Chapter Text
Percy is trying REALLY hard to like Thalia.
Well, it's more like, he's trying to accept the fact that she's here and back and no longer a tree- and that yes, she was Annabeth's friend first. Her family first. She was Grover's friend too, but Grover is his best friend. Plus it's easier for Percy to tell that Grover remains a little scared of Thalia (because of their empathy link, that's probably the reason Percy can tell). For self-preservation or something. She consistently calls him "goat boy" and gives him these super intense, totally unimpressed stares.
So he's been walking on Percy's other side. Annabeth is next to Percy, in the middle of their sidewalk group, at least until they have to split into pairs. And then every time, without fail, she's walking next to Thalia. Thalia throws an arm around her, holding her close, and... Okay, Percy wasn't planning on doing THAT, but.
Look, Tyson isn't here, and Grover is, but in the Sea of Monsters he and Annabeth had...well, they had a lot of good one-on-one moments. They'd gotten - close. She had told him at the start of summer that she was trying to reach out, and she still is. Sort of.
She just likes for Thalia to be around. Seems to want her and Percy to get along, which, sure. Great. They're cousins, right? Or whatever the word is. Their godly parents are brothers, even though Annabeth had told Percy that gods don't have shared DNA, or anything like that.
"Probably makes Zeus feel better about everyone he's ever slept with," Percy muttered. He knows enough about Greek mythology to know waaaay more about Zeus than he ever wanted to.
In any case, it's after Thanksgiving break and mercifully everyone in the city survived weather and potentially fraught family time, but now it's early December and snow is coming. School got out early, and the place he, Annabeth, and Thalia have been going to is in Midtown. So they're headed to his mom's place in Upper East after the early release.
"It's gonna be bad," Thalia says.
"Y-yeah, I agree," Grover adds, wrapping his arms around his torso and seeming to want to disappear in his fluffy jacket as wind blows along the street.
"C'mon guys, it's the city. We might be out of school for a day. And if it lasts for more than a day, well, winter break will just be happening early!" Percy rubs his hands together before he offers a smile to Annabeth, adding "-you won't have to be bored at school for two more weeks then."
Annabeth catches his eye with the slightest upward curve of her mouth, and he feels his heart leap. Which he knows is crazy, come on, Percy - but "and that means we can watch movies!"
Annabeth closes her eyes.
"Unless the power goes out, Percy," Grover says, the tapping of ice pellets hitting streetlights and cars and the sort of hiss that means it's striking bodies and streets has Grover pull down on his knitted cap. Percy zips up his coat and reaches over to pull Annabeth's hood up for her when Thalia's hand tugs at it first.
Percy offers a flat smile as Thalia drops her arm around Annabeth's shoulders and the shorter girl leans into her friend's side. "Thanks, Thalia," she says.
"You're so welcome, 'Beth."
Percy raises his eyebrows and mouths 'Beth'?! Incredulously at Grover, who shrugs before tucking his chin down into the collar of his coat. His hindquarters jerk as he walks, staving off the clopping by use of the Styrofoam inserts in his shoes. "Oh man, I'm gonna need snow boots," he moans.
"Oh we'll have to pop down to the store and get you some, Grover," Thalia says. Grover blinks and smiles slightly, seeming touched.
"Really? That'd be-"
"Yeah and I've got some pairs of boots at home," Percy says. "We can get those to fit him."
"Well all right, Percy, but maybe Grover wants his OWN shoes," she's got her brows rising with eyes narrowed as she catches her tongue between her teeth.
Percy bites down the instant comeback he wants to make, which he dilutes by grumbling "...I never thought I'd have anything in common with Biff Tannen, but his tree comments I now get."
"Biff Tannen?" Annabeth asks.
"Yeah, he's from a movie. Well, a trilogy of movies, technically, but that's - I'm mostly talking about the first one. Back to the Future," Percy explains when both Annabeth and Thalia look confused. Although on Thalia's face, the expression reads more like unimpressed. "-we can watch it," Percy offers. "It's a good one. Not horror, so."
"Okay," Annabeth nods.
"We should probably focus more on what's required for this storm that's coming, surely," Thalia says, her shoulders dropping in an exaggerated sigh. "Rather than discussing the plots of movies."
"I wasn't even -"
"Oh look!" Grover bleats loudly, indicating Percy's apartment building. "We're here! You're going to love Sally," he adds to Thalia. "Percy's mom. She's the greatest."
Annabeth nods again, this time more emphatically, which warms Percy with pride. "She really is."
"Oh, well. It'll be interesting to meet her then, since what greatness has passed down to her son still remains to be seen."
Percy honestly didn't know that anyone could tick him off as easily as Thalia Grace. He always feels like he should apologize to Clarisse the next time he sees her, because if he irritates her as much as he gets irritated by Thalia, that's... tough.
"Well I'd say we've already seen YOUR greatness, Thalia -which will probably end up being the most important thing in case the power goes out in this storm," Percy announces as he moves around her and Annabeth to go up the steps and open the door to his apartment complex.
"Oh yeah?" Thalia's brow raises. She cocks her head. "Of course, what would that greatness specifically be?"
Percy turns back to her with a brilliant smile as he pulls open the door. "With all those lightning powers, you'll be the perfect generator!"
Her eyes narrow, and a crackle of power snaps across the steadily lightening street as ice pellets continue to fall, now mixed with softer flakes of snow.