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“Another example, similar to the Parthenon is of course the Pantheon in Rome. Both, while over a thousand years apart, are great examples of classical architecture and both structures built with a different purpose for the people of that time,” said the professor before checking the clock. “And with that, we’ll dive into Roman architectural history next week. In the meantime, you can study the Greeks so we can go on to compare and contrast the two. Thank you everybody. Have a great rest of the week.”
Annabeth packed her bag and left the lecture hall. Unlike the rest of her year, history of architecture was one of her favorite subjects in college. She could understand why a future architect would want to dive straight into learning compositions but for Annabeth, there was something sacred and almost magical in learning about the history of our world in the form of its buildings. It was always a dream of hers to one day design something that would last forever, something that would be closer in impact to what the Greeks and the Romans achieved, than to an overpriced apartment complex on 5th. An unrealistic and unattainable dream, but a dream nonetheless.
While deep in thought, her legs moved on their own towards the direction of her favorite coffee shop, rested in a corner a block away from the university’s entrance building. She liked it because, besides the good coffee and pastries, it was a beautiful place with enough ambience to not cross the line of being impossible to study in. That was her routine every Tuesday afternoon when her last class of the day ended, she would pack her things, talk to the professor if she saw them lingering on their desk after the lecture and then go to the café, grab a table by the corner and drop all her things on it. She usually started with her laptop and studying her notes of the day, order a cappuccino with cinnamon, and then another one, talk on the phone with her father, have the same conversation with him every week – how’s school, school is good how’s the family, they’re good they’re saying hello, hi back – and end the call after two minutes, do some freelance work and eventually lose focus and start sketching on her notebook until closing time.
She was in the middle of drawing the Parthenon metopes when the clank of a plate in front of her brought her back in the present. It was a guy with a dark blue apron leaving a piece of pie on her table.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t order that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said with a smile, “it’s on the house.”
That took her by surprise. “Oh! Thank you so much. But why?”
“Well its 40 minutes till closing and this poor little guy hasn’t been picked for hours now, it’d be a shame to get thrown out. Most food left at the end of the day goes to shelters but a single piece of pie wouldn’t.” he rubbed the back of his neck, “plus, I wanted to.”
“Wow, well thank you again,” she looked for his name tag on the apron, “Percy.”
“No problem, wise girl.” he winked at her before going over to another table to clean it up and Annabeth was left smiling over a slice of blueberry pie.
Annabeth knew the day would be bad when her alarm didn’t go off at the right time, leaving her less time to get ready and no time at all to make a cup of coffee. Early morning classes on a Friday were always the most difficult to get through — the anticipation of lecture-less days clouding her mind. Particularly difficult, when the nights before were more often than not spent studying until odds hours to make sure she had as little course work as possible for the weekend. Annabeth put on the safest no thought needed outfit, a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and her jacket thrown over, her sleeping bonnet quickly exchanged for an owl scarf tied under her hair. She decided to go contact free and instead opted for her glasses, grabbed her uni bag and left the apartment. She was living off campus with 3 other roommates, her best friend Thalia since middle school, majoring in music with a minor in sociology at the same college, and two girls she knew from summer camp but had lost touch with until they met again their freshman year and became inseparable since, Clarisse and Piper. As she rushed through the door she could hear two voices coming from the kitchen, probably the last two who had classes later in the day.
As she made her way to her first lecture, she passed by the coffee shop and almost involuntarily walked in. It was the rush hour, most college students stopping by on their way to class. She stood in line and when her turn came she was greeted by a beautiful girl, her hair ginger and tied in two braids. She was wearing a colorful flannel under the blue apron and she had pen marks at the side of her cheek. “Hi, what can I get for you?”
“Good morning, can I have a medium iced americano please?”
“Sure! What’s the name?” she grabbed the medium cup from the side, pen at the ready, when the curly blond barista from the other day caught Annabeth’s eye from behind the girl at the counter and smiled at her, cocking his head to the side eagerly waiting for her name.
“Annabeth.” she said and mirrored him, not even trying to hide her smile as she tapped her phone to pay and stood at the side until her name was called.
When she heard “Americano for Annabeth!” she made her way to the counter on the side and her heart fluttered at the sight. It was a medium plastic cup filled with coffee, her name written in black right at the middle in the redhead’s pretty handwriting and all around it blue hearts. Annabeth looked up from her cup and saw Percy, a blue marker resting at his ear, already looking at her. She laughed at that moment and thought, maybe this day would be good still.
“You’ve been particularly chipper lately,” said Thalia, coming up behind Annabeth and scaring her in the process.
She hadn’t said a word to her friends about Percy The Cute Barista, who’s been giving her sweet treats when she stayed till closing time because it was “a shame to throw it away” but also because he simply wanted to do it. Who’s been leaving her hearts and notes on her cup these past weeks. It started as something innocent, no big thing as Annabeth often thought of it. Percy drawing the blue hearts, drawing an owl after he saw her wearing the scarf and her earrings, writing wise girl instead of her name when he was the one taking the orders. And then the notes started…Learn a lot! Have a great day! You look really nice today. You look beautiful.
With every new coffee cup, Annabeth’s heart grew fonder and her stomach tightened.
There was no reason to hide it, but she liked the secrecy, the intimacy of this being a thing just between her and Percy. Because it was safe, if no one knew about the cups then no one could tell her she’s being crazy and that it’s all in her head, or worse, validate her. If it turned out to be a real thing then the probability of Annabeth getting hurt in the process becomes certainty.
“Is it a crime to be happy?” she turned to look at Thalia, her most innocent smile plastered on her face.
“It’s not, but it’s suspicious.”
As they left the university behind them, they got into a discussion about plans for the weekend and this Sundays cleaning duties.
“What about now? Doing anything scandalous?” asked Thalia.
The knot in Annabeth’s stomach pulled, “going to get a cup of coffee actually. I can meet you back at the apartment.”
“It’s okay I’ll come with.” and the knot kept pulling.
When they got through the door, Annabeth scanned the place for a head of curly blonde hair or blue eyes already looking towards her, as if they could feel her presence in any room. Disappointment mixed with relief washed over her when she didn’t see him anywhere.
They walked up to the counter and when Rachel – the redhead who’d taken Annabeth’s order so many times – saw her she smiled widely, “wow twice in one day! You must really like our coffee,” and wiggled her eyebrows.
Annabeth could feel Thalia’s perplexed gaze turned towards her but decided to ignore it and instead answered, “what can I say, it’s really good.”
“Then I’ll have to try it sometime,” she said and laughed. She had an intoxicating laugh, one of those that made you join in. “What can I get you?”
“Two cappuccinos to go please.”
“Coming right up.”
“Hey Rach I’m going to class, can I have my flannel ba-” came his voice from the back and stopped mid sentence when he locked eyes with Annabeth, “hi.”
“Hi.”
His initial shock seemed to melt away and relaxed immediately, resting his weight on the doorframe, “we don’t see you usually at this hour, wise girl.”
“Haven’t you noticed yet that I’m a caffeine addict?” she mocked offense.
“I had noticed,” he nodded, “but I was secretly hoping you kept coming back for something else I guess.”
She looked at Percy and tapped her finger at her lips as if she was deep in thought, not missing his gaze flickering, following the movement. “The muffins?”
That got a laugh out of him, “exactly!”
A sense of satisfaction came over her at evoking such a reaction out of him. It was the warmest sound she’s ever heard and, in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to make him laugh again and again, perhaps forever.
“I have to get to class now. Hope to see you again soon Annabeth,” and with a flash of his smile he left.
Annabeth followed him out the door with her eyes and when he was gone she heard Thalia huff and turned back towards her, forgetting for a moment that this interaction took place in a public place with people all around, and not inside their own little bubble. Thalia was looking at her intensely, an eyebrow raised and her head cocked to one side, as if trying to figure out the missing piece of the puzzle, or maybe as if she had already solved it ages ago and was now seeing the final picture.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything,” said Thalia, raising her hands.
They waited in silence after that, Annabeth drumming with her fingerprints and Thalia shaking her head.
The walk back to the apartment had been excruciating. Thalia never held back from voicing her opinion on anything, so it was particularly surprising when she didn’t say anything on the way home besides a simple nice coffee.
Once Annabeth was in the comfort of her own room and felt the air come back into her lungs, she dropped the contents of her university bag on her bed and plopped down beside them. The notebook with all her sketches was calling her name, as it so often did when she wanted to get out of her own head. She never had a plan on what to draw but simply let the pen move almost on its own, a stark contrast to her detailed and precise portfolio.
Annabeth rested her back on the pillow and flipped through it. Memories and feelings came rushing through her at each drawing. To someone else it might look like an ordinary notebook with doodles but for Annabeth it felt like that sketchbook was a peek into the realest version of herself. Her love for what she studies apparent in almost every page, quick sketches of people she saw passing by, trying to immortalize them. Drawings of her friends sitting on the sofa and laughing. Percy. She hadn’t realized how many times he made an appearance in the notebook. Even before the pie, before the hearts, he was there. A constant in Annabeth’s life. Him sitting at the counter on a slow evening and studying. The crinkle of his eye as he smiled back at Annabeth. The one time he caught her and instead of being mad, he took the chair across from her, put one leg on top of it and rested his head on a fist, letting Annabeth’s eyes move over him without hesitation. Stop moving. I can’t help it, you make me nervous. Why. You have a very intense gaze.
There was a knock at her door and Annabeth was once again pulled back to the present. Thalia opened the door and popped her head in, “can we talk?”
“Sure,” said Annabeth and sat up straight. She motioned for Thalia to sit on the bed and Thalia followed, making herself comfortable by sitting crisscrossed, a habit she’s had since they were kids.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your little crush?”
“I guess I was scared?” she said and meant it.
“Scared of my opinion, or of letting yourself go?” Annabeth couldn’t find the words to reply, but Thalia continued, “you know you don’t have to be so guarded right?”
“What do you mean?”
“Annabeth…just because bad stuff has happened in your family and in your life and you haven’t fully worked them out, does not mean you’re undeserving of love,” she reached out and grabbed Annabeth’s hands, for comfort or in an attempt to make her heard clearly, “I know you’re scared to open up and let your guard down, afraid to get hurt again. Me of all people have seen it happen countless times.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” she rubbed her thumbs back and forth on Thalia’s hands.
“I guess I’m telling you to take a chance, which by the way wouldn’t be much of a chance since I literally just saw that disgusting interaction that made me want to throw up, because I don’t think you will get hurt this time. If anything I think it’ll hurt more if you don’t go after what you want.”
“We’re closing in 10!” yelled Percy from below the counter.
Annabeth had run all the way from the apartment knowing that he might very well not work the closing shift, especially since he had a class just a few hours ago, but something in her mind – which sounded a lot like Thalia – yelled at her to take a chance.
“Good thing I’m not here to order then,” said Annabeth, her self pep talk on the way over seemed to work for now.
She heard a bang, a mumble and the next second Percy appeared in her line of vision holding the top of his head, “three times in one day! You must really like our coffee.”
“That’s what Rachel said too!” and she laughed. It was weird how naturally it happened. “But I’m actually here for you.”
His eyes widened just a bit, “really?” It didn’t sound like his usual playful tone, instead he seemed genuinely curious and surprised at that.
“See, I may be reading this whole back and forth between us wrong, feel free to say no if I am and we can go back to how we were before, you making the coffee and me drinking it, but I was thinking…I was wondering if maybe you-”
“Are you asking me out Annabeth?” he said with a smirk.
“Yes. Yes I am.” It was time for her to go after what she wanted, like Thalia said.
“Bold. I like it,” said Percy and took a step closer to her, “when would you like?”
Go after what you want. “How about now?” At his surprised face she added, “once you’re done with everything of course. Don’t want your boss to see you as impertinent.”
“I am impertinent,” he shrugged a shoulder, “but I don’t think she would mind, seeing as she is my mother.”
“Okay but would she mind if I helped you out so you can be done sooner?”
“Yes and so would I,” he looked her up and down, “but you don’t seem like a person that backs down easily.”
“Or at all,” said Annabeth, raising her chin high and crossing her arms. They stood like that for a minute, looking at each other and waiting for the other to break. Percy was correct when he said Annabeth never backed down, but at least he seemed like a worthy opponent.
He shook his head smiling and made his way to the kitchen, “I’ll deal with the behind the scenes, you can start stacking chairs.”
“How are you a New Yorker without having tried real, authentic New York pizza?”
“First of all, I’m not a New Yorker, I’ve just lived here for most of my life. Before that I lived in San Francisco for a while and was born in Virginia.”
“But being a New Yorker is more of a state of mind,” that made Annabeth laugh. “How come you moved around so much?”
“Well my mom left us, so naturally my dad had to let go of anything that tied us to her, including Virginia, so he got a job teaching west where he met his now wife, and started a new family.” Annabeth got silent, toying with the pizza crust and trying to keep her composure. She surprised herself by talking so openly about her past. Usually, talking about that part of her life felt like an open wound that refused to heal, even after so many years.
“And New York?” she felt it then. This was his way of asking her about her relationship with her new family, about her mom, about everything that mattered, and he left it up to her to be honest or pretend everything was fine.
But Annabeth was sick of pretending.
“New York was…an escape, I guess,” and it was true. When the opportunity came for her to leave San Francisco behind, she jumped into it without a second thought. “I went to boarding school here with Thalia, my best friend you saw at the café. And then I never left. It may be harsh…but I don’t feel like I ever fit in my dad’s new life. And with my mom just barely having contact with me…”
“Is that why you chose architecture? For something permanent?” How was it possible for someone you know so little to see you more clearly than you see yourself.
“Yes. Part of it at least,” and it felt good to say it out loud, “does it sound crazy?”
“Not to me,” he said and they locked eyes. In this light, his eyes looked more like the deepest parts of the sea than their usual clear blue.
“What about you? Where does social work fit in the Percy Jackson life.”
“Oh boy,” he laughed again, not fully like he’s done before but still, it was nice to hear him laugh. “I just wanted to help out kids that have been in similar situations as me.”
Annabeth reached out for his hand on the table, a reminder that she was right there next to him and he had all her attention.
“I grew up with just my mom, my father didn’t even stick around for the birth part. There’ve been bad boyfriends in the meantime and times where we struggled — it didn’t help that I was a difficult child too, but through all of that there’s been one constant and that’s our love for each other.”
You can often tell a person’s soul from how they talk about the people they love, and to Annabeth, it seemed that Percy was of the purest kind.
He continued, “and I realised that other kids wouldn’t be lucky enough to have a mom like mine in their lives. So I wanted to take that part in someone else's life.”
“She sounds like an incredible person,” was all Annabeth could say in that moment, “your love for her is precious.”
“She’s pretty great.”
Annabeth hesitated to ask the question on her mind, but she wanted to know everything about him, “and your father? Is he in the picture now?”
“No. At least not in the way he was supposed to be. Funnily enough, I’m more close to his son, Tyson, than I am to my father. Tyson reached out a few years ago when I was in high school, said he wanted to know his big brother and now we see each other as often as we can. My dad however…I see him maybe once or twice a year. For all I care about, my real dad, in the way that matters, is the man my mom married five years ago, Paul. He’s been more of a father to me than anyone else before, and he makes my mom so happy.”
They spent the rest of their date talking about anything that came to mind. It was easy talking to Percy, the conversation flowed without awkwardness and even in the silence that followed there was deep understanding of one another. Once they were done with their food, they got ice cream and walked around the busy streets of New York City and Percy offered to walk her home.
“This is me,” said Annabeth when they reached her apartment and got on the first step of the stairs to be eye level with him, “I had a great time tonight.”
“So did I,” they were standing close enough to feel his breath tickling the side of her face. “Would you like to repeat it?”
Annabeth laughed at that, turning her head to look at him fully. Thalia’s voice echoing in her head still. She threw her arms around his neck and felt his come up to rest on her waist, “I think there’s plenty of options left besides pizza and ice cream, don’t you agree?”
“Totally,” he said before pulling her closer, closing the distance between them. Their lips touched and an electrifying current rushed through Annabeth’s body, making her hands reach for the soft curls at the back of his neck.
They broke apart, breathless and hungry, when the neighbor’s dog started barking and pulled them out of their trance. Annabeth laughed and Percy rested his head on her shoulder before joining.
He raised his head to look at her once more before taking a step back, “goodnight, Annabeth.”
“Goodnight, Percy.”
That night Annabeth went to sleep excited for her first cup of morning coffee.
‧𓍢ִ໋ ☕︎ ׂ 𓈒 ⋆