Had this idea for just about forever. Had this on my computer for just about two months (I kept making those tiny adjustments).
This should be a three-shot: one Annabeth, one Percy, and a third one - after the events of Percy Jackson and The Olympian, before Heroes of Olympus. I have a basic outline for both, but I'd love some suggestions!
Set shortly before The Last Olympian.
"So..." Annabeth says self-consciously. It wasn't always like this, she thinks. Things between them didn't use to be this awkward.
Once, being with Percy was as easy as breathing, as easy as solving an equation, as easy as thinking up a design for a building.
But then there was Rachel and thinking he was dead and kissing him on that mountain and she knows he hasn't been "lost" these two weeks and Luke and general messiness. Everything went ka-boom.
Her gigantic crush on him doesn't help, either.
(It's as if she's twelve again, and Percy Jackson is annoying and cute and she's determined on despising him, because Athena and Poseidon don't go together, never have and who does he think he is, to come barging into her life like that? And who does she think she is, to kind of like it?)
Percy ruffles his hair. It's clear he's tense, too. It's hot as Hades out here, and she can't help noticing the sweat made his shirt is stick to his front. A year ago she would have moved to detach it, maybe teased him along the way, but she can't bare touching him now.
"How's your mom doing?" She asks lamely. She loves Sally, she does, but the question comes out flat and weird and she plays with her hair uneasily and looks everywhere, anywhere but his stupid face and curses inwardly because gods, now they've officially gotten to unnatural subject changes, and what was the world coming to.
"She's...good. She's good." Percy interrupts her train of thought with a voice so uncomfortable it would make her father, pretty much the god of awkward situations, feel at home. "Um, your shirt's nice."
She's wearing a plain black fitted tee, so at first she's not sure what he's talking about. Then she remembers it's probably just that he hadn't seen her in something that wasn't a camp t-shirt for some time - it's not like he paid special attention or anything - and mumbles her thanks at him.
The whole thing is so awkward and not them.
Percy opens his mouth to say what will undoubtedly be another timid attempt at being 'casual' and she tries not to cringe - how did things manage to get so weird? Whenever they're not in battle or discussing anything that doesn't have to do with camp, they're fumbling for words like a pair of goldfish. Embarrassed, teenaged goldfish.
She's almost glad when they get interrupted.
Almost.
Because the girl who is currently eagerly waving at Percy has a certain look in her eyes. It's a look that's almost predatory and awed but adoring and sheepish at the same time. A look that she has to admit lots of girls have probably sent in Percy's way. A look Annabeth despises, yet somehow keeps showing on her face in the last few months.
"Hi!" The girl - probably a classmate of Percy's - says breathlessly when she catches up to them. "How are you? Where are you going? What are you doing here? Who's this?" She's beaming at him, but at the last part she turns to Annabeth, curiosity and the tiniest bit of resentment in her features.
"Hi!" Percy's voice is enthusiastic, and the two start chatting effortlessly - so unlike Percy an Annabeth's own conversation a few moments prior. And Percy looks so damn happy. He's relived to get out of our conversation, a tiny part of Annabeth thinks. Of course he is. Look how pretty that girl is! Look at her confidence! Look at her flawless smile! Oh, he hates me, he hates me, he - Annabeth tells that insecure part of her to shut up. Weren't she just glad the girl appeared, mere seconds ago? The whole encounter is making her brain go fuzzy and she's starting to act like the typical stupid, self-doubting teenage girl.
Annabeth Chase doesn't doubt herself. Doubting on the battlefield meant losing.
After mentally shaking her head to clear it, she focuses back on the conversation.
Percy is just getting to the part of introducing her. "And this is Annabeth - she goes to summer camp with me." Annabeth smiles at the girl, trying to appear friendly in that I-don't-care-you're-flirting-with-the-guy-I-like-let's-be-friends-and-have-girly-sleepovers-together. Judging by the girl's widened eyes, it turned out to be more of a I-eat-girls-like-you-for-breakfast-who-do-you-think-you-are-step-away-from-Percy kind of smile. Which, if she's being honest with herself, is kind of what she was aiming for. She never liked girly sleepovers.
The girl suddenly realizes something. "You're not... together, are you?" Her eyes flick between Percy and Annabeth.
"No!" They chorus, then chuckle embarrassedly.
Because they're not. Together, that is.
And you know what?
She's not even jealous of the girl. No matter how many times she 'accidently' brushes Percy's arm, no matter the ease she approaches him with.
She doesn't really care all that much about Percy Jackson.
So what if his eyes make her feel like the sea is her home and when he smiles it's akin to eating a bucket of ambrosia and his kindness makes her feel like there's still hope in this wrecked world of theirs and his bravery is so intoxicating she can climb mountains just from the strength of it and he can make her laugh in the middle of a fiery pit if he wants to.
So what.
She clears her thoughts - again - and struggles to focus on the conversation - again. Gods, she was getting absent-minded those last couple of weeks (which had absolutely nothing to do with one Perseus Jackson getting leaner and tanner. Nothing at all).
"Why did you say you where here, again?" The girl asks, twirling her hair in interest.
"Well..." Percy glances at Annabeth and his eyes plainly state I can't very well tell her we were on our way to destroy a hydra! And Annabeth rolls her eyes and covers for the two of them because seaweed brains shall be seaweed brains.
Things get a little easier between them after that, which is good, because she knows something is coming, and the whole Princess Andromeda mission is freaking her out.
But a part of Annabeth wishes with all her might it would stay awkward because then admitting her feelings would be so much easier.
Finding all those synonyms for the word 'uncomfortable' was HARD.
Can't promise when the next two parts will be published - hopefully sometime in the next month - but reviews do make me update faster... *wink wink*
P.S. I have an entire rant about Annabeth's feelings towards being 'girly' and 'typical' (which are expressed here) and how they change over time. If you're interested, let me know!