Luke makes Annabeth feel old.
She was only seven, a child, but he makes her feel as if she was ten years older; after all, he's laid out a lot of expectations and responsibilities for her. Maybe that was an exaggeration. She liked to take charge of their little group of three. She liked planning with Thalia, and staying up late at absurd hours to fight monsters and hone her skills.
But she'd never learned to have fun (which is primary to little kids) unless you count fighting monsters fun. But who enjoyed killing, and killing, and more killing every day and night?
She only stands it because she loves Luke.
Or so she tells herself.
. . .
Not much has changed.
She's twelve and he's nineteen yet she feels just as old as him, if not more.
He's alone; yet not.
Girls fawn over him like leeches ("Luke, this sword is so heavy; can you help me?" "Luke, would you like to train with me?" "Luke, baby!") and boys want to be him. So he's always training, hanging out with his "friends" or occasionally being stalked by fans. But Annabeth knows him, really knows him, and she can see his smiles and laughs are a little forced, and she can clearly see that he's very much alone.
Because Thalia's gone now, but Luke visits her tree more often than ever. Nevertheless, Thalia's gone, gone, gone (much to everyone's regret) so why won't he focus on her?
Even though every day she would drop by the Hermes cabin and see how he's doing, she's sure Luke will never see her in the light he saw Thalia. She's slightly bitter. She feels like his mother and not his—What was she to him? A friend? A lover? What?—close friend.
One day, she hears a shout and she and Chiron check to see who (or what) it is.
They don't have to go far. There was an unconscious satyr, Grover, and a scrawny boy with messy black hair and the most (beautiful) green eyes she's ever seen.
. . .
Percy makes Annabeth feel her age; young and free, and yet she hates it.
She hates changes.
And she hates how easily he waltzes into her life.
"I don't like him," she denies when people ask. And tons of people ask, especially the annoying Aphrodite girls, just because she has to tutor the kid. And some of them even have the nerve to ask if she has his number already. It was irritating having most of the Aphrodite cabin teasing her about her so-called 'conquest.'
'Bloody idiots,' she thinks angrily. 'He's just some new kid that I have to tutor. He's nothing special, and he most certainly is not Luke.'
But it is thanks to Percy that she goes on her first, desperately wanted, quest.
When she comes back, it is amazing. The applause, the warm campfire which she secretly missed, a new bead to add on (she's kind of proud to see the trident added to her necklace) and having a new companion — no, friend to stand by her and help her. But she'd rather pitch herself off a cliff before admitting Percy can help her with anything.
She's proved herself worthy and she's had an adventure. A wild, dangerous adventure with so many high stakes and so many odds against them. Honestly, a war between the Gods? She's pretty proud to say that she helped stop it.
But something's wrong.
She only realizes what it was exactly when she's notified that Percy's in the infirmary because of Luke.
The one she admired.
The one who's been there since she was seven.
The one she (supposedly) loved.
The one that makes her feel as old as Lord Zeus himself.
She's lost to whom she should choose.
. . .
When Percy wakes up, he sees blonde curls, (stormy, intelligent, beautiful) grey eyes and a smirk.
This one-shot was inspired by another story with the summary, "You make me feel twelve again." It was supposed to be a drabble at first, which I obviously failed. I also hadn't meant to put Percabeth, but it's my favourite pairing so I probably snuck in a bit. I'm also trying to write and experiment with different styles, and it's like a challenge to me... from myself. Anyways, this was my first time writing in third-person. Was it alright? I would love feedback, as usual. :)