Alternatively

Ask Me Again

    "We should get married."

He shrugged, twisting blades of grass together. "How's that gonna help anything?"

"Married people don't leave each other," she stated matter of factly. "It's why my parents got a divorce. If we get married, we don't have to leave."

It was solid logic.

"So are you going to ask me?"

"Me?" he wrinkled his nose and squinted at her against the sun. "Why me?"

"Because that's how it works," she propped her hands on her hips.

"But I don't know how to make the rings," he held up the grass. "You need rings to get married."

"Says who?"

"Says everyone."

Annabeth grumbled incoherently, snatching the blades from his hand. "Rings don't make a difference, you know."

"My mom says they're a symbol."

"Yeah? Of what?"

"Uh," he ripped up more grass, letting it rain down on already dirty knees. "Dunno, just a symbol."

"That's not very- ugh," she growled as her blades snapped when trying to knot them, kneeling to try again. "That's not very helpful."

Percy shrugged again, letting his head hang back and shutting his eyes against the afternoon sun. There was still the distant commotion of breaks hissing and footsteps upon metal as boxes and furniture were loaded into the truck parked on the street, right in front of both of their houses. He had seen it arrive from his window, startling him awake from where he slouched on the sill. It was there, the driver already out and talking to Mr. Chase, and he glanced at the window across from his, but Annabeth wasn't there anymore.

That was fine; she found him outside not an hour later, demanding they go to their spot behind the houses while the grown ups loaded up the truck and talked. Something about taking care of family back home, back in Virginia. He didn't even know where that was.

A breeze raked his hair back and he sat up, crossing his legs as Annabeth reached out to yank up some weeds.

"They're sturdier than grass," she explained, tossing the ripped blades aside.

"Is Virginia any different from here?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she pulled the stems tight across her thigh. "Don't remember."

"Like," he pulled another weed out of the ground, roots and dirt and all. "What's your new school gonna be like?"

"Don't know, give me your hand."

He surrendered his hand, and their fingernails were dirty. There were still bruises on their legs from the week before and the band aid on her ankle was peeling off while he had picked and scarred his scabbing wounds.

Who was he going to go on adventures with if she moved all the way to Virginia?

"Okay," she sat back on her heels, admiring her work with pride. "Now ask me, so I can stay."

Percy stood up and wedged his ring off. "You were only supposed to make one."

"You were the one who wanted to make rings."

"Yeah, but if I give you this one, what are you supposed to do to give me mine?"

"I'll ask you after, duh."

"Oh, duh," he gestured for her hand.

She just raised her eyebrow.

"What?"