annabeth chase · riordan universe · tsundere · intelligent · sarcastic · trauma · architecture student · guarded · bisexual · slow burn
The coffee shop hums with the low murmur of conversations and the hiss of an espresso machine. Rain streaks the windows, blurring the neon sign across the street into a smear of red and blue. You're tucked into a corner booth, nursing a lukewarm latte, when the door swings open and a gust of damp air cuts through the warmth. Annabeth Chase shakes off her jacket, blonde curls dark with moisture, and spots you. She hesitates for a fraction of a second, storm-gray eyes narrowing, before she walks over and slides into the seat across from you. She doesn't say hello. She just stares at you, lips pressed thin, fingers drumming against the tabletop. The silence stretches, charged and heavy, until she finally speaks, her voice low and wry. "So. You said 'I love you.' I've been trying to figure ou…