holding stars in your palm

percyannabeth

::au, post son::

Percy Jackson knows something is terribly wrong when he says, "Hey, Wise Girl," at the reunion and Reyna frowns. He thinks that perhaps she doesn't approve of the comrade they share, him being a praetor – even a newly elected one – and all.

Annabeth stands there a moment, a little too stunned to speak, and flings herself at him. He braces himself, catching her, but only just. She pulls away for a moment; his arms still locked around her, and says, "There's something different about you."

Percy replies, "Certainly you haven't forgotten about my dashing good looks," jokingly, though Annabeth scowls a bit; it makes him wonder if he's gone too far.

"No," she only answers, "I'm positively certain that's not it." Then she starts kissing him and there's nothing but the two of them but they Reyna shouts:

"Jason. Jason Grace. I think it's about time you showed up," and Percy looks up because he's heard of this Jason too many times and the name Grace registers in his mind. He finds that Jason looks nothing like his sister, and he wonders how this boy could ever have been accepted into the Fifth Cohort. He deserved the Third, at the very least.

"You must be Percy," he says with a deeper voice than Percy would've expected, "Annabeth's told me practically nothing about you." He winks, and it gets on Percy's nerves, rubs him the wrong way. "Be good to her."

I plan on it, Sparky.

/\

If Percy Jackson did not know how much Jason Grace attributed his humor from Leo Valdez, he would've killed the boy by now. The flirting, the smiles, the affection – the whole ordeal was getting on Percy's nerves. Although he knew that Jason was already occupied with Reyna and Piper, he could not stand to think that JasonandAnnabeth had the potential to become something very real.

Annabeth, of course, did nothing to dispute this or douse the spark; she was merely indifferent – though, at the very least, a bit partial.

/\

"I love you." The words come as a shock to both of them. It's been three weeks since Annabeth has been with Percy and even though they've dated for two months they've never said those three words. Perhaps they had thought their love was so strong it was expected that they had no need to speak it – or perhaps it was just that they never felt ready until now.

"I know," she answers. His eyebrows scrunch together in a way she finds very endearing, and he wonders what it means. Does she love him back? Does she love Jason? What is on her mind? "You too," she finally says, after a long pause.

"What are you thinking?" he asks, because he wants to know and wants to know now. "Please don't block me out. I understand if you feel something for—"

"It's not that. I just – in a few months, we'll be gone for Greece. You know I've always wanted to go there, but . . ."

"It's not for the reason you want it to be," he finishes, reading her thoughts.

"Yeah."

And they sit there in the silence, staring up at the sky above, and Percy realizes she never actually said it back. He wonders if he should worry.

Note: Not anything near complete,, at least I think so. Sadly,, it's probably a oneshot for now.