*rises from coffin* I LIIIIIVVVEEEEE.
Yes, GD is still around. My apologies for the lack of updates - I go through phases when it comes to fanfiction.
So I started writing this at the beginning of my university year, totally forgot about it's presence, and then found it again today and finished it. It's rather short, but I was in the mood for writing Percabeth. XD Hope you enjoy it!
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Annabeth had to admit, Percy did look pretty hot shirtless.
Not that she'd ever say it to his face, of course – he already had a bit of a blown-up head for his own good, let alone how embarrassing that would ever be to say out loud. She couldn't even fathom the idea of telling him.
Still, their relationship was going well so far. Camp Half-Blood was finally at peace – a rare moment in time – and so she was going to enjoy it as much as possible. The sun had spoiled the strawberry fields with blissful rays that snuggled her insides like a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate. Clouds… what clouds? Cerulean and azure lined the horizon, mirroring the shades of the heavens and scents of freshly-cut grass and spring breeze soothed her bubbling senses.
It was a good day, Annabeth thought, as she watched the sea (and her boyfriend) from a safe distance.
Then, she noticed, Percy had vanished. While she had been so wrapped up in how she wasn't being monster chow at the moment, her boyfriend had presently disappeared into thin air. She narrowed her gaze; the group of demigods must have disappeared behind the littering of trees down by the beach, she thought. They had been splashing in the waves, just enjoying themselves – but since the battle against Kronos, Annabeth couldn't help but be a bit paranoid. She'd only just won Percy over, and she didn't want to lose him again.
The blonde girl stood up, examining the scene. Even though she was hardly dressed for swim shenanigans, she marched down to the beach to investigate. She was sure she'd find Percy messing around with Grover, catching a rogue Frisbee or something.
But then, in the far distance, something caught her eye. Annabeth stopped to inhale the view. About a mile out to sea, the waves rose. Beasts of cold, sickly ocean rose above her height and surged towards the beach with blinding speed.
Annabeth's stomach dropped, her fingers turned to ice, and her hand immediately flew to her knife. Monsters, it had to be, planning to flood camp. She could feel every drop of courage wash away, horrified that somehow they'd slipped past their quiet defences and used the sea entrance to their advantage.
Trying to stop herself shaking, she launched herself forward towards the beach, "Percy! Waves incoming!"
She knew her boyfriend was the son of Poseidon, and that he could contain such waves with something as simple as the click of a finger. Should monsters attack via the sea, Percy would be there to drain them away. He was powerful.
When she reached the beach, though, she hadn't expect him to be that powerful.
There he was, still shirtless and in a pair of loose swimming shorts, pose rigid. Hands in the air like a pouncing tiger, eyes fixated on the scene.
But he was grinning wildly.
Grover looked over to Annabeth then, "Hi, Annabeth!"
"Percy, Grover-" she looked back at the scene – the huge wave was too near for her to feel safe, "The wave- you..?"
Percy spared her a glance then. His hair was wet with saltwater, clasping to his face, yet it looked stunningly attractive to Annabeth. Maybe it was the way it angled his features, or how it accentuated his bright, sea-green eyes. As well as that, the soft gaze he regarded her with made her feel safer than ever.
"Sorry if it startled you," he said, turning back, "I've conjured it. It's all mine."
Annabeth removed her hand from her knife, "So… we're not under attack."
"Unless you count seaweed and krill, nope."
Annabeth felt that was her finest blonde moment ever. Well, she couldn't help but suspect everything, since they'd just stepped fresh from warfare of godly proportions.
She breathed a sigh of relief, "Well, a warning would have been nice," she said with a weak smile, "I thought we were under attack."
Percy brought his arms down – the waves followed and calmed, slushing up the shore as if there had been no huge wave to begin with.
"I'm sorry – I just wanted to make some big waves."
Annabeth cocked an eyebrow as Grover answered her impending question.
"We're going surfing," he said excitedly, his goat legs chattered on the ground, "It's a great day and a great idea – Perce suggested it."
Percy turned to his girlfriend, "You should come too, it'll be fun!"
Annabeth couldn't help but smile, but she crossed her arms, "Oh, er, no thanks. I can't surf."
Grover laughed, "And you think I can?" Percy stepped forward and – oh, no, Annabeth cursed herself. He had that face on again, the one that made her feel like a bag of jelly. He pouted with widened eyes, attempting the cutest face he could muster without looking creepy. Annabeth wanted to say that it didn't work on her, his please face, but it did.
She just rolled her eyebrows, "Like I said: can't surf."
"That's why I'll teach you," he batted his eyelids – Annabeth guffawed, "Pwease?"
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Somehow, Annabeth ended up clothed in a bikini and armed with a giant surfboard. She didn't quite understand how Percy had managed to convince her… but the idiot did. Even worse that she was in her rather flashy swim gear. She didn't like to think of it this way, but if that boy so much as blinked, her clothes would probably fall off.
He was currently lying on the surf board, gold as ichor and the size of a titan's toe, flapping his arms and legs about. He looked more like he was drowning than surfing.
"So this is how you jump on a board when a wave appears. Then – you're watching this, right?" Annabeth hastily nodded her head, killing her small chuckles of amusement in her throat, "Then you have to 'pop up' – so you push yourself up to a standing position. Do a press-up first, then put one foot forward, and then stand up, keeping your knees bent," he demonstrated the 'popping up' technique, keeping himself relaxed as he bent his knees and did the typical surfer pose, "Pretty simple, but it's hard on the waves."
The girl scratched at her chin, "I think I've got it."
Behind her, Grover guffawed. Annabeth whipped her head around.
"What?"
"Nothing," Grover said, still grinning, "I just think it will be funny to watch you flop into the water."
She cocked an eyebrow so high and arced a tunnel would be jealous, "I can do this. It can't be too hard."
When she turned back around her boyfriend was also grinning, "It's harder than it looks, I promise you," he gestured to the board, "But practice this first."
She couldn't help but cringe – it did look mightily unappealing, especially since both boys seemed to be in complete amusement on her confidence to tackle the vicious sea. Still, mustering her pride, Annabeth lay down on the board.
"Alright," Percy said, "Practice the swimming motion."
Annabeth hooked her arms downwards, like the oars of a canoe, creating gashes in the sand and covering herself in a skin of grain. The fine particles reflected the daylight and made her look like she was glittering.
"Hahah," Percy said, "You look hilarious."
Annabeth soured, "You looked silly a moment ago!"
"I know," he smirked – that stupid smirk, "All in the name of safety. Now, do the pop up."
The girl knew she couldn't whip out the press-ups like her boyfriend could, not strong enough to be able to do it as quickly – wait, she underestimated herself. Annabeth remembered the time she had held up the sky, the lock of greying hair bouncing down onto her nose as she reminisced. The pop up motion couldn't be as difficult as keeping the heavens on her shoulders.
She pushed herself up, straight onto her legs and stuck out her arms. She was a tiny bit wobbly, but not enough to make her topple flat on her face. Percy examined her stance first before reaching towards her arms.
"A little higher, you need balance," he tilted them upwards with a gentle touch. It was hard to believe the same hands brandished a sword that was often driven into the guts of enemies – you would never guess it from how soft he was. Annabeth could feel a familiar tingle of warmth tickle at her nerves.
"Okay," she whispered; she watched his smirk alter to a genuine smile of appreciation. She couldn't help but mirror him, and she could feel the happiness spread like warm Nutella on toast. Percy had a weird effect on her.
"Um," Grover piped, "Are you two having a moment? Should I leave?"
"Nah, mate," Percy said, his gaze tearing away from Annabeth's, "Just showing Wise Girl that she isn't so wise."
Annabeth blinked. What was that about sunshine? "Excuse me," she said, her nose tipping upwards, "I am doing quite fine at learning how to do this."
"Well, you're missing something important," Percy responded, his face vacant, "I forgot to demonstrate it to you."
"And it is..?"
"You have to stand on your tiptoes."
Somehow Annabeth wondered whether her eyes could be tunnels of their own, with the amount of times she raised her brows in doubt, "I may know nothing about surfing, Seaweed Brain, but it doesn't mean I'm stupid."
"No, you do – it helps to centre the gravity of the board," he looked so innocent and knowing that she just drooped her shoulders in response.
"If this is a joke, I will kill you," she said, quite calmly. Percy nodded.
"I know," his smile curled up his face again.
"That includes you too, Grover."
The satyr laughed sheepishly, "Don't worry, this will be great," his hooves jittering against the sand.
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When the two boys had acquired surf boards of their own, the trio were ready to – in Percy's honest words – hit the water. Annabeth really hoped that he was being figurative than literal, as she did not particularly fancy a violent sea-salt facial.
The water was at a perfect temperature for this type of wave-faring fun. Annabeth shuddered as her toes wrinkled the water's surface, chilling her bones. It was a nice chill, though, like licking into an ice cream after a long day of hiking.
Percy wasted no time covering himself in the waves. He didn't have to be wet when he dipped, since being the son of Poseidon gave him such privileges, but it was nice to see that he had chosen to embrace the waters today rather than repel them. The sea perfume did smell pretty good on him.
Grover followed suit, his naked goat legs soaking up the briny goodness without a care in the world. He and Percy were already engaging in an intense splash-down before Annabeth even had the chance to fully accustom herself to the new environment.
It wasn't long before she was waist-deep in sea water. Percy had out-splashed Grover several times (naturally) before they were finally prepared to attempt surfing.
"Are you ready?" he yelled at his girlfriend, a few metres away. Annabeth was clutching her board with dear life, even though she wasn't far from the beach.
"Yes!" she shouted to him.
"Let's do this!" Grover said confidently. At that moment, a small wave began to roll towards them like a wad of pastry. Percy was quick to flick up his fingers.
"Mount your board!" he commanded – like he wielded charmspeak, Annabeth obeyed, slipping onto her board without making a sound. She peered backwards – the wave was approaching at an alarming speed, surging like it was out to trip her up. No doubt her boyfriend had something to do with that.
"Get ready to ride this one!" he said, "Don't forget the pop up technique!"
The blonde recited it in her head: Press-up upwards; push one foot forward; stand with bent knees… rise onto her toes? She was still unsure as to the authenticity of this command… But did she really want to risk falling off her board like a loony who didn't listen to the advice of her instructor? She really wanted to show that she could do this, put her money where her mouth was (she did have to keep her 'Wise Girl' reputation), and it looked like standing on her tiptoes was the way forward. What harm could it do?
The wave undulated, rippling through shore – in seconds, it was beneath her board, and she could feel the motion beginning to push her forward.
"Pop!" Percy yelped – he was already standing on his board, but this was no time for Annabeth to admire him and his sizzling pectorals. At the crack of a whip, she hauled herself up. The waves were resisting, trying to stop her, but she clawed into the board and held her balance. With mettle she forced herself into the kneeling, and then the standing position.
She was upright. She had done it.
But her centre of gravity was off. She was going to become fish bait if she waited any longer.
Her toes pushed her even further upwards, rising like the morning sun. For a moment, it was glorious. She felt high, mighty, the best of beginning surfers.
It was short-lived. Her toes slipped and the world fell into slow-motion – she could see the beach turn agonisingly vertical as she dropped into the sea, the brine clouding her vision and the bubbles bursting furiously against her prickled skin. She swirled and flipped around, the current taking her in whichever direction it pleased.
Maybe it was her annoyance that drove her upwards to the surface. Maybe it was her embarrassment. But when her body hit the shore, the damp sand sloshing around her delicate feet, the first thing she did after she took a breath was yelling "PEEERCY!"
Her boyfriend had appeared next to her in the time she fell from her surfboard to now. He was beetroot crimson in the face, a grin so wide the Joker would kill for it, his pearly teeth boasting for the whole camp to see. Grover was next to him with an expression that reflected Percy's and eyes that sparkled with the same mischievous.
"Oh my gods! That was so hilarious!" Percy laughed, clutching his stomach, "You went all ballerina and fell in and now – ahahah!" he cracked into a fresh set of girlish giggles, arcing backwards as to fully appreciate the hilarity of the situation.
She was pretty sure she was also red in the face, but not for the same reason that Percy and Grover were, "What? What now?"
Grover had to contain his swelling laughter, "You- pfft, on your head..!"
Annabeth's hand lashed to her head, the sea shooting droplets as she did – she felt her damp, wet blonde hair clinging to her skull for dear life, also stinking of the sea scent. Another passenger hugged onto her too, though, and as she slid the slimy belt from the confines of her mane she visibly cringed.
"Seaweed," she breathed, immediately releasing grip and letting it plop back into the sea.
"It's like another streak of hair!" Grover laughed, "Man, you should have seen your face!"
Percy laughed too, "You looked like the Seaweed Brain then!" he paused, the idea making his cheeks puff with excitement, "Seaweed Girl!"
"Sweetheart," Annabeth said, quite calmly. She stood from the water prison, brushed herself off with a delicate wipe and regarded her boyfriend with a snide grin.
He immediately stopped laughing. Grover shrunk in size.
"… Yes?" he piped.
He knew what was coming: "I'm going to kill you."
Both boys split like the Red Sea. And Annabeth chased after them, half laughing, half seriously trying to splash them with storms of water to take her revenge, thinking she wouldn't spend her time doing anything better with anyone else.
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I suppose this is more of a friendship fic than anything, but... eh. XD
Hope you enjoyed it! Currently, I'm trying to finish my novel (at 101k words and still going!) before finishing anything else, so if you're wondering about When Wand and Sword Collide, I plan to finish it once I've finished my novel. Thanks for your patience.
Thanks for reading! Leave a review/ favourite if you'd like! I do like them very much! XD
~ GD
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