"The Romans can't be lurking in the city." Percy protested to the guard. The guard was young, and Percy's look would terrify anyone. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the guard. He gave a quick bow, and walked off.
Annabeth was tapping her hand against the table repeatedly. Piper grabbed her hand in a small reassurance. Everyone had a silent agreement that they were going to say "screw you!" to slavery laws and let everyone eat in peace.
Annabeth gripped hers back tightly. Annabeth's hands were shaking a bit. It was rare that Annabeth let her guard down. This one little slip up a sign of great trust. Piper ribbed her thumb across Annabeth's hand soothingly.
Percy seemed to take most of the attention. He was tapping his foot so fast it could've been mistaken for Morse code. It was loud, too. His hands were in his hair, gripping it tightly. He looked as if he wanted to pull it out.
Annabeth's grip on Piper's hand released. She let go of her hand and walked over to Percy. Annabeth whispered a few calming words in his ear, and that soothed him a bit.
Just hearing her footsteps glide in his direction while engrossing her smell of her perfume could calm down. But once she whispered his everything would eventually be okay, he wanted to believe her so badly.
Without thinking, he grabbed her hand. He knew everyone was staring, but he didn't care. She didn't seem to care, either. She gripped it back, too.
With one look in the eyes, they both fit up and exited the room hand in hand.
They were silent as they walked along the halls. Annabeth looked straight ahead, while Percy looked at Annabeth. He watched her growth briefly since they were twelve.
He remembered the first time he was introduced then the blonde. He hadn't gotten to talk to her directly, but his father made sure he knew she was the 'enemy.'
It was Percy's first annual meeting he got to attend, and he could care less. His father was only bringing his along to show him potential threats to Corinth—or who Poseidon thought was a threat.
"King Apollo," his father pointed out. "Good alliance if you want to get everyone in your side, everyone favors him. Pretty self absorbed, though."
He continued to go down the line of royals with a neutral expression on his face until he got to Queen Athena. His face turned into an ugly scowl with a glare and hatred that burned in his sea green eyes.
"That's Queen Athena." Poseidon spat quietly in Percy's ear. "She is our kingdoms rival. She has a daughter, Princess Annabeth. Bright little thing, she is."
His voice seemed to be envious of Annabeth's brightness. At only twelve, Annabeth stood by her mothers side, looking as if she ruled the world. Athena sometimes asked for her input in conversation with the other rulers, just to show off her daughter's brain.
Percy didn't ignore the envy in his father's voice when he spoke of Annabeth. Percy was never the most book smart, but he was calculating when he needed to be. He got out of sticky situations often using his wits.
Poseidon didn't see that as satisfactory. He wanted Percy to be the smartest, strongest, most out together. When in reality, he wasn't any of those things. That's often pressured the young child to always strive to be better.
Percy was over trying hard to please his father. His mother's love was the only thing that mattered to him. But as he was walking in the half with Annabeth, he wanted kore than just Sally Jackson's love, he wanted Annabeth's, too.
For a moment, he let himself forget about the Romans. Forget about his father—who hasn't messaged him since he left. Forget about how Annabeth was labeled as the enemy. When he ruled Corinth, he was the one that would be married. He was the one who was choosing who to acquaintance himself with. He was his own person, not Poseidon's. He was Perseus Jackson, and he felt like he could rule the world with Annabeth on his side.
He turned her head towards his face with one swift motion. They locked eyes. Sea green on gray.
He held her chin with his pointer finger and slowly brought it to his face. He kissed her gently, and she kissed back. It was soft, gentle, and sweet.
They didn't break apart until the kiss became wet. Neither Percy nor Annabeth knew they had hot tears streaming down their cheeks.
"I don't know that everything's going to be okay," Annabeth choked out.
"We're together." Was all he said. The stress was getting to them. Their parents set them up for failure, it seemed like. They left them a whole city. The signs on the Romans was only going to make it harder. Didn't their parents know they they were just ignorant kids?
"I'm just a kid, Mom!" He yelled to Sally after the dinner of the announcement day. He felt terrible for yelling at her, but he couldn't do this anymore.
"I know, sweetie, but you just have to—"
"No!" He snapped. "I can't deal with this for the rest of my life! Can't they see that we're not alright?"
He ran over to his mother and hugged her right. He cried softly in her shoulder.
"I didn't want this, Momma." He sobbed. "I just want to live. Why can't I?"
Sally said nothing, just rubbed Percy's back. She let him cry. She let the tears soak into her dress. Eventually, Rachel came in, and she helped Sally conform Percy as he cried. They stayed there a long time, together.
"You're not getting away from me." Annabeth said. It wasn't an order, it was a plea. She wanted one promise of a person in her life. Someone good. Someone to love.
"Never." Percy promised.
~~~
This chapter had a deeper meaning, I think. The theme I for while writing it is 'The kids aren't alright' which is what I get from HoO.
Sorry it's late. But I like this chapter so you can suck it up if your mad.
Also, I send my thanks to @TheBookiestNerd ! Thank you for all the commenting <3 <3
YOU ARE READING
Not Your Choice
Fanfiction"But he, and everyone else, remained emotionless. So that was the purpose of this meeting? To show how much control their parents have over them? Percy was grateful that he and his future would get to choose, but he barely knew these people. He had...
