Work Text:
"Annabeth," Percy whined, "do I have to?"
Annabeth look up briefly from her laptop "Yes, we have to." Percy looked at Annabeth with his baby seal eyes. When Annabeth finally looked she said "nope. We're still going. You promised and it's too late to back out now."
"I didn't think that we'd have to wake up at 5am. Can we just go back to sleep and go later?"
"We can't." Annabeth said as she was getting out of bed. The room was dark and she stumbled lightly over her shoes that were by the side of the bed.
"No. Wise Girl, don't leave the bed yet. Shopping can wait a few hours." Percy reached for Annabeth to pull her back in bed.
"Percy we need to go. It's the 23rd, the mall opens at 6 and we still have to go shopping. We have to get there early before the stores sell out of the good stuff."
"Can't we go shopping tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow's Christmas."
"So?" He replied sleepily. Annabeth giggled and closed her laptop.
"Get up Seaweed Brain. We need to leave in 20 minutes."
"Are we having blue pancakes for breakfast?"
"Sally isn't here and mixing the right stuff to bake really isn't my thing. So if you can get up, get the batter ready, shower, get dressed and eat in the next 20 minutes, then I'll fry the pancakes for you." Percy was up and running to the kitchen in seconds. While Annabeth sat on the edge of his bed with her laptop under her arm.
She heard a crash followed by Percy yelling "Annabeth, I can't find the sugar!"
"You put it behind the corn flakes." Annabeth yelled back. "And what fell?"
"My shirt fell and I found it." Percy replied.
"That sounded heavier than a shirt."
"I may or may not have been in it."
Annabeth laughed and had just stepped out of Percy's room when Percy screamed "NOOO!"
"What's wrong?" Annabeth yelled back.
"We're out of blue food colouring!" Annabeth laughed and responded "Sally has a spare pack on top of the micro-wave" as she walked to the
"Thanks... Wait. How did you know that? Mom never told me where the extras are."
"Sally knew that if you knew where she hid everything then you'd use all of it in a week."
"I wouldn't use it in a week," Percy pouted, then did his little half smile, "it'd take me at least two weeks to go through it. And the batter is done." Percy was running to the bathroom before he finished his last few words.
_______________________________
Annabeth was dragging Percy into Bath and Body Works.
"Wise Girl," Percy whined, "this is our fourteenth store today and the two hundredth in the last 3 days." Annabeth giggled lightly.
"I need to find the perfect gift." Percy threw his head back and groaned.
"You're overreacting. It isn't that bad and only been nine stores today and fifteen in the last week. Plus, I need you to come with me to carry my bags." Annabeth said almost absentmindedly as she picked up a candle and smelled it.
"What bags? We've been here for twenty gazillions hours and you haven't bought anything."
"I haven't bought anything yet because I need to get the perfect gift for Pipesybear."
Percy almost gagged, "that nickname is so cheesy."
"Just one more store Seaweed Brain. Then we'll be done."
"That's what you said before we went into the last three stores. And this store makes my nose burn." Percy said as he wrinkled his nose.
"Come on Seaweed Brain. I know what I'm getting from here and we'll be out in five minutes."
"Pinky promise?" Percy asked while Annabeth giggled at his childish nature.
"Promise." Annabeth held up her pinky finger and wrapped it around Percy's.
"Wait. So when are we going to get lunch?"
"Percy we just ate an hour ago."
"So..? I'm hungry. And the food court is that way." Percy pointed at the wall, in the general direction of the food court.
"Percy, I swear your stomach is a bottomless pit."
"It is. And this pit is empty again."
"That didn't even make sense."
"It made sense to me."
"And only you. So you can go to the food court and get something to eat and I'll meet you thee once I get," Annabeth looked down and picked up the candle at her right hand, "this candle. Piper will love it."
"Sometimes I think you love Piper more then me."
"I do not. You're first but Piper comes close in second place." Annabeth said. Almost as an afterthought she said "and it's than. Not then."
_______________________________
Annabeth's question came out of the blue ."What time is it?"
"Um," Percy pulled out his monster proof iPhone 7, "2:45. Why?"
"Well I guess now is a good enough time to tell you that we have a mani pedi appointment at 2:55." Annabeth said as she was sliding her wallet back into her purse.
"Ok. So I'll go put your bags in the car while- wait what!? We? I think you mean you." Percy exclaimed.
"Nope," Annabeth popped the 'p' casually, "I made the appointment for both of us. So you should start thinking about what colour you want."
"No! No. No colours-" Percy yelled.
"Sure. I didn't specify what we were doing when I made the appointment. So do you just want them to shape your nails-"
"Nothing. I'm not getting my nails done, Wise Girl. They aren't touching my nails."
_______________________________
Annabeth turned lazily to look at Percy with her eyes half shut.
"See Seaweed Brain, isn't this relaxing." Percy had his face set in a frown, trying to burn a hole through the wall.
"This is the one time I am praying to the gods for a monster to fight." His eyes didn't stray from the wall.
"Come on Seaweed Brain. It isn't that bad." Annabeth laughed lightly.
Percy turned his head slowly to look at Annabeth with a slight smirk on his face.
"I only agreed to do this because I love you, Wise Girl."
"I love you too Seaweed Brain."