Hello Dahlings! Thank you all so much. Here is a small surprise for you. I don't own anything, but Percabeth owns me. All the mistakes are mine.
The quest was over and done, No one felt the gravity of the situation more than Percy and Annabeth. She'd spent a few days in the infirmary with a concussion and sprained ankle. Percy was there, by her side, almost every moment that Will allowed.
He was banged up, too, with stitches above his left eye. Certainly it would leave a small scar. Yet it was worth the discomfort. He vengefully pulled Luke's arm back and away from Annabeth, which saved her from being hit with Backbiter. Her sharp tongue obviously offended her former friend. Anger flew all over Percy when he slapped her. No one was going to touch HIS wise girl that way. Adrenaline pushed him to rip Luke apart with Riptide, gouging his eyes, slashing his chest.
"This one is for trying to best me, and all the rest are for Annabeth," he screamed while letting out his rage. No one had more reasons to hate this piece of filth more than he did.
As good as it felt to remove Luke from the face of the planet, there was someone far more important to tend to immediately.
"We're getting the hell out of here," he said before calling Blackjack.
"Yo boss, I'm here. Are we going back to camp?"
"As fast as you can fly there. Annabeth is injured."
"Say no more because we're on our way." The pegasus fully understood Percy's thoughts. He knew how much his boss cared about the girl he was holding carefully.
"Hold on please, Wise Girl. There's something I have to tell you. I've wanted to just blurt it out, but that's not right either." He caressed the skin that Luke had hit and bit back a few tears. No, their story wasn't going to end this way, not if Percy had anything to do with it.
Blackjack landed near the infirmary. Percy rushed into the cabin calling out for medical attention. Will took over as soon as he laid Annabeth on the bed. It was damn near impossible for him to walk away from her side.
So Percy paced and paced in the waiting area. Prayers were lifted to the gods. Silently, he promised not to wait another day to let her know.
Will came out with news that relieved Percy. Annabeth would be fine, she only needed to rest for now. He walked into the recovery room, pulled up a chair, and laid his head near her.
She woke the following day and smiled at her Seaweed Brain. They had made it through another battle, even if it had nearly taken one of their lives. The significance of how he kept Luke from killing her wasn't lost on Annabeth. She owed Percy a debt that she knew was impossible to pay back in this lifetime. Too bad they weren't immortals because that would make the situation easier.
Of course he was there the moment Will allowed her to leave. Percy insisted on helping her walk back to the Athena cabin, but he said it was important for them to be alone for a few minutes. They went to the dock by the lake.
"What's on your mind, Seaweed Brain?" Her gray eyes reflected the sunlight softly.
"Okay, so bear with me," he began nervously. "When Luke hit you I wanted to kill him. Not gonna lie. I know he was your friend and like a real brother, but it was enough. And when I saw him lift his fucking sword, I didn't hold back any longer." He laced his fingers with hers, marveling at how they fit together like puzzle pieces, just like their personalities.
"You saved my life, so why should I be upset with you? Luke made some poor choices. While I once regarded him like a brother, those decisions cut through any relationship we might have had. It really started when he attacked you before getting on that cursed cruise liner. Quite honestly, I never forgave that piece of shit"
He brought her fingers up to my lips and barely kissed them. Her eyes widened at the contact.
"Wise Girl, I…I love you. It's taken me forever to tell you, but almost losing you made me realize I needed to tell you."
Then he saw it, that confused and conflicted look on her face, like when the letters of a text aren't in Greek. It wasn't the look I wanted.
"Okay, I, oh shit, Perce. No, that's not what I really meant to say, it's just…damn it. I don't know what to say, and…" She got up and ran as much as possible. He wanted to charge after Annabeth, to hold her until she could feel the love he had. The girl had his heart for as long as I could remember.
Now Percy was the confused and conflicted one, and the only choice that made sense was to get into the lake. Water would clear his head, as strange as that sounded in this moment. He wanted to talk to his dad, really, but that was out of the question.
So while he dove head first into the chilly lake, Annabeth made her way to the Aphrodite cabin. If there was one place that she knew would help, then this was it.
Piper pulled out her earbuds when she saw her friend walk inside, if one could call it walking.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well I'm overjoyed to see you as well," Annabeth replied before falling back on one of the bunks. It was pink and the ruffled, cotton candy scented pillows were overbearing. She shook her head and told Piper the details. Someone else who knew about the subject of love and ooey gooey, non logical emotions could help.
"Ahhhh, I see what the problem is. You two are so freaking in love, and have been for years." Piper checked her reflection and took out a tube of gloss. "That's the way it is with Athena's kids. You all want to understand and grasp the minutiae of this insane planet, but the moment L-O-V-E comes knocking at your door…wham! It's a good thing you have me as a friend because you'd be lost otherwise."
Annabeth huffed. "I hate it when you're right. It breaks my flow."
"I wouldn't be concerned with that right now. Percy Jackson, who is the most powerful fucking demigod ever, has laid his heart out to you. How many times has your Seaweed Brain rescued you, Annabeth? At least a dozen if not more. My mom and I talk about the two of you more than we talk about my love for Jason."
"What has she told you about us?"
Piper set her tube down and brushed her long caramel brown hair.
"She has left out some specific details, but let's just say the two of you get an amazing happily ever after. I expected you to come crashing through that door any time seeking advice. Percy loves you and would clearly die if it meant you would live. Quit thinking so much and start feeling, okay? Go find your man, the one who fights by your side, and love the hell out of him. I'll start working on designs for dresses and such for, ahem, future purposes."
Instead of asking twenty questions about whatever Piper meant about future purposes, Annabeth left the cabin as fast as her feet would take her. It was time to be vulnerable, to open up to the possibility of love.
At the dock, she looked around and instinctively knew Percy was underwater. It was his modus operandi. He wouldn't be far from her, nor would she stray far from him either.
"Seaweed Brain, I know you can hear me. I'm going to wait right here for as long as it takes. You are more than my best friend, yeah, and it scares the shit out of me. Look at my track record. My dad didn't show affection, and of course Luke gets the gold star for being the world's biggest asshole." She just let the tears flow however they needed. "But you, Percy, damn…I can't stop wanting you and wanting to be with you. Gods, I tried, oh how I tried to compartmentalize my emotions, especially when it comes to you. But I can't anymore. Just give me some kind of signal, okay?"
In the blink of an eye, he was next to her, completely dry, and eager to give Annabeth a necessary signal.
"Please hear me out because I heard every word, Wise Girl." He took her beautiful face in his hands and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "I promise never to leave your side, and no matter what it takes, I'll prove it to you each and every day." He drew slow circles with his thumb. "Your heart is safe in my hands. I'd rather kill myself than to ever make you sad."
She wiped away the tears under her eyes. "I love you with all that I am, Percy, and I trust you with my heart and my life."
Their lips were not even a breath apart when they crashed together. Their kiss was a promise of love and devotion for and to one another. Annabeth didn't feel any more fear when it came to the strength of her emotions for Percy,
I hope you all enjoyed this one. Thank you so much!