If there was one thing Annabeth hated about school, it was how quickly rumours spread. It didn't matter that it was university, rumours still spread like wildfire and she was sick of it.

All she wanted was to wear her favourite sweatshirt. It was comfy, it was warm, and it smelled like Percy. Sue her for wanting to wear it while he was gone for a national swim meet.

Unfortunately, the first time she had worn it was enough. By the end of the week, the campus was buzzing with the rumour that she had slept with Percy Jackson, the Olympic swimmer, and stolen his team sweatshirt. While it wasn't entirely untrue, it wasn't the full story and no one had yet bothered to actually ask Annabeth about it. Instead, they made assumptions.

"I hate it here," she grumbled into her phone. Hidden under a tree just outside the main school building, she was all but hiding from other students. 

"No you don't," Percy said on the other end of the line, "you love school. Studying is your thing."

"Everyone here gossips," she complained. "I wore your stupid swim team sweatshirt and suddenly I'm a―"

"Don't," Percy interrupted sharply. Annabeth huffed. "They're just jealous."

With a groan, she leaned closer to the tree as a handful of students filed out of the school building.

Percy was wonderful and she loved him, but sometimes she got the feeling he didn't understand how she was often viewed by others. Of course, wearing a sweatshirt with 'Jackson' sprawled across the back wasn't very subtle.

People were bound to talk. It just seemed like the rumours got worse and the gossip grew with every competition Percy won. It had grown exceptionally worse  two months ago after Percy won gold in two Olympic events.

Deciding to change the subject, Annabeth asked, "Are you almost here?"

"Still five minutes away, Wise Girl."

"Speed."

Percy laughed and Annabeth smiled. At least she would be seeing him soon. A week and a half was a long time to go without her Seaweed Brain.

"I'll see you in five minutes," Percy promised.

He hung up before she could grumble further which was unfortunate for two reasons. One, she had wanted to keep talking to him. And two, she had just made eye contact with one of her classmates and he was headed in her direction. 

"Annabeth! Hey!"

If she had wanted to duck away, it was too late now.

"Hey, Daniel." She smiled as he came to a stop beside her. "Did you need something?"

"What?" Daniel shook his head. "Oh, no. Just came to see if you were busy this weekend."

"Oh." For a lack of better response, Annabeth stayed silent.

"So," Daniel prompted after a few seconds, "are you busy?"

"I―well, kind of?" Annabeth grimaced and Daniel chuckled. "Why? Are you wanting to work on the project for design?"

Daniel's smile softened and he shook his head at her. "I was thinking more along the lines of a coffee date."

Annabeth froze, but Daniel didn't seem to take her poor reaction personally.

"We can work on the project if you want," he teased, but the joke fell flat as Annabeth was still panicking over how to respond. "I think coffee is more appropriate for a date, though."

In the back of her mind, it registered that she still hadn't given him an answer. However, her attention was suddenly directed elsewhere as a familiar head of messy hair appeared in her line of sight.

Daniel was long forgotten as Annabeth raced across the university lawn and threw herself at Percy. Wrapping both her arms and legs around him, she buried her face in his neck and willed herself not to cry tears of joy.

Percy laughed. "I missed you too, Wise Girl."

She could almost sense the very moment that other students began to notice Percy as well, but she could hardly be bothered to untangle herself from around him. It had been a long, difficult week and she had every intention of using Percy to make up for it.

"People are staring," Percy whispered.

Begrudgingly, Annabeth unwrapped her arms and legs from around him, but didn't let go of him.

"You're two minutes early," she whispered.

"Surprise." He smiled warmly and pressed a short kiss to her lips. They were pulled apart by a voice from behind them.

"Uh, Annabeth?"

It took a surprising amount of effort for Annabeth to turn away from Percy, but when she did, she was met with the sight of Daniel holding her laptop bag. He sheepishly held it up for her.

"You, uh, dropped this," he said.

"Oh." She took it from him gratefully, keeping one hand in Percy's. "Thank you."

There was a long bout of silence and Daniel shifted uncomfortably.

"So, you really do know him, then," Daniel said eventually. He gestured haplessly to Percy. "The Percy Jackson."

"Yeah," Annabeth said softly. She glanced up at Percy and smiled. "He's my husband."

By the next Monday, the whole school knew and this time, when she wore Percy's team sweatshirt, she was greeted with smiles in place of sneers.