Percy Jackson and the Saviors of Tartarus

Marriage

Ten Years Later, Annabeth's POV

In the years since we had been granted immortality, Percy, Piper, Leo, Jason, Calypso, and I had grown impossibly closer. Hazel and Frank had been killed protecting each other in a monster attack six years after we had been made immortal. With Frank and Hazel gone and Jason spending all of his time at Camp Half-Blood where he was more comfortable, I didn't see the Roman demigods nearly as often as I once had.

It was a sunny Saturday morning in late May, and Percy and I lay together on the roof of the Poseidon cabin. We sat in silence, both deep in our thoughts. I shifted my head slightly, putting Percy in my frame of vision. His face looked relaxed and his eyes glassy. I was suddenly overwhelmed with love for the man next to me. I savored his profile, defined jawbone, kissable lips, messy black hair, and eyes that were wise for their years, yet happy. Percy finally noticed me staring. He looked over, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Whatcha looking at?" He asked.

"Eh, not much." I joked. He pretended to scoff.

"Wow, rude, you know I really thought-" I cut Percy off by connecting our lips. I felt familiar butterflies in my stomach and my heart beat faster. Even after so many years, kissing Percy never got old. I knew that he felt the same way because as I pressed myself as close to him as I could, I felt his heart pounding wildly. I finally pulled back for air.

"I love you." I breathed, our faces so close together that my lips tickled his cheeks when I talked.

"I love you so much." We'd said these words to each other countless times, but for some reason, this felt different. This felt more... real. Like we were taking straight from our heart and soul, putting all the emotion we felt for each other behind it. As one, we moved towards each other and began kissing, but much deeper. There was a fiery kind of passion to it that made me feel on top of the world. I savored every feeling, every touch, completely consumed in my love for Percy Jackson.  All too suddenly, he pulled away, breathing deeply.

"We should get married." He said.

"Wh-What?" I stuttered, taken aback. Percy saw my face and his expression immediately fell.

"Of course, we don't have to, if you're not ready or whatever, I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have sprung that on you like that, just forget I-" I desperately cut off Percy's ramblings.

"It's not that I don't want to, I would love to but... is it... are you proposing to me?" Percy thought for a second.

"No." My previously soaring spirits fell. "I need your mom's permission first." I nodded at Percy's logic. I jumped to my feet and offered Percy my hand. He took it, confused. "Where are we going?"

"Olympus, Seaweed Brain." A look of realization took over his face before his expression turned to nervousness.

"Wait, right now? Like, right-" I kissed him briefly on the lips before shoving him away. I jumped off the roof, landing lightly on my feet.

"You coming or not?" I asked. He grinned like an idiot and followed me off the roof.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Percy muttered to himself as he practically skipped next to me. I gripped his hand in my own.