Percabeth Fluff and Other Stuff II

Falling for You (pt. 3)

Sorry this took so long. I actually had this done and didn't realize that it never published. Enjoy!

"I'll see you around," she says, looking up at me with those big gray eyes. We're standing outside her house as I walked her home.

"Maybe Tuesday?" I ask her, feeling bold.

She smiles and it looks so beautiful on her. "Tuesday." She presses a kiss to my cheek and I stand there staring in utter shock.

•••
Tuesday

"Hey," I greet. She looks up at me from her menu.

"Hi." I take the seat across from her.

"How did your cousin like the pie?" I asked.

"Loved it. Thanks for your help, by the way."

"Of course. I'm sure it was nice to see your cousin again. How come you haven't seen him in so long?"

She just shrugs. "Lots of reasons. Happy I get to see him again though." I nod.

Our waitress comes over to get our order. I discover that Annabeth has a love for olives.

"Yuck," I tell her.

"Don't judge. I love olives. I love them so much that when I was nine, my parents wrote on my Birthday cake 'Happy Birthday Olive' and used icing to draw little ones all over it."

"I'm happy that they make you happy."

"Percy, if anyone should be judging it's me," she decides. "You asked them to dye the crust of your flatbread blue."

"It's not that complicated. My mom does it all the time."

"This only further proves my theory that your mother is magical."

I just laugh. "Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that she is."

She smiles softly. Then she sighs.

"Percy, I have to be honest with you."

"Hmm?"

"I know how to bake a pie. Rather well actually. My blueberry pie won the fair last year."

"What? Annabeth, why would you lie about that?"

"Because I saw you and I thought you were cute..." rather than her usual intense stare, she looks down. "I just wanted an excuse to talk and hang out with you."

I'm so shocked that all I can do is laugh. Annabeth looks up at me and shoots me a glare.

"Seriously, Percy? I was just honest with you and here you are making fun of me!"

"I'm not making fun of you, I swear!" I tell her. She just frowns. "I'm just shocked okay? You couldn't have just asked me out?"

"Percy, it was a great plan. Don't even deny it."

"I'm not denying it. It was great."

"Thank you." She crosses her arms.

"I would've said yes if you asked me out though. I thought you were gorgeous."

"Well why didn't you ask me out."

"Because I figured you'd kick my ass."

She smiles softly now. "Yeah, I would've." Her tone is sweet. I am now even more afraid.

It's not too long until our food gets to us. I indulge in my food. Annabeth does not waste any time either.

•••

The next day, Annabeth and I meet up for a coffee at her favorite cafe. She smiles giddily at me when I pay for hers.

She wears a brown coat and a cute hat that matches, her blonde spirals spilling out of it. Her cheeks are rosy from the cold. In other words, she couldn't be cuter. Her hands crowd the cup as we walk in the crisp air, looking for a bench in a nearby park to take a seat.

When we do take a seat, I'm shocked with the way she snuggles up against me.

"I told you I liked you," she tells me, seeing the nerves on my face.

"I know, I just-" she's very adamant about her position and doesn't move. I wrap my arms around her gently as she shivers.

She mutters something under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing at all."

"Mhm."

We talk for a long time. All the way until after lunch. Then we walk to lunch together, because we're still trying to figure each other out. She was ambitious and a genius, and she decided that I was a Seaweed Brain. I was content with that.

"Percy, that is physically impossible," she argues. "You cannot sleep for a whole month without being in a coma. I think 36 hours might be your max."

"I just don't see why I can't."

"Because you would die. You need food and water to survive."

"That is true... I do like food."

She laughs. I love her laugh. I would do anything to hear her laugh.

"What?" She asks, seeing me smiling.

I blush. "Nothing... you're just cute."

This time her cheeks turn rosy.

"I told you I liked you, didn't I?" I mock what she had told me earlier. She gives me a playful shove. I wrap my arm around her and she snuggles close.

She presses a kiss to my cheek and I swear the red covering my whole face is just from the cold air.

She looks at me and smiles. "I like you too."

I'm not sure who moves first, but our lips meet.

So maybe in the crisp autumn air, I find myself falling for Annabeth.