April 3rd, Day 324

Paris in the evening was enchanting, but his focus was entirely on her. As a true gentleman should, Percy had let her have the run of the bathroom to get ready. It had taken him a few moments to have a hasty shower, but he was soon out of her way and getting dressed up. The mirror besides the cabinet had turned out to be pretty beneficial after all (though who in their right mind designed a mirror with gaps in? what was the point?) and he spends his time attempting to drag a comb through his hair before it dries and turns into cotton candy. After a touch of moisturiser, Percy was pretty impressed by his appearance.

And then she came out of the bathroom looking like that and he felt like a speck of light next to the burning supernova that was his girlfriend.

Navy blue really brought out her eyes, making them look like clear water over rock pools, pale and glittering. Her dress was simple enough with it's thick shoulder straps and fitted figure, but the material split at her thigh, revealing an extensive amount of skin. Percy had to swallow hard to stop himself from drooling.

They walk along the left bank of the Seine and watch the water lap against the stone wall as the Eiffel Tower glows before them. He can't help but think that the night is more than perfect. With her hand in his, Percy is pretty sure that despite the sights, nothing else matters.

"What's going on in that seaweed brain of yours?"

The ring box burns in his blazer pocket. He really should've left it back in Manhattan, the temptation to pop the question on a night like tonight is too much for him to completely ignore.

"Just thinking." Annabeth quirked an eyebrow so he elaborated. "About us. About the future."

She pulled his arm around her shoulders and leaned into him. "Oh yeah? What might that entail?"

It was hard to force himself to sound casual, but he must manage because Annabeth doesn't shoot him any funny looks as he talks. "Anything you want. Maybe a house in Long Island, a beach wedding, honeymoon in Athens and a small army of blonde children. Sound good?"

Her laugh was melodic and contagious and Percy couldn't help but press his smile into her hair. "Sounds wonderful, I can't wait."

~~~

May 14th, Day 365

There's nothing special about today, in particular. It's just like any other Friday in any other week. They're not doing anything special, Luna's curled up at his feet as Percy strums on the guitar, Annabeth adding the occasional harmony to his musical musings as she potters around the apartment packing various trinkets into the cardboard boxes that line the hallway, but when he remembers the date, he stops mid-song.

"Annabeth?" He calls, setting his guitar down against the couch.

She sticks her head into the room, her hair splaying from her messy pony tail like a halo around her head. "What's up?"

"Guess what happened this time last year?"

Setting the box in her arms down with care, she twists her hair around her head and ties it with the band on her wrist. "I don't know, Percy, what happened this time last year?"

He grins and takes her hand, leading her to the space beside him as he takes out his phone. For a moment, all he does is scroll furiously through his camera roll until he finds what he was looking for and thrusts his phone in front of her face.

"You saved this?"

It had been quite some time since she'd thought about this video, but of course, that had been the beginning of it all. Digital-Annabeth is sat just out of the camera frame, her curls resting on her shoulders and bouncing as she moves her hands over the keys.

Baby, when I look at you
I know there's so much I can do
There's fire in your heart and twilight on your mind
We light up like stars, stars in lightning skies

Hold my hand in the rain
We'll miss the midnight train
Cause there's nowhere I'd rather be than with you by my side
When we kiss we turn to stars, stars in lightning skies

Through dark and night, fire and fright
We'll make a mess and watch it light
Light up the world with every word you utter
Cause tonight we burn like stars, stars in lightning skies

~~~

August 29th, Day 472

"Look at you!" Annabeth beamed, her smile making her cheeks ache. "Oh, Piper, you look beautiful!"

From where she stands poised over Hazel's face, Silena scowls. "Don't you two start crying. I don't have time to redo that eye makeup."

The pair of them laugh and swallow back the emotion building in their throats, Piper running a hand over the sleek material of her dress to busy her hands.

She really does look stunning. The dress is figure hugging and strapless, the lace sleeves crossing across her collarbone. White brings out Piper's dark complexion and makes her look almost ethereal. Her eyes have settled on a deep brown color today, but flecks of yellow and green twinkle behind them like glitter, highlighted by the strokes of gold on her eyelids.

The day is perfect. There's not a huge crowd of people, but enough to have a decent gathering. Tristan McLean walks his daughter down the aisle (it was a big decision - she had even considered asking Leo to fill in, which turned about to be a good thing to pass up when Jason announced his best man - but despite their troubles, Piper still wanted to share the moment with her father) and Annabeth and Hazel are her bridesmaids. There's a heartwarming father-daughter dance to a song Annabeth recognises from Piper's tired humming and Jason sways on the dance floor with Thalia for a few minutes before the rest of the guests join them.

It's not until Annabeth has her hands linked behind Percy's head that she truly takes in the gravity of the situation. Her friends are married. Thing's seem to be getting impossibly serious.

"This will be us soon."

Her heart almost jumps out of her mouth at his words, though it seems Percy is perfectly casual. His eyes are focused on the chocolate fountain, eyeing it up for potential snack-dipping opportunities. The way he had announced their marriage (because that was essentially what he had said, right?) was so nonchalant that he might as well have said 'the buffets empty, we ought to get in there quick'. Marriage. Sure, they had joked about it, but to speak about it now felt so much more certain.

Unable to form a comprehensive response, Annabeth hums and continues to stare out at the space over Percy's shoulder.

"Beach wedding, yeah?" His eyes meet hers, lashes dark and leaving a shadow over his cheekbones. "Unless you had anything else in mind. I figured the centrepiece at the table could be dahlia's, and I'd ask mom to make enough blue cookies to feed the whole country twice over."

The way he reels off ideas so effortlessly makes it obvious that he'd thought long and hard about this. His lip quirks up in his signature, troublemaker smile that she had grown to love.

How was he so confident about this? Of course, Annabeth knows categorically that she loves Percy. They've been together for a year now, though they were yet to agree on an anniversary (she was adamant it was the night The Halfbloods had won Song of the Summer whereas he insisted it was the day he'd first laid eyes on her - and he was only half joking). So far, Annabeth had treasured every minute. They'd had their moments, most memorable being when he had forgotten to walk Luna while she was away for a convention and when she'd returned the poor dog had peed on the kitchen floor, but overall, they were doing okay. Still, there was a lot of trust involved in serious, long-term relationships. Annabeth isn't quite sure she can muster enough to keep them afloat just yet. But that's okay. They've got time, and Percy is plenty good at keeping her head above the water.

~~~

December 5th, Day 570

People were ticking off big life events like they were footnotes on Annabeth's to-do list. There had been two weddings in the last six months, Jason and Pipers and Will and Nico's (the latter didn't particularly class as a wedding, more like a party to celebrate their 'secret wedding', which was code for 'we got drunk one night and signed the papers but we're happy about it'), and now they're at a baby shower. A baby shower! Percy can barely keep up with Christmas shopping as it is!

Juniper is positively glowing in her extra-stretchy maxi-dress. She might not be due till January, but she looks about ready to pop. Even so, she manages to keep a bright smile on her face, even when she tries to massage her back casually and Grover encourages her to sit down to relieve her swollen ankles.

Thankfully, lots of celebrations means there's lots of cake. Percy's fitness regime really has taken a hit this year. Annabeth - true to her title as Social Media Influencer of the Year - is snapping photos left, right and centre and even films a few special moments to make a montage. Percy's not sure whether she plans to post it or just save the footage for Grover an Juniper, but either way she seems to be doing a good job.

"So," Grover starts, nodding towards his heavily pregnant fiance. In his hands, he holds two drinks, both non-alcoholic. It seems if Juniper's going sober for the baby, so is he. "When's it your turn?"

Percy nearly choked on his drink. "Grover, I can't get pregnant!" At his outburst, Will sent him a concerned glance. Thankfully, no one else seemed to have heard.

Rolling his eyes, Grover pressed. "No, Percy, I meant you and Annabeth. I think I know how the birds and the bees work, man."

Finally composing himself, Percy coughed to clear his throat. "Oh. Of course. Well, I'm not sure. I think she needs time. And it's probably for the best. Neither of us have the most baby-friendly career."

Grover spends another few minutes quizzing Percy on his life plan before residing on the couch besides Juniper and opening some of the gifts. Reusable nappies (Percy thinks the idea of cleaning the poop off each one sounds a bit disgusting but the eco-friendliness of it all seems to appeal to the parents-to-be), an impossiby small bobble-hat embroidered with the words 'tree hugger', a stroller that doubled as a car seat and travel crib and numerous onesies, each even cuter than the one before it.

He watched as Annabeth grinned behind her camera. This is what he wanted. With her, for her and every other way he could have it.

~~~

September 20th, Day 859

"Percy!" She called, mere moments away from breaking down into tears. "He won't stop crying! Why won't he stop crying?"

Sage Underwood was a wriggly little thing. At ten months old, his parents had decided they needed a break from the grasp of his chubby little fists and had booked a weekend trip to Long Island, leaving their son in the care of his godfather. His godfather who was apparently too busy making pancakes to care that Sage was screaming at approximately 140 decibels and Annabeth wasn't too far from joining in.

"Pardon, honey?"

He emerged from the kitchen with a 'Kiss the Cook' apron that she had gotten him for his twenty-fourth birthday, hair mused and whitened from flour and his frustratingly perfect half-smile playing on his lips.

Annnabeth pouted. "Don't play coy with me, Jackson. He's your godson. You fix him."

With an ease that he must have mastered back when Estelle was little, Percy lifts Sage with one arm and taps the fingers of his other hand against his chest like he's playing the piano.

"Hey, little man. I'm not sure if you know, but Auntie Annie over here is really tired." He mumbles in a soft voice, bouncing Sage gently. "So, if you'd kindly turn the volume down, I'd really appreciate it."

It seems to do the trick. Sage's screams lower to mindless babbling as he blinks up at Percy with wide eyes. Finally able to relax, Annabeth lets her head fall back onto the couch behind her. Though her eyes are closed, she feels the couch dip as Percy takes a seat and starts to smooth out the loose hairs of her ponytail.

"Are you okay?"

When she opens her eyes, he's leaning over her. His voice is deeper this time, barely above a whisper so that he doesn't disturb the baby. For a moment, she thinks she might be looking into the future. There's a spattering of dark stubble across his jaw, something he hadn't had time to shave since agreeing to look after Sage, his hair is a little bit too long and though his eyes are tired, they look just as endless as always.

And the baby in his arms... If she let's herself lose focus, she can picture that Sage's tuft of mousy brown hair that peeks out over Percy's bicep is actually raven black. Her heart hammers.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Great. Fantastic."

Clearly unconvinced, Percy rolls his eyes and starts to sing under his breath. It's a fail-safe technique that he uses to calm Sage, but the baby isn't fussing at the minute so it must be for her.

I love you yesterday,
when you looked in my eyes and told me "baby, I'll be here till the end of time",
I love you today,
when you hold my hand and I promise to take you to a far off land
where we will spend our tomorrow laying in the sand
and saying nothing to each other and know there's nothing planned.

Nothing I need to say to you, you already know the script,
Nothing I need to prove, you know I'll be here to worship you.
Because you're my lifeline, girl, to the end of time
Promise me yesterday, today, tomorrow, you're mine.

It felt strange that he was singing to help her settle, especially when he had a baby in his arms that didn't need singing to.

And she was so tired. Would it be so difficult for him to lull her to sleep? Probably not. Between working on her own music alongside her Youtube channel and also making progress on an architecture project with her mom (Annabeth still isn't quite sure how her mother became more of a business partner but she enjoys designing and Athena is pleasant enough to work with so she isn't about to complain), she has barely slept more than a few hours a night. It had gotten out of hand when Percy had been on tour again that summer, but now that he was back, he was determined to get her sleep schedule a bit more regular.

"Is it bedtime?" Percy asked, his voice dripping with extra sweetness. She wasn't sure if he was talking to her or Sage, but she decided she didn't care and let her eyes fall shut.

~~~

November 18th, Day 918

"You're sure you've got everything? Your ID, charger, toothpaste, - you forgot that last time - laptop-"

"Percy." She shut him up with a chaste kiss. "It's okay. You've already done the checklist."

A sheepish smile tugs at his lips and he readjusts her scarf around her neck. "I'm gonna miss you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes for the sixteenth time that morning. It wasn't like this was the first time they would be spending time away from each other, they'd survived through two tours after all, but for some reason her weekend trip to San Francisco for an audition was making Percy anxious. He had stayed up late last night with her to go over the lengthy monologue she needed to prepare, but somehow Annabeth got the feeling it wasn't second-hand nerves that was bothering him.

"Three days." Annabeth promises, taking his hand in hers. "I'll call you when I get there."

His eyes widened comically. "Please don't. Your dad scares me. What if he wants to talk to me? I don't know what to say! 'Hey, Mr Chase, it's me! The guy that you warned your daughter about. I'm sorry I bring bad press to her doorstep. Please don't kill me.' Yeah, Beth, I'm sure that will work brilliantly!"

It was a slight exaggeration. Frederick was hardly as welcoming to Percy as Sally had been to her, but he wouldn't even joke about killing him. At least, not anymore.

Annabeth's relationship with her father was hardly smooth sailing, but he no longer wanted nothing to do with her. Her stepmother seemed to be a little less determined to steer clear of Annabeth's fame. And the twins, though it was hardly 'cool' for two seventeen year olds to have a famous influencer as a sister, were happy enough to have her around. They would even send her Instagram posts captioned 'send this to your sibling'. She didn't really understand the humor behind them, but at least she was able to keep in touch with her brothers.

She hushed Percy's complaints with another kiss. "Three days." Annabeth assured him as her cab pulled up. He seemed to mull over her words sceptically, lips drawn into a thin line as he nodded, but he held the door open for her nonetheless.

Three days was nothing in the grand scheme of things. And then she would be back by his side. Still, even three days apart stung. As her cab drove off to the airport, Percy was pretty sure that he would be content to hibernate in their apartment until the end of time if it meant he never had to say goodbye to her like this.

~~~

December 31st, Day 961

His throat is burning, and not just from the tightness of his collar. Percy would blame it on his plans for tonight but logically he knows it isn't that either.

Annabeth calls his name from the other room, beginning to ask him a question but her sentence halts as she passes the bedroom door. "Good god, Percy, you look awful."

A fleeting notion that he should be offended flashes in his mind, but all he can think of is 'but you don't'. Where Percy's face is turning grey and his clothes are sticky with sweat, Annabeth glows as though there's liquid gold bubbling under her skin. Her lashes are dark with a few coats of mascara and her eyes look washed out in comparison, though he's still as eager to drown in them as he usually is. And her dress, a thin, black, silky, slip of a thing that Percy hasn't seen before. He swallows, his pupils dilating. His head spins.

Immediately, Annabeth is by his side, arm around his waist to help keep him upright. His legs must have buckled.

"Oh, look, I'm falling for you again." Percy's eyes are half-closed and a smirk plays at his lips, but she chuckles at his daze nonetheless. Somehow, they stagger to the bed and she helps him sit down.

It's New Years Eve and he can't even focus his eyes enough to appreciate the galaxy of freckles that tiptoe across her nose. She shaved her legs this morning, he remembers. Not that it means anything, but he knows she only does that periodically. ("It's a special occasion." She would wink at him when she danced into the bathroom with a lemon scented bath bomb and his shaving foam - because it smells nicer than shower cream.) Percy's nose tickles from her perfume, a sickly sweet marshmallow scent with pink grapefruit overtones. It's not something he knows, rather something he remembers from the packaging when he bought it a few months ago.  The smell clings to the back of his throat and he gags.

"Percy, go to sleep." Her nimble fingers are already loosening the knot of his tie. Then his shirt buttons. If he wasn't already in a cold sweat, he would shiver at her touch.

By the time he's in his boxers, he's collected his thoughts enough to speak up. "Anna-" She tries to shush him but Percy shrugs her off. "No, you go. I don't wanna ruin your night." There's no use denying that he's ill. If the lack of color in his cheeks wasn't enough, the consistent blinking to get the stars out of his eyes might be a fair indication.

Annabeth pouts and tips her head to one side. "But where would I be without my New Years kiss?" Even bleary eyed, Percy can tell she's smirking at him.

So they spend the night wrapped up in blankets, TV glaring at them as it cycles through episodes, churning out half a season of Brooklyn Nine Nine before Annabeth fumbles for the remote to shut it off. The two of them watch the fireworks out of the window. They aren't quite as grand from this angle and the sound is muffled, but they reflect in the paleness of her eyes and that's all he's been looking forward to seeing tonight. That and... Well, it hardly matters anymore. The ring box is long forgotten in the zipped, inside pocket of his smart blazer. He'll have to hide that before she tries to get it dry-cleaned. That would be one hell of a way for her to find it.

~~~

March 25th, Day 1045

"Are you going to marry Percy?"

Annabeth freezes, nearly burning herself on the heat of the stove. Impulsively, she pulls back and clings to her hand, chewing at her lip to prevent a string of curse words falling out. Totally oblivious to Annabeth's panic, Estelle blinks up at her with wide, amber eyes. She's six now, as of Tuesday. Everytime she sees her, Annabeth is overcome by how alike she is to Percy. It must be their mother that raised them so similar, even though they were nearly two decades apart in age. She has the same mischievous smirk as he does and her dimple - though on the opposite cheek - winks whenever she tells a joke. Just like Percy.

And yet, in over two years of knowing her, Annabeth likes to think she's given pieces of herself to Estelle. Aside from the Sealife coloring book that lays open on the table (it's recommended for age 10+ but Estelle is too good for anything less), she seems to have picked up on Annabeth's love of music and mirrors her excitement whenever they visit a theatre. They had recently been to see Matilda, which both girls had loved and had recited for several weeks before Percy had gotten sick of them yelling the alphabet across the apartment whenever Estelle was visiting. She had also taken to using Annabeth's vocabulary in everyday conversation. It made for a very articulate six year old, but it took some explaining to Sally as to why her daughter was using the word 'fraternising' incorrectly. Annabeth had thought she was being discrete when she spoke over the girl's head and to Percy (who was looking criminally attractive in his gym attire one day) but it turns out, Estelle picks up on a little more than she bargained for.

Impatiently, Estelle pushes her crayon into Annabeth's arm. "Are you?"

"Am I what?" She asks as casually as she can muster, adjusting the temperature of the stove so that their dinner doesn't burn to a crisp.

"Are you going to marry him?" Though she isn't looking in her direction, Annabeth knows Estelle is rolling her eyes from the intonation of her voice. Straight to the point.

Grateful that Percy is currently out of the apartment, Annabeth straightens up. "What makes you ask?"

Estelle's expression drops slightly and she doesn't meet her eyes. "I wanna be a flower girl..." There's a slight pause before she grins again and gets excited. "And mommy said if you and Percy get married then I might be flower girl."

Her confession brings an extra weight into the room, one that Annabeth doesn't fail to notice. She also doesn't miss the conditional "if" they get married. They've been together more than two years and she's still not sure where her head's at with marriage. No rush though, right?

If Estelle picks up on the tension that builds when Annabeth stays quiet, she does a good job of pretending not to. She turns back to her coloring book, carefully filling in the pattern with her favorite teal crayon. "People get married when they're in love, don't they? And you and Percy are in love."

If only it were that simple.

"You don't have to get married if you're in love." Annabeth finds herself rearranging the cups in the cupboard so that she doesn't have to meet Estelle's eager eyes. "Marriage is just a way of showing people, but it doesn't make you love someone any more or less."

There's an indignant huff from the table but aside from that, Estelle stays quiet. The scratching of crayon against the book drones on for what feels like an hour though in fact it's only ten more minutes. The timer on the stove beeps and Annabeth busies herself once more. Her mind is racing. Of course, she'd always considered a forever with Percy. He was her promise of permanence, he had been for a while now. But marriage? It seemed so serious, like something for a version of herself she hadn't quite grown up into. She should be grown up by now though, she'll turn twenty-five this year.

Percy comes home that night and greets her with a comforting hand on her waist, a kiss to her hair and an eager attitude to learn about her day. She can't help but think that they aren't far off.

She asks him that night what his plans are for the future and though he tells her about the new Thai restaurant that opened a few blocks away from their apartment, they both know that this is her subtle way of opening up the conversation.

~~~

July 28th, Day 1170

"You're getting old, Jackson." Thalia is smirking from the other side of the glass screen, finger holding down on the speaker button. "We need some fresh ideas, not the usual lovey-dovey drivel. Give me a good guitar riff."

For all her complaints, Percy did appreciate where Thalia was coming from. A few years ago, he would've just joked that she needed to find someone, but truthfully he's not so sure. Thalia's never explicitly said anything, but he gets the feeling she likes where she is at the minute. The fans had gotten attached to this one girl she was photographed with a few months ago though it seems that was only them being overly hopeful. Then again, Percy was particularly obtuse when it came down to this sort of thing.

"Judge me all you want, Grace, but my songs always make it to number one."

She rolls her eyes but makes no comment. Percy's solo career wasn't as much of a sore subject as it had been last year, but it's still a little sensitive. It wasn't that he was betraying the band - Nico and Thalia could've done the same if they had wanted - but more that he was working himself too hard. They used to do nothing but sleep whenever they weren't touring or writing, but because Annabeth had such a busy schedule, Percy was desperately trying to occupy his time with a semi-productive outlet.

In the moment it takes Percy to leave the recording booth, Nico hurries in with a grin stretched across his face. It's a rare sight to behold, even nowadays when he wasn't so distant and depressed, Nico would still keep his face pretty neutral. Percy doesn't think he could recall a time when his cousin had appeared quite so cheerful.

"The adoption forms have gone through. We're picking her up next week."

(Their next writing session is spent looking over Autumn's drawings in search of lyric inspiration. Most of them are self portraits of a little girl with dark skin and wild black hair or questionable depictions of her favorite animals - Percy spots a coloring sheet of Moana and thinks he should introduce her to Estelle who is only a few years older than her - but Nico radiates pride as he shows them her most recent art piece: a shaky sketch of three stick figures all holding hands. She's taken some artistic liberties because there's no way Will is entirely yellow, skin, hair, clothes and all, and the sun positioned in the top right corner is definitely not to scale, but Percy doesn't put up a fuss. Their next single, 'Paint by Number', is one of their most successful songs this year.)

~~~

October 7th, Day 1241

It's a cold evening when he finally gets the balls to ask her. They've dined out at their favorite Thai place and Percy had rented a car and driven them twenty miles South to Howard Beach. It isn't much of a beach as far as beaches go but it's quicker than going to Montauk. Percy doesn't think he could cope for a three hour drive when the ring box is seared into his trouser pocket. He's waited this long, he doesn't think he can stomach another moment.

Annabeth tightens her kardigan around her shoulders as they stand at the waters edge in silence. She isn't vlogging tonight and Percy's grateful. So much of her life is recorded, he quite likes the sentiment that no one will be able to experience this moment besides the two of them. They've talked about this - albeit rather coded, so he knows this is okay. He knows this is what she wants. At least, he thinks he does. They're still uncertain on marriage, but Annabeth likes permanence. And he likes her. A long engagement seems like seems like a safe middle-ground.

"Annabeth," She hadn't even realised he wasn't next to her. When she turns, it takes a moment for her gaze to shift lower to meet his eyes. Instinctively, Annabeth takes a step backwards. He freezes before she regains her footing. It would make for a very awkward proposal if Annabeth had fallen into the water. "I had this whole speech planned, but-"

Her eyes finally shift to the ring box in his open palm and he notices the way the grey glazes over and her lip quivers ever so slightly. Percy manages the clear his throat because she deserves this. "It doesn't matter what I wanted to say, you know it all anyway. I just know I want this - us, you - for as long as you'll let me. I want you to be my best friend, my muse and my love. And in return I'll be everything you ask of me. Forever. I want to be your something permanent." Percy was crying now. His eyesight is too blurry to tell if she's crying but her hand is in front on her mouth and she's not run away yet, so all is going well. "Will you marry me?"

Neither of them speak for about five minutes. They still, Percy shifting knees because he starts to lose circulation in one. Annabeth's body shudders from either laughter or tears, he's not sure, but it doesn't matter because then she's kneeling by his side and kissing his jaw and all he can hear is her voice on repeat and the three words he never wants her to stop saying.

"I love you."

~~~

October 20th, Day 1254

The dissonance of the notes makes her ears ring. Augmented fourth. The devil's interval. Anything but that. She lets out a frustrated sigh and rests her elbows on the keys. Her keyboard screams in chromatic scales.

"Having trouble?" Percy presses a kiss to her hairline and puts a mug of tea on the coffee table besides her. In answer, she groans and lets her head fall onto the keys. "Can I help?"

"No!" In a shot, Annabeth is sat up and glaring at him. When he raises his hands in surrender, she averts her eyes guiltily. "I love you - and thank you - but no. I need to do this on my own." She not-so-discretely flips over the page of lyric ideas. Can't ruin the surprise after all.

Chords used to be her strong suit, never lyrics. She could just hit a few notes and bingo! She had a song. (There was a lot of gibberish, mumbling and placeholder lyrics, but it worked so don't judge the process.) But it's so much more difficult when there's real words to fit to it. It's so much more challenging now. And so much more daunting when her fiancé (fiancé!) was a professional singer-songwriter. The longer she stared at the lyrics, the more she hated them. How did Percy do this for a living?

Coffee breath and a face of stubble,
Swear you'll always get me in trouble.

No. Not good enough. It only worked because it rhymed. She could do better than that.

Late nights spent at quaint cafes
Beside you is how I start my days

That sounds way too formal. Annabeth felt like crying. She'd been sat scribbling in a songbook all morning. Desperately trying to make this work, she decided to give herself ten more minutes before she took a break. It was pointless to try and work on no fuel.

Percy's voice echoed in her ears. "Write fast and don't think. Then make it work."

So that's what she did.

~~~

May 14th, Day 1462

They get married exactly four years after he first saw her face. They only invite close friends and family but that turns out to be a lot of people. Her family is there, Athena sits besides one of the interns Annabeth had become fast friends with, a blonde boy called Malcolm who can drone on about structural supports and florentine arches almost as much as her mother. Frederick walks her down the aisle and his wife doesn't kick up a fuss, probably because the twins are on duty from Piper to make sure she doesn't start any drama, though she's hopefully past that level of immaturity by now. Bobby and Matthew have grown up significantly in the last few years. Bobby had always been a bit bulkier than his twin, but stood besides their petite mother, he looks like some kind of bodyguard. Matthew has shot up several inches too. A respectable strip of facial hair lined his jaw he gave a charming nod to his sister as she passed him during the ceremony. Her cousin's their too, though she hadn't seen him in person for at least ten years.

Piper and Hazel are the bridesmaids and they follow a very excitable Estelle across the sand as she throws dahlia petals around. Grover is appointed best man and stands besides Percy with Sage asleep on his hip for the whole ceremony. It would be heartwarming except there was a small puddle of drool on his rented tux. Thalia sits on the right with her plus one, a stern looking woman that Annabeth recognises from a few Skype calls with Frank and Hazel. The woman, Reyna, seems to know Jason too as they're spotted chattering away throughout the evening. Estelle and Autumn are squealing as Will charges around after them on the dance floor, Nico watching from a distance with a small smile.

They've invited old coworkers too. Katrina and Kayla are among the old Waitress cast and the majority of the crew for The Halfbloods was mingling amongst them. It's an odd sight; Silena is making polite conversation with Butch, her hand resting over her slight baby bump as Beckendorf fetches her another glass of water; Rachel is eyeing Luke warily as he scrolls through something on his phone and Nyssa seems pretty fed up of having to listen to Drew's endless dialogue. Meanwhile, Sally and Paul sit off to one side as Chiron nibbles cautiously on a blue cookie besides them.

Annabeth's dress is more traditional than Piper's had been, though the heavy skirts had to be taken in an inch or two so they wouldn't drag in the wet sand. They're all barefoot and so she has to tip her head up to meet Percy's eyes when he talks.

"Hey, Mrs Jackson." Her heart lurches and he's definitely grinning at her as they sway on the dance floor. "How are you on this fine day?"

She's a little chilly, but he already knows that. That's why his blue blazer is hung on her shoulders and hiding her bare shoulders from the coastal breeze that swirls through the lace of her dress. "I'm wonderful, thank you, Mr Jackson."

Neither of them have to say anything, content to just dwell in each others company as long as possible. They'll get their honeymoon next week and be back in time for the release of Annabeth's EP and The Halfbloods next tour, but they'd been so separated today despite everything that it's nice just to take a moment. Inevitably, it doesn't last.

Sally taps Percy's shoulder and flashes her signature homely smile. "Mind if I interrupt?"

"Of course," Annabeth nods and kisses Percy's cheek. Before she can leave, Sally's caught her wrist.

"No, sweetheart, I wanted to talk to you." She doesn't really know how to respond but it's okay because Sally fills the silence for her. "I've spoken to this lump enough in the last twenty-five years. I want to speak to my daughter."

Percy scoffs indignantly at his mothers insult before returning a kiss to his wife's cheek and leaving them in favor of tracking down his little sister. Now alone with Sally, Annabeth felt more than a little nervous. The two women had grown close in the last few years, but she still felt somewhat intimidated by Sally's warm nature. Even after all of her kind words of reassurance, Annabeth still felt like she was waiting for the penny to drop, like the pair of them were skating on thin ice and one day Sally would realise that Percy could do better. (He'd told her countless times that he didn't want anyone but Annabeth, regardless of what she thinks he deserves.) It seemed Sally was oblivious to her daughter-in-laws apprehension, or she at least did a brilliant job of pretending she was, and she sets a hand on Annabeth's bare arm and gives a gentle squeeze.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart." There's a smile line that creases by Sally's eye as she speaks. "I'm so happy for you. Welcome to the family." Annabeth is pulled into the older woman's arms and there's definitely no way tears are pricking at her eyes as she tucks her head over Sally's shoulder.

It kind of sinks in that Annabeth's family has always felt like it was only herself. Sure, her dad drifted in and out of her life, but that had been pretty much it. But now... The guest list to their small wedding was packed with people that she would consider her family, regardless of blood or marriage. And maybe it wasn't such a bad idea for her to be a Jackson in more ways than one.

~~~

June 7th, Day 1485

Morning breath and a face of stubble,
How'd I live to see the day
Where I wake up beside you
And you'd help me fight the fears away

All my life I've questioned
Why anyone might stay
But when I see your face, it's clear
Pray you feel the same way

There isn't much for me in this cold, dark space
But I'll hold you close, we'll find our place
Together

I know that you'll always be here
And you know there is so much I fear
The world is scary, such a treacherous wasteland
Full of monsters that I just can't stand
But you're there and you're all that I need
No questions asked, no need to beg or plead
I'm by your side, through thick and thin
Whatever happens you can count me in.

"I guess I'm your muse in the same way you're mine." Percy blinked up at her from where he lay in her lap, his fingers twisting the new silver ring that decorated her hand. Even though it had been almost a month since their wedding, he still found that it was still breathtaking to see the wedding ring on her fourth finger or to call her Mrs Jackson.

Things had certainly changed for the better. Not only were they married, (and Percy definitely hadn't taken to calling Luna their daughter,) Annabeth's Youtube channel was more than thriving and since midnight this morning, her album had proven to be a big hit. 'Words to the Wise' had originally been intended to be a short collection of songs, but over the development process, it had become a whole EP. It had been difficult for her to write at first - lyrics didn't come easily to her quite the way they did to her husband - but eventually she'd gotten in the swing of it and he couldn't be more proud of her.

Annabeth twirled Percy's curls lazily. "I guess so." There was a smile ghosting her face but it looked forced. Regretfully, he sat up out of her grasp.

"Something's bothering you." It wasn't a question of what. That had become their new method of communications. When one of them noticed something, they would let the other know they knew in order to open the conversation, but the other didn't need to feel pressured to answer any questions. They had developed the technique over the last few years, both of them learning not too push each other. It had started when Annabeth had asked one too many questions about Percy's childhood and prised open the scabbed wound that was Smelly Gabe. From there, they had learnt to respect each others boundaries. More often than not, the other would spill pretty soon anyway.

This time was no different.

"There's nothing bothering me. I'm just thinking." Percy looked sceptical but let her continue. "You're on tour again soon, then after that..."

She let the sentence hang in the air as Percy wracked his brain. After that? What happened after that? Noticing the blank look on his face, Annabeth cleared her throat to talk again.

"I just thought that maybe- well, you want kids right?" The rosy tint on her cheeks blossomed. "And I'm not getting any younger."

"Beth, there's no deadline on this." Annabeth went to protest but he kept her quiet by leaning in for a kiss. "No. I know what you're gonna say, and no. Forget that. It's more important that you wait until you're ready. Besides, Nico adopted and that kid is the best thing in his life. So don't put pressure on yourself to decide quickly."

There was a moment of silence while Annabeth looked to collect her thoughts.

"I want a baby, Percy." Percy blinked back at her, slightly stumped by her clarity. She had never been certain about the future so such a forward statement was unheard of for Annabeth. "I want your baby. A baby with your hair or eyes that shares your cheeky smile and dimples and I want that. I know adoption's an option, but I want this first. Maybe when our careers have died down, we can foster. But I want to have a baby that's equal parts you and me."

There was nothing he could say that would quite express the bubble of emotions that gathered in his chest. He had always known he wanted a family of his own, it had been a fact. Percy loved his mom, Percy played guitar and Percy wanted a family. There had been moments where he'd scared himself. Some days he would be angry or lost and would come to the realisation that this version of himself could never be a father. Then there had been Annabeth, someone who had been so bruised by her own family that she didn't trust herself to have a new one. And yet here she was saying she wanted a family. Not only that but she wanted his family. They were going to have a family. It was all he could do to keep himself from squealing in excitement.

~~~

July 12th, Day 1520

"It has been way too long since I've done a livestream." Annabeth beams as she positions her laptop on the kitchen counter. There's a mug wrapped in her fingers but it's more for show than for anything else. All traces of coffee had been removed from the apartment when Percy left for tour. It was easier to steer clear of altogether than to ignore her temptations.

Dozens of comments rolled in, all bearing similar messages.

hxlfblooddarci happy birthday!

thaliagseyeliner you're gorgeous, hbd

fangirlsophxox happy 26th birthday!

"Thanks, guys. It's a bit of a weird one. Percy's off on tour again and that leaves me home alone. So I figured I'd share it with you guys!" It was definitely not to distract herself from the bag of shopping she'd picked up at the pharmacy this morning, and definitely not because the idea of taking that test without Percy made her feel sick.

annabeepipes it's your two month anniversary on sunday, are you going to see him?

lunalablover99 i cant believe i watched you two fall in love im so happy

chaseace_xo you're perfect for each other

lillymayellisxx can we get a shared album????

halfchasefan please release the wedding vlog i know theres more

Laughing at her fans comments, Annabeth almost missed the one from a familiar account amidst the crowd.

hyperpiper annabeth answer my texts :)

"Hello to you too, Grace." She rolls her eyes and takes her phone off charge so she can see what Piper has to say.

hyperpiper not ewhen youre live omh stop

hyperpiper AANBABETH

Oblivious, Annabeth opens her texts and scrolls to where Piper's contact is written in bold.

hyperpiper will you be godmother?

Attached is a photo of the one thing Annabeth had been avoiding all morning. Of course, it's not the same exact one but clearly they sell the same brands at pharmacies in California because the stick is burned into her vision before the full photo has a chance to load. She already knows what it's going to say.

In the moment it takes her to process what she's seeing, Annabeth has muttered a hasty goodbye to her laptop and shut off the stream in favor of video-calling Piper.

A pixel version of her best friends face appears pretty quickly, though she's too busy inspecting her phone screen to see. "Is this-?"

Piper's choppy hair is swinging on the laptop screen as she nods vigorously. The image finally loads and Annabeth can make out the tear tracks on her friends cheeks that contrast to her wide smile. "I stopped taking the pill a few months ago when Jason and I decided we were properly ready and- well, I didn't think it would happen so quickly."

"Oh Piper, I'm so happy for you." Annabeth exclaimed, already thinking about how perfect this could be. With any luck, she would take the test that she had hidden away and then she would know. And if not then maybe she would be a few months behind. Their children could grow up alongside each other. "Do you know how far along you are?"

Wincing, Piper averted her eyes from the camera. "Would it be weird if I told you it was your wedding night?"

~~~

August 8th, Day 1547

It wasn't positive. Annabeth figured it had been too soon to tell so she had taken another a few days later but that wasn't positive either. Or the one after that.

She hadn't told Percy. He would be back soon and she could tell him everything then. But for now, she would watch the empty window and wait for a second pink line by herself.

(Her waiting was futile. If it wasn't positive by now, it wasn't going to be. At least not until her husband came home.)

~~~

August 17th, Day 1556

Percy spent the whole evening making promises. 'I promise I won't leave you for tour again' and then 'I promise I'm not mad, but, Annabeth, why didn't you call?'. 'I'm here, it's okay, I promise.'

She had been okay, really, she had. Until Piper sent her a mirror selfie that morning, one hand on the growing baby bump. It was as though she hadn't quite gotten to grips with how much she wanted this baby - as though it was a nice idea, but she could wait patiently. And then she had been shown everything she didn't have and suddenly it was all she ever wanted.

When she had finally been able to catch her breath, Percy had joked that they better get to work quickly so that their kid would be in the same school year as Piper and Jason's and she'd ugly-laughed so hard that no sound was coming out. It wasn't even that funny, it was just the way Percy had said 'get to work' as though that wasn't a euphemism for spending his birthday in bed together. (They did exactly that.)

~~~

February 10th, Day 1733

Taima Grace was born on February 10th at 4:36am, weighing 7.3 pounds. She had Piper's dark skin and a tuft of light brown hair - Thalia predicted it would go blonde like her father's. Everyone was crying.

Piper had a constant stream of tears dripping off her chin as she cooed at the wrinkled bundle in her arms. She was understandably exhausted, but that didn't stop her sleepy smile. Jason on the other hand was wailing like his daughter had been not ten minutes before. He had to keep periodically wiping his glasses from the build up of tears. It would be almost funny if Annabeth wasn't so tearful herself.

As Taima was passed around the room, Annabeth allowed herself a moment for the grief to settle in her stomach. That should be her, or at least that should be her soon. Another tear rolled down her cheek but it wasn't from the long day of dealing with Piper's finger-crushing grip.

She falls asleep as soon as her head touches the pillow but her eyes don't close fast enough to miss the way Percy's eyes lower when he sees the photo Thalia had sent him. Annabeth shifts to shrug off the guilt that weighs her down.

~~~

January 3rd, Day 2060

If she'd have known it would be this painful then maybe she wouldn't have been so keen. Yet here she was on a hospital bed, body aching for sleep and preferably a warm bath, and nothing else mattered. Nothing else mattered because in her arms was everything she'd ever wanted and suddenly every moment of wishing and hoping had amounted to this. Annabeth was holding her daughter and it felt like the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. And Percy - brilliant, beautiful Percy who had never once let her feel like their troubles had been her fault, who had held her on the nights where the build up had been overwhelming and all she had wanted was one cup of coffee and had rubbed her stinking feet until she felt like she could walk again - was once again by her side.

"Annabeth, she's-" He stuttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and blinking rapidly to clear his vision. "Oh my god."

The room was filled pretty quickly with family and friends. Estelle tickled her niece cautiously, her present of a stuffed fish tucked tightly under her arm. Sally had only left Annabeth's side once, if only to glance at her granddaughter. Why Sally's attention wasn't on the precious human that squirmed in her fathers arms had baffled her for a moment until Sally had smiled with that knowing smile and kissed Annabeth's sweaty hair.

"You'll understand soon enough, my dear, but I have to make sure that my daughters okay first. I'll have plenty of time to greet my granddaughter when you get some rest." Her tone was warm but there was an edge to it almost like she was teasing. Not nastily, but just in an 'I know something you don't know' kind of way. Still, Annabeth let her head fall back on the pillow without too much thought.

It wasn't until several hours later, when their guests had finally filed out, that they finally had a moment to discuss names. (It was a little late in the day, they knew that. Naming the baby hadn't exactly been their top priority, though they both had their own ideas in mind.)

"Charlotte's pretty. Or Sophie." Annabeth suggested, her thumb smoothing out the little blonde curl that stuck up on her daughters head. "I would say Lulu for the Waitress nostalgia but..." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Percy wrinkling his nose.

He cleared his throat and Annabeth tore her head away from her daughter to look at him. Whatever he had to say was clearly important from the anxious look on his face.

"Do you remember Greece?" Percy starts, his green eyes trained on their daughters eyelids and long lashes, or perhaps the small puddle of drool that builds in the corner of her open mouth - a trait she'd surely inherited from her father.

Her brows crease as she tries to remember. "With Olivia Newton-John? Olivia's a nice name but I-"

Percy cut her off with a laugh, commenting on how she was too exhausted from labor to remember their first impulsive getaway. "You told me about the gods and about the myths and stories. And I thought - maybe - we could take some inspiration from that for names?"

Clearly a lot of thought has gone into his idea so Annabeth opts to stay quiet and waits for him to continue.

"I mean, you're mom's called Athena and my dad's called Poseidon so maybe our families a little too into mythology. You can tell me to shut up if you hate it. But I like the name Pallas. Poseidon's granddaughter and Athena's best friend. A positive link." Finally, he met her eyes. Admittedly, Annabeth hadn't considered the name Pallas. It was certainly unusual enough that she would never answer the register in someone else's place or find her name on one of those personalised gift shop headbands, but it was unique. And her parents names were Annabeth and Perseus so it was only fitting.

Slowly, she nods. "I like Pallas. Pallas Jackson."

"Pallas Olivia Jackson." Percy adds, his eyebrow quirking in amusement. "To remind me of the time when you were so tired, you wanted to name your daughter after an actor in Grease."

Annabeth snorted loudly causing Pallas' eyes to flutter open. They were still baby blue and though Annabeth was in love with her daughter no matter her eye color, she couldn't help but hope they would develop into the breathtaking green of her fathers.

I didn't know, but now I see
Sometimes what is is meant to be
You saved me

My blurry lines, my messy life
Come into focus and in time
Maybe

I can heal and I can breathe
Cause I can feel myself believe

Everything changes
Oh my heart's at the wheel now
And all my mistakes, they make sense when I turn them around
Everything changes

What I thought was so permanent fades
In the blink of an eye, there's a new life in front of my face
And I know in due time every right thing will find it's right place
So I swear I'll remember to say, we were both born today
Cause everything changed

Everything changes

It takes her a few years to fully comprehend how much she loves her daughter, to relate to the character she played on Broadway all those years ago, to understand why Sally felt the need to check on Annabeth before she met Pallas. Because there is nothing she wouldn't do for her little girl.

Percy will bounce Pallas on his hip and bring out that melodic laughter that they would never tire of hearing and it would finally make sense to the two of them. This was love.