Going Viral

Chapter 17

August 8th

When they finally pull apart, the song is playing through the speakers from the next room. Percy has to swallow hard before he opens his eyes and looks at her.

Annabeth's lips are pink and her cheeks are a pretty similar shade that disguises the dusting of freckles that decorate her nose. Her eyes are open but she's looking at the floor. For a second, he regrets leaning in and kissing her, of course, it's not what she wanted. He'd screwed it up between them yet again.

But then she lets out an airy laugh and meets his eyes. He doesn't have time to think before she's kissing him again.

His senses work on overdrive trying to track every part of her. There's a hand running through his hair, her other one clasps around the material of his top. He's aware of his own hands floating between them awkwardly and he makes a conscious decision to put them on her hips. Everything about him is drowning in her and it's pretty much his favorite feeling. He vaguely recognises the bridge of the song playing and hears Thalia proudly belting her lyrics but everything sounds like he's underwater. The only thing that sounds clear to him is Annabeth whenever she hums against his lips.

Percy's breathless when they separate again. Their foreheads knock together clumsily but they rest their heads against each other while they catch their breath back.

"Hey," Her voice is a whisper as she smiles at him, dazed. He can feel her eye lashes flutter on his nose.

One last time, he presses his lips to hers. This kiss is shorter and lacks the need of their prior ones, but it's sweet and his heart still managed to thump against his rib cage.

"Sorry," He mutters, not apologetic in the slightest. "Couldn't help myself."

His hands move, one capturing her own and linking their fingers and the other presses against her lower back, his thumb tucking under the hem of her top. This moment is perfect. Percy tries to remember every last detail. Maybe he could write a song about it so then the memory could last forever, though he doubts he could ever put the feeling of being fully submerged in everything Annabeth into words.

Someone enters and Percy just closes his eyes, a smile playing at his lips. Maybe if he pretends not to notice the intruder then they'll go away. Alas, Annabeth moves her head away from his and the moment is gone.

Grover is hovering in the doorway. "I just wanted to get..." Annabeth must notice what he's staring at so she passes him a diet coke can from the crate besides her. He nods and goes to turn. "Actually, I said I'd get one for Juniper..." She passes another and he thanks her, darting out of the room skittishly.

Percy catches Annabeth's eye and they stare at each other for a second before bursting out laughing. Her laugh is a little giggle that eases into more rowdy laughter with intervals of her snorting when she had to catch her breath and maybe he fell in love a little more for it.

In love. He almost went to correct his own thoughts but he couldn't bring himself to deny it.

They were talking as though they hadn't just kissed and Percy thought that might be why they worked so well. Nothing had to change between them, right? They could still talk like best friends, Percy would just be able to take her hand and kiss her. It sounded more than ideal.

"Hey, Perce, what's going on in that seaweed brain of yours?" Her eyebrows were scrunched up as she inspected his face.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

"Uh-huh." She sounded sceptical.

"Are we..?" Percy let his voice fade, hoping she understood.

Judging from the way she pursed her lip and her eyes sparkled, she knew exactly what he meant. "Are we..." Annabeth prompted.

"You're so not making this easy."

Despite her making him spell it out, the smile that plays on her lips makes it worth it. "Oh, I am never going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."

------

August 15th

'Up All Night' reaches number one on the charts almost overnight and has yet to be replaced. The title for Song of the Summer is almost guaranteed, Percy is over the moon.

Also Annabeth. There's that too.

They'd been doing really well. They'd been on a date (a date!) to the coast and Annabeth had even vlogged some of their trip. Neither of them had made their relationship Instagram official but there had been a lot of speculation from their followers - mostly because Annabeth had been live streaming in her room while Percy showered and hadn't thought to warn him, so he'd walked out the bathroom with just a towel around his waist. Thankfully, he hadn't been in the frame, but it did mean Annabeth had to hide her blush when he winked at her.

So far, they'd done nothing more than kiss and cuddle - anyone who believed otherwise was reading too much of their followers' fanfiction and needed to get their mind out of the gutter. He was more than happy with her company before they dipped their toes into a relationship, let alone when he was allowed to hold her for no reason other than he wanted to.

They were lounging on her couch, Luna curled at their feet when he asks.

"So... Are we a thing now?"

Annabeth raises eyebrow. "I figured it was obvious but I guess you've got too much seaweed in that head of yours."

"So we are?"

She nods nervously. "If that's okay... Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just wondered- I just wanted to ask if- Can I?"

"Spit it out."

"Can I post this?"

He shows her his phone and on it is a video. It's only short, about five seconds long. He lets it loop as she watches the two of them at the beach a few days ago. The video shows Annabeth posing in the edge of the water looking as gorgeous as ever in a black one-piece. Percy runs out of the water and splashes her before pulling her back against his bare chest and kisses her cheek.

She watches it play a few times.

"I- Yeah, you can post that..." She doesn't sound too sure so he gives her a minute to continue. "What are you gonna write as a caption?"

Percy hits the plus button on his Instagram and pulls up the draft post.

here's to being my emergency contact someday

Annabeth bites her lip and he's very grateful he showed her this before posting. At least she would be able to fix his wording.

"Percy..."

"I can change it. If that's what you want."

"No, it's perfect."

And it was. It was the reassurance of permanence that she had been craving. Annabeth nodded at his phone and he hit 'share' before setting his phone on the coffee table and wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her cheek once again.