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~Kuh-chop-boom! An inky black spill filled the pool surprising many students and dousing one nearby student completely in ink. Percy Jackson jumped in alarm from his position where he was flirting with his girlfriend while she was on her prep. "Alright everyone out of the pool. Sarah you didn't swim today, can you bring Diego to Nurse Solace?".Annabeth, taking charge, grabbed the walkie talkie that was in all major areas of the school which connected directly to Leo. "Valdez we need you in the pool" Annabeth barked in that commanding way which could stop dead a full force food fight."No Valdez's work here" a voice chimed back. Percy rolled his eyes practically hearing the smirk on Leo's face.Percy continued to help his students clean up while Annabeth gritted her teeth and muttered into the walkie "Mr. V force 5 can you please come fix the pool so we don't have a squadron of squid victims walking the school". Percy laughed out loud."Be there in 5" Leo chimed back. Annabeth rolled her eyes at Percy as he sauntered over with that half smirk which drove her crazy."I should get back to class. My next class will be in soon" Annabeth said with a mild frown touching her pretty face."You're still coming over tonight for dinner right? I'll make tacos" Percy replied gently bumping her with his shoulder."I have Junior Architects and need to run home to grab a change of clothes since we forgot to do laundry at your place this weekend" Annabeth answered bumping him back."We didn't forget. We were busy" Percy murmured with a broad smirk. She gave him a death glare taking a quick scan around them to make sure no high schoolers were eavesdropping, blushing brilliantly. Two can play that game, she thought.Stepping closer, she whispered suggestively "I'll see you later. I'll show you what busy is really like". She planted a quick kiss on Percy's beet red face. She strolled away as two high schoolers whistled at the couple."Alright, alright shouldn't you be getting to class?" Percy grumbled walking over to usher the teens.~"Doesn't anyone ever clean this?" Clarisse grumbled as she opened the microwave in the staff lounge."I cleaned it yesterday" Annabeth insisted."I haven't used that thing in forever" Jason Grace replied while he shook the vending machine to get out his hot spicy Cheetos he had paid for."That's cause all you eat is sandwiches and those stupid Cheetos Leo got you hooked on" Piper called walking briskly into the room and dropping a box of papers and two clipboards."Blame Leo for that babe. Yes!" Jason yelled triumphantly, having finally shook the stuck Cheetos loose."So I got permission for the whole staff to hold a Secret Santa! We are going to reveal ourselves next Friday. I know it's kind of last minute but you have this weekend to get presents. Every day next week you get to give tiny little presents and then on Friday you can give a big present and reveal who you are!" Piper exclaimed practically shaking with excitement.Clarisse scowled "Why on earth would I want to do that?""The entire staff is involved, you have no choice and I cover your pep squad group" Piper replied pointedly."Fair enough" Clarisse agreed."I don't even know who this is" Clarisse growled.Piper held out her hand and read the slip. "Oh this is the new Spanish teacher. You could go introduce yourself and get to know Mr. Rodriguez. I think his name is Chris" Piper suggested handing back the slip. Clarisse pulled her lunch out of the microwave and stalked out of the room. Jason pulled his next. A devious grin crossed his face. "That face concerns me" Piper said worriedly."Don't worry babe. I've just got a brilliant plan. Speaking of, we are still on for tomorrow right? The usual" Jason smirked clapping his hands together facing Annabeth with a crooked grin."Um...yeah me and Percy will meet you guys at O'Leary's at 7. Nico is working Saturday right?" Annabeth asked suspiciously sharing a glance with Piper."He'll be there" Jason declared certainly actually drumming his fingers in excitement. The bell rung and all the teachers groaned and jumped up hurrying out the door.~"Hey Solace. How's it going?" Jason called peeking his head inside the nurse's office."Mr. Grace if you lost your glasses again I haven't seen them" Will replied chuckling as he took a thermometer out of a kid's mouth."No nothing like that" Jason promised walking in and sitting in an unoccupied chair. Besides the one student, Will's office was rather quiet today."Daniel, you don't have a fever and I'm pretty sure you aren't sick. Grab a drink of water and head back to Calculus" Will said gesturing towards the water tank."So what's up Grace?" Will asked sitting down at his desk. Jason walked over and sat on the edge of his desk."I was wondering if you are doing anything Saturday night?" Jason asked lacing his fingers together.Will looked up in confusion, glanced over to make sure Daniel had left the office, and replied "Um, not sure, what you've heard but you're not my type Grace".Jason laughed and then pouted. "Aww man. There goes your proposal" Jason replied grinning. Will rolled his eyes at this and Jason continued "but seriously, I wanted to see if you wanted to hang with a bunch of us. A whole group of us go to that dive bar O'Leary's a lot. My friend Nico bartends there". Will considered this, thinking of his completely empty schedule, and agreed. Then realization dawned on him."O'Leary's that's where the staff party was a few weeks ago right?" Will asked."Yeah. Nico got us a discount so Piper set it all up" Jason answered with a barely hidden smirk."If you want me and Percy were gonna grab dinner then head over to the bar. Percy and I can pick you up so you don't have to worry about driving. Neither of us drink so we usually swap DD duty" Jason explained."Why do I feel like I'm being inducted into a club or kidnapped against my will?" Will asked suspiciously.Jason patted him on the shoulder and called over his shoulder "see you tomorrow at 6. Text me your address".
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~"Hey you never told me who you got for Secret Santa?" Annabeth called over her shoulder as she considered which cans of soup she wanted to buy. Percy zoomed up behind her riding on the back of the shopping cart."It's supposed to be a secret. It's in the name" Percy said with a wink."No more candy. Your dentist is going to cry next time he sees you" Annabeth scolded grabbing the hidden blue candy which is Percy's guilty pleasure. Percy had tried to hide the candy under the rest of the food but as usual Annabeth spotted it with her keen eyes."You're just jealous because last time you had a cavity and I never get cavities" Percy chirped gleefully. Annabeth shoved him lightly and rummaged through the cart pulling out all the hidden candy bags. Percy pouted giving her his ridiculous puppy dog eyes. Annabeth fought hard but sighed and tossed one bag back in. Percy whooped and zoomed away on the cart again. "Who do you have?" Percy called as he nearly crashed into a soda display."It's supposed to be a secret" Annabeth said in a mocking voice, jogging over to Percy, and taking control of the shopping cart. "Speaking of, do you want to enlighten me as to why you and Jason are getting dinner with Will tonight? I didn't know you guys were exactly buds" Annabeth asked shaking her head as Percy held up a bag of chips. Percy forced his face into neutral."Well we thought Will seems like a cool guy we might as well invite him out. See if he wants to join our little gang" Percy replied nonchalantly."Will is pretty cool but if I didn't know any better I would think you and Jason were plotting something" Annabeth said in a mildly threatening tone.Percy's pulse raced and he dropped a bottle of cherry cola into the cart. "Dear, I would never plot anything without you" he said complacently placing a kiss on her nose. She narrowed her eyes but mercifully let it drop.~Will ruffled his hair nervously as Percy inhaled his second slice of pizza. "How are you liking working at Goode High School?" Jason asked Will."Well, anything is a step up from my last school which was a stuffy private school who did not appreciate my casual style. Or that I accidentally went on a date with then rejected the dean's creepy son" Will smiled sarcastically."Well we accept all newcomers at Goode. Everyone has a place at Goode, we take care of each other. They even accept goofballs like this idiot" Jason commented nodding at Percy who was moving onto his third slice."Where do you put it all?" Will asked amazed."You sound like Annabeth" Percy chuckled."How long have you two been dating?" Will asked. "Technically two years. We dated in high school senior year but we decided to call it off for college. Annabeth was going to school in California and I was going to school in New York. Anyways we met again when Annabeth got hired here" Percy said in a dreamy voice."The rest is a fairy tale" Jason replied in a mocking dream voice snatching the fourth slice of pizza from Percy's hand. Will placed a celery stick in Percy's empty hand. Jason and Percy both gaped at him. "He's not wrong" Jason pointed out. "Anyways, Will are you seeing anyone? Lots of single ladies at Goode?" Jason asked."Or single guys" Percy suggested while he bit off the tiniest bit of celery. Jason snapped a photo of Percy mid-bite."Annabeth is going to love you for this" Jason muttered as he sent the photo quick to her."You didn't? Now, she's going to expect me to eat this garbage all the time!" Percy groaned."Well?" Jason prompted. Will blinked in surprise at the shift in the conversation back to himself."Um no. I'm single but I haven't met anyone at Goode yet who I find interesting" Will muttered embarrassed. Percy and Jason exchanged a quick glance. Jason glanced down at his phone and snorted."Looks like the girls made margaritas. We should go get them before they are on the floor before we even get to the bar" Jason suggested.~"What are you going to get your Secret Santa" Annabeth giggled a little drunk."I have a whole plan. I got a bunch of little music instruments for each day and then I was thinking about getting Austin concert tickets. I got this Secret Santa all wrapped up" Piper punned laughing hysterically.Annabeth groaned at the bad pun. "I've got Katie Gardner. I really don't know her that well besides that she teaches Home Ec" Annabeth replied."She is the one responsible for the courtyard so maybe you could get her membership to the arboretum" Piper suggested rolling over onto her stomach to look at Annabeth."Ooh nice" she said poking Piper with her foot. A knock on the door startled Annabeth making her slop her margarita on her shirt. The girls both erupted into giggles at this. Percy's jet black head poked in the door and Annabeth's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Percy" she squealed. She ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck, and kissed him fully on the lips. Percy's eyebrows rose in surprise but kissed her back almost immediately. Behind them, Piper whistled. Annabeth pulled back and laughed loudly at the dazed look on Percy's face.Shaking himself slightly, he asked "Um...right...you ladies ready to go?"~"One of the perks of knowing the bartender, he knows how to save our usual table" Piper whispered to Will conspiratorially as Percy casually slipped the reserved sign off their usual table.Percy, Annabeth, and Piper sat on one side of the bench. Jason and Will sat on the other. A beat later, Nico DiAngelo slid into the booth with a tray of beverages. He wore a vintage black band tee and ripped black skinny jeans. "Annabeth and Piper, I thought you would like our new blackberry margaritas. Percy your blue mocktail and Jason your Sprite and uhhh" Nico jumped slightly having realized there was an additional person at the table. Nico gaped slightly at the blonde, blue eyed cutie before him."Nico, do you remember Will? He works in our school. He was at our Christmas party?" Jason suggested earning a death glare.Nico's heart beat wildly and he muttered "Hi". Then he took a hasty gulp of beer."Want anything to drink Will?" Percy offered."Let Nico make you a drink. He's got a talent for concocting the perfect poison" Annabeth told Will with a grin and a challenging look in her eyes."I'm game" Will replied raising an eyebrow at Nico. Nico blushed slightly but pushed up off the booth back towards the bar."Why didn't Leo join us tonight?" Jason asked."I texted him and he said he was working on a project and might stop by later" Percy replied rolling his eyes. The rest of the group snorted."Leo seems to break more than he fixes" Will noted."Leo is amazing at fixing things but we all secretly make jobs for him to do because Leo with nothing to do tends to end badly" Jason commented. Everyone nodded in agreement and Will chuckled."Remember the time he tried to make the elevator solar powered" Piper recalled dissolving into hysterical giggles."That's why the elevators now have fire extinguishers" Percy continued."I did find that strange when I was helping a student on the elevator" Will realized. The group laughed at this. Nico slid back into the booth with a dark black cocktail. He shook his hair out of eyes and passed the drink over to Will."Does this terrifying looking drink have a name?" Will asked curiously examining the drink.Nico considered this and then replied "Death Mist".Will met his eyes and grinned widely. "That seems to suit you. Did you invent this yourself?" he asked.Nico nodded shyly ruffling his hair. "Well what do you think?" Nico asked nodding at the drink which smoked slightly. Will took a tentative sip of the drink."Damn that's good!" Will gasped grabbing Nico's arm. Nico smiled hesitantly. Jason and Percy smirked at each other slyly.~"Wait you accidentally destroyed the band room before your interview and they still gave you a job?" Will asked Percy incredulously laughing hysterically."Well it helps that his stepfather is the principal" Nico laughed nudging Will a little."Boo" Will and Annabeth said in unison then roared in laughter. Will leaned into Nico as his laughter died off."So, how about you Will? Worst interview?" Piper asked taking a large gulp of her strawberry mango margarita(she liked to try all the flavors).Will glanced sideways at Nico and replied "Well, you all know my last disastrous private school experience but during the interview I realized I accidentally wore a rainbow pocket square. I convinced them that the colors were uplifting for students. The idiots didn't know what it meant" Will recalled wiping away a tear from laughing so hard.Nico laughed hysterically and clinked his glass with Will. "That's pretty rebellious. I approve" Nico told him with a smirk. A blush rose on Will's cheeks as he grinned at him.~"So who do we all have for Secret Santa?" Piper asked as she caught her breath."It's a secret!" Will gasped. Nico smirked at this."I've got my least favorite person" Percy growled irritably."Clarisse" Nico guessed."I've got Katie" Annabeth offered."She loves sunflowers and is allergic to daisies" Will commented. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "She had an allergic reaction. It's my job" Will replied defensively."I've got Kayla the choir teacher. I was gonna get her gift cards" Will continued swiftly."I've got to go all out. I've got this goldfish's stepfather" Jason complained."Anything beats the aquarium tickets Percy gets them for every holiday" Annabeth replied."The aquarium is amazing! They just released a pair of dolphins back into the wild" Percy exclaimed excitedly. Annabeth rolled her eyes but couldn't help the rueful smile that crept across her face. Nico chuckled and grabbed the empty glasses going to get them another round as everyone cheered.~"Come on sweetie" Percy said helping Annabeth off her chair as she wobbled slightly on her feet. She wrapped an arm around Percy's neck and mumbled "McD"."McD" Piper chanted."Hell yes" Nico replied, having finally clocked out. McDonald's was always their end of night munchies."Please tell me you enjoy McDonalds" Nico asked Will with an failed attempt at nonchalance."It's horribly unhealthy but I also really want chicken nuggets" Will assured placing a swaying hand on Nico's shoulder.Nico grinned broadly, then shrugged with a muttered "whatever"."Come on McD's is on me kiddos" Jason called gesturing toward the door."You are my new favorite" Piper declared kissing Jason sweetly making him grin. He linked their hands and pulled her towards the door."Oh if Jason's paying I'm buying all the chicken nuggets they have" Nico assured Will as he followed the couple out the door."You better share" Will threatened. Nico laughed "sharing" he repeated as if this was ridiculous. Percy met Annabeth's gaze with a wink as he followed the parade outside.
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~"Hey Neeks" Annabeth called blearily.Nico smirked as he refilled a customer's coffee. "Need a little hair of the dog?" Nico offered."Probably but no. I just thought I'd deliver a coffee to Percy before I go to my historical society meeting. We are restoring the old McKellen place!" Annabeth shouted then pressed a hand to her head in pain."Percy's not here" Nico said in confusion."He's working a shift here. He's been working the Sunday shift for extra money" she stated with a clear threat in her tone.His eyes went wide like saucers and he quickly rambled "I mean he's not here right now. Bossman sent him to the grocery store to pick up some supplies because we were running low on....limes" Nico finished rather lamely."Percy went to the grocery store? Alone?!" Annabeth demanded."You know Mrs. O'Leary loves Percy. Even if we end up putting blue gummy sharks in all our drinks rather than lemon slices" Nico replied hastily running a hand nervously through his hair.Annabeth considered this and nodded. She shuffled her feet slightly then a mischievous gleam filled her eyes. "So what do you think of Will?" she asked with a knowing smile on her face.Nico blushed red and muttered "I don't know. He was stupid, with stupid shiny hair, whatever" Nico began to furiously wipe down the bar to cover the blush."Hmm, I'm pretty sure that's what I said about Percy when I first met him" Annabeth suggested with a knowing smirk. Nico met her eyes and couldn't help a small grin escaping before he grabbed a water pitcher to fill a table's cups. "Any idea when he'll be back" she asked on his next pass."No idea...is that from Auntie M's? Their coffee is amazing" Nico gasped eyeing the cup and snatching it. "You don't want to..." Annabeth began but Nico drank heartily then spluttered a look of horror and disgust marring his face."What is this monstrosity?" he growled in revulsion."A blueberry latte with extra sugar" Annabeth said wrinkling her nose in disgust as well."Your boyfriend's a freak" Nico replied handing back the coffee still gagging."I'm aware" Annabeth sighed and then walked out the door waving goodbye to Nico. As she walked up the street, she rolled her eyes and drank the liquid sugar rush which gave her a familiar little pang of longing. She forced herself to take a deep breath and turn her mind to her newest building project.
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~"Hey Annabanana" Piper called walking into Annabeth's classroom.Percy followed in on her heels. Percy jumped up sitting on a student's desk. Piper slumped into a chair. "What did you guys get from your Secret Santa?" Piper asked excitedly."I got a dollar!" Percy replied holding up a scratch off."I'm still waiting for my person to drop my present" Annabeth replied."Maybe it's in your mailbox" Piper suggested cheerfully."Let's go check" Piper squealed.~"Will, you seen Percy?!" Clarisse growled menacingly. Her face was covered in foamy white pie."How do you know it was Percy?" Will asked tentatively."Only him or Leo are the only punks who would think to prank me and have the nerve to go through with it. Leo told me Percy has me" Clarisse growled.Will glanced behind her and quickly replied in a loud voice "I think I saw Percy go up to Jason's room". Clarisse glanced behind her suspiciously to see Annabeth and Piper watching the spectacle."I'm going to murder Jackson" Clarisse promised meeting Annabeth's eyes then stomped up the stairs."Well today will be interesting" Percy laughed, stepping out from behind Annabeth and Piper."She's going to kill you and I don't want to clean up the blood" Will called following the group into the main office."I can handle Clarisse" Percy declared while signing in."Well I prefer my boyfriend not in an...."Annabeth stammered."In a...what the hell is that?" Percy demanded. Annabeth held a piece of paper with cutout letters like some eerie serial killer message. The message read "Welcome to the game". "As your boyfriend, I find this rather creepy. What creep would pull this?" Percy demanded all humor gone from his face. Piper hid a smirk snatching the paper and flipping it over."The infirmary is where you will find the first clue at my identity. Please say ahh" Piper read aloud from a slip of typed paper which had been stapled to the first note."Infirmary would be Will's office" Annabeth said slowly."Oh great, Annabeth's new beau broke into my office" Will replied walking to his door. Percy spluttered. Piper followed Annabeth into Will's office."Tongue depressors?" Annabeth prompted."I'll make someone say ahh" Percy growled. Will rolled his eyes and pointed to the table against the wall."Ooh Will presents!" Piper laughed pointing to his desk where a hot coffee rests."Ooh I got a note too. 'They make great dinner. You should check it out at 6'" Will read aloud snatching at the folded note on his desk."Damn that's good coffee" Will continued in amazement taking a big drink of coffee."Auntie M's is that great cafe over on Jersey Avenue. You should try their bacon cheeseburger" Percy replied grinning.Will eyed him suspiciously but shrugged muttering "maybe try a salad".Percy rolled his eyes falling on Annabeth who was holding up a clue. "What's the next clue say? Be mine" Percy asked sarcastically."Hawaii is pretty awesome" Annabeth asked exasperatedly."Ooh is there tickets to Hawaii?" Piper asked."I think that's a little over the 25$ cap" Annabeth responded."Well I better run. I have to clean the pool and get the heater running otherwise I have student Popsicles. Best of luck finding Hawaii" Percy continued kissing Annabeth on the cheek and nodding to the others."A lot of classrooms have maps. Maps have Hawaii on them" Annabeth muttered walking quickly out the room as well."I guess I should go do work too" Piper groaned. "Enjoy your dinner tonight" she continued with a wink."I never said I was going" Will called after her.~"Ms. Chase can I help you?" Jason asked as Annabeth banged open his classroom door with a somewhat manic look in her eyes."Did you find any notes in your room? On Hawaii perhaps?" Annabeth asked crazily. Some students giggled."All right, read the rest of the chapter on your own" Jason told his class. Adjusting his glasses, he strode over to where Annabeth was trying to pull down his world map. "First of all, please calm down. Second of all, what's going on?" Jason asked quietly placing a hand on the map to still Annabeth's attempts.Annabeth took a deep breath and showed Jason the note. "Someone has sent me on a wild goose chase and I can't find Hawaii" Annabeth growled.Jason opened his mouth then shut it quickly. He considered the note. Then Jason did something Annabeth wouldn't have thought of, he smelled the note. "Smells like flowers" Jason noted."Flowers. There's hyacinths in the school garden! You are my new favorite" Annabeth squealed giving him a tight hug before peeling off through the door.~Annabeth ripped open the door and raced into the school courtyard. Down on the left were beautiful flowerbed of hyacinths. In front of them trapped by a brick, Annabeth could see a paper. She ran over and picked it up. There was a black letter W and an additional riddle. She turned the W over curiously and then examined the note. 'Over the river and through the woods. Grandmother's home cooking is calling'. "Everyone keeps their lunch in the teacher's lounge. Grandmother's home cooking would obviously be kept there. Not going to trick me this time" Annabeth thought mutinously. She was about to take off for the teacher's lounge when the bell rang. She groaned and ran off to get back up to her class.~"How's the hunt going?" Piper asked as Annabeth jogged into the teacher's lounge. Annabeth pulled open the fridge and growled in frustration. Annabeth glanced around then spotted the microwave."Bingo!" she cheered pulling off a note and an M. "'Every queen knows where all the little prince's go" Annabeth read aloud."Every queen?" Piper repeated giggling."Don't let Percy hear that one" Jason laughed striding into the teacher's lounge."There's that pizza place called Little Prince's? Guess I'm getting pizza tonight" Annabeth said with a shrug.~'This is a terrible idea' Will thought. He walked into Auntie Em's and was seated at a table. He ordered a iced coffee to calm him a little. He drummed his fingers on the table. He looked over and noticed a familiar head of shaggy black hair and felt his heart skip a beat. "Nico?" he called his pulse thrumming.Nico jumped in surprise and grinned sheepishly. He walked over to Will's table. "Wanna sit?" Will offered awkwardly."Sure" Nico said sitting in the seat opposite him."So...probably not eager to see me again after seeing what a drunk idiot I was" Will said blushing.Nico laughed. "Trust me you don't even rank my top five. In fact, you were a rather sweet drunk" Nico replied then blushed violently. "I mean you know...you weren't a complete drunken idiot. Plus you didn't even spill or break anything" Nico continued."Sorry to disappoint. Normally I break at least three glasses a night" Will replied grinning widely. Nico chuckled grinning shyly."Hi sweetie, what can I get you?" the waitress asked coming up to the table.Nico and Will both looked at each other unsurely but Nico swallowed and replied "just a coffee black". Will smirked."Do you have something against cream and sugar? Or does it just better suit your style" Will teased."Sugar belongs in desserts not in your coffee" Nico replied smirking. The waitress came back with the two coffees and some bread rolls."Are you two ready to order?" the waitress asked. Will jumped a little realizing he hadn't looked at the menu at all."I'll have a bacon cheeseburger and let me guess chicken Caesar salad?" Nico asked sarcastically. Will raised an eyebrow challengingly."Actually, I would love a bacon cheeseburger as well" Will replied handing over his menu. Nico smiled in surprise. Will winked at him and then blushed violently. He quickly ducked his head and grabbed a roll.~Annabeth wished Percy could be with her. She used to eat alone all the time. Ever since she started dating Percy though, eating alone or waking up alone had become increasingly painful. Percy was at an away swim meet though and she had a puzzle to solve. She went up to the counter and ordered a Greek slice. Then she asked them if anyone had left a note for her. "Ooh you must be Annabeth. You've got a very cute admirer. I do love myself a Ginger" The pizza girl swooned handing her an envelope."A Ginger? Like a man with red hair?" Annabeth stammered trying to think of all male staff at her school and knowing there are no males with red hair. She hated being clueless."Yes indeed" the pizza girl nodded handing over Annabeth's pizza. She sat down at an empty table and opened the envelope. A black O slid out along with a slip of paper."Twinkle twinkle little star. Wave hello to Tyson" Annabeth muttered to herself. Tyson, Percy's half brother, worked at the planetarium a town over. Annabeth thought this was rather odd that Tyson would do this and not tell Percy. She glanced at her watch and jumped up. "Thanks" she called returning the tray and running out the door with her pizza and clue.~"Hey Tyson" Annabeth panted having raced to get to the planetarium before it closed."ANNABETH" Tyson boomed embracing her with the biggest hug, cracking a few ribs. "Annabeth, I've missed you! Is Percy with you?!!" Tyson boomed gleefully."No" Annabeth gasped trying to get air back in her lungs. "I've missed you too buddy. Did anybody leave me a note?" Annabeth asked."Oh yes somebody left a note for you and I have to give it to you as part of Christmas" Tyson recited. He handed over another envelope."Did you tell Percy about this?" Annabeth asked uncertainly."I thought he knew. Should I call him?" Tyson asked uncertainly."No no no it's fine" Annabeth promised."Tyson" a voice called from an office nearby."I have to go" Tyson said looking so forlorn Annabeth's heart cracked."Tyson why don't you stop by my place tomorrow for dinner. You, me and Percy? Six o clock?" Annabeth asked. Tyson grinned widely and bear-hugged her once more.As Annabeth walked out the door, her phone rang. Her heart thrummed eagerly as she saw Percy's photo come across the screen. "Hey" she said smiling into her phone."Hey babe" Percy answered. It was hard to hear him from the ruckus in the background."How did your team do?" Annabeth asked trying to judge his reaction. Percy didn't respond but Annabeth heard a terrible rendition of We Are the Champions coming through the phone. "I guess that's a win" she laughed."Hell yea. We smoked em!" Percy replied and a loud whooping came through the phone."That's amazing!" Annabeth cheered. She secretly loved how excited Percy got for his team and she was becoming just as much into the sport as he was."Johnson even shattered the school record!" Percy yelled over the loud chants."I called that after last practice!" she replied excitedly pumping her fist in the air and accidentally dropping the envelope."I know you did" Percy laughed as Annabeth dropped to the ground to grab the envelope.”Annabeth?" Percy repeated."Sorry I put the phone down to grab my clue" Annabeth said a small smirk forming on her face picturing her jealous boyfriend on the other line."Next clue huh? Where did Romeo send you now?" Percy growled."For some pizza and to see Tyson. Speaking of, I promised we would all have dinner tomorrow at my place" Annabeth replied turning on her car so the phone connected. Now hands free she opened the envelope."Hello? Tomorrow's Tuesday" Percy called."Damn I forgot about trivia night!" Annabeth said hitting herself with the palm of her hand.Percy chuckled. "Well the team will have to suffer a loss without the brainiac there" Percy replied laughing."Picasso, DaVinci, McLean oh my. These riddles are getting annoying. So are these meaningless letters" Annabeth growled turning over the newest letter, a black I."You're loving this aren't you?" Percy growled but his voice cracked slightly."All right I admit this is making my life so interesting. I love puzzles though because I love finding the answer. Right now, I'm in that annoying middle ground. Also, this shouldn't need addressing but you are aware your jealousy is pointless and not necessary" Annabeth finished pointedly.She heard mumbling on the other line and still loud singing. "I know, I know. I trust you with my whole heart you know that. I just don't like the idea of anyone hitting on my girl" Percy replied possessively.A thrill went through Annabeth and she felt herself blushing. "I love you" she said pulling into her apartment."I love you too" Percy replied making her skin tingle. "I should go we are almost back at the school" Percy continued somewhat mournfully."Bye" she continued."See you tomorrow" he murmured in her ear.~"I should probably go. I have papers to grade. Plus if I stay I'm going to end up taking a cab home" Will laughed. Or worse he thought.Nico pouted slightly. "Well I appreciate you hanging out here for a little. Work was somewhat tolerable tonight" Nico mused with a grin splitting open his face.Will laughed feeling a wide grin split his own face. "Well you are officially my favorite bartender" Will promised squeezing Nico's hand. Both boys blushed furiously and pulled their hands back. Will blushing severely pulled out his wallet to pay for his drinks but Nico shook his head."No need. The company was less awful than usual" Nico replied in a casual voice. Will giggled a little and leaned forward a little."Thanks then" he said grinning widely.Nico looked dazed and stammered "th...there's trivia tomorrow...you can come..tr..trivia is a fun time people say. I mean people drink and laugh...Jason and that whole group come". Nico waved his hands vaguely at their table. Will leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Nico's cheek."I'll be there" Will promised blushing brilliantly and hopping off the barstool. As he walked swiftly out of the bar, Nico raised a hand to where his cheek was on fire and swooned a little. Not that he would ever admit that.
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"Come on Leo. You have all the master keys to the whole building. It should not be taking you this long" Annabeth groaned in exasperation sliding against the wall.Leo flipped over another key as he tried to find the right key on his ring of keys. "First of all, I came in early to help you. Well also my newest project needed tending. My RedBull hasn't even kicked in yet" Leo grumbled."Well I hope you have your project done by tonight so you can help out at trivia tonight since our team will be down a genius and a sea horse" Annabeth suggested kicking the wall in frustration."What?!" Leo yelped dropping the keys in surprise."Leo!" Annabeth scolded scooping up the keys and shoving him out of the way."Why aren't you guys coming?" Leo demanded."We are having dinner with Tyson" Annabeth explained as she examined the keyhole."I'm supposed to be texting him to see if he still needed me to fix something for him" Leo recalled pulling out his phone."BINGO!" Annabeth yelled finally busting in the door. Sitting right on Piper's desk is a small, fluffy puppy stuffed animal and a large piece of cardboard. There were four rows of squares; the first row with 4 squares, second with 3 squares, third with 5 squares, and the last row with 2 squares and most interestingly a question mark after it. She notices one of the squares has an R in it. "This must be what all these letters are for. It is going to spell out a message which will tell me who he is. Wait a second there's no clue!" Annabeth shrieked searching Piper's desk. She picked up the sweet stuffed animal loving the little thing already, examining it. The puppy wore a orange collar with a tag that says "come visit me"."The pet store" she muttered."Am I still needed?" Leo asked from the door.Annabeth waved her hand vaguely as she examined the board pulling out her letters she had already found.~"Good morning Will" Piper chirped as she walked in rocking a light up Christmas necklace."Nice necklace" Will grumbled rubbing his temple tiredly."Woah where's Captain Sunshine?" Piper asked surprised."I'll find him again once I get some coffee in me" Will replied taking a hearty drink of his Auntie Em's coffee."Wait a minute, you're hungover. Were you with Nico last night?" Piper squealed.Will choked on his coffee and hastily replied "I mean...I hung out at O'Leary's last night if that's what you mean. And I'm not hungover. I just was out late then couldn't sleep" Will grumbled.Jason nudged open the door startling both of them. "hey Will. Oh hey babe" he said noticing Piper and planting a kiss on her forehead before sitting on the edge of the sickbed."So you went to O'Leary's last night?" Piper prompted furtively meeting Jason's eyes."It's no big deal. We happened to meet at Auntie Em's last night so we decided to eat together. Then Nico had to get to work so I decided to keep him company" Will said nonchalantly but with a small warning in his voice."I think that's great. Nico needs quality company at work so he doesn't lose his temper at the drunken idiots. The drunken idiots who aren't his best friends" Jason replied sincerely. Will smiled shyly."Speaking of I wanted to see if you wanted to come to trivia tonight. We all go" Jason offered."Yea Nico mentioned that last night. It sounds like fun. I'm down" Will replied eagerly. Piper tried to hide her gleeful smirk but Will saw and playfully scowled at her."Great. Want a ride? I'm driving tonight" Jason suggested."You don't mind" Will asked hesitatingly."Not at all. The more the merrier" Jason replied eagerly grinning broadly.~"Hey Annabeth" Jason called as he walked swiftly into the copy room. "Which is working today?" he asked sarcastically."Well I fixed this one and I am almost done" she replied tapping the copier impatiently."How's the puzzle going?" he asked."Well I haven't had a chance to really think about it very long because it's been a crazy day" Annabeth grumbled wringing her hands. She pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket."I have the letters W, I, and R. So far the possibilities I have come up with are: Will she court me?, Mist was fears by? I have no idea" Annabeth growled."I'm sure more clues are on the way" Jason suggested. Annabeth opened her mouth to respond when a large chorus of claps and hollers interrupted them. They rushed into the hallway to see a bunch of students poking their heads out of their classes. Covered head to foot in an electric blue dye, Percy Jackson strode angrily down the hallway toward the gym his polo shirt slick against his body."Ms. LaRue is going down" he growled holding up a hand as he passed Jason and Annabeth who dissolved into hysterics.~"So you found two new clues tonight?" Percy asked as he sprinkled oregano on the garlic bread."Mhm yeah I found a M at the pet store and a clue which led me to the grocery store where I found an E. I have to plot out possibilities later. Right now try this" Annabeth said holding up a noodle of spaghetti. Annabeth fed it to Percy laughing a little."Mm little bit longer" Percy mused."Thanks" Annabeth replied giving the pot another stir. Percy came up behind pulling her tight against and kissing her neck hotly."I don't know if I want to make out with a Smurf" Annabeth tried to reply nonchalantly but her gasp gave it away."Liar" Percy growled in her ear. She spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met in a passionate fury. Percy coaxed open her mouth and their tongues danced against each other. Annabeth broke the intense kiss panting hard."Your brother is probably on his way" she gasped. Percy's eyes were dark and the lust in them made her mind hazy."We can be quick" he growled.Annabeth kissed him furiously as he scooped her onto the counter. He grabbed her neck kissing his way along the side of her neck to her lips where he kissed her severely. She tightened her legs against his waist grinding against him. Percy's hands skimmed over her waist reaching up to cup her breasts making her groan lightly. She reached behind her back with one hand as her other hand curled in Percy's hair. The doorbell rang shattering the moment. "Perfect" Annabeth hissed reattaching the bra. Percy dropped his head on her shoulder and growled in frustration. "Buck up, we have all night" Annabeth reminded him."That doesn't help me right now" he reminded her."Oh" she replied understanding dawning on her, glancing down with a significant smug look on her face. "Go dip your head in cold water" she ordered. He grumbled and headed off towards the door. Annabeth hopped down and straightened her clothes. "Tyson" she called as she opened the door. He pulled her in for a massive bear hug. Annabeth hoped he didn't notice how fast her heart was beating.~"Here's to the last place losers" Nico commented sliding five drinks onto the table, their fourth round."To the losers" Leo announced holding up a flaming drink. Jason held up his drink, and Will and Piper held up their cocktails. Nico grabbed his mug of beer and all the friends clinked together. The whole group drank heartily but Nico sipped his beer."What's up with you tonight Neeks?" Piper asked noticing his noticeable sobriety."Nothing" Nico replied blushing furiously."Maybe the bartender can't hold his booze anymore" Leo teased."Nico had no problem last night" Will defended bumping Nico with his shoulder and grinning broadly at him. Nico's heart was beating out of control. Will looked utterly irresistibly in a bright blue sweater which matched his eyes brilliantly.It wasn't fair Nico thought. 'He's already handsome beyond belief. That sweater is tempting fate' he thought his heart aching. "That's a nice sweater" he thought."Thanks" Will replied looking down.'Crap. I said that thought out loud. This is why I'm staying sober' Nico thought in alarm."It was a gift from my Secret Santa" Will continued.'Freaking Santa' Nico thought.~"We should probably get going" Jason suggested."I'll meet you at the car. I still have to clock out" Nico replied scooting out of the booth."I'll wait with you" Will offered stumbling slightly as he stood. Nico wrapped his arm loosely around Will's waist. Will grinned in response stepping into walk with Nico. Piper and Leo giggled and linked arms. Jason glanced behind him and pulled a piece of mistletoe from his inside pocket heading towards the door."I'm glad I came out tonight" Will told Nico happily.Nico glanced down and nodded shyly. Will frowned and straightened up. "All set" Nico replied heading toward the door.Will followed a beat behind him. At the door Nico held it out for Will. Will paused at the open door. The cool air chilled him sobering him up a little. "I was wondering if..."Will began."What?" Nico asked raising an eyebrow."You could share that recipe with me" Will continued glancing away."Magician's secret" Nico replied sarcastically. Will smiled and glanced up. He snorted and blushed furiously. Nico glanced up and blushed as well. His gaze met Will's and his heart leapt into his chest. Both leaned in as if being pulled towards each other. Their lips brushed against each others and electricity zipped through them. Will stepped a little closer and pulled Nico into the kiss. Nico grinned against their lips and captured Will's. Will kissed him back fully. Nico's heart tugged painfully in his chest.'He's just drunk' Nico reminded himself. He pulled back and hastily said "We should go".Will's face flashed with pain but quickly blanked. "Right. Absolutely" Will said heading swiftly out the door. Nico sighed and rubbed a tired hand over his face.
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"Hey bud I figured you could use a coffee" Jason called entering Will's office to find him cleaning his already tidy office rather madly."Thanks" Will muttered distractedly as he dumped out his cotton balls and proceeded to clean out the spotless glass cup."Everything okay?" Jason asked hesitatingly unsure how far he could push the boundaries of their rather new friendship. He desperately wished Piper was here, she was so much better at talking to people than he was."I'm great. I just can't believe how disorganized I've become. My office is a mess and I'm behind on all my paperwork. I've been going out way too much" Will commented wildly now spraying his filing cabinet with disinfectant."Um listen I'm sorry if we put pressure on you to come out with the sweater and trivia and everything but I think it's..." Jason stammered uncomfortably."Wait a minute!" Will exclaimed spinning around making Jason flinch."You're my Secret Santa? Why? You are...I am such an idiot" Will concluded hanging his head in his hands."Will that's not" Jason tried to say but Will wouldn't have it."No that's it isn't it. You are trying to set me up with Nico. Well guess what we are both idiots because he has zero interest in me considering I threw myself at him last night and he wanted none of it" Will choked."What?! Will I'm sure.." Jason said in surprise at this admission."No" Will growled fiercely, making Jason take a step back in alarm."What you realized I like guys and you assumed me and your other single gay friend would be a perfect couple. Well cupid hang up your wings because you don't know me and you aren't actually my friend. So you can stop pretending now!" Will growled leaving the office in a huff. Jason sighed regretfully. The office door opened again. "This is my office you leave" Will demanded returning to his desk. Jason had no idea what to say so he left feeling as small as can be.~"Okay I cave" Clarisse grumbled.She slumped into a chair in front of Piper's desk. "You've decided you are in love with Percy Jackson and need my help in eliminating the competition" Piper suggested."I would rather light myself on fire and attempt to eat myself alive. Plus I think not even death could keep those two saps apart" Clarisse barked with laughter."True. So what's up?" Piper asked clapping her hands together."I don't know what to get Chris. I want to get him something awesome but also don't want to look like I care" Clarisse growled frustrated."It's Chris now huh?" Piper asked gleefully. Clarisse glared at her and Piper relented. She rummaged in her wallet pulling out a card."Here. Leo's cousin runs an awesome Mexican restaurant and he swipes these cards for us. Slip this into his mailbox. It's for 5$ margaritas. Then on Friday, get him two tickets to a baseball game. He loves sports" Piper said."And tomorrow?" Clarisse asked."Scratch offs work great" Piper suggested with a smirk. Clarisse grunted snatching the card from Piper's hand."Thanks McLean" she muttered at the door."Anytime LaRue" Piper replied with a grin. A small grin crossed Clarisse's face before her usual scowl set in.~"Percy, I told you I need to get to work early" Annabeth hissed racing in the front door."Hey this morning was your idea" Percy pointed out."That is not... well you could have gone faster. We are both late now" Annabeth growled."It's called hump day for a reason. You are just grumpy because you don't have time to search for your next clue now" Percy muttered signing in."I need to know who is sending me around this maddening goose chase" Annabeth roared."Hey. You are the most brilliant woman I have ever met. Far smarter than anyone else here which means you are smarter than whoever this creep is" Percy said soothingly taking her hand furtively."Creeps. My present theory is this must be more than one person working together" Annabeth deduced.Percy's eyes widened in alarm then his troublemaker smirk fell back into place. "Just remember, no one is allowed to get under your skin but me" he whispered suggestively but a red blush creeping up his neck ruined the effect. Annabeth noticed and snorted."Nice try Casanova" she laughed signing in. Percy hung his head in shame."Oh I got to run" Percy continued checking his phone. He kissed Annabeth quick on the forehead and jogged out of the room. Annabeth fought down her own blush and checked her mailbox.She found an new typed message that read "He is beauty, he is grace, he may have Cheetos on his face". Annabeth rolled her eyes and dashed off quick towards Grace's office.~"Dude would you calm down it's gonna work out. Now we really need to talk about Will and how badly I screwed this up" Annabeth heard from the hallway."Oh god what are you plotting? And what did you do to Will?" Annabeth demanded bursting into the room."Annabeth" both boys shrieked in alarm. Percy fell backwards in the chair he had obviously been rocking back in, flailing as he fell."Smooth" Jason laughed as Percy stood up his face beet red."I think I went overboard as Secret Santa. Will hates me. Probably hates all of us" Jason continued miserably. Annabeth glanced at the clock."We don't have time for this. Percy get to the pool and stop whatever you're plotting. Grace strategy sesh after school at O'Leary's. Now where is your damn Cheetos stash?" Annabeth demanded in her most drill sergeant voice. Percy was already out the door before she had finished speaking. Jason looked stupefied but opened a drawer in his desk. "Seriously?" she asked seeing an open bag and three more bags stashed in there."Hey. Who's been in my stash?" Jason demanded."Someone else who obviously loves these disgusting things" Annabeth suggested picking up the empty bag and dumping out a letter A and a new note.~"All right what did you do Grace? Also, why couldn't we meet at O'Leary's for dinner like usual?" Annabeth asked as Piper and Jason sat down in their booth."I didn't think it would go well if we were overheard" Jason suggested bitterly."Percy's not with you guys?" Annabeth asked glancing at her phone for messages."No he's at..." Piper stammered."Swim practice""getting gas" Piper and Jason both suggested. They shared a look before Piper explained "he was finishing up swim practice before getting gas. He should be here soon". Annabeth opened her mouth to question them further but a waitress came by to take their drink orders."So Jason give us the full story. How angry should I be?" Piper continued once the waitress left."Well..." Jason said offhandedly. Piper and Annabeth both gave him their deadliest glare. He sighed deeply.~"Remind me what's the plan again?" Percy murmured over his Coke back at O'Leary's. Annabeth took a heavy gulp of her margarita and gave him her patented impatient Percy look."Get Nico drunk and honest" Piper summarized."Oh yeah he's the most open guy there is" Percy muttered sarcastically."Who is?" Nico asked sliding into their booth with a beer for himself."Will. He is such an honest, open guy" Annabeth replied quickly. Nico blushed a little and looked away."Hey wanna do something fun? Let's play Truth or Dare" Piper suggested."Seriously. Isn't that a little junior high" Nico grumbled."It'll be fun. We never play games anymore" Jason replied encouragingly."We need shots!" Piper cheered. Nico muttered unintelligibly and got up again.~"Thank you Percy for that truly awful rendition of She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain. No one said you had to rap it though" Nico laughed hoarsely tears of joy in his eyes."I'm not drunk like all of you. I made a fool of myself sober" Percy replied in a mock bow."Which is truly incredible and should be honored" Annabeth declared clinking her glass with his. Percy grinned crookedly at her before turning back to Nico."Nico truth or dare?" Percy asked. Nico wiped a tear away and considered."I hate truths so dare" Nico answered."I dare you to text Will and invite him out" Percy retorted with a daring look in his eyes. Nico lost all sense of humor and a dark look crossed his face."Why?" Nico muttered."Oh come on, you have been getting pretty cozy this week" Annabeth insinuated.Nico blushed scarlet and hastily took a shot wincing as it went down. "I...we...it's not like that" Nico insisted wiping his mouth."Ooh what's it like then?" Piper probed. Jason looked up examining Nico's face for clues. Nico buried his face in his hands and groaned."Come on out with it. You know you feel better when you finally admit it" Percy reasoned."Nope, you know me I prefer to suppress the hell out of my emotions" Nico replied sarcastically."That's true" Annabeth murmured in agreement."Look it doesn't matter" Nico yelled."What doesn't?" Jason asked softly."Yes maybe I had been flirting with Will which I know you were all so excited about but Will isn't interested in me. He was just flirting with me cause he was drunk. I'm a bartender I can tell the difference" Nico said miserably finishing his drink."Sweetie you don't know that. Will seemed to really like you. I mean he kept choosing to come out with us. Trust me we aren't that fun" Piper replied lightly squeezing his hand. Nico's phone chimed with a text from Percy. Curiously, he tapped it open and found Will's contact. With a rueful smile, he began tapping out a message.
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"Why did we have to get up early again?" Percy grumbled yawning."I told you I have to go to Auntie Em's for my next clue. Plus you can get that gross drink" Annabeth told him tugging him along down the street towards the cafe."Oh crap" Percy mumbled as they turned the corner and saw Will coming towards them from the opposite direction. Will snorted in derision, passing the door to Auntie Em's and walking over to them."Okay would you please stop?" Will demanded."Stop what?" Annabeth and Percy asked in unison, then both cringed."Oh come on, what did you steal Nico's phone or something?" Will asked deadly serious."I sent him your contact when we were hanging out last night. Anything he said, that was all him" Percy told him studying him for a reaction. Will looked uneasy and glanced away. Then an angry look crossed his face."So it's coincidence that he's here" Will growled."Actually it's coincidence you are here. I texted Nico telling him to meet us for a cup of coffee before he goes over his sister's. I couldn't possibly know where you will be. You won't talk to us" Percy replied crossing his arms. Will look slightly ashamed and ruffled his hair awkwardly."Listen no one is forcing you to do anything you don't want to do. We are going to grab a cup of coffee, or hot sugar water" Annabeth said glancing at Percy who grinned widely before continuing "If you want to join us you are more than welcome". Annabeth linked hands with Percy pulling him inside. Will glanced inside where Annabeth and Percy were greeting Nico who looked sinful today in tight black skinny jeans, a dark grey vintage band t-shirt revealing the tight muscles of his arms. For a second, Nico glanced past them and met Will's gaze.Will felt a tumbling feeling erupting in his stomach and he shook himself looking away. 'Damn it like I'm not going to go over now' Will thought heading inside where he was met by a soft smile crossing Nico's face. Will wasn't sure if he even needed coffee, Nico's very presence was more invigorating than any drink.~"What's this for?" Jason asked as Will stood in front of him holding a hot cup of coffee for him."Peace offering?" Will offered."I thought you hated me" Jason commented in a small voice."I realized this morning that, while idiotic, your plan was not mean spirited and you were trying to do something nice" Will concluded."If I'm being honest, I didn't really consider what you wanted and I'm sorry. I just thought you would be good for Nico and I knew he was attracted to you although he would never admit it. I didn't think about your feelings and that was really wrong" Jason replied leaning back a little in his chair."Wait but you asked me to come out with you before Nico and I had ever met" Will asked confusedly."Ugh, Nico is going to kill me. At the staff party Nico saw you and you saw him but you got distracted by another teacher. He immediately dropped everything. I teased him about it but he begged me not to set him up. When I picked you for Secret Santa, I thought I could set you up with him and I wouldn't be breaking my promise" Jason told him before taking a long drink of his coffee."I tried to find him after that. I couldn't find him so I assumed I never would" Will remembered."Please just marry him already and spare us this pining" Piper called from the doorway. Will spun around in surprise but Jason chuckled. "Come on Will I'm dying. Please be our bestie again" Piper pleaded striding towards Will."I'll be your bestie, Jason is on probation" Will replied slinging an arm over Piper's shoulders."What?!" Jason gasped but Piper and Will were already walking out the door."So tell me everything" he heard Piper tell Will as they left the room."He stole my girl" Jason muttered weakly.~"This was a mistake" Annabeth accused Percy as she buttoned her jeans."I missed you last night. I thought you might want to grab lunch quick because we both had double period off" Percy replied reasonably as he buttoned his shirt."Yeah, except now I'm starving. We never actually ate lunch and now I have no time to puzzle. I have another letter, a Y this time and a note to decipher " Annabeth snarled frustrated pulling on her boots."Yet I heard cheering not complaining" Percy questioned as he searched the car for his socks. Annabeth blushed bright red and tossed Percy's sock at him."By the way, you may need this" Annabeth replied silkily tossing him her sweatshirt she kept in the car."Why?" Percy asked glancing in the rearview mirror and snorted. "I forgot you went to town on my neck" Percy laughed stepping out the car. Annabeth still blushing jumped out of the car as well."I guess I missed you too" Annabeth suggested linking hands with him. Percy pulled her forward and kissed her knuckles sweetly. "If I didn't know any better I would swear you were trying to distract me" Annabeth laughed as Percy and her hurried quickly into the back of the school. She used her key to open the door, missing Percy's worried look before he forced out a laugh.~Nico felt almost dizzy with relief as his phone chimed with a text from Will. He had texted him nearly 24 hours ago and had waited on pins and needles ever since. He thought their coffee meeting was positive but he still hadn't heard anything. Work had dragged all morning giving him loads of time for the doubt to himself. "Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I was being an idiot" Will's message read.Nico laughed a little before replying "join the club".~"Come on Leo hurry up!" Piper muttered nervously."She is going to kill us if we get caught you know" he told her as he finished the last of his contraption."That's if we get caught. Annabeth is not going to be deterred. She is planning to search all night" Piper reminded him."I'm aware thank you" Leo growled. A noise alerted them and the pair of them took off for the exit.
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"Annabeth you're shaking" Piper noted as Annabeth hurled herself through the front doors of the school slopping iced coffee."Over...slept. Found L, Y, and U last night" Annabeth panted. "I know who my Secret Santa is" she continued gasping.Piper beside her paled and stammered "R-really. Who?"."Jason. It makes so much sense. I've been so confused this whole time because I haven't been able to pinpoint one person. Jason has been pretending to be lots of people. At times I was convinced it was you, Leo, Clarisse, even Percy. Jason is the only one who knows these people enough to fake messages as them" Annabeth continued reasonably.Piper smirked behind her "Seems quite possible. We'll have to see"."Hey look I have a gift" Annabeth realized. In her mailbox sat a beautiful red rose and a white note. Annabeth inhaled the sweet scent of the rose then turned her attention to the note."Very soon you will learn who I really am. Until then you must enjoy the most important meal of the day. Ps to solve the riddle one needs all the clues" Annabeth read aloud."All the clues huh?" Will noted from the doorway of his office."Another note from her admirer" Piper replied with a giggle."All the clues. I'm guessing Jason means the clues I've already gotten. Good thing I brought them all today" Annabeth continued ignoring Piper."Jason?" Will asked."Annabeth believes he's the most logical choice" Piper replied. Will smirked."Well most important meal of the day must be breakfast. It's almost time for the Secret Santa breakfast. Why don't we head down?" Will offered.~"Wow Clarisse you were my Secret Santa the whole time" Chris Rodriguez asked in surprise as Clarisse handed him a small gift bag."Woah two tickets for tonight's soccer match. Are you a fan?" Chris cheered."I'm not an idiot" Clarisse replied trying to be nonchalant."Perfect. Game's at 8" Chris told her putting a ticket in her hand."What?" Clarisse asked as he walked around her to go find Piper to give her present. Behind them, Jason walked over to Will."What? I had no idea you were my Secret Santa" Will said sarcastically."What?" Annabeth asked confused as Jason handed Will a gift bag."Why?" Jason asked confused as Will took out two movie tickets, a restaurant gift card, and a walkie talkie."Annabeth thought you were her Secret Santa. What's this?" Will asked confused."Press the button and say hello" Jason urged his eyes twinkling with excitement. Piper bounced on her feet. Even Annabeth momentarily forgot about her problem and grinned widely."Hello" Will called into the walkie."Hello. Did someone leave a walkie talkie at the bar? That's so random" a deep voice garbled back, a voice Will was starting to recognize anywhere.Will glanced around at his new friends, fought down a wave of nerves and muttered into the walkie "Nico, would you like to go on a date with me tonight. Maybe dinner and a movie?".His face flushed beat red as he heard nothing but a crackling sound. "If this is Will, I get off at 7. Anyone else I'm not interested" Nico replied and everyone laughed and slapped Will on the back.Will excused himself to reply as Clarisse called "Yo Chase this bag has your name on it".Annabeth walked over to the table where a gift bag sat among the breakfast spread. Inside was a flashlight, two letters: L and an R, and a note. Annabeth read aloud "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light"."Harry Potter nice" Jason called."Wait what if my letters and the board have invisible ink on them! The flashlight would make the letters appear" Annabeth gasped pulling out all her clues."Ooh Will get this on video. This gonna be good. Let's crack this code" Piper squealed tossing her phone to Will who had just walked over. Annabeth ran the flashlight beam over the letter R and found a tiny number 11 in the corner."Must be the 11th box. Yes see there's an 11 there too. Piper grab tape" Annabeth exclaimed.~Together Annabeth and Piper managed to get the last letter on the board. "Will you marry me? What the hell? Percy's going to be so pissed" Annabeth said astonished."Actually I'm okay with it" a voice came from behind her. Annabeth wheeled around to find Percy looking irresistible in a hunter green collared shirt kneeling on the floor."What? I...what...you?" Annabeth stammered breathlessly."Me" Percy confirmed nervously as he opened the ring box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring."I...how....what?" Annabeth stuttered still trying to piece together how she didn't figure this out herself."Well, I've known I wanted you to be my wife...pretty much from the moment you came back into my life. I asked Piper for help proposing and well pretty much everyone pitched in to finally pull one over on you" Percy smirked standing up and stepping towards her."I don't believe this. That's why I could never pin it down because it wasn't just one person" Annabeth marveled looking all around her a little teary-eyed. "This was brilliant" Annabeth continued in amazement gazing at Percy. Percy however ruffled his hair nervously and rocked on his feet."Babe are you going to answer the question" Percy asked shyly."What? Oh" Annabeth realized blushing having still been deep in her own thoughts. "All I want is to be with you forever. Of course I'll marry you" Annabeth murmured stepping closer. Percy breathed a sigh of relief before rushing forward and kissing her sweetly.All around them the room cheered and threw the rice Piper had purposefully put around the room. "Well looks like all our planning was a success after all" Leo called slamming Percy on the back."I'm amazed we pulled it off" Jason sighed nudging his best friend and looping an arm around Will's shoulder.Percy's grin was a mile wide and told him "me neither. I can't believe I get to spend my whole life" Percy began pulling Annabeth into to his side "holding this over your head" Percy finished smugly laughing deviously.Annabeth glared at him halfheartedly and replied "as long as your in it"."Forever" Percy promised."Eww" the room of teachers teased swarming the couple and dumping the rest of the rice on them. As Will looked around the room, he realized Jason was right. This was a place where everyone belonged, where they all took care of each other. This was home.