Chapter Text
Percy opened the door, sighed and put his hand on his hair entangling his hairs even more.
He let himself fall on the hideous green couch of their break room and closed his eyes a few seconds.
- Exhausted already?
He chuckled, and Annabeth sat beside him.
- Drew Tanaka told me I have grey hairs. I don't have grey hairs!
Annabeth bit her tongue, trying to not laugh when her eyes found the few grey hairs on Percy's dark hair.
Before she could even answer something, the doors were pushed open violently, letting Jason and Leo enter. Apparently, they couldn't stop laughing.
Annabeth and Percy looked at each other with an intrigued look before Percy got up and turned the coffee pot on again.
- Can we laugh with you?
Leo bowed down to Annabeth while Jason was struggling to catch his breath.
- Of course, Princess.
Annabeth rolled her eyes, but everyone could see her smile.
- One of your little genius, Malcolm, went to see Jason with a heartbreaking news...
Leo was struggling to hold his laugh while Jason had already abandoned and was laughing while holding his head in his hands.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow and Percy as if it was a college course.
- Jason's wife is cheating on him.
This time, Annabeth wasn't able to hold her laugh and Percy's eyes widened.
- Jason's wife?
Leo nodded his head, severely, only betrayed by his smile.
- Well, the science teacher obviously. Thalia Grace.
Jason tried to hold his laugh but failed, so it sounded like a squeak. Percy thought it was cute. Annabeth lets her head fall between her hands, trying to hide her own laugh.
- Your sister?!?!
Percy's almost scream helped no one and suddenly the four of them were unable to stop laughing. Leo even had tears running on his face.
- I swear! He was so awkward, like "oh I'm sorry sir, I don't want to overstep but I think you should know" and all that crap!
They calmed down after ten minutes. Ten minutes where none of them could look at each other without getting into another laughing fit. If anyone walked into the room, they would have seen four young adults, teachers even, facing the wall so they couldn't look at each other.
Once everyone could breathe normally, they grabbed their lunch from the mini fridge. And if Percy thought he would be weird with his Aquaman lunch box, Leo was proudly showing his Iron Man one.
The door opened once more, letting Piper, Hazel, and Nico come in. The three of them quickly grabbed their lunch and sat around the table.
Everybody was talking, but Percy seemed to be in the back.
A few months ago, he came back to New York after living a few years in Greece. He was looking for a job to be able to afford somewhere to live. That's when he texted Annabeth, telling her that he was back.
He met Annabeth when they were 12 because of Thalia, Percy's best friend at the time. Annabeth and Thalia lived in the same foster house, and Thalia took Annabeth under her wing, quickly calling her her little sister.
They became inseparable. When high school was over, they all started to study education. And when they all got their diplomas, Annabeth and Thalia stayed in New York. Percy chose to leave. Far away.
Percy's eyes fell on Nico, who was already looking at him. He quickly avoided his gaze.
Percy lived in Greece. Firstly, give a few English classes, then become a mythology teacher. He came back three years later.
That's when Annabeth told him he could be a teacher at the high school where she and Thalia worked. And Percy accepted without having to think twice.
In a few months, Percy had an apartment with not that many windows and a few suspects staining his ceiling, and he had a job.
Percy's thoughts were stopped by a hand in front of his face. He looked at Leo.
- So, what do you think?
- Of?
- The political engagement of goats in global warming.
Percy was looking at Leo, dumbfounded. Leo looked really serious.
- What?
Nico sighed and shoved Leo lightly.
- Grabbing a drink tonight. The political engagement of goats—what the fuck, Leo?
Percy nodded
- I'm down. We could do it at my house if you want to. My apartment isn't big, but it's enough.
Jason high-fived Leo with a big smile on his face. Percy sent a look at Annabeth, who flashed him a reassuring smile. She had seen that Percy was lost in thought and memory. Maybe too lost.
Without even thinking of giving the other his address, Percy got up and packed away his lunch. Annabeth knew his address; she would tell the others.
He left the break room and had to restrain himself from running out of the school. He walked to the teacher-only garden.
He closed the door behind him and put his back against it, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding.
- I told you to stop trying to talk to Nico.
Percy jumped a little and opened his eyes. In front of him was Thalia.
- It's not... This has nothing to do with that.
Thalia walked to Percy and flinched his forehead. Thalia didn't know how to control her strength, or maybe they were above that type of friendship where they would try to not physically hurt each other.
- You have the same face that you had when I told you he worked here.
- I invited everyone to grab a drink at my house. Well, your brother and his best friend invited everyone to my house.
Thalia chuckles.
- Do you think Nico will come?
Percy shrugged, and Thalia sighed.
- Do you want me to talk to him? Or Reyna?
Percy shrugged again, and Thalia sighed again. A silence fell between the two of them and was only cut short by the announcement of the start of the afternoon classes.
Thalia and Percy walked to their classroom together. Before Percy could enter, Thalia smiled at him, and Percy felt a little better.