Seaweed and Wise - Never letting go

19. The drama queen

We sat down on Percy's bed, a couple of gods in the room of Percy's cabin, an unseen sight for that combination, for sure. Just me and my bae, chilling with 3 of the almighty Olympians. Aphrodite has started talking some nonsense about our honeymoon that I just couldn't focus on while thinking up possible exit ways in the case my mother and Poseidon decided to try and blast each other out of existence. I felt a little like a child waiting to hear the verdict of the authorities, though I had no plans to follow.

It was rather odd that they just jumped us here instead of having us come to the big house.

"What is it that you wanted to tell us again?" I frowned at the goddess of love. Yes, I was not happy about that session and I didn't care that they knew. "One at a time please."
My mother tried to start her speech but Aphrodite was quicker. And more vehement.
The goddess snickered. "Well it's your honeymoon and, well, I just wanted to make sure that you didn't need anything and were both up to co- oh."
My mother's face turned deep red. And not in the blushy way. More like a supernova about to explode way. I couldn't believe Aphrodite's idiotness, for such an old being... She ought to have been smarter.
"I'd rather give up my immortality than-" Athena started raging. I snorted, unable to hold myself back anymore, she didn't even finish that sentence as she slowly blinked at me.
I mean, yeah what? She gave us a permission to marry and expected we'd drink cocoa and play board games our whole lives? Poseidon was trying really hard not to laugh and when he finally burst out, Athena turned to him. She wrapped her hands around his neck and started strangling him. The god... He kept laughing.
"You-cannot-stop-them. If-you-forbid anything-they will-do it-out of-spite-anyway." Was all he managed to say, still more than anyone being strangled by my mother could.

I looked at Percy. I could see that he wanted to laugh too but he controlled himself pretty well.
I couldn't though. I've had just enough drama in my life that my mother strangling Poseidon seemed like the most hillarious scene ever. I was cracking up with Poseidon.

"We're still here," Percy called. Athena looked at us, hands still tight aroud her arch enemy's throat. I could swear Poseidon winked at me in approval.
"This isn't funny Annabeth. You could destroy your whole life because of him... I came to warn you-" My mother looked straight at Percy and I had the feeling she wasn't talking to me anymore. What was she even thinking of my life? Did she have a pretty image painted in her head just for me or did she expect all her children to magically become PhDs and higher? With dyslexia, ADHD and hundreds of monsters a month waiting to take a bite...

"Mother-" I stood up, leaving all jokes behind. "I've explained myself more than enough times in my life and I don't feel like doing that again. Once more... I'm still your daughter, am I not? And I know very well how to handle myself. I'm also a demigod, remember? One of the hundreds that are left to shoulder their way since the time normal kids still have fairytales read to them at bedtime. I never had that now. I had to fight for myself, decide for myself. And-" My mother kept her eyes on me, I was hoping she felt at least slightly embarrassed for all that. "And to answer Lady Aphrodite's, ehm, very interesting question... We're fine on our own. And unless you can take back the time and stop us from growing way faster than we should have due to everything your kind caused and put us through, then forget even trying to suggest a thing. I'm not choosing your ways if that wasn't clear up till now, I can't play a virgin goddess card, I don't want that. So smite me down, fine, or trust me that all I do is what I consider my best decisions."

Percy tensed a little next to me, maybe he wasn't ready to share that much with the almighty gods, however he loved to sass them since he found out he had anything to do with their butts.

"I'll- Oh gods forbid you two cook yourself up another kid right now, I will storm down from Olympus and make you my own personal rug, Kelp head junior." With that she disappeared in a golden light, Percy's eyes opened wide, staring.
What a cheer my mother could be.
I bet she didn't even truly understand what all the emotions she felt meant.

I was more than proud for advocating for myself like that. A moment later Poseidon looked at me, eyes directing me to look at Percy,
"Perseus shut your eyes for a while, the malice is gone," he said. Percy eased the grip on my hand.
"I thought she was gonna turn me into a guinea-pig, or something." Percy shrugged.
Aphrodite giggled, reminding me of her all-annoying presence.
"Can you enlighten us on what the Hades is so funny?" I asked and the goddess of love answered with such ease of mind I suspected her head was an empty space.
"Your love is so pure."
I nodded my head like 'And?'
"Oh right," she smirked. "I wanted to offer you a transport there. I have some unfinished business with my son Cupid anyway." She grimaced at that. But that little jerk deserved it.
"I'll be back in a minute." Aphrodite disappeared to who knows where.
Yeah, more like a few years. I thought and got up to pack the last things, more at ease with just Poseidon.
"So," Percy said and got up too.
"What do you have to tell us father?" Percy zipped the tooth brush in his bag that was ten times bigger than mine but he still couldn't find anything in it.
"Just wish you guys good luck, you're happy together and that's all that matters." Poseidon smiled at us warmly as he disappeared too.

We kept quiet for a while, packing our stuff until Percy spoke "Annabeth?"
"Yes?"
"What about Katie and Travis? They're 19 and she's pregnant. What if that happend to us?"
He meant business, I felt relieved.
"Katie and Travis slipped up. We're not gonna make the same mistake. You know..."
I caressed his cheek.
"We'll be careful. And I don't think that what happend to them is bad as long as they're happy."
Percy pulled me into a kiss.
"I'll be just fine, no matter what we do as long as we do it together." What I said was true, lately I'd forget about everything that I planned to do. I haven't fully finished designing Olympus yet, there were a few touches I originally wanted there, and I've already started working on Half Blood City. My mother was right in a way, I slowly cared less and less about just my success in her eyes, but not being with Percy wasn't an option. I'd rather create a couple of cabins and cities that couls be used for good than a place wasted on wasteful creatures.
The boy who who messed with my heart for years and became my husband yesterday grinned.
"As long as I'm with you I'm perfectly happy too Annabeth."
A husband- seaweed brain and my husband.
"Me too." I whispered before almost jumping out of my skin.
"Aww, you're the cutest couple ever." Aphrodite screamed. I groaned and she rolled her eyes. "Lets go-"
A wave of nausea hit me, stars in my vision.
I opened my eyes to realize that we appeared in front of a beautiful hotel on a beach. I looked around and gasped.
"Are we in Greece? Tell me we are in Greece!"
Percy was grinning like a little child. "I knew that you'd love it. We had airplane tickets but this is cool too."
I jumped into his arms. "You're amazing Percy. I'm so excited to see Parthenon and Athens and the temples and Meteor and-"
He kissed me. Probably to stop my crazy list.
"Breathe Wise girl. We'll see it all, minimum monsters and no quest to complete." He laughed and I spotted Aphrodite looking at us all lovingly.
Which was really creepy.

"Have fun." she called and vanished.
"Shall we book in?" I asked and Percy nodded as a credit card appeared in his hand. It had a note that said: With love from the amazing love goddess. Enjoy your honeymoon.
"Guess someone's obsessed with us," Percy laughed again and grabbed 2 of our suitcases, I took the backpacks and we entered the hotel.
"Wow..."
"Wow isn't even close enough to this Annabeth." Percy said.
A man with a kind smile on his face came to us and put our bags into a trolley luggage as a radient woman came over.
"Welcome to your beautiful honeymoon. I'm Vicky and I'll be here 24/7 for you, just call and I'll be on the line. We'd love to see you at the dinner in our hotel restaurant or you can get dinner delivered to your apartment. We also have a map with all the restaurants here. Here's your key. And now just one more question, how was your way here?"
She said it so nicely that for a moment I thought she's charmspeaking me.
"Hi, great actually, thank you... And surprisingly short."
Percy thanked for the key and found my hand to lead to our apartment.
I walked two steps before the nagging feeling was too much.
"Aren't you a child of Aphrodite?" I asked and Vicky just smiled. After looking around she nodded. Percy looked at me, respect in his eyes.
"Piper taught you, hasn't she?"
She actually did.

Sometimes we'd sit with Piper, Hazel and Katie and she gave us orders. Katie was actually the best at resisting while Hazel simply did everything that she was told...
"Yeah," I said. "That doesn't matter though, see you later, Vicky." I smiled. I started running towards the stairs as I called "The first one up picks their side of the bed." Percy started after me as soon as he realized that I was gone.
"That's not fair." He complained, knowing that he couldn't outrun me.

*They're on one of the many beautiful islands!

(Thank you all for those amazing 303 reads. ♥)

I'm just gonna leave that ages old statement here.
Thanks.