I'll be here forever

chapter 43

I remember Auburn being beautiful.

The stunning arches and old pillars of the houses, the victorian feel of their front doors. They were architectural masterpieces. I had excitedly pointed them out to Percy as we drove through the neighbourhood on the outskirts of the town, and he nodded enthusiastically and started pointing them out himself.

I couldn't stop smiling. I wanted a house of my own like that with Percy someday, someday soon, hopefully. How amazing would that be? Not constantly being on the road, a place to settle down, a place to call home?

I wanted that more than anything.

We could live somewhere small, a bit bigger than Cooperstown, probably. Someplace that wasn't constantly attacked by monsters. A place where we could make friends, live somewhat normally. I knew we'd be together for the rest of our lives- whether romantically or not, everything we've gone through... a bond like that doesn't break easily. Still, I wanted to be with him, all of him, for as long as he'd let me.

And maybe we'd live by the ocean- a place Percy could take up a job that had to do with water; maybe working at another aquarium, maybe at a marine animal conservation place, maybe teaching swimming lessons, or maybe just teaching surfing. I wasn't sure if he knew how to surf, but I'm sure he'd learn pretty fast. I feel like he'd enjoy it. And maybe he could teach me to swim. I wasn't sure if I knew how; and if I did, I'd pretend I didn't, just so I could spend time with him.

And maybe I'd get a job as a teacher, or an architect, or neither, or both. Maybe I could go to college, and actually get a degree, instead of faking one. Maybe Percy and I could be happy.

"Daisy?" he said my name, and I was startled out of my own thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Wanna get out and walk around?" he asked, and I caught his eye in the rear view mirror. He was smiling too.

"I'm looking for a parking spot, genius," I told him, my cheeks flushed, not wanting to admit that was a lie- that I was busy imagining a future with him.

"Well you passed four perfectly good ones back there-"

"Okay, okay!" I interrupted him, and I pulled into the closest parking space haphazardly. It was off the street, and it wasn't my best parking job, but it would work.

I hopped out of the car as soon as it was turned off, my face burning. Percy stepped out after me, locking the car doors behind him. He looked a little puzzled, but he walked around to me and slipped his hand in mine, squeezing it comfortingly.

Which definitely didn't help how red my face was, but I appreciated it.

"It's fine," I mumbled, embarrassed. Percy nodded.

"Hey, where do you want to go first?" he asked, changing the subject, and I lit up. I started talking about the architectural masterpieces we'd seen driving into town, and how I wanted to see them all. Percy's lips pulled into a smile. Then we were walking, while I enthusiastically pointed out all the differences in older buildings, the arches in their doorways, the hand-set brick.

We walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand, and he listened intently to me spout out random knowledge that I knew off the top of my head. Gods, I loved him.

It started to rain. At first, I hardly noticed. It was only a drizzle, just barely wetting my hair; but then the sky opened up and sent down a shower of water all at once, soaking us through. I looked up, tilting my face to the sky, watching the rain fall around us. My shirt clung to my frame.

It started pouring, really, the water pelting our faces, stinging my cheeks, stinging my arms. People around us, on the sidewalks, on the street, they ducked inside of shops lining the road or pulled out an umbrella, annoyed, but not Percy. He stopped, his hand still in mine, in the middle of the sidewalk. He stopped, and he laughed. The sound rang in my ears, a happy sound, one of joy. It travelled across the way, turning heads. He didn't care, and neither did I. So what if they stare? Let them, I thought.

He turned to me, his eyes sparkling in the pouring rain.

"It's raining!" he exclaimed, like it was the best thing in the world. His hair was plastered to his forehead, water dripping down the sides of his face, and I'd never seen him better than I did now.

Catching me off guard, he raised our hands together and then he twirled me around, my feet sliding on the wet pavement, the rain seeping through my already-soaked sweatshirt, the world turning into a spin of motion. The cars and the stop signs and the street lights blurred together, leaving nothing but smudges of color and blurry lines.

He twirled me back around. And then, when I'd spun all the way, feeling on top of the world, I stopped, and he pulled me in close. My chest pressed against his, his hand in mine, both of us drenched from the rain. It fell harshly on my cheeks, but I hardly noticed.

And then I kissed him, raising myself up on my tip-toes to reach his lips. The rain fell around us. I could taste it on him.

And then he mumbled against my lips, "I love you."

Those three simple words, the ones I've wanted to hear from him for as long as I can remember. The words that made everything worth it.

He said he loved me, I thought giddily.

I smiled in spite of myself, so hard that my face hurt.

"I love you too."