#personally i picture a more show Annabeth and the show Percy but with dark hair

[katiefromcabin7]

I’m trying to avoid describing features in my fic because I want people to picture whichever versions of the characters they want but it is making somethings so challenging because I’m trying to avoid things like eye and hair colour

[riordanness]

the way i loved you - percabeth

4.0K wordcount

warnings: rivals to lovers,, fast burn?,, cringey writing,, mortal au

requested: no

- Percy -

I slid into my seat on Monday morning. We have assigned seating in nearly every class now (it definitely wasn't mostly my fault) which was pretty annoying, but at least I wasn't sitting near anybody I hated.

Well, I mean...

I glanced at the classroom door. Annabeth Chase stood in the doorway for half a moment, quickly scanning the room with her bright grey eyes. She spotted me, and immediately pretended not to.

Annabeth Chase and I were lifelong rivals. We'd grown up together and everything, but she was a pain, and I'd disliked her since I first met her at seven years old, when she'd demanded I play house her way, and when I'd refused, called me a stupid boy who didn't understand rules.

Now that we were in high school, we were even bigger enemies. We had the exact same timetable, and we were always in the same classes together, which was so annoying.

I rolled my eyes as Annabeth deliberately sat down at the front of the class. She was such a show-off in class, always putting up her hand to answer every question. And she always had the right answers! It was infuriating.

I decided to sit at the desk beside her. I could annoy her more if I sat right by her. There wasn't much in life I enjoyed more than being able to utterly infuriate Annabeth Chase.

She shot me a hateful glare as I sat down, but I just smirked at her in return. She groaned, rolled her eyes, and looked away from me, fixing her gaze on our teacher, Mr Day.

I laughed to myself as I studied her annoyed expression. Honestly, aggravating her never got old.

- Annabeth -

Ugh, Percy Jackson was going to be the death of me. I seriously could not get why he was so insistent on aggravating me. I mean, yeah, we were rivals, always had been, but he never ever stopped! I wouldn't mind having a break from constantly being his enemy. I might even like being his friend, but I knew that was completely out of the question.

I firmly put Percy Jackson out of my mind, and focused solely on our assignment the day: Things I Like Best. Why that was our assigned essay title, I had no idea. I mean, we were seventeen year olds. We weren't eight.

I raised my hand. "Uh, Mr Day?" I asked. "I'm very sorry, but I got distracted in class the other day; why exactly are we writing this essay again?"

Mr Day sighed a little, but since I was pretty much his star student, I think he forgave me.

"Well, Miss Chase. The things we like and dislike shape who we are. I want you guys to really dig deep into your personal likes and dislikes and discover what kind of person you are. Got it?"

A few kids were shaking their heads, a couple were falling asleep, and the idiotic sporty boys (*cough* Percy *cough*) were all goofing around.

Mr Day seemed to deflate a little. I sympathised with him. Teaching high school students must be on of the hardest jobs out there, honestly. I could never do it. Some days I could barely stand being one of the students!

"Well... alright... Miss Chase, what is your favourite song?" Mr Day asked, peering at me from over his steel-rimmed glasses.

I hesitated. I thought about my dad, and his favourite song. 'Mrs Jackson' had been his favourite song for as long as I could remember. Whenever I listened to it, I could picture his smile.

"Mrs Jackson," I replied.

Percy glanced at me, his eyebrows raised in slight, mocking curiosity.

I glared at him, embarrassed, thought I wasn't sure why. "Not you, Seaweed Brain. Ugh."

Percy smirked, tried to hide it, and failed. "Uh, sure thing... Wise Girl."

I went red, from embarrassment, hate, or anger, I wasn't sure. I turned aside and tried to ignore him... and my burning cheeks.

"Well, um, yes," Mr Day said, running a hand through his dark hair. "Now, why is that your favourite song, Miss Chase?"

I paused, but not for long. "It's my Dad's favourite song. It- it reminds me of him."

Mr Day seemed pleased. "That's lovely, Miss Chase. Now, that like is a part of shaping who you are. A girl who is close to her dad."

I tried to keep a straight face. Close to my dad? I didn't even know where he lived anymore. I'd run away at the age of twelve, and never looked back. I lived in a mixture of cardboard boxes, bridges, and people's doorways. I didn't even have a home.

No, I wasn't close to my dad. I just missed him, with all my heart. But I know he hadn't wanted me back then, and he wouldn't want me any more now, either.

But I obviously wasn't going to tell Mr Day any of that. I put on a smile, nodded, and put my full attention on my notebook, writing furiously.

At one point, I was gazing into space, trying to think of the right way to put a certain word into a certain sentence, when I realised I was staring at someone. Namely; Percy Jackson.

He was looking at me with a smug expression. An eyebrow raised. A smirk played at his lips. His infuriating smirk, always on his mouth. It was adorable, but I hated it. Hated how I liked it.

I rolled my eyes at him. "What are you looking at?" I asked, pouring as much sarcasm into my words as possible.

Percy's other eyebrow joined the first one. "You're the one staring, darling."

I gritted my teeth. He knew how much I hated when he called me that. What he didn't know was the reason I had then it. I hated the way it made my insides crawl with delightful butterflies, hated the way I wanted him to call me that again, more than anything.

Even though Percy knew I hated it, he did it anyway. I hated that boy more than anything. He was infuriating, awful, disruptive, aggravating, gorgeous... gorgeous?

What was I thinking? I shook those thoughts away. Percy Jackson was on my blacklist. I was never going to go there. Not ever.

"Jackson," I said sweetly. "I will never willingly stare at you. In fact, if you had half a brain, you'd probably realise that since we are in class, I was simply trying to think, and was staring into space, not realising a person was there."

I sat up straighter. "Also, you know I hate it when you call me names like that. Please do not."

Percy smirked. "Sure thing... darling."

I groaned, and slumped forward on the desk. There was no hope. Percy Jackson was a pain, and he always would be. I supposed I would just have to try my best to deal with him forever.

- Percy -

I laughed quietly to myself as I watched Annabeth lay her head on her arms. Percy: one — Annabeth: zero.

I stared down at my paper. There was three words on it. I groaned internally. I guess I'd fail this class too. Whatever. In my opinion, writing essays on who you were deep inside was not going to help me with my life. Like, at all.

My thoughts wandered. Back to what Annabeth had said earlier. Her favourite song... "Mrs Jackson". Not gonna lie, when I heard that I think I genuinely had a brain malfunction for a second. I had to double check she didn't mean, like... me and her. Luckily, she hadn't.

And then I'd caught her staring... huh. Biting the end of my pencil, I considered that. Did Annabeth have a crush on me? Surely not. She was always so mean to me, and I was mean to her, too.

Still... you know what people say: if a boy is mean to you in school, he probably likes you. Now, I was definitely not interested in Annabeth. Not even a little bit. But maybe that rule applied to her in this particular situation? That could be the reason she was mean to me.

I was just mean in response to her. I never really started it. At least not like half of the time.

I honestly wished we could just get over this stupid rivalry, I thought. I was sick of it. Why couldn't we just be friends now? I was almost seventeen. This childish thing we had going on was getting a bit old.

Maybe if I tried being nice to Annabeth, she'd see that it was getting to the point of ridiculousness, too.

- Annabeth -

The end of the school day was finally here. I glanced in my backpack, quickly taking stock of all of my supplies. I had two sets of clean clothes, my school books, my phone, about $20 in cash (I was trying to save that for an major emergency though), a water bottle, and a few bags of snacks.

I had three granola bars, two chocolate bars, an apple, and some trail mix. Enough to last me three, maybe four days before I needed to get more food. Five days, if I really stretched it.

I headed to the local library as soon as the bell rang. That was where I spent most of my afternoons. I could charge my phone, do my homework, relax, and just be in a safe place for a few hours.

When it shut, however, was the worse time of day. When I was forced back out into the streets.

It was growing dark. I shivered, and pulled my jacket around me tighter. All my usual sleeping places were either taken by animals, trash bags, or other homeless people, and I was struggling to find a dry place to lay.

Usually I opted for doorways with little archways over them, or bridges with those little platforms underneath. I couldn't find a single one.

After it had grown fully dark, I found myself wandering the streets of Upper East Side, Manhattan. I decided to just choose a random apartment and hope for the best.

I passed a slightly familiar dark blue Prius on the side of the street, and walked up the apartment it was parked nearest to.

I curled up on the front steps, pulled my hood over my curly blonde hair, wrapped my jacket tighter around my thin frame, and closed my eyes.

- Percy -

I woke to the smell of freshly cooked pancakes. Even better, they were my mom's blue, chocolate chip cookie pancakes. I jumped out of bed, pulled on my jeans and a blue T-shirt, and rushed into the kitchen.

"That smells amazing, Mom!" I grinned.

"Thanks, honey," my mother replied, giving me one of her beautiful smiles. "How did you sleep?”

I shrugged. "Yeah, good. Hey, I wanted to ask your advice on something."

Her eyebrows raised in question.

I nervously tapped my fingers against the bench top as I watched her pile a stack of pancakes on a plate for me. "Uh, well... you know Annabeth? Annabeth Chase?"

My mother nodded.

"Well, I'm sick of being enemies with her. I honestly want to be friends. This whole rivalry thing is getting on my nerves. I don't enjoy teasing her anymore. I mean, she's... ugh, I don't know."

I hung my head, biting my lip. "You know?"

My mother looked amused. She poured me a glass of orange juice. "Percy, honey, if you want to be her friend, I think you should just start by being as nice as possible. It's likely she'll retaliate for a while, but you never know. She might melt, and you guys could be good friends."

I nodded slowly. "Thanks, Mom. You always know exactly what to say." She honestly was the best person in the world.

She smiled. "You're welcome, Percy. I love you. Now eat up, and get ready for school."

I nodded, and dove into my pancakes with relish. (I mean, with pleasure. I didn't actually have any relish).

- Annabeth -

I woke to a gruff man standing over me. "Get off the steps, you hooligan! We don't need your lot sleeping on our front porches! Get lost!"

I stumbled to my feet, fingers closing alright my backpack, and I scrambled off the steps. "S-sorry, sir," I stammered, backing slowly away. "I didn't- I didn't mean—"

"Away with you!" was the only reply.

I bit my lip, turned, and hurried away, brushing the tears away with the back of my hand.

I sling my backpack over my shoulder and glanced behind me. In a window of the apartment, on the third floor, a boy stood for a moment. And, I'll be damned, but I could've sworn it was Percy Jackson.

Percy Jackson...

Our rivalry had gone on so long I couldn't even remember how it had started. Honestly, it was so long ago, why were we still fighting? This endless war between us was slowly but surely pulling me down into the depths. I felt exhausted and depressed and so, so sick of being alive.

I honestly wished we could just be friends now. Surely I could give it a try? It couldn't hurt. He might even agree with me, and say that it was high time we were friends.

I set my jaw, straightened my shoulders, and headed to school.

- Percy -

I stood at my window for a few seconds, staring out at the city of New York. My eyes flitted down to the street below me. A homeless looking girl with blonde hair and a green backpack was being moved on by a guy I knew lived on the second floor.

Hmm, blonde hair and a green backpack? I squinted hard, I couldn't quite be sure, but— I could've sworn that girl was Annabeth.

I shook my head. Surely that couldn't be right. But then again, as I thought about it more, I'd never heard anything about where Annabeth lived. She'd never told me, and, well, we weren't really friends or anything. We barely ever talked about anything personal. We just argued and bickered and fight most of the time.

I blew out my breath, glanced down at my feet, and headed downstairs. It was time for school, and I didn't want to be late again.

I arrived at school the exact moment the bell rang. I was out of breath from running all five blocks to get here, but at least I wasn't technically late.

- Annabeth -

I let out a long sigh, clutching my schoolbooks tight against my chest. I shivered once in the cold, then stepped inside the school building. Once again, I had to be here. Once again, a day of hell.

I could do this, right?

I quickly came to the conclusion that, no, I really could not do this. I constantly felt like curling into a ball and covering myself with a blanket. Oh, and crying. I definitely wanted to be crying.

I hurried to my first class, Geometry. I didn't exactly dislike the subject, I just didn't find it particularly engaging. I was sure it could be made more fun for the students, and one day I hoped that some reached someday took the time to actually make it that way.

I reached the classroom door just as the bell for first period rang. Thank goodness I wasn't late.

Pushing open the classroom door, I quickly scanned the available desks. Only two were free, one double desk, and a single beside the girl I only knew because she was the weird 'theatre kid'. The one who always sang aloud during class, wore dozens of rainbow-coloured bangles on her wrists, had coloured streaks in her hair, and thought anyone who did not participate in Drama was a total loser.

Yeah... I wasn't sitting with her. I did not have the mental energy to deal with that today at all.

I slid into the double desk seat, sitting against the wall. I leant my shoulder a little too heavily on the white plaster, my head suddenly pounding. My temples throbbed.

Every part of me ached.

Ached with exhaustion. Pain. An ache I couldn't identify. I was craving something I couldn't even name.

- Percy -

I walked into my first class. The first thing I noticed was Annabeth Chase. She was sitting at her desk, her forehead resting on the wood. She looked like she was in pain, and it suddenly saddened me to realise that no one in the classroom had even noticed.

I slid quietly next to her on the double bench chair. "Hey, you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice soft.

Annabeth straightened quickly, almsot in fright, as if she was used to people startling her. Her grey eyes was glistening, I think with tears. "What?"

I gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?" I repeated.

She started to nod, but then slowly stopped, and shook her head once. "Not really..." she whispered. I was immediately worried about how awful her voice sounded. It was slightly raspy and tight, like she was trying her hardest not to burst into tears.

I chewed my lip. I wasn't sure what to say now. I hadn't really expected her to reply, at least not that.

"What do you need?" I asked.

Annabeth stared down at her stack of workbooks. "I'm not sure I should be talking to you about this."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Look," I sighed. "I'm really sorry about the way I've treated you. I took the teasing a little too far and I'm really sorry about that. Can we start over?

Annabeth hesitated. Then, she nodded. "Okay."

I smiled. "Okay. Um, so what's wrong?"

Annabeth glanced towards the front of the room, but the teacher hadn't yet noticed we were talking. That was when I realised Annabeth was sitting at the back of the class. She never did that.

"So, um..." Annabeth twirled a pen between her fingers. "Well, basically... I've been homeless since I was twelve, and... it's getting harder and harder to deal with lately."

I blinked, stunned. When I finally got my voice back, all I could manage to say was: "Oh, gosh, Annabeth... I'm so sorry."

She shrugged one shoulder. "It's fine. I'm used to it by now. My dad didn't want me. I was the result of something he really wanted to forget, so I was a constant reminder of what he'd done. So, when I was twelve, I... I just left. I knew he wanted me gone, so I've been living on the streets ever since. But it's... it's fine."

I shook my head adamantly. "No. That's... gosh, that's awful. You are coming to stay with me and my mum tonight. Actually, for as long as you need."

She met my eyes. "Percy, I... I can't let you do that."

"Nonsense," I insisted. I had the idea now, and I wasn't going to let her change my mind. "It's no trouble at all, and we've got a spare room in our apartment. I promise, it's fine."

She bit her lower lip, thinking. "O-okay. Thank you, Percy."

I smiled a little. "'S okay."

She finally managed a small smile too. "That means a lot. Really, thank you."

- Annabeth -

"Are you sure your mother won't mind?" I asked for what must have been the millionth time.

Percy chuckled. "Yes, Beth, I'm sure."

"Beth?" I asked incredulously. It was a new nickname, something no one had ever called me before in my life. But... I liked it.

He paused. "Oh, sorry. Do you hate that nickname?"

I considered it. "No, I actually kinda like it."

"Okay," he said, grinning. "Good." He continued up the front steps of his apartment building, the same building I'd slept under last night.

"So it was you looking out at me this morning!" I exclaimed suddenly.

Percy looked at me. "Yeah, I guess so. You were the girl outside.

I nodded. "Yeah."

Percy looked a little grim. "Okay, come on up. I'll introduce you to my mum."

Percy's mother was the best person I'd ever met. She was so lovely and kind to me, literally treating me like a daughter of her own from the second I walked in the door.

She immediately took me under her wing, washing me and lending me some of her old clothes to change into.

"Hmm..." Sally said. "I don't seem to have any tops your size, honey. You'll have to borrow a few t-shirts or hoodies from Percy until we can get you some of your own."

I nodded. "Okay. I really appreciate this, Ms Jackson."

"Oh please." She waved me off. "Call me Sally."

"Okay. Thank you Sally."

"You're welcome, Annabeth. Anytime, you hear?"

"Alright."

Percy poked his head through the door. "Here you go, Mum." He handed us an armful of shirts and hoodies. "Hope some of those fit."

He disappeared, and I found myself staring at the doorway, daydreaming a little.

"Okay," Sally's voice brought me back to the present. I blinked. Sally was watching me, an amused expression on her face.

"What?" I asked.

Sally smiled. "Here you are, dear." She passed me a shirt and hoodie, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

I slipped off the dressing gown she'd lent me, and pulled Percy's t-shirt over my head. It was a little big, but that didn't matter. I added the hoodie, and ran my hands through my hair. It wasn't too messy, so I just tied it back with a hairband and headed out into the lounge room.

Percy and Sally were waiting. When I entered the room, Percy stared at me for a moment.

"What?" I asked nervously.

He blinked. "No, nothing."

"Okay..." I shifted a little. "Thanks for the clothes."

"You're welcome."

I smiled. "Um, and thank you both so much for letting me stay here. It's honestly the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time."

Percy's eyes darkened. "It's no trouble at all, Beth."

Sally gave us a both a look I didn't understand, then grabbed her keys and wallet off the bench. "Well, I've gotta go buy some groceries. You kids be good." And she was gone.

Percy and I stood in silence for a few awkward minutes. "What you wanna do?" Percy finally asked.

I shrugged. "I don't mind. You can choose."

He picked up the remote and flicked on the TV. "What kind of movies are you into?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen many movies," I replied. "You can choose, I don't mind at all."

"Honestly, I love Disney movies," Percy admitted. He turned on Tangled.

"Fair enough," I laughed. "I haven't seen this in years."

Percy shot me a smile, and my heart gave an unexpected flutter.

I smiled back a little uncertainly, then focused on the TV screen. Halfway through the movie, though, I felt my eyelids starting to grow heavier. I tried to stay awake, but exhaustion suddenly flooded me. My eyes closed, my head dropped, and I fell asleep.

- Percy -

Annabeth suddenly dropped her head onto my shoulder. I glanced at her in confusion, then realised she was asleep. Trying not to wake her up, I shifted ever so slightly so she would be more comfortable, then gently lay a lap blanket over her.

I tried to focus on the movie, but her gentle breathing kept distracting me. After a while, I realised I was watching her more than I was watching the movie.

I clicked off the TV, glancing again at Annabeth. She shifted in her sleep once, but that was all. A strand of curly blonde hair fell in front of her face. As carefully as I could, I picked it up and tucked it behind her ear.

Suddenly, without thinking about it, I leant forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Beth," I whispered, and smiled.

[cutesydemure22]

Percabeth AU

Outlawed

Chapter 2

Annabeth

Got to run, run away, fast, I thought as I hurriedly packed my stuff. Water. Check. Food rations. Check. Gun. Check. Clothes. Check. Picture of mom. Check. I paused, looking down at her. Mom had dark brown hair and gray eyes. It's a shame I don't look anything like her. With my princess blonde curls, the only similarity is our eyes. I have her eyes. I stuffed it into my bag and quietly sneaked down the stairs. I wasn’t planning on staying with my gullible father, abusive stepmother, and snarky step brothers. I had already told my friends, Thalia and Luke, that I was running away. Let’s hope they don’t worry too much about me, I thought. I grabbed my shoes, which were lying by the door, and slipped them on. At least my shoes were actually comfortable. Even the village is better than this place. My ‘family’ and I lived on the outskirts of the city, far from the giant JumboTrons and the capital. That meant only a half-hour walk to the end of the city. Should I really do this? I ran my hands along the scars that traveled up my arms, all courtesy of my stepmom, Helen. Yes. I creeped out the door, keeping to the shadows so the guards wouldn't spot me. As I neared the entrance, the family size homes shrunk to what would be considered dirt poor up the the capital. If these are considered dirt poor, the village is just dirt, I thought darkly. I envied the people in the capital, getting to study whatever they wanted, living under the amazing architectural buildings. I sighed. If it were up to me, I’d design the entire country to have architecture like that. I hadn’t even noticed, but the entrance to the village was right in front of me, I had nearly walked straight in. I suddenly felt conscious of what I was wearing. Is this village clothing? I was wearing a gray cropped tee that showed off my belly button, black ripped jeans, scuffed up white sneakers and a blue yankees cap, the only thing left of my mother. I shivered, wishing I’d brought a jacket. I stepped across the border, trying to relax my posture while keeping aware of my surroundings. I did it. My family is in the past now. It was dark, and I was aware of people around me, probably boys trying to have fun from the way they whispered invitations in my ears. As I ducked into several alleys, scouting out places to stay for the night, the voices faded away. I spotted a dark alley, half enclosed by a torn down wall. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. I slipped into it, and before I had time to think that it would be a perfect place for someone to corner me, a figure whisked me into a patch of shadows and threw their hood over my head.

“Wha-” I started, but the figure pressed their hand over my mouth. They were standing directly in front of me, pinning me against the wall. I heard someone behind us let out a curse and stomp around the alley. After a few moments, the figure took their hand from my mouth, but didn't back away. I stayed quiet. I could make out that it was a boy, with glimmering sea green eyes. We were so close that if I tilted my head up slightly my lips would brush his. He smelled like warm cookies and the ocean, an odd combination, but one that fit well together. For some reason, I felt my cheeks heat up at our close proximity. I was vaguely aware of the other person stomping away, their footsteps receding down the alley. The boy kept me pressed against the wall for a few more moments, then backed away. He shoved his hands in his pockets and studied me. 

“Why did you do that?” I asked.

“Um. Because he was following you.” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “I obviously figured that out. I meant why did you help me? I don’t know you.” 

He grinned, flashing brilliant white teeth. “Can’t I just help someone without having notorious intentions?” 

I frowned. “No. Now, answer my question.” 

He sighed petulantly. “Because you needed help. I don’t think that much about stuff.” 

I huffed, still not buying it. “Fine. What's your name?” 

“Percy. What’s yours?”

“Annabeth. Now get out. This never happened, kay?” I turned and set down my stuff. 

“Um, wait, Annabeth.” I turned back around quizzically. 

“Here. Take this. You need it more than I do.” I caught a glimpse of his embarrassed face as he tossed me his jacket, then he was gone. I caught it, then almost burst out laughing. Not a lot of boys had a crush on me in elementary or middle school, and I’d kissed a few boys in high school, but that’s it. As I settled into the corner of the alley, I found myself wishing he’d come back.

[phykios]

honesty and promise me, co-written with @darkmagyk [read on ao3]

Update: Annabeth has not done what needs to be done. 

August moves over into September, hot and sweltering days giving way to the first few hints of the coming autumn chill. One unseasonably cold night, Annabeth had gone to bed wrapped in one of Percy’s old Paris Opera sweaters, waking up with it and wearing it home to ward off the chill of the morning drizzle, like some a normal girlfriend would. 

It’s a problem, she knows, but she just cannot quit this man. 

And boy did she try, about a hundred different times. 

One time, she spent an entire Tuesday before seeing him googling around until she found a picture. It was three years old, and it showed Mittie--oh, sorry, Her Royal Highness Margherita--at a soccer game in Moscow. Next to her is the handsomest man in the world. Percy’s hair is shorter, and something about his windbreaker reminds her of some of the crew boys she knew at Harvard. They aren’t touching, but they are both smiling. This is the kind of girl Percy deserves. This is the kind of girl he should want. His type. She reminds herself of it for hours before meeting him at a show. But the smile he gives her is nothing like the one in the pictures with the princess. And when he whispers what he wants to do to her that evening, she just can’t do it. 

She even took him to his favorite pizza place once to soften the blow. But then she thought about how her dumping him would forever taint the magic of Antonio’s for the both of them, and she just couldn’t abide that.

So she kept putting it off. And putting it off. And putting it off.

And then he asked her to dinner with his parents again, on his one night off in three weeks.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to bring you something?” he asks for the fourth time, concern making his connection thin and tinny.

“It’s just a little stomach thing,” she lies, shaking out a ramen flavor packet. “I’ll be fine. You go have fun with your mom.”

“Okay. I’ll call later to check up on you.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m just going to be asleep.”

“Talk to you later.”

“Yeah.”

He clicks off. Her apartment is very quiet. For lack of anything else to do, she decides to check her mail.

Who even mails anything anymore, she thinks.

Rifling through the pile of wasted paper, she sighs at the banality of it all. Junk, junk, junk, NYCB brochure she needs to cancel, junk… Harvard?

She peers at it.

The red seal is unmistakable, as is her name, printed in neat, black ink. “Ms. Annabeth Chase.” Why are they contacting her? And more importantly, who the fuck gave them her address?

Hands shaking, she unfolds it. “Dear Ms. Chase,” it reads, “Thank you for your generous contribution to the Harvard Graduate School of Design. As one of our most promising graduates, we are so pleased and thrilled to receive your encouragement. With your gift, we were able to reach our fundraising goal of $2.5million, which will go to support the various operations of the school, so that we can continue to provide a top-notch education for your fellow students. You do make a difference for us, and we are immensely thankful for you!” And then it goes on. “As a thank you for your generous gift of $15,000, we would like to invite you to the Alistair Moore dinner for distinguished graduates and faculty. We would be delighted to receive you at...” 

She can’t finish, dyslexia scrambling the words in front of her. Or maybe that’s just her, trembling so hard she has to sit down. Fifteen thousand. The Alistair Moore dinner. She knows it well, yet another fancy networking event, like the Eta Industries party. Bile rises in her throat. Who would…

The answer hits her like a freight train. Only one person would be so bold. 

Crumpling the letter in her fist, she pulls out her phone, dialing the number she still stubbornly has memorized, despite deleting it off her contacts list. 

She isn’t sure if she’s upset that she gets his voicemail, or relieved. “Hey, dad. It’s me,” she says, grimacing as she starts off like he wouldn’t recognize her voice. Like it’s any other phone call. “I got your message. The Alistair Moore dinner? I’m not going. I told you, I don’t want your help. I don’t need your help. What I need,” she sneers, “is for you to butt out and leave me the hell alone.”

Then she hangs up, before she can chicken out and delete it.

She shoves the letter into her recycling bin, down to the very bottom. Out of sight and out of mind. 

Well, her night is pretty much ruined. 

Ramen growing colder, she lies on her couch, her head hanging over the edge, studiously not looking at her phone. She shouldn’t have left that message. She shouldn’t have opened that letter. She shouldn’t have rebuffed Percy’s invitation. Or maybe she was right, in all those situations. Who the fuck knows. Who the fuck cares. Her leg bounces, frantic, stomach roiling.

Like a gunshot, her phone vibrates on her coffee table. Annabeth catapults herself up, reaching for it, nearly dropping it, even as her eyes begin to blur. Please let it be her dad. Please let it be anyone else but her dad. Please. Please. Please. 

checking in, writes Percy. feeling any better?

With a sob, she hits call. He picks up after the second ring.

“Hey,” he says, softly. “Everything okay?”

“Can,” she hiccups. God damn it. God damn her. “Can you please come over?”

She can feel his demeanor change over the phone. “I’ll be right there,” he says, calm and collected. “What’s your address?”

Her address is supposed to be a secret. No one is supposed to know where she lives. She doesn’t even like Luke knowing where she lives, and he might be the closest thing she has to family right now. But she tells Percy, and he promises to be there within thirty minutes. Throwing her arms over her face, she lies back down, breathing through her nose so she doesn’t vomit.

He makes it in twenty. here is the simple text, devoid of any hearts or emojis, and she buzzes him up. Less than a minute later, he knocks on her door. “It’s open,” she calls, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. 

Softly, the door clicks open, someone smoothly and quietly stepping inside. “Annabeth?” 

“Here,” she moans. She should get up to greet him. She can’t feel her legs. She can’t feel anything at all. 

The couch dips as someone sits next to her, a warm, large hand on her shoulder, and she can’t help but open her eyes. Percy is there in his blue sweater that she returned the last time she had slept over at Nico’s apartment, his brow furrowed in worry, but he’s smiling a little, too, just happy to see her, to see that she’s safe. In his other hand, he holds up a plastic bag. “I brought you a cookie,” he says, gently. “Chocolate chip.”

Annabeth blinks. “It’s… blue.”

He nods. “It is.”

Blue cookies. His mom’s special recipe, he had told her, for bad days of aching feet, harsh dance instructors, and school bullies.

The dam breaks. 

She launches herself into Percy’s embrace, sobbing. He tucks her head into his neck, his arms coming up around her. “It’s okay,” he murmurs. “It’s okay.”

“I’m--I’m so sorry,” she gets out, in between heaving breaths. “I just--I didn’t want to be alone and--”

He shakes his head against hers, his nose in her hair. “I’m here. It’s okay.”

They sit there for a long, long time, him holding her as she cries, pathetic. She can only imagine what it must be like from Percy’s end: here he was, having a lovely dinner with his mother uptown on his night off, only to get a frantic call from his hookup, demanding that he drop everything and rush to her side. And he did. He even fucking brought her one of his mom’s special cookies. 

She does not deserve this perfect, amazing man.

It’s that thought more than anything else that pulls her out of her spiral, her sobs abating somewhat. “There we go,” he says, sweetly. “I’m going to get you some water, okay? Be right back.”

Resisting the urge to hold onto his sleeve like some kind of child, she lets him pull away, stepping into her kitchen. Head aching and eyes puffy, she can’t even really register the fact that he is in her apartment right now. Her secret hideaway. Her sanctum sanctorum. He can see her tasteful couches and her expensive coffee maker and her giant TV screen. 

But honestly? She doesn’t care about any of that right now. All she cares about is the long, solid line of Percy’s body next to hers as he sits back down next to her, handing her a glass of water. She drinks it down, greedily, falling back against him, his hand automatically coming up to her shoulder, and she turns into his side, drinking him in, just as desperate.

They don’t speak, just holding onto each other. 

As she drifts off, there on her couch, her arm around Percy’s midsection, she only has one real thought in her head. 

Forget the apartment--this is her sanctum sanctorum. This is her safe space.

***

Annabeth wakes up in a bed that isn’t her own, in an apartment that isn’t her own. 

It reminds her, weirdly enough of her mom’s apartment, she thinks as she sits up in the soft, cream sheets, here in New York. She had only ever been a handful of times, whenever her mother deigned to claim her for their allotted family time. She doesn’t remember much about that place--mostly the skyline through the window, the low, uncomfortable furniture, the spotless, empty kitchen. 

Across from the bed is a mirror, squat and wide. Annabeth has her hair back, her face devoid of metal. She looks tired, she thinks, and maybe a little older, dark, heavy bags beneath her eyes. She’s wearing a real, actual set of pajamas, rather than a sweater or an oversized shirt, pale pink silk tight around her body. 

Shaking her head, she looks down, and spies a thin band of gold on her left hand, which rests on her stomach, sporting a slight, but noticeable curve. 

Only then does she realize it’s a dream. She lets out a grateful sigh. Just a dream.

It seems like a pretty boring one, too. She’s older, a little fatter, and has a nicer apartment. Somewhere in the distance is the indistinct sound of a person singing. And beyond that the even more indistinct sound of the city. 

Stumbling out of bed, her feet falling into a pair of soft, pink slippers, perfectly positioned next to her bed, she makes her way out into the apartment. The walls are cream, decorated with generic seaside landscapes, a nondescript sailboat in the background against an unchanging, cornflower blue sky. 

The kitchen is empty. Breakfast is cooked, laid out on a placemat at the kitchen island, but no one is there eating it. No one is there cleaning up, or making coffee. The food looks delicious, like a magazine spread: a perfectly made bowl of granola and yogurt, a lemon poppyseed muffin, a glass of orange juice on the side. Nutritious. Small. 

It’s weird. It’s really weird.

Moving on, she enters the living room. There’s a little girl on her knees, maybe three or four, she’s wearing a red pinafore over a white polo shirt and Mary Janes shined like the top of the Chrysler building. The preschool version of a prep-school uniform. She’s hunched over the glass coffee table, frizzy blonde curls bouncing as she moves her hand back and forth, scribbling with a colored pencil on a piece of paper. 

All of a sudden, she notices Annabeth standing there. 

“Mommy!” She jumps up, holding the pencil behind her back, her green eyes wide with apprehension. “I--I was--”

She hears whistling, and turns to see… well, it's Percy, but he looks nothing like her Percy. His hair is cropped shorter, parted and moussed perfectly flat. He’s in a three piece suit. He’s in trousers. Not a pair of sweatpants or a muscle tee in sight.

He stops when he sees her. “Sorry, didn’t know you were awake, wouldn’t have been singing.” Which makes no sense, Because Annabeth loves Percy’s ambient music. He looks around her, speaking to his--to the girl, “I told you you’d have to stop when mommy got up.” 

Annabeth glances at the little girl, who nods too solemnly. 

“Don’t worry,” this stranger wearing Percy’s face says, “She’s ready for school. She is ready for her Math qualification. I only said she could draw for a little, to calm herself down.” He glances at the girl again. “Put your things back in the art box, and we’ll go to school. I have an 8:30 meeting with the board.” 

The little girl runs off. Holding her paper and her pencils close to her chest, like she’s afraid someone is going to take them away from her. Maybe someone is. 

Percy turns to her. “I confirmed our reservations at 7 tonight at Sarabeth’s with your mother’s assistant this morning. And the nanny is going to stay late, so we don’t have to bring her.”

The her in question reappears just then. She’s so small. And she’s carrying a backpack. She looks like that breakfast, out of a magazine. But normally kids in magazines smile. 

“Are you ready?” Annabeth’s voice finally says.

A beat, then she nods again. “Yes, mommy.”

“Good,” she says. Outside, the sunlight through the windows isn’t so bright anymore, but dark and cold, like a solar eclipse. “Make me proud.”

And she turns to go back to bed, but the floor has disappeared, and she steps on nothing, tumbling down into the void.

With a start, she wakes up again in her bed, to the smell of breakfast in the air. Which is confusing, because she’s pretty sure she fell asleep on the couch, and she usually doesn’t wake up in time for breakfast, let alone actually make it herself: she has Percy for that, now. 

Right. Percy. 

It comes back to her in flashes: the donation, the voicemail, calling Percy out of desperation. Inviting him into her room, her bed. Falling asleep in his arms. 

She physically shakes her head, roughly scrubbing her face, forcing herself further into consciousness. The light coming through her window is grey and weak, doing absolutely nothing to help her out. The morning feels muted, for some reason, like it’s very far away. Maybe it was her nightmare.

She can’t hear Percy, Annabeth realizes. That’s what’s wrong. She can smell breakfast, but she can’t hear him puttering away. She doesn’t hear the clanking of pans as he tries to be quiet, or his off-key humming, or the dull thump of footfalls on her floor as he practices his steps. 

God, how late did she sleep? If he has to leave for a morning class he usually makes sure to wake her up, first. For a kiss if nothing else.

But when she pads out to her kitchen, she’s stunned to find Percy still there, sitting at her warped kitchen table. There are two plates in front of him, eggs and bacon untouched and cooling. He’s fully dressed, too, in his dark jeans and stupid dance pun t-shirt: “Girls Just Wanna Have Buns,” his sweater on the empty chair. Annabeth had been weirdly looking forward to wearing that this morning; he likes seeing her in his clothes, and she likes seeing him without them. It’s a system that works for them, typically leading to a lot of smiles, a couple giggles, and maybe another round or two before he has to leave.

He’s not smiling now. His gaze is fixed on his plate, hands in his lap. “Morning,” she croaks, softly.

Percy lifts his eyes to her, unfathomable like the sea. “Morning.”

Something in her stops her from sliding into the seat across from him. Standing gives her strength, gives her power that she doesn’t want to give up. She may not be able to tell what Percy is thinking right now, but she knows when someone is gearing up for a fight. “What is it?”

“What is what?”

“What’s the matter?”

He is uncharacteristically still. Annabeth has gotten so used to him expressing himself via his body, the stillness is unsettling. Percy holds her gaze for a moment, then sucks in a breath, sitting up a little bit straighter. “I kicked over your recycling by mistake, and when I was cleaning up, I…” He bites his lip, a little ashamed. “I accidentally read some of your mail.”

“Okay.” He can’t be that broken up about her junk mail, can he?

It’s only then that she sees it, laid out neatly next to the breakfast plate. The letter has been carefully uncrumpled, but the red Harvard seal is as obnoxiously bright as ever. “I don’t mean to pry, but…” Percy licks his lips, gathering his words together. “I thought you didn’t get into Harvard?”

She doesn’t say anything.

“It’s just--this is from the Graduate School of Design,” he continues, looking at the page as if to confirm it. “And the dean says you were one of their ‘most promising graduates,’ here, so. That means you have, what, a master’s degree? Right?”

Still, she doesn’t say anything.

Percy rubs a hand over his mouth, square jaw squaring further. “I guess I just don’t understand why you lied to me.”

“I never--” she blurts. 

“I mean, were you trying to spare my New Yorker sensibilities by telling me you didn’t get in? Did you think I would actually care?”

There’s nothing she can say in response. So she doesn’t. 

After a moment, he blows out a sharp breath. “So. Fifteen thousand dollars, huh.”

She sighs, looking away. It’s not like Annabeth doesn’t hate it, too. “I didn’t do that,” she says, crossing her arms. “My dad did it, he just put it under my name.”

“And, he did that… why? I mean,” he tilts his head, a little bewildered. “I thought you guys weren’t on speaking terms.”

“To try and get me to network again, probably.” She shrugs. “And I’m not on speaking terms with him. He just hasn’t gotten the memo yet.”

He hasn’t raised his voice at all. He hasn’t moved from his seat, or made any kind of threatening gesture, but like an approaching storm cloud, she can feel the anger rolling in, dense and crackling. “Does he do this a lot, your dad? Throw his money around for you?”

“It’s not like I asked him to.” 

But he’s shaking his head, rueful. “I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. You know, I thought it was weird that you could afford an apartment in the East Village with a bedroom on periodic architecture contracts, but I’m guessing he pays for that, too?”

He’s right, of course, but that doesn’t stop her from bristling. “It’s a trust fund,” she snaps. “It’s still my money.”

“A trust fund,” he says, softly. “Right.” 

Anger lances through her, cold and burning. Just because her dad had set it up for her didn’t mean that she wouldn’t use it. “Yeah, a trust fund. Is that a crime, now?” 

He opens his mouth as if to say something, then snaps it shut with an audible click. Pushing his chair out, he stands up, hands flat on the table. “I should go and get ready for my class. I’ll… I’ll text you later, okay?” Percy takes a step towards her, hands reaching for her on instinct, then pauses. “See you around.”

Percy leaves without so much as a look back, closing the door so quietly she can barely hear it over the roar of blood in her ears.

[angloie]

Charms.

(1/?)

> Percy likes to deceive. Lie, manipulate, more lies; it was a part of his job, after all. Annabeth has been deceived. Lied to. Manipulated. She's an woman of many secrets- secrets she'd rather not let anyone know.

> Assassin! Percy x CEO! Annabeth.

> Warnings: Mostly angst + fluff, character death and some violence. Nothing too explicit. Mentions of blood/mild injuries as well as alcohol. (characters are aged up!)

pt. 2 || pt. 3 || pt. 4 || pt. 5

Percy's thumb rule was never do anything he didn't want.

To live a happy and healthy life, that was completely normal; especially for such a laid back guy like him.

Choosing this... rather wild career was something he wanted to do, willingly. Life was short, so why not make the most of it? It was getting awfully bleak with the normal civilian life. After all, no one would believe the nice young man who helped the old man carry the groceries to his car would be someone who killed for a living. A smile so bright that it could give the sun a run for its money and warm sea green eyes could hide so much more than just innocence.

The ceiling to floor windows of his penthouse showed a breathtaking view of the New York skyline, sun moving behind the tall buildings and moon replacing the orange hue. Being an assassin had its perks- despite endangering his life on multiple occasions. The pay was just out of this world. All that cash just to kill off some sleazy politician, or that one corrupt buisness man? Sign him up. Zero hesitation.

Percy frowned at the dried blood on his once pure white gloves. He was quick to peel them off. He shuddered at the unsightly view of a small stain of blood on his onyx-colored suit.

He would just buy a new one later. Small things like that didn't matter. Sure, that might've been a gift from one of his clients, but it wasn't anything he couldn't replace.

Hanging his coat on the rack beside the wide entrance, he sighed with clear tiredness. One night of forced politeness and smiles took a toll on him- Also due to the fact that he had just done his job as an assassin. It wasn't what you could call easy.

His muscles were aching and sore in all the worst places, every move throbbing with full pain. The shallow slash on his lower abdomen had soaked his shirt in a dark crimson red, most likely going to leave a bad stain. He would have to clean that later.

The penthouse was big and rather spacious. White Walls and abstract paintings lined them, reflecting off the almost pristine marble floors. It took a while for Percy to get settled in, it being a huge place and all that. But he soon made it feel like home with the help of old picture frames that held memories and the Nemo stuffed animals resting on the leather couch.

“WOOF!”

And Mrs. O'leary.

Mrs.O’leary- a huge, slobbering dog with thick black fur- bounded towards him in a frenzied greeting. She hopped up on her hind legs to lick his face, tail wagging at a unmatched speed. She barked again, this time more quieter.

“Yeah, yeah. It's nice to see you too.” Percy laughed as he tried to pull away. Once he went to the kitchen to grab a bone-shaped treat. “Who’s a good girl?” He cooed, tossing the snack in the air. Mrs.O’leary jumped up to snatch it before barking and padding away. Her tail still wagged with elation.

When Percy first moved here, it was quite nerve-racking. He'd heard that this place was an especially good spot for people like him- meaning people who did some illegal activity. Well, that was what he assumed. Percy was 99% sure that his neighbor just in the penthouse below him, (Leo was it?) had to be involved in some sketchy stuff. That creepy smile of his with a mysterious staining his shirt never meant any good. Or maybe when his other neighbor, had a odd looking duffel bag slung across his shoulder. Oddly human shaped, maybe. With a horrible smell of something rotting. Percy recalled introducing himself a Nico DiAngelo. A pretty reserved and quiet guy, usually having a frown of his face. Well, other than that time when he had his boyfriend over, a sunshiney guy with sun-kissed hair. He never got the chance to catch his name.

Wrapping a white cloth around his wound, Percy's met with a sense of familiarity. Fixing his own injuries by himself. It would bee nice to have some help once in a while, but that would mean exposing him. He's definitely not ready to risk that.

Other than his boss and a couple of really close friends, no one knows about this. Percy nearly slipped up once- when a old companion from high school came over to visit, and his small arsenal of weapons were revealed. The little compartment hidden behind a painting. Not another word wasmsaid about it. Percy made up some half-assed excuse about auditioning for a movie so they were fakes.

It didn't take much of a expert, but the were far from fakes.

His phone rang from beside Percy, making him jolt in surprise. The contact name made him smile just the tiniest bit.

"Hey, mom," Percy began. "Why'd you call?"

"Can't your mom check up on you once in a while? How are you?" Sally beamed, cheerful voice on speaker mode.

He walked over to the bathroom where he stood in the full length mirror. A hint of blood seeped through the white bandage; now full wrapped. "Good. How's Paul and Estelle doing?" He asked.

"They're doing great! Me and your step dad went out with Estelle yesterday to see the movies." Sally smiled. "Estelle is growing into such a energetic ball of energy." She joked. "Just like you."

"Is that so?" Percy laughed, splashing his face with water. It felt cool on his skin, causing tiny pricks of coldness to pop up all over.

For a while, him and Sally conversed. She told him about her day (mostly gushing about Paul and Estelle) while Percy smiled and listened. He did his best to hide the fact that he'd been fixing up his wounds in silence. He cursed silently in pain when he touched an sensitive spot on the slash.

"Percy? Are you alright?" Sally asked in concern.

"Yeah! I just... hit my elbow. Its nothing. " He hastily replied.

"Okay," Sally exclaimed in relief. "By the way, when are you going to visit your old woman? Estelle misses you, you know."

"Yeah, well tell her I miss her too." A sense of gloom over took the conversation. "Look, I'm busy now but..." Percy looked over to the mirror again. "I'll call you later. Maybe I can visit you guys over there soon." He exhaled.

"We're looking forward to it! Isn't that right,             Estelle?" Sally gave the phone to the little girl who was jumping with excitement.

"Come over soon Perce!" She garbled. It sounded like she was eating something halfway.

"I will. Talk to you later, 'Kay?"

"'Kay!"

A wave of guilt overwashed Percy as soon as he ended the call. It was killing him inside, to not be honest with them about his real job. They just thought he was a simple marine biologist who got one hell of a promotion. Yeah, he wished. That seemed easier than killing for a living. He was going to tell them sooner or later. He just had to. Not today- not anytime soon, that is.

Jolting himself out of his thoughts, Percy's phone rang. He was quick to answer it. Was it Sally calling again? Percy put down the metal spoon he was holding, letting it rest in the pot of soup bubbling on the flat stove. 

“Hey, Percy!” The horribly familiar voice rang from the other side of the line. Percy grimaced.

“What is it?” He groaned.

“Is that any way to talk to your boss?” He tsked. “But I have news for you!”

“Do tell,” Percy muttered and went back to his soup. 

“I have a mission.” Apollo grinned widely. “You up for it?”

“Again? Didn't I just do one yesterday?” Percy rolled his eyes. He was tired; completely tired. Usually the missions weren't this close together- sometimes they could be even months apart.

“Yeah, but this one won't happen for a week or so. And it ain't just the typical mission.”

“Yeah? And what's that?”

“Its a info operation. Meaning-”

“I know what that means!” Percy interjected. “Just tell me the details already. I’m hungry.”

“Jeez, okay mr. grump. Annabeth Chase. You know her?” Apollo said, scoffing at Percy's tone.

“You mean the owner of that one architecture company? What about her?” He asked.

“She’s connected with Thalia Grace and Luke Castellan.” Appolo explained. “Apparently people have been talking about their new heist that they're planning. By what I've heard, it's going to be huge.” 

Those three names- Thalia Grace, Luke Castellan, Annabeth Chase. Annabeth especially, was the most well known in the regular world. Her being the stoic founder of Athchase as well as being a crazy rich and famous person, that's a no brainer. Luke and Thalia, on the other hand, their heists were well known anywhere. Annabeth didn't have a criminal record of any sorts. That's a big reason she can keep up her reputation. It's not like the woman did anything wrong, its just that... the fact that she is connected with the two is enough to ensure suspicion. Growing rumors of her planning some of their crimes were spreading fast. Percy's heard of things like that, her being the mastermind of killing and stealing.

“Alright," He nodded. "Im interested. Go on."

“New York. That's where the three plan to meet up. Get information, maybe use your charms into getting her to trust you."

"N-new york..!?" Percy was left shocked at that.

"I've booked a flight there. 5 in the morning sharp tomorrow. I reccomend you arrive on time." Apollo chuckled.

"Yeah, whatever."

"And Percy?" He called out.

"Hm?"

"You have my full permission to kill Annabeth when you're done." Apollo darkly said, hanging up without another word. Percy rolled his eyes for the tenth time on the call.

Well, all right.

Next destination: New York.

"So, New York, huh." Annabeth swirled some of her cocktail in the glass, circling her wrist in a rotation. The blue liquid swirled together in a repetitive motion. Sapphire Martini tasted rather bitter on her tounge, but decent nonetheless. She enjoyed the slight orange twist.

"Why here of all places?" She asked.

"Its a golden opportunity, dear Annie. The Olympians only gather once in a blue moon, so we're going to make the most out of this!" Thalia sipped from her own glass, some regular red wine. She'd never had such a taste for 'Those fancy rich drinks'. Whatever that meant.

The Olympians, as Thalia said before, were a group of 12 of some of the wealthiest and prestigious people from across the world. Only a few select people could be a part- it was exclusive as to anybody who was just normal as a couple million rich. New York would be holding a auction quite soon on a famous opera house; and surprise, they would be there.

"Don't call me that." Annabeth winced at the name. "And who exactly is we?"

"Don't go all acting like you didn't agree, alright? Plus, you can gain a thing or two from all this." She grinned.

"I have a company to run, Thals, You know very well that I dropped that type of business years ago." Annabeth shook her head. "This is seriously risky."

"But you love that. Don't you?" Thalia pressed, standing up.

She truly did. The thrill, the rush of energy you couldn't get anywhere else. Thats what had driven her to join Thalia and Luke in the first place. That feeling alone made her eyes sparkle with desire.

"Yeah." Annabeth places her drinkdown back on the glass table. "I do."

Okay I'm back with some more hot garbage!!! here's my latest thing-- a assassin au. I need to do a ship other than percabeth tho 😔😔

[depressedacadamia]

Sore Losers

A/N: This was meant to be a simple one shot but I couldn’t help myself and now it’s a twoshot because I’m extra af. I hope you enjoy it and please comment!

Summary: Percy and Annabeth are both the most competitve people to ever exist by far. So when they both lead teams in a match of Capture the Flag Paintball edition, a very fun game ends up becoming a battle. Annabeth and Percy also happen to be the biggest pair of sore losers out there. 

Word count: 3.8K

Tagging: @showtunesandsolangelo

Chapter I

Let it be known that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were both the biggest pair of sore losers on this side of the Atlantic. You’d think that a large group of teenagers at a paintballing park would cause a lot of trouble. Yes, yes they would indeed. But not nearly as much trouble a group of traumatised teenage demigods could cause.

They had 1 rule- don't use any powers.

However, the demigods were never really much good at following rules.

Percy promised Annabeth that his team would win and Annabeth, unable to help herself, boasted back how amazing her team were going to be. It was quite obvious how their fatal flaws- hubris and loyalty- were going to be their downfall in a game of paintball.

“Oi! You two stop flirting and get on the damned bus, would you!” Piper shouted from the window seat with Hazel to her. The yellow bus was warm due to the sunny weather outside and it smelt like teenagers.

“We aren’t flirting!” Annbeth protested violently as she threw her sports bag over her shoulder while climbing the steps. Percy, being the gentleman he was, took the bag off her shoulder and carried it for her- not that it was truly hard.

“Even I can tell that you’re flirting,” Leo called out from the back where his fingers idly fiddled with some copper wire, a battery and a nail- it seemed like he was making an electromagnet.

“Can you blame me if Percy thinks his team is going to win Pipes?” Annabeth turned around in her seat.

“That’s because we are going to win,” Will commented with a hint of sarcasm from the side of the bus where Percy’s team sat. Nico, who sat next to Reyna and was on Annabeth’s team, was more invested in fidgeting with his rings until Will spoke up.

“Says you, traitor,” He snorted.

“Death boy, it’s a game. You chose Annabeth's team- it would be unfair if we were on the same team. Besides, If anything, I should be upset. You chose Annabeth's team after I chose Percy’s!”

Nico refused to answer, his arm clinging to Reyna who barely took notice and smirked at the boy’s ego’s.

“How sad must it be that you genuinely believe that you will win?” Reyna was about to sheath her spear when Hazel put her hand on hers.

“Reyna! We aren’t allowed to bring weapons. We need to prove we can beat them without weapons!” Hazel argued.

“Having second thoughts over there?” Frank called out from beside Jason. Hazel stuck her tongue out at him- he pulled a funny face in return. While these two were considered the most mature, when they were talking to each other, they were no better than 5 year olds.

The venue was huge. It was like an abandoned forest with upside down vehicles, camo everywhere and at least 3 places to get perfectly shot in the head- not that it was allowed. There was a specific reason behind the demigods choosing to go paintballing- they were never trained to use guns. It was something that none of them were familiar in, thus they were all at a completely fair level. Had they been sword fighting, they would have all destroyed each other. They had to pull on protection suits- which were also camouflage.

“Okay, this is to capture the flag but in paintball. You’re all familiar with capturing the flag- the only difference here is instead of our regular weapons, today we have these peculiar things…” Calypso trailed off slightly.

“Guns,” Hazel and Nico finished off together. The entire squad gave an alarmed look at them saying Why in the name of Hades do you know that? In sync, they both replied.

“World War 1,” Hazel sighed.

“Hitler,” Nico grunted, kicking at the floor. A couple of scattered snorts came from the group who could not picture them in the 1900s.

“Enough enemy mingling! Comrades, let us unite to beat the Owls!” Percy commanded his group comedically. Nico raised his eyebrow at the communist joke while everyone laughed slightly.

“I see you’ve learnt something in History- let’s find out if your seaweed brain can figure out how to surrender shall we?” Annabeth challenged as she took steps towards Percy, her hands resting on her hips confidently- Her hubris was showing. She half expected Percy to slip his hand around her waist or try and show off like she did but instead, he turned to his team and began frantically whispering.

The game was so on.

“Okay, this is it. We go in, storm the boys and capture their flag,” Annabeth decided.

“And don't forget to shoot as many of them as you can!” Piper added and the group happily agreed.

“Okay Comrades, Mission ‘infiltrate’ the owls is about to end- when we meet at what I like to call No man's land, we shall take their flag while they attempt to take ours. Will, guard our flag- the rest of you, position ourselves in the formation we discussed earlier. Jason and Leo, you’re my backup soldiers if I’m down,” Percy announced. The boys nodded and prepared for the plan.

Annabeth was crouching, gun in hand with Hazel behind her. Annabeth's blonde hair made her stand out a bit whereas Hazel had a greater advantage- from a vantage point, one wouldn’t even be able to see her. As Annabeth approached through the clearing she froze. Up ahead was a dangerous place. No bushes, no trees, no cars- she’d be totally exposed to whatever Percy was plotting. She did not doubt that he had some person watching this area, ready to release fire on any enemies. Annabeth was going to wait, she crouched by the bush before the clearing and kept her gun pointed and her eyes on the lookout.

She was about to move when paint balls began exploding all around her. The sound ricocheted in her ears and the droplets of paint remained floating about in the air. The boys had planned an ambush! Annabeth knew she had 2 options- retreat and play defensive or attack and play offensive.

“Hazel, you’re in charge. Nico, you’re coming with me. Make sure Reyna is still guarding the flag!” She whisper- shouted as she began running across No Mans Land with Nico trailing close behind her. He may or may not have been using his powers to bring shards of earth encased in shadows to protect himself and Annabeth from the shower of paintballs heading towards them. Nobody really needed to know- besides, he was forbidden from using death powers, not earthly ones.

“Nico, I hear something,” Annabeth warned. The sound of crackling and rushing water surrounded them.

“It’s coming from the creak…,” Nico mumbled.

They both made eye contact, agreeing on a time to run. 3 ,2 ,1- Now! They began sprinting, dodging the rocks and the flames which were scattered across the field. The other team were really going all out and being ruthless. Leo had set half of their frontier on fire that was only being controlled by the fact that Percy had a lot of water coming in from the creak preventing the fire from spreading too far. Flashes of light came striking down on the trees, causing crackles in the trees. There were echoes of thunder rumbling throughout their section and the smell of carbon monoxide slowly rising into the air.

The tree that had been struck by lightning was causing an awful mount of crackling, a bit too much for comfort. It wasn’t until the distinct sound of a tree snapping did Annabeth and Nico realise that the tree in front of them was falling.

Directly. Onto. them.

Back at Annabeth's side of the frontier, Hazel had decided to play dirty and get powers involved. It was only fair, was it not? Piper, Reyna and Calypso were all very happy to oblige to this. They had restructured their battle plan with Piper guarding the flag and using her charmspeak if necessary. Hazel, Calypso and Reyna were at the front, using their powers to their advantage. Reyna had not decided to use her empowerment- it wasn’t necessary and it was never comforting knowing she had made her friends feel brave; she felt like she was manipulating them whenever she did use it.

“So Hazel, what were you saying about not using weapons?” Reyna raised an eyebrow as she impressively pulled out her spear of imperial gold, glimmering in the sunlight. Hazel who sheathed her Spatha simply shrugged.

“Calypso are you ready?” Hazel asked, slightly concerned- she didn't want to overwork her so quickly after she had only just started to get her magic back.

“You think I’m going to let Leo win?” She scoffed slightly as she raised her hands slightly, the magical aura around them visible.

“We have a battle to win,” Reyna announced.

Nico grabbed onto Annabeth and closed his eyes. She felt herself slip into the darkness with Nico- the moment was awful. Dark, cold and creepy whisperings surrounded her. She did not want to know how Nico was able to do that. As he pulled them out the shadows, Nico dropped to his knees, trying to catch his breath. His eyes looked significantly tired post- shadow travelling.

“Don’t tell Will, he’ll go crazy if he found out that I shadow travelled,” he said weakly, his hand clutching his ribs. Annabeth slowly helped him up to his feet, only one gun still with the both of them- Nico had dropped his when he had to shadow travel them.

“Nico, I’ve got another plan if you’re up for it,” Annabeth offered. She leaned over and whispered her strategy. The corners of Nico’s lips twisted upwards into a cruel smile- cold and menacing. Was this plan extremely dangerous if one part went wrong? Probably. But Nico decided he liked the idea of winning too much to really care.

He dug his feet into the ground again, pushing every ounce of energy into controlling the shadows. He needed to keep this accurate- too much and Hazel’s side of the field goes dark, too little and Percy’s team will be able to see what's coming.

Slowly, shadows covered every inch of Percy’s field. Nico and Annabeth were grasping onto each other, Nico was holding onto her for strength while Annabeth was staying with the only person who could control what was happening. The only light that was visible were the fires ignited by Leo but by now, they were weak. All they had to do was wait for a figure to light up their hands- all the members would flock to the light, except whoever was protecting the flag.

“What just happened?” Percy yelled as he followed the stream of water that led to the fires.

“Someone’s using their powers… probably Nico, I can hear whisperings and these shadows are really cold!” Leo responded, lifting his hands up to signal his location to his teammates- though that may have not been a good idea. A giant flash of light came striking down to the ground again and the loud rumble of thunder came soon after, only adding to the creepiness of the game.

“It’s definitely Nico using powers which means he’s somehow gotten through our borders,” Jason gritted out. They all looked at each other agreeing to search for the son of Hades.

“Nico, you can summon the skeletons now, right?” Annabeth asked as she supported Nico on her shoulder. Feebly, Nico nodded while trying to summon some of his own strength. His skin which had almost returned to it’s olive hue was now close to a deathly pale. Annabeth could feel his cold fingers and slightly shivered- it was like holding a corpse. The ground started cracking, the earth splitting open as a skeletal arm reached out, climbing into the real world. Within a minute, Nico had summoned enough skeletons for the plan to work.

Annabeth knew what had to happen next- she would either run after the flag or go drive the remainder of Percy’s team far back enough so that her team could attack them from behind. She cherished the idea of getting the flag, a truly victorious moment, but she knew that if she went after the flag, she’d be sending Nico who seemed as fragile as glass right now to go fight 4 of the most powerful demigods. She decided to take her chances- hopefully whoever was guarding the flag wasn’t too hard for Nico.

“Nico, here take the gun and go after the flag. I will push back the other team.”

“I don’t need that- you’re going to be 4 against one, take it.” He batted his hand, refusing to allow Annabeth to hand over her gun to him.

“Nic-”

“-If you want to actually win this, you need your gun. You don’t stand a chance fighting 4 of them alone. Take the gun,” He managed to snap. Annabeth actually smiled at this. If Nico could give her snappy comebacks, then he still had a bit of strength in him. She kept her gun as she ran into the shadows, the skeleton army close behind.

“Does the other side look kinda funny?” Hazel asked, tilting her head to the side with her spatha in hand.

“It’s...it’s dark. I can't see anything there,” Calypso responded, slightly shocked.

What in the name of the gods was going on over there?

It seemed that the answer hit Reyna and Hazel at the same time- Nico! Not that they were about to admit it, but they were a tad concerned- you know, if you saw pure shadows just floating about, you would also be slightly concerned.

“We should move ourselves further up the frontier into No Mans Land. Annabeth must have planned something with Nico.” Calypso announced. They all agreed and moved further downwards, cautious for any ambushes.

“Oh Annabeth, aren’t you meant to be the smart one? You know, daughter of Athena?” Percy mockingly asked as she approached them, the shadows encasing most of her but not enough to go unnoticed. The skeletons however, were hiding perfectly in the dark.

“And where is the little shit?” Jason looked around Annabeth, trying to see if Nico had hid himself among the shadows- something that wouldn’t be too hard for him.

“Technically this is cheating,” Leo pointed out. Annabeth snapped her head towards him, still wondering where the skeletons were.

“We weren’t the ones who started it- if I remember correctly, you literally almost crushed us under a tree.”

“That was an accident,” Jason sheepishly rubbed his head.

“Don't think you can walk in here without being defeated, Wise girl.”

“If all 4 of you are going to fight me, I think all guns should be prohibited- does that sound fair Jackson?”

“3. All 3 of us. Frank has been… patrolling.” Leo rubbed his hands mysteriously. Annabeth wanted to gasp, they had been cheating from the beginning, using Frank as surveillance on them.

“Well since you were cheating from the very beginning, you definitely cannot use your guns,” Annabeth protested, enforcing her plan. The boy shrugged and threw their guns to the floor- Annabeth did the same but the gun was still close enough for… a change of heart. Fire raged from Leo’s hands, Percy had Riptide in hand and Jason had his Gladius, the charge of lighting running through it. Annabeth had to try to not visibly gulp- Where on earth were the skeletons? Here getting toasted was not part of the plan. She could only start to take them one when the distraction was set.

Nico forcibly pushed his foot one in front of another, searching for the flag. The entire half of the arena was covered like a blanket. The only light source being Leo’s fire and the occasional fires that Nico let loose through the ground to help him see. Up head, Nico could see another light source- did he just walk himself into a circle? He couldn’t see Leo or any fires. In fact all he really saw was light.

Light?

He trudged forwards, keeping to the shadows. As he got closer, he realised the light source was Will- his skin was the lightsource, literally. It was like he was watching a firefly for the first time- Will was glowing! No, focus Nico. The game, the flag. Capture it and reign victorious with Annabeth.

“Frank, dude, get off my shoulder,” Jason said. As the hand remained on his shoulder, Jason grew slightly agitated and turned around before jumping back and letting out a scream of surprise. Catching the attention of Percy and Leo, the skeletons began to close in on them. Now was Annabeth's chance. While the skeletons pushed them back, hopefully Hazel would have the team ready for an ambush on all sides.

“You’re very shiny today,” Nico commented.

“Well if you didn’t plunge us into semi- eternal darkness, I wouldn’t be a night light,” Will retorted crossing his arms.

“I’ve always wanted my own personal nightlight. Also now, I have an actual justification to call you sunshine- you’re literally glowing.”

“Quit laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing at you… I’m just stealing,” Nico shrugged as he made a dash for the flag. Will scrambled for his gun but it was too late, Nico had pulled the flag into the shadows- the paintballs from Will’s gun had only hit the tree that Nico had once stood in front of. As Nico emerged from his travelling, the shadows that once covered the entire field started fading.

With their guns strapped to their backs, Hazel and the team made their way across No Mans Land- trying to avoid the shower of paintballs from the other side.

“You made a machine gun out of this?” Hazel asked in dismay as she dodged the fireball coming from Leo.

“I am Admiral Leo, of course I made a machine gun, Hazel.”

“Hazel, on your left!”

Hazel swiftly ducked a paintball coming her left which proceeded to hit Leo square in the chest. He groaned as he felt the bruise start to form across his chest. Saddened by getting hit, he fell to the ground dramatically.

“Oh I’m wounded! Tell Calypso I might not make it!”

“Tell her yourself,” a voice snorted. Jason and Reyna were both fighting- Jason’s gladius would come down harshly onto Reyna’s spear, who continuously tried to disarm him. When Jason came down again with his sword, Reyna twisted her spear towards the hilt and pushed the butt of her spear upwards successfully disarming the sword with a clatter from his hands. She placed her foot on the sword and kicked it backwards, away from Jason before she dropped her spear.

“Hand to hand?” Jason asked. Reyna did not reply and instead charged towards him.

Calypso was trying to not get set on fire- while Leo had been shot, he was not about to let her win so easily. Her magic could only do so much and it annoyed her that Leo was setting everything on fire.

“Calypso, don’t you have telekinesis?” Annabeth shouted nodding towards Leo as she dodged another slash from Percy. Calypso got the memo and closed her eyes, harvesting as much power as she could. Being an ex-titaness came with it’s privileges from time to time. She opened her eyes and flung her hands towards Leo. Easily, she threw him into the creek where he landed with an ‘oomph’ and a very loud curse word that will not be repeated.

Piper hated being the guard. Everyone was probably having a blast and here she was, away from the action. There was a buzzing noise that was annoying her and she really did not want to deal with it. She had one of her daggers clutched in her hand while the gun was slung over her shoulder. She had gotten so bored that she had resorted to talking to the crow opposite her who had just sat there. It would tilt its head every once in a while when she said anything that could be deemed controversial.

Suddenly, the crow flew towards her, as to rest on her shoulder but instead, went towards the flag. Nothing wrong there, just a crow going towards a flag. Afterall it wasn’t as if it was trying to pull it out of the ground. Just as Piper turned around to see what the crow was really doing, she caught Frank with his hand wrapped around the flag, smiling and saluting towards her as he turned around and ran, flag in hand. Piper swore she had run as fast she ever had in her entire life, trying to get her charmspeak to work. The panting did not help her.

Annabeth slashed her knife in Percy’s direction, missing him by a millimeter as he stepped back to avoid it. Riptide came back at her, instead of it going for a blow to the chest as she expected, Percy aimed for her feet. As he wanted, she tripped and fell but her knife was still in hand. Just as she was about to use it, Riptide was held under her chin- she could feel the cool metal of it as Percy smirked and lightly teased her neck with it.

“You know Miss Brainiac, you really have yourself in a bad position, giving up would be easy, wouldn't it?”

“Jackson, you are enjoying this too much. I think you’ve forgotten the point.” Annabeth grabbed Riptide and twisted it before roling backwards slightly and throwing herself forwards. The sword clattered to the ground making Percy pout slightly but he wasn’t disheartened. Annabeth backslashed towards Percy who grabbed her arm, rendering the weapon in hand useless.

Annabeth had one last plan.

She leaned forwards and pressed her lips against Percy. It was quick and daring and Percy certainly did not expect it. Their lips met gently- it was comforting, warm and soft. Their lips brushed and when she pulled away lightly, he could taste her chapstick.

“Ouch!” Percy yelped as he jumped away from Annabeth and let go of her wrist. She held the knife under his chin and winked at Nico who held the gun with the flag under his arm. There was a giant yellow splatter on his back.

“That's not fair!” Percy sputtered. “ You seduced me!”

“All's fair in love and war.” Annabeth winked.

“I’ve got it! I’ve got the flag!” Frank gasped slightly- mainly due to being out of breath. He looked at Jason who was on the ground, Leo who was soaking, Percy who had a massive paintball splatter on his back and then at Nico who was holding the flag.

“We planned this. To make you win. We were taking it easy on you guys,” Frank decided. All the boys nodded in agreement only making Annabeth's teams chuckle.

[percabethfeelsfandom]

Headcanons: Percy and Annabeth as Tik Tokers Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

I never mentioned what Percy and Annabeth’s users would be. Annabethchase1207 + perSEAus

- Annabeth would have a really basic username because she made the account ironically hence why it’s just her name and birthday 

- Percy definitely would make a joke out of his user so that’s my take on it

Back in Cali, Annabeth’s friends are literally about to riot because they aren’t there live to witness percabeth happening

(They’re all avid tik tok users and they’ve started a house/tik tok group called Olympus because Piper did a series where she turned all her friends into different greek gods/goddeses )

Leo makes tik toks about making little inventions/DIYs that are actually useful but his viral video/series was him making his own Iron Man suit, he also does random rants and skits that are half in English half in Spanish because he’s so exasperated at the stupidity of people (Piper turned him into Hephaestus)

Jason doesn’t post as frequently on tik tok but he’s made a handful of his sporting highlights and trick shots he’s done over the years as a prodigy sports kid. Prior to piper’s request he also has done Pov’s with her. His viral tik tok is of him with a staff and doing cool transitions with it as he spins It (imagine him spinning it normally and he’s wearing normal training clothes and then the next spin, he’s in like a suit and the lights go all low and shit and his eyes glow blue) (Piper turns him into Zeus, but she also turns him into Apollo at one point so he can match Thalia) 

Thalia owns punk/goth lesbian tik tok. She’s a pioneer in the LGBTQ+ tik tok community. Going on rants shutting down men who have the audacity. She cosplays as well, and her history in archery means people are always asking her to cosplay as Katniss. She’s always changing her hair colour like every month, but right now It’s a dark blue that looks almost black. as annabeth’s best friend she is also a frequent in annabeth’s tik toks, but only to provide sarcastic commentary. You can also find her lurking on Percy’s comment section providing feedback on his skateboarding tricks (you bet that these two have been DMing back and forth) (piper turns her into Artemis) (Thalia’s girlfriend Reyna is also a frequent appearance in her tik toks, and you can see just how easily Thalia melts in front of the camera when Reyna’s there, it’s so sweet it could give you a toothache) 

Last not not least miss Piper Mclean, daughter of the ever famous Tristan mclean, but manages to make a name for herself by being so amazingly talented as a stylist, makeup artist, and editor. She’s worked with so many famous youtubers and photographers. She makes her tik tok as a place for her to just shut her brain off but it becomes a super easy comfort escape where she can trial some new makeup looks, and new fashion pieces, and POVs (shoutout to @ myangels.percabeth on insta for commenting this on my instagram)  while also showing people how to thrift in LA and do fun photoshoots at home, a queen of self care, and body positivity (she transforms herself into Aphrodite but makes it this huge collaboration with tons of different artists on the app so with each makeup transition it’s a different person because aphrodite can look like anyone…like it starts with piper putting on foundation she turns her head and it’s someone else putting on blush etc. and finishes off with piper again and winking at the camera in full greek goddess glam) 

(piper also transforms Annabeth into Athena and Percy comments on it with 👁👄���)

When Annabeth and Percy re-emerge from the library and make it back to the hotel she’s staying at they finally check their phones and see that they’ve gone viral (again) 

They decide not to address the rumours because, it’s not the internets business’ to know (AS IT SHOULD BE) 

They spend that week almost completely absent from social media because they want to have something that is just completely theirs. (But there are two posts worth noting, one on annabeth’s infrequently used instagram of someone’s (Percy’s) silhouette and the New York skyline the night before she leaves and a picture of Percy’s pinky wrapped around someones (annabeths) pinky on his stories that is deleted after an hour (but not before the entire internet finds it and it becomes the new standard of what people want in their relationship) (I can already see the tweets #goals finD mE a MaN tHAt hoLDS mY piNKY) 

Eventually Annabeth has to go back to cali and percy stays in NY 

They exchange their goodbyes between short kisses, promises to FaceTime each other soon and promises of building something permanent 

They begin a secret (not so secret) relationship long distance 

They continue duetting each other’s videos and mentioning each other offhandedly in their tik toks

Percy starts a YouTube channel and his first video is a proper vlog of his and annabeth’s adventures together 

(It’s a sweet 1 month anniversary gift to her but only they know that) 

Annabeth starts to post less and less on her tik tok because of school (at least that’s what she tells her followers but really she’s losing touch with her love of the internet because of how intrusive it is and also she’s trying to heal her relationship with her family so that’s taking all her energy. She leaves the Olympus house but keeps in touch with them (obviously, she grew up with them so that’s a no brainer) 

Once she’s posting less, people begin to (finally) lose interest in percabeth so that they can live their life. Percy keeps posting his usual videos but he’s starting to get caught up with YouTube, and starts getting some amazing brand deals and he uses it all to help get his family a house that is their own, (“Surprising my amazing mom with her dream house”) 

On Annabeth’s birthday the next year percy surprises her at cali and the rumours about them start up as she appears more in his socials and vice versa 

One thing leads to another and they accidentally out their relationship when annabeth’s phone is in the background of Percy’s (“surprising my best friend in California”) video and there’s a picture of percy kissing her cheek in a coupley way as her wallpaper

They take it in stride rather than denying (because why would they) and say yeah we’ve been dating lol, we’ve been dating for a while now 

And on some internet awards show they win couple of the year 

Because that’s what percabeth deserves

[localdramaticfangirl]

hi just needed to pour out all my emotions on my love for percy jackson and why he’s the biggest simp bc i just need to put this somewhere

LITERALLY EVERY INTERACTION BETWEEN PERCY AND ANNABETH IN TLH. like they were so pure and small omg and percy just listened to everything she said

the photo of annabeth in his notebook in som‼️‼️ like did percy just think everyone carried a picture of their best friend around jjst to stare at it 🤨🤨

when he hugged annabeth and let her cry on his shoulder after her encounter w the sirens 🏃🏽‍♀️

PERCYS THOUGHTS DURING THEIR FIRST DANCE IN TTC. like he was so nervous ahhh 😦

also the fact that percy went on a whole quest mainly to save annabeth, like he went to help artemis too but like annabeth was his priority ✋🏽

percy saw annabeth in THE GODDESS OF LOVE AND BEAUTY and was like yeah this is normal 😄

THE GREY STREAKS AND HOLDING UP THE SKY 😭

the hug before they were going to the labyrinth plssssss

PERCY BEING JUST SHOCKED AND SPEECHLESS WHEN ANNABETH KISSES HIM ON MT ST. HELENS

annabeth was who he thought of to keep him grounded to the mortal world in the river styx like do i need to say more

percy being super defensive of her when she’s stabbed on the bridge and i’m pretty sure the scene in the hotel where percy holds her hand while will nurses her and when he showed his achilles spot is what started my addiction to hurt/comfort fanfics 😃

u all saw this one coming: when he gave up zues’ offer of immortality to enjoy his mortal life and be with annabeth (and his friends)

the birthday cake and awkward love confession

percy making a bubble at the bottom of the lake just so they can kiss for as long as they want underwater

annabeth being the ONLYYYYYY person percy remembers when hera takes his memory. annabeth was pretty much a part of him and not really a memory anymore.

percy remembering that “she’d give him a kiss whenever he did something stupid” 🥲

him worrying that he’s going to forget annabeths face and always referring to her as his girlfriend

he turned down like two people in SoN bc he already had a girlfriend even though he couldn’t remember her as well as he wanted to

when him and annabeth snuck out at night and percy talked about his thoughts ON A POSSIBLE FUTURE OF THEIRS IN NEW ROME

them falling asleep together cuddling in the stables (and when everyone thought they SLEPT together but we’re not gonna talk about that)

the “you dropped this” scene like omg i’m so soft for these two

percy never wanting to leave her bc of their 8 month long seperation

when they went to explore rome together and were able pretend that they were a normal couple for an hour

when annabeth was sobbing in his arms and he said “it’s okay, we’re together”

i’m just gonna leave this here:

Percy, let me go" she croaked. "You can't pull me up."

His face was white with effort. She could see in his eyes that he knew it was hopeless.

"Never," he said. He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above.

"The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

Nico's eyes widened. "But-"

“Lead them!" Percy shouted. "Promise me!" "I-I will."

Below them, the voice laughed in the darkness. Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess.

Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth's wrist. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never looked more handsome.

"We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."

Only then did she understand what would happen. A one-way trip. A very hard fall.

"As long as we're together," she said. She heard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help. She saw sunlight far, far above- maybe the last sunlight she would ever see.

Then Percy let go of his ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness.

not sorry lol 😝🥰🥰🤣😘😂😂

continuing forward

the entire house of hades book is just so much percabeth content i can’t even say it all

but throughout this book percy is always thinking about giving up his life just so annabeth could be safe, like when they were at the doors of death and percy wanted to hold the elevator button but then: “you promised seaweed brain. we would not get seperated! ever again!” “you’re impossible!” “love you too!”

“the rivalry ends here. i love you wise girl” like omg my standards just keep getting higher

percy is literally studying so hard with annabeth just so he can pass his SAT and attend new rome university with her. ik with his adhd and dyslexia he must be really struggling rn but he had already gone though hell with her so he’s doing his best

so yeah thx for coming to my ted talk and the moral of the story is stan percy jackson

[chironshorseass]

For the writing prompts, could u do the fluff 18 for Percabeth pretty pleasee?

I’m sorry this turned out a bit too poetic lol and it got too fluffy for my own good, but here it is.

Writing prompts

18- “did I ever tell you how beautiful your eyes are?”

It’s beautiful, she realizes. The sun—golden from the late hours—hits the water just so, the waves turning a deeper shade of blue. The snow-white foam rises and falls with the waves, creating a churning mass of sand that brushes through her legs and carrying the aqua-green water. She wonders briefly how much power he’s restraining, how much he’s holding back from her.

The mysteries of this ability lay hidden beneath gentle waves and warm hands wrapping around her waist like soothing waters.

She wonders if he could just let go, unleash that churning energy from his heart and let the sea greedily clash together with thunderous ferocity. How easily she could be crushed, she thinks.

How easily she could surrender to the blues and the greens and the brown and the white only for her to drown just from trying to inhale it all.

Only this powerful man can do that, swallow it down and take it as his own. This son of the sea.

She knows he’d do anything for her—and she wonders—if something were to happen, could he bring the sea to unforgivable limits for her sake?

She knows...

A voice drags her from her reverie.

She knows that voice like the back of her hand.

“Hey, I thought I’d lost you there for a second,” Percy says. His smile is brilliant against the last light of the shining waters. His eyes are soft and tender, nothing like the hidden power they so obviously hold, a whisper of a secret rarely spoken of.

This takes her breath away. Him. The way his face seems to glow from the sun like some divine being, illuminating the small scar over his eyebrow and the faint dust of freckles on his cheeks and nose. The way the corners of his eyes crinkle from smiling that bright smile reserved just for her with his small dimple showing. His hair is tousled and wet because he couldn’t care less about staying dry.

He’s perfect.

And maybe he’s saying something else, but she pays it no mind.

Percy pulls her flush against him, and she can feel every inch of skin, see every little scar on his face. His eyes are what distract her overall. And again, the eyes, they draw her in��just like the sea. Now she truly does understand the meaning behind drowning in someone’s eyes.

His are nothing like she’s ever seen, and Annabeth suddenly feels intoxicated.

She supposes that it is because of what he is.

His eyes hold the raw power of the sea. The colors seem to move just like the swirls of water surrounding them, never ending their movement. After so many years of studying them, she could never decide what color they truly were.

Annabeth must be gaping like a little girl because Percy chuckles and cups her face like she’s the most precious thing. But how could she not stare? With eyes like his—

“Baby,” he whispers. “What’s wrong?”

He’s still smiling a bit, but his eyebrows are scrunched up with a twinge of worry. She’d gone without saying anything for too long, and she curses herself for getting too carried away.

So Annabeth leans into his touch, just realizing how warm the water that laps against her sides is—and how rhythmic the sounds of the waves are. She looks up at him again, happy to be the way they are at the moment.

This picture I’m seeing should be saved somewhere.

Him and her. Together. Percy and Annabeth. Ocean with wisdom.

“Did I ever tell you how beautiful your eyes are?”

This takes him by surprise. He grins and closes any distance between them.

Annabeth’s toes curl into the sand. His lips are soft and salty and raw from the sea; she can’t help but smile. When they break apart, she bursts into a laugh. It’s the only way she can cope with him looking at her as if he were the luckiest man in the world. To her, it’s the other way around.

“Why’d you do that?”

Percy shrugs, wrapping his arms around her waist again. “‘Cause I can. And I love you. And I think your eyes are prettier.”

Annabeth scoffs. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

He nuzzles her neck while she freely wraps her arms around him. They pause for a second, swaying with the breeze.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Percy mumbles.

“Your eyes, Seaweed Brain. Have I ever told you that they’re beautiful?”

He glances up at her, those eyes twinkling with mischief. “Maybe once or twice.”

“Well, I’m telling you now.” Annabeth grabs his face and kisses him chastely. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”

He’s blushing, she can tell. It's hard to make out from the darkness of his skin, but it's there.

Percy drops his head with bashfulness but still grins boyishly at her like the wonderful idiot that he is. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Personally, I think your eyes are more beautiful.”

Annabeth scrunches her nose. “What’s pretty about grey?”

“Everything. It’s just so...you. I love it.”

“I love you,” she blurts out.

Percy’s gaze softens as he tucks a stray wet curl behind her ear. “I know that,” he says cheekily. “But I still think yours are better than mine.”

The swells rise and fall, saltwater bites at her skin, and she’s never felt more lucky. Even when they’re having a tickling match and Annabeth can’t seem to win, but that’s beside the point.

[claudiafekete]

This is another ordinary story of “how xxx fandoms changed my life” -

- or maybe not. you decide. I want to write it down.  trigger warning for politics, discussion of sexual violence, mild gender dysphoria It’s also horribly long. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

When I first came to tumblr, I had just graduated from APH. Short for Axis Power Hetalia. I learned about it in the form of manga. For years it was my everything - I learned what fanfic or fanart meant and I learned the basic online etiquette. As I grew in years, it accompanied me.

Until it didn’t.

Shortly after I fell into solangelo.

It’s a fun story, how I picked up PJO years after years of absence. My brother was whining about something written in Magnus Chase. “What do you think the Norse Gods were going to do to Percy that Annabeth was crying?” He demanded. I expressed my confusion. He kept on with his different theories and I made the decision to look it up online later.

My online search of Percy Jackson’s fate soon revealed something unknown to me before: solangelo. The first canon gay ship I ever knew. Therefore, at the ripe old age of 19, I threw myself into this endless hole called “tumblr” for the first time.

It was the most LGBTQ+ friendly place I had ever been. I joke you not. It was also the place where I was taught not only how a healthy relationship should look like, but also how sex should or could be like.  You don’t learn anything healthy about sex in Chinese or Mandarin using fandom, at least during the years I was in them. There were rigid 攻/受(roughly translated as top/bottom) stereotypes that everyone rushed to squeezed their characters into them. A lot of time though both person might ship A with B, they wouldn’t interact because one thought A should top and another thought B should top. Their different topping designation resulted in depictions of the characters’ personalities so dramatically differed that you couldn’t recognize them as the same characters.  Other than the refreshing relationship dynamics, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard offered me a chance to take a look at my gender identity. I had known that theoretically non-binary people existed outside of binary gender, but I hadn’t known how one might live as one or describe themselves as one. I’m not trying to claim that Alex Fierro’s story is the only story of non-binary people. I’m trying to say that it was the starting point for me to make exploration and find the label  “agender” for myself.

I stayed in APH for 6 years. I had expected to stay in solangelo for longer.

Entered June 2019 with its whispers and anxious demonstrations. Entered folks pouring into streets in Hong Kong. Entered tear gas and facemasks and sticks and a bullet scarcely missing the heart and journalists beaten by police. Entered young students not of age disappearing mysteriously. Entered people dressed in white attacking citizens and not arrested by police. Entered dead bodies that were probably “被自殺 (being suicided)”.

Entered a city falling into the hands of tyrants next to your door, and you didn’t know how to help. You didn’t know what to do with yourself with your clean and spare hands. You were so far away from the frontline, you were angry and helpless and hopeless for that.

It was the first time I witnessed, first-hand, how the Chinese government directed the discussion online, so that it seemed as if there were random mobs who were disturbing the peace of Hong Kong and possibly taking money or being trained by US.  “Bullshit. Would there still be so many kids hurt on street if we have received any kinds of training for this?“  Of course, the majority of Chinese people inland wouldn’t hear that. Hong Kong is a former colony. Any calls of outrage toward the present government must be made by disillusioned young people who were unaware of colonization and imperialism. 

That was why I took refugee in Good Omens. I needed to run some where to stop myself from scratching myself to blood. I needed to some works for these clean and spare hands to do so that they wouldn’t pick up something destructive, such as a knife.

If the PJOverse fandom had felt the best place on earth, well, the Good Omens fandom lifted me into paradise. 

I’ve never seen so much kindness being showed under one tag. The creators and actors were all kind and interacted with the fans in their own ways. We were encouraged to do everything, anything, to build art with it however we liked. We as fans were recognized. We were seen. We were ... cared for. It was overwhelming, in a good way.  For that, I would be forever thankful to Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and Michael Sheen and so many others in the production. I would be forever thankful to artists who liberated body types and freed the ties between gender expression and genitals. I would be forever thankful for the fantastic creators out there.

Would it seem as if I’ve only cherished the mutuals I met in Good Omens fandom? It wasn’t my intention. There are friends I keep in touch long after I fell out of love with APH. There are mutuals I got to know through solangelo and I feel, I hope that we are friends. Everyone who has chat with me I do my best to remember. (Though I do left conversation in weird places, become so ashamed of my incompetency that I do not continue them.)

What I’m trying to say is, as good as the solangelo fandom was, I still ran into biphobic posts here and there. It was only once or twice – but it was a constant reminder that being bisexual didn’t seem “valid” to some of the other LGBTQ+ members out there. Who cares what cis-gendered, heteronormative people said? Bullets that shot from friendly fire hurt the worst.

Besides, with a large and vibrant fandom like Good Omens, it’s easier to feel less alone and more… seen.

Damn right. Even after writing more that 5000 words in English it is still so easy to fall back into the comfortable nest of mother tongue. I can read simplified Chinese characters as well as the traditional Chinese characters I grow up using. There probably will never be getting the accent right but soundlessly devouring words in front of a screen? I excel at that.

That was what’s happening when the days rolled into January, 2020. I flew to US as an exchange student and exchanged long letters with a young Chinese woman I met in Good Omens fandom. I’ve never felt so alone in life. English as in creative writing has never come more naturally for me. The words burst in my head and arranged themselves freely on screen or on papers. I’ve never felt more hopeful about my writing ability.

The days rolled into March, 2020.

The first time my mom told me to come home over home, I laughed. The second time, I frowned. Before she pleaded me for the third time, I had grabbed a ticket.

I hadn’t imagined the disease plaguing China and its neighboring countries would affect the whole world.

You lived the rest of the story. I fled back to Taiwan.

 That was where Doctor Who came in. Or David Tennant. Such a strange time. For fourteen days I was the only living human in the house. I watched Casanova – or was it later? Hamlet definitely came before that. Then I could live with my family again. I handed in my homework and wrote in a different language than the people around me were speaking. My parents were working. My little brother was in school. When there was no one to talk to me I either read or watch Doctor Who to pass the time. I fell for Thirteen. I fell for twissy. Falling fast and hard and completely won over by their glamour.

I started internship. There were some small breaks where I could catch an episode or half, but never as much time as before. I dipped into fandom wiki and found that no matter how much research I did, there would always be details I overlooked simply because I could not afford hours watching all the episodes. No matter how hard I squeezed my schedule for time, no matter how much I devoted myself to the series, it would never be enough.

So I gave up, and let it go. For the first time in quite a while, I willingly gave up something for the simple reason of “I want to live a more comfortable life”.

 Came summer. Damp air combined with biting heat and piles after piles of biochemical terms made life agonizing. An ordinary kind of pre-pandemic “agonizing” which felt like a luxury in a world that was ending.

Hong Kong fell.

It was bound to happen. Once I heard protestors fought their way into the legislature I knew, for almost an year I knew, nothing good would come out of this. CCP would never allow its subjects acting out of hand. With such open despise to the authority, CCP would take nothing but a full conquest at the end of it.

See where we are now. As long as you’re “interfering” the political climate “inside” China, it doesn't matter which nationality you hold or where you were or how long it has been since you made the statement. “According to the law”, China can come for you. No, better, it can tell your country to hand you over. What a clever empire. What a graceful empire.

What a horrifying empire.

With the news I spiraled down fast. I kept away from the young Chinese woman I was exchanging letters with, I kept away from any kinds of Chinese social media, and the worst of all, I kept away from Good Omens, for it was sweet and kind and hopeful, for it reminded me of a time where fighting seemed to make a difference. I was empty and exhausted and a husk. Something must come out to fill the void. Someone needed to paint me in colors so that the world wouldn’t notice I was fading away.

I was surprised at who took the brush.

 After ten years, the first man I ever have a crush on strolled back into my life.

He was over thirty, but I always pictured him in his early twenties. Dark hair, eyes of grey or silvery blue. Loud laughter that sounded like a bark. Swift and elegant. Intelligent. Prideful. Stubborn. I embraced him as I’ve done ten years ago as a little child.

When I looked past him, I saw someone else.

Worn, weathered, with wry humor. Attentive and considerate. Tortured by the world yet never stop giving out kindness. Countless scars. Grey hair unfitting to his age. I didn’t pay him much attention ten years ago. This time, I looked.

Let me introduce you Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, my very first crush and the man who is too much like my last crush.

 2020, a month before Fall semester started, I trekked cautiously, timidly back into Harry Potter fandom.

The fandom of August 2020 was very different from fandom of 2010. The lack of author, for one – it became mandatory to denounce the author’s transphobic statement and other bigotry setting. I’m glad that everyone is doing their best to make it a friendly place for minority groups. Though I’m afraid, by making it a white or black situation with short statements and no discussion, it wouldn’t really help people understand why she is wrong in this. However irrefutable the author’s guilt seems to us, it is not something obvious to those who are unfamiliar with the subjects.

But it does feel good to see blogs and fics with the introduction such as “If you support the author’s transphobic bullshit this place does not welcome you”. It feels reliving.

The second was, I found the type of work I’m actively pursuing changed.

Back when I was young – when I was so little I didn’t even know what the word “fandom” meant – I read Character x OFC and some M x M. During the APH period I read an alarming amount of M x M and countless historical AU. When digging through solangelo, beside the canon divergence stories, simple AU like coffee shop grabbed my attention. Coming out stories were my comforts. The best of Good Omens fics were either in canon verse discussing desires, bravery, humanity and mortality, or setting in an AU with the promise of sweet, fluffy endings. Doctor Who almost always focused on Time and Space. Love was twisted and so often tainted by anger. Monster and god were very alike.

I came a full circle back to the Marauder era, and found myself not looking for heroes, but for young fighters struggling desperately in a seemingly hopeless war. I looked for people who were frightened but never, never ever going down without a fight.

I used to find characters and events unfolding in foreign places, now I want  characters who are close to what I am or what I want to be.

---

So, that’s it, my grand journey through multiple fandoms and basically a journey of self-discovery. It’s messy, sometimes painful, but always with so much joy blooming along the way.

Something doesn’t change. I’m still obsessed with words. I’m still a sucker for happy ending. I’m still wishing someone will come and love me the way I need to be loved.

Something does. I stop imagining that some magical power will come into my life and solve everything. I stop looking for others to save me from myself. I start believing that though wounds hurt, some of them do teach us to be a better person.

Long ago, I saw my friends and I as rabbits, without proper weapons to defend ourselves. That wouldn’t do. I thought. For my friends I’ll grow into a snake with fangs to protect them. Maybe I have grown into a snake. Maybe I haven’t. But I do hope I won’t stop fighting for those I love, with those I love.

I hope I won’t give up.

[gaymortagokat]

Sleepover at Camp Jupiter

Read the whole collection here

Reyna's place was quiet. Aurum and Argentum laid in front of the couch curled up together. While their owner sat on the couch reading The Great Gatsby while her girlfriend sat on her lap. A pastel blanket laid over them. It was an addition from Drew. Since her and Reyna began dating Drew would add or recommend things to make Reyna's place more homey. 

They've been together for a little over a year now. Drew graduated  from high school a week ago and will be attending UC Berkeley to study psychology and art. Reyna noticed how great Drew is at helping people believe in themselves and suggested she do something with that. And Drew ran with that idea deciding to become an art therapist, though she isn't sure if she wants to specialize in child psychology and development yet. 

Drew pointed at a line of text. "Remember this, Reyna."

"Why? It's just a billboard?"

Drew turned to look at her girlfriend. "It's important if it was written in here. And it's a symbol of something mortals can't see. The eyes are judgmental like Hera."

Reyna nodded. "Juno isn't all that bad. What do you mean it's a symbol of something mortals can't see?"

"It's kind of like love. You can't physically see it. You can see it in things but you can't see it in things."

"Unless you've met Venus."

"Hmm. I guess so. But speaking of Venus she's a god. We can't see her true form just like mortals can't see the person in the billboard."

"So the billboard is a god judging American's."

"Capital 'g', Reyna. Fitzgerald is probably talking about the Christian god."

"And this Christian god doesn't like what Americans are doing."

"Yes that's what many readers believe."

"Does everything in this book have dual meanings?"

"No. I've found that only things that show up throughout or are highly detailed compared to others are symbols. Like if a detail is emphasized."

"So is the car a symbol?"

"Not sure. I know the billboard is because a teacher told me it was. Let's continue reading." 

Reyna nodded and looked back at the book. 

They continued reading occasionally pausing for discussion. Drew was the one who began these reading sessions. Reyna loved reading. It was how she grasped a better understanding of English. She has a high reading level despite reading mostly comic books. Because of this Drew decided to introduce Reyna to some classics and had created at least a page long list of literature she added to every few weeks. 

They started with names Reyna knew like Plato and Homer. They read The Allegory of the Cave and pieces of The Odyssey where Reyna told her Circe no longer turns men into pigs but animals occasionally less smelly and easier to manage, Guinea pigs. She Also told her that Percy made a very cute Guinea pig. Drew wished Reyna had the opportunity to take a picture.

A knock on the door interrupted their quiet weekend. Reyna's dogs ears perked up and their ruby eyes turned towards the door watching to see if the person behind the door was a threat.

A key slipped into the lock and Reyna groaned. "I should have never given her a key."

"Who?"

"Your sister."

"Pretend we didn't notice?"

"Of course." 

They returned to their book as the door opened. College aged Piper, Jason, Leo, Percy, and Annabeth walked in carrying bags for an impromptu sleepover (even though Percy and Annabeth live in New Rome and see Reyna nearly every day) with Nico.

"Why does Nick always describe Gatsby that way?"

"Cuz he's gay."

"Isn't the author straight?"

"Was anyone straight in the roaring 20's? When swing music existed and women wore more revealing clothing, smoked in public, cut their hair, and everyone lived in excess?"

Piper coughed.

Reyna looked up at her friends (except Leo he was still on thin ice). Percy looked like he just rolled out of bed sporting a five o' clock shadow while his girlfriend looked like she had been up for hours. Piper was as gorgeous as always wearing skinny jeans, a loose shirt, light sweater and vans. Jason looked like Annabeth, but he had done a better job at brushing his hair (his straight hair is easier to manage than Annabeth's curls), and much to Reyna's annoyance, Jason still had the rivet in his hair from the bullet Percy's brother fired at him. Jason had kept his hair trimmed like that for two years now. Reyna, Piper, Drew, and Nico were tempted to shave his hair while he slept. Nico wore the jacket Will gave him on their first Christmas together, and his mirrored sunglasses hung from the pocket. He had gotten a haircut. The sides of his hair did not touch his ears, but the top that he left long would in a few weeks. Leo looked exactly the same as he did two years ago with scorch marks on his fingers and arms and small bandages one a few of his fingers.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I wanna say that they made me come."

Reyna smiled at her little brother. 

"Oh come on Nico. It's not like we had to force you." Jason said putting his arm around the fifteen year old who now reached his eyes. 

"Friday night sleepover." Piper said. "We always have them."

"One, no we don't. It's more like twice a month. Two shouldn't most of you be at some college party? Three it's Wednesday."

"So we're a little early." She answered sitting on the only empty spot on the couch. 

"Percy and I did all our homework that's due tomorrow early." Annabeth added taking a seat at Piper's feet with Percy close behind. She petted Aurum behind the ear muttering something about them being a good dog.

Nico sat on the other side of Reyna's dogs while Jason and Leo sat in front of him. Well, Leo sat closer to Percy than Nico. Reyna's dogs weren't his biggest fans and had no problems making it obvious to him.

"What piece of literature do you have Reyna reading this time, Drew?" Jason asked, adjusting his glasses like they would help him see the page better.

"Gatsby. We're almost done with this page. Do you mind being quiet for a few more minutes." Drew didn't wait for an answer; she turned all her attention to the small book.

Leo struggled to stay quiet. He kept opening his mouth to say something then quickly close it. He distracted himself the best he could by planning out the most fun night ever. First some of the greatest movies ever paired with the best snacks and drinks. Did Reyna even have the best snacks?

Leo didn't stay on that thought long. As soon as he heard the book close he spoke. "Okay! What movie does everyone want to watch." He dug through his bag. "I've got 50 First Dates, The Nanny Diaries, Love Actually-"

"Leo, I love you. But I don't think anyone wants to watch romcoms."

"What do you have in mind, Pipes?"

"Horror, action, thriller."

"Horror sounds fun." Nico stated.

"As long as no one throws their popcorn on me I'm good." Drew added. 

"Reyna, got any horror movies?"

"The Sixth Sense, maybe Friday the 13th."

After a bit of arguing they settled on The Sixth Sense. The boys minus Nico prepared snacks. Nico and Annabeth made the hardwood floor more comfortable by adding a quilt Reyna had buried in a closet and laying out the blankets everyone brought. 

Snacks were finished and everyone ended up with their own container. Nico with popcorn and chocolate chips, Jason with popcorn and m&m's, Annabeth with popcorn and butter fingers, Percy with blue m&m's, Piper with sour gummy bears, and Reyna and Drew sharing Jelly Beans and sour straws. Drew had made Piper make sure Aurum and Argentum had a plate with a few dog treats and marshmallows, and Nico had tossed a blanket over them.

As the movie played Leo Jason Percy and occasionally Annabeth yelled at the characters on screen. Piper occasionally stated behind the scenes facts. 

During a particularly tense moment, Piper, realizing her hands were cold, poked her sister's foot that was barely out of the blanket making her yelp and Piper roar with laughter.

"Gods-damn it Piper!"

Piper waited a few minutes then did it again. Then a third time. 

"Piper." Reyna warned.

"Alright, alright." She scooted closer to the arm of the couch and waited. 

She looked over at Reyna and Drew. Drew was watching the movie one hand on the bowl of candy and the other on Reyna's, but Reyna on the other hand was watching Piper. She shook her head slowly with a slight glare. Drew, feeling Reyna move, looked up at Reyna then at Piper mimicking the Puerto Rican's glare.

Piper glared back then looked away pretending to barf. They were almost disgustingly cute.

A few minutes later she scared Drew again this time receiving a harsh kick.

"Ow! What was that for?" Piper yelped, rubbing her arm. 

"I didn't kick you that hard." 

"You totally did, Reyna."

Not even Reyna kicking her was enough to stop her. She tried one more time to scare Drew. This time she was unsuccessful.

"Hermanito." Reyna said. 

And suddenly Piper was freezing then she found herself on the floor. She looked at the couch where she was once sitting and found Nico curled up with the darkness partially swirling around him. Actually, the dark in the entire room seemed to be moving as if Nico was making the room appear as dark as it did when she was afraid of it.

Piper settled in her new spot petting the nearest dog. 

It was towards the end of the second movie when Drew tried scaring Piper. It worked only once. Piper nearly jumped out of her seat surprising Jason and Percy who were way more afraid of the movie than they let on.

Beginning of the third movie was when Reyna began to mess with Piper. She used a bit of magic she picked up from Circe and tried to make it feel like a spider was walking on her. It worked for a few moments then Piper figured it out and began ignoring the sensation. 

Reyna switched tactics. She poked Aurum with her foot who pressed their cold nose into Piper's side hitting her ticklish spot. 

Piper pressed her palm against the dog's nose and turned it's head away. "I know that was you, Reyna."

"I don't control their every move."

"Oh please. They would do whatever you asked."

Reyna opened her mouth to respond when Drew silenced her. "Ssshhhh. We're at the good part."

Reyna kissed her head and returned to watching the comedy. The older boys insisted on one happy movie to negate the scary before bed.

By the time the movie watching session ended Reyna was sitting between her girlfriend and her best friend/little brother. And both of them were nearly asleep on her shoulders.

"Nico, it's time for bed."

Nico nodded, sitting up and gathering his blanket. A second later he disappeared into the shadows and probably into Reyna's guest room / home office. 

"Nico gone?"

"Sí, Amor. It's time for bed." Reyna told her standing up. She offered Drew her hand.

Her girlfriend shook her head. "Too tired. Carry me?"

Reyna smiled while rolling her eyes. "Alright." She picked up Drew with ease (something that made Jason and especially Percy jealous) and walked to her room. Aurum and Argentum followed, nudging the door open as they got closer. 

Reyna set Drew down carefully. It wasn't the right moment to drop her on the bed. They were both too tired for the game that would begin if she did.

Reyna moved to the door and locked it. 

"What kind of pajamas do you want today?" She asked, grabbing her own.

"I'm good."

Reyna turned around and saw her gorgeous girlfriend sitting on her bed shirtless. Today had been a stay at home no bra necessary day. Reyna looked down briefly and felt her cheeks grow warm. She put her pajamas away and joined Drew on the bed. 

Drew kissed Reyna tugging on the edges of her shirt. “You don’t need this.”

Reyna let her pull her band tee (courtesy of Thalia) over her head. “What do you want to do?”

Drew ignored her and tugged at her shorts. “You don’t need these.”

Reyna slipped them off and tossed them aside. “What do you want to do?”

Drew rested against Reyna. “I’m too tired to want to do anything, but I’m too awake to sleep.”

Reyna turned off the lamp and rested her hand on Drew’s stomach. The pair laid down, and Reyna kissed Drew’s shoulder. “Thank you, for reading with me today.”

“No problem, Amore. I love reading. Especially with you.”

“What would you like to do tomorrow?”

“Walk on the beach?”

“Alright.” Reyna kissed Drew’s shoulder once more. “Want to go swimming?”

“Sounds nice.” Drew said quietly. “Hey, why did Annabeth say she and Percy had finished their homework early? Isn’t it summer?”

“It is. Annabeth convinced Percy to take a few summer classes so their schedule can be lighter during the year and they can graduate a bit early.”

“What is Percy studying again?”

“He started with Marine biology, but he realized it was going to be a lot of science. I think he’s doing physical therapy now and keeping Marine Biology as a minor.”

“Physical therapy?”

“Yeah. Annabeth showed him a video of a pool being used as part of someone’s therapy. He’s been interested ever since. That and he can heal using water.”

“I guess pool is not a bad thing to smell like.”

"Neither is the beach."

"Think we can leave everyone else out?"

"Maybe every one but Nico and Will."

"Will isn't here."

"For now. Nico will probably go get him to avoid being a third wheel."

"Double dates are fun."

"Glad you think so."

Reyna kissed Drew's shoulder blade and pulled her closer. She breathed in her scent noticing Drew's perfume and sweat. Reyna settled down more and closed her eyes and fell asleep. 

As soon as Drew trusted Reyna wouldn't wake up at the slightest movement she changed positions to face her gorgeous girlfriend. She also moved Reyna's arm so she wouldn't be laying on it. Reyna often let her sleep on her arm only to later wake up because the limb had become painfully asleep. Then she settled down draping an arm across Reyna's ribs. Her fingers traced an old injury. She didn't know the story behind the scar but trusted one day Reyna would tell her.

She spent the next few minutes trying to relax enough to fall asleep. She loved snuggling with her girlfriend, but said girl was always a furnace. Don't get her wrong, she felt incredibly lucky to have someone as amazing as Reyna. She would have never expected to be this happy a year ago, and yet here she was laying with the hottest girl ever. 

She adjusted the blanket so her feet would stick out and settled back down.

She was nearly asleep when a whimper startled her awake. She lifted her head and spotted the source. Two sets of glowing ruby eyes were watching her. "Come on." She whispered.

Given permission the two fully grown greyhounds jumped on the queen bed. The siblings spun around a several times (accidently hitting each other a few times) and plopped down laying on the teens' feet.

The cold metal was too cold for comfort; Drew pulled her feet out from under the dog and instead lowered the blanket uncovering her shoulders. Drew relaxed once more and fell asleep.

[as-the-stars-foretold]

The Seven and The Potatoes

Aru, Mini, Brynne, and Aiden were walking around New York. Boo had given them the day off, and they decided to roam around. Aru was wearing her favorite shirt, the one with 'Nope' stamped on it. She held a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and was playing with Vajra. "...And that's how I managed to beat that kid two ways!" Brynne finished triumphantly. Aiden shook his head. "And you didn't get in trouble?" Brynne grinned. "Oh, big time. It was worth it, though." Mini, on the other hand, was horrified. "You could have killed him!" she exclaimed, appalled. Aru rolled her eyes. "She didn't and that's what matters."

Soon, they came across a hill. "Last one to the top is a rotten egg!" Brynne said suddenly, and started running up the hill. Aru and Aiden were close behind, with Mini last. Grumbling, she took her place next to Aru. They looked at the place beneath them. It seemed to be a summer camp of sorts. A person saw them and started climbing up the hill. He had dark hair and a Mediterranean complexion. Aru slowly drew Vajra, just in case. "Hi!" he said. "Hey." Aru replied warily. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I'm Percy Jackson. You guys are?" "Aru." "Brynne." "I'm Mini." "Aiden." He smiled at the gang. "Awesome! Now, let's introduce you guys to my friends. Wait, you guys are demigods, right?" he asked. Aiden nodded. Then, Percy asked if they knew their godly parent. Everyone nodded, except Aiden. Percy contemplated their answers. "I've never heard of those gods before. I'm not sure if they're even Greek. Annabeth would probably know more, though. Come on!" he said, heading down the hill. Aru exchanges glances with her friends, then shrugged. "Why not?" They followed.

The camp was much bigger than expected, and Aru slowed down to take in everything. Forests, cabins, the beach. It was beautiful. But also different. Not normal. A almost godly aura was in the camp. Percy led them to a pavilion where six other people were sitting. He introduced them as Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Leo. "Hi, I'm Aru." she said. The others followed suit, introducing themselves. After introductions, Percy turned to Annabeth, who seemed to be his girlfriend, and said, "They know who their godly parents are, but the gads aren't Greek." He turned to them and said, "Could you repeat the gods you said?" "Indra, Dharma Raja, Vayu, and uh..." they hesitated at Aiden. "An apsara," he finished. Annabeth looked at them. "Pretty sure those are Indian gods." she finally said. Mini nodded. The Seven looked at them, then at each other. "If you have nothing to do, you can hangout with us?" Hazel suggested. The Potatoes agreed.

"...And that's the camp!" Jason said, as they finished the tour. "Is it okay if I take some pictures?" Aiden asked. The Seven shook their heads. "Greek and Roman demigods don't mix well with technology. Sorry." Aiden's face fell, but he nodded in understanding. To distract him, Aru asked, "So, what other things are there?" The greek and roman demigods exchanges sly glances. "Come on, we'll show you."

Aru looked down at the advancing lava. "Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea!" she said, scrambling up the climbing wall. Mini quickly surpassed her. Her grip slipped and she fell. "Vajra!" she called. Her lightning bolt crackled to life and formed a hoverboard. She floated down safely and landed next to a shocked Jason Grace. "Hoverboard? Lightning?" he stuttered. She nodded and explained that she was the daughter of thunder. Jason smiled. "Lightning kids!" Then they fist-bumped. After Mini was done, Hazel asked what her father was the god of. "Death." Mini said cheerfully. Hazel grinned. "You should meet Nico." "Heard you were talking about me?" he asked, appearing next to Hazel. "Death siblings." Hazel explained, pointing to Mini. After getting that sorted out, Brynne came over and asked, "Is there a god of wind?" "Four, actually." She took this without comment. "Is there any food?" she wondered. Aiden rolled his eyes and tossed her a granola bar.

They spent the rest of the day goofing around camp and the beach. Aru, Aiden, Brynne, Percy, and Leo got into a splash fight. We don’t talk about that, though. When the sun started to set, the Seven and Nico went to see them off. Nico offered to shadow travel them home, but they refused. "Well, it was awesome meeting you guys!" Hazel said, giving each of them a last hug. Saying their goodbyes, the Pandavas plus Aiden opened a portal and stepped through. "Hope to see you soon, fellow demigods." thought the Seven and the Potatoes.

[forevfangirlwrites]

Roses and Regrets

A/N: Thanks to @yourtrashyfangurl​ for selecting the prompt from here!

She hasn’t talked to Percy in two weeks.

She’s acutely aware of the fact too. You’d notice if one of your closest friends suddenly stopped talking to you. Well…not that suddenly. If she thinks back, the distance had been growing between them as unspoken tension lingered in the background and unsaid words grew heavier.

But even then, the off-kilter feelings and friction between them seemed to have come out of nowhere. It just doesn’t make sense to her.

But everything is like that with Percy. Nothing ever really makes sense. He is like a whirlwind of emotions and half-sentences and loose puzzle pieces.

A honk shakes her out of her thoughts, as she catches sight of Luke’s car outside. It’s a shiny silver, very clean, and he gets out of the car to open the door for her, offering a smile and a single white rose.

It’s very nice.

He tells her she looks beautiful; she blushes, and they talk over a quiet radio and arrive at a nice restaurant. And from there they follow the beats of a date: dinner, sweet smiles, dessert, a kiss good night.

She sighs when she shuts the door, a pleasant smile on her face. It’s been a nice day, no tensions, no fighting, no whirlwind. A good time with nice company and she feels calm for once.

Fishing out a vase, she puts her single white rose in water. Simple and perfect. She thinks maybe she’s finally got what she wants.

-.-

Luke makes sense, she realizes while walking in the park (she’s supposed to be jogging but has absolutely no motivation to do so). She can understand him, his actions, his goals, his personality.

As if on cue her phone rings. It’s him, of course, calling exactly when he said he would.

She picks up and he’s polite and charming, asks her how her jog is going, and chuckles when she tells him it isn’t and it’s nice to feel comfortable.

Her mind harkens back to Percy (without her permission, she might add) and how by now he would have made a teasing comment about her getting out of shape if she continued on like this (even though his homemade cookies that he always brought over were the problem). But even though he’d obviously be teasing, it’d annoy her enough to make her jog twice the distance she would’ve just to prove a point.

Even just thinking about it has her a little worked up and she shakes him out of her mind. Luke is asking her about dinner and she readily agrees, finally admitting defeat on her jog in favor of going home and getting ready.

Dinner is nice, as is everything with Luke, and by the end of the night she gets another white rose and a sweet kiss to show for it.

When she gets home, she puts the white rose next to the other and they sit there next to each other, pristine and perfect.

She goes to sleep with a smile on her face.

-.-

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Luke says as they’re debating going barhopping over the weekend. A lot of her friends are going, and it’ll probably be fun but…

“It’s not that I don’t want to go, I just…I don’t know!” She’s frustrated⁠—she hates being indecisive⁠—but bars and parties aren’t that much her thing so she’s on the fence about it and…

Luke puts his arm around her and continues in his calm voice, “It’s alright, Annabeth. We’ll do whatever you want.”

It’s such a stark contrast to what Percy would do. By now, Percy would have declared his opinion and would probably be pushing her towards going to the event with that stupid wide grin on his face.

She huffs at the thought. She tells Luke she doesn’t want to go.

So, they don’t. She ends up with another white rose and goes to bed mostly content with her decision.

The next day all her friends have posted about how fun the event was. She stares at her white roses and thinks it’s probably alright.

-.-

A week later she’s hoisting up groceries to her apartment, huffing and puffing by the time she gets to her door. ⁠

She makes a face as she sets the bags down and toes off her shoes. She hasn’t been out of breath like this in a long while, especially since she’d been building up a better tolerance for cardio through her daily jog⁠—

Except…she hadn’t actually jogged in weeks.

Her frown deepens as she puts the food away. She needs to get back into the habit, but she doesn’t know why she stopped in the first place.

Her phone dings with a notification that Piper has posted something on Instagram. To fulfill her best friend duty, she immediately opens it up to like it.

The post is about the bar hop event that she missed and features a grinning Piper, Thalia and Jason all holding microphones, captioned with “never sang Eye of The Tiger better!!”

She likes the picture and comments a heart emoji, but her frown isn’t going away. She really should have gone…she just…

She’s frustrated again. It’s been like this for a while now, everything seems kind of off and she can’t put her finger on why. And she’s frustrated more often than she ever wants to be.

She sighs. She’s just had a bad run of it, it’ll be alright. She’ll get back into the swing of things.

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn’t realize her frown has settled on the white roses sitting prettily in the water.

-.-

Luke drops her off at the coffee shop she’s meeting Piper at. The smile she’s been faking slips away and the frown settles back on her face as she aimlessly fiddles with the with today’s⁠— of course⁠—white rose.

“Hey Beth!” Piper is one of two people in the entire world who can call her that. She tries not to think of the other person.

She gives her best friend a hug. “Hey Pipes.”

“What’s with the white rose?” she asks, dropping her bag to the floor as she sits down.

Annabeth shrugs. “Luke gives them to me.”

Piper raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

She shrugs again. “I don’t know, to be nice?”

“But you don’t even like white roses?”

It’s true that she had once declared she didn’t care for white roses and would carry red roses instead at her own wedding. Granted, that had been a few wineglasses and years ago, but she supposes it still rings true.

She shrugs for the third time, suddenly anxious to get away from the topic, and sets the flower down a little ways away. It’s bright against the dark wood of the table.

She turns towards Piper and asks her about Jason.

-.-

It’s two am and she cannot call asleep. Her mind is spinning with way too many thoughts and she can’t turn any of them off. One thing just leads to another and another and another until sea green eyes fill her mind and she’s thinking about Percy.

It’s been a month and now in the darkness of night she can admit that she misses him. She doesn’t even know why. Everything was a mess with him, nothing made sense, it was all complex and chaotic emotions. He pushed her buttons, pulled her away from comfortability, and it was a constant whirlwind.

With Percy it was all breaking down and coming undone and an almost roller coaster kind of rush. She swears he’s insane but⁠—

But she still misses him, despite all that.

She curses his name, turns over, and tries to block out the memories of hearts beating fast and the strange freedom that came with screaming in the rain.

-.-

She’s ready early, because Luke always shows up on time, looking aimlessly out the window for signs of the shiny silver car.

Her gaze naturally lands on the vase of white roses, still looking pretty and pristine, and suddenly they’re making her frown instead of smile. They’re suddenly too elegant, too perfect, and it makes her stomach churn.

It’s such an intense emotion and it comes out of nowhere and⁠—

It doesn’t make sense.

Strangely enough, the thought makes her smile. Things not making sense? She’s used to that, used to figuring that out, used to it because Percy⁠—

Percy motivates her to jog when she doesn’t want to (because he knows how she hates herself for it afterwards if she skips out). Percy pushes her towards new experiences that might be a little out of her comfort zone (and it’s those experiences she remembers the most vividly). Percy is a mess, he’s rain and screaming, puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit and a rollercoaster she didn’t know she missed.

Percy doesn’t make sense.

And Percy is everything she nee⁠—

A honk breaks her out of her thoughts.

Percy is late.

The beat up, messy, blue Prius is a sigh for sore eyes. He doesn’t get out of the car to let her in but invites her in by turning up the volume and belting out Rick Astley’s Never Going To Give You Up.

He offers a wide grin, telling her she looks absolutely stunning, and a few seconds later she’s screaming along to the lyrics with him.

She’s jogged everyday for the past week, they’re on their way to some event downtown that she’s not sure of, but Percy’s look of excitement is everything.

As quickly as he had turned it up, he lowers the volume suddenly, and when she turns to look at him questioningly, he’s just staring at her.

It’s a little uncomfortable and completely out of left field and of course it doesn’t make sense.

But she’s used to it, used to figuring it out.

So, it doesn't take her long to figure out the look of love in his eyes.

-.-

She sighs when she shuts the door behind her. It’s been a great day, she has tingling lips and a smirking Percy in front of her to show for it.

His next kiss causes her to lose all brain functions and she wonders if maybe she’s the insane one. Her hands let go of her stuff and it falls to the floor as she tangles her fingers in his hair.

It’s messy and wild and she feels the whirlwind inside of her. She never knew she could feel this much.

They stumble further into the apartment, giggling and happy. It’s been a long time coming.

And on the floor by the door lay shoes, a purse, and a single red rose.

A/N: Thank you so much for the prompt! I hope you liked it and this little fic (with a hint of The Way I Loved You by Taylor Swift) fulfilled what you were looking for when you chose the prompt Roses!

[bodytoflame-ao3]

won’t you stick around? (sensation)

fem!percabeth + college late nights (part 2)

Read on Ao3

i kinda like the way we talk without the sound i'm living for the moments we can't be without

need u more ..//.. shaded

“Percy!”

“Hey,” she smiles, settling into the hug.

“You’re sure you won’t fail any classes for this?”

“Who could say no to the Hero of Olympus? And I’m not missing that much class. I left after my only class Friday morning, and I should be back in time for my Wednesday night.”

“I would scold you for taking advantage of your professors, but I missed you too much for that.” Annabeth takes her bag and sets it down in the corner of her room.

“I drove for two days for you, you better be nice.”

Annabeth pulls herself up onto her bed, grabbing the small sketchbook from its place on top of her pillow. “I’ll be nicer once I finish this sketch that’s due tomorrow.”

“You do that… I need to sleep for a few hours.” She’s barely slept in the past two days, but it’s not like she hasn’t had it worse. She took a power nap every few hours, and that was enough. With another nap and a quick shower at a motel in the middle of the night, she’s still feeling okay, but she knows she needs to rest up so she can start driving back in the morning. It’s still worth it — because she gets to see Annabeth, even if only for a night. And like Hades she’s getting on an airplane; that’s one fear she hasn’t quite conquered.

Annabeth stares at Percy expectantly, “Come on, Perce. You can sleep up here.”

“You're working, I don't wanna get in the way. I'll go crash on the couch.”

She rolls her eyes and extends her hand, “Come here.” It wouldn’t matter to her if Percy got in the way, though she knows it would be easy enough to work around her.

Percy sighs and climbs up with her, curling into her lap. She eventually settles, her head resting on Annabeth’s hip, arms wrapped around her leg.

She props up her other knee, resting her sketchbook up against her thigh. Glancing ahead at the reference pinned on her wall, she draws, fine lines and precise angles; a perfectly captured study of the industrial steel support beams of the dilapidated warehouse in the picture.

She nudges Percy once it's finished a few hours later, but she's in too deep of a slumber. It might just be instinct — a remnant of the days when sleep was hard to come by — but she looks so peaceful that she can't bear disturbing her.

So she draws, pencil moving across paper, with little reason. She draws the lamp in the corner of her room, the collection of objects strewn across her desk, little things she can see from where she is, trying to fill up the time until Percy wakes up.

When she’s run out of things to draw, Percy’s still sleeping; so calm and quiet. And still, she looks so beautiful. A hero, and the most gorgeous girl she’s ever seen. It’s striking to her, the difference between the way she looks in the middle of battle. Still beautiful, but her face so focused, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. The way she looks right now is so different, Annabeth almost can’t picture her as the same girl — she looks too innocent, filled with a peace they’ve never known. She wonders who they might’ve been if things were different, if they met as normal kids. She hopes they’d still be here; together.

It’s late, much later than she would stay up herself on a Sunday night. She's considering just calling it a night and making it up to Percy in the morning, when she starts to stir, stretching out with a yawn.

“How long was I out?”

“Almost 5 hours. Feel better?”

Percy hums an affirmation, “Finish your drawing?”

“Yeah. Did some other sketches too while you were sleeping. Figured you needed the rest.” Annabeth flips through the pages, showing her.

Her thumb catches two pages instead of just one. “Wait, you skipped one.”

“Ugh, don’t embarrass me, Percy,” she laughs, handing her the sketchbook and crossing her arms. It feels weird. She’s never been so sentimental — but Percy really looked so pretty clutching her legs, and she couldn’t help but capture that beauty.

Percy turns the page back, and a look of wonder falls onto her face. “Annabeth, this is incredible.”

She blushes, “It’s nothing.”

“No, this… it’s amazing.”

“I was thinking about minoring in art.”

“You should. Seriously, Annabeth. This is really, really good, I— Where did you learn how to do this?”

“Well, the major is based around the art history department. Remember how I mentioned we had to do one studio class?”

She nods. “You're taking that right now, right?”

“Yeah, and I really like it.” She bites her lip. “I’ve been practicing in my spare time. It’s kinda just like architecture drawings — observing shapes, and angles — but it's also looking at the way light hits things and how it changes your perceptions.”

Her eyes light up in the same way they do when she talks about her dreams for the future. “I think you should go for it.”

“Yeah?” Annabeth asks, a smile coming to her face as she sets the sketchbook aside.

“Yeah.”

She kisses Percy’s forehead and holds her close, fingers running through her hair. “I missed you.”

“You get possessive when you miss me,” Percy chuckles. “I like it.”

“I like you.”

“Aww, that’s so embarrassing,” Percy teases, running a hand up her stomach.

She grabs her hand, and leans in close enough that her lips brush Percy’s as she says, “You’re insufferable.” The mischievous grin on her face as she hops off the bed says it all.

“Where are you going?”

“Kitchen,” Annabeth answers, not looking back.

Percy follows on her heel like a puppy. “Hey. Let's go somewhere.”

She stops just short of the cabinet. “Yeah? What’s your plan?”

Percy shrugs. “Um. No plan? I just want to spend time with you.”

“Humor me, what’s even open at 1 AM besides… bars and McDonald’s?”

“Don’t know. Come on, let’s just go.” Percy tugs on her arm, digging her heels into the floor jokingly.

“We can spend time together here. I’ll put on a movie or something,” she manages through a laugh.

“Annabeth, we can watch a movie any time. I'm only here for—” she glances at the clock, “—eight more hours. You trust me,” she smiles, not a question, but a truth.

“Okay,” she sighs.

“Okay, I'm gonna go put on real clothes.” Percy presses a quick kiss to her cheek and runs off.

Annabeth gives a wide-eyed glance to her roommate, standing by the coffee machine, watching it drip into her mug with unparalleled fascination. She's not sure how much she heard or saw — and she's not sure she cares if she did, to be honest. The better question is why she's drinking coffee at two in the morning.

She points an accusing finger: “Not even a word. At least I have the decency to stay here and procrastinate in my pajamas.”

“No, no,” Annabeth laughs, “I wasn't going to say anything,” —an obvious lie.

“So, friend, huh?”

Annabeth opens her mouth to speak, the words catching in her throat. She takes a second; takes a breath, and says, “Actually. My girlfriend. And best friend.”

“Ah,” she smiles, “I thought I sensed overdramatic gay pining.”

Relief washes over Annabeth at how calm and casual her reaction is — but oh, how wrong she is. “Trust me, that's not pining.” She knows pining, regrettably, and this isn't it. On their scale of reactions to time spent apart, a month of talking almost every night while still getting used to their new schedules was nothing.

“Well, it seems like she really missed you.”

Of course she did. And— “I missed her.”

She's drinking her coffee black — what kind of masochist drinks black coffee in the middle of the night on a Sunday night (or rather, Monday morning)? Perhaps the worst part: she sips it slowly, like she enjoys it. “She looks at you like… god, I don't even know, but it's intense.”

Annabeth crosses her arms. “I mean, we've been together for two years, and we've known each other even longer.”

“My boyfriend hasn't looked at me like that since the first few months. Damn, here I thought you were still in the honeymoon phase.”

“We grew up together — been through some shit,” she shrugs, not particularly wanting to elaborate.

“I get that.”

Annabeth doubts she does. “Yeah.”

Percy emerges from her room in a plain navy sundress, jean jacket draped over her shoulder. Annabeth’s eyes linger a bit too long as she looks her over. “Stop staring at my legs, Chase.”

“I— they're long!” Smooth, Annabeth.

Percy chuckles, “Messing with you. Grab your shoes, let’s go.”

“Annabeth, when will you be back?”

“Um. I actually don’t know,” she grins.

It turns out, Washington Square Park is beautiful at night. Despite it being right outside her window, she never did much besides walk through it to save time walking to class. Much quieter, too. There’s still a bustle of tourists, but nothing like it was during the day.

Percy holds her hand tight, swinging their arms back and forth deliberately as they walk. “I miss the city.”

“I never realized how beautiful it could be.”

“You’re majoring in architecture.”

“Yeah, but like… here everything’s so cramped and purpose built. It doesn’t seem like there’s room for beauty. But when I see things like this,” she looks up at the arch, illuminated marble against the dark sky, “it reminds me of all the things I want to make. And why — for these moments. For the girl staring up at the great big world at her fingertips and noticing the little things. The grain of wood in a table; once bark of a tree. Speckles in marble statues. The stippled texture of brick on a walkway.” She leans her head against Percy’s shoulder, clutching her arm tight. “The person who made this didn’t know what it would look like a hundred years in the future. It stood alone, when the night sky wasn’t lit up by street lights, and ‘skyscraper’ meant 10 stories. That America’s long gone, and so are the buildings, but this little piece of it still stands.”

“That is beautiful.” She has a way with words, doesn’t she?

While not eerily quiet, the crowd has started to die down, the bustle of tourists slowing, and Percy knows that’s their cue to leave. She twirls Annabeth around, and pulls her in the direction of the street closest to them.

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know!”

“Isn’t it, I don’t know, dangerous for two girls to walk the streets of a big city alone in the middle of the night?” Annabeth raises an eyebrow.

“First off, we’re right next to a college campus and tourist hotspot — this is one of the safest parts of the city. Second, we kick ass.”

She can’t refute that. It’s easy to forget Percy grew up here, and knows this city like the back of her hand. And they do kick ass. They walk for a while, with no sense of direction, passing blocks and avenues; ascending and descending, until Annabeth says, “Let’s get pizza.”

Percy’s face lights up, “I was waiting for you to say something spontaneous like that. Where do you wanna go?”

“Pizza place across the street.”

It looks divey, but it ends up being some of the best pizza Annabeth’s ever had, and she’s glad they took the chance. They share a pie and hold hands across the table, just laughing, and smiling, and she feels normal — It hits her hard.

“What’s wrong?”

Her smile falls away, but it’s not a look of sadness. It’s reflection; every moment that’s led them here. “I didn’t plan this,” she starts, squeezing her hand, “I tried so hard to have a plan for everything, but there’s no way I could’ve planned this. And I’m just realizing I’ve never been more happy with my life than I am right now, and it’s all because of things I wasn’t able to control. That’s… ironic, right?”

“You may not’ve planned it, but you still made this what it is. It’s what we make.”

“Don’t get all philosophical on me over pizza.” Annabeth rolls her eyes.

“You started it!”

That’s true — but she can’t help it. It’s like the whole world fell into place around her without her even noticing. Wasn’t it in her nature to know things? To be observant? “Touché.”

“What do you wanna do?” Percy asks her once they’ve returned to the streets, having polished off the last slice.

She hums, thinking. “Crêpe place. It’s on the way back.”

“It’s…” Percy glances at her watch, “2:30. It’s probably closed.”

“Nope, it’s open until 3.”

“And you know this why?”

“It was 2:45 AM and I wanted crêpes,” she shrugs.

They’re damn good crêpes. If there’s one thing she misses the most about NYC, it’s her mom. Second: Annabeth. If there’s a third thing, it’s incredibly delicious food from unexpected places. Let it never be said Percy’s a girl without her priorities in order.

They wander back, slowly weaving their way towards Annabeth’s dorm, Percy’s arm wrapped around her waist as they walk. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’m not going to beg you to stay, if that’s what you’re looking for,” Annabeth laughs. “You need to pass your classes.”

Percy’s pretty sure she could ditch every single class for the next four years and they’d still give her a degree. But… she likes her classes. Which is new. New Rome understands her — it’s a school for Demigods, of course they cater to ADHD and dyslexia. Even more striking, she’s learning about things that she actually finds interesting. While she isn’t dead set on a specific field like Annabeth, there’s a few things she’s genuinely excited to look into. Marine life and sustainability — because she’ll always be in touch with the sea and the earth — and somehow, education? She’s pressed to admit Paul has rubbed off on her more than she’d ever expected, and having teachers that understand her disability is something she wishes she had as a kid. It’s something to think about.

“I know. I just miss you. I call sometimes… just to make sure you’re okay.”

“Percy, I do too,” Annabeth admits, leaning into her shoulder.

She smiles, “Gods, I thought I was being so creepy and weird.”

“For the record, you are weird.” Percy glares at her, so she elaborates. “So I… had a bit of a nightmare last week. It wasn't bad, but… I called,” she pauses, cracking a smile, “And you had your head hanging off the side of the bed; all tangled up in the blankets. That's weird.”

Percy scoffs, but she’s most definitely not lying. After a pause, she shifts the conversation: “You can wake me up if you need me, you know that right?”

“No, I mean,” she sighs, “I just needed to see you. That's all.”

She knows. “I mean anytime.”

Annabeth nods, “Same here.”

The second the elevator doors in her building close, Annabeth pulls Percy into a slow kiss, one she’s been waiting for since the second she saw her today.

“Took you long enough,” Percy laughs, threading her fingers through Annabeth’s hair. She tastes like marshmallow and chocolate, which she should’ve expected. It takes all of her willpower to pull away when the doors open at her floor.

Annabeth unlocks the door, and as soon as they step inside she hears, “I’m awake, so for the love of all things holy — no loud sex!”

A devilish look pops onto Percy’s face. “Quiet sex, got i—” Percy shouts back; Annabeth sticks her hand over her mouth a second too late.

“Really, Percy?”

“What?” she smirks, “At least I didn’t tell her you were the loud one.”

“Seaweed Brain,” she shakes her head, and heads into her room, quickly tossing her clothes in a pile to deal with in the morning. For now, she grabs a t-shirt out of Percy’s duffel bag, and climbs into her bed. They have six hours, and Annabeth intends to spend them holding her.

Percy follows, kicking her converse off in the doorway and wrestling into a tank top and shorts, finding her way into Annabeth’s arms as quickly as she can manage. As she curls into her grasp, head resting on her shoulder and legs intertwined, a sense of peace washes over her, unparalleled even by the end of the war. Annabeth’s arm cradles her head, hand stroking her shoulder.

It’s a departure from how they usually sleep, Percy spooning Annabeth, arm around her waist to hold her close, their legs tangled together. She’s almost forgotten just how good it feels to be held by her. It’s a feeling she can’t easily explain. When she holds Annabeth, she’s keeping her safe. Of course, she could hold her own any day — but it brings her comfort to hold her in her arms; her warm skin and soft curves nestled perfectly, safe, real. This is so, so different. This is the feeling of Annabeth’s strength, and her own vulnerability, wrapped in the knowledge and trust that she’ll never let go.

Annabeth whispers, “I love you,” and Percy falls asleep faster than she has in almost ten years.

[thegirlintheshadows101]

1. Oof I have a lot but I would say Rhys, Feyre, Cassia ,Christian Harper, Silas, Enzo(Does it hurt?), Enzo (Heavenly Bodies), Percy, Annabeth, Lana,  Vicious, Gabe, and many others that are currently slipping my mind.

2. Matches 100%

3. It depends on the weather

4. idk but it would be cool if there was a real hippocampus

5. Brown I guess they have like some weird yellowish specks in them

6. That’s none of your business 🤨

7. I can only use scrunchies since I have curly hair

8. Literally zero I need to drink more water 💀

9. Evaporated I literally only like the smell of coffee and that’s it 😬

10. Uhhh I mean…

11. It has to be between reading, writing and painting

12. Uhh it’s been one of those days where even taking a deep breath won’t calm my mind 😀

13. Literally just 30 minutes ago

14. YES RAIN IN GENERAL IS THE BEST THE SOUND THE SMELL HOW IT NEVER FAILS TO MAKE ME WANT TO READ WITH A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE BY A FIRE

15. I am basically my twin siblings third parent I have helped raise and take care of them since I was 15

16. Yup!

17. Idk all I know is I can see perfectly from book reading distance and everything else is a blurry mess

18. Damn a lot I have two hair oils one from my scalp the other to break the cast when my hair is dry, gel, and three curl creams that I mix together. Curly hair can be a lot of work

19. Hell yah what color do you want?

20. Soda obviously 🤨 I am not from the south 😂

21. Uhhhh jewelry really is the only thing I have divorced parents so I couldn’t really get attached to much since I had to leave things behind often

22. I guess I am a pretty stoic person for the most part unless I am really close with you even then my friends would say I mainly show my anger.

23. I love it winter is my favorite!

24. Star gazing and listening to some music

25. Roll on perfume it more controlled than perfume and more potent then some lotions

26. Ooo I have a few. The first is laying in a flower field with an imaginary SO. The second is waking up in the morning with the sun light coming in threw thin white curtains looking at my again imaginary SO. The last one is arguing with you will never guess my imaginary SO about something stupid and then kissing them mid fight.

27. I fell asleep at 3 and woke up at 10 so 7

28. Yup I barely go out so mainly at school.

29. Warm I don’t like boiling hot water like some people I don’t think I ever will cause I actually used to main take cold showers when I was younger and only started liking warm showers when I moved since the water was either freezing or warm so I chose warm.

30. Nope!

31. Music that keeps me grounded ummm I would say anything that the main background instruments are piano or violin that always soothes me

32. Yes it’s a navy blue one

33. On my birthday I went with my best friend to a haunted trail at night it was a new moon too so it was dark as hell and we barely walked 10 feet through it since we were scared someone would come murder us and it was freezing but the stars were really pretty I was disappointed that my phone camera wasn’t able to take a picture of it.

34. Yah a few touch tank, lose yourself (I might be a little rusty) and quite a few others I tend to memorize music pretty quickly

35. Pacific Standard Time

36. Literally never

37. My two best friends I have known since third/fourth grade.

38. There is this mango one from Bed Bath and Body that’s really good. Also the pink soap that’s always at movie theater bathrooms is the best smelling soap in my opinion

39. I use Vaseline but I forget to use it a lot but when I don’t I have the softest lips it’s literally the best 😌

40. Just an apple after dinner

41. In the air I literally only like the smell

42. The Books app on my phone 😂

43. I am Latina so a lot of the stuff I eat is spicy and I literally love it I can eat spicy food every day of my life

44. Uhhh I plead the fifth

45. Yup… for the most part 💀

46. The SpongeBob one! Not the cartoon one the one were SpongeBob saves everyone with fruitcake I absolutely love it and I can’t find it anywhere and it makes me so sad 😭

47. I sent a text to my friend telling her I couldn’t go to the mall with her after we go to see our old teacher.

48. I was 12 and it was on accident I thought my cousin who was 16 still had apple cider in her glass and I asked if I could have some and she said yah but didn’t tell me it was champagne she thought I knew 💀

49. Yah I am a little rusty I haven’t done it in a while.

50. Sure why not!

here’s weirder asks

who is/are your comfort character(s)?

lighter or matches?

do you leave the window open at night?

which cryptyd being do you believe in?

what color are your eyes?

why did you do that?

hair-ties or scrunchies?

how many water bottles are in your room right now?

which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

would you slaughter the rich?

favorite extracurricular activity?

what kind of day is it?

when was the last time you ate?

do you love the smell of earth after it rains?

are you a parent? (all answers qualify)

can you drive?

are you farsighted or nearsighted?

what hair products do you use?

imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?

do you say soda or pop?

something you’ve kept since childhood?

what type of person are you?

how do you feel about chilly weather?

if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

perfume/body spray or lotion?

a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

about how many hours of sleep did you get?

do you wear a mask?

how do you like your shower water?

is there dishes in your room?

what type of music keeps you grounded?

do you have a favorite towel?

the last adventure you’ve been on?

is there a song you know every word to by heart?

what’s your timezone?

how many times have you changed your url?

someone in your life, other than a relative, you’ve known for 10+ years?

a soap bar that smells good?

do you use lip balm?

did you have any snacks today?

how do you take your coffee?

an app you frequently use besides this godforsaken site?

what’s your take on spicy foods?

you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?

can you remember what happened yesterday?

favorite holiday film?

what was the last message you sent?

when did you first try an alcohol beverage?

can you skip rocks?

can i tag you in random stuff?

[cameronspecial]

Sent From A Goddess (Ch.2)

Pairing: Demigod! Tom Holland x Demigod! Reader

Summary: (Y/N) (Y/L/N) is the daughter of Poisedon, and for twelve years she was all alone. Growing up at camp without any family and watching people she is closed to come in and out of her life has caused her to close up. So she made a rule, the only people she is allowed to be truly close to is her brother, his family, Chiron, Tyson, Annabeth, and Grover. When Tom in his brothers come around, will he be able to break that rule?  

Word Count: 2 005

Please Take This Survey To Help Me Out

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | 

Tom and his brothers had been at Camp Half-Blood for a week now and it was safe to say that they were enjoying themselves. Tom was relatively good when it came to sword fighting, however, he was not the greatest at archery which was ironic because he was the son of Apollo. During the whole week, they have been here, Tom has not once heard her laugh or seen her smile. What happened to her for her to be like this? He wants to see her happy and he wants to help her. He nor any of his brothers could get her to laugh or talk about herself, and that made him even more curious.

(Y/N) sat on the beach with her sketchbook and pencil in hand. Everyone else was training, so all she could hear were the soothing waves and the distant sound of swords clashing together. She mindlessly sketches what was on her mind like usual and this time it was one of her many imaginations of what her mom looked like. Throughout her many sketchbooks pictures of what she thought her mom looks like are scattered all throughout them. She had done everything she can to find her mother, but she never found anything in her 16 years of life. She wants to know who she is other than the daughter of Poseidon. “Why won’t you tell me who she is?” she whispers to no one in particular. Percy stood on the path that leads down to the beach watching at his little sister. Even though they were born the same day in the same year, he always saw her as his baby sister because he was twelve years later. He didn’t like to see his sister likes this and the fact that anything he does doesn’t help makes it worse. He walks towards (Y/N) to keep her company.

She sensed her brother coming near her and closes her sketchbook. “How did you imagine her this time?” he asks softly. He sits down next to her and wraps his arm around her shoulder. She opens up the sketchbook to show her brother. He smiles at the drawing of the beautiful woman that looks like (Y/N). “I decide to make her look more like me this time,” she tells him. “Well, like all of your drawing it looks amazing,” he praises. All she can do is nod and close the sketchbook again. Percy sighs, “You know you can talk to me about anything right?” He knows that she has closed herself off ever since Luke died and it was killing him that he couldn’t make her feel better. She whispers I know before getting up and walking off. Percy sees that she left her sketchbook and takes a look at some of her drawings. They were all so sad. He felt like he could feel her grieving. Annabeth walks up to Percy and sits with him. “Did she blow you off again?” Annabeth questions. She knew how much this was hurting Percy because she felt the same way. She couldn’t help her best friend feel better and that bothered both of them. “I know how you feel. I tried talking to her this morning at breakfast and she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t tell me how she felt. Percy, she’s getting worse by the day and I am worried. Who knows how she is feeling or what she is thinking?” Annabeth worries. “I know, but I promise Wise Girl that I am doing everything I can to help her and I will continue too until she is better,” Percy vouched, Annabeth started crying and all he could do was bring her face into the crook of his neck.

(Y/N) watches in horror as Percy hands over the knife to Luke. She watches as the person she used to trust and still love plunges the knife into himself. She tries to run towards him to stop him, but Percy holds her back. Luke lies on the ground slowly bleeding out, but instead of dying as he did in real life, his body changes to look like Kronos. Everyone else disappears so that it’s just her and Kronos in the darkness. He stands up and walks towards her. She felt absolutely powerless. She couldn’t move her feet; she was frozen in fear. “You’re a nobody. You couldn’t save them and you won’t be able to save the rest. Not Percy, Not Annabeth, Not Grover,” Kronos continues to list the people she loved and the people that she has lost. Then it kept getting worse. Darian appears in front of Kronos. He begged and pleaded to be let free. Kronos just laughs and a sword appears in his hand. He raises it ready to plunge it into Darian’s heart and all she can do is scream and watch.  

Before the sword plunges into his heart, (Y/N)’s eyes flutter open and her screams could be heard throughout the cabin. Percy is standing over her bed, shaking her awake. “You’re okay. You’re okay,” he promises as he holds her close to his chest. Once she calms down, she told Percy thank you and that he should head to bed. She makes sure he is asleep before putting her hair in a ponytail and putting her shoes on. She opens the door quietly and sneaks out. She passes the archery range as she makes her way to the climbing wall. She notices that a mop of brown hair was at the range where he was not supposed to be. She recognizes him as Thomas Holland, one of the newest campers, and decides to watch. She leans against the tree and observes. He draws back the string with the arrow and then let's go. The arrow doesn’t fly through the air as it would normally, the arrow drops to the floor which was funny because he is the son of Apollo. She doesn’t know what overcame her, but she starts giggling for the first time in months.  Tom’s head snaps in the direction that he heard the giggling come from. He smiles when he sees that it was (Y/N); he finally gets to see that beautiful smile of hers.

She immediately stops when she sees that he was staring at her. “You know for a child of Apollo you are pretty shit with a bow and arrow,” she claims with her face turning back to its serious expression. Tom laughs and looks at her, “Yeah, well it’s not liked I asked to be his son and these things are harder then they look.” (Y/N) just shakes her head and taps her ring two times to change it into a bow and arrow. She walks up to the target, draws back the string with the arrow, and lets it go. It flies through the air and hits the bullseye of the target. She draws back another arrow and it splits the first arrow. She does the same thing two more times then looks at Tom with you were saying written on her face. “It’s not as hard as you think,” she brags with a wicked smile before turning the bow back into a ring. “Teach me,” he says in awe. He had never seen anyone that good, not even Will. (Y/N) just shakes her head as she walks away, “I am sorry, but I don’t teach anymore.” That was the first thing that she ever told him about herself and that made him hope. Hope that maybe he can get her to smile again.

She got to the rock wall when and gets ready to climb. “You’re really going to climb that thing in the middle of the night with no one around. Doesn’t seem very safe,” Tom comments as he watches her get closer to the wall. The girl scoffs and begins climbing the wall, “I have been climbing these walls ever since I was little, and I think I will be fine.” If Tom keeps this going, then he can finally learn more about her. “Well, I just want to make sure you are safe,” he admits out loud. He wouldn’t tell anyone just yet, but he may have developed a tiny crush on the mysterious girl. “I don’t need you to protect me. I am pretty sure you're supposed to be in your cabin, so why don’t you go back,” she claims, by now she was half-way up the wall which amazed Tom. “Yeah, well maybe I’ll keep you some company and try the wall myself,” Tom announces as he starts climbing the wall. She looks down at him, she wouldn’t admit it, but she definitely felt a bit of concern towards him. “I don’t care what you do or about you.” Tom ignores her, knowing that it was not true, and continues to copies what she is doing.

(Y/N) was standing at the top of the climbing wall, watching Tom climb up towards her. He tried to remember what holds she used to get up, but his memory failed him and he wasn’t fast enough to get up. The lava started slowly pouring when he was so close to the top; what was worse was that his hand couldn’t hold on anymore and he let go. (Y/N) was quick to grab onto his wrists and pull him up beside her. “That’s why you use the rope and harness, you dimwit,” she scolds, she pressing the button to stop the lava and starting to descend the wall. “Umm, how am I supposed to get down?” he croaks. He did not think this through. (Y/N) shakes her head and belays the harness up to him. “Put that on!” she shouts to him. Tom nods his head and does as he is told. Once he gets it on, she starts bringing him down slowly. He had to admit that he was a little afraid, but he trusted her. “My knight in shining armour,” Tom gushes with his hands over his heart. “Shut it, Holland. Now, get back to your cabin before I call the harpies to eat you up,” she growls before she storms off to her cabin.

Percy’s head darts toward the sound of his sister coming through the door. He lets out a sigh of relief, “Thank the gods you are okay. You know I worry when you are not in bed. What happened to you? Your closes are burnt to a crisp.” (Y/N) mumbles that she is okay and continues to collect a change of clothes for her. She walks into the private bathroom Chiron built for her cabin. She turns on the faucet of the bathtub and watches the water drain into it. Once it was full, (Y/N) starts to strip off the burnt clothes and examines herself in the mirror. Through the mirror, she could see the scar that was approximately 15 cm. It started from the top of her right shoulder and goes in towards her shoulder blade. The incident may have happened 7 years ago, but the scar still remains as a reminder for what happened.

The young female sinks herself into the tub and watches the water swish around in the tub. The music plays in the background whilst she is deep in thought. Why did Tom insist on trying to get to know her? Why couldn’t he just leave her alone like everyone else? Whatever he is doing, she does not like it. He may be handsome and cause other girls heart to flutter, but he didn’t have that effect on her. If the children of Aphrodite could know what she was thinking, they would say that she was crazy. They would say that his good looks, muscles, and delightful singing voice is perfect boyfriend material. (Y/N) on the other hand, thought that his consistent trying to get to know her was quite annoying. Plus, she would need to know more about him if she were to ever fall head over heels for him, she would need to learn more about him first.

*Tell me what you thought about the chapter here*

Next Chapter Comes Out November the 2nd

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