Mortals meet Percabeth

First Day at College

Percy's Pov

New Rome University. I could still hardly believe we made it here. After everything Annabeth and I had been through—the wars, the near-death experiences, and the constant looming threats of monsters—just being able to stand on this campus together felt like a victory.

"Are you nervous?" I ask, glancing at Annabeth as we walk through the stone archway that marks the entrance to campus. Her blonde curls bounce slightly as she looks around, her stormy grey eyes taking in everything, probably analyzing the best routes, the architecture, and where she wants to study. Classic Annabeth.

"Nervous?" she repeats, smiling softly, though I can tell she's trying to play it cool. "No, of course not. It's just... a new beginning. No monsters, no prophecies—just college." She takes a deep breath. "That's good, right?"

"Definitely." I grin at her, though I'm feeling a bit of the jitters myself. This place is so different from Camp Half-Blood. No cabins, no swords or training arenas—just normal college buildings. Well, as normal as you can get for a campus full of demigods. "I mean, how hard could it be?"

She raises an eyebrow, smirking. "Says the guy who barely survived his high school math classes."

I laugh, nudging her shoulder. "Yeah, well, lucky for me, I've got you to tutor me, Wise Girl."

Annabeth shakes her head, but her smile doesn't fade. "I'm not going to do your homework, Seaweed Brain."

I fake a sigh of defeat. "Fine. I'll just have to charm the professors with my sparkling personality, then."

She rolls her eyes but links her arm through mine, pulling me toward the admissions office. "Let's get through the first day without you charming your way into detention."

As we walk together, I can't help but feel a sense of calm wash over me. It's like we're finally stepping into a life we always dreamed of—one where we don't have to worry about the fate of the world or getting ambushed by monsters every time we leave the house. Just... college. Classes. Making friends. And most importantly, being together.

We head to orientation first, which is packed with other students—demigods from all over, each of them chatting excitedly, introducing themselves, and talking about what they want to study. Annabeth finds us seats near the front of the room, naturally. She's got her planner out, already making notes and scribbling down dates. I glance over her shoulder, completely lost.

"You've already figured out your schedule?" I whisper.

She glances up at me, amused. "Of course. I want to make sure I don't miss any important deadlines. You should probably start doing the same, Percy."

I nod, but let's be real—half of me is just focusing on how close we're sitting. I can feel the warmth of her shoulder brushing mine, the familiar scent of her lemon shampoo. It's still crazy to me that, after everything, I get to sit next to Annabeth Chase in something as mundane as a college orientation.

Once the orientation wraps up, we make our way across campus to find our dorms. Annabeth's is in one of the historic buildings, naturally. "Historic" meaning it looks like something straight out of Ancient Rome, with marble columns and ivy-covered walls. Her eyes light up as we step inside, and I know she's already in love with it.

"My dorm's right there," I say, scratching the back of my neck. "You know, by the lake."

Annabeth gives me a knowing look. "Convenient, isn't it? You get a view of the water."

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm drawn to the lake. It's practically calling my name."

"Mm-hmm," she hums, clearly amused. "I'm sure the lake had nothing to do with your choice."

I grin, leaning closer. "It did have a little something to do with you, though."

Her cheeks turn the faintest shade of pink, and she glances away, pretending to check something on her phone. "You're impossible."

"You love it."

She doesn't deny it, and I can't resist pressing a quick kiss to her temple before we part ways to unpack.

Later that afternoon, after getting settled in, we meet up again for lunch at the campus café. It's a cute spot with tables outside under the shade of old oak trees. Annabeth orders a salad and a coffee, while I go for a burger and fries, earning an eye roll from her.

"First day of college, and you're already eating junk food?" she asks, shaking her head.

"Hey, it's fuel. I need energy for my classes."

She raises an eyebrow. "You're taking one class today. And it's orientation."

I lean back in my chair, smirking. "Exactly. It's going to be intense."

Annabeth takes a sip of her coffee, trying to hide her smile. I watch her for a moment, my heart swelling with affection. Seeing her here, relaxed and happy, is worth everything we went through to get to this point. I reach across the table, my fingers brushing hers. She looks up, her grey eyes softening.

"Can you believe we made it?" I ask quietly.

Annabeth's expression shifts, a mix of pride and relief crossing her face. "Yeah. Sometimes it feels like a dream."

I nod, squeezing her hand. "But it's real. We're here, and we've got our whole lives ahead of us."

She smiles, and for a moment, it's like the world fades away. It's just us, sitting together in the sunlight, planning a future we've both dreamed about but never thought we'd get to have.

"I'm glad we're doing this together," she says softly.

"Me too," I reply, leaning in to kiss her. It's soft and brief, but it feels like a promise—a promise that, no matter what, we'll face this new chapter side by side.

After lunch, we wander the campus together, checking out the library (which Annabeth immediately falls in love with), the student center, and the gym. It's a perfect day, with the sun shining and the breeze cool enough to make walking around comfortable. Every so often, Annabeth leans into me, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"Remember when we used to dream about this?" she asks as we stop by the fountain in the center of campus.

"Yeah," I say, my hand resting at the small of her back. "But I always thought it was just a fantasy. Like, 'Oh yeah, Percy, you'll totally survive long enough to go to college with your awesome girlfriend.'"

Annabeth laughs, resting her head on my shoulder. "Well, we did it. Against all odds."

I tilt my head to look at her, my heart swelling again. "You know I'd do it all again, right? For you?"

She meets my eyes, her gaze softening. "I know, Seaweed Brain. Me too."

Before I can stop myself, I lean down and kiss her again, this time a little longer. It's slow and sweet, and when we pull away, her cheeks are flushed, but she's smiling.

"We should probably head to class," she murmurs, though there's a playful glint in her eyes.

"Right. Class." I grin, lacing my fingers with hers as we start walking again. "But we can always be late, right?"

She laughs, tugging me forward. "Not on our first day, Seaweed Brain."

As we walk together toward our future, hand in hand, I can't help but feel like everything—every battle, every hardship—was leading to this. A normal life, with Annabeth by my side.

And for the first time in a long while, everything feels right.