The Books of Love

Percabeth

Aphrodite sat on the chair, sipping a cup of coffee and typing intently on the laptop. Two doves were perched on the chair, chirping beautifully, and the scene was warm and cozy.

The rest of the gods were doing their usual business on their thrones: Apollo and Hermes were playing video games with a built-in TV on Hermes' throne; Athena was cuddled up on her chair with a huge book of architecture, two owls on each throne, hooting peacefully.

"I'm done!" Aphrodite announced in her sweet, melodious voice. "I've written a book!" The other gods gasped, and Athena paled.

"Aphrodite... Are you sure you're feeling alright?" She asked, sliding off her throne gracefully. "Apollo, could you give her a checkup?"

"No, I'm fine. This is about Demigod relationships, and it's called The Books of Love!" She announced, and everyone let go of the breath they were holding. "I have Percabeth, Jabeth, Lukabeth, Nicabeth, Jasper, Liper, Percper, Jeyna, Leyna, Pereyna, Lazel, Frazel, and Freyna!"

"Shut up, Aphrodite." Athena snapped. "Do not mention my daughter's relationship with scum in front of my face. Although Hermes, your boy Connor would well suit her."

"I'm going to read Percabeth first!" Aphrodite announced in her sing-songy voice. "If you have any objections-" She glared pointedly at Athena. "Then please wait until the end. The story will now begin!"

Before she could say anything, Hermes stopped her with a mischevious smile on his face. "Bring in Reyna, Leo, Jason, Piper, Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Luke, Frank and Hazel so they hear the story!"

"You're boy Luke is dead. A traitor to the gods." Zeus interjected. Hermes' face turned dark, and he put back on his iPod earphones.

A snap of his fingers, and Zeus made the chosen demigods, except Luke, appear. All of them were in pajamas except Annabeth, who was still holding a scroll on the Pythagorean theorom.

"Demigods! We are reading love stories by Aphrodite about you guys!" Zeus boomed out. The demigods all took a step back, except Annabeth who was still engrossed in her scroll and hadn't even realized where she was yet.

Aphrodite waved a hand and the book reappeared in her hands. "Now as I was saying, Percabeth will be first."

Annabeth finally looked up. "What- where am I? And what's Percabeth?" She asked, finally backing up to Percy.

"Percy + Annabeth, of course!" Aphrodite cheered, flipping the page. But before she could read again, Percy interuppted her.

"Could we read privately? And you read your own version?" He asked nervously. "So Athena doesn't vaporize me?"

"Of course, son." Poseidon answered. With that, all the demigods were suddenly crammed in Percy's cabin.

"Ewww! What is this stuff?" Piper asked, pointing to some green slime sitting on a piece of uneaten blue cake.

"Errr... Nothing. Let's read somewhere else!" Percy said, and suddenly, they were teleported somewhere else. 

"The temple of Aphrodite." Piper read the plaque. "Perfect. Mom would love that." She said sarcastically, throwing the book to Frank. "You're the one who can read English. Read it."

The forest grew darker and scarier as the two demigods walked on, all another excuse for Percy to grip Annabeth's hand tight.

"Like Annabeth would ever be scared of anything." Leo scoffed. "Everything is scared of her!" He stopped when he caught Annabeth's glare.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from the spiders." Percy said, squeezing Annabeth's hand. She nodded, her skin turning most beautifully silver in the moonlight.

"You're scared of spiders?" Reyna asked thoughtfully. Everybody stared at her like she was crazy. "Oh- yeah, Arachne." She finished quickly.

"Even I know that!" Leo said, his hair bursting on fire. Percy simply shut his eyes and doused him, then went back to staring goppily at Annabeth.

"How can skin turn silver?" Frank wondered. "Especially since the moon gives off yellow tones." Annabeth broke off her connection with Percy to answer him.

"That's Seaweed Brain language for you." She said, ruffling his hair. "He can't tell the difference between gold and silver."

Everybody laughed at Percy's expense. He turned scarlet, shielding his face away from everyone else and trying frantically to get Frank to continue with the story.

"Why did you take me out here in the first place?" Annabeth inquired, staring questionally at him. He blushed to the extent of a red tomato.

"How red is a red tomato?" Jason asked, looking around the room. "Or is that another Percy language word we have not learned yet?"

"What Percy is right now is a red tomato." Hazel smiled, her arm around Nico protectively. Everyone stared at Percy, who looked ready to faint.

Percy kept on walking, until he was sure he was alone with her in the forest oasis and stopped by a small bubbling stream. Shoving his hand in his pocket, he found exactly what he was looking for.

"I bet you five bucks it's blue food." Leo told Nico, holding out the crisp dollar bills. Nico smirked, his hand in his pocket.

"I bet you twenty bucks it's a marraige ring." He said. Percy and Annabeth gave them both "the eye", but they ignored it.

There in his palm lay a exsquisite sea glass ring, encrusted with a huge golden pearl and mini shells adorning it.

"Ha! You owe me five bucks!" Nico cried, breakdancing on the pink floorboards. Everybody turned to look at him like he was crazy.

"What happened to him?" Piper whispered to Hazel. Hazel shrugged, but she still had a concerned face on.

"Annabeth Minerva Chase, will you be kind enough to consent to marry me?" He asked, kneeling on one knee and staring into her big, beautiful grey eyes.

"Awwwn!" Piper cooed. All the girls sighed in harmony to what she said. The boys backed away from their girlfriends, except Percy who was still staring soppily at Annabeth. 

The silence that followed had a soothing taste to it, the stream gurgling, the crickets singing, and far away, an owl hooting gently into the night air.

"I can actually hear that music." Hazel said, closing her eyes and relaxing. "It's so peaceful yet beautiful. Piper, can you?"

Piper nodded her head, leaning on Jason's arm. "It's so cozy and relaxing..." Even Reyna was humming contently to herself.

Annabeth suddenly smiled, a real, warm grin, and kissed him on the bridge of his nose. "Of course I will, Seaweed Brain. I love you."

"YEAH!!" All the girls cried, circling Annabeth and hoisting her into the air. Annabeth grinned again, and Nico gave a little wistful sigh.

Frank stared at Nico funnily, edging away, trying not to be adjacent to him. "Um... why are you sighing?" He asked, while Nico had on a glazed look.

"Nothing!" He yelped quickly, trying to run away from Percy's wolf glare. Apparently he had heard the conversation.

Jason gave a little grin, pulling Piper closer as soon as she broke apart from the group, and whispered to her the conversation. She giggled and kissed him on the nose, causing Leo to scream "PDA!! PDA!!" and set his hair on fire.

"Me too." Percy said. "Me too." He held hands with his new fiancèe, the two of them looking at the warm yellow tones of the moon.

"That was so romantic." Reyna sighed, clutching the marble railing for support. All the girls sighed dramatically in agreement.

"I know, right?" Piper said, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. Jason nodded half-heartedly, wondering what story was next.

Frank flipped the page and sucked in a breath. "Jabeth!"

Nobody could tell if Piper or Percy looked more murderous.