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"I think I owe you a dance," I say to Annabeth. The soft way she smiles at me in return puts a huge lump in my throat.
I've missed her smile. It's really great to see it again.
"Okay, Seaweed Brain." She offers her hand.
I take it and we go out on the dance floor where a bunch of minor gods and goddesses are already in a circle jumping and waving their hands around. Nymphs and naiads, dryads and satyrs move around with food and drinks, but all of it is nectar and ambrosia, so I don't bother taking anything. Annabeth doesn't either.
We get to a spot on the floor and she drapes her arms around the back of my neck, fingers grazing my shoulders like we've done this ...well I guess we HAVE done this before, at Westover Hall. That feels like a lifetime ago. This time I'm not expecting a judo throw, and I'm not sweating from being uncomfortable. I'm honestly kind of dazed. I just got the okay to live - or to keep being alive, I guess, so nice of them - from the godly council, my girlfr- ah, Annabeth's mom told me she doesn't approve of our friendship, that it's unwise, and- my stomach twists at the thought I had of Annabeth joining the Hunters of Artemis.
I put my hands carefully on both sides of her waist. Well, at least I think I'm careful, but she asks me "Percy, what's wrong?" Her eyes go over my face. "You're holding on to me pretty tight..."
Ah, dam. "Sorry," I say. I'm looking at her, at the dress she's still wearing, that someone - a particular goddess I think, as I notice her in the background, raising a glass and winking at me - fixed. Annabeth's dress shimmers silvery white, and I notice the way the cloth is cut and draped that it looks almost like...nah, that can't be it. "Fish scales?" I ask her, stupidly.
Annabeth gets the crease between her eyebrows that always seems to happen at some point when she's talking to me. "What?"
"Are these fish scales. On your dress," I really shouldn't touch them, because my automatic impulse is to show her one that's up high and visible, and that would automatically be in the - chest area. I don't directly look, just keep my hands at her sides and hope not to get smited by Athena. Gods and goddesses can't read minds, right?
Annabeth realizes what I'm talking about, and she huffs out a quiet chuckle, her breath warm against my neck. She flexes her arms and steps closer to me, pretty much leaning against my chest now as we sway to some sort of...flute music? Maybe panpipes? I'm not sure what it is, honestly; I just see Mr D and some satyrs getting down and have to duck my head close to Annabeth's neck so nobody sees me cracking up. "What now, Seaweed Brain?" She asks, and I turn her so she's able to see what's happening too. She breaks out into a laugh that starts as a bright giggle, loud and unguarded. I love her laugh. I spin her out and then catch her lower back, dipping her. Her hands grip onto my hand and arm, and I feel her breathing hitch, probably with surprise.
"I've got you," I say, and I don't just mean right now, for this dip or the dance. I mean - I've got her, if she'll let me. I see her face grow serious after laughing as I pull her back up, and I can tell she knows I'm being serious too. She blinks, and it seems like her eyes get a little bit teary.
"I know, Percy," she says softly, lifting her hand to touch my cheek. I feel her fingers graze my skin and it's like lightning zaps behind them. "Thank you," she says, and then moves suddenly. I feel a soft pressure against my cheek and realize after blinking stupidly that she just kissed me.
I freeze but only briefly. Because her mom JUST told me that she doesn't approve of our relationship. Friendship. Well, if she doesn't approve of that, maybe I should change it. I think and then I do something impulsive and probably stupid, but I slide my hand up to cup the back of Annabeth's head and pull her into a kiss. Well, I do my best- I pull her in, and up, and I tip my face down to give her a kiss on the mouth.
It's quick, and a little awkward I think, but I hear her inhale sharply, and then she's got her hands around the back of my neck but her fingers are in my hair now and she's pulling me back in. She kisses me now, and my brain is spinning. I definitely groan, hopefully not loud, but I drop into the kiss, my arms wrapping around and hanging on to her. I think about how crazy I felt as soon as she fell off that cliff with Dr Thorn. How that feeling didn't change or go away until I was next to her in Artemis's moon chariot, honestly.
And I think about how sick I felt at the moment before she wasn't asked to join the Hunters. I kept thinking about the way Artemis said Annabeth has the spirit of a true Hunter. I squeeze my eyes shut now and press my forehead against hers, gasping a little. She's got her right hand on my cheek and brushes her thumb back and forth gently. I focus on the feeling, and on her strength and warmth in my arms. "Annabeth," I say, practically choking out her name.
"I'm here, Percy," she says to me, and I open my eyes and just look at her. She looks back at me, my Wise Girl. Focused and strong and amazing.
"I'm - so glad," I tell her, my voice is rough, scraped nearly raw. "I knew... I knew you'd be okay, that I was gonna get to you, but..." My voice breaks and my eyes burn. I tighten my arms around her, and she moves her left hand to my shirt. She curls her fingers into the cloth over my chest and holds on.
"I knew you'd come, that you would figure out how to find me no matter what." Her lips twitch and her eyes are sparkly. "You're super stubborn that way."
I can't help a sort of scoffing laugh. "Yeah, like I said - getting in trouble is like breathing for me." I jerk my chin towards Mr D, who for the moment has stopped dancing and seems to be trying to sneak some sort of beverage instead. "Mr D had to use his grapevines to get hold of Blackjack when I was - trying to leave." I drop my eyes briefly.
"What - Percy," Annabeth lifts her eyebrows pointedly and moves her face to look into mine.
"...this, uh, wasn't exactly my quest," I tell her.
"You snuck out of camp to go on a quest again??"
"No! You just heard me, I got caught by Mr D."
"But you tried to, is what I mean. Percy, that's-"
"Crazy? Stupid? Dangerous? Yeah, I know," I finish for her. My jaw muscle clenches tight. "But I had to, Annabeth. I had to come for you."
Her eyes are wide as she stares into mine, but I see her face soften. Almost crumpling. "I don't -" her lips tremble as she takes in a breath. She closes her eyes and shakes her head. Her hand brushes up and down against my shirt. "I don't get it, Percy," she says softly. Her voice is almost a whisper. "Why did you -"
"Do it? Well it sure wasn't to break the rules, I don't like just doing that for fun," I reply. My chest hurts, I feel a sort of clenching inside. Why did I do it? It's like I went after Grover into the sea of monsters, except- it's also different. "I did it because I've got you," I tell her. That really is the reason. I've got her, and I've got her back.
I let out a long exhale and my chest eases as Annabeth softens. She slides her hand up to curve around my shoulder, stepping close enough that there isn't any daylight between us. She sways with me, holding on, and I hold her tight as we continue dancing.