(A/N: NGL this is a weird chapter. Yall can skip it you want)
[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian and Annabeth were sprawled comfortably across the hood of a car parked at a cozy drive-in movie theater. The sky above them was blanketed in stars, the screen before them flickered with vibrant colors, and the air buzzed softly with the low hum of conversations and the muffled sounds of engines turning off. Around them, other couples and families were nestled in or on their cars, eyes fixed on the silver screen.
Annabeth was lying with her head resting against Lucian's chest, a soft smile tugging at her lips as her eyes stayed glued to the unfolding film. There was a rare look of serenity on her face.
"You know," she whispered, her voice nearly drowned by the movie's audio, "I never really had the chance to watch movies like this before…"
Lucian glanced down at her, a pang of guilt brushing his chest. "I know… with everything that's been happening—I should've done something like this sooner."
Annabeth turned her head slightly, brushing her cheek against his shirt as she smiled. "It's okay. You've already shown me more than I ever imagined I'd see. I'm grateful, Lucian. I really am."
She raised her head and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before nestling back against him.
Lucian's cheeks burned a deep crimson, though luckily the soft, ambient glow from the movie screen kept it mostly hidden. He groaned lightly, tossing his head back in mock suffering.
"This lovey-dovey atmosphere is killing me here," he muttered, clearly flustered.
Annabeth couldn't help but giggle. She knew all too well how easy it was to make him blush. "You're the one who went all out with the romantic date, you know. Taking me to a drive-in movie theater under the stars? Honestly, you brought this on yourself."
"I'm a victim of my own success…" he sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his chest as though wounded by his own charm.
Annabeth giggled again, this time trying to bury her laughter into his chest so she wouldn't disturb the surrounding moviegoers.
She looked up at him again, her grin now mischievous. "Speaking of victims… You and those Fates seem to be getting real cozy lately."
Lucian frowned and raised a brow. "How the hell do you jump from victim to the three Fates? And what exactly are you implying? You're not seriously calling me the victim, are you?"
Annabeth's smirk deepened. "Well, I don't know… who else is being chased around and practically betrothed to three immortal women who are older than him by several millennia?"
"I'm not being forced into anything," Lucian said quickly. "And I'm definitely not a victim. I'd say I'm more of a… willing participant?" His voice trailed off as the confidence in his statement wavered.
Annabeth arched her brow. "Uh-huh. Yeah, I'll believe that when you can actually say it with confidence."
Lucian chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, fine. But I'll admit this—once you get to know them, they're not that bad."
"They're trying to please you, of course they're not that bad," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes.
Just then, Lucian's expression changed, his brow furrowing as if he'd just received some kind of warning signal from the universe. "Hold on… My intuition's acting up again."
Annabeth immediately sat up slightly, her eyes sharp with interest. The last time Lucian's instincts kicked in, it had led them to discovering Markus—the winged son of Thanatos, an unexpected treasure.
"What is it? What's it telling you?" she asked with a hint of excitement.
Lucian narrowed his eyes, lips pursed in deep thought. "It's telling me… to get the hell out of this conversation before I say something stupid—"
He didn't get to finish. Annabeth smacked his chest with the back of her hand, snorting.
"Idiot."
Lucian laughed. "Love you too, babes."
Annabeth leaned back against him, a smile tugging at her lips. Her thoughts, however, drifted toward Markus, and a question surfaced.
"So… when are you going to take Markus to the Underworld to meet his dad?"
Lucian's grin faded to a more contemplative expression. "When he's ready. He wants to be able to stand in front of his father without feeling weak. I told him about the time I punched my dad in the face, so he's probably using that as some sort of inspiration."
Annabeth raised a brow. "Did you tell him about what happened after that? You know, when you came limping home like a whipped puppy?"
Lucian avoided her gaze and muttered, "…I might've left that part out. And I thought we agreed to never speak of that incident again."
Annabeth burst into laughter, muffling it into his shoulder. "No promises."
Eventually, the two of them sat upright, their backs leaning against the windshield. Their legs were crossed, a tray of snacks and drinks balanced on their thighs, soft crinkling of wrappers occasionally breaking the silence between movie scenes.
"Do you plan on bringing Markus to Camp Half-Blood?" Annabeth asked between bites, her head tilting slightly as she chewed.
Lucian took a moment to think. "I'm not sure yet. I think he'd prefer to spend more time with his mom this summer. They've got a strong bond, and he missed out on a lot of time with her. He might come around later in the year though."
Annabeth nodded slowly, her expression soft. "Makes sense. From what you've told me, they have a really close relationship, so I can see that being the most likely case"
Seeing that Lucian had finished his food, Annabeth carefully moved the empty containers and wrappers off his lap. Without hesitation, she swung a leg over and sat directly on his thighs, facing the screen. She took his arms, guiding them around her waist, and gave them a couple of pats to secure them snugly.
"There," she said with satisfaction. "Nice and cozy."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, the soft noise of the movie playing in the background. But then—a sudden, unmistakable creaking noise cut through the air, causing both of them to glance to the side. Just one car over, a vehicle was rhythmically rocking back and forth.
Lucian's eyes widened.
Annabeth blinked. Her mouth opened slightly in disbelief.
Lucian looked at her, saw the stunned expression on her face—and immediately lost it.
"Hold up—pfft—your face is too funny! Hahahaha!" he choked out, bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
Annabeth looked back at the shaking car with mock irritation, then turned to him with a teasing scoff. "That could be us, but you're the one insisting we wait."
Lucian gasped, mid-laugh, and ended up choking on his own breath. He doubled over coughing, patting his chest, "Annabeth! What the hell—cough—cough—don't say that!"
She smirked proudly, clearly pleased with herself and her effect on him. "What?" she asked innocently. "Does being with me displease you or something?"
Lucian blinked in confusion, then quickly shook his head. "No, no, gods no! That's not it at all. It's just… morally, it doesn't feel right to me. I think it's better if we wait until we're older."
Annabeth turned to him with a deadpan stare. "Since when do you care about morality?" she asked flatly. "Lucian, you're literally a borderline psychopath with the emotional restraint of a rabid raccoon. I've seen you casually entertain the idea of torture, human experimentation, and blowing up cities if it benefited your goals. But this is your moral boundary? Really?"
Lucian looked mildly offended. "First of all—ouch. Second, kinda true. And third—yes. Look, I might be a villain, but I'm not a monster. There are some lines even a crazy person like me won't cross. And this… is one of them."
He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, his voice softening. "I just don't want us to rush into something we're not ready for. There's a time and place for everything. This just… isn't the time."
Annabeth softened, leaning back into his chest. She gently patted his hand. "Lucian, honey, you don't have to worry. I get it. I really do. It's frustrating to wait, sure—but I don't mind it. Not really."
Lucian narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "It sounds like you mind it."
Annabeth snorted. "Oh no, I'm just having fun watching you squirm. You get adorably awkward about this topic."
He gave her a long, blank stare. "Are you deadass right now?"
"Hehehe~ You're the most innocent psychopath I know," she giggled.
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you know other psychopaths?"
"What—pfft! You know what I meant, you doofus," she said, swatting his chest lightly.
She shifted slightly in his lap, now looking at him with a sweet expression. "But in all honesty, I love you too much to care about something as small as doing the deed. So long as I'm your first, I don't care when it happens. You could've told me you wanted to wait until marriage and I would've been totally fine with that."
Lucian tilted his head, a teasing smirk forming. "You're talking like marriage is already guaranteed."
Annabeth raised a hand to his cheek and gently patted it. "Oh Lucy, sweet innocent Lucy… You do realize I will kill you in your sleep if you even think about leaving me, right? You literally have no choice but to marry me if you want to continue breathing."
They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. But then Annabeth suddenly stopped, looking him straight in the eye.
"I'm not joking," she said flatly. "I really will kill you."
Lucian chuckled, unbothered, and leaned forward to press a kiss to the top of her head as the movie on the big screen began to roll the credits. They both hopped off the hood of the car, stretching their legs.
"Well then," Lucian said casually, "it's good to know I'll be sleeping peacefully for the rest of my life with absolutely nothing to worry about."
Annabeth just giggled in that lovestruck way that made Lucian feel both terrified and deeply adored.
The person to whom the car belonged to turned towards his partner and asked, "Who the hell were those kids?"
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