Remind Me Never to Fall in Love
By: xXxDaughterofthKingxXx
AN: So, I'm going solo in my writing as of right now... No beta. So, if you see some mistakes, drop a review and tell me!
Disclaimer: Don't own PJO or HoO.
"You're-you're such, augh, you're such a Seaweed Brain!"
Rachel sighed, leaning up against the Hades Cabin porch. "Ah, young love."
Nico raised an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between the Oracle of Delphi and the fighting couple. "This is love?"
"If you're Percy or Annabeth, yup." Rachel replied, popping her 'p'.
"That's just weird." Nico said, rolling his eyes. "Just plain out weird."
Rachel smiled. "That's love for you, Nicky."
"Remind me never to fall in love… Rachy." A faint smile flickered on his face.
Rachel ruffled his messy black hair, grinning slightly. "Oh, you'll understand love in a few years, Nico. Just you wait and see."
"He's so… AUGH!"
"Um, Reyna," Dakota pointed out. "I don't think 'augh' is really a word."
If looks could kill, Dakota would've dropped dead right on the spot.
"I don't care if it's not a word!" Reyna cried, pacing angrily through the cabin.
Dakota rolled his eyes. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?"
"Jason," she nearly growled, frustrated. "He's so, so—"
"Augh!" Dakota supplied. "I get it."
"One minute," Reyna continued miserably. "He's flirting with me and making me feel like I'm most important girl to him, and the next minute, he's off flirting with some… Venus spawn and I feel like I'm nothing to him!"
Thirteen year-old Dakota fought the urge to smile. "Remind me never to fall in love, Rey."
The older girl sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair. "Tell you what, if I figure out this love crap, then I won't remind you. If I don't, then I will."
"Stupid Luke," She kicks at a tree angrily, ready to rip it out of the ground. Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"Thalia?" A small voice stops her fit of rage, and she turns, only to see Annabeth, the newest member of their family, standing in the threshold of the glade.
A small smile flickers on the older girl's face. "Hey, Annabeth. What's up?"
"The sky, obviously," the seven year-old replies, cautiously stepping towards her older friend. "I take it you're mad at Luke?"
Thalia smiles weakly. "Yeah, he's being an idiot, as usual."
"But that's Luke for you."
"I know," Thalia sighs, running a hand through her dirty, matted dark hair. "I just… It's hard, sometimes, Annabeth. We'll be fine."
"Do you like him as something more than a friend?" Annabeth asks, her gray eyes staring up at Thalia curiously.
The words catch Thalia by surprise, and she feels the heat rising to her cheeks. "What? Of course not! Why would you think that, Annabeth?"
The younger girl shrugs. "It just seems like that. I mean, you blush when he touches your hand, you're happiest with him, you're very territorial around him. Remember when the Hunters met up with us?"
Thalia does, and she's not fond of the memory. "Alright, Annabeth," she sighs. "Maybe I do like Luke, just a little. It's just… love sucks."
"It's illogical," Annabeth says, looking much too serious for a girl of her age. "And just plain out stupid.[1]"
Thalia chuckles. "Got that right."
"Thalia, remind me never, ever to fall in love." Annabeth crosses her arms over her chest. "If it weren't for you and Luke, I would've joined the Hunters."
"Alright, kiddo," Thalia replies. "I'll do that, but we'll just see how well you take it when I remind you to when you're older."
"And she's just funny and amazing and nice and pretty and[2]—"
"Alright!" Percy interrupted. "We get it, dude."
"Yeah," Jason chimed in. "You like my sister." He gagged.
"Why wouldn't he?" Leo snorted. Both Nico and Jason gave him the death glare, but the son of Hephaestus merely shrugged. "Just saying."
"Because she's a former Hunter who broke the rules and broke her oath to be with you?" Annabeth reminded.
"Meaning: Artemis now hates you." Piper added. "So, good luck with that."
Nico sighed. "I've already got Zeus and Poseidon on my bad side. One more angry god won't hurt too much." A small smile spreads to his face. "Besides, I think love might actually be worth it."
Rachel snorted. "Oh yeah? When you were like thirteen, I thoroughly recall you saying, 'Remind me never to fall in love, Rachy.'."
Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't remember that…"
"Yeah, well I do, and I know it happened. So don't even bother to argue."
"I think I love you."
The words hit her like a heavy load of bricks, and suddenly, Reyna felt(and probably looked) like one of her father's sacred cows: Dumb, bright red, and slow.
"I… um…" she started, looking at the younger boy, who now stood a good five or so inches over her.
"I know you still like Jason," Dakota said quickly. "But I just figured… I figured you'd like to know."
Briefly, her mind flashed back to a day, about three or so years ago, when Dakota made her promise to remind him never to fall in love, if she didn't figure love out.
Which she didn't, of course.
"Dakota," Reyna said finally. "I don't really know what to say."
His cheeks are flushed bright red, and she can't help but think how adorable he looks when he's embarrassed. "I know you probably don't like me back," he added hastily.
"I don't know right now, Kota," Reyna sighed. "I mean, I'm still getting over Jason, and I just… I just don't want to be with anyone right now. Don't take it personally."
Her heart fell when she saw his crestfallen face. "I get it," he said quietly. "It's okay, Reyna."
He turned on his heel, walking away from her, and before Reyna could stop herself, she called out, "Dakota!" The younger boy turned around. "Don't think this means we'll never be able to be together. Maybe someday in the near future, you and I will figure this crazy thing called love out—" She paused hesitantly, then added, "—Together."
"Hey, kiddo."
Annabeth looks up miserably from her place on her bed, and a small smile flickers on her face. "Thalia!" she cries, reaching up to hug her friend. "What are you doing here?"
Thalia shrugs. "Figured I should really help with the whole Argo II nonsense." She stares at the younger girl disbelievingly. "Are you guys seriously going to make this thing?"
"Hopefully," answers Annabeth. She gestures to the notes that are scattered on her bed. "Leo and I have been working like crazy on it."
Thalia nods sympathetically. "That's insane, you guys. Typical month for us. Building a giant ship. Meeting my long lost brother after like twelve years of being separated. Learning of Rome's existence."
"And Percy going missing," Annabeth grimaces.
Thalia looks at her worriedly. "How are you taking that, kid?"
Annabeth scowls briefly, then sighs. "It's not that important. We have more important things to worry about right now." She blows a strand of her blonde hair out of her face. "As much as I'd love to search for him, I just can't right now."
"Who says?" Thalia demands.
"Me," Annabeth answers miserably. "Seaweed Brain can wait, I suppose." She sighs again. "I just hope the Romans don't find his Achilles heel."
Thalia looks at her, then says, "You really love him, don't you?"
This time, it's Annabeth who's caught off guard. "What?"
"You really love him, don't you?" Thalia repeats. "Percy, that is."
"Why would you—" Annabeth sighs, running a hand through her messy, uncombed blonde hair, which has fallen out of its usual ponytail. "—Am I really that obvious, Thalia?"
"Nah," Thalia smiles. "I just know you that well." She pauses, then adds, "Though I do remember you asking me to remind you not to fall in love. Being a Hunter and your best friend, I have every right to tell you that."
"Too late," mutters Annabeth.
Thalia grins. "Woops, too late for that," she remarks drily. "He loves you too, you know."
"If he remembered me."
"You're special to him," Thalia promises. "He left Calypso for you, right? He ditched Rachel for you! He-he turned down immorality for you, Chase. If that isn't love, and this is coming from a maiden Hunter of Artemis, I honestly don't know what love would be."
A smile flickers on Annabeth's face. "Thanks, Thals."
Thalia grins. "No problem, kiddo. Just don't tell anyone I said any of that."
[1]: Okay, so just implying an AWESOME story called: Illogical and Stupid by prplesockerstar. READ IT.
[2]: *gags* Nico is SOO OOC, it's not funny. Okay, it IS funny, but still. :P
Okay, hope you enjoyed it! (: