel.
Rachel blinked, looking confused and genuinely upset now, “okay, we will be taking the dibs rule much more seriously from now on because WHAT THE FUCK, I missed out on that,” she complained, throwing her hands in the air.
Annabeth just shrugged again, this time feeling smug and pleased, “one more question ladies, make it good.”
They weighed their options for a moment, and then Piper spoke finally, “you said that you’ve had sex even when you weren’t in private. Name all the places.”
“That isn’t a question,” Annabeth pointed out.
“Just tell us, Chase, we’ve already made it this far,” Rachel rumbled, clearly still slightly peeved that she had missed out on her chance with Percy. In fairness, Annabeth would be pretty upset too.
“Fine, let me think,” she stalled. “Wait, like only the sex or also other sexual acts?”
“All of it,” Piper insisted.
“Okay, um. Well, usually it’s in my car. But also, the library, the old classroom at the end of the South Hall, the closet in drama, at Prom. Uh… the boy’s bathroom, that one was stressful because people walked in halfway through. The girl’s changeroom and you know, the back of Mr. Blofis’s class,” she muttered the last part quietly.
“I’m sorry,” Piper drew out slowly. “Did you say the back of class? As in the class we all attend together. That one?”
Annabeth looked at them sheepishly, “we didn’t have sex or anything. I just jerked him off.”
“While we were all in the room?” Hazel asked sounding appalled, speaking up for the first time since the discussion began.
“Unfortunately, yes. Not my finest moment, but he kept taunting me and he didn’t think I would do it, and you know I’m really competitive,” Annabeth rambled out an explanation.
“Right, you’re competitive, so obviously that means you had to give the man a hand job behind all of us,” Piper said sarcastically.
“Okay,” Annabeth snapped her fingers. “That’s your last question, so let’s be done with this now, please. I don’t think I can take Hazel being upset with me for another second,” she said.
“Well, this is just great. Annabeth is having fairy-tale sex, and I have been as dry as the Sahara Desert for the last year,” Rachel complained.
“This has been so fun ladies,” Annabeth voiced sarcastically, “but I’m going to bed.”
“Percy probably tired her out,” Rachel quipped, only still a little bitter.
Piper guffawed, “they had a workout.”
“Okay, buhbye now,” she waved at her phone.
“Bye, love you,” Hazel waved back, finally recovering from the horror on her face.
“See you tomorrow, my sweets,” Piper said.
“Bye lovelies,” Rachel blew a kiss, finally smiling broadly again.
Annabeth hung up and dropped her phone with a wide grin. Despite how much shit her friends liked to give her, she knew that they were only joking. She knew they loved and supported her, and she loved them equally as much.
She fell back onto her pillow, tired down to her bones. Her legs were aching from all the walking and skateboarding, and the rest of her body was sore from the exercise she got in Percy’s car; her friends hadn’t been wrong about that fact. She knew she should get up to change into her pyjamas and brush her teeth, but she felt so comfortable, she didn’t think she could move ever again. The only place she felt safer and more at peace was nestled in Percy’s chest. Her eyes fluttered shut, a small giddy smile on her lips as the day’s events flashed by through her mind, and she fell asleep right there.
She spent the next morning working on that pros and cons list that Hazel suggested. She left Percy and her friends off of it for obvious reasons, knowing their influence would sway her decision entirely. She also kept her family from the list, unsure where exactly to place them now. They used to be a con, the entire reason she ever applied to Berkeley in the first place, but now, she didn’t know. She thought they were a pro, or at least they were leaning in that direction, so she left them out of it too. Without those factors in play, the choice became quite clear. NYU had the better program, it had the better campus, it had all the classes she wanted, and it even offered her more scholarship money.
It was obvious which one was for her. But she still couldn’t go through with it, and it was eating her alive.
The next week that followed was also kind of hell. She spent all her time studying for exams while also trying to decide on her literal future in her spare time. And she knew which choice she was going to make, it was all laid out for her on a piece of paper which sat on her desk, waiting for her. But she just couldn’t actually go on the stupid website and click accept.
It was like every time she tried to do it, she just froze, suddenly gripped with all-consuming fear. Ever since she could remember, she had always had this carefully laid out plan for herself, and it was terrifying to suddenly change everything based on the events of just a few recent weeks and months. She wasn’t a spontaneous person, she liked control, she liked preparation, she didn’t know how to take a leap of faith. There was no way to know that her family wouldn’t go back to how they were before. There was no way to guarantee that Percy would still be waiting for her if she did decide to stay. There were just so many unknowns, and Berkeley was safe, it was all she knew, she liked security. So how could she decide?
Her busy schedule also meant that she barely saw Percy at all and that simply added to the torture of it all. She thought avoiding contact would help, and it probably did somewhat, but she also just missed looking at his face and talking to him. He would wave at her in the hallway and send her that signature lopsided smirk that made her heart race, and it was nearly impossible to keep on walking by. He also just looked so fucking good all the damn time. In his grey hoodie and faded jeans one day, or his flannel and graphic tee, the next. She couldn’t decide whether she wanted to pull him into a room and have her way with him or run up next to him and grab his hand in front of the whole school.
She was horny and pent up and she wanted him in a physical sense, but she also just missed talking to him. She missed being in his presence, and hanging out and being close to one another, and the whole realization was absolutely mortifying. It had literally been a week, one single week, and she was barely holding up. She wanted to text him, she wanted to reach out, but she also wanted to respect his wishes. She knew that if she did go to Berkeley, it would be an end to whatever they were. Maybe they would stay friends, and keep in touch every once in a while, but they wouldn’t become more. The beautiful, exciting more that they almost were now. She understood why he wanted to stay away until then, but it still really sucked.
Her friends made the whole experience even more painful, because they thought she was being dumb for putting off making her decision, so they decided to make fun of her whenever the opportunity arose. Annabeth normally refused to even pull her eyes away from her textbook long enough to keep up a conversation and listen to their insults, so it didn’t bother her too much; it was easier to put all her focus into school, so that she didn’t have to think about Percy so much. Even as they all sat at their lunch table one day, Annabeth still didn’t stop studying. She could hear her friends chattering, her name on their lips making her ears perk up, but she continued to ignore them.
“Seriously, do you think she can even hear us?” Rachel wondered.
Piper waved a hand in front of Annabeth’s face, “I honestly don’t know.”
“She does look tired,” Hazel agreed worriedly.
Annabeth re-read the same sentence again, furrowing her brow and concentrating harder on the words in front of her.
“I think she might actually be in a trance,” Leo laughed, poking Annabeth’s arm with his bony finger, which was swatted away without a second glance.
“She’s just studying, let her do it in peace,” Jason admonished, which resulted in a grateful pat on his arm from Annabeth.
“How does she read, yet still hear what we’re saying?” Frank asked.
“It’s a nerd thing, I think,” Rachel decided.
“We should test it out,” Piper decided. “Annabeth, the cafeteria is on fire!” she yelled dramatically, but no response.
Leo snickered, “Annabeth! My arm just fell off.”
Still nothing, “oh shit, an elephant just walked through the door!” yelped Rachel.
“Oh, there’s Percy,” Piper pointed out.
Annabeth’s head shot up, scanning the tables for his familiar face. When she analyzed each person and came up empty, she turned her angry gaze onto her friend, who was smirking triumphantly.
“That got her attention,” Rachel laughed.
“Wait why did Percy get her attention?” Jason asked, curiously.
His question launched Piper into a long, dramatic rendition of Percy and Annabeth’s relationship over the past few months. She tuned them out once more, pulling her book closer and refusing to look away from it until they had to head back to class.
Honestly this week apart might have been worse than the one, not long ago, when she was trying to deny her crush on him. Back then, she was too scared of what might happen if her feelings for him were real, but now she knew what it was like to live in them openly, to embrace them. She knew that Percy reciprocated, and she could have him at any time. That made it so much harder, because she wanted to be with him constantly, but she had to hold herself back. There was no fear of rejection to help her stay away, it was entirely through sheer force of will that she managed it.
She only had contact once, halfway through the week, when she received a short thread of texts from him.
PERCY (5:46pm):
Yay! 95% on our essay
Best grade I’ve ever gotten in my life
Good work partner
Congrats
That was it, just 16 words and some numbers strung together, but the sight of it still kept her going for the rest of the day. She answered him immediately of course, but he kept his responses short after that, until the conversation petered out. She had to remind herself that he didn’t want to get into fun conversations and spend all their time debating and discussing everything and nothing. Normally he would, he always welcomed her challenging tone and narrowed eyes with open arms, but not right now. Not when he didn’t know what her choice of future would mean for them, so she let their texts die off.
At the end of the week, she finally, blissfully completed her exams which all went pretty well, and then it was graduation. Her family sat in the audience, the whole grade was dressed in their caps and gowns and Percy was across the room.
This was one of the biggest moments of her young life, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She stared at his dark hair, his shining eyes and his blinding smile. She ignored the speeches and the ceremony, and she just kept looking and looking.
When the delivered presentations and tedious formalities came to an end, Percy pulled off his robe immediately and she watched it play out like a strange, hot music video, in slow motion. Beneath, he was wearing fairly simple clothes considering the setting, but she assumed he had chosen the black t-shirt so that he didn’t overheat. She glanced down and gulped, her jaw falling slightly ajar. His pants were a surprising colour of pale pink, well fitted and accentuating his ass unfairly well even from where she stood.
Of course, of all the shades in the world, he chose pink. Of course, Percy Jackson, who had been in a monogamous relationship with black all his life, decided to spice it up and wear pink on the one day where she really wished he hadn’t. It felt like a knife to the heart when she glanced down at her own dress, which was practically an identical hue. It was a long satin gown, with intricate straps criss-crossing along her back. If nobody knew them, it would have been easy to mistake them as a couple. She tugged anxiously at her low bun and toyed with her beaded necklace.
She couldn’t look away as he clapped Grover on the back, then ran over to his mom, to give her a kiss on the cheek. She watched Nico and Will join them, and nudge Percy’s shoulder playfully in congratulations and shake Sally’s hand in greeting for the first time.
She wanted so desperately to go over to him, to be part of his group, to congratulate him on graduating and smother him in a crushing hug. Instead, she stayed back, she smiled at her friends and chatted with her family, and she went home at the end of the night without saying a single word to him.
The next morning, she woke up already annoyed. She was no closer to making a decision and the deadlines were just a couple days away. It had also been officially one week since she last talked to Percy, and her friends were all off doing their own thing, so needless to say, she wasn’t in a great mood. She sat up in her bed, fully prepared to spend the next few hours wallowing and watching trash tv shows, when she noticed a notification waiting for her.
She jolted when she read the name, Percy’s name. She opened it, holding her breath and her fingers shaking as she gripped the phone in front of her.
PERCY (9:22am):
Hey Beth
I saw you at grad, sorry I didn’t come to say hi
I just wanted to say congrats
I know you have a big decision to make but you shouldn’t worry too much
You’re the bravest, smartest person I’ve ever met and I know you’ll do whatever is right for you
Thanks for changing my life
Sorry didn’t mean to get all mushy on you lol
Her heart pounded as she read it again, and again and again. The back of her eyes tingled, fighting against tears as a giddy laugh bubbled in her throat. God it was so stupid, but he was right. She didn’t know how such simple words could cause an epiphany like this, but Percy was right.
She did know what was best for her, she always did. She had always done the right thing, made the right decisions to protect herself. She would never even consider taking a leap like going to NYU unless she was absolutely certain that it was the correct choice.
The fear of unknown, of change, had held her back but Percy had shown her time and time again all the benefits of those things. She never would have fallen for him, she never would have reconciled with her family or learned to open up, she would still be carrying around a heavy burden everywhere she went and running from her dad, if she hadn’t allowed room for growth. She was strong enough for anything that came her way, she didn’t need to be afraid of what could go wrong, she needed to focus on everything that went right. And if she failed, she knew he would be there to catch her. Her friends, her family, and Percy, they would all support her.
NYU; that was the answer. Even without Percy, she knew it was right. She didn’t need a pros and cons list, she knew what the right school for her was. She had always known. It was the only place to go.
She ran to her computer and hopped on the admissions website. She switched her status from pending to accepted and then hovered her mouse over the confirmation button. With bated breath and dizzying excitement, she pressed down. There was a momentary pause and then the page changed to, ‘Congratulations on Accepting your Offer of Admissions to New York University!’
She printed it off as she got dressed. She threw on the first thing she could find in her messy closet, some jeans and a matching mint green shirt and cardigan, sitting together on a shared hanger. She grabbed the paper when it was done and raced down the stairs. Her dad looked up from his phone as she bounded into the kitchen.
“What’s got you so happy?” he asked with a smile.
She ran up to him and did something she hadn’t done in years; she pecked his cheek. He looked pleasantly surprised, his face turning slightly pink and his grin growing wider.
“I’m going to NYU,” she told him happily. “Just decided.”
He bounced up from his seat, “really?” She nodded emphatically and he pulled her into a hug, “oh, I am so happy for you.”
“Thanks dad,” she answered, patting him on the back.
He released her, “and I’m really proud of you.”
She inclined her head silently and bit her bottom lip, not wanting the emotions to overwhelm her. “Thanks,” she repeated again, more quietly.
He shooed her away, shaking his head of the welling tears, “now go. I know you want to tell your friends. Maybe, one in particular.”
She rolled her eyes and grinned, “subtle.”
She left her dad in the kitchen and continued her trek, rushing to her car and getting behind the wheel. She held up the paper and took a picture with her phone before sending it to her friends in the group chat. Once it sent, she set the paper and her phone on the seat next to her and sped towards Percy’s house. When she pulled up and parked, she thought that she had never felt more excited in her life. Last time she was here she was all nerves, terrified that spending any more time with him would result in feelings. And well, she had been right. But now she just couldn’t wait to see his reaction, she embraced those feelings.
She drummed her fingers against her thigh anxiously as the elevator brought her closer and closer. She stepped out before it came to a full stop, knocking her shoulder painfully against the opening doors in her haste. She ignored the sting and kept her pace until she reached his apartment. It stood before her, everything that she wanted hidden behind it, finally within her reach.
She bit her on her cheek and knocked. It took too long for an answer, excruciatingly long, but then his face was there, looking down at her questioningly and it was all worth it. She sucked in a heavy inhale through her nose, her smile embarrassingly wide, her soul settling comfortably in her chest for the first time in a week. She opened her mouth to speak but all that came out was a breathy giggle, so she just lifted the paper wordlessly, dangling it in front of him. His brows pulled down for a moment as he read and she waited patiently as he did, tapping her foot incessantly. Finally, his face cleared, and his eyes flitted back to hers, happy and enlivened as he stood to his full height.
“Oh thank God,” he mumbled and then he stepped towards her, “come here.”
One of his large hands cupped the back of her neck and the other wrapped around her waist, wrenching her into a bruising kiss. Her arms came up instinctively to grab his hair, pulling him in closer, her lips pressing hungrily to his. The world faded around her and all that was left was the feeling of his mouth on hers, his fingers gripping her hip and his tongue searching and tangling with hers. They were all flushed cheeks and giddy smiles. She would’ve been happy to stand there all day, but eventually Percy pulled away. She leaned forward, chasing after him, trying to keep him as close as possible, which made him chuckle. Slowly her eyes fluttered open to see his green ones already staring back at her, full of adoration and delight.
“I guess I have a date to plan,” he joked.
“And I think I’m owed a dance,” she answered.
He smiled, “that’s true, should we do that now? My suit is in the closet, I can go put it on,” he joked.
She wasn’t really in the mood to chat or dance, at least not yet. In fact, Percy putting on more clothes sounded like the exact opposite of what she wanted. She lowered her mouth to drag her lips along his neck, sucking and soothing it with her tongue. Between kisses she muttered, “is your mom here?”
His broad chest rumbled against hers, “no, she’ll be out for a few hours.”
She pulled away and looked at him, “good. She’s seems lovely and I can’t wait to meet her again, but right now we have more pressing things to deal with.”
She shoved him backwards into his apartment and shut the door behind her. His eyebrows were raised with amusement when she whirled back around to face him.
“Is that so?” he asked.
“Just take your pants off already, Jackson,” she answered simply, and his smirk grew wider as they raced back towards each other.
He was here, they were together, the timing finally aligned, and fuck it, she could admit, it was serious.
She was so fucking serious about him.