Seaweed and Wise - Never letting go

20. Honeymoon

We were sitting on the balcony at our table, overlooking the sunset, Percy's arm around my waist.
We unpacked our clothes before leaving for lunch, or at least that would have been so in New York, it was dinner time here by the moment we left our room. The time difference swallowed up 7 hours of our day.
I found a few pieces of clothes that I never owned before in my suitcase and I knew immediately it was Aphrodite's doing. She added in some dresses and other that I grudgingly accepted because they did look gorgeous and were actually in the range of my style. I left the makeup she put in in one of the pockets, what brave soul did their make-up by the sea anyway.
The waves crashed on the sculpture of rocks that stood out of the sand, seagulls flew above, the sun radiated strong even at this time. I looked over at Percy and there he was, all dreamy eyes, looking at me.
"How long have you been staring?" I ask, trying to contain a laugh. Percy sways his head a little in the sign of having no clue and smiles. 
"How long have you been watching the sunset?" He says, it makes us both laugh. I sit closer to him and he hugs my shoulders, my head's resting on his chest now. I close my eyes and listen to his heart beating.
"I love you," I sigh happily and he lays his chin on my head.
"I love you too," Percy says and I stay still as much as possible, not wanting to break from this moment.
And then there's another person in our little bubble and I have to function again.
"Uhm, hi-" a sort of familiar voice sounds behind me as I try to savour every second of peace, hoping that another prophecy won't mess this up for us.
Oh why the Hades right now?
I look up to see Vicky. The daughter of Aphrodite that so hasn't been shoved in our life by her mother. Though I couldn't complain, she'd understand us just good. I make a little smile and Percy looks up, his sea-green eyes glowing with excitement. Ah, of course he'd so desperately want food already...
"Oh, hi, I'm sorry to keep you waiting." I said.
"No way, I'm here just for you anyway, basically, the hotel's policy. Here's the menu."
Percy muttered a 'thanks' and started going through the lists full of greek letters, I mean, how cool was that? Once I started learning Greek, it was just there. No real trying. And I ever so often considered switching to greek books only, hoping they'd make more sense to my mind.
"Can I ask you something?"
She answered by nodding. Well good enough.
"Did Aphrodite just send you here because she's obsessed with us or Percy here really picked a hotel with demigods in it? Second, do you charmspeak too? Any other powers I should fear?"
Poor Vicky looked a little startled thanks to my publicly spoken questions. I guessed she didn't have that many half bloods around after all.
"No and no, I've been working here for about two years already and I cannot charmspeak. I'm capable of making people fall in love with each other, kinda like the Cupid's arrows thing, but I haven't done it since I was 11 and stupid." She answered and swung on her feet. "That's a power too dangerous to be used on anyone. I hated it for so long, now it's just there."
"Oh, cool," I nodded. "Can you sit with us?" I liked her even more now.
"Sure," she smiled and slid on the opposite chair.
She had eyes just like Piper, changing colors from time to time, but her skin was too light for someone who lived in such sunny land and her hair was so blonde even my hair was dark. She looked a lot like her mother overall.
And suddenly I had no idea how to really introduce myself.
"I'm a daughter of Athena, just Annabeth."
I searched for a bad reaction. Lets say that the Romans didn't accept the idea of their virgin goddess having kids lightly, but Vicky seemed just fine.
I nudged Percy and he looked up from the order list.
"What? Oh I thought we'd pick the food together but if you don't want to then I'd like the honey lemon glazed chicken."
Was he not listening at all? I stared at him, eyebrows raised.
"Seaweed brain, you were supposed to introduce yourself, not order." I laughed. Vicky smiled too.
That was the boy I loved, sometimes a little confused, charming and always loving.
"He's got those moments often." I chuckled and a realization crept onto Vicky's face.
"Seaweed brain? As in a son of Poseidon? Back in camp there were no children of the big three."
"Wait what camp?" Percy asked, almost terrified, as he finally woke up from his food thoughts.
"Which camp?!" Vicky seemed confused. "Is there another camp than Camp Half Blood?"
Camp Half Blood? I mean, how likely was that? Then of course, demigods didn't have that many places to go.
We explained her all that happend. Of course that she knew about all the monsters and Gaea waking up but they had reasons to stay put.
And then I had a thousand new thoughts to go through. Growing back in Camp, you didn't really hear from those who matured and left, you didn't get a letter and all you had was hoping... Hoping they made it in one piece.
"Is your husband a demigod too? Do you have a girl or a boy? How do you manage everything? Oh and we're building a city in Half Blood, you could come sometime or even live there," I knew I talked really fast but there was too much to ask. Vicky chuckled. I blushed. "Sorry, I know." I laughed. "But I swear anyone would be this excited back there. Percy and I, we got married yesterday, we'll go finish high school after the summer, try... I've never met a demigod like you, of your age... I mean, you're not old but you're adult and happy and you just said you have a child already and a job and..."
"Wise girl, you're rambling again." Percy smirked.
"I know." I agreed. Of course I'd ramble on for hours if I had the chance.
She could tell me so much and no number of days we had would be enough. I thought about me and Percy and having kids and all else she could reassure me of.
Vicky bit her lip. "I'll sum it down quickly. I'm 27 and my husband's a son of Ares, we have two kids, not one actually. We both grew up in the Camp. We went on some quests together and managed high school too. I saved his ass multiple times, we fell in love and both went to college... We finished successfully too and I was close to 2 months pregnant back then." She scrunched her nose and grinned. "Soo... It was a bit of a shock this soon, but... The college years, we spent them in this gorgeous house with a few other kids we got to know. We had separated rooms of course, stupid us. How fun it was to sneak to each other after litghts out," she grinned.
I stared at her, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, how fun is it Annabeth?" Percy teased. Probably referencing Argo.
"Shut up Seaweed brain," I smirked while Vicky stared at us, totally amused.
"Anyway," she rolled her eyes, still grinning. "When the wars with Kronos started we were about to head back to camp. That's when I found out that we were expecting Daniel so we chickened out to Greece. We made each other since none of us wanted the other to fight and we just knew we'd have to if we were close."
"So you settled down here?" Percy asked.
"We did. We though we'd be safe here and all. How naive... Then Gaea happened. Mother did her best to protect us and Ares helped too, I guess. They felt they had to try since I was her first child in a long time to live that long and have a family... Anyway, you can come over, I'm sure that Miles would like you and Percy-"
"As a punching bag maybe," Percy finished the sentence and grinned. "Just continue, inside joke, I'm sure your husband is a great guy." He added.
Vicky snickered and made the best 'what the hell?' face.
"Just let me know and I'll take you over. It's the hotel's property so I still work here even though Sophia's just 11 months. Miles is taking care of the kids while I work and I am when he works and... He is really nice. You'll like him. Oh gods, I forgot that I'm still at work, what do you want to eat?"
Honestly I forgot that she was here to work too and suddenly it felt weird to want something from her.
"Uhm?" I look at Percy, not having checked the menu at all.
"We'd like the honey lemon chicken and some juice?" He tilts his head slightly in the question. I just nod.
"I'd like some Aloe Vera if you have it, or just water," I said.
Vicky was taken by surprise, apparently. "Sorry to ask but how old are you two?"
Percy laughs at me. He claimed that people would probably ask where our parents were.
"Eighteen," we said at once. Vicky swayed on her heel, smiling.
"And you want?" She asked Percy. "Uhm, something blue and non alcoholic, or pepsi, please.
"I know that my mother would say that but you two are completely adorable. "I'll bring your orders soon."
I was sure that we had to give up yesterday's adventuring to spend the day with Vicky. I trusted her.
"Sure Wise girl, but if that Ares boy tears me to pieces it's on you."
"You're so dramatic today."
We sit there laughing at that one time Percy took me on a lake date. I blushed like never before when the cabin boat race we forgot existed went by us.
"Or this one time that-"
Vicky arrived with our food.
"We'd love to come over tomorrow, if that's cool with you." Percy said after thanking for our meals.
"Miles has a free day tomorrow. Just call me to the reception when you're ready." She smiled.

Later, we took a blanket and two pillows from our room and sat on the beach, talking of what was on our minds.
"It's honestly too much, Percy, but in a good way." I say in the end.
We kiss. "But if you could take that overwhelmed feeling away..." I mumble.
He makes a funny noise that makes me chuckle. I mock him even though I know the cause of the sound.
"Shut up and stop torturing me."
Torture? That was so not how he felt. I decided to turn it against him.
I tackled him under me as soon as he started. I kissed him again, hoping our spot was truly well out of sight.
"We're on a beach Percy."
"I'm aware."
"So let's go in." I jumped up. "Come on." I took off my shirt and shorts, tying my hair into a ponytail.
"We're not skipping swimming in this, not a chance." I say. The water seemed colored by the sun, a watercolor palet spilling in. "So get up, my royal husbandness."
Percy sat up.
"You know you're so evil sometimes?"
"I swore I'd try my best." I smiled.
"Pretty sure that's not what our wedding vows were about." Percy said, undressing into his swimwear too.
"Oh I don't mean those." I started walking backwards to the water.
Then Percy took off after me and I turned to the sea, so much ahead of him. He could have used his powers to trip me at least but he didn't. I stopped and waited to be tackled into the next wave.
I told him I loved him once we resurfaced, remembering a different time we dropped into a body water. A moment as different from this one as the sun and the moon.
I loved him. That would never change.

(Once again I'm leaving this old message here because it's just so... Feels ❤️😃)

Thank you all so much for reading ♥ some of you have added the story to their reading lists and all... thanks :) and thanks to @EvaLeone4 who was the first to vote for this story, it meant a lot ♥

Vendy