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Sally Jackson likes to think that she can tell what Percy is thinking at all moments. He hadn’t had many friends in his twelve years of life, but Sally knows that when he does make one, he clings on to them with a vice grip. His friendship with Grover was a clear example of that.
And yet, the first time he heard about Annabeth, she sensed something was different. She heard all about their adventures on their quest as to be expected, but she also heard about everything she liked and disliked, how smart she was, how brave she was, how funny she was, and how her hair somehow looked perfect while they were sleeping on the road and not like the wet mop that Percy’s turned into after one night. She doesn’t want to be one of those parents that thinks that Percy befriending a girl means he automatically likes her, but there was something different in the way he talked about her.
Despite never really having a reason to bring her up, Percy didn’t go a day without talking about her.
Her suspicions are only confirmed when she’s gathering the dirty clothes from her son’s bedroom floor and she notices a picture taped to his mirror. Right in the middle. There’s a picture of Grover there too, but his is tucked into the edge of the mirror while Annabeth’s is carefully taped with a decorative tape that she’s not even sure where he got it from.
The picture makes her smile. The girl is cute. Her hair in braids and a smirk on her face. A very worthy girl for her son’s first real crush. Sally had heard all about how she had been at camp full-time since she was seven, and she thinks that’s no way for a little girl like her to grow up. She hopes that she can find a bit of normalcy living with her father this year.
——————
Percy comes home from his second summer at camp with a bit more weight on his shoulders. He won’t tell her anything about it, but she knows there’s something weighing on him. Despite that, Percy begs for her to let Annabeth come over, and Sally’s only teasing him when she doesn’t immediately agree to it. She learns that the school-year with her father did not go very well, so Annabeth is attending a boarding school in the city. Sally gets in touch with her father to let her visit for a long weekend.
Percy beams with a kind of joy she hasn’t seen from him in a while when she tells him this and immediately goes to clean up his room. And Sally might just have to do this more often if it gets him to actually care about picking up the bowl of cereal under his bed and putting away his laundry.
As much as she wants to tease him about his crush, she decides to take it easy on him…at least until Annabeth is gone.
Percy buzzes with excitement all the way up until the bell sounds. Then, he runs down the stairs to greet her at the door.
Sally’s never seen him run so fast in his life, not even for her famous blue chocolate chip cookies, so she lets him retrieve Annabeth and heads into the kitchen to check on the enchiladas she’s preparing.
When Percy and Annabeth get up the stairs to their apartment, they are bickering about him offering to carry her bag. Sally has heard speeches about how cool and independent Annabeth is, so she’s not shocked when Percy’s attempt at chivalry is met with pushback. Still, she smiles at how sweet of a boy she’s raised.
Annabeth stops in her tracks when she sees Sally, looking a bit embarrassed to be caught in a spat with Percy.
“You must be Annabeth,” Sally says, giving her a genuine smile. She pulls the girl into a hug who tenses at the contact, but eventually Annabeth wraps her arms around her as well. “It’s so good to finally meet you. Percy talks about you all the time.” She looks over to her son as she says this and delights at how red his face gets.
“Thank you for having me, Ms. Jackson,” Annabeth says in response.
“Percy, why don’t you show Annabeth to your room?” Sally says. “I’m just getting done with some dinner.”
Percy agrees and leads the girl to set her bag down. She doesn’t miss how he finally gets her to give up her backpack so she can take her boots off, slinging it easily over his shoulder as he speaks excitedly about everything he wants to show her.
Sally is so grateful that Percy has seemed to find a sense of normalcy is the most unlikely of people: a girl who hasn’t had a normal childhood since she was seven.
——————
Sally walks into the kitchen after Percy offers to walk Annabeth out to get a start on the dishes in the sink. She knows he won’t be long, but the blue pancakes tend to stain her mixing bowls if she doesn’t start cleaning right away. It’s enough time to ponder the conversation that she knows is imminent.
She knows that Percy insists that his relationship with Annabeth is strictly platonic, but she’s not naive to the fact that he’ll eventually want to explore relationships.
As she hears their door click closed, she steels herself for the conversation. When he walks into the kitchen, she sees his (failed) attempt to wipe the wide, lovesick grin off his face.
“Percy, I know you say that she’s just your friend,” Sally says.
“Mom, stop,” he says, his cheeks tinging pink.
“I’m just saying…she’s very cute and you’re very sweet to each other,” Sally says. “It’s okay if it becomes something more.”
Percy looks like he wants to crawl into a hole and die at her words, but he fails to hold back his goofy-smile and fond eyes. Sally ruffles his curls and pulls him into a hug.
“I know now is maybe not the time for this conversation,” she says, “But we’re getting close to talking about the birds and the bees.” Percy groans, pulling away from her grip to focus on doing the dishes. “Even if it’s not Annabeth, I’m sure there will be someone soon that catches your eye. I want you to be prepared.”
Percy nods, clearly deciding to not trust his words. “I love you, kiddo,” Sally says.
“Love you too, mom,” Percy says. His eyes look cloudy as he speaks, and Sally reminds herself that even though he’s a hero, he’ll always come back to her. Even though Annabeth has become such an important figure in his life, she’ll be there to support him, no matter what.
——————
Percy has looked in the mirror no less than thirty times in the time it’s taken Sally to get ready, and now he seems clearly frustrated.
“The curls are just not falling right,” Percy says, running a hand through his hair that messes up all his progress.
Sally sighs. She can never get him to care about his appearance, but here he is stressing out before he sees Annabeth for the first time in a few months. She motions for him to follow her into the bathroom where she keeps all her hair products. Rummaging through the cabinet she finds a curl defining spray that doesn’t have too strong of a scent as Percy sits down on the toilet. He’s taller than her now. A development that definitely doesn’t make her cry if she thinks about it too long. His blue eyes looking up at her remind her of how much he’s grown. When he was little and they only had each other, she used to hold on so tight. She probably got as much comfort from him as he did from her. But now, he’s growing up. He had other friends. A second home that he fights so fiercely to protect. Annabeth. Sally’s so proud of the man he’s becoming, and she still wishes she could shield him from the monsters.
“Are you okay, mom?” He asks.
“Oh, I’m okay,” she says. “Just thinking. You’re getting so grown up.”
“And I still have my mom doing my hair,” he says.
“You know Annabeth doesn’t care about how your curls look,” she says.
“Moooommmm,” he says, “It’s not about that.” His cheeks get red in a way that tells her it’s very much about that.
“It’s okay to want your hair to look good for her,” Sally says, “I know she has ‘angelic curls and braids that always look perfect.’”
“I never said that!” Percy squeaks, his voice raising an octave.
“You’ve said that on multiple occasions,” Sally says.
Percy gives up trying to deny it and closes his eyes while Sally continues to card her hands through his hair. When she’s satisfied with where all the curls have fallen, she washes the product off her hands and grabs his face. She can’t resist the urge to drop a kiss to his forehead, quickly wiping off the chapstick left behind.
“I’d say you look like a dashing hero,” Sally says.
Percy stands to look in the mirror. His eyes light up and a hand goes up to pat the curls in disbelief, but Sally swats it away telling him to let them set.
“I’ll get you your own products, okay, kiddo?” Sally says.
Before Percy can respond, their doorbell buzzes. Sally rushes to answer it, but not fast enough to miss how Percy checks his outfit, smoothing out the wrinkles in his suit.
He runs past her down the stairs (as usual) when he sees that it’s Annabeth at the door even though she doesn’t have any luggage with her this time. Sally thinks distantly that there’s only so long they can keep up their lie of being “just friends” before real feelings get in the way. She can’t wait to be proven right, even though it means her kid is growing up.
When Annabeth comes up the stairs, she’s wearing a long wool coat that looks too big for her. She must have borrowed something from Thalia or her step mother. Her hair is freshly braided. It’s half up half down with a section of waves and braids hanging free in the front, and she’s wearing a bit of makeup. It looks natural, just a bit of matte lip stick, eye shadow, and blush, but Percy can’t seem to take his eyes off of her. She stands awkwardly in the entrance to their apartment as if she hasn’t spent the night here multiple times, so Sally rushes forward to wrap her in a hug and invite her inside. Sally has noticed that Annabeth still tenses for a moment when met with motherly affection, as if she still doesn’t feel worthy of it, so Sally goes out of her way to welcome her.
“I just made some lunch,” she says, “Why don’t you come in and eat something before we have to head out?”
Annabeth nods, unbuttoning her coat and slipping it off her shoulders. Sally expects Percy to help her with her coat like the chivalrous boy she knows she raised, but she looks over to find himself frozen to his spot, entranced. Annabeth is wearing a pink and white scalloped-dress with thin straps, and her son is looking at her like he’s forgotten how to breathe.
“Is there something on my face?” Annabeth asks, crossing her arms over herself with discomfort.
“No, I—sorry,” Percy stutters, “You just look—I like your dress.”
Annabeth smiles. “Thanks,” she says. "Your hair looks nice."
Sally pats him on the back to wake him out of his trance, and he nearly falls over himself to hang up Annabeth’s coat for her. She doesn’t miss how Percy’s eyes keep flicking to Annabeth as they eat. And how he flushes when she catches him. And if she shares some embarrassing stories about him in the car ride to their secret demigod mission, she can totally just blame it on the tension that’s present in the air as soon as Thalia shows up.
——————
It doesn’t take long for Sally to figure out that there’s been a big shift in Percy and Annabeth’s dynamic after their winter quest. When they return to New York, Percy will barely let her out of his sight. His eyes fill with a distant, pained look when they fall on the streak of gray in her hair. It’s not as visible on his blonde curls, but it stands out among the rest of Annabeth’s dark braids. And Percy is constantly fretting over her: making sure she’s comfortable, ensuring she’s eaten enough, dressing the fresh wounds on her body with a gentleness Sally’s never seen. She doesn’t hear much of what happened specifically. She just knows that Annabeth was taken and Percy traveled all the way to the west coast to get her back. And given that Annabeth seems to accept the comfort instead of putting up a guard and acting like everything’s okay, Sally can only imagine that she’d gone through hell.
Percy almost cries when Annabeth goes to San Francisco, even though she promises to visit. He gives her a long, tight hug when they drop her off at the airport.
When they’re cleaning up the kitchen after dinner that night, Sally decides to bring up the subject. She’s silent for a moment as she ponders how to do so carefully, and Percy is unusually quiet. The kind of silent he only gets when he’s holding back the truth from her. Or holding back tears.
“Percy…” Sally starts, “I understand that there are parts of your life that I’ll never be able to understand, but you can tell me anything.”
Percy stays silent, continuing to dry dishes in their tiny kitchen.
“What happened with Annabeth?” Sally asks.
Percy sighs. “Luke’s soldiers captured her,” he says, “And then he tricked her into holding up the weight of the sky.” Sally nods. She had her suspicions of who was responsible for Annabeth’s kidnapping, but Percy confirms it for her. “She still believes there’s good in him, and he used that against her. And I know there’s something she’s not telling me, about what he did to her.” His eyes cloud with tears. “The marks on her…they weren’t just from holding up the sky or being thrown around…they were intentional.”
Percy opens his mouth to continue speaking, but all that comes out is a choked sob as tears finally fall down his face.
“Oh, honey,” Sally says as she pulls Percy into a hug. He grips the back of her shirt as he shudders.
“I love her so much, mom,” he says through his tears. “I don’t know how to protect her.”
Sally holds him closer. Even though she’s sure he still means as a friend, there’s no denying how much the two have been through together. It’s more than two thirteen year old kids should ever have to deal with, and she knows it’s only the beginning if the prophecy is truly about her son. She tries not to think about it too much. She can’t bear to dwell on the notion that her days with Percy are numbered. That there’s nothing she can possibly do to stop what’s written in the stars. She just hopes she’s prepared her son to make the right choices when the time comes.
“Sometimes loving someone means trusting them to make their own choices,” she says, “and being there for them when they face the fallout from those choices even though it hurts.”
Percy nods. She feels him attempt a deep breath that’s interrupted by a hiccuping shudder, and she begins to rub soothing circles on his shoulders.
——————
Percy couldn’t believe the events of the last few days. He’d believe he was dreaming if his dreams weren’t always terrifying. He’s alive. The world isn’t crumbling around him. And—best of all—Annabeth is coming home with him as his girlfriend. Adjusting to the fact that he was able to kiss her and hold her whenever he wanted has certainly been an experience, and Percy now knows that Annabeth is clingy when she’s not worried about the potential end of the world and his near-certain death. Well…not as worried. He is still a seaweed-brained demigod. She doesn’t initiate much of their affection, but she never lets him go when he does and that’s more than enough for him.
Now, they stand outside his mom’s apartment building as they’ve done many times before. It’s the first time they’ve seen her since the battle, and Annabeth is vibrating with anxious energy.
“It’s okay,” Percy says, grabbing one of her shaking hands. “She already loves you, she’ll be happy for us.”
He smiles wider as he finally catches her eyes. He wants to smooth the furrow between her brows, so he does (because he can now), pressing a kiss to her forehead afterward.
“She loves me as your friend,” she reasons. “Being your girlfriend is different.”
“I’m pretty sure my mom has been trying to get me to admit I’m in love with you for at least two years,” Percy says, “And you’ve saved my life countless times. You might be her favorite person ever.”
Annabeth finally smiles at that, and Percy just has to wipe the smile off her face with a kiss.
When they finally open the door, Percy is enveloped in a tight hug as he holds back tears. She pulls away for a moment to hold his face in her hands, and then brings him in for another hug. Percy sees Annabeth over his mother’s shoulder who is looking at the pair with a wistful expression.
When Sally lets go of him, she brings Annabeth in for one too, but stops when she winces.
“Oh, what’s wrong sweetie?” Sally asks, immediate concern etched into her face.
Before Annabeth can respond (presumably to downplay the injury), Percy answers for her.
“Knife wound, she got from a blade meant for me. And a shoulder dislocation,” Percy says. “I’d be dead without her.”
Percy tries to remain casual about it, but there’s no good way to break that news to his concerned mother.
Sally takes Annabeth’s face in her hands, much like she’d done with him so many times before, and drops a kiss to her forehead.
“Thank you,” she says, “for protecting him.”
“It’s not an easy job,” Annabeth responds. She sounds casual, but Percy knows her well enough to know she’s choking back tears.
Percy has an uncontrollable desire to be near Annabeth in that moment. He knows Annabeth wanted to tell Sally immediately, but Percy thought they should wait until dinner. Now, he realizes how stupid that was. He can’t be in the same room as her and keep his hands off of her, especially when he’s just been reminded of how she’d saved his life.
Without a word, he walks up behind Annabeth and wraps his arms around her waist. Careful to not hurt her shoulder, he rests his chin on her other side and presses a kiss to her cheek.
The realization on his mom’s face is immediate, and she’s smiling like a maniac. He feels Annabeth relax against him.
“Please tell me you two haven’t invented a new level of denial,” Sally says.
“Not in denial anymore,” Percy says, “now that the world’s not ending.”
Sally squeals and congratulates them, but Percy just has his eyes on Annabeth. He knows that she’s always been a bit uncomfortable in a loving home like his, but now she seems to be settling in. Accepting his mother’s affection without the worry that it’ll be stripped away from her. At least for now.
Dinner that night is like a victory banquet. His mom makes all his favorites, including her famous enchiladas with blue corn tortillas and (of course) blue chocolate chip cookies. Annabeth tells Sally stories from growing up at camp and all her hopes for the future, and Percy, for once, doesn’t have to school his emotions. He can look at her without having to look away when she turns to him, and he can relish in the shy smile that she gives him in return. Annabeth's smile might be one of his favorite sights (just behind her exasperated eye-roll when he says something stupid), so he vows to himself to spend the rest of his life giving her reasons to smile.