Hi! This is my secondary writing blog! New writing every Wednesday or Thursday! Feel free to send me prompts (I'll do my best to write on them!) My AO3: foreverfangirlwrites | My FFN: Forever-Fangirl-Writes
âAre you kidding me?â Piper says over the phone call. âThatâs so stupid.â
âI know, and if he hadnât been so clearly working hard to make it up to me I would have walked away.âÂ
Sheâs driving home from work. (Or rather, the extended time she spent with Percy over Chinese food.)Â
âWell, I suppose heâs alright then,â Piper says. âI only approve because heâs so hot.â
âThanks,â Annabeth replies, rolling her eyes but she canât stop the smile on her face. âI think he does want to ask me out. Heâs been trying.â
âThat was a power move,â Piper cuts in. âTelling him to ask you out. Iâm proud of you, Annabeth.â
Annabeth smiles at the memory, remembering how hard her heart was beating right after. âI donât know how I managed it.â
âOh, Iâm sure it was nerve-wracking but it doesnât change the fact that it was a power move.â
âThanks, Iâll keep you updated.â
âYou better!â
And with that, Piper hangs up and she pulls into her parking spot. How sheâll be able to go to sleep with all of this running through her mind, she has no idea.
Sheâs getting into bed when she gets the text. âPlease pick up coffee from Caliâs Cafe tomorrow morning.â
Raising an eyebrow she types out her response. âSure thing.â
Itâs not an odd request, heâs definitely asked for this before, but given the evening they had just shared it feels a bit weird. Then again, despite all that, she does have a job to do.Â
But her curiosity is still lingering as she shows up to the cafe the next morning. The morning rush means sheâs at the back of the line, but she scans the specialty menu wondering if she should get herself something now that sheâs here.
âYou should,â a voice next to her says. She jumps at the sound and turns to find Percy Jackson standing next to her.Â
As she tries to control her shock, he smiles.
âYou should get something for yourself,â he says.Â
âHowâŠhow did you know I was thinking that?âÂ
Hello! I just want to tell you that I really love and enjoy reading your stories! I donât know if you are still taking prompts request, but if you are; I would love to see how you would interpret a âHaters to Friends to Loversâ trope in an Olympic/College Sport Au setting for your âHow We Could Have Metâ series. Keep up the great work!!!
She remembers the day she bought the olive green wallpaper that lines her closet. A teenage act of rebellion from the beige her stepmother had been obsessed with at the time.
Thankfully, it hadnât cost her too much (since the closet is pretty small) and her stepmom has since relaxed on the beige aesthetic.Â
Reaching her hand along the back wall, she finally finds what sheâs looking for, her old tennis shoes. The new ones she bought a month ago just arenât as nice. More likely, she hasnât done a good job of breaking them in but hey, if sheâs visiting home might as well grab the ones she likes.
She glances around the room to see if thereâs anything else she wants to bring back. The room is pretty barren so thereâs not much to select from. Walking to the window, she peers at the suburbia outside.Â
Quiet, pretty empty, and hold onâ
Is that Percy Jackson?
The downside of going to a small college is that everyone pretty much knows everybody else. But most people know Percy Jackson anyway, as the star swimmer whoâs secured a bunch of wins for the school.
She knows him as the annoying guy hanging around the athletic building being too loud and too cocky. Honestly, she just doesnât get the hype. Heâs just like every other jock she knows, a little narcissistic.Â
Thereâs also the innate annoyance that comes with knowing she will never be as good as he is with swimming at tennis because her degree is more academically challenging than hers. He gets an easier workload and can spend time perfecting his sport, whereas she doesnât have that luxury.
But all that aside, what is he doing here?Â
Heâs looking at his phone then glancing around, which stirs enough of her curiosity to go downstairs and out the front door.Â
Before she has a chance to say anything, he looks up and sees her.
âAnnabeth?â There is clear surprise in his voice.
Theyâve only talked a handful of times, and that was mostly him bragging, so itâs a little surprising that he remembers her name.
âPercy,â she acknowledges. âWhatâre you doing here?â
(That last part comes out a little more hostile than she meant it to be.)
He raises an eyebrow. âWhat are you doing here?â
âI live here,â she responds, rolling her eyes already annoyed at the conversation. Didnât he see her walk out of the house?
âYouâre the one wandering around like a lost puppy,â she says, nodding towards his phone which does have Google Maps open.
Percy grins. âA puppy?â
If he thought she meant that as a compliment⊠Thereâs always this element with her conversations with him too, a back and forth that he clearly enjoys more than she does.
âIâm a cat person,â she responds dryly. âAnd you havenât answered the question.â
âOh, do you own this road or something? No one else is allowed to be here?â
âYou know what, this is ridiculous.â She throws her hands up and turns to walk back into the house. This conversation was going nowhere.
âMy family recently moved to this area. I thought Iâd check it out.â
âGreat,â she responds, still walking towards the house.
âIâll see you around, Chase!â he yells as she gets to her door.
She turns around with a raised eyebrow. âHopefully not, Jackson.â
-.-
The semester starts without much fanfare since the spring ones rarely do. But Piper has news as soon as she walks up to her friend.Â
âDid you hear?â
Annabeth shakes her head. Whatever it is, she probably hasnât. âHear what?â
âOur school is going to be entering the Brains and Brawn competition again this year. The search is out for contestants.â
Sheâs heard of the competition. Their school had come in second last year and it had been the talk of the town for a bit. From what she remembers, it was a series of challenges to test physical and mental aptitude.
âSounds like way too much extra work,â Annabeth replies, pulling out her homework.
âI think theyâre offering a monetary prize.â
Now that piques her attention. She could always do with extra cash.
âHow much?â
Piper shrugs. âA few hundred, not sure. Are you going to sign up?â
âMaybeâŠI guess Iâll see what the time commitment is.âÂ
Yet a few hours later finds her at the office for student affairs, where the banner for the competition recruitment is placed.Â
âAnnabeth?â
She turns around at the sound of her name. Her advisor, Mr. Brunner, has wheeled up to her.Â
âAre you thinking of signing up?â he asks, nodding towards the banner.Â
âOh, I donât knowââ She starts to hedge but Mr. Brunner smiles at her.
âI think youâd be a great fit!â he says. âOur school will have a chance with someone like you on the team.â
Her face flushes at the praise. âThank you, Iâm just not sure how much extra time Iâd need to commit.â
âWell, it would be worked out with your partner. Iâm the leading advisor so Iâd come up with the basic training. Probably a dedicated hour during the week and a few others in your personal time.â
âOh.â She hadnât known Mr. Brunner would be directly involved. That fact alone makes her want to sign up for it. âThen I suppose I will.â
âGreat! Weâll be emailing you if youâve made it. Though,â he adds with a wink. âIâm sure youâll be chosen.â
Ten minutes later she walks away having filled out and submitted the form, wondering what she might be signing herself up for.
-.-
Percy Jackson, apparently, is what sheâs signing herself up for. She arrives at Mr. Brunnerâs office, only to find him sitting on the other chair.Â
âOh, youâve got to be kidding me,â she says. âWhere is Mr. Brunner?â
Itâs probably too late to back out now that sheâs been selectedâŠ.right?
Percy raises an eyebrow. âHi to you too. He had a call.â
âDid you get chosen?â she asks, already knowing the answer.
She needs to stop letting her pride get in the way. A few well-placed compliments by her advisor had her filling out the damn form and now sheâs stuck withâ
âNo, I just like sitting here in my free time,â he answers with a roll of his eyes.
As warranted as his sarcasm might be, itâs still annoying.
âFun hobby,â she says, finally sitting down on the chair beside him.Â
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A/N: Thank you for the prompt! I hope this satisfies the criteria! I combined a few to write this fic. Thank you so much for reading and enjoying my work! I hope you like this one too! (Also sorry it took such a long time) I do take prompts but I'm not usually quick about responding to them :P
College au. Percabeth meet when theyâre chosen to represent the school for a National âBrain and Brawnâ competition. They create an unexpected bond/relationship through their time together
Hey! I've finally written this prompt under this fic:
one prize i'd cheat to win
I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for sending in a prompt! (And sorry it took so long!)
hi! i've been binge-reading your works on ao3 recently and god I love them so much
i was wondering if you could write an academic rivals oneshot (with percabeth ofc) because there really aren't any good ones and i think you could bring a flair to it
Hello! First off, thank you so much for reading my work! I have incorporated this prompt into a few others and have finally posted it!
Link: one prize i'd cheat to win
I hope you like how it turned out! It's got a bit of the academic rivals element! Thank you for submitting a prompt and sorry it took so long for me to get to it! Thanks again!
Percyâs mind is racing. Frank left his office a few minutes ago and is now chatting with Annabeth at her desk. Next to her are the flowers sheâs decorated in a vase. The flowers that were supposed to be for her.
He wants to be mad at Frank for spoiling his plan of asking her out, but to give him credit, the news he had brought was big.
It turns out the inflated numbers had been associated with a shell company that was owned by none other than Castellan Corp. And if there is one true enemy Percy has, it would be them.
This could also explain why Luke had been hanging around the office. Potentially, trying to get some insight into what has happening?Â
They are already planning on dropping the whole project but this is the final nail in the coffin. Castellan Corps is never good to get close to.
Running his hands over his face, he slumps back in his chair before picking up his phone. The last person he wants to call is his father. (Two conversations in one day is two to many honestly.)
He lets it ring and it goes to voicemail. Great. He reaches out to Jonathan, his fatherâs secretary and learns that the great Mr. Jackson is in a meeting.Â
âPlease tell him to call me back,â he tells Jonathan. This could be a text or an email, but he knows his father is going to have questions.Â
He looks back out the small window and sees that Frank has left. The flowers sit prettily on her desk.
And then thereâs her. A small smile on her face as she types on her keyboard.Â
He gets up and walks to her desk.Â
âYes?â she asks, when she sees him.
âWill you step into my office, please?â
She nods and he leads her inside. At least they shouldnât get interrupted by someone walking up to them in here.
âIs there something you need?â she asks and he swears thereâs a mischievous glint in her eyes. As if she knows what heâs about to say.
He has to hold himself back from just asking her out, right then and there.
She knocks on the door before entering his office. With everything going on, she wonders what this will be about.Â
âYes?â She waits for him by the door.Â
âCome inside, take a seat.â Mr. Jackson gestures towards the couch. His face is troubled and heâs once again running a hand through his hair, messing it up further.
She has the urge to reach out and fix it, but she makes her way to the couch instead. He takes a seat opposite to her and itâs clear heâs struggling to start.
âIs everything okay?â she prompts, mostly to satisfy her curiosity as to what this is about.
âWellâŠnot really,â he starts. âAva told my dad about you being my girlfriend. He called me and said he wanted to meet you. I managed to back him off that idea but the point stands that this is getting out of control.â
Her eyebrows rise in surprise. A part of her had wondered if Ava would stay true to her threat of telling his father.Â
âAnd I know itâs my fault. I am so sorry that youâve been dragged into this.â He looks genuinely sorry about it too.
âItâs okay,â she responds automatically.Â
He shakes his head. âItâs not, but I appreciate you being a good sport about it.âÂ
She nods, though she really thinks that this is alright with her. (Now why she thinks that is a different thought she doesnât have time to delve into.)
âSo what do you want to do?â she asks.
He leans in closer. âThe way I see it, we have two options. So if you have any other ideas, let me know. But we canât keep up this lie. So either we say we âbroke upâ which I can just bring up whenever my dad inevitably asks again.âÂ
He stops, looking to her for her thoughts.
âOr?â she asks. He hasnât said the second option and she wants to hear all the choices before making a call.
Suddenly, shy, he looks away from her and clears his throat.
âOr we actually start dating so it isnât a lie anymore,â he says quickly. âBut, I think the first option is the more painless one of course. Especially since you didnât even ask to be a part of all of this so Iâm sure you want to be removed from the whole thing as soon as possible soââ
âIs this you asking me out then?â she interrupts his ramble.
âWhat?â
âWell, you said we could start dating so is this you asking me out?â
âWhat? No! This isnât, Iââ
âSo you donât want to?â she asks.Â
âI do!â He says the words a bit too loudly as his cheeks flush red. âJust, I mean, not like this.â
She raises an eyebrow. âIâm not sure what you mean, youâre confusing.â
Not a date, Percy reminds himself as he drives back home. Heâll never admit it to Ava, but the conversation got a lot smoother after her surprise appearance. Nothing like shared absurdity to lighten the mood. He can still picture Annabethâs smile when he had admitted how ridiculous this whole thing was.
Calling Annabeth his girlfriend had been a risk, one he probably shouldnât have taken, but had (thankfully) paid off. He needs to be more careful in the future, itâs not something he should make a habit of.Â
Especially since heâs already having a hard time not calling it a date in his head, when it was really an apology dinner for a guy being an asshole. The memory still makes him mad. But itâs quickly overshadowed with her smile from across the table.Â
He parks his car and runs his hands over his face. Heâs got to get a grip before something drastic happens.
-.-
Something drastic happens. Okay, so not the most drastic thing, but probably an eight out of ten if he has to judge.
Not that he should be focused on that when Ava is standing in front of Annabethâs desk the next day talking in a loud voice.
â...appointment?â Annabeth is asking as he steps out of his office.Â
Ava immediately turns to him. Her disregard of Annabeth irks him, but he tries to school his face to a neutral look.
âSheâs your secretary,â Ava declares as if sheâs Sherlock Holmes or something.
âYes,â he replies. âAnd you donât have an appointment, so either you set one up with Annabeth, or you leave.â
âYou lied to me!â Her voice is getting louder. Percy sighs, walking the rest of the way to Annabethâs desk.Â
âI did not,â he responds. âJust because she is my secretary doesnât mean she canât also be my girlfriend.âÂ
Ava is having a hard time processing this information. He glances at Annabeth who has her hand over the security request button and nods. Itâs not great how many times sheâs had to use that button these past few weeks.
âThatâs not possible!â Ava cries, crossing her arms.
âI assure you it is,â he replies. âYouâre creating a scene and disrupting the workplace. You will be escorted out.â
not really a prompt but do you have any hthf headcanons that you havenât had the chance to write about or just have in your head you havenât shared?
LA is not at all like what Miley Cyrus had told him. He hops off the plane at LAX and the taxi doesn't play a Jay-Z song.Â
Instead, it's some old dude who doesn't say a word, but frowns at him in the rearview mirror and proceeds to charge him nearly half of his food money for a cab ride to his motel.
It makes him reconsider if the change of scenery is worth it.Â
But deep down he knows it is. Knows that heâs been ready for change, itching for something new.
The motel room is pretty standard, an acceptable amount of shaggy for the price, and he dumps his bags on the single bed as he looks around. Some old beige wallpaper, a splash of paint on a canvas in the rough outline of a horse, green blankets, and two black bags that carry all the remains of the life that he had packed up.
Heâd sold pretty much everything in his old apartment when heâd made the decision to move here, only packing the things he knew he wanted. He had another box ready to be shipped to him once he found a place to live.
Deciding heâs had enough of the motel room, he walks out, warm air hitting his face.
Itâs strange.
By September the heat is pretty much gone from New York, making way for the cool breezes of fall. But here, itâs a warm day. And if heâs to believe the forecast, itâs always going to be a warm day.
He treks along the sidewalk with no particular destination in mind. Itâs easy when you donât know where you are.Â
Palm trees line the roads and everything is just soâŠdifferent. Then again, if you want change, moving all the way across the country will do that.Â
He approaches an intersection, only to be met with none other than McDonalds.Â
Different, except for McDonalds, that seems to be a constant no matter where you go.Â
Since half of his food money was spent on the taxi (and he wants to stretch his savings for as long as possible) McDonalds is probably his best bet. It wonât be healthy, but itâll be cheap.
He steps inside and the familiar smell of burgers and oil hits him like a wave. Well, if he ever feels homesick this is where to go. But itâs too early for that, itâs only the first day of his new adventure.Â
Ordering a big Mac and fries, he leans against a table, waiting for his food. The sight outside shows blue skies and a late afternoon golden sun. That must be why they call it the Golden State. Heâs only visited California once and that was San Diego when he was like thirteen. Moving here, though, is already different.
It wasnât quite throwing a dart at a map, he looked into places that would actually be viable because contrary to popular belief, LA is more than Hollywood. (And based of off his research, he wants to stay away from Hollywood if he ever wants to afford a place to live.)
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A/N: I've had this start of the story in my drafts for a bit and I finally finished it! I hope it's the kind of headcannon you were looking for! Thank you so much for sending a prompt and I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get to it! Thanks for supporting my writing!
Annabeth is still processing as he walks back into his office. Her hands start automatically gathering her things as if she hasnât been invited to dinner by her boss.
Itâs not a date, she reminds herself as she resists the urge to fix her hair. Itâs an apology dinner for what happened, even though it wasnât his fault.
Mr. Jackson steps out in less than ten minutes, but sheâs ready so itâs not a big deal. Though it makes her wonder if heâs a little anxious. (She is, but itâs been a day, as he said.)
He gestures for her to go first into the elevator. âDo you have a cuisine in mind or shall I pick?â he asks as they ride it down.
âYou can pick,â she answers. Honestly, she doesnât want to overstep at any point of this, so itâs easier for her if he just does what he thinks is best.
Itâs a little awkward but someone else enters on a different floor so the silence is a lot more natural the rest of the way down.
âIâll drive,â he says once they step out into the parking garage. âIf thatâs okay with you?â
âThank you,â she replies politely, with a nod.Â
âDid you drive here?â he asks as they walk up to a black porsche.Â
âI did,â she responds. He walks to the passenger door to open it up for her. Itâs very nice, she thinks as she shoots him a thankful smile and slips inside. He closes the door and she looks around in awe. Itâs a level of luxury she is not familiar with.
He gets into the driverâs seat and starts the car, fiddling with music so it plays a popular radio station. (Probably for her benefit, but she wonders what his music taste actually is.)
âIâve gone to this place a few times, their pasta is very good,â he says as he begins to drive.
âBetter than yours?â she asks. It kinda slips out, she doesnât mean to bant with him, but the smile she gets in response makes her think that she should do it more often.
âOnly by a little,â he responds and is he joking? With her? Itâs fascinating. âBut Iâll let you be the judge of that.â
âIâll make sure to take notes.â She smiles at him and he chuckles.Â
âYou are very good at that,â he concedes.Â
Wow, smiles, banter, and compliments? Itâs a home run and sheâs trying to calm her giddiness. (Apology dinner, not date, she reminds herself.)
âThank you,â she responds. âIt is my job after all.â
âMo chose well, I trusted her to, she loves messing with me thoughâŠâ he trails off a bit, lost in thought for a second and she wonders what he means by that.
Why would Mo choosing her as a replacement be messing with him?
âI agree, but like in an underrated kinda way.â
Annabeth cocks an ear toward the conversation happening behind her. She canât see the two girls, but theyâre talking just loud enough for her to overhear.
âHis arms,â one of the girls says with a sigh. Sheâs got a higher pitch voice compared to the other one so Annabeth mentally dubs her âBubblyâ.
âHe does have that vein thing going on,â the other one agrees. She sounds more reserved and so gets named âIntrovertâ in Annabethâs head.
Sheâs supposed to be going through her emails but the conversation is so much more exciting than her inbox, so her attention stays on them.
Leaning back, she takes a sip of her drink. Annabeth is in what she likes to call âIncognito Modeâ, engulfed in Percyâs hoodie (with the hood up, of course) and leggings. With her laptop in front of her, she looks like one of the many people who come to Blue Cookies to work.
âCan I get you girls anything?â A voice interrupts their conversation. Annabeth automatically smiles upon hearing his voice.
about the prompts, i wanted to ask you about an idea that i had that you could write upon for your celebrity annabeth au where annabeth has to work on a steamy scene/kiss for a new movie and that causes friction between her and percy (even though he is supportive on the outside) and she ultimately decides not to do it because percy is more important to her or something like that?
there could also be a part 2 to this where social media finds out about this and twists the story into percy being a jealous and controlling bf which makes annabeth mad because he is anything but and then she tries to dispel the rumours?
idk i just thought this could be an interesting idea haha, do what you make of it
âUgh,â Annabeth grunts as she plops down on the couch, papers in hand. âIâm so tiredddd.â She draws out the word as a whine as she tosses the papers onto the coffee table before cuddling up against his side.
He chuckles, setting his laptop aside to focus his attention on her. Sheâs incredibly cute, all blonde hair and blue crewneck bunched on top of him.
âHi there,â he says, pressing a kiss onto her head.
Her eyes finally peek up. âIâm tired,â she repeats with a pout.
Oh, someone save his heart from exploding out of his chest. Because of all the different Annabeths (cute, hot, sexy), adorable Annabeth is rare form. With all the pouts and cuddles and puppy dog eyes, heâs going to melt into a puddle.
âDo you want to take a nap?â he asks in an effort to keep functioning like a normal human being.
âI want to!â There are those puppy dog eyes again. âBut I canât!â And thereâs another pout.
(Is she trying to kill him?)
âWhy?â he asks, pulling her even closer. Because at this rate he just wants to hold her. She quickly repositions so her head is on his lap.
âI have a script to read. Rachel wants my thoughts tomorrow and I havenât startedddd.â Once again, her last word ends with a whine as she rubs her hands over her face.
He grabs one and brings it up to his lips for a kiss. âRead it now, with me,â he suggests.
Annabeth sighs. âBut itâs over there.â She points to the coffee table. âSo far awayâŠâ She mimes reaching for the papers before giving up and looking up at him expectantly.
Itâs so endearing, he canât help but lean down and kiss her forehead.
âMessage received,â he replies as he reaches over to grab them for her.
âThank you!â Her smile is so bright, heâs ready to climb a mountain for it.
Annabeth holds the papers up and immediately frowns.
âWhat?â he asks, poking her side so she squeals.
âPercy!â
He grins back. âWell, whatâs the problem?â he repeats, hoping sheâll forgive him.
She turns back to the papers. âThere are so many wordsâŠ.â
âA script will have those,â he replies.
âPercy!â she admonishes. âAre you on my side or not!â
âYour side of course,â he says quickly. âYouâre right, words are horrible. How dare they be there.â
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A/N: Thank you for the prompt! I hope you like how it turned out! Sorry for the long wait but I hope you like it! Thanks again!
i've been slowly going through your entire library and rereading all of your fics and i just want to say
the little burst of happiness everytime i see the "actress annabeth" "she's back!" (in some variation) like that combo of tags just makes me ridiculously happy for no reason
(will we ever see her again?)
Hi! First of all, thank you so so much for liking my writing enough to re-read it! I really appreciate it! And secondly, your message really tugged at my heart, I promise you will see her again!
In fact, you get to see her now! I just posted a new how to handle fame chapter!
(Also I didn't realize just how much I said that she's back lol I did consciously add it to the tags this time though)
Your message was very sweet, thank you again so much for your support!! :)
Okay, this isnât a prompt but I read your story rooftop stories way back when it was new. I just found it again and decided to re-read when I found out you have ONE HUNDRED SND FIFTY SIX WORKS ON AO3.
I just had to say that you are an ICON and doing the lords work I am so glad I found you again!! I canât wait to read more
Aww thank you!!! You're too sweet! I am so happy to hear you like my work and want to read more of it! Also, thank you for being along for the rooftop stories ride! That was the first book I wrote and I wasn't sure how it would do but I love hearing about people liking it (and you re-read it which is even more amazing) Thank you for your kind words!! I appreciate your support!
Percyâs hands clench of their own volition. These people have already made his life harder with their suspicious data and on top of that, if this idiot Greg doesnât stop existing near Annabeth in the next three seconds, heâs ready to throw a punch.
Annabeth manages to escape out of Gregâs grasp and is opening the door by the time Percy gets to him. But now the idiot is hollering up a storm.
His hand is turning a tad pink and he holds it out in front of him as he shouts.
âWho has peanuts! Iâm allergic!â Then he points to Annabeth, paused by the door. âHer! Sheâs trying to kill me! That bitch.â
Alright, thatâs enough.
âYou pulled off her gloves,â he roars over everyone. The room had started to quiet when Greg began shouting, but itâs silent now. Even Greg is staring at him in surprise.
âYou put your hands on my secretary, took off the gloves sheâs wearing to prevent contamination, and now youâre calling her a bitch?â
His hands shake in an effort to not punch this idiot in the face.
âYour allergic reaction is your fault,â he thunders. âAnd donât you dare put your hands anywhere near her again, or I will sue on grounds of sexual assault and make your life miserable.â
His breathing is heavy and his ears are ringing. Staring out at the rest of the people around the conference table he continues is what he hopes is a slightly calmer voice. âI hope everyone else is capable of maintaining professional decorum, otherwise you are free to leave along with Greg here.â
There are a few seconds of silence and thankfully security arrives quickly. âEscort this man out. He needs medical assistance that he is capable of arranging, given he hasnât gone into anaphylactic shock or pulled out an epipen and is managing to stand there and breathe just fine.â
Annabeth is nowhere to be seen. He has no doubt sheâs the one who called security.
Greg is escorted out as his coworkers watch and Percy has no choice but to assume the meeting is going to continue.
âWhy donât we all take five to finish up our food before we begin the presentation,â he says, once again addressing the room in a quieter volume.
He shoots his directors a glance to let them know they need to handle this, and turns to walk out of the room.
The only thought on his mind is Annabeth. He finds her at her desk, staring at her screen in a way where he knows sheâs not taking in anything on it.
âAre you okay?â he asks, making her jump a little. He winces, wishing he hadnât scared her.
Annabeth stares at the container on her desk with a mix of surprise and disbelief. She re-reads each sticky note two times and even glances through the blinds of his office to make sure heâs actually not there.
She slumps into her chair, feeling mystified at what just happened. Heâd sent her to get papers but then had to urgently leave? And then heâd told her to go home? What was that about? And what had come up so quickly? He clearly wasnât expecting to be back.
And then, of course, the elephant in the room which is the food heâd left her. Food that he had actually cooked. She recalls the meeting at the grocery store (it had left her flustered) but she hadnât expected him to actually cook her something.
But here it is right in front of her.
Overall, itâd been quite a day. Going to lunch with Frank also meant she got to meet a few others at the company. Hazel and Leo were very nice and sheâd enjoyed catching up on random workplace gossip. It actually made her feel included at this company.
Straightening up in her chair, she starts to pack up for the day. Sheâs not about to turn down a reason to leave early. Wondering what sheâs going to do with the few extra hours, she grabs her bag along with her newly acquired food, and leaves.
Turns out the extra hours are just her chilling at home. She tries to tell herself itâs not a waste if sheâs actually resting. (And sometimes resting is just scrolling through your phone for like an hour.)
Her stomach grumbling reminds her that she has food waiting in the fridge. Food that Mr. Jackson had made.
She shoots up and heads straight to the kitchen, her curiosity back in full force. She doesnât know what she expected but itâs certainly not what she actually experiences as she eats a forkful of rigatoni.
Itâs delicious. Like actually rich and creamy and could be served at restaurant.
Before she knows it, the entire container is empty. He really hadnât been lying about being a good cook. (Not that sheâd doubted him.)
She lays back down on her couch, thinking about the kind of person Percy Jackson is. he must be good at what he does given that Frank, Hazel, and Leo have respect for him. And thatâs rare since people usually donât like higher ups on principal. All three of them had said that he cared about the business and tried hard to actually understand things.
And, apparently, he is a good cook and does his own grocery shopping.
Speaking of, she should probably give him something back. Sheâs a good cook in that she makes pretty good food, but itâs not her passion or anything like it is his.
Maybe she should bake something? Really, what else can you put in a Tupperware container so you donât hand it back empty?
Itâs probably her full stomach that lulls her to sleep as she ponders on those thoughts.
Though this time, her panic is that she has work and nothing to put in the empty Tupperware container. It does strike her how much of a 180 this is from the problem she woke up to last time, which just goes to show how much life can change in a relatively quick amount of time.
In the end, she gives up and decides to pick up fresh cookies from a bakery on the way to work.
Mr. Jackson isnât there yet, so she quickly writes a note thanking him for the food and saying she picked up some cookies from a bakery. (She wonât take credit for the incredible work that Sweethand Bakery is doing.)
Placing the container on his desk, she speedwalks back to her desk, sitting down just a minute before he shows up.
Heâs on a call and directs a nod at her as he answers the person on the other end. There really shouldnât be any anticipation on her end, given she just ordered something, but she canât help but peer through the blinds as he sits down and notices the container.
She quickly looks away as he looks up.
Focusing on work for the next little bit is hard, but eventually he does get up and walk over to her desk.
She looks up expectantly.
He clears his throat. âIâm glad you liked the food,â he begins. âThe cookies are delicious.â
âYouâre a really good cook,â she replies. âAnd Sweethand Bakery is a good bakery.â
He sees her before she sees him. Sheâs got her hair up in a ponytail wearing sweats and a pale pink t-shirt with a box of cinnamon toast crunch in her hand.
Sheâs also, he realizes when he notices her earbuds, on the phone.
âRight, heâs not that bad.â He hears her say. âHe just frowns a lot which is a shame cause his smile is pretty butââ
Her sentence cuts off the moment she turns to see him standing there. Her eyes are wide as he raises a hand up as a greeting.
âMr. Jackson,â she says, clearly flustered. Itâs incredibly cute and he canât help but smile.
âPercy is fine,â he replies. âHello Annabeth.â
Thereâs a pink tinge to her cheeks as she hugs the box of cinnamon toast crunch closer.
âHi,â she responds, somewhat shyly. âI didnât expect to run into here.â
Neither had he honestly. Nor had he expected to overhear her conversation. (And he will admit heâs immensely curious about who she was talking about.)
But he also doesnât miss the emphasis on the here part of her sentence.
Raising an eyebrow, he responds. âWhat? Did you not think I went to the grocery store?â
She looks down, still blushing. âI didnât mean, itâs just, I thought you had someone else do that.â Then she looks up quickly. âNot that you canât, I just meantââ
Sheâs somehow even more adorable stumbling over her words, but he decides to help her out.
âMy dad does. But I happen to be a great cook and like getting my own ingredients.â
âOh.â
She looks at him, her head tilting ever so slightly to the right, as if sheâs trying to imagine him cooking.
(Which to be fair, he knows he doesnât really look like someone who cooks.)
âDo you not believe me?â he teases, and chuckles when she rushes to deny the accusation.
âIâm kidding,â he says, cutting off her apology. âBut I guess Iâll have to prove it to you.â
Hey!!! I just wanted to start out by saying how much I love your work!! I look forward to everything you put out!! I was rereading the original how to handle fame, and there was one part where Jason said that Annabeth said she didnât hate it when she told him about her interaction with Percy. Iâm just curious to know how that conversation went between Annabeth and Jason. I can only imagine how Jason responded đ
âAnnabeth, to what do I owe the pleasure?â Jason says as soon as he picks up the call. She shakes her head at his antics, leaning back into her couch.
âAre you busy?â she asks, ignoring his statement.
âIâve got some time before the next scene and Iâd prefer not to engage in a conversation with the producer walking this way, so please,â he replies, fervently.
Annabeth smiles. âI guess Iâll save you.â
âAppreciated,â Jason jokes back. âSo whatâs up?â
âOh, awesome! Did you like it? The coffee is good and the place is lowkey, right?â
âYeah, the coffee was good.â She pauses, unsure of what to say next. Does she ask about Percy? What could Jason even tell her?
âWhy am I sensing a but? Was the service not good? I always have the guy, Percy, and heâs super chill. Not sure how the other employees are.â
âI met Percy,â she says. The picture of his face and sea-green eyes comes clearly to her mind the moment his name is spoken.
âWhat happened?â Jason asks, clearly sensing that something had, in fact, happened.
But really, nothing had happened. Sure heâd been awkward, endearingly so, but very sweet and had made great coffee.
No, he hadnât done anything wrong. She is the problem.
âNothing,â she replies. âHe was awkward but it was cute. He forgot to charge me and said my coffee was on the house when I brought it up.â A smile surfaces as she remembers his cheeks getting red.
âReally? My order has never been on the house.â She suspects Jason might be frowning.
Chuckling, she replies. âGuess he like me more.â
âAre we in competition over a barista?â Jason asks and she imagines him raising an eyebrow at her.
She pulls the blanket closer to her chest and re-settles herself.
âNo,â she replies easily. âIâve already won.â
âRude,â he jokes, before his tone turns serious. âIâm sorry if you were uncomfortable though. Honestly, he handled Thalia very well so I thought it would be alright.â
âNot at all!â She rushes to explain. âI was not uncomfortable, it was good and Iâll be going back.â
No Percy had not made her feel uncomfortable, justâŠintrigued. In the way that she wants to go back and see him again.
âOkay good, Iâm glad to hear that. Iâll be going tomorrow morning anywayâoh, theyâre calling me, gotta go.â
âYep, talk to you later,â she says, as she hangs up the phone. She stares at the black tv screen she has yet to turn on.
So Jason is going tomorrow? Maybe she should tag alongâŠjust to see how Percy is with Jason. Itâs for science really, nothing more than that.
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A/N: Thank you so much for the prompt! I decided to add it to how to handle fame and headcanons as a little drabble, hope you enjoyed! I appreciate your support for the series! Thanks again!