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Annabeth's always known that as soon as she got her driver's license, the first thing she would do was take a drive upstate.
Now, it may not be the first thing she does, but she and Percy are in her car right now, doing just that.
It’s a picturesque fall day, and as they drive down the winding roads further away from the city, she admires the leaves. Some litter the road while others cling to tree branches. The colors are vivid: scarlet, tangerine, burnt sienna, the deepest golden hues.
Percy’s singing along to a song called Ramble On by Led Zeppelin. She’s never heard it before, but she likes the sound of Percy belting out the lyrics.
“Is this what you were imagining for your perfect upstate drive?” Percy asks. He grips the steering wheel with one hand, an easy smile on his face. “Enough Taylor Swift “All Too Well” for you?”
She grins. “The autumn leaves are falling down, we’re getting lost upstate…I’d say so.”
They drive along for a few minutes until Annabeth points out a sign for a park and Percy pulls over. “Let's go for a walk?”
She can already picture it, the two of them hand-in-hand, taking turns sipping from the mug of pumpkin-spice flavored coffee she brought. “Yeah, I’d like that,” Percy says.
They get out of the car and begin to stroll down the trail, leaves crunching underfoot. Percy unwinds his blue scarf and tucks it around Annnabeth’s neck. She buries her nose in the wool; it smells just like him.
For a little while, they are quiet. This part of the park is thick and wooded. A squirrel scurries past, clutching an acorn. One lone bird chirps in the distance.
Percy tries a drink of her coffee — and spits it out into the grass. “Ew, Beth, this crap is nasty!” he groans, gagging at the taste.
She snatches back her thermos. “How dare you insult the pumpkin spice latte,” she says, glaring.
“It just tastes like sugar and artificial flavor. I might as well have drank melted candle wax.”
Annabeth crosses her arms. “You can complain about sugar and artificial flavor all you want, but you’re the one who likes those vile blue raspberry slush things that are ninety percent chemicals.”
“That’s different.”
"How, exactly?"
Instead of arguing back, he shakes his head as he looks at her, a little smile on his face.
“You’re so pretty.”
For whatever reason, she flushes. “Aw, thanks.”
He reaches out to twirl one of her curls around his finger. “You know, sometimes I wonder what I did to land someone like you. You're pretty awesome. I am, like, totally falling for you.”
Her flush deepens to an even darker pink, but she says, “You and those puns have got to stop.”
“What?” Percy clutches his heart dramatically. “Never. You love my witty puns.”
She laughs. “Sure, keep telling yourself that.”
“You’re obsessed with my witty puns and you’re obsessed with me.”
“I can get behind the obsessed with you part, but the puns—”
He sweeps the hair of her shoulders and kisses her. Annabeth leans forward into his chest, smiling against his mouth. He is warm and solid and she wouldn’t mind staying here forever.
Percy, apparently, has other plans. “Hey, look at that big pile of leaves over there,” he says, pulling away from her.
She scrunches her brows, lips still pouted. “What?”
“We should make leaf angels!”
“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“No, it’s releasing your inner seven year old and rolling around and having a ridiculously fun time.”
It sounds fun. Screw her. She may be sixteen years old but gods, she didn't have much of a chance to make snow angels in California and this might be the closest she’ll ever get.
“It does not sound fun. Those leaves are probably gross.”
“You know, sometimes I think you disagree with me just for the sake of arguing.”
“Well, your eyes do this annoyed little flashy thing when I say something that pisses you off and it’s really cute, so…”
Percy throws his head back and laughs. He grabs her hand and pulls her towards the leaves, “You and I, Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, will be making leaf angels.”
It’s the most ridiculous thing she’s ever done, sprawling like a starfish atop a thick bed of leaves, flapping her arms and legs up and down. She can’t stop giggling and neither can Percy. Percy gets up first, careful not to disturb his leaves, then he helps her up. They stand back to admire their leaf angels.
Annabeth squints at the indentation her body left on the pile. “This was kind of anticlimactic.”
“Eh, it was pretty fun.”
“I've had a great time all morning.”
He squeezes her hand. “Me too. This was a really fun date idea of yours, even if the idea came from a Taylor Swift song.”
“Taylor Swift songs are the peak of romance, so obviously today has been perfect.”
“Which Taylor Swift song should we reenact next?” Percy asks, eyes crinkling. “I’m thinking “Dress”.”
“Oh my gods, seriously?” She smacks him on the chest lightly. Of course he’d suggest one of the dirtiest songs in her discography.
“What?” he asks innocently. A tiny smirk dances on his lips. The breeze ruffles his gorgeous hair; the light filtering in from between the trees makes him look like some kind of autumn fairy prince.
I’m falling for you.
She pulls him in by the collar of his jacket and kisses him soundly.