In A Perfect World

chapter two

Annabeth.

"Okay, okay, okay" Percy gave a laugh, stuffing chips into his mouth. "Seriously, Tom Holland or Shawn Mendes?"

Annabeth giggled, covering her mouth, "Percy! I already told you that's an impossible question to answer."

Percy shrugged, "Okay. What about for looks. Who's the hotter guy, Beth? Tom or Shawn?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "You just made the choice ten times harder. But... I'm going to have to go with Tom."

"EW!" Percy exclaimed loudly, causing Annabeth to burst into an embarrassed fit of laughter. "God, I'm Team Shawn all the way."

Annabeth crossed her arms and pouted, "His fandom is called the Mendes Army."

Percy's face broke into an insanely amused expression, "Well I'm the General in his Army. I'm the fucking Supreme Commander of the Mendes Army."

Annabeth snorted, tossing a chip into her mouth, "Hollanders for the win."

Percy grabbed her and pulled her close against him, tickling her stomach and neck, "Sorry, Chase, but I just don't think I can be friends with a Hollander, that's some serious betrayal to my boy, Shawn."

Annabeth stuck her tongue out at him between the laughs, "Well I'd hate to offend your boy, Shawn." Annabeth wrinkled her nose up, but she stayed pressed against Percy, she didn't want to move, she didn't want him to take his loving arms away.

Percy gave a light laugh, and the sound brought a rosy blush to Annabeth cheeks. "That was just a warm up. Now we get to the real questions."

"Oh? Now we get to the real questions. Ask away then, Jackson. I'm ready." Annabeth crossed her arms tightly and smiled.

Percy sat up straight, unfortunately removing his arms from around Annabeth, and shifted his weight on the rusty park bench. "You have to answer 100% honestly. Deal?"

Annabeth sighed playfully, "Deal."

Percy turned to face her, mimicking her position. Arms crossed furiously over her chest, eyebrows scrunched in a cute and concentrated way, toes tapping against the paved cement. She stuck her tongue out again. Percy smirked, "Me or Tom Holland."

Annabeth's expression let loose a little shock before morphing back into her haughty and imposing stare. "You. Duh. You're my best friend."

Percy leaned his arms against the back of the bench. He spoke, and his voice was so ridiculously seductive and easily goofy that Annabeth doubled over with giggles when he said; "I meant in level of hotness."

Annabeth choked at the disgusting line, overcome with laughter and tears of joy. She finally regained her composure at sat back up to stare at Percy.

"Level of hotness, huh?"

She desperately wanted to say his name, to have the truth come out of her mouth. The way his hair was swayed into the perfect shape, messy, dark, careless, intriguing. The way his eyes reflected his mood so clearly, how they now shone with pure joy and a sense of utter completion. His tan skin, his carved muscles, his athletic form. All of it matched together into what Annabeth viewed as the "perfect guy."
She smiled at him, a true and genuine smile.

"Tom. He's the hotter one. He's definitely the hotter one." Annabeth bit her lip and smirked. She laced her words with so much sarcasm that she knew Percy couldn't tell wether she was being facetious about the fact that she thought Tom Holland was better looking than him, or that she was just trying to tease him. His expression was absolutely priceless.