MIRELA ➪ PERCABETH

Tenerife Sea

Disclaimer - i don't own this, written by Mrs Percy Jackson3 on ffnet.

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Marry me."

Annabeth rolls her eyes, her coffee (large, double cream, double sugar) balanced carefully between her three notebooks and six-hundred-page textbook, her portfolio tucked somewhere in-between. She manages to free a hand enough to set the can of RedBull down in front of the man currently staring adoringly up at her, the marriage proposal rolling off his lips with a blessed sigh.

"Shut up Seaweed Brain," she snorts, careful to set her own caffeinated beverage down before sorting out the rest of her load.

Percy Jackson, aka Seaweed Brain, proves himself to be as helpful as ever by utterly ignoring her predicament and pulling the can of sugary caffeinated death closer, closing his eyes and groaning obscenely. Annabeth rolls her eyes again, so hard it almost hurt, as she sits across from the ridiculous man.

"A thank you would be nice."

"I voiced my adoration and appreciation by promising to pledge myself to you for all eternity," Percy objects, cracking the can open and tossing it back so his face is obscured by the ridiculous red bull logo.

"Just what every girl wants to hear," Annabeth deadpans.

He sets the can down to give her a winning grin, the right corner higher than the left and his teeth uneven. His front teeth are blue. Annabeth holds a hand out. Percy pouts.

"I bought you that ungodly expensive death elixir, Perseus, you can spare me one—"

A blue airhead is in her hand before she even finishes.

"Thank you."

"Anything for my future wife."

Annabeth snorts again, but settles in across from the ridiculous man she calls her best friend. It's hard to believe she met Percy almost nine years ago, crossed eyed and failing Bio 101 even with his colored coded highlighters in various shades of blue. Percy declares it was love at first sight. Annabeth tells people he was so tragic she couldn't help feeling sorry for him, especially when she found out the idiot was majoring in Bio. They graduated and Annabeth got a full ride to Berkeley for her Master's and it turned out the idiot majored in Bio to get into California State's marine biology program; Annabeth could drive the forty-five minute route that separated their two campuses with her eyes closed by the time they both held Master's degrees in their hands.

Percy tapped out at his Master's, shaking his head and venomously refusing to go on but he still curled up in the corner of their favorite café every Tuesday and Thursday night to cheer Annabeth on in her pursuit of a Ph.D. Saturday pizza nights are a little odd these days since every other weekend Percy is crammed into her tiny university apartment with her two roommates and frat parties across the hall; the others she all but disappears into the off gray couch he drove three hours to buy from a sketchy couple with no front door. It's odd, but they make it work. He's a pain but he's also the best friend she's ever had, absurd and ridiculous marriage proposals aside.

"How was work?" She asks as organizes herself, shuffling papers around and flicking to page three hundred and ninety-four of her textbook as she takes a sip of coffee.

"Eh," Percy dismisses and she barely catches the hitch of his shoulders and he reaches forward to snatch up one of her pens. He twirls it between his fingers, an agitated tick he never outgrew.

"That bad?"

"Nah, it was fine," Percy denies even though they both know it's untrue. "Feed some fish, adjusted tank temps. Got to hold down one of the river otters while the vet gave it its shots, that was . . . pretty cool."