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Percy had always struggled with button downs.
Aside from a few rare occasions where he actually had to look nice -his mom’s fancy birthday dinner, Estelle’s kindergarten ceremony, Annabeth’s college graduation and his academy graduation- he typically opted for jeans and a t-shirt. Usually a familiar, faded orange one.
Tonight though, he wore a crisp, light blue button down, the top few undone because against all recommendations (ie his mother and stepdad), he was not wearing a tie. The tight black slacks and restrictive shirt were enough. He didn’t even have it in him to trade in his white converse for a pair of loafers, but they were freshly cleaned so…that was something.
He eyed himself in the floor-length mirror, feeling his hands tremble as he finally clasped the last button on his shirt. His green eyes were wide and nervous; he needed to calm himself down or she’d catch on. He ran his hand through his tousled dark hair, wondering if he should’ve gotten a haircut for this.
No, Annabeth wouldn’t care, right? He was worrying too much. She was going to say yes…wasn’t she?
Percy shuddered at the possibilities of tonight. If she did say no…well, he wasn’t sure what happened then. Did they have to break up? Could he ever recover from the embarrassment?
“Stop that.” he said quietly to his reflection. He was being negative.
“Stop what?”
Percy nearly startled out of his shoes as he glanced behind him, seeing Annabeth exit their shared bathroom into the bedroom. She was giving him a curious eye, obviously having overheard his comment to himself.
“Uh, stop being so gorgeous.” He managed weakly, “It’s very distracting, Wise Girl.”
Annabeth rolled her eyes, but Percy certainly wasn’t lying. She was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen.
Tonight, her mess of blonde curls was pinned up in a large brown clip, ringlets falling around her face, framing her cheeks perfectly. She wore a pair of black and white checkered pants with a loose-fitting white blouse. Against her chest was the necklace she wore everyday, adorned with her many camp beads and the red coral pendant Percy had gifted her when they were sixteen.
The little black box in his pocket suddenly weighed a million pounds.
“So, is there any special reason you’re actually wearing real clothes?” Annabeth mused as she grabbed her purse off the dresser and thumbed through it, pulling out a small tube of lipgloss.
“I wear real clothes everyday.” Percy scowled.
“A dirty camp shirt and old jeans aren't real clothes.” She smirked, applying her gloss smoothly in one go.
“I wear my uniform.” He defended himself.
“Ah, of course.” Annabeth closed the distance between them, resting a hand on his chest, “The fire helmet and oxygen tank truly are the epitome of elegant dress wear.”
Percy snorted, though he was impervious to her ragging by now, “Cool off Wiseass, I just figured we needed a night out to actually have a real date. You’ve been so busy with your internship and I’m pulling double shifts at the station…” he shrugged, “If you don’t wanna go…”
“No!” She shoved him playfully, “I want to go. Don’t be a baby, Seaweed Brain.”
“I suppose we can still salvage the night.” He teased, “Hey, bring a sweater or something. It might get cold.”
Annabeth cocked an eyebrow at him, “It’s March. Won’t we be inside anyway?”
Crap. Percy had told her they were going out to a restaurant downtown; he didn’t want to tip his hand. Their actual plans might be a bit chillier than the warm orange lights of an indoor Italian joint.
Percy grabbed her trusty black cardigan off the back of their desk chair, tossing it to her nonchalantly, “Just to ease my mind.”
“Okay mother.” She chuckled and tucked the cardigan under her arm. Then, she glanced at him expectantly, “Ready?”
He took a small breath, patting his pockets once. On the left was riptide, his ever-trusty pen sword that always returned to his pocket. On the right, a small ring box. Everything accounted for.
“Ready.” He said, though he felt anything but.
They stood outside their apartment building on the bustling concrete of New York. Annabeth glanced cautiously at Percy, frowning. Sweat was beading on the back of his neck. Their ride was supposed to be here three minutes ago.
That was not good considering the next part of the night had been planned and scheduled out to a T. Annabeth level organization. If it wasn’t a secret, he would’ve been so proud to tell her about it.
Annabeth cleared her throat, “Um Percy, do you want me to call a-“
“No!” He cut her off, relief bursting through his chest as he spotted a winged creature descending from the dark skies.
Blackjack the Pegasus landed loudly in front of the two well-dressed demigods. Percy wasn’t sure what the mortals saw as they veered around the large creature, but no one reacted. Most of them were too focused on their phones to even spare a glance.
“Blackjack!” Annabeth squealed excitedly, rushing forward to wrap her arms around the horses’ thick neck. Percy knew she’d be excited, it had been a few months since the Pegasus flew by for a visit.
“Hop on.” Percy gestured toward the newly fitted saddle on Blacjack’s back. Annabeth hopped up and ran her hand affectionately over the horses’ mane. Blackjack nuzzled against her.
“You’re late.” Percy hissed quietly as he climbed up in front of Annabeth.
“And you were supposed to have a bag of apples, boss.” Blackjack snarked, “I’m here now, ain’t I?”
“Fly fast.” He snapped back, and the Pegasus whinnied out a noise that sounded strangely similar to a cackling laugh.
Percy felt sort of bad for the attitude, but he couldn’t help it. He’d never been so nervous before. Afraid, yes. But never this nervous. He’d faced titans, giants, Mother Earth herself and even the pit of Tartarus.
Nothing had ever made him tremble as much as Annabeth Chase.
Even at twenty four, she had the ability to make him feel like that awkward twelve year old who crushed hard on her.
Annabeth held his waist as they flew over the city, blinding lights blurred past. He couldn’t help but smile at her arms around him, her face pressed into his back. As the landscape changed from tall buildings and cement to lush greenery and backroad highways, Annabeth leaned forward.
“We’re not going to Bella’s are we?” She asked, clearly realizing the restaurant was miles behind them.
“Not quite.” He replied, glancing back at her and finding himself struck by her beauty. Her curls were whipping around her face in the wind, steely gray eyes narrowed at him like she was trying to read his mind.
“Don’t worry, we’re still gonna eat.” He said, hoping it was enough to quell her concerns.
Annabeth made a discontented noise, but didn’t argue. He appreciated that; he knew how much she hated being out of the loop.
After a while, Blackjack’s flight began to slow as he circled above a clearing in a wooded area. Percy could feel Annabeth craning her neck around him to try and scope out the drop zone, but it was pretty obvious where they were landing.
In the clearing was a large white blanket, ringed with flickering candles. A spread fit for the gods was laid out on the blanket; dozens of assorted meats and cheeses, fruit, finger desserts, sandwiches, champagne, and a decent array of blue-colored treats as well.
Blackjack landed them softly beside the picnic, and Percy slid off. He turned back to Annabeth and held his hand out for her to take. Wordlessly, Annabeth accepted his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet. They both glanced at Blackjack, who gave a subtle nod and flitted off to the skies to guard.
Percy reminded himself to thank Hazel, Piper and Grover, who were surely running through the trees right now to avoid being spotted after setting up this elaborate picnic. Jason and Frank were both stationed in the surrounding woods, keeping guard to make sure no monster attacks interfered with dinner. Everyone was far enough away of course that the pair had privacy.
Nothing was going to get in the way of tonight. Percy had made sure of that.
“Percy, what’s all this for?” Annabeth looked at the spread with wide-eyes, “Blackjack flying us here and this insane spread…what’s going on?”
Keeping a child of Athena in the dark was not an easy feat, but Percy was going to try his damndest. Annabeth deserved to be surprised, wooed and swept off her feet.
“Actually, we’re celebrating.” He recited the excuse he’d concocted when Annabeth got home the other day and told him about her day at the architectural firm, “Your promotion.”
She frowned, “I didn’t get promoted Percy, they’re just letting me advise on one project. It’s hardly something to celebrate.”
“You redesigned Olympus.” Percy reminded her, “They’ll see your potential after this project, and promote you. Besides, you deserve to be celebrated.”
He could see in her eyes that she wasn’t fully convinced, but apparently she decided not to care, “If you say so. Thank you, this is incredible.”
“Come sit.” Percy took her hand and led her toward the blanket, where they both sat cross-legged, “May I interest you in some blue Brie?”
Annabeth wrinkled her nose, “Is there normal people cheese in there?”
“Nope!”
The meal commenced with comfortable conversation and occasional, raucous laughter. It was all so easy, so safe and familiar and warm. It reassured Percy of exactly why he was going to ask her to marry him. She was his favorite person in the world.
The reminder of what he was going to do ramped up his nerves even more. He felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck as he watched her sip casually from her champagne glass, bundled up in the cardigan he’d grabbed for her. She was so beautiful. What if she said no?
“Hey, do you know what that is?” Annabeth’s question interrupted his pathetic introspection, and he followed her pointing finger to a sliver of color a few feet into the woods.
“Actually, that’s why I picked this spot.” Percy brushed cracker crumbs off his slacks and got to his feet, “I wanna show you something.”
He held his hand out again, and Annabeth took it. They walked into the tree line, where just a few feet away from the clearing was another small opening. The remnants of a structure stood, elegant columns from a wraparound porch, crumbling logs and wood panels. A frail, barely held together roof with a brick chimney.
Annabeth frowned, glancing back at Percy as she studied the structure in the moonlight, “An old cabin?”
“Yes,” Percy agreed, “But uh…there’s a story behind it. I thought you might find it interesting.”
She looked at him curiously, waiting for his elaboration. Percy forced himself to stay collected and cool as he stepped up toward the cabin and began reciting the story his stepfather Paul told him.
“In the 1800s, a young man named Frank Logan met the love of his life, Veronica. The two hit it off quickly, they had everything in common. They laughed at the same jokes, read the same stories -Veronica actually read in secret, cause you know…sexism- and they were basically soulmates.” He spared a glance at Annabeth’s face to try to gauge her reaction, but she wasn’t giving him much to work with. Stoic, as always.
“Anyway, they were in love, but it was forbidden. Their families actually hated each other. Veronica’s dad had pissed off Frank’s mom or something like that. They weren’t allowed to see each other.” He pursed his lips as he recalled the story, “But, their love was too strong. They managed to sneak away and fell even more in love.”
Annabeth eyed Percy with an unreadable expression, and he tried not to fidget nervously under her penetrative eyes.
“Well, I guess they were really in love, cause Veronica got pregnant. Frank knew then that he had to do something serious. He convinced her to run away with him. They did it, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a lunch bag full of change, they left home and their families behind to come here.”
Annabeth’s gaze softened, and she glanced at the crumbled building, as if piecing the rest of the story together.
“Frank designed and built this cabin with his own two hands. They didn’t have much money, so he used the cheapest wood and brick they could get ahold of. They slept at Inns and sometimes on the streets while trying to build it. But eventually, it was done.” Percy smiled at the porch column he was now touching with the edge of his fingers, “Their baby was born here. They were married in the backyard by the only pastor who would do the ceremony without anyone else there. And in the structure of the house…” Percy gestured for Annabeth to come closer. She obliged immediately, moving to stand beside him as he pointed out details in the porch columns.
“He depicted their family.” Percy gently guided Annabeth’s chin so she could see the small artwork carved into the side of the column.
There was one carving of a mother cradling a baby. Another of two people, one in a large dress, embracing. A third of the three of them. Aside from those there were various other details in the wood carvings, poems left by Frank for his wife, and a short letter to their baby. Minuscule pieces of one man’s love for his family.
Annabeth’s eyes were wide as she knelt down beside the column and studied the carvings intently. Her fingers traced the outline of the shapes, looking fascinated.
“They didn’t have much.” Percy finished, “But they loved each other. He wanted to remind her of that everytime she looked at the house he’d built for them.”
“How…”Annabeth turned back to face him, “how did you know about this?”
“Paul’s friend from the university. He told me the story, it was a blip in one of his textbooks. I did a little more research, and Blackjack helped me find the actual house. It’s hard to get to it any way other than Pegasus, I guess the roads were different back then. To my knowledge, we’re the first people to see it in a very long time.”
“Why were they in a textbook?” Annabeth inquired, still studying the columns.
“I think their kid grew up to be some sort of war hero.” Percy shrugged, “I blanked after all the stuff about the architecture. I thought you’d be interested to see this.”
She nodded absentmindedly, and he knew he’d lost her for now. She was intently examining the structure, the carvings, the scratched in words from Frank’s poem. The craftsmanship would have her attention for a good while, he figured.
“Surprisingly sturdy.” She murmured as she touched the wood frame, “Most of the foundation is intact. The chimney seems to have minimal damage. You’d think weather would affect the carvings over such a long period of time, but I bet this canopy of trees gave some protection from the elements. I barely even see animal droppings.”
Ah. This was the pinnacle of romance, wasn’t it? Gods, Percy was in love with a weirdo.
“Is it…cool?” He asked unsurely, “Like from an architecture standpoint?”
Annabeth smiled, “It’s very cool, Percy. And the fact that no one else has seen it…even cooler. I feel like an archeologist first on the site of a dig.”
Percy chuckled, “Good.”
“My sunshine V, the gods have shone their holy light upon us. Our parents may not see it, but our love is a brilliant beam in a universe of darkness. Nothing will ever tear us apart. In this home, we will build our beautiful life together. And eternity will be kind to us. ''
Annabeth read the carvework with squinted eyes, relying on the pale moon and glow of candles from nearby to light her way.
“A little corny.” Percy mused.
Annabeth rolled her eyes, “It’s romantic, Seaweed Brain.”
“I guess so.” He agreed with a nod, “Two people who fell in love despite their parent’s rivalry…” he glanced at her shyly, wondering if she’d understand.
The warmth in her eyes told him that she did, “Yeah. That’s pretty romantic.”
Of course, Frank and Veronica weren’t the children of Athena and Poseidon, but still, the symbolism was working for him.
“What do you think of what they did?” he asked.
“Falling in love?”
“No, not just that. Running away together, marriage, kids…” Percy scratched the back of his neck nervously, “All of it.”
Annabeth regarded him curiously, though there was slight amusement in her eyes, “What do I think of marriage and kids?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, I think both can be amazing. Provided it’s with the right person. Clearly our parents didn’t…” she cleared her throat, “Well, the marriage thing wasn’t an option. And kids can get complicated.” She frowned thoughtfully, as if she was changing her mind about the “amazing” opinion.
Percy forced himself to smile nonchalantly, even though his heart was hammering against his chest,“What about for people who aren’t dating a literal god?”
Annabeth eyed him, “Why are you suddenly so interested in my opinion on marriage?”
“M’not.” he scoffed, worried he’d given himself away, “Don’t care at all.”
“Huh. Okay then.” She shook her head and turned back to the cabin, “Whoa! Checkout the leveling on this frame.”
He’d never cursed her ADHD more than he did in that very moment.
Percy felt like his head was going to explode. That was his moment. They were supposed to be engaged right now. He had to do it tonight, he’d planned all of this stuff and it was supposed to be perfect and she had to say yes or he’d-
He forced himself to take a slow, deep breath. If he allowed himself to spiral, he would have a full blown panic attack right there in the woods. He just needed to clear his head, gather his thoughts. Maybe he didn’t have to propose here. Maybe they could take a stroll or something. A nice walk on the beach might calm his nerves…they weren’t far from Montauk.
“Annabeth?” He managed, wondering if she’d even hear him in her attention-deficit-architecture-zone.
“Yeah?” she asked casually.
“Do you want to go for a walk?”
Now, she paused and looked at him with puzzlement. She seemed to be doing that a lot tonight.
“You want to go for a walk?” she inquired, “...In the middle of the woods? At night?”
“No, no.” He shook his head, “We’re like twenty minutes from Montauk beach.”
She was studying him as if he were a science experiment. Percy could practically see the gears turning in her mind, the expression on her face that read “what is wrong with my boyfriend?”
Still, she didn’t call him out on it. She simply nodded and said, “Montauk sounds nice.”
Percy nodded, “I’ll take care of the picnic. You uh…keep looking at the house.”
He didn’t even have time to notice her perplexed face before he’d rushed back through the brush into the clearing with their picnic setup.
He tried to breathe evenly while he summoned some water from a nearby creek to put out all the candles, and quickly packed everything into the basket. Their friends would be coming by to clean up later, but he was deviating from the plan by leaving so early.
Once everything was packed up, he whistled loudly, signaling for Blackjack to return. Percy pushed back through the greenery and found Annabeth just where he’d left her. She didn’t seem to notice his entrance, so he cleared his throat gently. She startled, turning to face him. Her eyes were slightly wide, face a bit flushed.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he rushed forward, cupping her elbow in his hand and leaning in to check her over for an injury.
“Nothing!” she squeaked, a little too quickly to be believable, “Just sort of in awe about the house. It really is an amazing thing, thank you for bringing me to see it.” She smiled warmly at him, “You know me so well.”
Not enough to know if you’ll marry me…he thought miserably.
“Are you ready?” He asked.
“Yes, of course.” She took his hand and squeezed it once, “Let’s go!”
Blackjack was waiting for them when they reentered the clearing, his dark eyes combing Annabeth’s body until they landed on her left hand.
“What gives, boss? I thought you and the little lady were supposed to be betrothed by now.”
Percy ignored the Pegasus, and instead helped Annabeth on to his back.
“Ah, nerves get the best of yeh? Or did she say no? Oh man, this is awkward.”
Percy gritted his teeth as he said, “Take us to Montauk please.”
“Oh, we’re going to the beach huh? Night’s not wasted after all? I knew you wouldn’t give up, boss!”
It was difficult to ignore the obnoxious voice in his head, but Percy managed. The ride was brief, and they touched down on a sandy shore at Montauk point. This late in the evening, the shores were mostly empty aside for a few stragglers trailing along the coastline.
Percy helped Annabeth down from the pegasus, who gave Percy one more encouraging, “You got this!” before disappearing into the skies again.
Percy rolled up the cuffs of his sleeves and his pant legs, removing his sneakers as he noticed Annabeth do the same. She reached out and took his hand, and they began chuffing through the warm sand.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Percy was desperately trying to come up with a smooth way to start the speech he’d practiced about ten thousand times. It was well rehearsed; he’d laid it on himself in the mirror, to Grover over the phone, and even to his frustrated coworkers as they were trapped together in a truck on the way to a burning building.
But for some reason, now, he couldn’t find the words in his scattered mind.
He was so nervous.
Gazing out at the sea, he tried to calm his breaths, which were beginning to come a little more raggedly. He didn’t want Annabeth to notice, but she too seemed lost in her own world as she studied the crashing tides illuminated by silver moonlight.
The ocean wasn’t helping as much as he’d hoped. His nerves wouldn’t seem to quell. He didn’t even know what he was so afraid of. She’d say no? It wasn’t the end of the world.
Though…it sort of felt like that. Annabeth wasn’t just a girlfriend to him. She was his best friend, the person he’d been through literal Hell with, on top of everything else they’d suffered together. She understood him on a level no one else ever could. Moreover, she actually laughed at his jokes. She was a part of him. A part he didn’t think he could live without. If she said no, what would happen?
Son…
Percy stiffened a little, eyes wide as he looked at the sea and heard an alarmingly clear voice in his head. It wasn't Blackjack, it almost sounded like…
Dad? He thought with shock.
He hadn’t seen his father in the past year or two, aside from a few random visits from the God, Poseidon didn’t have much involvement in his life anymore. To hear his voice suddenly in Percy’s head was either a great surprise, or a sign of something very, very terrible
Ease your mind son, Poseidon said, and Percy felt the tension in his shoulders settle, You have done well. This union is blessed by Athena and Poseidon. All will be well.
Percy swallowed hard. He had called Annabeth’s dad Frederick to ask for his blessing before deciding to do this -blessing, not permission, it was happening either way- and was relieved when the man gave his eager support. Percy had also prayed to Athena for the same thing a few times…but never heard back.
Athena? He thought, slightly disbelieving.
Our rivalry is nothing, Poseidon replied, Annabeth Chase is your anchor. You have the Gods of Olympus on your side.
Percy found that hard to believe. Particularly the Gods who were never on his side (Hera, Athena, Ares, Zeus…did he need to go down the entire list?) But his father wasn’t one to just pop in and tell lies.
You two have suffered enough. Follow your heart, Perseus.
Thank you, Percy managed, too overcome to think of anything else.
There was no reply, and his mind cleared. He felt his body relax, nerves disappearing as if someone had wrung him out like a wet towel. His breathing slowed, suddenly calm and even.
He looked at Annabeth’s beautiful face; the waves of her intense gray eyes, the tangled mess of blonde hair sticking out from her clip, the clay necklace that clashed with her clothes, the little white scar on her chin that he couldn’t remember how she got.
He wasn’t afraid anymore. She was his anchor. And if she said no…they’d deal with it.
Okay, he was a little afraid, but he was only human.
“Annabeth.” Percy said, and she glanced over to meet his eyes.
“Yes Percy?” she asked, expression intense.
He inhaled once, meeting her gaze as he began, “I’ve been in love with you since we were twelve years old. We’ve grown up by each other’s side, helping one another become better people. Ever since the first time I saw your face...when you told me I drool in my sleep, well right then and there, I knew you were the girl I wanted to marry.” His voice was still a little shaky with nerves as he looked into her eyes and slowly lowered himself to one knee before her.
“Oh…” she breathed, hand coming up to cover her mouth.
That wasn’t particularly encouraging, but he forged ahead, “We’ve been through more in these twelve years together than most people have in a lifetime, and at the end of it all, you’re who I want to start every day with, forever.” he reached into his pocket, fingers curling around…fabric.
What?
Frantic, he untucked his pocket, realizing it was empty. The ring was gone.
Oh gods, had it fallen out when they were riding Blackjack? How could he not have noticed? Oh no, he was so fuc-
“Percy?”
He looked back at her, eyes surely wider than a cheese plate. Annabeth smiled, and held up a small black box.
“Are you looking for this?”
Percy blinked like an idiot, staring at the ring box in her hand, “How-how did-when did-what-”
“This fell out of your pocket when you hurried off to clean up the picnic.” she explained, and now she was grinning.
Percy felt like an iron weight had been lifted off his chest, as he noticed her smile. There was light in her eyes, teasing and playful.
“So mean, Wise Girl.” he managed, “Why didn’t you say something?”
“And miss that little freakout?” she demanded, laughing, “Never. Besides, I wanted you to have this moment.”
“This humiliating moment?”
“No, Seaweed Brain. This wonderful moment.” she pressed the box into his shaky palm, “Go on.”
Percy swallowed hard again, trying to get his bearings. This definitely wasn’t going according to plan.
Still, when he looked at her face, saw the smile on her lips and the tears at the corner of her soft eyes, he couldn’t find it in him to care.
“Annabeth Chase,” He opened the box, “Will you do me the enormous honor of marrying me?”
Tears spilled out over her cheeks as she replied, “Of course I will. Yes!”
A dam burst in Percy’s chest and he lurched to his feet, grabbing Annabeth in his arms. He picked her up off the sand and hugged her tight, squeezing her against him until he heard her breath hitch.
“I love you so much.” He gasped, burying his face in her hair. Her lemon shampoo was a familiar, comforting scent.
“I love you too.” Her voice was wobbly with tears, “Can I have my ring?”
“Oh! Right!” Percy set her down and plucked the ring out from the box. It was a thin, white gold band with a round, aquamarine gemstone. It was simple, though he’d had to save up for a year to pay cash for the full thing. It glinted off the silvery waves as he held it out to her. He really, really hoped she liked it.
There was no sound besides the sea as Percy gently placed the ring on her finger. Both of their hands were shaking, and he was relieved he wasn’t the only nervous one. The ring slid into place behind her knuckle; just snug enough but not too tight. A perfect fit.
“It’s beautiful.” Annabeth breathed. As she held her hand up to admire the glittering gem, her eyes seemed to get watery all over again.
“If you don’t like it we can pick out another.” Percy assured her, afraid she was just being nice.
Annabeth shook her head, eyes still locked on the ring, “It’s perfect, Percy. It’s absolutely perfect.”
She pulled him in for a kiss that made his head spin.
She held him urgently, and they embraced while the waves crashed against their feet. Percy felt like he was floating in the air, out of body and shrouded in complete bliss.
She said yes.
After a few intense moments, their lips parted, arms still wrapped around one another. Percy drank in the sight of her. She was grinning wide, teary eyes looking up at him while they hugged. Her hair clip was hanging out of her curls now, the style abandoned after the wind had intervened. Her eyelashes fluttered and her skin was warm to the touch. She was the most perfect human being in the world.
And she was going to be his wife. Percy had never felt so elated.
He remembered Frank’s words carved into the wood on the old cabin: our love is a brilliant beam in a universe of darkness. He had to admit, he sort of understood. As corny as it was, he felt like they were ablaze in a warm glow. Even as he looked around them, the air was bright with warm yellow hues, almost like a shield cradling their intertwined bodies.
“It’s the blessing of Athena.” Annabeth whispered, looking at the glow in amazement, “Thank you Mom.”
Percy’s father had been right. The Gods were on their side.
He hadn’t realized that his cheeks were wet until Annabeth reached over and brushed his face tenderly with her thumb. He caught her hand in his, kissing her knuckles delicately, somewhat embarrassed by the tears running down his face.
Annabeth kissed his cheek, nuzzling her nose against him, “Don’t be embarrassed, Seaweed Brain. I’m only gonna tease you about this forever.”
“You cried too!” he exclaimed, but his cracking voice betrayed him, heavy with emotion.
She laughed, “Yeah but you lost my engagement ring!”
His face felt warm, “It wasn’t lost, you had it the whole time!”
They both burst into laughter, heads shaking and blinking teary eyes.
“Alright alright,” Percy conceded once the laughs had died down, “Other than misplacing the ring…how’d I do?”
Annabeth smiled, “It was perfect, Percy. Every single moment.”
“Thank Gods.”
“Why, were you nervous or something?”
Percy’s eyes darted to the steadily moving tides, and he felt himself exhale. He breathed in the salty sea air, and turned back to face her with a smile.
“No. Not even for a second.”