Chapter Text
Percy couldn't believe what he was hearing. First, his father shows up unannounced and interrupts Percy's very important gaming session, and then he decides to drop this bombshell without any preface?
"What do you mean we need a housekeeper?" Percy grumbled, glancing around at his spotless room - or what he considered to be spotless. Poseidon raised an eyebrow, his gaze moving toward the piles of clothing and empty snack wrappers strewn about Percy's bedroom.
Percy rolled his eyes, picking up a Snicker's wrapper at his feet and depositing it into the trash can beside him. "See, I can clean up after myself. I don't need some random person messing with my belongings."
"Perseus," Poseidon replied sternly, his tone a clear warning that Percy's attitude was unacceptable. Sighing, Percy sank onto his bed, leaning his back against one of the ornate posts at the edge. "I still don't see any reason. You're not around to see this mess, anyway."
Percy could see his father's face shift slightly at his comment, an expression Percy couldn't identify crossing his face and then quickly disappearing. This threw Percy off for a moment, as his father rarely showed emotion. He almost felt bad for the retort until he remembered the reason his father was standing in front of him.
"It's gotten out of hand, Perseus. With my workload, I cannot be around to maintain this estate. It's time we hire someone who will keep it tidy. I had hoped you would since you understand how much this place meant to your mother, but alas..." Poseidon trailed off, his gaze focused on Percy.
Percy could feel the sharpness of his father's words, yet refused to let him see how much the comment hurt. Percy's mother had been his best friend and his confidant. When she passed, Percy had retreated into himself and became the sullen, angry nineteen-year-old his father had grown resentful of.
Clearing his throat, Percy slid his phone out of his pocket and mindlessly scrolled. "Fine. As long as this housekeeper stays out of my way." Percy could feel Poseidon’s eyes on him, yet he kept his gaze trained on the Instagram post in front of him. He waited until his father's footsteps grew quieter and stood up, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes.
This new housekeeper had no idea what was in store for them, Percy thought to himself, a smirk crossing his face.
***
Annabeth sucked in a breath as she pulled into the parking lot of her new assignment, barely remembering to turn her car off as she clambered out of it. Staring in awe at the sprawling mansion in front of her, she quickly unloaded her supplies from her trunk and began making her way up the stone path lined with rows of gorgeous, colorful flowers.
When her boss had texted her the address just an hour prior, Annabeth gasped in surprise as she realized the address was to the largest estate in the city, a historic landmark that was the city's claim to fame. Supposedly, it had been built by one of the country's most famous architects centuries ago and then passed down through the generations.
Tucking a stray blonde curl behind her ear, she reached the front door, setting down her cleaning caddy and wrapping her hand around the large bronze knocker in front of her. A few seconds passed in silence before she heard muffled footsteps and saw the handle turn. The heavy wooden door swung open to reveal a well-dressed, middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a polite smile on his face.
"You must be Annabeth," the man exclaimed, his deep voice echoing in the large foyer behind him. "I'm Poseidon," he said, holding his hand out. Annabeth shook it, biting her lip nervously. "It's nice to meet you, sir," she responded, smoothing her apron over her light blue dress. "Please, call me Poseidon. Welcome to my home! You can leave your supplies in the corner. I'll have them brought to your office later."
"Office?" Annabeth blurted in surprise before realizing how rude of her that was. Poseidon chuckled as she turned bright red. "Of course, it's just off of the north wing. I wanted you to have a place to both rest and store your products. Think of it as a home base." "Thank you, that's very generous." Poseidon waved off her comment, leading her into what she assumed was the main gathering area.
"How about we start with a quick tour and then you can get settled in your office?" Annabeth nodded, a small smile spreading across her face. She couldn't contain her excitement. She was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take care of a multi-million dollar estate. It was a dream come true for the small-town housekeeper who had been trying to break free of the cramped apartments and office buildings she had spent the past three years cleaning.
***
An hour later, Annabeth sat at her fancy wooden desk, her checklist and planner spread out in front of her. She had just finished filling the office's massive walk-in closet with her cleaning supplies, quickly realizing she would need to purchase a lot more to be prepared for the sheer amount of square footage she was in charge of.
Annabeth was in the middle of making a list when she heard footsteps right outside her door. She glanced up, her gaze trained on the office door in confusion. Poseidon had left the estate a while ago, stating that he had a lot of work to do at his office and wouldn't be back until late. As far as Annabeth knew, she was the only person on the premises.
She then remembered that when she had first arrived, Poseidon had said that her supplies would be brought to her office. At the time, Annabeth hadn't thought much of it, assuming there was a butler or groundsman who worked for the estate. When she walked in, they had been placed in front of her desk.
It wasn't until midway through the tour that Annabeth learned she was the first person to be hired full-time at the estate. Sure, there had been some gardeners and carpenters, but none that had their own office and spent twelve hours a day on the property.
Standing up slowly, Annabeth made her way to the door, pressing her ear against the thick mahogany, straining to hear a sound. All she heard was silence. Stepping back, she reached for the handle and pulled the door open. The hallway was empty, the last remnants of the day's sunlight peeking through the windows.
As Annabeth made her way out of her office and into the adjacent kitchen, she could feel her heart starting to race. As much as she hated to admit it, she had always been afraid of the dark. The sheer size of the estate meant that darkness was inevitable.
She had just reached the kitchen’s entrance when she caught sight of a dark figure rummaging through the fridge in the corner of her vision. Frozen in terror, she let out a small squeak of surprise. The figure stopped in its tracks and spun around, causing Annabeth to take a step back.
Through the soft light emanating from the window behind her, Annabeth was able to make out the figure’s face and felt a shock course through her veins. Standing before her was a younger version of Poseidon. The boy’s hair, face, and even the curve of his nose were carbon copies of the man Annabeth had met just hours prior.
Annabeth could feel her face redden as she registered the distinct lack of clothing the boy was wearing. A single towel was wrapped around his waist, revealing his toned chest and stomach. The shock on his face melted into thinly veiled anger as he pushed his wet, dark hair off of his forehead, narrowing his emerald-green eyes at Annabeth.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?” the boy growled, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow. Annabeth bit her lip, trying to compose herself in the presence of this incredibly attractive, incredibly angry boy who bore a strong resemblance to her millionaire boss.
“I’m Annabeth,” she finally replied, her voice soft and uncertain. “The new housekeeper.” The boy’s face shifted at her words, an unfamiliar expression crossing his face before it settled back to annoyance. “Right. The one my father just had to hire, since I’m completely incapable of taking care of this place by myself.”
Annabeth could sense she had struck some sort of nerve. “Uh, yeah,” she replied, unsure of what to say next. The boy studied her for a moment before speaking. “I’m Percy, Posideon’s son.” The pieces clicked together in Annabeth’s brain. That’s why he looked so similar to her boss.
“I see the resemblance,” she replied. Percy didn’t respond, instead looking past her into the hallway. “Where did you come from?” “My office,” Annabeth said, gesturing behind her to the sliver of light coming from the office’s door. Percy’s face hardened, his eyes becoming darker as he stepped closer to her.
“Your office?” Annabeth’s chest tightened at his harsh tone and proximity. “Yes? Your father set it up for me.” Percy grumbled something under his breath in reply. Annabeth could only make out “typical” and “erasing her memory”.
“Look,” Percy said, now only an inch or so away from Annabeth. She could smell his shampoo, a soft beachy scent that she could get lost in. “Just stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. This isn’t your house, it’s mine. I’d advise you to stay out of areas not meant for you.”
With that cryptic message, Percy brushed past Annabeth, retreating further down the hallway before the sound of a slamming door filled the relative silence. Annabeth took in a deep breath, shaking slightly. Poseidon had failed to mention his angry, annoyingly attractive son who seemed to hate her very presence.
As she made her way back to the safety of her office, Annabeth hoped she wouldn’t run into Percy again. Or maybe she did. All she knew for certain was that she couldn’t trust herself around him.
***
As the door slammed behind him, Percy shook his head in disbelief, the past few minutes playing on repeat in his mind. He had been searching for a snack only to be interrupted by a pretty girl standing in the middle of his kitchen, wearing a blue dress that he couldn’t keep his eyes off of, her curly blonde hair cascading down her shoulders in waves.
“Annabeth,” he muttered, her name rolling off of his tongue as if it was made to do so. Although Percy had had his fair share of girlfriends and dates in the past, this was the first time he had been so thrown off by a girl. Just the thought of the new housekeeper sent his mind reeling.
Vowing to keep Annabeth out of his head, Percy threw on a t-shirt and sweatpants, settling down on the couch and switching on his console. He slid his headset on, adjusting the microphone and listening for the tell-tale beep that signaled Jason had picked up the call.
“What’s up, Perce?” Jason’s voice filtered through the speaker. “Hey, Jase,” Percy replied, accepting Jason’s team invite and waiting for the map to load. “You sound stressed, man. What’s up?” Percy sighed, despising how well his friend knew him. “We got a new housekeeper.” Jason chuckled, the sounds of his controller filling the background of the call.
“Only you would complain about not having to clean your own house, Perce.” Percy rolled his eyes, only half-focused on the game in front of him. “It’s a girl.” Jason whistled, causing Percy to grimace and slide his headset off of one ear. “Again, you’re complaining about something any other guy would love.”
Ignoring his friend, Percy routed his character to a nearby abandoned building and crouched behind it as an enemy group ran past. “She’s our age, man. A short blonde named Annabeth. She caught me in the kitchen after a shower trying to get a snack.”
Jason laughed so loudly that Percy slid his headset to his shoulders, scowling at his friend’s avatar on the screen before sliding it back on. “Why does she bother you so much?” Percy hesitated for a moment before responding. He knew Jason would understand. “Dad gave her Mom’s old office.” Jason sucked in a breath, his shocked silence speaking volumes.
“I’m sorry, man. I know how much that room means to you. I can’t believe Posideon would just give it up like that.” Percy gritted his teeth, trying to forget the way he felt when he learned Annabeth now inhabited the one piece left of his mom.
“As long as she stays out of my way, I’ll be fine. I already told Dad I don’t need some stranger rummaging through my belongings.” Jason remained silent for a moment. “Perce, it’s not her fault she got hired here. I’m sure she was just assigned the estate randomly. Don’t take it out on her.”
Percy scoffed at his friend’s selflessness. Jason had a way of putting Percy in his place no matter the situation. “I’ll try my best, man. Now let’s win this thing.” Percy turned up the volume of the game, hoping to block out the guilt building inside of him over how he treated Annabeth, and the look in her eyes when he told her to stay out of his way.
***
Annabeth brushed her hair out of her eyes, standing up from her crouched position and surveying her work. She had spent the past three hours cleaning and dusting the carved wooden pillars lining the walls. Annabeth was beginning to learn the hard way just how much time and effort she would need to put into this assignment.
Glancing at her watch, she was shocked to discover it was well past midnight. Annabeth had been so focused on dusting each crevice, she hadn’t considered how late it had gotten. Placing her supplies back in her caddy, she made her way back to the office and placed them on the shelf in the closet.
Annabeth untied her apron and hung it in the closet, shutting the door behind her as she smoothed out her dress. She sat down at her desk, ready to begin crafting her cleaning chart for the next day when a series of muffled, angry curses filtered through the wall to her right.
“What the hell?” Annabeth muttered, standing up and pressing her ear against the wall. Annabeth could more clearly hear a male voice that most definitely belonged to Percy yelling nonsensical phrases such as “Block him, Jase!” or “Grab the loot!” She rolled her eyes slightly as she realized Percy was playing a video game.
Her twin half-brothers, Bobby and Matthew, spent their time yelling very similar phrases all day. The difference, however, was they were a lot more PG than Percy was being. Annabeth sighed, sinking back into her desk chair. “So much for a quick cleaning chart session,” she said aloud, picking up her pen and beginning to write.
***
Percy awoke much earlier than usual, the sun barely peeking through his curtains as he climbed out of bed and threw on a pair of sweatpants. Foregoing the shirt, he made his way into the hallway and stopped in his tracks when he noticed the door to his mom’s old study propped open, light spilling out onto the hallway floor.
Stepping closer, Percy peered into the opening and let out a shocked gasp at the sight before him. Annabeth had fallen asleep at the desk, her head tucked into her arm and blonde curls spread out across the desktop. His gaze landed on her shoulder, leading him to notice that one of the straps of her dress had fallen off, hanging down her upper arm.
Percy clenched his fists in an effort not to react, his feet moving on their own accord closer to Annabeth. He knew the dangers of becoming attached to someone, yet this girl he’d known for less than a day somehow had a magnetic hold on him.
Percy couldn’t take his eyes off of her figure, resisting the urge to reach out and brush the hair off of her face, or to slide the dress’s strap back onto her shoulder. Annabeth stirred suddenly, a soft sigh escaping her lips and causing Percy to jump back.
Annabeth slowly lifted her head, her eyes fluttering open and a confused expression crossing her face. “What?” she whispered, sitting up and rubbing the side of her neck. “Sleeping on the job, huh?” Percy replied, watching as Annabeth’s gray eyes widened in surprise and a soft pink blush filled her cheeks.
“N-No,” she stuttered, standing up and gathering her things so fast Percy barely had time to process her movement. “I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed, her voice high-pitched and fast. “I lost track of time cleaning and must have stayed up late working on my chart and fell asleep. I’ll be out of your way.”
Annabeth began to move past him when Percy, unable to stop himself, reached out and gently pulled her back in front of him. “You have something, right here,” he whispered, his hand sliding up her arm and gently picking up the dress strap resting there. Annabeth watched, wide-eyed, as he slid it back up her arm.
From this close, Percy could smell her vanilla perfume and could see the smattering of freckles across her nose. Clearing his throat, Percy forced himself to step away from her. Annabeth messed with his senses in a way he didn’t know was possible. She was dangerous, stealing away his inhibitions whenever she came near. This had to stop, now.
“You should leave,” Percy remarked, his voice returning to its usual stone-cold intonation. Annabeth shrank back at his tone, her eyes still impossibly large and her cheeks rosy pink. “Yes, I should.” She fixed Percy with a look, one that he couldn’t quite read.
“It was nice to meet you, Percy,” Annabeth called behind her as she made her way out of the office. “Next time, you should probably wear a shirt. It’s getting colder by the day.”
Percy could only watch as she disappeared down the hallway, her blue dress swaying around her hips and her words echoing in his mind.
This girl will be the death of him.