Percabeth

New Year's Eve

The sky was gloomy and the air was a bit colder than it had been that morning, it wasn't as cold as Boston had been a few days ago, and for that Annabeth was grateful. Trying to warm herself up she took another sip of the coffee she had bought a few tents back. She and Percy were currently at the Union Square greenmarket near her place where Percy was buying ingredients for the New Years Eve dinner he was going to cook while Annabeth, who had no idea about choosing fruits or vegetables, was happily enjoying his company. She took a few seconds to sneakily admire Percy's profile. He was happily talking to the sweet-looking old lady about vegetables, his dimples were showing, his hair was in its usual messy style making Annabeth wish she could run her hands through it, and even if she had seen him in that old blue coat a thousand times before, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in it.

In a way the relationship between them hadn't changed since Christmas, they still teased each other and joked around, still trusted the other blindly. But something had changed between them that night, or better said, morning when she had woken up on his chest with his arm resting on her waist. When they had shared beds in the past there was always a small space between them but after that morning, where they both woke up blushing but with a smiling, they cuddled now, looking for any excuse to stay over at the other's place. Just in the past week they had shared a bed three times. They also held hands now, their hugs lasted longer, and their touches lingered; there was an air of unspoken promise between them. Annabeth could only describe it as a prelude to something bigger to come.

"I got the pineapple!" Percy told her while he happily raised the fruit towards her to admire, bringing her back from her thoughts.

"We good then?" Annabeth said looking at the recycled bag Percy was carrying filled with different types of vegetables and fruits.

"Yeah, unless you want to keep looking around?"

Annabeth glanced at the tents around them, filled with people looking for fresh ingredients for their new year dinners. "Nah, let's head back."

Percy nodded, took her hand and didn't let go until they made it to her place, where he started to cook the moment his coat was no longer restricting him. While Percy's kitchen was what Annabeth would describe as well-loved, Annabeth's kitchen, on the other hand, was what you would find in a magazine, shiny, pretty and barely used, well it was mostly used by Percy who loved to cook for her.

"I'm gonna work on a 3D model that's due soon," Annabeth informed him and Percy nodded at her, not looking away from the potatoes he was about to cut. Percy knew his way around her kitchen better than her and she knew that if she stayed there she would be anything but helpful. "Do you need anything?"

"Before you zone out?" His tone was teasing but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Before I give my complete attention to the work that helps pay rent for the wonderful kitchen you're currently using." Annabeth picked up the laptop she had left on the couch when had Percy shown up at her door that morning and got comfortable at her dinner table.

Percy snorted. "You and I both know you could still afford this apartment without working." This time Percy was looking at her, that smirk present on his face. Instead of wiping it off with a kiss like she wanted, she put her headphones on and ignored him.

The thing about Annabeth losing herself in her work was that she would forget about everything else until her body could no longer take it. She was sure she had only survived college because Percy made sure she had food breaks and more importantly, sleep breaks and today was no different. By the time Percy, very loudly, put down a mug next to her laptop getting her attention, it was already pretty dark outside and her shoulders and back were killing her.