𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 - 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐔

Epilogue

He grinned like an idiot at his phone, bundled under the covers and desperately trying to hide it. He'd already lowered the brightness down to the maximum, but still found himself squinting and tilting the screen away from him, feeling literally blinded by the light.

Her texts were worth it, though.

He sent another weird selfie, imagining her quiet laugh as she probably hid under the covers, like himself, in her bedroom. It was oddly thrilling, messaging her when they both were supposed to be asleep, feeling tired in the back of their consciousness but unable to tear their eyes away from the screen.

Moments like these felt stolen, like they held little tidbits of time in their hands, desperate to keep it pressed against their palms forever. Like the world stopped revolving and that gravity and space and love existed for the both of them.

He told her as much, feeling sleep curve over his eyes and make them heavy. He spared a lazy glance at the time, feeling a little pleasantly surprised at the 2:04 am shining on the corner of the screen. 

Annabeth: i don't even begin to understand
Annabeth: how 2 am in the morning
Annabeth: leads you to spout poetry like this

Percy: and i don't understand
Percy: how you just can't
Percy: text in one line

Annabeth: shut up jackson

Percy: please wise girl the aggression at this hour 

Annabeth: i could just put down the phone and ignore your existence

Percy: no please don't
Percy: i'll miss you :(

Annabeth: then i'd say
Annabeth: take what you
Annabeth: can get

Percy: of course of course sorry
Percy: we stayed up a long time tho

Annabeth: we did
Annabeth: the things I'd do for you

Percy: and the things I'd do for you
Percy: i love you wise girl

Annabeth: i love you seaweed brain
Annabeth: you mean so much to me

Percy: i don't know what i'd ever do without you
Percy: you're the light of my life

Annabeth: it feels like everything has just been hazy and unclear till i met you
Annabeth: i care so much about you
Annabeth: please stay with me always

Percy: you're stuck with me
Percy: nothing different was ever going to happen

Annabeth: i'm sleepy seaweed brain

Percy: same
Percy: i'll catch you tomorrow

Annabeth: you better
Annabeth: and it's today in a few hours

Percy: yeah yeah its the same

Annabeth: good night 
Annabeth: i love you

Percy: i love you too wise girl
Percy: sweet dreams

He yawned as he switched off the phone, the darkness welcome against his eyes. He tossed the blanket off, realizing how hot he'd really felt under the covers and relishing the cool air from the fan. 

The giddy smile on his face didn't fade as he drifted to sleep.

****************

She couldn't help her bright smile at his jubilant face. Her joy was nothing compared to his in that moment.

He'd just came to her, kissed her deeply and broken the news that Sally and Gabe were finally divorced, the words spilling out in a tangled mess of inexplicable happiness.