Hi guys! Yes I'm still alive, don't worry. Sorry I haven't been posting a lot in this site. Been lacking time cause of school and also cause I have no idea what else to update (my Harry Potter story's getting a bit laggy so….yeah that'll have to wait). Anyway, I just want to inform you all that ever since I finished Percy Jackson, I wanted to write a PercAbeth one shot, but I never got around with it. But now that I have all the free time in the world, I decided to write it! Hope you enjoy reading it!
P.S. It's slightly on the musical side, so get ready for some singing :D Oh and I suggest that while reading, you listen to the song. You'll love it :
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Wouldn't Change A Thing
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It was a peaceful morning at Camp Half-blood. All the campers were going about doing their regular duties. A few kids from the Apollo's cabin were playing volleyball at the court, the Aphrodite girls were checking their reflections in the nearby river as the river nymphs gazed at them in wonder. Dryads and wood nymphs frolicked about the forest, dancing around satyrs who were bringing things to the Big House. Nothing seemed to be able to disrupt the serenity of the morning.
Until a loud crashing noise was heard.
"Oh Percy, NOW look what you did!" scolded Annabeth, bending down the check on the fallen bronze shields.
"Hey, it's not my fault that that rock was there in the first place," retorted Percy, getting up and rubbing his injured elbow "I mean, did I intend for the rock to be there? No!"
"Well I told you to stay at the right side of the path," said Annabeth reproachfully "But what did you do? You stayed on the left!"
"Oh well gee, because its so easy seeing a path through a huge stack of heavy bronze shields," said Percy sarcastically "You could've helped me out a little!"
"Well, you didn't ask for help!"
"Because it'll make me look like a weakling! I can't have a girl carrying stuff I can't carry! Do you honestly want my pride to be hurt, Annabeth?"
Annabeth gave him a strange look. "Okay, now you're just contradicting yourself." Percy rolled his eyes.
Annabeth turned over a shield and shook her head. "The Hephaestus cabin will kill us. This one has a really big scratch on it. And that one has a huge chip on the side." She picked up another shield next to it and examined the damage.
"Hey guys," greeted Grover, suddenly appearing before them. He looked happier than usual, probably because he spent the whole morning hanging out with Juniper. His cheeks were bright red and he looked like he could tackle anyone at any minute.
"Oh thank the gods, there you are!" cried Percy "Listen, I need help with these shields."
"Oh now you ask for help," said Annabeth irritably. She got up and brushed the dirt off her shorts. "You know what? I'll just go, since Grover's more help to you anyway." She trudged away, leaving Percy and Grover speechless.
Grover jerked a thumb back at her. 'What's her deal?"
Precy shrugged. "Girls." Grover nodded and helped pick up the shields. Together, they made their way to the arena and entered the storage room.
The storage room was never Percy's favorite place. For one thing, it was extremely dusty; one can die of a severe asthma attack in this place. Cobwebs and dust bunnies covered every inch of the small shack. An occasional lizard, rat or magical creature would poke its head now and then from the stack of boxes to peer at those who entered the room.
Percy and Grover dumped the shields on the ground, sending clouds of dust into their mouth and nose. They coughed for a moment, trying to breathe through the dust.
"Let's get out of here," said Percy, his voice strained from coughing.
"Good idea," agreed Grover, his eyes beginning to water.
They both reached for the door and lunged outside. They breathed in the cool fresh air and let it fill their system. That shack took away more than enough oxygen from their lungs.
"So," said Grover once they recovered "What's up with you and Annabeth?"
Percy shrugged. "I dunno…she was just getting mad at me for dropping the shields when it was the rock's fault in the first place. If it wasn't there, then we would've been fine."
"Percy, you can't blame a rock—"
"Whose side are you on anyway?" demanded Percy. Grover averted his eyes. "Okay, you know what? Never mind. It was an accident. I don't know why Annabeth can't just accept it as it is."
Grover patted him on the back. "Hey, it's okay. She'll come around sooner or later. It was an accident after all."
"Yeah," said Percy "I just hope it gets through that thick head of hers."
Thankfully for him, tonight was capture the flag night, one of the very last before the summer ended. Cabins Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus and Poseidon were battling against cabins Ares, Hades, Apollo and Dionysus. This was a very good arrangement; Percy needed to get Clarisse back for kicking his butt at chariot racing last week.
Percy and the rest of the team met in the Athena cabin to discuss the strategy. Percy was really pumped up for the battle because he'd finally get a chance to be a front man and do all the fighting instead of guarding the flag like always. He hoped Annabeth had cooled off enough to give him this privilege.
"So here's how its going to be," said Annabeth as she laid out the map of the battle field. She pointed at the left of the forest. "Connor and Travis will lead team A to this side of the forest. Jake and Leo will lead team B to this side." She pointed at the right of the forest. "The rest of the Athena cabin and I will stay in the center."
Everyone thought this was a very good plan. Everyone except Percy. To his surprise, his name wasn't mentioned at all. Annabeth didn't even say he was going to fight alongside her with the rest of her cabin…unless it was already implied. He still needed to confirm it.
"Hey Annabeth," said Percy "Where am I?"
"Oh, you're guarding the flag," said Annabeth, rolling up the map "You're cool with that, right?"
No! No, of course I'm not! I wanted to fight, not guard! his mind screamed, but he knew Annabeth would get angry so he held his tongue. He just nodded in response.
"Great," said Annabeth cheerfully "Let's move out!"
While the rest of the team split into their locations, Percy walked alone to Zeus's fist where their flag was stationed. He leaned against the boulders and sighed deeply. He really thought Annabeth would give him a chance to fight in front. He thought she'd wanted him to fight beside her. I guess all I'll ever be is the bodyguard, he thought miserably.
The sounds of swords clashing against metal echoed throughout the forest. Each sound pained him, not because of the loud noise it made, but because of that aching want to be there, creating that noise with the rest of his team.
He couldn't stand it any longer. He needed to be out there, no matter what Annabeth told him. He got up from the boulders and, after assuming that no one would suddenly take the flag, made his way into the forest.
He searched the perimeter, trying to look for any one who seemed to be advancing towards the flag. For a while, everything was clear. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw an Ares camper walking towards Zeus's fist. Seeing this as an advantage, he advanced silently from behind.
He tapped the camper's shoulder lightly and, once he turned around, smacked his helmet with the butt of his sword. He heard loud rustling behind him and saw more opponents coming towards him.
Now this is a battle, he thought. He parried all of their strikes and easily disarmed them. More and more opponents came and attacked but he dodged them with ease and met their attacks with even harder strikes. He enjoyed himself so much, he completely forgot about the flag, which was presently open to anyone.
Suddenly a horn sounded throughout the forest. Percy stopped fighting and looked back. To his horror, Clarisse held up his teams flag triumphantly. The opponents cheered with joy and ran to their leader.
"Perseus Jackson!" cried a loud voice from within the trees. Percy winced. He already knew who it was.
"What in Hades were you thinking?" demanded Annabeth angrily "You left our flag defenseless! We could've won if you did your job!"
"Well we could've won more if you actually let me fight!" retorted Percy hotly.
"I put you there for a reason, Percy," snapped Annabeth "It was all part of the plan. A plan which you ruined!"
"Yeah, well, I bet you just put me there because you thought I was useless!" Percy snapped back "I thought I was your best friend! I thought you wanted me to fight with you!"
"But you could've done a better job defending our flag!"
"Well then, I guess you're not a very good strategist, now are you?"
Annabeth glared at him. "You know what, Percy? You're impossible. You've always been impossible and you always will be."
"Yeah?" said Percy narrowing his eyes at her "Well, you'll always be the same thick-headed smart-aleck you've always been."
Annabeth looked really offended, but Percy didn't care. He was far too angry to care. With one last glare, they turned around abruptly and walked away in opposite directions, leaving the team confused and worried for them both.
Annabeth walked all the way to the small garden in front of the cabins and sat down at the edge of the fountain. She wiped the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and exhaled deeply. Percy will never learn, she thought sadly.
"It's like, he doesn't hear a word I say," she sang softly to herself
"His mind is somewhere far away
And I don't know how to get there."
"She's way too serious," sang Percy as he sat down on the steps of the playing field
"She's always in a rush
And interrupting."
"Like he (she) doesn't even care," they sang in unison.
"You," sang Annabeth
"Me," sang Percy
"We're face to face but we don't see eye to eye," they sang together.
"Like fire and rain," sang Annabeth as she walked to the porch of the Big House
"You can drive me insane
But I can't stay mad at you for anything
We're like Venus and Mars
We're like different stars
But you're the harmony to every song I sing
And I wouldn't change a thing."
"She's always trying to save the day," sang Percy as he walked along the beach
"Just wanna let my music play
She's all or nothing
But my feelings never change."
"Why does he try to read my mind?" sang Annabeth leaning her head against the post.
"She tries to pick a fight," sang Percy
"To get attention."
"That's what all of my friends say," they sang together.
"You," sang Annabeth, getting up.
"Me," sang Percy, facing the water.
"We're face to face but we don't see eye to eye," they sang together.
"Like fire and rain," sang Annabeth as she walked around the small garden
"You can drive me insane
But I can't stay mad at you for anything
We're Venus and Mars
We're like different stars
But you're the harmony to every song I sing
And I wouldn't change a thing."
"When I'm yes, she's no," sang Percy at the center of the mess hall.
Annabeth looked at her reflection in the fountain water. "When I hold on, he just lets go."
"We're perfectly imperfect," they sang together "But I wouldn't change a thing, no."
Annabeth looked up and saw Percy standing before her. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. Their hearts warmed up.
"Like fire and rain," sang Annabeth, walking towards him.
"Like Fire and rain," Percy sang back as he walked towards her.
"You can drive me insane."
"You can drive me insane."
"But I can't stay mad at you for anything," they sang together.
"We're Venus and Mars," sang Annabeth.
"Venus and Mars," sang Percy.
"We're like different stars."
"Like different stars."
"But you're the harmony to every song I sing," they sang together, holding each other's hands. "And I wouldn't change a, wouldn't change a thing."
Percy smiled at Annabeth, and Annabeth couldn't help but smile back. That boy never failed to make her smile, no matter what crazy things he did. And Annabeth never failed to make Percy's heart flutter, no matter how annoying she could be.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I'm sorry too," he whispered back. He wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head against his chest. They stayed that way for a long time, and they cherished every minute of that moment.
Annabeth broke the embrace and walked towards her cabin. She opened the door and took one last look at Percy.
"Good night Percy," she said smiling. She then entered the cabin and closed the door behind her. Percy sighed contently and stayed in that spot. Grover spotted him and stood beside him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Percy sighed again. "Annabeth is amazing."
Grover looked at the Athena cabin to Percy's goofy face and back to the cabin. "I am never going to understand what goes on between you two."
Percy chuckled and ruffled his best friends hair. "Let's go to my cabin."
He looked back at the cabin and saw Annabeth peeking through the curtains. She waved at him. Smiling, he waved back at her. She smiled back at him and her smile seemed to say, I love you, you big dope.
Percy grinned wider and turned away. No matter how rough life gets, there are some things in life that he would never change.
Annabeth was one of them.
