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Annabeth did not fall asleep while trying to finish the blueprints she was working on.
She was telling the truth. She did indeed fall asleep on her blueprints. But not while working on them. Annabeth did take a break, like she had promised Percy she would, and had Iris-Mailed Sally to catch up a bit.
6 months old Estelle had decided to snatch the attention and had started babbling and cooing to Annabeth, which led Sally to leave the two girls alone. Annabeth had somehow fallen asleep during the speech of the baby.
Thank the gods, Estelle was too young to hold a grudge.
Annabeth, after a good night of rest for her mind and a new ache in her back, got up, changed her clothes, took the pill Mr. D gave the demigods for hormonal transition and went to eat her breakfast. She knew her boyfriend wouldn't be there because he had been on his Monthly Boys' Night with the others, and they always ended up sleeping late (or not sleeping at all) and Percy wasn't known for being an early riser.
Annabeth sat with her siblings, catching up a bit with their lives and everything she had missed since she had moved in New Rome with Percy. Camp Half Blood seemed to have regained its normalcy (or whatever was normalcy at CHB).
"And then Piper tripped Leo, and he caught fire, and that's why there's a patch of hair missing from Malcolm's head."
Malcolm muttered something about fire powers and treason between mates, but Annabeth didn't listen to him -- her eyes were locked on Piper.
Piper, who was laughing at Jason, her eyes shining under the late september sun. She raised her eyes and smiled brightly when she met Annabeth's gaze. Annabeth smiled back, and thanked her dark skin for hiding her blush.
"Someone's cheating on her boyfriend," teased Nana.
"I'm not," she sighed. Percy knew about her crush on Piper. Percy also had a crush on Piper (which was understandable, who wouldn't have a crush on Piper ?)
Annabeth couldn't help but search for the other girl's eyes again, and waved back at her when Piper noticed her and made a sign.
Annabeth had noticed she might have a tiny start of a crush on Piper when, mere days after breaking up with Jason, she came out as sapphic to the whole Camp. It did make waves, but quickly waned when the surprise passed. (Then it had blown up again when Jason came out as gay and then they both became a running gag at Camp). From that point on, Annabeth had definitely started noticing Piper in ways she didn't before.
She had confessed that to Percy after a few days spent worrying, and had told her boyfriend that it didn't have to change their relationship. Percy only answered that he also found Piper very attractive and wouldn't turn her down if she asked him out, as long as he could keep dating Annabeth. 'It's like, so hard to not fall for her', he had said. 'It was also very hard not falling for you. But I'd be fine if I stayed friends with her'. Annabeth agreed and they had a very open-hearted conversation about polyamory, and agreed to, maybe, open their relationship to Piper. If Piper did a move on any of them. (Except Piper wouldn't, because Annabeth and Percy were still dating and Piper wasn't a homewrecker.)
Annabeth made a quick mental note (that served no purpose at all since she would forget it anyway, ADHD be damned) that she should talk to Percy about this whole mess. And stop running away and do something brave, like ask Piper out.
"Hey, wise girl."
Annabeth smiled and lifted her head, allowing her boyfriend to kiss her forehead. "How did the sleepover go ?"
"Great. We drowned Leo to see if Will's power could give him oxygen."
"Aw," laughed Annabeth. "I wanted to see it. Did it work ?"
"Meh," shrugged Percy. He looked at his girlfriend, with a certain hesitation in his gaze. "There's somehting I'd like to tell you. In... private," he added, with a fixed glance at her siblings (and particularly Nana who was surely eavesdropping).
Annabeth felt something settle in her stomach.
'We need to talk', those words announced a bad thing, most of the time.
Maybe it was something stupid. Maybe Frank had now a beef with Percy since he had tried to drown Leo. Or Estelle was now mad at Annabeth for falling asleep while she was talking.
Everything was fine between Percy and Annabeth.
"Your cabin ?" asked Annabeth.
"Maybe not. Nico was still asleep when I got out. Strawberry fields ?"
"Strawberry fields."
Annabeth and Percy walked to the strawberry fields, while Percy narrated to her the events of the past night and Annabeth ranted to him about the progress she had made on the shrines she worked on with Jason.
Nothing new. They were as they had always been, teasing, loving, playful.
No, the thing Percy wanted to say was not about breaking up.
"So," said Annabeth when they arrived to the strawberry fields.
"So," repeated Percy, looking more nervous than he was before. "I have something to say," he added.
He cleared his throat, looked at Annabeth, then at the ground. He took a deep breath and anchored his eyes in his girlfriend's.
"I'm trans," announced Percy.
That was not what she had been expecting but oh, well... She was trans too. She was surprised but not angry nor shocked.
"That's great !" said Annabeth, genuinely happy. "Me too."
Percy giggled at that. Annabeth loved when he (wait, no, not he) did that.
"I'm nonbinary," added Percy. "And, I'd like to use they/them pronouns, just to, like, try first ? I'm not sure of anything, but I want to try."
"Okay. C'm'here" said Annabeth before she opened her arms. Percy happily threw themselves in and she stumbled. They both laughed.
Annabeth tightened her grip on Percy, but moved her head to face them.
"Can I call you my partner ?" she asked.
They nodded, a smile growing on their face. It reminded Annabeth of the first time Luke and Thalia had called her Annie, her preferred name.
"Do you want to change your name or you like Percy ?"
"I like Percy."
They moved closer to kiss their girlfriend's cheek. Annabeth rolled her eyes and kissed them on their lips.
"Okay," laughed Percy a little breathlessly. "You're okay with all that ?"
"Well I'm trans too. It'd be hypocritical of me to be mad."
Annabeth put a hand in Percy's hair, massaging their scalp, and smiled when they relaxed.
"Can I keep asking questions or is it too much ?"
"Keep on. I'm not sure of anything, your questions actually help me."
"Okay," said Annabeth. She thought for a moment. Was there anything important left ?
"Do you want to dress in a more androgynous way ? Like dresses, skirts, make-up, these kind of things ?"
"I wouldn't mind make-up," muttered Percy. They frowned, thinking for a moment, before they added : "Dresses and skirts feel too feminine. It's not something I want to try now."
"Okay."
Shoot. Annabeth had seen a very pretty ensemble for couples. The green would've matched Percy's eyes.
"Does it change anything about Piper ?" she said carefully.
"Piper," repeated Percy. "No, I still like her."
"Understandable."
"If anything, that's a great thing. Since Piper's sapphic and I'm not a man anymore..."
Annabeth laughed at that and kissed her partner's lips again.