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“What are you taking next semester?” Grover asks Percy one afternoon while they’re sitting outside the coffee shop in the student center trying and failing to do work.
Percy thinks for a moment trying to remember what he had even signed up for. “I have two mandatory teach ed classes, Spanish lit, Calc, and oh I’m taking an art history class as an elective.”
Grover’s eyebrows raise inquisitively. “Art history? I didn’t know that was something you’re that interested in. So interested that you’d commit fifteen whole weeks to it.”
“Hey!” Percy feigned being hurt. “I’m a multifaceted man.”
“Oh yes of course. And I’m sure there isn’t a certain blonde student from your freshman year dorm that also happens to be taking said art history class.”
“Okay, so yes, maybe Annabeth did ask me to take it with her.”
“And you agreed?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Grover laughs. “And would this class involve any field trips to art museums?”
“I don’t know, man. I haven’t read the entire syllabus.”
“Who’s teaching it?”
“Professor-” Percy struggles to remember their name. “Br-”
“Breen?” Grover interjects.
“That sounds right.”
“Sounds like you and Annabeth are going to have some nice dates lined up pretty consistently next semester.”
“What?”
“Dude, I took that class last year. You’re going to have to go to an art museum like 4 or 5 times.”
“Okay?”
“You really are clueless,” he sighs. “And do you think there may be someone in the class with you that might be interested in going on those trips with you? Someone who specifically asked you to take the class with her?’
“Annabeth and I are just friends. We’ll go to the museums as friends, if we even go together in the first place.”
Percy tries to hide the excitement in his voice. He can picture them strolling past paintings and sculptures, or maybe even sitting next to each other on those little benches in front of especially popular paintings so you can really sit and contemplate the art. And maybe she would lean onto him a little bit or take his hand and pull him along to a piece that she’s especially interested in.
“You absolute fool,” Grover’s voice interrupts his daydream. “You lovesick idiot.”
“Stop!” Percy feels his face heat up. “It’s not like that. You know Annabeth doesn’t like me like that.”
“Yeah sure, Annabeth doesn’t like you like that. She loves you like that.”
“You’re lying. All she does is tease me. Sometimes I don’t even think she likes me that much as a friend.”
“Which is why she spends all her free time with you and asked you to take this class with her.”
Percy doesn’t say anything.
“And why she went home with you for Thanksgiving and freaked out when you had to go to the ER that one time when you passed out at swim practice and basically didn’t leave you alone for like two whole days when you got home.”
Percy has nothing to refute what he’s saying. He just wishes Annabeth would come out and say it. He doesn’t want to misinterpret her care, kindness, and friendship for romantic attraction. Yeah, they’re really close friends and they care about each other a lot but that doesn’t mean that she wants to be with him.
“I’ll let you marinate on that,” Grover says. “Maybe you can ask her on a date when you see her in art history?”
Percy just shakes his head as he starts packing up his things. “I gotta run.”
“I know. You’re meeting Annabeth at the library.”
The first day of art history class, Percy shows up nervous and sweaty. Nervous because he’s always nervous and the beginning of class. And sweaty because he has to basically run across campus from another class before it to make it on time. Annabeth is already seated in the middle of the lecture hall with her coat on the seat next to her.
“This seat taken?” he asks her.
She looks up at him with a straight face. “Clearly.”
Percy’s smile falls.
“Percy, I’m kidding. I’m saving it for you.”
She picks up her coat and Percy slides into the seat, letting out a breath.
He takes out his laptop and brushes his hair off his forehead.
“Hi sweaty,” she says, looking at his face.
“Get used to it. I have to run over here every time we have class.”
“I don’t mind. Was your Spanish class good?”
“Muy bien,” he replies. “It’s the same professor as last semester, so it’ll be okay. Also, helps when you already speak Spanish,” he grins.
He had slipped in right before class started, so they don’t have any more time to keep chatting before their professor hands out all the syllabi and pulls up a powerpoint.
When the professor starts talking about the mandatory trips to art museums to see the art in person, Percy starts texting Annabeth off his computer. He knows it’s bad to be texting in class, but it’s just the first day.
Percy: You want to go to the museums together?
Annabeth immediately responds.
Annabeth: duh
Percy: Grover said you asked me to take this class just to get a hot date on all these trips
Annabeth: duh
He nudges her shin with his foot.
Annabeth: you might have some interesting insights into the art too
She nudges his shin back.
Annabeth: and it’s no secret that i love spending time with you
Love? Love??
It’s not in the exact context that Percy wants but she typed it. The evidence is there right in front of him.
He has a choice. He can tease or be genuine. There’s a part of Percy that is fed up with all the teasing. The playful banter is fun, but not so fun that it’s worth the confusion he feels. He wants to know exactly how she actually feels about him. He wants to know what their relationship actually is.
Percy: I love spending time with you too
Maybe Percy shouldn’t be texting this, and especially not texting this in the middle of class while their professor is relaying important information. But the whole syllabus is written down anyway and it's nothing that they won’t be able to catch up on and Percy doesn’t want to love this chance of openness.
Percy: Grover said that you asking me to take this class proves that you actually love me, but it’s kinda hard for me to think that’s true
Annabeth: He wasn’t lying. I do love you
Percy can’t stop himself from looking dead at her, but her eyes are facing straight forward and she appears as attentive as ever to the professor and the slides at the front of the room.
Percy: you love me?
Annabeth: duh
There’s an hour left of class and Percy doesn’t know how he’s going to make it. How could he possibly pay attention to the timeline of readings and assignments when his best friend and the person he’s been pining after for 3 years has just so casually texted, texted , him that she loves him.
And how is she not even looking at him. Surely, she still can’t be teasing him. She wouldn’t play with him that much, not with his heart.
She must mean love in a platonic sense. Of course, she loves him. They’re best friends.
He doesn’t know how to respond. He can’t keep trying to express himself over text. If they’re going to figure this out with each other, they need to talk.
Percy: Take a walk with me after class?
Annabeth: it’s freezing let’s just go to my place
He needs to see her eyes. He can’t read her through the screen. He nudges her leg again, trying to get her to look at him.
She turns her head and her gray eyes meet his. She raises her eyebrows slightly and her lips press into a soft smile. He waits for her to wink or stick her tongue out or something, but she just holds his gaze instead before looking back to the front of the lecture hall.
The next hour passes slowly. Percy’s hand alternates between absentmindedly transcribing what Professor Breen says and scrolling through their text messages again.
They don’t say anything as their teacher dismisses the class a few minutes early and they bundle back into their coats. Percy pulls open the front door of the building for her. She waits for him on the other side of the threshold with her hand reaching back.
The message is clear. She’s asking him to take her hand. He has to react quickly before he holds someone else up behind him, so he stops hesitating and intertwines their fingers.
As soon as their palms are pressed together and their strides line up, it just feels right.
Their feet lead them to her apartment off campus and even though it’s a walk they’ve done together many times before it’s new because she’s walking closer to him than usual, close enough to even rest her head on his shoulder.
She held onto him until the very last moment when she had to pull her keys out of her bag to unlock her apartment door. They take off their coats and kick off their shoes unceremoniously.
“Why was it hard for you to believe Grover?” she asks.
He’s caught off guard. “Um, I don’t know, ‘Beth.” His hand reflexively scratches the back of his head. “All you do is tease me. I can’t always tell when you’re joking.”
An apologetic look flashes across her face. Percy can only catch it for a second because the next moment her arms are around his back and her face is pressed into his shoulder. He hugs her back after a dazed moment.
“I’m not teasing you now. You’re my best friend,” she says, still avoiding his gaze.
He loosens his grip and replies, “So, I’m just your best friend?”
She tilts her head up and looks at him for just a second before resting her head back on his shoulder. “My best friend who maybe could also be my boyfriend?”
She pulls away and takes a step back. The usual glint in her eye is now an open vulnerability and Percy can even sense her nervousness.
“I do love you.” Her voice comes out quiet.
“And I love you.” The words rush out because they’d been sitting on the tip of his tongue for so long. “I want to be your boyfriend.”
A smile stretches across her face. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
“Took us long enough,” he exhales. He bends his knees enough to wrap his arms around her back and pick her up off the floor in a bear hug.
She yelps a little from the sudden movement but the sound quickly dissolves into a fit of laughter. Percy rocks side to side on his feet and all she can do is hold him even tighter.
“I guess I need to be a bit more straightforward with you,” she says.
He sets her down gently. “Yeah, you do.”
She leaves her arms wrapped around his neck.
“How’s this - you wanna give me a kiss?”
This isn’t how he expected his Tuesday afternoon to go, and if someone had told him even just a few hours ago that he’d be kissing Annabeth Chase, he would’ve told them to quit joshing him around. But now he’s here and she’s tilting her chin up and all he has to do is lean down and press his mouth to hers. It feels so natural, like he’s doing something right, and all the nervousness between them melts away.
“I’ve been waiting years for you to do that,” she says.
He kisses her forehead. “Maybe you should have said something earlier.”
“Maybe you should have said something earlier.” She nudges him gently.
“Looks like we’ll just have to make it up to each other.”
Annabeth pulls him into another hug. “Fine by me.”