soulmates ⋮ heroes of olympus au

thirty-three.

A n n a b e t h

☼

One week before Christmas, Annabeth found herself panicking.

While Christmas was typically a tense time of year for Annabeth in her home, it usually wasn't stressful. She had been expecting a perfectly normal winter break: studying in her room, avoiding the rest of her family, and trying to spend as much time with her friends as she could.

Percy Jackson, however, had decided he was going to take Annabeth ice skating in Central Park.

Annabeth's entire friend group was thoroughly convinced that the two of them going ice skating together was a 'date'. However, Annabeth was trying as much as she could to tell herself that it was only a hangout. A friendly hangout. There was no way Annabeth would allow herself to get her hopes up that Percy was actually taking her out on a date. Percy just wanted to hang out as a friend.

At least, that's what Annabeth kept trying to tell herself. It didn't matter whether she had a blue cookie on her wrist and Percy happened to love the same dessert. It didn't matter that Percy was fumbling over his words and seemed incredibly nervous while asking her to ice skate. Annabeth was insistent that Percy only saw her as a friend.

Thankfully, the rest of her family were in Pennsylvania to see Helen's parents so Annabeth was alone at the house for the next few days. She was able to get ready in peace without her step-brothers getting in the way or Helen asking her too many questions about where she was going.

Annabeth heard a knock on the door, which confused her because Percy said he wasn't planning on picking her up for another hour. When she opened up the door, Annabeth was faced with the surprising sight of all of her best friends standing on her front porch. "Hey...?" Annabeth began in a tone of voice that made it sound like she was asking a question. "I'd love to hang out, but I'm leaving in an hour to hang out with Percy."

"Exactly," Rachel replied as all of them shoved past Annabeth to walk up the stairs. "And we're going to help you get ready."

"I'm just here for support!" Reyna yelled from up the stairs.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and practically stomped up the stairs to where they were all waiting in her bedroom. "Seriously, guys? I'm already ready. I was just going to throw on my coat and head out the door when Percy got here."

Piper's head snapped around as she grabbed my hairbrush and a few hair ties. "Sit your butt down. I'm doing your hair, Hazel's going to do your makeup–"

"I do not need anymore makeup, I look perfectly fine–"

"And everyone else will be here for moral support," Piper finished, continuing to ignore her protests.

Annabeth sat down reluctantly on the chair in front of her desk, and Piper grinned in delight. She combed her fingers through my blonde curls, knowing that if she tried to brush them too much they'd end up a frizzy mess. "I'm really not going to do much with your hair," Piper told her. "I just want to brush it through so it gives it those 'princess curls' Percy loves."

"Percy does it think I have 'princess curls'–"

"That's a lie," Piper interjected. "He's apparently talked about them to Jason before."

Annabeth's grey eyes widened as she went silent. Did Percy seriously think she had princess curls?

Piper, thankfully, kept Annabeths hair simple, considering she was inevitably going to be sticking it in a beanie. However, she did calm Annabeth's curls down slightly, which Annabeth was thankful for – although, she'd never say that out loud. Once Piper was finished, Hazel quickly took her place to touch up Annabeth's makeup.