honeymoon

annabeth ignored the incredulous look he gave her as she took another fry off his plate and ate it. "you take my school supplies, i take your food," she said, as though her logic should already be abundantly obvious. but the shift in his expression--to one of pity no less-- is enough to make her squirm in her seat. "you're missing the point," she insisted. "he's my best friend. we just... we're in a weird place right now." weird place was definitely an understatement. she'd lost count of the number of fights they'd had over the last several weeks, with each one seeming louder and more intense than the one before it. but surely, she knew something had to change between them, and soon. no way her relationship could stay like that forever. "thanks, sam. and... i'm sorry i keep turning you into my impromptu therapist. soon you're going to have to start charging me by the hour." she paused, reaching over and snatching more of his chicken tenders. "uh oh. it's happened. you've officially reached friendship level seven," she teased.

his brows furrow, finger wagging in disagreement." uh-uh, not at all the same thing when i always eventually give you your shit back and i literally can't get my food back. " he protests, hatching new plans to never return her things from this point forward. he's gonna steal ALL her stuff. “ am i ? “ he questions with a tone indicating she's full of shit. “ you can be best friends with someone and it not work out as more than that.” he points out, whether or not it's relevant to her he'll have to let her decide. besides, he probably shouldn't be giving out relationship advice to a girl he hardly knows. or to anyone, for that matter. " it's fine, what are frien— fuck off, annabeth. " he tries to swat away her attempt before she can grab it but he's lost another one. he can't quite sit in his blackhole of hunger forever, not when he's finally positive on the friendship scale. still, he keeps his glare present, a shrug of his shoulders. " see, that's interesting 'cause to share my food, you gotta be, like, level eight billion. " he tells her, though not doing much more to actually stop her eating it. " so if i'm therapizing you or whatever, i need some respect. bring your own food. and some for me, you know, like, as a fee. " he nods, that sounded like a fair deal to him.

she slapped him playfully on the arm as he teased her about her coordination. "first, you make me feel bad about your shirt, and now you're making fun of me." angela shook her head in mock disapproval. "maybe i should've spilled more of my drink on you on purpose if i'd known you were going to be this mean," she teased. "it's just a coke. so it'll dry alright, and it should come out, but your date might have to deal with you being a little sticky for the rest of the night." because surely, there's no way he can't be here with someone else, she concluded. and whoever she was no doubt would be missing aaron soon.

“ my bad, my bad. ” he grins as he's whacked, palms up in surrender. he takes back her being soft, he definitely deserved that. " i'd accept the punishment. " aaron admits, and gladly, too. at her words, there's a slow arch of his brow. his date ? he definitely didn't have one of those, or at least not that he knew of. if anything, she'd been the one he was hoping to see all night. “ what, you don't like me like this ? ” aaron presents himself, far-less wet but soon-to-be sticky, a soft grin on his lips. 

after sam took a bite of his tender, annabeth reached over, taking it from his hand and pulling off part of it before handing it back. staring at her bite of chicken for a moment, she contemplated his question before shrugging. "he's... well, my boyfriend," she said, knowing it was completely lame as a reason to be with him. "we've been best friends since we were twelve, like... our names came out as one. we were percyandannabeth. he's always been there for me, no matter what. a relationship just seemed the natural next step for us. and at this point it's already been like, three years. it wouldn't make sense to start over, not when between the friendship and relationship we've invested so much time into one another." sighing, annabeth popped her bite of chicken into her mouth. at sam's offer to beat up both of them for her, she gave a small smile. "thanks but, no. i'll just sneak blue hair dye into her shampoo or something. and for percy, well... i'll get him to spar with me later. maybe not totally pull a punch or two."

as his precious tender is torn from him, he's sure his heart is also hacked in two once annabeth splits herself a piece off. he scoffs, “ you've officially crossed the line. ” he mutters as he takes it back with a snatch. her response of why brings forth a touch of disgust to his features, both disappointment and pity in his silent gaze toward her. he contemplates saying just how dumb it all sounds but he knows how girls can be when it comes to defending their basic ass boyfriends. but then she keeps talking and he knows he can't just ignore it. “ so because you've spent three years dating, and are friends or whatever, that's enough reason to just stay together ? spend the rest of your lives together just because... you have so far ? " he thinks that's fucking dumb and his pokerface isn't exactly activated. " there's no way you can't see how flawed that logic is. ” then again, maybe his dad will be proud of him for being smarter than a daughter of athena— this could be a good thing. " well, if you need my help with anything, let me know, but i think you should definitely kick his ass. " and sam wants to watch.

"the least i could do," she agreed, her hand moving to grip at his elbow. "i think i saw something this way," angela said, pulling him away towards where someone had laid out various chips. thankfully, there were indeed, some napkins. not the best option, she knew, and would probably still leave him sticky, but it had to be better than nothing. quickly, she picked up a few and handed some to him before trying to dab at some of the spots on his shirt.

"sorry to take you away from your friend back there," she apologized. "and for spilling my drink on you, obviously. you'd think i'd be a little more coordinated. my dad's going to be so upset knowing all my years of dance didn't seem to translate into grace in the real world."

" you're fine... he's told me that story about fifty times. you saved me in a way. " aaron admits, a laugh escaping even if he does feel somewhat guilty of being glad to ditch his friend. if it was someone else he wonders if it would still be the case. " — but ruining my favourite shirt... " aaron sucks through his teeth as he looks down at her, shaking his head disapprovingly. " now that's unforgivable. " he can't even feign seriousness, a smirk so present on his lips. he's not trying to actually make her feel bad but there's a bit of amusement in the fact he still thinks she will, like he can make her squirm a little and have some fun with it. not too far, though, she seems a bit soft, or softer than he's used to, and he doesn't want to actually upset her.

" i didn't know you were a dancer, though. maybe you just missed the coordination part... " he teases, grin wide as he shrugs. she's probably pretty flexible. strong, too, despite not looking so. " what were you drinking anyway ? " aaron wonders, bringing his wet wrist to his nose to see if he can tell from the spillage.

the sound was almost too loud as the two weapons collided. yeah, he definitely didn't know how he was going to handle this. still, the fact he was brought so close to her as their weapons locked for a brief moment had him grinning down at the girl, though it was hard to keep his expression as she spoke. "you've been in life or death battles before? think the closest i ever came was when some asshole tried to hit me because i slept with his girlfriend. and that definitely did not involve these." finn stumbled for half a second, working to quickly regain his footing. how was this girl smaller than him and yet able to push him around--literally? finn did as she said, stopped thinking so much about what he was doing, loosed his grip the tiniest bit so it wasn't quite so tight and came for her once more.

he finally seems like he's having a bit of fun, a glint in her eyes as she watches his expression change. she had been in a couple of fights that could've gone either way, where both her ego and skill were tested and she'd come out of it bruised and broken. barely a bragging matter when you can't even stand for the glory, like she had failed regardless of the fact she'd managed to keep herself breathing. his comparison snaps her back to reality, to the boy in front of her, one who probably uses his mouth or dick to get what he wants and would last mere seconds in actual battle. she raises a brow at him. “ well, that sounds like you deserved a punch or two. how'd that end ? was it worth it ? ” piper wonders if he just got his ass kicked, really. she scuffs the edge of her shoe against the ground while she waits for him. she's acting passive but she's paying close attention to all his little changes, and he's looking better already. she can feel the difference in this swing too, lips twisting as her form does to step away from it. once she's out enough, her foot swiftly catches beneath his with a swipe, trying to test the balance in his stance.

"yeah because getting drunk is so much fun," she means it too, just hates the consequences, but it was never so stupid before. it usually never lingered like this, effected her daily live and all. "okay, okay fine... i melted the head of statue outside the dorm rooms, because i thought it'd be funny and it was. still kinda is... but no one knows it was me yet, so it's actually even funnier. and i know that's not bad..." putting her face in her hands, "what's bad is... i also slept with someone," she mumbled.

" i know, " piper laughs. she listens to her friend go on, waiting for the bad part that doesn't quite come. her head tilts as the blonde buries her fact. she's just enticed now, wondering what it could be. she'd never condemn dakota from having fun, but brows furrow at her confession. " with who ? " piper questions, because that must be the bad part.

"it always happens. like, i get it. percy's friends with her. like, guys and girls can totally be friends, you know? one of my best friends is my RA and he's a guy, and we've been friends since we were like... ten, so i get it. i'm super chill about it. all the time. but what i'm not super chill about is that, i swear, she has made it her personal mission in life to make me miserable. and how does my boyfriend respond to it? by laughing about it."

annabeth shoved the fry she'd been waving in her mouth as she did a bad imitation of percy's voice. "it's just a joke, annabeth. why do you take everything so seriously?" her voice went back to normal as she kept going. "maybe because she's not joking? she actually wants to ruin my life? and a stupid pun isn't enough to justify it? but no, i'm literally satan--his words, mind you, not mine--for calling her out on this. like, honestly, sometimes, i truly think he'd rather just be with her than with me."

still, even if he'd really like to see her explode, he can't hide the genuine confusion on his face at her words.  “ no he didn't. he LAUGHED ? ” sam is ignoring the fact he's done a lot worse, instead now staring at annabeth with his own horrified expression, no longer fussed at the fact she's eating his food. “ how does that make you satan ? nah, that's bullshit.” he shakes his head, reaching for one of the tenders like some act of ownership, like fine she has his chips but these are all his, chomping in thought before swallowing it down. “ why would you even wanna be with him if he's like this though ? you shouldn't be feeling second to some other girl, no matter who she is. you're his girlfriend, you come first. ” he nods, and he does know that much at least, knows that's why he'd always avoid labeling anything as such. “ who's this chick anyways ? want me to beat her up ? want me to beat HIM up ? ”

"ew, no. men are gross, you're obviously included in that," she scoffs. not daring to admit that, to some degree, even if small, she finds sam attractive, comforting, etc. doesn't even want to list the reasons, lest she start to think too hard. "I'm glad you're at least aware of the red flag you are," she laughs. the fangs that came out, ready to bite and tear him down, going back up. sam always knew how to build her up, and defuse her instincts. she was honestly thankful to have someone like him in her life, who understood her like that. "thank you. if you forgot well, i simply have to remind you," she smirked. "oh for sure, one day you're on. but i guess, not soon. i'll let you live for now."

" you're an awful liar, kotes. " he laughs, ego already taking the win as his teeth trace his lips in attempt to tame his grin. " oh, 'course. i'm self-aware so it's fine. " which is why therapy's a waste of time— he already knows all the reasons why he's not so great, and he doesn't care to fix them so what's the point ? " i like to be reminded at times. " his smirk mimics hers, eyes carefully drifting to her lips, he stares at them for just a moment before tracing his tongue across his own. " oh, thank you. i really appreciate that. " he tries his best to sound sincere but his sarcasm is thick. " just don't touch my face. that'd be a loss for everyone. "

however, as it turned out, angela clearly didn't need to worry, as she was ditched almost immediately as soon as they got there. still, girl code said she needed to stick around, even if she didn't have her phone to doom scroll on. figuring that if she couldn't beat them, she really should just join them, angela went to go and pour herself a soda from a table filled with items that were... clearly not just soda. drink in hand, she turned around to try and find someone to talk to before nearly running into someone -- literally, her drink sloshing out of her cup.

"oh my gods, i'm so sorry!" she started, before looking up at the other person. "aaron! oh no, and you look so cute too! napkins! there has to be napkins to help clean you up!"

like now, he's talking to some third year— seemingly alive in the conversation and his grin is so trained to stay put even if he's not completely listening, instead eyes are scanning every now and then for a certain first year. “ tommy, you… you gotta stop with that, no one thinks you’ve got rizz. ” he laughs, shaking his head as he humiliates his friend. then he hears some kind of shatter and he shifts himself to turn, only noticing the shorter person too late— and now he's wet.

he scoffs a bit in surprise, not quite registering her yet as lips press into a thin line, examining his shirt, his pants, even his shoes — all doused in drink and disastrously damp. then he hears his name, eyes widening when they land on angela with his lips curving into a smile. “ oh, hey, it's you. ” his form relaxes once more like he'd never been splashed in the first place. her panicking causes a laugh to escape, his thumb tracing his jaw to wipe away some of the drink. “ don't worry about it, i can go clean up. ” he assures, but he's not quite ready to say goodbye as soon as he's found her. “ you should come give me a hand, though, actually… you kinda owe me. ”

at her next words to him, finn huffed in frustration. readjusting his grip on the sword in his hand, he held it tighter, determined to at least get close to her this time. taking a deep breath, he bounced on the balls of his feet once, twice, before taking off running again at her and swinging once more. "not sure how this is supposed to be part of gen ed requirements. doesn't seem exactly legal to make us hit each other with these things."

she still doesn't really need to try all that much to evade him, allowing him the free swing before she counters with her own, letting the clash of steel chime as she smiles, pushing against his weight through their weapons. being so close now she can imagine him beneath her, the thought pleasing her more than she'd thought originally, but there's an intimacy in battle, one she's addicted to. " you don't really think about what's legal when it's life or death. trust me. " piper answers, thrusting him back, she envies that mindset though; that this is just silly and unnecessary, a little quirky extracurriculum they'd never actually use. " loosen up, try again. "

scanning her id card to let her into the cafe, annabeth stomped over to where she spied a different dark head of hair and slammed her books down in the seat across from him. "is this seat taken?" she asked, already plopping down before he had a chance to answer. "can i ask you something?" annabeth continued, her eyes narrowed as she shook her head in pure disgust. "why are boys just... morons? like, why do they think defending another girl who is, objectively speaking, the worst to their actual girlfriend is a good idea? like were you all dropped on your head as infants? or am i just dating a particularly unfortunate breed of idiot?"

" uh... i mean, i only got dropped once, but... " he jokes a bit in his hesitation, not sure he really gets the full context here, or whether he's really the guy to advise on a boyfriend issue, but annabeth seems pretty worked up. " that does sound like an incredibly moronic thing to do though... like... wait, what ? some girl's been a dick to you and he's defending her ? " he scoffs. he regularly fucks over girls and even he knows that's lame.

"it's more like i know i'm good at school. and sometimes, everything else is too complicated. plans implode, relationships fall apart, and school... doesn't work that way. i can control how hard i work at school, and what the outcome is going to be." she paused a beat before adding, "at least, not unless i get stuck in a crappy group for a project. then, all bets are off." granted, she'd do it all herself if that was the case--and if she were being really honest with herself, she'd do all the work even if she had a good group. no way was she leaving her grades in someone else's hands.

"but thank you, for sounding so confident that i'll be able to figure it out. and... sorry for the semi therapy session i forced you into."

" hey, i'm a smart guy sometimes. i know things. " sam winks with a grin. he shakes his head, dismissing her apology. " you're all good, don't mention it. i'm, uh... not the best with returning stolen property but i'm pretty good at listening so... any time. "

it felt like a trap. finn might not have been privvy to the inner workings of this world and this side of his heritage until recently but... even he could tell it felt like he was being set up. he held the sword in what he thought looked a good enough imitation of the things he'd seen in movies and ran towards her, swinging for her midsection, but sure he looked like an absolute idiot. the way the sword moved felt all wrong and didn't give him the feeling he looked like some sort of action here.

brown hues size him up, watching how he grips it in his hands, his stance, his expression. she can't help but grin a little at the sight of him, stiff and awkward and out of place. she simply pivots to dodge him, no swing of her axe to follow. he's not quite ready for that and she doesn't want to aim to miss on purpose. " i know you can do better than that. " piper's wants to get a rise out of him, her tone light in an attempt to taunt him a bit. " actually try this time, please. "

looking at the axe once more, finn decided that that just didn't seem his style. and not because he was fairly certain he'd chop off his own leg. and he had a bad feeling that between a peg leg, and a drinking problem, he was only one dumb move away from being called "patchy" and calling everyone matey. "oh, i doubt there's anyone as nice as you," he smarted back, going and pulling a sword for himself. it felt weird, too heavy, so he put it back and tried for another. too light, but he suposed it'd work well enough.

" exactly, you need to be careful around here. " obviously certain demigods were worse than others, like kids of ares or eris or nemesis, but piper would say she's worse than all of them. " a sword. " she comments, eyes on it before they flicker up to meet his, disappointed but not surprised. " how basic. " she'll let him know. still, there's a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. " come at me then. "

"i hope so. i mean, i don't think i can do any worse than some of the other people who have been elected."

he laughs at her words. " definitely not. you'll be the best easily. " aaron smiles, sure of that within minutes. he thinks he's quite good at reading people, in tune with their souls or something like that. " so you said sisterssss, right ? " he says, emphasising the plural. " are you the oldest, youngest ? " aaron wonders, ruling out a middle child for sure.