the act of love

Punk! Percy, girly! Annabeth AU in which it's the most happiest time of the year.

A/N i wanted to upload something christmas-y. Truly hope you enjoy this.

It was almost christmas. Four days, to be exact, and Percy (being Percy) had yet to get his girlfriend of two months a present. It would be their first christmas together, and Percy did not want to lose someone he liked so much to a not-given present that quickly. His mind was hectic, the only gifts he ever wrapped were for his mother, and she would be lucky if there were even wrapping that was lighter than purple and ribbon tied half perfectly.

But of course, he was oblivious to the fact that Annabeth couldn't care less about a present. At school she'd win best dressed for the holidays and most enthusiastic with her even brighter-than-usual smiles and painted precisely red nails, if there were such a thing. This aroma she glowed off gave Percy the impression that she loved christmas more than her chemistry class, and he was trying incredibly hard to meet her standards.

Weirdly enough, she never mentioned anything about christmas when they hung out, and he couldn't find his voice to ask. They usually made out whenever they were alone (which to be fair, was not one of the things Percy started) and her mile long legs and bright skirts along with her princess curled blonde hair and very much kissable lips made her 101% irresistible.

Percy couldn't say no to Annabeth, even if it ruined his cool.

He ruffled his hair. Jason should be calling to pick him up soon, and if he didn't Percy would go insane because he was standing on a thin line between boredom and destruction. He flopped over on his blue-sheeted bed, breathing in the scent of his newly cleaned pillow. At least sleeping would give him something to do. Jason can eat his shorts.

Then his phone rang and his too-short moment of nothingness was gone and the only thing that remained was his own annoyance.

He didn't bother checking his screen before he answered."You here yet, douchebag?" His voice reeked irritation but he couldn't find a single fuck to give. Besides, it made him look punk rock.

"Well hello to you to," Damnit. Annabeth's voice was all angelic as usual and Percy could hear her chuckling through his junk speakers. It changed his mood entirely.

"Annabeth! sorry, I just- I thought you were Jason." Percy was worried she could sense his smile that managed to take over his face.

Annabeth chuckled a little more and he could practically see her shaking her head. "I could see. You really should check your screen before you answer your phone, seaweed brain. You could've said that to Sally and lived in shame for the rest of your life."

"Nope, mom doesn't call me during her work hours because she's awesome," Percy went on "and because if she does theres a chance she could get fired. Odd for someone who works in a candy shop, I know."

"Well, I was just heading for the park by myself for a walk or something because home sucks ass and so do people. Wanna come along? I mean if thats okay with Jason."

Percy laughed quietly under his breath, and just hoped that Annabeth wouldn't mind all his smiling and laughing, he couldn't help it when it came to her. His bad attitude slipped away like water down a waterfall when she talked to him.

" You're making it sound like Jason's my girlfriend instead of you," he bit down on his lip piercing slightly. "but I was thinking since people aren't in our favor right now you can come to my place. My mom wouldn't mind."

"mm. Okay, but only if we go under my circumstances. . ."

"which are?"

"first, things can't get too heated, I am not risking pregnancy right now. I just got into my dream college." Percy could hear her laugh that held a mixture of relief, longing, and excitement. It struck him with an incredibly warm feeling that made him want to hold her forever.

"Oh Gods Annabeth. We both know I am never the one taking things that far. you are." Annabeth faked hurt and so he went on. Teasing was one of his specialties. "Plus, I'm not that dumb. I have condoms."

"Goodness Percy,"

"Whats the second Annabeth circumstance?"

" to stay under and follow circumstance one. There are only two circumstances."

"For a smart girl you sure do think weird."

"For a punk boy you sure do feel weird."

Percy was ultimately, crazily, and totally usual-Percy like confused. For a second the line went quiet and his expression was completely blank.

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

"I wasn't meaning sexually dumbass." Annabeth laughed "I meant, you're too cute and cuddly to be considered punk like you say you are."

Percy scoffed. "Oh yeah? i'll show you that i can be when you come over. . ."

Annabeth sighed. "I can never say no to my seaweed brain, can I?"

That was it. That killed Percy right then and there because girls like Annabeth did not socialize with boys like him, or people like him in general. But Annabeth did, and did way more than just socialize. Her putting "my" in front of "seaweed brain" just then stomped him and turned him to mush. Mush that had the ability to blush, apparently.

"nope."

"Ill be over in 20."

"Percy!" Annabeth shrieked as he placed a trail of kisses from her neck to her now-bare-and-hot-shoulder.

"you're the one who took off my shirt! I'm only being fair-"

"this isn't respecting my circumstances!"

"Is too"

"is not!"

Percy chuckled because wow, we're eighteen and we sound like we're five. So, being a little worn from their previous rumbling (not sex, just heavy make out), and in crazy need for just the feel of Annabeth's pink, warm, soft skin, Percy decided sleeping was his (their) best option. Annabeth needed rest, too. He knew she's been studying over usual hours for finals, and lost massive amount of sleep to that reason.

His arms latched around her waist and he slowly laid them both down on his bed. His head buried in her landscape of a neck, and her snug breath on his shoulder. They both went quiet and inhaled and exhaled to try and get a hold of air.

it was the most comfortable silence Percy had ever experienced. With Annabeth in his arms he just wanted to forget everything else. To raise his favorite finger and tell society to fuck off because it didn't matter what they thought, it was her decision to stay with him despite knowing him, and their differences didn't make them necessarily different. He liked her and she liked him. It was as simple as that.

"Go to seep Anns, you need to rest." His whisper against her skin felt like a cool breeze.

"what are you going to do? just stay ther-"

"ill follow you down, chill" he both laughed quietly. "I just want to make sure you sleep. Trust me, you need it."

Annabeth nodded against his chest.

And right when he was close to deep deep nothingness, Percy could make out a "thank you" being mumbled against his skin.

"You ditched me to be with her?! I've been calling you constantly for an hour! the mall is going to close now," Jason grumbled from the driver's seat of his old beat up sedan.

"Shut the fuck up man, half the time I call you don't answer either because you're sleeping or with Reyna" Percy rolled his eyes. "Or both for that matter!"

Jason glared at his cousin. "whatever then, jeez. We can make it if you know what you're getting."

Percy didn't. But he wasn't going to let Jason just win over his cluelessness, so he stuck with "I know what I'm getting."

Percy didn't go to the mall. It was too filled with up-tight twelve year olds and other even more annoying people (believe it or not), so 20 minutes before the shops would be closing, he still couldn't navigate a worthy enough store for Annabeth. Jason sat at an empty table when Percy scrolled over a little map brochure that he found outside and used his famous Jason-stern-rock-expression that he used whenever Octavian tried to talk nonsense into him.

"You're wasting my time dude!"

Percy let out an irritated pft. "What time?"

Jason put his heads in his hands "Oh Jupiter. I can be doing something so much better right now."

"like what? fucking Reyna?" Percy didn't take his eyes off the paper in front of him, if he looked at Jason he would laugh.

"You know what? just go to Victoria's secret. You obviously don't know what to get her," he rolled his eyes "just get her what every girl wants, expensive undergarments."

"Annabeth is not like 'every girl' Jason,"

"whatever. you just don't have experience with girls."

Thats how Percy settled with a Victoria Secret $70 bra in a cute (he supposed at least Annabeth would find it cute) box with a cartoon owl wrapping.

Sadly enough though, Percy didn't realize Jason was messing with him. How could be so stupid? Jason didn't even have a girlfriend.

Annabeth was cute.

Annabeth was really, really cute.

And hot at the same time.

Like flaming hot.

Like the hot that burned Percy's cheeks at that moment.

If he knew she would be opening her presents with her family on christmas he never ever in his whole lifetime would've gave her a bra as a present. Ever.

Maybe Percy was kind of dysfunctional to figure that one out, of course she would be opening her presents with her family. Her and her two high class parents and two little siblings. All who would surely think of him as some pervert after they saw his gift.

Percy couldn't decide whether to be angry as hell with Jason, because that motherfucker was the one who got him into this mess, or depressed because this was definitely the end of his only blissful relationship. There was no time for an in between.

It was christmas eve and Sally asked Annabeth to come over for a nice dinner at the apartment. My son really likes you, she said. He has a gift and you'll love it, she said. Of course she didn't know what his gift actually was, she probably thought it was a nice sweater or something.

Percy was a slight shade of pink the whole dinner. It wasn't tense or anything, far from it, but just the thought of Annabeth taking his gift with joy and gratefulness was scaring him. Maybe he can throw it away and say he lost it, or that it ripped and that he would have to get her a new one, but all the possibilities that popped up into his mind would make him look like a douchebag if he had actually said it.

I'll just explain to her that it's Jason's fault and I was panicking and didn't know what to do because I liked her so much and I did not know anything except the fact that I wanted our relationship to last and that I might even love her.

Wait, no.

That'd just make him look like he couldn't think for himself and was one of those people who blamed everything on anything else.

So no, he couldn't do that either.

Damnit.

"Thank you so much for the dinner Sally! I never get to do this stuff with my parents, their always so busy its hard to say they have even a bit of time for me." Annabeth smiled and Percy took it all in because this may or may not be the last time she'd like him.

"No problem dear, we don't do this often either but whenever you need anything, anything at all, call me. Or Percy, I'm pretty sure he likes your more than anyone in the world."

If there was anything Percy's mom was good at, it most definitely was not making him look good. If it were any other situation Percy wouldn't really give a shit. He loved his mom and she was always his first priority, but the least she could do is not talk about how much he likes Annabeth.

Percy tried to laugh causally. "except you, mom."

He bit down on his lip ring to try and avoid nervous shaking. Maybe Annabeth would look at it as him being seductive (whats new) and wouldn't ask. Hopefully.

Sally ruffled Percy's hair.

"um. mom? may me and Annabeth be excused?" He didn't usually ask to be excused. His mom and him were pretty laid back when it came to eating dinner, but of course that was usually on the couch in front of the TV and not on a set dining table with Annabeth sitting across from him.

His girlfriend looked somewhat confused, but not enough for it to be noticeable to his mother apparently.

"Sure. I'll start cleaning up," Sally stood up and started grabbing random empty dishes and walking into the kitchen.

"We'll be in my room mom!"

In the soundness and safety of his room, Percy sighed. "I have something to tell you."

Annabeth sat at the edge of his messy bed and played with the record player on his nightstand. "okay."

She looked adorable. Damn her for making this so damn hard.

"I didn't get you a christmas present." he rushed out.

Percy didn't know how he expected her to react. An argument maybe? a cry? he didn't know. But if he knew it would have been a smile and a laugh then he would know not to have worried his mind to blankness.

"okay."

"and I'm sorry, its just that I don't usually get anyone a gift except for my mom but she's like twice as old as you, and that'd be weird if I got you a gift for a - "

"Percy. I don't need to hear it" Annabeth chuckled. "Its no problem really, but I just remembered I left your gift in my bag,"

Her face showed no disappointment. It showed her usual smiley white teeth and cute as fuck features. Gods, why was he so worried? If Annabeth didn't think he was a sick bastard when they first met then why would she think that now? oh my god I am so stupid! fuck!

Maybe Percy did feel a little bad for slipping a little lie, but if it protected them from her family's (bad) opinions then he guessed that made up for it. It was just that he liked her way too much to let something as bad as a reputation separate them.

Then he felt something incredibly warm and soft being shoved into his hands and for a moment he thought it was Annabeth because he was pretty sure she was the only warmth in the room, but then his brain kicked into motion and he realized it was a material. It was a sweater. A black knitted, nice fitted, cool looking sweater.

"Thats your gift, I picked it up on the way here because I forgot all about your present somehow so I didn't have time to wrap it and-" but she couldn't finish her sentence because just then she was practically tackled onto Percy's bed.

"Annabeth! oh my gods. " Percy kissed her. Her hair, her cheek, her forehead, her nose, anywhere available. "Thank you thank you thank you." His face was buried in her neck and he was hugging her close when he said "now I feel worse for not getting you something."

She laughed her angelic Annabeth laugh and Percy felt grateful. So, so, so grateful that he got to spend christmas with Annabeth, who could have only the best but still took the worst.

"I think I love you." Percy suddenly stopped hugging Annabeth with so much force and finally pulled back to look at her face. What did he say? goodness he wasn't thinking. His teachers always told him he should think before he say but he didn't comprehend why the hell that was a need until now. He was too high on happiness to even control himself.

"I mean- um. forget i said that."

Percy could tell by the bright smile she wore that she was amused by his everlasting blush that was probably redder than Jason's car. She nuzzled her head into his neck and laughed while she spoke. "I love you too seaweed brain."

And that was probably the best christmas Percy had ever experienced.