[Third Person Pov]
The next morning, Annabeth was snuggled up in Lucian's bed, curled comfortably beneath the covers. She was alone, hugging the blanket close to her chest, still lost in the warmth of sleep, when the door slowly creaked open just enough to let someone slip inside without waking her too soon.
Lucian stepped in, carefully balancing a tray of breakfast in his hands. He moved quietly across the room and set it down beside her on the nightstand with deliberate care, making sure nothing rattled. After placing it down, he took a few steps back, glancing at her to confirm she was still asleep
.
Then, with a small, mischievous smirk, Lucian raised a hand and summoned his magic. A large warhorn materialized in front of him, far bigger than necessary, forcing him to grip it with both hands just to hold it steady. He positioned himself at the foot of the bed, facing Annabeth, and took a deep breath, his chest expanding as he prepared himself.
Without hesitation, Lucian blew into the horn with everything he had. The deep, booming sound erupted instantly, a powerful, low bass that filled the entire room and made the very air vibrate. The tray of food rattled against the nightstand, plates trembling from the force of the noise.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFNNN!!
Annabeth shot upright in an instant, her body reacting before her mind caught up. Her eyes were wide with alarm as she looked around frantically, instinctively searching for a weapon. "Huh?! Wha—What?! Are we under attack?!" she demanded, her voice sharp with panic, her hair a complete mess from sleep.
It took her a second to actually register what was happening. Her gaze landed on Lucian, who was still blasting the horn without pause. Her expression flattened immediately, all urgency replaced with disbelief. She quickly brought her hands up to cover her ears as the noise continued to blare relentlessly.
"Alright, I get it already!!" Annabeth shouted, but her voice was completely swallowed by the overwhelming sound. Lucian had his eyes squeezed shut from the effort, completely oblivious to her reaction.
After a few more seconds, Lucian's face turned bright red, the strain finally catching up to him. His knees buckled, and he dropped the warhorn face-first onto the floor before nearly collapsing. He sucked in a breath and wheezed, "Happy… Birthday… Christ, I'm so lightheaded I almost passed out." He pressed a hand to his head as his vision swam.
Annabeth stared at him for a moment before pinching the bridge of her nose. She shook her head, but a laugh escaped her anyway. "Hehehe, there is seriously something wrong with you."
"Phew," Lucian blinked a few times, steadying himself as he regained his balance. He pushed himself upright and brushed himself off. "Thanks, I know. Anyways, I made you breakfast in bed," he added, gesturing proudly toward the tray.
Noticing the expectant look on his face, Annabeth turned toward the nightstand. A full spread of food awaited her, waffles stacked neatly, eggs cooked just the way she liked, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, and a variety of juices. It was clearly made with care, everything arranged to perfection.
"You really went all out, huh," Annabeth said, a warm smile forming on her lips. "Thank you, Lucian. Despite the completely unnecessary alarm, I really appreciate it."
Lucian rubbed the back of his nose, a little sheepish but still pleased with himself. "Anything for my best girl."
His smirk returned as he tilted his head slightly. "Want me to feed you?"
"Would you really?" Annabeth asked, completely serious, as if that was the best possible outcome.
Lucian didn't hesitate. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, carefully placing the tray across her lap. Annabeth watched with quiet amusement as he focused intently on preparing a proper bite, making sure everything was balanced on the fork before lifting it toward her, his other hand hovering underneath just in case.
"Here comes the choo-choo train, chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga—" Lucian said, moving the fork in a small playful motion before guiding it toward her mouth.
Annabeth opened her mouth and accepted the bite, covering her mouth politely as she chewed. A soft giggle slipped out despite herself. "You sure know how to pamper a girl…" she said, still chewing. "This is actually more embarrassing than I thought."
Lucian had already prepared the next bite, completely unfazed. "Do you want me to stop?"
Annabeth swallowed and immediately opened her mouth again. "Nope."
Lucian grinned and continued feeding her, attentive and patient, making sure each bite was just right. He kept it up until every plate was completely clean.
Once they were finished, Annabeth leaned back against the bed with a long, satisfied exhale. "Ugh, I feel absolutely bloated. Did you really have to make so much?"
"You didn't have to eat everything, you know," Lucian chuckled as he stood up and gathered the empty dishes.
"I know, but everything was just so good," Annabeth replied, letting out an exaggerated groan. "You're trying to get me fat on purpose, aren't you?"
"Annabeth, you're a demigoddess. Could you even get fat? I don't think I've ever seen a single fat demigod before," Lucian scoffed as he started toward the door.
"You could be trying to make me the first, I don't know," Annabeth said with a lazy chuckle.
Left alone again, Annabeth sank deeper into the bed, a content smile resting on her face. It was, without a doubt, a fantastic start to her birthday.
Throughout the day, Lucian continued to pamper her, and Annabeth welcomed everything he did for her with open arms.
By the afternoon, Annabeth found herself standing in front of a small hill of gift boxes. She stared at them in disbelief for a moment before slowly turning her head toward Lucian, confusion written all over her face. "What's all of this?"
Lucian rubbed the back of his head, looking a little bashful under her gaze. "I honestly didn't know what to give you. I thought maybe a powerful weapon to protect yourself, but then I remembered you have Aerarius. He's practically every weapon you'll ever need. The same thing went for defensive gear or amulets, so that kind of put a damper on things."
He shifted slightly, scratching his cheek as he continued. "Then I thought about something to heal you whenever you need it, but Lucerna has that covered. Nox and Aerarius already take care of your stealth and mobility, and Nebula handles anything related to magic, so I was kind of stuck with a conundrum." He gave a small, stiff smile.
Annabeth's expression softened, and for a moment she actually felt a little guilty. "Sorry…"
"It's fine. Actually, it's a good thing," Lucian said quickly, shaking his head. "It just means you've got most of your bases covered. So instead of getting you one big thing, I got you a bunch of smaller things to make up for it." He gestured toward the pile. "Since you're going on your expedition soon, I got you some clothes and enchanted them with different resistances. I also made you a few potions, just in case. I know it's not much—"
Annabeth didn't let him finish. She stepped forward and tackled him into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Lucian, the stuff you got me isn't what matters," she said, holding him close. "What matters is that you were thinking about me and actually put this much thought into it. That's what makes it important. Thank you."
Before he could respond, Annabeth rose onto her tiptoes and started planting quick kisses all over his face. Lucian froze for a second, his face warming rapidly under the sudden affection.
Slowly, a contented smile spread across his face, his expression making it clear that, to him, it had all been completely worth it.
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