You Give Liberty a Bad Name (a Percy Jackson AU)

Camp Follower

Pennsylvania: July 30, 1776
    Annabeth was washing clothes when she saw him for the first time. She had never really fancied anyone before, so she was unprepared for the whirlwind of emotions. She told herself that they would slake with time, but right now they were intense.
        He was even taller than Annabeth and lean with a handsome face. When he set down a bundle of clothes for her to wash, she noticed a scar running down one side of his face. His eyes were as blue as the river she was washing clothes in and his hair was a light golden beneath the soft light of the early evening sun.
     "Will you wash these for me?" he asked.
       Annabeth looked at his pile of clothes and nodded. He rummaged through the pockets of his breeches and she heard the jingle of coins. She outstretched one hand and he set a couple coins on her flat palm. His fingers felt warm.
      She quickly withdrew her hand and placed the coins in a coin purse. She finished the last garment from her last order and laid it out on a flat rock to dry. To Annabeth's surprise, the soldier stayed. He studied her as she dipped a shirt of his into the water and used soap to clean out the grime and dirt. She felt her cheeks heat up as he gazed at her. She was sure she looked terrible, bent over and with cheeks flushed from exertion.
     "What's your name?" he finally asked.
     Annabeth blew a lock of hair that had been insuring her vision out of her way. She wrung out his wet jacket and set it out on a flat stone, still warm from the sun, to dry.
     "Annabeth," she said finally.
      "I'm Luke," the man said. "Luke Castellan."
      Annabeth resisted the urge to ask him if he was married and instead grabbed a pair of his breeches and submerged it in the river water. Her hands were dry from the rough work and even the cream she put on at night couldn't completely rid them of roughness.
      "How long have you been fighting?" Annabeth asked as she wrung out the pair of breeches.
      "Four months," Luke said. "I earned this in my third battle."
     Annabeth nodded. She was glad to have an excuse to look at him. His scar was a testament to his bravery and it seemed to add something special to him. Luke was aware of her gaze and he flashed a smile.
     Annabeth forced herself to look down. She quickly started washing a pair of his socks.
    "So what are your duties as a camp follower?" Luke asked.
    Annabeth froze. She realized that she had let go out his socks and she quickly fished them out and started washing them again. Did he really mean? No, Annabeth thought,
       "I wash clothes, cook food, and do other things," Annabeth said evasively.
      "You look hungry and cold," Luke said. "Why don't you have dinner with me tonight?"
     Annabeth knew what that usually entailed. She needed the food. She had no place to call home and so she slept wherever she could, but always within reach of soldiers. What if he's married? She usually didn't care, but for some strange reason she wanted Luke to be single. She nodded.