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sawyer-is-not-my-name · 1 year

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Requested: Nico di Angelo x Son of Nyx reader

Request: Nico do Angelo x Son of Nyx

Stepping out from the shadows, and into camp half-blood was always odd for you. Sometimes you felt that you didn't really fit in, the looks some campers gave you shadow traveled didn't dissipate that feeling either. The younger campers were usually afraid of you too until you started creating stars above their heads which brought a smile to their face, as it followed them around for a bit.

You understood to some extent why people didn't think you belonged here, a lot of them were of Olympian descent, your mother, however, had been one of the first goddesses. Maybe they were right to some degree, you couldn't help but feel they might be. But the one thing that still kept you tied to this camp was Nico di Angelo, your best friend.

He was a lot like you in many ways. He could shadow travel, and people often gave him weird looks as if he didn't belong there. Maybe that's why you felt so connected to him, you both felt cast out here.

Speaking of Nico, he was currently trying to sneak up on you. Shadows bending around him as he did, if it wasn't for your senses noticing the abnormality he would've been able to. But alas you noticed him, turning around and making the shadows dissipate around him, you smiled at him. "Nice try Neeks." He smiled bashfully at you, after being caught.

You both made your way further into camp while catching the other up on what had happened since you last saw each other. While walking his hand brushed against yours causing your cheeks to flush a bit, it was an odd feeling that hadn't happened before. Why was he all of the sudden having this effect on you?

As you both passed, the tall raven-haired Percy Jackson, seeing the way Nico looked at him almost lit rage in you. You couldn't explain why this was happening. This hadn't ever happened before, so why were you feeling like this now. It put you in a bad mood how it made you feel, why were you jealous of the boy you knew Nico had previously liked.

You muttered a 'see you later' to Nico, as you booked it to your cabin. Crashing on your bunk as you thought through it. You'd never even liked anyone before, so why Nico, why now? So many different thoughts played through your mind, you couldn't get it to slow down.

No one else elicited these feelings in you, not Percy Jackson, not Jason Grace, not Will Solace, not Annabeth Chase, or Piper McLean. No one else had ever even managed to gain your attention like that. So why Nico? Why now?

You were interrupted from your thoughts when your sibling Callisto came into the cabin. "You doing alright?" Something about the question and the obvious nature of the fact that you were not alright, made you angry. You couldn't even control the fact you were mad. Mad at yourself and your stupid feelings for Nico. You stormed out of the cabin, letting your shoulder knock into there's as you left. "I'll take that as a 'no'" you practically growled as he said that, your anger not doing anyone any favors.

The rest of the week was spent with you mad at everyone and hiding in the shadows. Refusing to come out, no matter how much someone looked for you. You didn't understand why you had to have feelings for him, or why any of it was just happening now. It didn't make sense. Nor did your anger, it seemed misplaced. But that's usually how it was.

----

You were sitting in a tree away from most campers, and out of sight. Bending the shadows to keep you hidden. If it wasn't for Nico generating energy to try and shadow travel to you he wouldn't have even known you were here. "Y/n? You here? I just want to talk, you haven't talked to me at all this week. I just wanna know if you're okay. I miss you." His voice was distraught and shaky. You could tell he was upset, and it made you feel bad for hiding away from him. The fact your hiding had upset him, made your anger dissipate into guilt, the shadows surrounding you leaving with the anger.

"I'm sorry," you said rather quietly but enough for him to hear. You made your way down from the tree, standing in front of the raven-haired boy. "What're you sorry for, I'm not mad at you" he replied before pulling you into a hug, you could barely register what he said as your brain seemed to go dumb. The feelings you had for him made an appearance as your cheeks flamed with heat. "I- I'm sorry for hiding away from you." He looked at you a little surprised, "why were you hiding from me?" He seemed a little upset at your admittance.

You scratched the back of your head while trying to come up with an answer that didn't out your crush on him. But couldn't find one. "This isn't because I tried to hold your hand last week, right? Gods, you're straight, aren't you? I'm sorry, gods, I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Your eyes widened in shock, he liked you? Why did he like you? "You like me, why?" It was odd, you weren't used to these feelings, and now the chance of them being returned was so odd.

"I don't know why, I just do. You're always there, you understand me." Your cheeks seemed to flame, "I like you too, that's why I was hiding. I'm not used to feeling like this, I've never... I don't know at first it made me mad, but then again doesn't everything." He cut off your rambling gently pressing his lips to yours. When he did that, the emotion you felt created stars above you both, you didn't mean to make them it just seemed to happen. Nico pulled away grinning up at the stars that appeared underneath the tree you were under.

"Stop smirking." He snickered shaking his head, "sure thing Starboy" you groaned at the nickname. "Don't call me that." Nico laughed lightly "too late."

#male reader insert #gay #pjo x male reader #pjo hoo toa #pjo #x male reader #riordanverse #fanfic #male reader #nico di angelo x m reader #nico di angelo x reader #nico di angelo x m!reader #nico di angelo #nico di angelo x male reader

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aristia-pjoheadcanons · 6 months

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can i request hcs of jasón w a fem reader who gets easily jealous? maybe he left her behind at camp jupiter when hera took him. he’s not dating piper, but she doesn’t know that. ty!

He comes home

pairing: Jason Grace x female!reader

warnings: none

author's note: Let me just say that if my man was talking came back with a girl next to him and he was almost acting normal, I would rip my hair out.

The reader would be seething, clenched teeth, hot cheeks, and everything.

He disappears out of nowhere, which you probably understood wasn’t his fault. You’ve been there from the very start since he came to Camp J. He had fully booked appointments with quests, no wonder he was gone one day: but you realized that it wasn’t the same. You felt this anxiety pooling in your chest, you knew this wasn’t the normal disappearance.

When he arrives with his so called “crew” you didn’t like either Piper or Annabeth. But you knew Annabeth wasn’t someone that would do anything, since she was Percys.

But even so, the thought of Jason settling down with others for six-fucking-months, made you want to absolutely go ballistic.

But you knew deep-down that he didn’t do it on his own, it was the same situation as Percy – it was against his will, and he had lost his memories.

But does he remember you?

That thought washed away when you saw the way he was acting stand-of-ish when he saw Reyna. So, he does remember, he remembers you.

It gave you some relief. But how were you going to make up for the time he was gone?

Based on the ever-so-serious facial expression on his face, the quest was not over. Not even close. You wanted to sigh and almost act immature about it, but it would do you no good.

Maybe even the reader would do impulsive things just tog et his attention. Jason is very analytical with his feelings, to the point where he rationalizes them – so he wouldn’t react much after the first time, its almost like he shuts off his emotions just to protect himself.

But he would have to take the convo private and talk to !reader, to get a clearer understanding of the situation but also your feelings present.

He wants you to be the feeler in the relationship. While he is the cool-headed one, he can’t let himself get too caught up in his feelings – so when you express yourself hate, love, happiness he feels good. He feels safe to know that there is someone there to express and project my feelings for me. You are not just a person to him, but something essential for him to feel human, a person that isn’t just a tool or a weapon for the Gods.

He would definitely understand your point of view and make it very clear that he did not leave on purpose and that he is not in any romantic or close relationship with any girls. He got some of his memories back, but part is still left out. Even so, he would try his best to explain that his feelings are still very real but if you want to break things off, he will let you.

The last statement might cause an argument, because why would you want to leave him? No, you’re angry because he left, and you spent months without knowing if he was really safe.

One hour later, Jason is holding your hand when he introduces you to the rest of his crew. You’re happier but can’t help but feel needy in a way.

Jason would let you hold his hand and put an arm around you, but he gets distracted and ends up moving away from you just to talk a little about the next step for their quests.

In order for your relationship with him to work, you will need to agree to let him go when he wants or needs; also, be comfortable with him being around others for long periods of time.

But Jason would know of your jealousies already and would know the perfect way to make you feel better: spending time together and some wholehearted apologies.

Lets say he didnt come back, you would go on a search for him and maybe even treathen a couple of minor gods just to find him.

#greek mythology #pjo #percy jackson headcanons #percy jackson #percy jackson scenarios #jason grace #jason grace headcanons #piper mclean #jason grace pjo #jason grace hoo #jason x yn #jason x female reader #jason grace x girlfriend #jason grace boyfriend #jason grace headcanon #jason grace x boyfriend headcanon

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nerdthatsiriuslylovesteaxx · 4 months

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Helpless part 15, every single warning should be listed on this one

Warning/taking abt sh

Warning/taking about rape

Warning/underage drinking/smoking

Warning/talks about suicide

I think that's all but I'm not sure

Annaneth was standing behind the door, "Oh, hey. What are you doing here?"

"I was bored and also Kayla's looking for you."

"Why?"

"She forced Will to take the day off but he said you still have half a day in the infirmary so she's plotting to kidnap you."

"Course she is, um...Annabeth."

"Yeah?"

"Do you...know how to do eyeliner?" Nico asked fiddling with his fingers.

"Yup."

"Can you teach me?"

"Sure, let me guess Piper gave it to you?"

"How did you...?"

"I have my ways." Annabeth grinned before walking inside, "Why does it smell like smoke in here?" Nico ignored the question and handed her the eyeliner, "The first one easy enough, just getting the second one to match is annoying."

"Alright." Nico half whispered before being half pushed on the bed. Annabeth knelt down in front of him and started drawing a line.

"Nico stop moving so much, I'm on the verge of messing up."

"Shit sorry."

"I mean you'll be the victim."

"I guess so." The son of Hades laughed,

"I'll show you how to do it yourself in the mirror, anything else you want me to show you?"

"Honestly half the things in the box I have no clue how to use."

"Lucky for you I have nothing to do today."

"Thanks Annabeth." The two got up, walking towards the mirror but Annabeth tripped over something. "Are you alright?!" he asked kneeling down beside her,

"Yeah I'm fine, just what's this?" She asked not waiting for a response before lifting up the floorboard, the box had been left open and unlocked. "Nico what's this about?" The daughter of Athena sifted though the box seeing everything Nico had desperately tried to hide, oh shit, he thought to himself. "Nico why do you have alcohol and cigarettes hidden under your floorboards?" Tears fell from his eyes, his breathing was short.

"Please don't tell anyone." He curled up. Annabeth grabbed his shaking hand,

"I won't." She pulled him forward into a hug, stroking his hair.

"It... helps- me cope." Annabeth tightened the hug letting the small boy cry into her shoulder.

"It's not healthy but I won't judge, it's better than what I did. But how much?"

"Not that often, I'm... better than I was a couple years ago."

"When did this...?"

"I was maybe twelve, it was the only thing that made me feel okay. Then... something happened and... well I-I wasn't so keen on not being drunk or high while I was alone." She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Do you want to tell me or not?"

"What did you do to cope?" Nico asked desperately trying to change the topic, she rolled up her sleeve.

"After Percy went missing and when we all thought he died, I... almost jumped once."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"He'd been missing for so long, practically no hope in finding him. I was depressed and half dead, thought I would finish it off."

"What made you stop?"

"Someone else was there, for the same reason I was. We talked each other out of it, I'm so happy we could save each other."

"Who?"

"I'll let them tell you that story if they want to."

"It was around a year ago, after the battle of Manhattan. Got drunk and high, I was walking around trying to not feel anything. I could barely walk, got stabbed with a needle, woke up an hour later. Well I think you can put two and two together. Anyways can you please teach me to do makeup now? It scares me."

"Ghost king scared of doing makeup, sure let's go. But I'll be making sure you're okay and not getting addicted."

***

________

This and the last chapter we're meant to be one lmao

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randomwriting-misc · 2 years

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Endangered | Chapter Six

Paul Lahote x OFC

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five

Summary: Vampires and wolves are not the only supernatural creatures to walk the earth, and they are certainly not the only ones in Forks, Washington when Charlotte Annabeth Swan, "Anna", moves in with her uncle after the unfortunate demise of her parents.

Some may misidentify her as a witch, but that’s fine, she would rather them think that anyway. But the Volturi know the truth, and they are closing in on her.

The next day was Bella’s 18th birthday, so as much as it killed me, I put my night with Paul on the back burner of my mind until tomorrow. Bella had told me in the days leading up to this that she hated the idea of being older than Edward, and that her anxiety was skyrocketing every day. I wanted to support her and make sure she had a great day despite her worries. I had even gotten up early to start prepping for breakfast.

Climbing back up the stairs, I smile at the good morning text Paul sent me before he fell asleep, just like every morning. I asked him why he took the time after exerting himself so much on patrol, and he made my heart soar with his answer.

“You’re always the last thing I’m thinking of when I’m about to fall asleep, and I want you to know that. I’m just lucky enough to wake up and see your reply, and you get to be the first thing on my mind when I wake up.”

“Who knew Paul Lahote was such a romantic,” I said.

“Don’t tell anyone, I can’t ruin my reputation.”

My thoughts are interrupted by Charlie knocking on my door frame. I am already almost ready for the day, just waiting for the rest of the house to stir awake.

“Ready?” he asks. I shake the present in my hand in the air as a response.

“Ready.”

Turning, He knocks on Bella’s door, and she mumbles a “come in.”

I skip into the room, my cheery demeanor making her frown.

“Happy Birthday Bella!” I sing. Charlie repeats me, though way less enthusiastically.

She manages a smile, before seeing the gifts in our hands. Her annoyance was plain on her face.

“I thought we agreed on no presents?”

Mine doesn��t count,” Charlie speaks up, “Mine’s not wrapped.”

“Yeah,” I interject, “and I would never agree to that so I don’t know what you could mean.”

She jokingly rolls her eyes before taking Charlie’s present, a camera, and then opening her mom’s. Finally, I hand her mine for her to unwrap. Inside is a pair of sapphire and silver drop earrings. They are petite, but perfect for Bella who prefers understated things, and, more importantly, they are embedded with some protection magic. The card I hand her explains it all.

“Wow,” she breathes out, “Anna, these are gorgeous.” I beam at her approval.

“I’m glad you like them! They were actually our grandmothers at one point, my dad gave them to my mom one year.”

“Anna, I can’t take these, they should belong to you.” She tries to hand them back by I step back, waving her off.

“Don’t even, I have plenty of jewelry from my mom, she was a bit of a fiend. I think these are perfect for you. Plus, I prefer gold.” I smirk and hug her quickly. Her shoulders lower in surrender before setting them on her bedside table.

Charlie sighs, “Eighteen, when did you get so old?” Bella's mood shifts immediately at his words, and I mentally curse.

“It’s not that old,” she stutters.

“I don’t know, is that a grey hair?”

Bella shoots up from her bed and rushes to her mirror. I hit Charlie on the shoulder, giving him a look, but he just chuckles. As Bella glares at him I make my way downstairs to make breakfast for everyone. When I moved in Bella was shocked to see that I was more than willing to pull my weight, instead of just leaving her to the cooking. Honestly, I think she prefers when I cook.

Bella pads down the stairs and makes herself a plate.

“You had time to make pancakes on a Monday?” She questions.

“It’s a tradition we had, I figured I could keep it going here,” I say with a shrug.

“Thanks, Anna, this is really great.” Even if I can’t read Bella, I can always tell when she is truly genuine.

All three of us sit around the small table, and Charlie reminds us once again to not go into the woods.

“Especially you Anna, there’s a lot of activity around the Rez.”

“Yeah, what do you do over there all the time anyway?” Bella asks, stabbing the last of her pancake with a fork.

“Oh, uhm,” I hesitate, I hate that Bella doesn’t know about the wolves, but it’s not my secret to tell as much as I want her involved in that part of my life. I realize I’ve trailed off, and refocus.

“I’m going on a date this Friday, with Paul Lahote. He lives on the Reservation,” it’s a small fib, but a believable one considering we hang out constantly anyway.

The name doesn’t trigger any bells for Bella, but Charlie nods.

“That’s great Anna, by the way he looks at you, I’m surprised he didn’t ask sooner,” Charlie remarks, “I’ll have to make sure to clean the guns on Friday.”

“Uncle Charlie,” I deadpan.

“What? It’s what your dad would do, I’m honoring his memory.”

“My dad hated guns.” I point out.

“Well, I’m sure he would have made an exception.”

I roll my eyes and clean up mine and his plates. Joking about my parents was still a little rough for me, but it kept their memory and their energy fresh in my mind. It didn't bother me when Charlie did it. He is mourning just as much as I am.

“My car or yours?” I ask Bella as she finishes her breakfast.

“What now I have to drive on my birthday too?” She jokes. I scoff and grab my keys from the hook.

“Come on Your Highness, let’s go. I’m sure Edward is eager to see you.”

-------------------------------

When we pull into the parking lot, Mike, Jessica, Eric, and Angela are crowded around a car together.

“The Swan girls are here!” Mike shouts, a smile on his face.

“Big day Bella, you ready?” Jessica asks, and Bella freezes. I look at her and shake my head, I followed instructions to keep her birthday on the DL. Noticing the expression on her face, Jess continues

“R and J essay due?” She continues, Bella's face is still twisted, so I jump in to take the heat off her.

“So not excited to sit through the version of that without Leo,” I complain.

“Oh my god I know, kill me now,” Jess whines. The conversation continues until Edward appears, and the group disperses, the clear distaste for him on all their faces. Before leaving, I turn to wave at Edward to be friendly, and he motions for me to come over. By the time I make it to them, I know why. Bella is talking to Jacob.

“Jacob in the doghouse?” He asks, sounding a little sarcastic. I cross my arms and avoid his eyes.

“That’s not as clever as you think since he has no clue about it yet.”

“Oh, I still think it’s very clever actually,” He pauses, surely reading Jacob’s mind, “He’s worried about running into you after what he said.”

“Does it ever get tiring, not being able to shut it off?”

“No, I never get tired,” he says with a smirk, “He’s sorry about what he said though. I’m surprised Paul let him keep his head after that.”

“Yeah, well, he knows if anything I would rather be the one to deal with it. I’m sure Billy already ripped him a new one.”

“I can confirm that.” He chuckles, not taking his eyes off of them.

Bella starts to walk back to us, and Jacob looks at me with a pained expression.

“He wants to talk to you without your protection detail around,” Edward whispers to me.

I turn around and flip my hair over my shoulder.

“Sucks for him.”

I quickly walk to my first class to avoid Jacob.

--------------------------------------

At lunch, Alice greets me with a hug. Jasper just nods in acknowledgment. He still isn’t comfortable being too close to me, but it’s getting better throughout the school year.

“Those earrings you gave Bella were gorgeous, they will match perfectly with her dress tonight,” she sings, leaning into me.

“Speaking of dresses, is my normal wardrobe really that terrible I couldn’t dress myself?” I ask.

“No, you are definitely the more fashionable Swan, you just can’t mess with the vision.”

“Literal or metaphorical?”

“Both,” she says with a delighted look.

“You don’t think the dress is a little much? It’s not my birthday.”

“Not at all, I’ve seen you in it, and you look gorgeous.”

Alice’s eyes are wide and dreamy, and I’m confident she’s really seeing what everything will look like tonight.

“We’ll see, what time do you need me to come over? I don’t want to crash Edward and Bella on the car ride over.”

“Seven is good!”

Eric and Jessica sit down at the table as she quiets down, chatting about their essays, ending my conversation with Alice, both of us trying to keep our promise about her birthday.

-------------------------------------

Alice's choice of dress, while extravagant for a small birthday party, was gorgeous. With a sweetheart neckline and delicate off-the-shoulder sleeves, the dress a soft pink, with darker pink flowers and greenery across the bodice. There is ruching across the torso and waist, giving me quite an impressive figure.

“Damn,” I admit under my breath, looking at myself in the mirror. I left my hair down in its natural curls, with minimal makeup.

I wish Bella had a birthday more often if this is the dress I’m given just for going. I spray some perfume on myself and grab my purse, right as my phone rings. Paul.

“Well, hello there,” I answer, putting him on speaker to finish putting on my heels.

“Hey sunshine, do you have a moment to come outside before you leave?”

“Yeah, I have a few minutes. Are you here?” My stomach flutters.

“Yeah, I’m on patrol right now, but wanted to check on you before letting you walk into the house full of murderers.”

I take him off speaker and walk down the stairs.

“The only thing they murder is some woodland creatures. I can’t not go to my cousin's birthday love. I live with her and care for her, ya know?”

“I know, but it is against my entire nature to not stop you.”

“Well, I appreciate your restraint, where are you?” I say walking out the door.

“Forest,” he replies.

“Can you come to the driveway, I’m in heels.” I pout and he laughs at me.

“Of course, Princess, anything for you.”

“See, you’re joking but it’s music to my ears.”

I see him round the house and hang up the phone. I straighten my dress and look up to see Paul frozen, looking me up and down.

“How do I look?” I say and do a little spin. I go to step forward but catch a crack in the pavement, but Paul is by my side in a second, steadying me.

His eyes are locked on mine as he exhales sharply.

“Beautiful,” he says softly, tucking some hair behind my ear.

“Maybe I should have Alice dress me more often then.” I match his voice level.

He makes a face, “I think you are gorgeous no matter what, but you look happy and confident in this. That makes me happier than anything.”

His hand falls to my waist, and mine to his chest. Somehow a natural position for us now.

“Promise me that you will be hypervigilant tonight?” His tone is serious.

“I always am.”

“I’m on patrol tonight, so I won’t be on my phone. Call Emily or Jared if you need anything at all.”

“Understood.”

He sighs and looks towards the forest.

“I hate leaving you," he admits with a sigh.

“Well, how about we hang out tomorrow?”

He nods but stops himself from pulling away.

“Actually, I have something for you before you go.”

I look at him and he grabs my wrist gently, from his pocket he pulls out a braided leather bracelet, on the bracelet is a wolf charm, made of jade. Now it is my turn to be speechless.

“Oh wow,” I speak slowly, “Paul, this is gorgeous.” He closes the clasp on my wrist and I hold it close to my chest.

“I love it,” I announce.

“It was my mom's. My dad gave it to her when they started dating.”

“Oh, really?”

He nods and looks at me in earnest.

“Yeah, and this is me actually asking you on a date, Anna. It would be an honor to take you out. Are you free Friday?”

“I’m free any day if it means being with you.”

He kisses my wrist and my forehead. I think he’s about to kiss me again when a wolf howls in the distance and he sighs.

“Be safe, text me when you get there and when you leave, even if I won’t see it immediately. “

I nod and hug him for a moment.

“I’ve got to go,” I whisper. Reluctantly he lets me go and waits for me to back out of the driveway before running back into the forest.

-------------------------------------

Alice had gone all out for this evening. I walk on up to the door just as Emmet opens the door for me, raising his eyebrow and smirking at me.

“Well look, Tinkerbell’s here.”

I roll my eyes and push past him.

“Tinkerbell is a pixie, Emmet.” He shrugs.

“Close enough.”

He leads me to the living room where Alice is lighting the last of the candles. All around the room are flower arrangements, paired with elegant candles on ornate candlesticks.

“Wow, this is lovely Alice.”

“Why thank you, I told you about the vision,” she says with a smile.

Rosalie walks in with Esme and Carlisle, attitude apparent even in her posture. While Rosalie was miffed by the idea of another human getting involved with them, she lightened up after Alice filled them all in about my true nature. Once I started spending more time with the wolves than them, the few times I had seen her after were borderline pleasant. She sends me a nod, and honestly, I’ll take it.

“Anna,” Carlisle says, gesturing his hands out for a hug, “It’s nice to see your face around here.” I give him a quick hug in return. Carlisle and Alice were definitely the most comfortable for me to be around.

“It’s nice to see you too, I’m sorry about Sam. If I had known they were going to say anything...”

He holds his hand up, stopping me.

“It’s a non-issue, I’m happy for both of you, finding your other half like that is rare, we understand his concerns.”

“I appreciate it, but please, don’t take it too much to heart. I don’t hold exactly the same opinions as them.”

“I’m glad you said that. I would love to ask you over another day. There are some things about your knowledge of your history I am dying to know, if you’re comfortable.”

“Sure, I would like that.”

“It’s time!” Alice yells, gathering everyone’s attention. Carlisle smiles and I stand next to him and Esme as we wait for Alice to bring Bella and Edward down.

Walking down the stairs, I can’t help but admit that they are a beautiful couple. Bella doesn't see it, but she really is quite pretty, and Edward looks at her like she is the sun at the center of his universe.

The Cullen clan takes turns telling Bella Happy Birthday with some hugs thrown in, and Alice wants to go directly into presents.

I watch as she opens the necklace from Rosalie and learns about her new stereo system. Esme presents Bella with her final gift, but she struggles to unwrap it.

Time feels like it slows as I feel the magic from her earrings signaling to me that she’s in danger. I step in front of her on instinct as she flinches, muttering about a papercut. Blood runs down her finger as I grab her arm, my eyes wide.

I hear Jasper's growl from behind me, and turn to try to protect her, but Edward’s arm crashes into me, sending me and Bella flying into the wall, I barely manage to wrap my arms around her to prevent her slamming into it as hard as me. The air is knocked out of my lungs, and I yelp in pain. I push myself up and see the blood dripping down Bella’s arm.

Fuck, I think. Adrenaline rushes through my body and I immediately start muttering words to heal her, light sputters from my finger's tips as I hold onto her. Bella isn’t even looking at me, she’s staring at the pairs of golden eyes narrowed in on her. Jasper comes at us again, but I hold out my hand, throwing him back into the grand piano with an invisible force. One arm is outreached, holding steady magic to keep Jasper away, and the other is still on Bella, trying to stop the bleeding. Spells and intentions and incantations fly out of me under my breath, but it doesn’t seem to be fully working.

Jasper is being restrained, but the silence from everyone else in the room is terrifying. Carlisle appears next to Bella, looking at her arm.

“It’s okay,” he says, holding out a blood-stained hand. As soon as he is next to me, I drop my hands, also stained with Bella’s blood and I put up an energy shield between us to keep anyone else away before going back to using my magic to try to help Bella. It looks like a transparent wall has formed, with shimmer surrounding it.

“Anna,” Carlisle’s voice is even, but worried.

“Carlisle you have to help her, I don’t know what’s happening, why it’s not working,” I cry, finally looking up at him.

“Anna,” He repeats, “You’re hurt. Don’t strain yourself.”

Looking down at myself, I notice the blood permeating my dress, the red slowly covering each flower. I inhale sharply and cry out; a shard of glass has lodged itself in between my ribs, and small cuts covered most of my right arm and legs. It didn’t feel deep enough to puncture my lung, but God did it hurt.

“Carlisle help her, please, she took the brunt of it from me. Take her first,” Bella pleads.

It now occurs to me that Bella wasn’t looking at the vampires out of fear for herself, but out of fear for me. Bella’s upper arm had wounds from the glass, but it was nothing compared to the amount of blood I was losing.

I look up at the golden eyes staring me down, looking like they are in a trance.

“No,” I demand, “I can’t be here.” Shakily, I stand up and press myself against the wall. Carlisle steps forward and as a reaction I shield myself, he flinches back as the barrier shocks him. I see his lips moving but, I am not registering the words he is saying.

My mother would be rolling in her grave right now. I would be dead if the people around me were anyone else. My head is pounding as I back away slowly towards the door. One by one, the vampires pull themselves from the room. I flinch as I hear a wolf howling like it’s right outside.

“Paul,” I whisper, he can feel when I’m in danger. I know he is close by, his panic filling my chest.

Carlisle is calming Bella down, as she pleads with him to help me.

“Let me get you fixed up first, okay Anna, then I’ll get Paul.”

I shake my head, “Please don’t make me stay here.”

Edward storms back into the room.

“Carlisle, they are outside,” His voice is strained, but Carlisle nods in acknowledgment.

I’m starting to feel woozy and unsteady on my feet as Carlisle approaches me again, resisting the shock it sends him. It’s getting weaker as I lose focus.

“Anna, let me help you. I can handle it. Everyone else has left the house.”

Nodding, I drop the shield, exhausted, and fall into Carlisle’s arms. He picks me up and takes me outside where Sam, Paul, and now Jared are standing at the forest edge arguing with Esme.

“She needs a hospital!” Sam spits out.

“No, I can’t go to the hospital,” I say weakly, grabbing all their attention. Esme steps back and Paul rushes to my side, shaking.

“What do you mean?”

“Magical blood doesn’t react the same as humans.” My breath hitches as I move, and the glass moves with me.

“Paul, I need to stitch her side, and possibly other places as well. It’s easiest if I do it in my office," Carlisle explains.

Paul growls at him, but Sam, ever the level-headed leader, takes control.

“Let us come up with you," he compromises.

“Of course.”

Sam nods and instructs Jared to stay outside as Carlisle explains all of the vampires except him will be out in the forest, looking for something else to turn their hunger on.

I can’t seem to make eye contact with Paul, even though it kills me to do so, but as my awareness of the pain increases, I don’t even open my eyes. Zeroing in on his emotions, I get hit with a storm, and it’s a little too much to decipher at the moment.

Carlisle is in his office in a second, laying me down on a flat surface.

“If you take the glass out, I can heal it,” I whisper.

“Anna, this is a lot of blood, and you spent a lot of energy protecting Bella. I think it might be best for me to stitch you up.” He cuts around the dress where the shard is on my side.

I huff and throw my head back. I try to link minds with him, but the connection isn’t strong enough.

“Is he coming?” I wonder out loud, clenching my fists as alcohol is poured over the wound.

“He’s outside the door, Sam is with him.”

“Is he freaking out?”

“That might be an accurate term.”

“Can you let them in?”

He nods, “Sam is trying to diffuse the situation beforehand.”

“Can we wait?”

“Let me assess the damage first.”

With metal tweezers, he pulls out the glass. It’s about two inches long but only went half an inch deep.

“Is it bothering you? The blood?”

“I will admit that there’s something more... tempting about you. But I can handle it.”

“But the others can’t?”

“It wouldn’t be wise to have them around right now. You are right to hold this secret so close to you. The Volturi have searched for Fae blood for years, and they would love to get a hold of someone so powerful as you Anna. It's a good thing you are so close to the wolves. It helps disguise you.”

I shudder at the thought. The tears in my eyes are not only from the pain but from frustration.

“Keep pressure on it, I'll go get Paul, okay?”

I bite my lip and nod. It only takes a minute before I can hear his footsteps. Bursting through the door, Paul is furious and scowling. This is the most rage I have ever felt pulsing off of him. Behind him, Sam is also fuming but is able to keep it on the inside, showing mostly concern.

Paul doesn’t say a word as he scans over me, jaw tense.

“Hi,” I smile weakly, “I’m okay.”

His entire body tenses.

“You are not okay.”

He’s still standing across the room. I put pressure on my side, over the gauze, and try to sit up, but whimper at the movement. That sets Paul off.

“I’m going to kill them.” He growls, turning, but Sam stops him.

“No,” putting a hand on Paul’s shoulder, “You will stay here, with her. I’ll deal with it.”

“Sam, get off me.”

“You’re going to leave her alone? Because you’re mad? Absolutely not. Go to her, protect her. And do not lay a hand on the doctor.” His last words are spoken as an Alpha order.

This is the closest I’ve seen Paul to exploding, and Sam looks at me, concerned. Carlisle returns, pulling Bella into the office to also stitch her up.

Paul is still standing across the room.

“Can you come here please?”

“It’s not a good idea for me to be close to you.”

“That’s ridiculous. Please.” The tone of my voice and tears in my eyes is hurting him. Slowly, he takes a deep breath and walks forward. When he is standing in front of me, he gently helps me lay back down.

“It was an accident,” I explain.

“I don’t care.”

“I was able to shield us from them.”

“I still don’t care.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“Never.”

I press harder into my side now that the anesthesia has fully kicked in.

“It’s not that bad,” I try to sound convincing, but he doesn’t buy it.

“It looked bad as you fell limp in the vampire's arms,” he hisses.

“I was frantic, I was so worried about Bella I didn’t notice.”

Paul shoots a side-eye at Bella, quietly having a conversation with Carlisle.

“They could have killed you,” he says quietly, slowly.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I tell him softly, “Just for right now, can we talk about it later?”

His jaw clenches and I reach out for his hand.

“The danger is gone, just be here for me, I hate needles.” I pout, and it takes the anger out of his eyes for a moment. Resigned, he sits on the table with me, letting my head fall into his lap.

“I guess you’ll be less inclined to kill someone if it means pushing me off of you,” I say adjusting to keep weight off my side.

“Anna please don’t joke right now. I am trying very hard to keep it together,” he admits.

“Sorry.” I squeak and grab his hand, “Thank you.”

Carlisle finally makes his way over, and Paul is like stone beneath me. It’s quiet as Carlisle stitches up my side and makes sure no other glass or cuts need stitches. He ends up stitching two places on my thigh in addition.

“Is Bella alright?” I ask.

“She’s fine, you protected her from most of the damage,” answers Carlisle.

“Maybe we need to have a talk about self-preservation,” Paul grumbles. I glare at him.

Carlisle finishes up and sets the gauze and blood on fire. I thank him, but Paul just nods in his direction.

I frown at the ruined dress, blood covering most of my torso and a tear down the side.

“I really liked this,” I sigh.

Carlisle hands me his suit jacket from earlier.

“Here, you can wear this, Anna,” He goes to put it on my shoulders, but Paul grabs my arm, eyes warning me not to trust him.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I whisper, “I really don’t want Charlie to see all the blood, and I don’t want to leave a bloody dress here.” Silently, he lets go and takes a step back.

“Thank you,” I say to Carlisle. He just smiles at me as he drapes it over my shoulders. It’s large enough to cover the whole dress, down to my thighs.

“Take me home?” I ask Paul.

“Anything to get you out of here.” He grabs my waist and gingerly lifts me off the table, not setting me down.

“I can walk,” I say defiantly.

“Not a chance.” We walk down the stairs to an empty house. Sam and Jared standing outside stoically.

“Anna,” Jared gasps, catching sight of me.

“I’m okay.” I try to dismiss them, but they both are scanning over my injuries and turning their noses at what I’m assuming is the smell of Carlisle’s jacket.

“Sam, I’m taking Anna home, I don’t want her to drive,” Paul announces.

Sam agrees, even going as far as to order one of them to drive me back and forth to school for the next week.

“Isn’t that a little much?” I ask, voice rising an octave.

“No, it’s not,” Sam says, and his word is final among the boys.

Sam opens the door for Paul, and he sets me in the passenger seat.

“You’re acting like an overbearing father.” I scold him.

Sam smiles, “Get used to it kid, you’re a part of the family now.” He ruffles my hair gently and shuts the door. He speaks to Paul lowly and seriously, and I can’t hear them even when I roll the window down.

Paul nods at Sam and gets into the driver's seat.

“Let’s go,” he says. I sigh and scoot closer to him, laying my head on his shoulder.

“Thank you,” I sigh.

He hums in response, and the exhaustion catches up to me. I fall asleep before we leave the Cullen’s driveway.

Read Chapter Seven Here

A/N: Taglist is open!

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asoulsreverie · 2 years

Text

The Promise

Nico di Angelo×fem!Reader (platonic), Bianca di Angelo×fem!Reader (platonic)

Word Count: 4.0k

Summary: Bianca leaves for the quest and asks you to keep a promise.

Genre: Fluff, angst, platonic

Warnings: y/g/p stands for 'your godly parent', reader is close to 13 (basically in grade 8), intrusive thoughts (a lot of them), set during The Titan's Curse, Blood and injuries, sharp objects, canon typical violence, I don't know how to proof-read properly so maybe some errors, I think that's it. (Please let me know if there are more)

Image credit here

Reblogs appreciated

A/N: DO NOT copy my work or translate them to any other languages. Please DO NOT repost on any other platform.

Masterlist Riordanverse Masterlist

You watched as the Sun Chariot (or a bus for now) crashed into the canoe lake. This was unexpected, but you and some other campers who had decided to stay for winter break got up on your feet and gathered as many towels as you could find. The weather at camp was always modulated by magic, but it was still freezing and a cold for demigods was just as bad as it was for a mortal.

You saw a huge group of girls whom you immediately recognised as the Hunters of Artemis. They too were being passed out towels as soon as they trudged out of the lake. You gave towels to Percy and Grover, who were standing away from Thalia, who was being helped by another camper. You looked around, immediately noticing that Annabeth was nowhere in the crowd.

You pulled Grover aside to ask him where she was.

"We don't know" he shook his head, a sad frown forming on his face "She fell off a cliff after tackling a manticore, into the ocean, but Percy couldn't sense her…."

You looked over at Percy and Thalia. They were standing apart from each other, but both had practically the same expression on their faces. Both of them were close to Annabeth and were clearly going through the same internal conflict as you.

Annabeth was your first friend when you came to camp. She was your age and was by your side when y/g/p had claimed you.

When you found out that she, Thalia, Percy and were going to get some new campers, you were at camp and wanted to go with them. But they said it had been alright and that they'd be at camp soon. Now you thought you should've gone, you could've caught up with them and maybe then you could've saved-

"ARE YOU A DEMIGOD TOO?!" an unknown voice snapped you back to reality.

You turned around to see a boy, about ten years old, who was grinning from ear to ear, looking excited as if his dreams had just come true. You smiled at him slightly, despite your previous nerves.

"Yes, I am. Y/N, daughter of y/g/p."

"Hi I'm Nico" he said before speaking very fast using his hands to make gestures while he spoke "Did you know that y/g/p has a great attack power, with a huge blocking power when used with-"

"Nico, look at her. She's barely keeping up with your words. Much less what they mean" a girl a little younger than you walked over. She was one of the Hunters.

"Sorry about that" Nico said to you, not looking sorry at all, and jumping over to someone else as you faced the girl who had just joined you. She had dark silky hair and olive skin like her brother.

"Hi, I'm Bianca, Nico's sister," she explained, a shy smile on her face,"I'm sorry about that, he's been obsessed with this card game, all he has talked about for a year. And I think he's quite excited to be here at the camp".

"That's alright, I remember when I first got to camp. Everything was so exciting, I almost tripped into the lake while looking around" you laughed lightly. "Well, Bianca, I hope to see you around".

"Of course"

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The last time they visited had been quite a disaster, though the Hunters blamed most of it on the campers. You had met most of them then, only a few new girls had joined since then. You had wanted to join the Hunters, but had decided to live life as a camper for the first few years of your teen life. You'd join them later on if you still wanted to.

That didn't mean the Hunters hadn't, yet again, tried to convince you to. While at archery practice that day, you had told them that you wanted to go to school for a while, at least finish middle school. You shot an arrow at the target, missing the bull's eye by a few inches. Archery was not your preferred way in battle, your sword fighting skills were much better. You practiced other weapons just in case . Your sword was kind of like Percy's, but instead of turning into a pen, the blade retracted back into the hilt, so it looked like you had just the handle, that you hung on your belt.

"We could help you learn stuff you would actually require on the field." one of the newer Hunters said "schools never teach stuff you'll actually need-like hunting skills or how to make a net with proper reinforcements to catch monsters"

They continued to say stuff about how joining them was much better than living at camp and going to school, but eventually moved on to other topics.

After archery you had sword fighting. Percy was the only one who was there when you reached, so you both decided to have a friendly match.

Both of you were equally good, despite you being in camp longer than Percy. He had been on actual quests, something you hadn't done yet, so he had more experience. The round ended with both of you pointing your swords at the other's chest plates, grinning at how well you both did.

Nico had reached the arena a little after you started, looking at you and Percy spar, entranced with both of your skills and asked Percy to teach him to fight.

Percy looked around for an excuse- for some reason he didn't like the amount of attention Nico was giving him.

"I… uhhh have some… things to look at right now… maybe later? For now maybe Y/n can help you. What do you say y/n?" Percy looked over at you just as you finished taking a gulp of water.

"Yeah sure, if Nico's alright with it"

"I want to learn to fight like Percy" Nico said excitedly, "whoever can teach me".

"Ok then Nico, let's find you a sword".

Nico was kind of a natural at sword fighting. He could parry easily, and even though the sword wasn't perfect for him, he was able to handle it pretty well. He also tried archery and spears, but nothing came to him as naturally.

You both finished practice and again your mind was filled with negative thoughts of Annabeth. 'You should've gone with them to Maine' was all your mind was saying, even though a small rational part said that it wasn't your fault. The rest of your day was free, but you didn't want to be alone. Your thoughts were at the moment not the best to be alone with. But hey maybe you could complete that maths homework you got for the winter break.

"Hey Y/n? You want to play a game of Mythomagic with me?" Nico asked, pulling you out of the chain of thoughts. "I can teach you how to play!"

Well that's better than you blaming yourself for Annabeth's disappearance.

"Sure"

If Mythomagic was a weapon, it's be very hard to defeat Nico in a fight. Even with your knowledge of Greek beings, you could not use your cards to win the match. After countless rounds of the game, it was time for your hand to hand combat practice, so you took Nico along with and taught him some techniques. After that it was time for dinner.

When everyone finished eating, Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis, which was punctuated with a few half hearted claps. Then he announced the ‘goodwill’ capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a much better reception.

You saw Nico talking to Travis and Connor at the Hermes table and wondered what the twins were up to now. After dinner you talked to a few campers, who were mostly discussing the strategies for the game tomorrow. You met Percy and talked a bit about where Annabeth could be. You concluded that if either of you had any dream about her, you would talk about it.

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The next morning, you talked to a few Hunters, mostly to Bianca and the newer members before going for practice. Rock climbing with a satyr, sword practice with Percy and then with Nico, archery with the Hunters and hand to hand sparring with Thalia.

Percy talked to you about the dream he had last night, how he'd seen Annabeth in a cavern. How he'd seen Luke under a rock, and how he'd trick Annabeth under it. Luke Castellan- he was someone you looked upto when you first came to camp, but after what all has happened.... Let's just say you didn't have many good things to say about him. Your dream last night was just you, in a dark room while voices of people you knew blamed you for Annabeth's disappearance, so you didn't exactly share that with Percy.

After the practice you were tired and decided to take a nap. You thought it would be better to have some rest before capture-the-flag, but that didn't really make things better.

In your dream, you saw Annabeth as she struggled to hold a huge darkness above her, very similar to what Percy had told you about. You heard a deep voice laughing in the background, saying something you couldn't make out. You saw Luke, he was scratched and his clothes torn. He was talking with a few dracaena, giving them some orders. The scene shifted, and this time you saw Lady Artemis as she made her way through a forest, looking for the prey she was after. You then saw Annabeth again, this time as tears rolled down her face, weak and tired of holding up the roof of the cavern.

You woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. It was late, about an hour to dinner. You went to the bathroom to freshen up before going to where you were supposed to meet Nico for yet another round of his card game.

You kept spacing out during the game, your mind trailing back to the dream you just saw. Again, doubt and guilt bombarded your thoughts, your mind working against itself as you blamed yourself for her disappearance. You excused yourself from the game when you saw Percy, and told him about your dream. He pointed out the various similarities between both of your dreams.

You were distracted throughout dinner. The same thoughts, the same fears kept coming back. This was also the reason why you were unable to defend your flag during the game, a simple smoke arrow enough for the Hunters to get to it. They won, yet again, an argument breaking out between Percy and Thalia.

You immediately step between them, trying to stop the argument. But only the Oracle was able to stop them, when it recited a prophecy as Zoe stepped forward.

You were not a cabin counselor, and thus were not at the meeting when the people who would be going to the quest were determined. That didn't stop you, and Percy, from trying to convince them to take you with. Zoe was very clear with it, and though she would prefer traveling with you rather than Grover, she said his satyr nature magic might come in handy. Thalia, well she wanted you to be safe. In the few months she had known you, you reminded her a lot of Annabeth, and she didn't want to lose you too.

"I wasn't there last time and she didn't come back" you said, trying to stop the tears of guilt that were trying to fall. "You heard the prophecy Thalia, maybe I'll be able to help. Maybe if I'm there no one will-"

"Wait," Thalia said "I hope you're not blaming yourself for her disappearance Y/N, it was none of your fault. We were there and we should've kept her safe. Please promise me you won't blame yourself".

A few tears rolled down your face "But-"

"None of that, it was NOT your fault ok?" was all she said before she said good night, and went to prepare her stuff for the quest.

You were still worried of course, Thalia, Grover, Bianca, Zoe and Phoebe... they were all your friends. After you had talked to Zoe for the third time within one hour, to which she said you couldn't come, again, Bianca walked over to you.

"Hi Y/N can.... Can I ask you for a favor?" she asked. She looked anxious and stressed about the quest, you nodded for her to go ahead. "Look, I asked a few of the hunters to take care of Nico, but guess they've stayed away from boys so long they want to interact with them in the least way possible. And Nico seems to look up to you a lot, so maybe you could look after him till I'm gone?"

You didn't quite understand why she was asking you to do it, she had known you for less than two days. "I will, but... why me?"

"Nico... he is not very good with people, but he genuinely looked happy when he was learning and playing with you. He doesn't let many people in, and if has let you, I know I can trust you. He gets impulsive when he's angry and right now he isn't very happy about me leaving on this quest, but I need to go."

"I understand. Don't worry Bianca, I'll look after him. I'm one of the only campers from my cabin who's here and I could use some company. Besides, Mythomagic is kinda starting to grow on me." You said with a smile that she returned, but you could see it was slightly forced.

"I promise I'll take care of him. And when you come back, you can tell him how amazing your quest was! He is so amazed by hearing about them from the campers, imagine how excited he'd be to hear them from his sister." you said and she laughed lightly.

"Thank you Y/n"

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Percy vanished the next day. He definitely went after the group that left for the quest. You chided yourself for not thinking of that. But then you found out Phoebe wasn't able to leave which meant in the end the fifth person was supposed to be Percy. And there was the promise you had made to Bianca that you'd be there for Nico till she came back. Maybe that's what the Fates wanted you to do.

It had been a few days since they had left for the quest, and you hadn't heard anything from them. You were getting more anxious everyday. Your dreams weren't getting better, and now sitting at the docks with Nico, playing Mythomagic, you were thinking what they meant. You had a bad feeling and even Nico had told you he was scared for Bianca. He said he had felt something a few days back, something that troubled him so much he came to you at night.

You had a hunch about Nico's godly parent and if that was true....

"Y/n it's your turn!" Nico said, startling you, and you almost fell into the lake.

"umm..." you checked his cards and placed yours, clearly winning the match.

"No fair!" he complained as you grinned. "Hey! I taught you how to play! You should thank me!" he huffed seeing your proud smile.

You ruffled his hair and laughed as he tried to swat your hand away.

"Thank you, Nico, Great Master of the ways of Mythomagic" you said, bowing your head as he laughed at your words.

You both had grown very close in the past few days. You helped him with combat and knowledge of the Greek gods and monsters, finding the difference between the real and Mythomagic versions of them.

His sword fighting skills had gotten much better. You both would practice and when free would play the game with other campers who would like to join after being persuaded by Nico. Nico would win almost every time. You would definitely miss your time with Nico when you returned home after winter break. But he'd be here next summer, so you could have a younger sibling after a few months again.

Nico started rambling about some random facts about ancient Greece he'd learned from the limited edition cards he'd collected andyou smiled at him. Granted, most of it was inaccurate and you'd have to tell him the actual facts later, but just listening to him talk with such excitement made you feel happy. You felt the urge to just keep him safe from the world. And yes he was annoying sometimes, so were the other younger campers sometimes, but all of them made you feel the same way Nico did now. Protective.

The world was a difficult place to live in, especially for demigods. So you wanted to do everything you could to give the younger campers a comparatively normal childhood.

You heard some of the campers say that Percy was back from the quest. Nico immediately started skipping over to the Big House, excited to finally meet his sister after a long time. You were about to go after him when someone pulled you aside.

"Y/n, his sister... we heard she didn't make it"one of the Athena campers told you, with a pointed look towards Nico.

All the blood drained from you. You turned to look at Nico, he was almost at the House. You ran towards him, calling him out but he didn't look back. What would you have said anyway? The guilt you had felt with Annabeth hit you again-this time it was Bianca who didn't come back, and again you weren't there to help.

Tears made their way to your eyes, and you were surprised to see how fast you had reached the Big House. But Nico was already at the door, looking inside trying to spot a person who wasn't there. Percy stood in front of him, facing you. Your eyes met his and one look from him told you that the news was true. The last bit of hope left you as you stood there, tears threatening to fall.

You stayed at a close distance as Percy talked to Nico, you could Percy talk, but not make out exactly what he was saying. The silence from Nico, easily one of the most talkative people you knew, was enough to break you. You wiped the tears that managed to fall despite your efforts. You were trying to control your sniffling when you heard a shuddering sound from behind you.

You turned to see four men with dull grey skin, yellow eyes in grey vests, camo trousers and boots. Their flesh was transparent and their bones shimmered underneath. You didn't know how they had managed to get inside the camp's barrier, and immediately grabbed your sword hilt - that transformed into a meter long blade, ready to take them down. But they walked right past you. You swung your sword at one's shoulder, severing it's arm. But it simply picked it up and placed it back, the flesh around it regenerating. They were walking towards Percy - towards Nico.

You made your way to them, screaming a warning "Percy look out!"

Percy turned around at your voice, seeing the zombie creatures, his eyes widening with what you thought was recognition. He pushed Nico away, telling him to run while he uncapped Riptide. You stabbed one of the skeletons, this time however, managing to anger it enough for it to attack back.

You and Percy were barely able to keep them at bay. Nico was saying things about how Percy had betrayed him, how he had broken his promise. Each word he said seemed to stab your heart. You knew it wasn't Percy's fault, as much as it wasn't yours, but you couldn't seem to shake the feeling of dread, that maybe you could've saved her.

Caught up in your thoughts, one of the skeletons managed to slash your arm, cutting deep into your flesh as you screamed in pain.

That's when you felt the Earth shake. Below the skeletons, a huge chasm opened up,swallowing them whole. You looked, startled, at the crack that separated you from Nico and realised your hunch was correct. He was a son of the Underworld.

Nico looked at your wide eyes sadly and mouthed 'I am very sorry' before he ran towards the woods.

"Nico, wait!" you screamed and began to run after him, only to feel dizzy. Percy caught you before you hit the ground.

"Y/N, you're hurt, you need to-"

"Percy." you looked him in the eye "Go after him. Now."

He didn't miss a beat as he nodded and ran after Nico, yelling at the few campers to help you.

As your wound was being stitched at the infirmary, your mind was all over the place. You needed to find Nico before he did something that would hurt him. As soon as they finished patching you up, you ran (as much as you could without undoing your stitches) towards the forest, despite the best attempts to stop you.

You found Percy, Annabeth and Grover looking for Nico. When you came into view, they frowned, your shirt was still drenched with blood and you were having trouble walking because of the pain. But Percy had seen you and Nico interact and he knew you both had become friends. He decided that at least you should get to know the truth about Nico.

He walked over to you and held out a small figurine. It was the kind Nico had with his card collection. You examined it carefully.

Hades, Lord of the Underworld.

You told them how Nico said he had felt Bianca a few days back. Percy then explained to you how Nico and Bianca were children of Hades, born before the oath was made and that they had been at Lotus Casino, a place where he, Annabeth and Grover had been to the first time they went on a quest.

"We're not telling Chiron about this" Percy said, "If this information stays unknown, Luke will not go after Nico. That could keep him safe. Also we don't want the gods fighting if they found out."

You nodded, but Grover said "But you can't hide things from the gods. Not forever"

"I don't need forever, just two years. Until I'm sixteen" Percy said. "I choose the prophecy. It will be about me. I can't let Nico be in any more danger. I owe that much to his sister. I'm not going to let him suffer any more"

"Y/N you need to rest. That wound will take time to heal" Annabeth said, carefully putting a hand on your good shoulder. You looked ather and realised how relieved you were to finally see her back and safe. You smiled at her.

"You had me so worried y'know? Don't disappear like that again" you said, hugging her with your good arm."What's with the streak by the way? Both you and Percy have one." you asked, eyeing the patch of grey that had appeared in her blonde hair.

"Right, we need to tell you about what all has happened. We have a bit of new information"

❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️

That night, sleep was hard to come. Percy and Annabeth had managed to convince Chiron that the skeletons were responsible for the chasm and that Nico had run away to the forest and disappeared. You kept thinking about Bianca and Zoe. While you knew not to bury yourself deep in guilt, your negative thoughts were too intrusive. Lasttwo times your friends left, they were in trouble. Now Nico too was gone. You remembered your promise to Bianca before she left.

"Maybe you could look after him till I'm gone?"

The words kept coming back to you. You needed to keep your promise. You had to keep him safe. You told Bianca you would.

You took the figurine of Hades that Percy had told you to keep. Holding it in your hand you made a silent promise to yourself.

You had to find Nico. You had to keep him safe and bring him home.

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dreamerball · 3 years

Text

nsfw alphabet - leo valdez

paring: leo valdez x fem!reader

warnings: smut, very smutty, this is the smuttiest thing I have ever written

notes: here are mine and some of @chasingpj's horny thoughts about leo. he is aged up in this scenario. enjoy :)

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

honestly, leo needs a minute to compose himself. he's still very much in awe and afterwards, leo gets very cuddly. he pulls you into his arms and holds you until both of you catch your breaths. he cracks a few jokes to lighten the mood and carries you to the kitchen, where he makes both of you something to eat.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

leo adores your legs. he loves being able to grip your thighs and leave kisses and hickeys on them. of course, he loves teasing you with it. he smirks every time you whine, telling him it’s not fair, please touch me. he would place another kiss on your thigh, so close to where you need him, and then pull away completely.

leo likes his own hands. they’re big, warm and skilled and he knows exactly how to please you with them.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

listen, leo is a responsible young man and wears a condom every time you have sex. he doesn’t like to get messy with it and frankly, the idea of being a zeus 2.0 scares him. however, that does mean that you guys go through a lot of condoms very fast.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

there was one time where you mindlessly called him baby, not really paying attention to the nickname, but it did things to him he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. his face got burning hot like he caught on fire (he might have) and he stopped breathing for a second. you didn’t notice how turned on he got from it and frankly, he’s too embarrassed to tell you. you often called him nicknames, but baby made his heart skip a beat.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

he’s not at all experienced, but he's very eager to learn. leo is constantly asking if you're feeling well and he’s a quick learner, so it really doesn’t take long before getting very skilful at pleasing you.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

this boy loves his missionary. being able to look at you is very important to him and he loves holding your hands. and, if he’s feeling a little more confident, he might pin them above your head.

another one is when you get on top. he’s just so in awe of you and at that moment, there is nothing he wants more than you guiding him and telling him how good he’s making you feel.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

the first few times, it’s kind of awkward. neither of you know very well what you’re doing, but as soon as you’re getting comfortable, he’s cracking jokes. he is very goofy usually and that continues in bed. you love it, honestly. sex shouldn’t always be very serious and his humor makes it very lighthearted. however, he also has moods where he’s more serious than goofy.

H = Hair (how well-groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

he doesn’t pay a lot of attention to it, but he does like to keep the hair short and neat.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

getting so intimate means a lot to him, and he shows that. he tends to get very goofy, but he also loves being romantic. he’ll light some candles and put on some music to get you in the mood. once his hands are on you, he will not stop touching you.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

before you became his girlfriend, he masturbated a lot. he has a very high sex drive and it was the only way for him. now that you’re with him, he doesn’t do it nearly as much as he used to, but sometimes he needs it. whenever you’re not feeling like doing it, or when you’re not around, the thought of you never leaves his mind as he brings himself to his high.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

praise kink. listen, this boy is touch starved and constantly feels inferior to others. it’s his biggest weakness. hearing you tell him how good he’s making you feel and how much you love him means incredibly much to him, to the point where it turns him on in the bedroom. his eyes get wide, a flush spreads over his face and neck and his hands grip you even tighter.

“you feel so good, leo…”

“don’t stop, princesa”

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

his favorite place is the bedroom in your shared apartment. it’s safe and familiar and overall just his favorite. however, sometimes the two of you don’t make it to the bedroom and then the couch is just fine.

your first time was actually in bunker 9. it was the only place where the two of you could be alone and though it wasn’t the most convenient place, it’s a fond memory you hold.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

leo strikes me as the type of person who’s always a little horny, so you really don’t have to do much to get him going. wink at him or lean in really close while you kiss his cheek and leo is on.

however, the best way to turn him on is by whispering something in his ear and biting his earlobe. you’ve always had a soft spot for his pointy ears and while he thought that was funny, you definitely made something enjoyable out of it. this boy will start blushing like mad and before you know it, you’re making out on his bed.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

he’s not into anything you’re not into or that hurts you. sex should be pleasurable for both of you, especially since both of you get hurt a lot in battles.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

leo is very focused on your pleasure, which means that he prefers giving to receiving. of course, he loves receiving, who doesn’t? the feeling of your lips wrapped around him is something that hardly ever leaves his mind. however, giving is one of his favorite things in the entire world. he can spend hours between your legs.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

that really depends on the situation and how both of you are feeling. he usually sets a faster pace that allows him to get deeper. he has a lot of pent up energy he needs to let out, and that’s his favorite way. sometimes he gets back to your apartment, all worked up and angry because the machine was not working the way he wanted it to and it gets a little rougher that night.

in the mornings, it’s very soft and sensual. neither of you are fully awake and you’re drowning in the warmth of his arms wrapped around you when he slides into you. it’s soft sighs and gentle touches.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

leo prefers to take his time, but he’s not against quickies. sometimes it’s all you have time for or you’re too impatient. as much as he loves teasing and going slowly, a quickie often satisfies both your needs too.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

the longer the two of you are together, the more risks he’s willing to take. at the start, he was very scared that somebody might walk in on the two of you but he got more confident with time. now, he just does not care anymore and will fuck you almost everywhere. the room next to your parent’s? you know it. the bathroom in percy and annabeth’s apartment? absolutely.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

leo has a lot of stamina. he goes multiple rounds because he has a lot of energy and can last a long time. pleasuring you is his priority and so, he focuses on you for the first few rounds. he makes you come at least once before he even starts undressing himself. if it was up to him, he would make you come over and over again before paying attention to his own needs.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

even though he loves to invent new things and loves using tools, i don't think he’s very big on toys. he likes to keep it simple in the bedroom and he’s good with his hands and tongue. there’s no need for toys in his eyes. however, he would be willing to try if you would propose something.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

this boy loves to tease. he takes his time, whispering things in your ears, leaving a hickey on your neck and avoiding the places you need him most. even in public, his hand is gripping your thigh as he’s whispering in your ear how much he wants to take you back to the apartment and have his way with you. it’s a miracle your friends haven’t caught the two of you yet.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

leo is not necessarily loud, but he makes a lot of sounds. he sighs, he moans and whispers all night long and they are the most wonderful sounds you’ve heard. pull his hair, grind on him a little and he’s putty in your hands.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

hickeys are his biggest weakness. he loves receiving them, he loves giving them, but he especially loves it when you show them off. he knows it’s a little possessive, but he can’t help it. leo also has no shame showing the hickeys you gave him off.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

even though leo is a lanky kid who’s not very tall, i feel like he is thick. i would say he's the average length of about 6 inches but he’s thicker than average.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

very high. leo is always at least a little horny and down to fuck you or eat you out. all you have to do is wink at him or give him a kiss and he's ready. he could spend all day in bed with you if he wanted to (and he does).

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

leo likes to stay awake a little longer afterwards. he pulls you into his arms and the two of you end up cuddling and watching a movie while talking about how good you made each other feel. you’re usually the first one to fall asleep but if you don’t, get ready for another round.

#leo valdez #leo valdez x reader #leo valdez smut #percy jackson #pjo #hoo #annabeth chase

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timelesslords · 3 years

Text

I’ve Got This Fever

Read on AO3

In which Annabeth catches the flu, and domestic fluff ensues

Annabeth woke up in pain.

This wasn’t exactly an unusual occurrence. Being a demigod, Annabeth was no stranger to pain. She’d had broken bones, burns, cuts, stab wounds…. you name an injury, Annabeth Chase had probably experienced it.

But this was a different kind of hurt, a hurt Annabeth hadn’t felt in a long time. Her head was pounding. Her mouth was drier than the Sahara desert. Her muscles ached, and even the soft sheets and pajamas she was wearing felt like knives on her skin. Despite being under a mountain of covers, she was shivering, bitterly cold.

There was no doubt about it. Annabeth was sick.

Annabeth never got sick.

She groaned, sitting up. That turned out to be a bad idea as a wave of nausea rolled over her, and she lowered herself back onto her pillows, falling the last half of the distance. She felt Percy shift beside her, woken from her movement.

“Hey,” he said, the smile fading quickly from his face as he saw her own expression, which was probably nothing short of miserable. “What’s wrong?”

“I feel like crap.”

She surprised even herself with how horrible her voice sounded, raspy and dry. Percy frowned, reaching out and touching her forehead. He normally ran hot, but now his fingers felt cool against her skin, almost painfully so.

“You’re burning up.” he said, frown deepening.

“I’m freezing.” Annabeth croaked. As if to prove her point, she shivered involuntarily.

“That’s the fever talking.” Percy said grimly, “Hold on.”

He climbed out of bed. His warmth left with him, and Annabeth was left just that much colder, trembling under the covers. Percy couldn’t have been gone more than two minutes, but it felt like an eternity.

When he returned he was holding a thermometer and a glass of water.

“Temperature first. The water might mess with the reading.” He said, apologetic. She wanted to hate him for that because she was so thirsty she thought she might die, but she knew he was right.

Annabeth sat up slowly. Thankfully this time she just felt a little dizzy and not nauseous. The thermometer was cold and uncomfortable under her tongue, but Percy kept a steadying hand on her back, rubbing small circles into her shoulder with his thumb. With her oversensitive skin it almost hurt, but she leaned into the contact anyways.

When the thermometer beeped, Percy traded it for the glass of water. Annabeth nearly downed the entire glass in one gulp.

“A hundred and one.” he announced, flipping the display so she could see. The number was lit up in red, signaling that she did, in fact, have a fever.

“I can’t be sick. I have class.” Annabeth said. Her voice was a little improved by the water, but she still sounded kind of terrible.

“Just email your professors and tell them you can’t make it.” Percy said, as if this were the easiest thing in the world.

For him it probably was. He did his best with school, but he also wasn’t opposed to ditching class every once in a while and blaming it on a fabricated stomach bug, something Annabeth found absolutely abhorrent. She hadn’t missed one class in her entire college career, and she wasn’t about to start now.

“It’s fine. I’ll just take some tylenol and I’ll be good to go.” Annabeth said. Percy gave her an exasperated look.

“Beth. You probably have the flu, you can’t go to class like this.”

“It’s just a little fever.” Annabeth protested. Really, she was already starting to feel better. It was just waking up that had been the hard part, and some ibuprofen would knock her headache and high temperature right out. Percy didn’t look so convinced, but what did he know.

“If you say so.” Percy said, crossing his arms over his chest. Annabeth looked at him suspiciously.

“You’re not going to fight me on this?” she asked. Percy just gave a shrug, though his expression was a stubborn one.

“Nope. You can go right ahead.” Percy said, gesturing his hand off the bed. There was no way he should be giving up this easily, but if he wasn’t going to argue with her, Annabeth wasn’t going to be the one to start it.

She swung her legs carefully over the edge of the bed, glancing again at Percy. He gave her a go ahead look, so she did. The second she tried to put weight on her feet, her vision blacked out and her knees buckled. She would have fallen flat on her face if Percy hadn’t been waiting there to catch her. Her headache immediately doubled in intensity, and Annabeth groaned.

“Still wanna go to class?” Percy asked. He at least had the decency to sound sorry for her, even though making fun of her would have been just as deserved.

“That was mean.” Annabeth complained. Percy lowered her back into bed, gently pushing her shoulder so she would lie down again. Annabeth didn’t need so much convincing this time.

“It was the fastest way.” Percy said apologetically, brushing some hair out of her eyes “You would have fought me on it all day, otherwise.”

Annabeth sighed, but didn’t deny it. She probably would have been unbearable. She probably still was going to be unbearable.

“How am I sick? I never get sick. I’ve never had the flu in my life.” Annabeth said. She glanced upwards at Percy, who was looking very much like he was trying to not say something.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.” he said quickly, but Annabeth knew his expressions better than her own, and she knew when he was holding back.

“You’re thinking something.” Annabeth said accusingly. A smile cracked through his holding-back face.

“Should I not be?” he asked.

“You know what I mean.” Annabeth grumbled.

“Okay. I mean, I’m sure your immune system is very high-quality. I mean, it's yours, how could it not be?”

“Stop trying to butter me up.” Annabeth said, but she couldn't keep a smile all the way off her face.

“Who said I was buttering you up? I was complimenting your robust immune response” Percy said innocently, still grinning.

“Now you’re trying to distract me, but it won’t work.”

This was a complete lie. If he tried a little harder, it probably would work, and he knew it as well as she did. He caved anyways, which meant he probably did actually want to tell her what he was thinking.

“Okay, fine.” Percy said, “I was just going to say, you spent most of your winters at camp, which is totally isolated from the outside world, which means you haven’t really had a real flu season since you were like seven.”

“I went to boarding school.” Annabeth reminded him.

“Yeah, and you spent winter breaks at camp, or at your dad’s.”

He neglected to mention that she had spent one such break kidnapped by Luke and forced to carry the weight of the sky, which would have proved his point further, but Percy was not so ruthless during little discussions like these that he needed to bring up every last piece of evidence. Annabeth envied that restraint sometimes.

“Are you trying to tell me that my immune system probably actually sucks because it hasn’t been exposed to anything real since I was eight?” Annabeth asked. Percy bit his bottom lip.

“You said it, not me.” he said, with an apologetic shrug. Annabeth groaned again, rolling onto her stomach and shoving her face in her pillow. The sudden movement did nothing to relieve her headache; in fact it started pounding away with renewed vigor.

“But I got my flu shot and everything.” Annabeth complained, “I wash my hands all the time.”

“If you hadn’t gotten your shot you’d be feeling twice as bad right now, believe me.” Percy said. Between his ADHD-induced forgetfulness and his living in the city during flu season, Annabeth was inclined to trust him on that one.

“What do I do?” she asked, turning her face halfway off the pillow so she could look at him again. The sympathetic look he was giving her did not make her optimistic for his answer.

“Drink a lot of water and wait for it to pass.”

“That’s it?” Annabeth asked in disbelief.

“And keep an eye on your temperature.” Percy amended, “If it goes over a hundred and three I’m taking you to the ER.”

“Modern medicine is a sham.” Annabeth said. That elicited a laugh from him, at least.

“Go back to sleep. You can send your emails later.” he said, brushing a few stray curls behind her ear.

“I don’t know if I can.” Annabeth said, and it wasn’t even a lie or her being stubborn. She was still freezing somehow, shivering even though she was under blankets again.

In response, Percy crawled back under the covers, wrapping his arms around her. She snuggled into his chest, stealing his warmth, even though she knew she shouldn’t.

“You have class.” Annabeth protested. She felt his laugh, a sturdy vibration in his chest, more than she heard it.

“Not anymore. I’m probably just as contagious as you at this point.”

Annabeth tried again.

“I’m going to get you sick.”

“Maybe.” Percy said, not sounding particularly bothered by it either way.

“But…” Annabeth trailed off. She didn’t want him to leave, but it also didn’t feel fair to keep him here, knowing she was probably condemning him to the same misery she was feeling now.

“Don’t worry about me.” Percy said, reading her thoughts, “I used to ride the subway everyday, I think I’ve had every strain of the flu known to man. And if you think I’m just going to leave you here shivering, you’re crazy.”

“I guess I’ll allow it.” Annabeth mumbled, scooting a little closer to him. The shakes were finally starting to dissipate, driven off by Percy’s warmth.

“Oh, you’ll allow it?” he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice, even if she couldn’t see it.

“For now.” Annabeth said, though she had absolutely no intention of changing her mind, and he knew it better than she did.

“Go back to sleep, Wise Girl.” Percy said, kissing the top of her head.

“Fine.” she said, too tired to think of a good retort. “Seaweed Brain.” she added sleepily, for good measure. She felt him laugh again.

It took a while, but eventually she managed to drift off to sleep again, curled up against his chest.

#i had a shitty day at work so have some tooth-rotting fluff #percabeth #percabeth fic #percabeth fanfic #percabeth fluff #percabeth angst #pjo #pjo fic #pjo fanfic #pjo one shot #percabeth oneshot #Percy Jackson #Percy Jackson fanfic #percy x annabeth

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pftones3482 · 3 years

Text

Sometimes Stupid

Commission for @randomfandomfan from one of their many prompts they gave me. Took forever bc of work and life and also???? Now I have a cat??? So that's fun. But this was fun to write. Read it here on AO3

Set post TLO and pre HOO (and a little bit post HOO). Under a cut for length.

Contrary to popular belief, Leo Valdez was not stupid.

He was an idiot, at times – for instance, maybe running away from his seventh (fifteenth? He’d really lost track at this point) foster home wasn’t the best decision he could have made, especially given that it was the middle of summer and oh, also, hurricane season. And okay, maybe he should’ve taken more with him than a single change of clothes, a box of Ritz crackers, a pocketknife, and a water bottle that had definitely seen better days, but he was in a rush, okay?

But he wasn’t stupid.

When he ran away from his foster homes, Leo tended to stay away from people where he could. And if he had to be around them, he cleaned up, smiled brightly, “Yes ma’am”ed and “Yes’sir”ed to an obnoxious point, and lied his pants off. People were less likely to call the police on a Hispanic kid if they thought he was just a darling little angel waiting for mom at the grocery store, and the last thing he needed was the cops in his business.

Not that it hadn’t happened, of course. He’d dealt with cops of all kinds – nice cops, bad cops, black cops, white cops (WAY too many of those, in his opinion), the occasional cop who would speak Spanish with him, cops who were just there to write a report and move on with their days – cops.

He tried to stay away from them.

Which meant sticking to beaches and forests, lakes and campgrounds, middle of nowhere places with no people for miles. Leo was good at disappearing. Hiding.

But there were always times when he needed an adult. When he needed to hitchhike, or when he needed food to the point of near passing out. Once for serious medical attention. There was a system to what adults you could trust.

Never cops. You could never trust the cops, no matter what naïve white parents thought. Leo had been in cuffs enough to know that was false.

You also couldn’t usually trust priests. They meant well, sure, but they always ended up calling the authorities in the end. That, or they tried to convert Leo to Catholicism, and while one of those encounters had ended with a swiped bottle of watered-down red wine and a night that made him vow to never drink again, he wasn’t trying to contact the church.

(THAT night, Leo would say he had been stupid. He could admit that)

Homeless people were usually okay. While a lot of them were very suspicious of everyone, almost every homeless person he’d ever met would point him in the direction of food, water, free showers, free clothes, or a library (his saving grace during the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter). The times when he came across gay homeless people were when he felt safest – they especially never pressed him about his background. Ironic, really, that he felt safer with strangers on the street than his foster homes.

Moms were sometimes okay. Especially if they were Hispanic, or black, or just anything but white. They, at least, wouldn’t call the cops on him. But they were also hit or miss – sometimes they helped in way of a meal, or a new bottle of water. One mom even took him to the store and got him new socks and underwear (he had cried that night). But other moms rushed him away from their precious babies. Some moms called him ungrateful for the “space he had.”

Dads were a never. Leo never went to men if he could help it, even if they had children with them. He didn’t trust them as far as he could throw them, and that wasn’t very far.

But it was hurricane season. And he was on the coast. And it was downpouring, and he was starving, and the only people he had seen for miles were a white couple, a man and a woman, standing on the porch of a somewhat rundown shack that Leo would’ve probably thought was abandoned if he hadn’t seen them there.

The man was tall, peppered hair that was shifting more to salt, with a rough beard and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. The woman at his side was short, probably Leo’s height, with dark curly hair and vibrantly blue eyes. It was streaked with gray, but she was, admittedly, a very pretty woman. Something about her smile put Leo at ease.

He clutched his backpack tighter in his fist and stumbled over the sand towards the shack, ankles rolling uncomfortably on the wet ground. He was sure he looked atrocious, sure that the moment they spotted him, they’d shriek and cuss him out and lock the door.

But then he coughed, hard, his shoulders shaking, and the woman whipped her head around. He watched her eyes widen, watched her tug at the man’s sleeve, and then she was bolting – barefoot, Leo noticed – down the steps and over to him.

He flinched when she wrapped an arm over his shoulders, jolting out of her grip more from habit than anything else. She froze, holding both hands up and relaxing her stance. “Hey, honey. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Somewhere deep down, Leo’s brain was scoffing at the patronizing words. But on the surface, he focused on the words, and then sharpened his eyes onto the man as he approached, phone in hand. “I-I c-can’t-”

The woman looked back, down at the phone, and her shoulders stiffened. “Paul, put the phone away, please.”

Her voice held an intonation that Leo couldn’t decipher, but the man – Paul – instantly shut the phone off and pocketed it. The moment it was gone, Leo let his shoulders loosen, and he looked at the woman anxiously. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I-I just…”

“Hey.”

Her arm was more cautious this time, sliding around Leo’s shoulders with a pace that would let him move if he wanted. He didn’t, just let it happen, and then the woman was easing him over the sticky sand and up the steps of the shack, Paul close behind them. He stopped at the door, pushing back hard against the woman’s guiding grip. “I don’t want to ruin your house,” he managed.

The woman’s laugh was…well, to be perfectly honest, it made Leo feel warm. Like she could never hurt him.

Those are usually the most dangerous people, his mind tried to reason with him.

“Sweetheart, it’s just a rental cabin. Besides, I’ve had far worse than a little sand and water on my floors before.”

Before he could wonder at that sentence, she opened the door and nudged him inside. The second that Paul closed the door, the sound of the wind died down and the chill in the air evaporated. Leo realized he was shivering.

The woman’s hands were warm on his cheeks. “My name is Sally, hon. You are-?”

He usually gave a fake name, but – “Leo, ma’am.”

“Don’t you ma’am me,” she scoffed, her voice easy as she helped Leo to the couch. “I’m not that old, am I Paul?”

Paul put his hands up. “I abstain from answering.”

Sally scoffed and pressed a cool hand on Leo’s forehead. “Can I take your backpack, sweetheart?”

Something like panic flared in Leo’s chest, and Sally must have seen it, because she pulled her hand back and held it up. “I’m not moving it far, I just want Paul to dry everything out for you, okay?”

Fingers shaking, Leo shrugged off his bag – the one he’d been carrying for nearly three states – and passed it over to her. She took it like it was a priceless artifact, and handed it to Paul with more tenderness than Leo had ever seen given to an inanimate object. “I think my son might have left some clothes here while he was with us last week,” she said, voice soft. “He’s a little older than you, so some things might be big, but is it okay if we give you some of his clothes while we dry out yours?”

Leo swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Um. Yeah.”

She stood up and left with Paul, giving Leo a moment to be alone and take in the cabin around him.

It was old, but obviously well taken care of, with weathered planks of wood gracing the walls and the floor. He was in the living room, full of mismatched couches and chairs and a bookshelf stacked full of books and games. He didn’t see a TV in sight, but he wasn’t expecting to find one. He stood shakily, suddenly very aware of how wet he was getting the couch, and wrapped his arms around himself as he explored the rest of the main room.

The kitchen was small and cramped, but he could smell something full of tomatoes and spices in the oven that made his tastebuds water. He didn’t dare look for fear of getting caught, so he stepped away and into the tiny dining area. There was sand on the floor, spread thin and fine, and it was such a small thing, but it made Leo relax even more – Sally meant it when she said she didn’t care about him ruining her floors.

But she and Paul had been gone for a while, and Leo wasn’t stupid, okay? It didn’t matter how well intentioned someone was, they always thought they knew better, and if they were gone too long, it meant they were trying to decide for him. So he crept towards the hallway they’d vanished to, praying that he didn’t step on a squeaky board. Old homes always had them in the most inconvenient places.

“-not answering?” he picked up Paul’s voice saying.

“No,” Sally said, a sigh in her voice. “He did say he and Annabeth were on a date, but I didn’t expect them to be in Paris of all places. How did they even-?”

“Can you get ahold of Chiron?”

Not the police, then, Leo reasoned, unless they knew an officer by that name. He leaned a little closer.

“No – I try not to call the camp unless I need to. Phone lines and all that, you know?”

Paul huffed. “I know. And Rachel is at art camp, right?”

“Yup,” Sally said, and Leo heard a sound like a blowing raspberry. “He clearly isn’t aware of anything, Paul. He’s terrified.”

“Probably a runaway,” Paul hummed, and Leo flinched at the damning statement. “Met a couple kids like that teaching.”

He looked like a teacher. You couldn’t trust most teachers either, Leo had learned. They were just like priests. Tried their best, but they always inevitably called someone.

“What did you do? Who did you call?” Sally asked, and Leo stiffened. Here it comes, his brain taunted.

“No one,” Paul said.

Leo blinked, taking a slight step back. What?

“Kids don’t run away for no reason, Sal. Especially not kids like him. Perce taught me that. I mean, maybe in my early days of teaching, I might have called the authorities, but ever since this summer I…how could I risk that? Even before then, I mean…the stories I’ve heard from some of these kids I’ve talked to. We don’t know anything about him. If he ran away, all this way, in this weather? It was bad, love.”

Leo’s throat ached.

He’d never, the whole time he’d been in foster care, ever heard an adult admit that they were wrong to call the authorities on him. Never heard an adult take his perspective into account, especially without even knowing him. Never had an adult admit that his life could be anything other than ideal.

He took another step back and oh shit, there it was, the cursed piece of wood in every old house to ever exist. He cussed under his breath and ducked his head as Sally stepped into the hallway. He refused to look up at her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “You were just gone for a while a-and I thought you might be calling someone.”

No verbal response. Instead, a soft bundle of fabric was pressed into Leo’s hands. He startled, gripping onto the clothing, and looked up at Sally and Paul with wide eyes. Paul shook his head. “We’re not calling anyone, son. Not if you don’t want us to. But we do ask that you get cleaned up, before you catch pneumonia.”

Sally tilted her head towards the door across the hall. “Let me know when you’re done, I’ll toss your clothes in the dryer. Paul was just finishing up dinner when you came along. Do you like lasagna?”

Leo’s mouth watered at the thought of eating any kind of food that wasn’t stale crackers and canned tuna. “Yes ma’am.”

“What’d I say about that ma’am nonsense?” Sally scolded.

Leo ducked his head, trying to press down the tears. “Yes, miss,” he chuckled.

Sally laughed as Paul headed for the kitchen. “It’s a start, love.”

Sally’s son’s clothes were soft, well loved. They smelled like sea water and lavender detergent, and though the t-shirt was a gaudy orange with letters so faded that Leo couldn’t read them, he sank into the fabric with a sigh. Sally had also passed him a pair of sweatpants, and Leo hoped that her son wouldn’t be mad if he ever found out that some random foster kid had borrowed them.

If he was anything like Sally, though, Leo had the feeling he’d like him.

His hair was still wet, but this time from a shower, and Leo couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten to stand under an actual stream of hot water without people literally timing him to make sure he didn’t take too long. He stood in front of the mirror, sighing a little at how skinny he’d gotten. He’d always been small – being skinny only made him more of a punching bag for the bigger foster kids. His hair, untamed from weeks of running, hung in his eyes, and he wondered briefly if Sally might have a hair tie he could borrow.

He left the bathroom and crept into the dining room, where Sally was setting the table and Paul was pulling one of the most beautiful lasagnas he’d ever seen out of the oven.

“-texted me, said they’d be back tomorrow morning. He offered to come back sooner,” Sally was saying as Leo stood in the doorway, “but I know he and ‘beth haven’t really gotten to go on any non-monstrous dates recently.”

She blinked when she saw him standing there, and her smile softened into something warm and inviting. “Come on, hon. Paul was just getting dinner out.”

Maybe it was the malnourishment, or Paul’s cooking skills, or Leo’s exhaustion, or a combination of the three, but Leo had never tasted such good Italian food in his life. He downed one, two, three pieces and a full salad before he finally slowed down. To his relief, neither Paul nor Sally gave him any grief about how many pieces he took. Honestly, he thought he watched Paul actively make his slices bigger than theirs.

They’d clearly been talking about their son when he came in the room. This guy was in Paris, on a date with his girlfriend, and he was coming back tomorrow. Leo wondered just how rich this family was – the dad was a teacher, but Sally hadn’t said what she did, and Leo was a little afraid to ask.

When Paul brought out a pie for dessert, Leo almost cried. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had any dessert fancier than a stolen Ding Dong from a corner store. Paul definitely gave him a larger slice than them, and as he ate it, Sally poked at her own pie.

“Leo, we’re not going to pry,” she started, gentle. “Your story is yours, and I know how tricky it can be to share yourself and your past with new people.”

The sad smile Paul shot her didn’t go unnoticed by Leo, and he internally bristled at the thought that this wonderful mom in front of him could understand anything about how he felt, because that meant that she’d gone through shit she didn’t deserve. He said nothing, though, just nodded.

Sally eyed her pie thoughtfully, stabbing a blackberry that had escaped the crust. “But I feel like…well, I feel as though my son especially can relate to how you’re feeling, or at least some of it. If you’d be willing to wait for him to come home, maybe we can figure some things out together.”

Leo felt lost. He’d been lost a lot before, but this was the first time it was mental and not physical. “What?”

Sally looked up, seeming to realize that she’d baffled him. “I mean…”

She looked at Paul, and Leo looked between the two of them, tightening his grip on his fork. They were having a silent conversation. Leo hated when adults did that. “You mean you want to wait until I’m asleep so you can call the cops o-or foster services or-or just wait until your son gets back so he can tell me to get out.”

He shoved his chair back from the table, tears prickling at his eyes. Every time. Every time. He always got his hopes up, always thought he’d found the perfect people, people who got it, and every fucking time, he-

Hands settled on his shoulders, and he ripped away, scowling at Sally. Her eyes were sad, and Leo felt an unwelcome stab of guilt in his chest. “That is not what we were suggesting, ever, honey. I would never call foster services, first of all. They’re atrocious, especially for kids of color.”

Leo jolted back. He’d never had a white woman actively acknowledge his race so bluntly before – it was usually partnered with some demeaning comment about “his kind” of people. He eyed Sally warily.

She lowered her hands, keeping them on her hips where he could see them. “Second, I’d never call the police either. You’re not a problem, and my son has had enough unfortunate encounters with them for me to…distrust them severely, to say the least.”

Her son had-?

“I just…we know a place. Where you would genuinely be safe, hon. No foster homes, no cops, with people who get it.”

She was lying. She had to be lying, no matter what Leo’s heart said. But she wasn’t going to let this go, and he knew it. So he sighed, fidgeted with his fingers. He wished he had something to build. “Okay. I’ll wait for your son to get home.”

Sally relaxed, and Leo gave her a thin smile.

He helped her and Paul clean up the kitchen, put away the leftover lasagna. Sat with them and did a puzzle, played a game of Clue with them. Fixed their radio for them, much to their surprise, and then watched with a small smile on his face as Paul and Sally danced around the living room together. They tried to get him to join, but he’d never been much of a dancer, so he declined.

They bid him goodnight around 11, and he shut the door of their son’s room, let the hours tick on.

At three am, he got up, changed back into his own clothes, left the borrowed ones folded neatly on the foot of the bed. He took a flashlight from the bedside table and slid it into his backpack, stepped out of the bedroom and avoided the squeaky floorboard.

The tool kit from fixing the radio was still on the coffee table, and he picked it up with only the slightest feelings of guilt. Went through the cabinets and pulled out sleeves of crackers, a box of granola, eyed the leftover lasagna with a sad gaze. He found a roll of toilet paper under the sink, a bottle of hand sanitizer in a junk drawer.

He paused by the game of Clue, left out on the table from their match, and let his fingers trace over it sadly. His gut screamed at him to leave. His heart screamed at him to stay. He wasn’t stupid.

Leo had always trusted his gut.

He pocketed the candlestick piece and turned for the door, flinching the second his eyes landed on Sally.

Her hair was done up in a braid, her pajamas wrinkled, and the moon shining through the window reflected the sadness in her eyes. Leo opened his mouth, but couldn’t find it in him to speak – the lump was back.

She stepped forward and he shut his eyes, expecting a lecture. Instead, her hand cupped his cheek. Her other hand pressed into his, and he gasped as he felt the telltale touch of money in his fingers. He looked down at the wad of cash – he couldn’t see how much it was, but he knew that he didn’t deserve it. He looked up at her, panicking. “I can’t-”

“Stay, I know,” she whispered, and that wasn’t what he’d been planning to say, and he knew that she knew that. “I understand, Leo. I understand, sweetie.”

The sob slipped out before he could stop it, and Sally’s eyes softened. She bent at the hip, pressing a soft kiss to his curls. “When you end up meeting my son,” she murmured, “come visit, okay?”

Leo had no idea what that meant, but he nodded, if only to appease her. “I’m sorry,” he croaked.

She squeezed his shoulder. “Nothing to be sorry for, honey. Be safe.”

Sally watched him go, watched him shut the door behind him, and he looked down at the money in his hands with a choked feeling in his chest. It was more than he’d held in his entire life. He couldn’t take it, but he knew she’d be upset if he didn’t. And if there was one thing Leo refused to do, it was make Sally more upset than he already had.

So he pocketed it and, with an aching heart, stepped off the porch of the cabin. The storm from earlier had died down, and, fingers tight on his backpack straps, he started making his way up the beach.

Percy was bouncing up and down at the entrance to Camp Half Blood, fingers curled around Annabeth’s hand. “Do I look okay?” he asked for probably the thousandth time that morning.

Piper rolled her eyes. “Percy, it’s your mom. She doesn’t care what you look like.”

Percy shot her a mock glare. “I haven’t seen her in over a year, McClean, sue me.”

“You look fine, Perce,” Annabeth laughed, kissing his cheek. “She’s gonna mostly care that you’re alive.”

“Okay but this tattoo-”

“Sorry, you vanished on me for over a year, crossed the globe, and you got a TATTOO?” came a very scolding, very obviously Mom Voice, and Leo snickered, turning to see who was about to absolutely whoop Percy’s ass.

And he stumbled on his own feet, lips parting as Sally (Sally Jackson, his unhelpful brain mocked) appeared at the top of the hill. Her hair was a little grayer than it had been when Leo met her, her hips a little wider, but her smile was the same, her laugh as Percy launched himself at her the same peal of delight Leo remembered on his toughest nights, and when she caught his eye over Percy’s shoulder, her smile only widened.

Okay, so sometimes Leo Valdez was kind of stupid.

#percy jackson #pjo #leo valdez #heroes of olympus #pjo fanfic #my writing #sally jackson #paul blofis #percy jackson and the olympians #hoo

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knuffled · 3 years

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Just Practice - Chapter 18

it’s finally over. here’s the last chapter. important notes at the end for those that are interested. thank you all so much for your support. it’s been a wild ride, and i’m glad i got to see it through to the end.

ao3 link

It was perhaps the first time that Annabeth had ever felt nervous standing in front of the Jackson residence. She shifted uneasily on her heels and wiped her palms on her jeans before knocking on the front door. Usually, she felt more at home here than anywhere else in the world, but she felt entitled to a little anxiety given the circumstances. Not long after, Sally opened the front door and showed her inside with a smile.

“Hi, honey. It’s been a while, huh?” Sally said.

Annabeth nodded and offered her a small smile. “Yeah. It has. Things have been pretty hectic lately.”

“Percy told me you were in the hospital for a while. Are you alright?” Sally said, closing the door behind her.

“Yeah, I just injured my leg at a meet,” Annabeth said.

“Oh no, what happened?” Sally asked, furrowing her brow.

“I, um, tore my ACL,” Annabeth mumbled. “It’s still recovering, but I can walk on my own now. It’ll be a while before I can start running again, though.”

“I am so sorry to hear that. I would have visited, but I’ve been out all month doing more of those goddamned book tours,” Sally huffed.

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Annabeth said. “I appreciate the thought though.”

There was a pause and Annabeth looked around the living room without meaning to. Sally gave her a smile and said, “If you’re looking for Percy, he’s upstairs in his room.”

Annabeth flushed and nodded. “Thanks. I’m gonna head on up then.”

“I’ll be taking Estelle out shopping, and Paul won’t be home until later today,” Sally informed her.

Annabeth blinked, somewhat confused. “Oh, alright. I’ll see you later then.”

“You should have plenty of time to yourselves,” Sally said, giving her a knowing look. “I’m guessing that you’ll need it judging by the sorry state that my son has been in the past few weeks.”

Annabeth’s face turned even redder and she nodded and made her way up to Percy’s room. She paused in front of his bedroom door and screwed her eyes and took a deep breath. Annabeth heard him in the shower, which diffused her nervousness before she stepped inside his room.

Percy’s bedroom hadn’t changed much, if at all, over the years. The room was sparsely decorated - almost nothing adorned the cream colored walls. There was still a full sized bed nestled against one corner of the room, draped with a fluffy blanket he hadn’t bothered to fold. Blue curtains framed a window overlooking the willow tree in his backyard, the one they used to climb when they were kids. On the other end of the room was an office chair, piled high with messy clothes, sitting in front of a well worn cherrywood desk. The desk was littered with stray homework papers, half-empty energy drinks, and a bobble head of some athlete Annabeth didn’t recognize.

Annabeth wandered over and looked at the four photos he had taped to the wall above the desk. One of them was with his mother at the beach in Montauk from back when he was a freshman. Another was one of the entire family at an amusement park. There was one with him and all of their friends sitting in front of a bonfire at Piper’s birthday party that past summer. And the final one was one of him with her, his hand thrown carelessly around her shoulder as she leaned into the crook of his neck, a contented smile on her face. The soft look on his face, like she had just hung the moon for him, brought a lump to her throat.

“Annabeth?”

Annabeth jumped back and turned to see Percy standing in the doorway, towel drying his hair. He was wearing an old swim team shirt from middle school and his penguin pajamas. The familiar scent of his body wash clung to his skin, unmasked by the cologne he usually wore. There was a careful expression on his face, like she had caught him unawares.

“H-Hey,” Annabeth said breathlessly.

“I, uh, wasn’t expecting you for another hour,” Percy said cautiously.

“Sorry,” Annabeth said, rocking on her heels. “Should I leave?”

“No, it’s fine,” Percy said quickly. “Why don’t you sit down?”

Annabeth nodded and sat on his bed. Percy rushed over to gather the clothes that had piled on top of the chair and hurriedly stuffed them in his closet. He hung the towel from his open window sill to dry and sat across from her in the office chair.

There was an uncharacteristically nervous look on his face, but it actually comforted Annabeth. She would have felt awkward if she was the only one feeling apprehensive.

“I, um, didn’t see you at school this week,” Annabeth said.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck. “Needed some time off. I haven’t been feeling very good.”

Guilt bubbled in the pit of Annabeth’s stomach. She knew that was her fault, but that he was too nice to tell her that.

She cleared her throat and said, “Sorry to hear that. Are you doing better now?”

Percy breathed a laugh and shrugged. “More or less.”

There was an awkward pause before Percy gestured to her leg. “How’s your knee?”

Annabeth glanced down at it and quickly looked back at him. “Oh, um, it’s fine. I had surgery done a few weeks back and it went well. I’ve started doing physical therapy now, but it’ll still be a while before I can start running again.”

“But you should make a full recovery, right?” Percy asked tentatively.

Annabeth nodded and stared down at her lap, playing with her fingers. “Yeah, the doctors said there shouldn’t be any issues since it was only a partial tear, but we won’t know for sure until I finish therapy.”

“That sounds like good news,” Percy said carefully.

Annabeth mustered a smile and said, “Yeah. About as good as I could hope for anyways.”

There was another brief pause and then Annabeth said, “I, um, also talked to the coach at Berkeley and told him about my injury.”

Percy’s leg bounced up and down. “And what did he say?”

“Well, he wasn’t happy about it,” Annabeth began. “But they’re not rescinding my scholarship.”

Percy made to move out of his seat and give her a hug, a grin splitting across his face, before he thought better of it and sat back down. A crushing sensation formed in the hollow of her chest as his grin waned into a sheepish smile.

“That’s wonderful, Annabeth,” Percy said softly. “I’m sure that’s a huge relief-”

“I’m sorry for how I acted at the hospital,” Annabeth blurted.

The smile slid off Percy’s face, but Annabeth powered through anyways. “You were only trying to help, and I lashed out at you for no good reason. That was awful of me, and I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for that.”

Percy nodded in a clipped manner and said, “Apology accepted.”

Annabeth was surprised that Percy hadn’t tried to downplay the whole thing by saying it wasn’t a big deal. A lump formed in her throat - her words must have cut deeper than she realized.

“It really hurt, hearing all that, but you had every right to say it,” Percy continued.

Annabeth shook her head and said, “No, I- I was just being cruel.”

He offered her a strained smile and shrugged helplessly. “You were still right though. About all of it. There’s no excuse for me not telling you about Kara, for hiding so much from you.”

Annabeth pursed her lips and resisted the urge to argue with him.

Percy hunched forward in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair violently. “I’ve been thinking about it non-stop, trying to figure out why I did that, but I still don’t really get it. I want to tell you, so badly, but there’s a part of me that just can’t. It’s really fucking frustrating and confusing.”

He paused and exhaled forcefully. “Honestly, the only thing it’s made me realize is how fucked up I am.”

The pain and bitterness in his voice tore up Annabeth inside. “That’s not true.”

“It is,” Percy said, shaking his head insistently. “I wish I could just show you somehow. Make you understand-”

“Percy, good person,” she stressed. “Maybe you can’t see it, but I can-”

“Well, you don’t actually know me,” Percy snapped.

Annabeth must have looked as devastated as she felt because Percy’s eyes immediately swelled with guilt and repentance.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that,” he said quietly.

“No, you’re right,” Annabeth admitted shakily. “I don’t really know you. I thought I did, but I was wrong.”

“That’s not your fault,” Percy insisted. “I’m just- it’s fucking impossible for me to ever let anyone actually see me.”

Then who have I been seeing this entire time?

The thought hung heavily in her mind but she forced herself to ignore it. Still, she found it hard not to let despair swallow her whole. She couldn’t help thinking about how Reyna had said that at a certain point, you had to accept that there was really nothing that you could do. She was clearly out of her depth here. Honestly, she stood a snowball’s chance in hell of actually saying something helpful.

She sat there in silence and watched the conflicted look on Percy’s face. His lips were pressed in a thin line and his eyes shone with focused intensity, like he was at a swim meet. If this was only going to cause him so much pain, she never should have told him she wanted to talk. At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling like she needed to do something for him. Whatever he was holding inside was clearly eating at him. She couldn’t just leave it alone and act like it wasn’t her problem. Percy never would have done so if their roles were reversed.

Percy surprised her by punching his leg in frustration and releasing a shuddering exhale before he looked at her and spoke.

“No- No matter what, I can’t help thinking this all points back to Gabe.”

Annabeth furrowed her brow. “Your step-father?”

Percy nodded and said, “I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately. It’s weird, but he’s wrapped up in all this. I just know it.”

Annabeth dug her fingernails into her palms. Percy never talked about Gabe, but Annabeth had more than an inkling of what he did - how some days Percy came to school with a sullen look, wincing when he sat down, and gingerly probed parts of his body when he thought nobody was watching; days when he hardly smiled or even said a word to her and she would wordlessly slide him her homework at lunch to copy.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Annabeth said.

Despite what Piper said about needing to press Percy, Annabeth knew there were some wounds that were better left untouched.

Percy balled his hands into fists and shook his head. “No, I have to. Otherwise, I’ll lose you for good.”

Annabeth’s heart squeezed in her chest, so she took his hands in hers and said, “Look Percy, I don’t want to pressure you into doing something you’re uncomfortable with. It’s fine if there are things you can’t talk about. You have nothing to prove to me. No matter what, you’re still my best friend, and you’re never going to lose me. Okay?”

“Really?” Percy asked quietly.

The way his voice sounded, raw and bleeding, made self-loathing fester in the pit of her stomach.

“Yes, really,” Annabeth said tersely. “I’m so sorry that I forced you into a corner like this. I was wrong about what I said at the hospital. I did something terrible to you.”

“Don’t say that, Annabeth,” Percy said tightly. “It’s not your fault. At all. You’ve been nothing but endlessly patient with me. I- I’m just not strong enough.”

Annabeth shook her head. “You’re the strongest person I know, but you don’t have to do this all on your own. There’s probably not a whole lot that I can do to help, but at least I can help share your burden and listen.”

Percy was quiet for a minute before he looked at her with a hard gaze. “Are you sure about this? It’s not a very fun story to listen to.”

“Yes,” Annabeth said immediately.

“If it ever gets to be too much, let me know,” Percy said sternly.

Annabeth took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “Don’t worry about me. I’m here for you.”

Percy exhaled forcefully and nodded before staring down at his lap. A minute or two passed before he was ready to speak again, and Annabeth could see conflict and pain swirl in his eyes like whirlpools of emotion.

“He was nice at the start, you know?” Percy said quietly. “He wasn’t all that bad the first few months after they got married. Sometimes he’d get me some candy on his way home from work. Teach me how to throw a baseball. Normal stuff like that. But then, at some point, things changed. Still can’t figure out why. Like, was he just hiding how awful he was the entire time or did something change in him? Guess it doesn’t matter now.”

He paused for a moment and said, “The first time I remember him hitting her, I was eight years old. He was really tearing into me about getting in trouble at school, telling me how much of a fuck up I was, how I was a stupid kid who couldn’t do anything right, and mom defended me.”

“At some point, he got so pissed he chucked a plate at my head and barely missed. It shattered on the wall and gave me this,” Percy said, tugging down his shirt sleeve to reveal the crescent shaped scar on his shoulder.

Annabeth traced the scar with trembling fingers and tried to stomach the nausea and rage she felt brewing inside her.

“Mom went ballistic after that, but that just pissed him off,” Percy said slowly. “Gabe hit her so hard her head hit the wall and started bleeding. You can still see the dent downstairs in the living room. Then, he grabbed me by the hair and forced me to look at her, crumpled on the floor. I can still remember the stink of cheap cigarettes on his breath and him whispering in my ear, ‘This is all your fault, kid.’”

“Christ,” Annabeth whispered.

“Yeah, I know right,” Percy said, smiling wryly. “And that’s just one story - I have hundreds of them. Like, remember how I forgot my field trip form to the zoo in 5th grade?”

When Annabeth nodded, Percy said, “Well, they had to send me home because there weren’t any teachers at school that day. Mom was at work, so Gabe had to pick me up. He was super pissed that I made him miss his poker game, so he was bitching at me the entire ride home. At some point, I snapped and told him to fuck off. Next thing I know, he punches me in the stomach so hard that I puked all over the floor of his Camaro. Of course, that only made him even angrier, so he beat the shit out of me and made me clean up the mess.”

Annabeth tried to keep her voice steady. “Tell me you told somebody.”

Percy smiled humorlessly and said, “And who would I tell? My mom? The woman working three jobs, married to an abusive piece of shit that hits her, with a kid who only ever seems to fuck up at school and embarrass her? No, she had enough on her plate as it was. I couldn’t add more.”

“Then the teachers-”

“Annabeth, you remember how it was for me in school. The teachers hated me,” Percy said bitterly. “To them, I was just a trouble-maker. How could I turn to them? And besides, even if I did, what good would it do? Gabe would just deny it and take it out on me or mom later.”

Percy leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Eventually, I just got used to it. He was smart about it too. Always made sure my mom wasn’t around and that the wounds wouldn’t show anywhere someone might see. And over time, it just become something normal, and I got used to never telling someone about it.”

He paused for a moment and clutched at the fabric of his shirt, over his stomach. “Even telling you right now is like physically painful for me. Like my stomach is in knots and every cell in my body is telling me to run. A part of me keeps whispering, no matter how much I try and ignore it, that I’m not allowed to ask for help, that I- that I deserve this because it’s my fault.”

Annabeth took a sharp inhale and bit her quivering lower lip to keep from crying. She had always known Percy had had a troubled life, but she had never expected that it would be this horrific. He was the best person that she knew and he deserved so much more than this. It was profoundly unfair and tragic and wrong and she didn’t know how to fix it or if it was even possible to fix it.

“None of that was your fault, Percy,” Annabeth said tersely. “He was a sick, twisted piece of shit, and you shouldn’t believe a single word that came out of his mouth.”

“I’ve been telling myself that for the past five years, Annabeth, but there’s some part of me that doesn’t believe it,” Percy said softly. “That fucked up shit he did and said to me is still there, rattling around in my head, and I can’t make it stop.”

He balled his hands into fists. “He sort of beat into me that I was responsible for everything. It was always my fault because I was a bad kid or a fuck up. And he was kind of right too. Mom was having such a hard time back then and I never made things easier for her either, always getting into trouble at school. I tried to be a good kid. I really did. It just wasn’t ever good enough. I just kept letting people down and that hasn’t ever stopped.”

Before Annabeth could interject, he looked at her and said, “You asked me at the hospital why I never told you about Kara. The truth is that I hate myself for being so shitty to her. Like, I drove her into a corner and made her feel so insecure and alone that I forced her into cheating on me. I should’ve been a better boyfriend to her-”

“Percy, what Kara did was her own decision,” Annabeth interrupted. “Maybe you could have done a better job, but you can’t force someone to cheat on you. Kara even admitted that it was her fault and said she wanted to apologize to you for it.”

He stared at her for a few beats and a myriad of conflicted emotions flashed in his eyes before he shrugged noncommittally and turned away. Annabeth ground her teeth together and moved off the bed before she even realized what she was doing. She framed his face with her hands and forced him to look into her eyes.

“Listen to me, you are a good person,” Annabeth said tightly.

Percy averted his gaze. “I’m really not, Annabeth. I’m just trying to make up for the fact that I’m- well, me.”

“And I’m telling that it’s okay not to be perfect! Because that’s the standard you’re holding yourself to! We all hurt and let each other down, Percy. That’s fucking normal!” Annabeth fumed.

“What’s the fucking point if nothing ever changes?” Percy shouted, his voice cracking. “I try and try and try, and I still keep hurting the people I care about, and I’m just- I’m so fucking sick of it, Annabeth.”

“People hurt each other all the time, Percy, sometimes just by existing! You’re looking at a prime fucking example of that,” Annabeth shouted, jabbing a thumb at herself.

“Like, how many times have I hurt you through my own carelessness? And yeah, it breaks my heart sometimes knowing how awful I’ve been to you, but I’m trying to be better because you’re the most important person in the world to me and I don’t want to lose you. And I learned that from you! Because isn’t that what you’ve always done? Tried to be better?” she demanded.

At this, Percy was silent, and Annabeth sat back on the bed, sighing. “That’s what actually matters, Percy: the fact that you’ve never stopped trying. You don’t always have to nail yourself to the cross anytime you fail.”

There was a pause before Percy quietly said, “I- I don’t know how not to.”

“Well, it starts by acknowledging that it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes,” Annabeth said, softening her voice. “Your mom once told me that you would rather put yourself in pain to ease someone else’s suffering, that you feel responsible for how others feel. Like, I know that Gabe was the one that taught you that, but that’s really fucking unhealthy. You need to see a professional therapist or counselor to help you process all the shit he put you through and teach you a better way to handle it.”

“And what if that doesn’t work? What if it’s too late to help me?” Percy asked.

“Then we’ll figure it out when the time comes,” Annabeth said, repeating what he had told her at the hospital.

“I’m not sure I’m worth all that effort,” Percy said tightly.

“Well, I’m your best friend and I think you’re the sweetest, kindest boy there ever was and that you’re worth the whole world,” Annabeth said.

She thought he would argue with her again, but she was surprised when Percy scrunched up his face and looked away from her, blinking back tears. He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded with a sniffle. Her heart welled up inside her chest and she felt a sense of fond exasperation rush through her, making her smile to herself.

Oh, you dumb, stupid boy.

“Thank you,” Percy mumbled.

Annabeth shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. “There’s nothing to thank me for.”

It was a while before he looked at her again, and when he did, he looked up at her shyly through his stupidly long eyelashes.

“D-Did you mean what you said in the hospital?” he whispered.

“Hmm?”

Percy’s face turned a gentle shade of vermilion. “Um, about being in love with me?”

Annabeth’s face turned serious. “Yes. I should have chosen a better time, but I meant it. One hundred percent.”

“Oh.”

She couldn’t help the way her lips curled upwards. “That’s all you have to say to me? ‘Oh’?”

Percy’s face turned even redder. “Um, I’ve been dreaming about this moment for like seven years, so you’ll have to forgive me for the fact that my brain is kind of fried right now.”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow and tried not to look smug. “Seven years, huh? That is a long time to hold your peace.”

“In my defense, you always hated it when people said anything about us dating, so I tried to kill off that part of myself and fully commit to just being friends,” Percy said.

“I’m sorry about that,” Annabeth said seriously. “I must have hurt you a lot.”

“It was painful,” Percy admitted. “But I was happy enough staying by your side.”

“The whole fake dating thing was super tone deaf then on my part, huh?” Annabeth said quietly.

“I should have refused, but I couldn’t help myself,” Percy said, grimacing. “I wanted to pretend, even if it was just for a little while, that you actually liked me back. It was a pretty bad idea, but I even tried dropping a bunch of hints since I couldn’t tell you how I felt, in the hopes that it might change something, I don’t know.”

“Well, it wasn’t all bad,” Annabeth said. “It got me to realize a whole bunch of things. Without that whole fiasco, I don’t think we’d be where we are right now.”

Percy cleared his throat and said, “And where is that exactly?”

Annabeth sat up straighter and folded her hands on her lap. “Well, for starters, I’d like to start dating you. For real this time.”

“Are you sure?” Percy asked, furrowing his brow. “We’ll have to be long distance once the fall rolls around.”

“I’m sure,” Annabeth said firmly. “Besides, we’ll be in the same state.”

“Would be nice if we were closer instead of on opposite ends,” Percy said, sighing.

Annabeth shrugged and said, “It’s a five hour and forty-two minute drive, so not all bad.”

“And you know that off the top of your head?” Percy asked, grinning.

“I, um, checked on Google maps.”

Percy gave her a smarmy look and raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, so you came here today planning expecting to ask me out, huh?”

Annabeth shoved him and bit back a smile. “I checked back in December, you jerk.”

Percy made a show of wincing and said, “Alright, alright, take it easy.”

There was a pause before Annabeth folded her arms over her chest and said, “You still haven’t properly answered me, by the way.”

“I thought it went without saying that I would say yes,” Percy said, blinking.

Annabeth’s face turned a little pink. “I- I still want to hear you say it.”

Percy ducked his chin for a moment and looked at her shyly. “Yes, I would love to go out with you.”

Her heart beat a little faster in her chest and exhilaration washed through her. “Nice.”

Percy blinked for a moment and nodded sagaciously. “Yes, nice.”

Annabeth shoved him again and ended up tackling him off his chair and fell on the floor with him. He wrapped an arm around her and laughed, and the sound reverberated through his skin and warmed her right through her bones. They lay like that for a while, tangled in each other, while he played with her hair.

Eventually, she looked up at him and cleared her throat. “So what happens next?”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “Why are you asking me?”

“You’re the one with all the dating experience,” Annabeth protested hotly.

Percy tried for a shrug and said, “Beats me. We could go get some celebratory shakes at Martha’s maybe?”

When Annabeth was quiet, he looked down at her and said, “Did you have something else in mind?”

“Well, um, if you were open to it, I would like to kiss you now,” Annabeth mumbled.

A beat passed before Percy bit back an enormous grin. “Sounds agreeable to me.”

“Don’t make me deck you again,” Annabeth warned.

“Alright, you absolute terror.”

“Dullard.”

“Always so mean, Chase.”

“Shut up, Jackson.”

“Are we gonna kiss or what?”

“You’re supposed to be the one leading, dumbass. I’ve never done this before, remember?”

“Okay well, for starters, don’t bash your nose into mine like that.”

“Oh my god, I actually hate you.”

“What you have a problem with the way I’m ‘leading’?”

“Just shut up and kiss me, you idiot.”

“Alright, no need to get so testy.”

....

“Okay?”

“U-Um, yeah. Could we, uh, do it again? You know, just for practice?”

“Sure. Just for practice.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Just so you know: it’s too late for take backs.”

“Too late?”

“Yeah, way too late.”

....

“I love you.”

“I know. Now, can we go back to the kissing, please?”

....

“You’re not gonna break my heart, are you, Annabeth Chase?”

“I won’t.”

....

“And I love you too.”

#percabeth fic #percabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #percabeth fake dating au #fake dating au

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imagine-nation20 · 3 years

Text

Just Like This

Summary: Capture the flag isn’t always your least favorite camp activity, but sometimes it is.

Requested by: Anon

Request:Hey if your still doing Percy Jackson fics/headcannons can I request Connor stoll x shy daughter of Hecate reader pls

A/N: I started writing this as headcanons, and then I got really carried away and decided to write this, oops. I’m just glad someone requested Connor. Even if I forgot about this request and stumbled upon it very late. Also, not so sure this turned out as a shy reader, since I am bad at writing shy characters.

~~~

Hecate’s cabin was the exact opposite of what you had expected when you first arrived at the camp. Instead of the dark, dreary color palette you had imagined based on the other camper’s cabins, it was surprisingly bright. White walls, with a mix of pale and dark purples. There were various decorations around, only one bed, and different magic bits and bobbles. One wall was taken up entirely by a bookshelf. Most of the books looked far from normal though, and you had only been brave enough to open the most plain looking ones as of yet.

It felt safe. It felt like home.

Still, you couldn't remain inside all day. Someone would notice, come looking for you, maybe make you do their chores. A knock at the door confirmed this thought, and you stood from your bed, moving over to the door.

It swung open to reveal the youngest Stoll brother, Connor, who looked to be in his usual state of disarray. Dark hair looking unbrushed, his camp shirt wrinkled, jeans rolled up to his calves, and his sneakers properly drenched and getting water all over the front steps of the cabin.

You raised a brow, “Do I want to know?”

Connor looked down to his shoes, “Probably not,” he admitted, looking up at you with a toothy grin.

You leaned against the doorway of the cabin, smiling down at Connor who was much shorter than you from his placement down the steps. “And I guess knocking on my door was more important than changing out of your drenched sneakers for some reason?”

“Annabeth ordered me to remind you not to miss capture the flag again,” He shrugged.

You narrowed your eyes, “Ordered? Aren’t you supposed to be some hotshot counselor? When did you start taking orders?”

Connor leaned on one of the pillars, exaggerating a ‘smooth’ aura. “Since those orders allowed me to visit my favorite demigod.”

“Me?” You asked, faking sweetness.

A meow came from behind you, and Connor’s facade shifted into a smile, “No, Mordred.”

Your cat ran out to him from between your legs, jumping right into his arms. You glared at the cat, crossing your arms. “Traitor.”

“We should be going, if we don’t want Annabeth to cut us into little pieces for being late.”

“Do you think we could take her?”

“Ha, no.”

Capture the flag wasn’t entirely horrid. Especially since Hecate and Hermes cabins were both sided with Athena that time. That means that all Connor and you had to do was lounge around where the flag was, and make sure no stray Ares kids got a little too big for their britches. So far, they had no trouble.

“Oh, oh, I spy with my little eye, something green.”

“Connor, I swear to god, if its a leaf again-”

“This is so boring,” Connor groaned, cutting you off. “Maybe one of these days, the Athena kids should get the boring job. Let Anabeth sit as a rock for an hour with nothing to do.”

The small clearing was quiet. You and Connor shared a look. There was nothing innocent in the mischievous glint of his eyes. You began to shake your head, silently telling your friend a blanket no for whatever he was thinking.

“Connor, do-” An arrow whizzed through the trees, catching you in the shoulder. You shouted out in both surprise and the sudden pain that came from the tip embedding itself into your skin. It had cut through the leather armor like butter.

“(Y/N)!” Connor shouted.

The sound of a heavy scuffle met your ears, your eyes staring up at the canopy of trees above. Footsteps, echoing beneath you through the packed dirt. Your eyes drifted over to your shoulder, seeing the arrow shaft sticking up from your shoulder. With a bit to your lip, and a deep breath, you reached over to feel the back side.

The tip of the arrow was poking out from the leather armor. Knowing that pulling it back would just cause more damage, you reached to the shaft, snapping the wooden stick off. This would give more access to movement, and you wouldn’t have to worry about knocking into it and causing more pain.

Slowly, you stood. The sword on your belt was easily drawn with a ‘shink’, drawing the attention of the Ares boy making his way towards the flag. Connor was busy with another, their sword clashing. The Ares kid smirked at you, charging with a hearty yell.

You ducked the blow, kicking out at his shin. The boy toppled forward, groaning. You hit the back of his head with the pommel of the sword, halting his movements. He would have a terrible headache when he woke up, but at least you hadn’t the stomach to repay him for the arrow wound.

“Hey, you good?” Connor’s hand was on your good shoulder, he eyes peering closely into your own. You must have been staring at the knocked out camper for too long.

“Yeah,” you lied, feeling the pain ripple through your shoulder. “I think I should go see Chiron.”

Connor nodded, reaching down to his belt for the emergency horn there. After a few events of campers in danger with no way to call, Chiron had proposed special war horns for the counselors to call for help.

“I think something is wrong,” You mumbled, looking down at the wound. It was festering a dark purple. “That’s not good.”

The horn blew, and you blacked out.

~~~

When you came too again, you were in the Apollo tent. A few other campers were held up in cots, but it was mostly empty. Outside, cricket could be heard. You must’ve been asleep for a good few hours. Your stomach rumbled at the thought of missing dinner.

Every little movement hurt, even tilting your head to look around the tent. Something cloth rustled on your head, and you went to lift your right hand. However, you found yourself unable, as your hand was pinned to the bed by a much larger, warmer hand.

Connor’s head rested on the cot beside you, his dark, curly hair spilling across the linen sheets. Soft breathes escaped his mouth, which hung open. Soft cheeks dampened by puffiness and dark purple circles beneath the lids of his eyes.

“He’s been there the whole time,” A quiet voice whispered. “Will couldn’t get him to leave.”

You looked over, spotting an injured and annoyed looking Nyssa. She looked like she had been hit by a train, and knowing the Hephaestus cabin, she probably had.

“Did he miss dinner?” You whispered back.

Nyssa gave you a weird look, “Yeah, three of them. Will had to shove a plate into his hands and force feed him.”

Your eyes widened, “Wait, three?”

“Yeah, you’ve been out for two whole days,” Nyssa looked out the flap longingly, “At least you didn’t have to be awake for it though. Harley set off an explosion in the workshop, threw me into a wall. Everyone was still scrambling around you when I got here.”

A shift beside you, and you looked down. Connors dark lashes were fluttering, his eyes slowly peeling open. The bright blue looked dulled, like it had lost its shine. They trailed up your arm, seeing you sat up slightly, eyes peering back.

He let out a shaky breath, “(Y/N),” sitting bolt straight, he gripped your hand. “Are you okay?”

“What happened, Con?”

He looked almost annoyed, though not at you, “That stupid Ares kid accidentally loaded his quiver with poisoned arrows. Don’t worry though, I accidentally laced his food with laxatives, and his bed with roaches.”

You couldn’t help the smile that stretched out over your face, “And here I would have thought you wouldn’t have had time, being here twenty-four-seven and all,” you gave him a look.

“Yeah yeah,” he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “Listen-”

“Oh for gods’ sake, just kiss and get it over with. If I have to sit through one more awkward conversation where you two dance around each other I’ll poison you both,” Nyssa growled out, looking only mildly annoyed in reality.

You shared a look with Connor, both of you holding back smiles, “Should I tell her?”

“What? That we’ve been dating for the last two years?”

You both turned to look at her simultaneously. Nyssa looked almost horrified at the realization. Her mouth hung open, the hello kitty Band-Aid on her cheek scrunched as her face did.

“Oh Zeus’ beard, you two are just like this? May the god’s have mercy…” She muttered under her breath, laying down in bed. She moved her pillow over her head to block you out.

You and Connor shared a laugh, and with both of you stuck inside the tent after curfew, you saw no problem in letting him climb into the cot with you. It was a more comfortable and peaceful sleep for you both.

#percy jackson imagine #percy jackson oneshot #percy jackson #connor stoll #connor stoll x reader #connor stoll imagine #connor stoll oneshot

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kookie-doughs · 3 years

Text

Y/N L/N AND THE HALFBLOODS

Percy Jackson X Reader

-Y/N L/N met Percy Jackson and everything is now ruined.

Chapter 22: Then It Ended

As soon as we came, Annabeth ang Grover tackled me. We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful—gray silk with embroidered owls— Percy told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched him and told him to shut up. Percy being the son of Poseidon, he didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.

As I was still unclaimed, Hermes cabin had made me one. (Just... IDK go crazy with your shroud IG) It was fun to burn. As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, Percy and I was surrounded by my Hermes cabinmates, Annabeth's friends from Athena, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past." The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, whose poisonous looks told me they'd never forgive us for disgracing their dad. That was okay with me. Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brats didn't get themselves killed and now they'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday...." Going back to the cabin I finally had time to talk to Luke. Who just expressed his relief of me being fine, and how he was scared when Annabeth told everyone about me. No wonder everyone was so shocked seeing me come back with Percy. On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors. As Annabeth, Percy and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human. "I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know." I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying good-bye. I'd only known Grover a year, yet he was my oldest friend. Annabeth and I gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on. I asked him where he was going to search first. "Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan ..." "We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?" "Yeah." "And you remembered your reed pipes?" "Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat." But he didn't really sound annoyed. He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway. "Well," he said, "wish me luck." He gave Annabeth and I another hug. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes. Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware. "Hey, Grover," Percy called. He turned at the edge of the woods. "Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas." Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him. "We'll see him again," Annabeth said. July passed. I spent my daysplanning out strategies with Luke for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's hands. I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava. From time to time, Percy and I would walk past the Big House, he'd glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle.

I tried to convince him that its prophecy had come to completion. "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned." "Been there, done that—even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades." "You shall find what was stolen, and see it safe returned." "Check. One master bolt delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades." "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend." Percy recited. "Ares had pretended to be our friend, then betrayed us. That must be what the Oracle meant.... Or maybe Nereid?"

"And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end." He sighed. "I had failed to save my mom and lost you..."

"So why are you still uneasy?" The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads. Percy and I got our own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

"This is so beautiful..." I smiled to Percy. "The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!" The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause. I'm not sure I'd ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I'd finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year. * * * The next morning, Luke called me. He gave me a paper, telling me to fill it out, and asked me to meet him as soon as I could. I knew Dionysus must've filled it out, because he stubbornly insisted on getting my name wrong: Dear (WRONG NAME) , If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit. Have a nice day! Mr. D (Dionysus) Camp Director, Olympian Council #12 That's another thing about ADHD. Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face. Summer was over, and I still don't know what to do. I had no where to go to. The only option I had was Percy's or maybe Hades was not joking about inviting me back to the Underworld. Sighing I decided to just meet Luke before filling it for second opinions. The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport. I was walking around looking for Luke. I jumped when I felt someone tap me from behind. I instinctively unsheathed my knife and turned only to see Luke with his hands raised.

"Whoa! Calm down just me." He laughed.

"Kinda weird seeing someone laugh at a knife pointed at them." I smirked sheathing my knife.

"I only laugh since its you." He smiled and ruffled my hair. "Are you done with everything?"

"Not really. I don't know whether to leave or not yet. That's why I came. Help me?" I asked him.

He turned to me and to the forest. "How about you hear me out about something... important and private... then decide?" He gestured towards the forest.

"Not planning on killing me are you?" I squinted at him.

He gasped. "Not you. Never. I would never hurt you."

I let him lead me to a shrouded area of the forest.

"How serious is this thing that you can't let anyone see? I am blindly trusting you here Luke." I laughed nervously. But when he didn't reply I felt something was off. "Luke, okay this isn't cool. How deep into the forest do we have to go?"

"Y/N remember when you said... You want to be the person I trust...? How you promised to help me?"

"Luke?" He took my hand and pulled me sharply. I winced at how hard he pulled me. "That hurts! Let me go!"

He snapped back and let go of my wrist. "I-I'm sorry... Y/N..."

As much as I knew I had to leave, I couldn't I was worried about him. I reluctantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's happening?"

"I did it..." I said and sat on the ground. "I swear I didn't mean to get you hurt. But, I confess to everything. I stole bolt and helm, I summoned the hound, I gave Percy the cursed shoes... And just now, I tried to kill Percy Jackson." He looked at me with empty eyes.

I shot up and looked at him in emotions I couldn't put in words. "W-Wh---" I wanted to leave and check on Percy. But once again, seeing him right now... I need to stay with him. "Why are you telling me this...?"

"Join me... please?" his voice was weak. He sounded vulnerable. "Let's serve my Lord together..."

"L-Luke... no. I-I can't do that!" I took his shoulder, "Y-You should stay with me instead. How about that, huh? L-Let's explain to Chiron and the others... come on please. I could help you!"

Nothing was working.

"Come with me..." He muttered.

"Luke, I won't join you. You have to change your mind. You can't do this."

"I can't change my mind."

"I can help you with that? How about you go with me huh? I could spend all my time doing this and that. Please, just change your mind."

He didn't reply for a while until he whispered, "Promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"You'll stay with me."

"What? Luke I wo--"

"You won't join... Just...don't stay here for the year... and stay with me."

"I-If I stay with you... what would that mean?"

"Yo-You... might change my mind."

"I'll go." I replied with no hesitation. "I'll leave camp for the year. And I'll find my parent to prove to you that Gods and Goddess aren't all bad. We'll find my parent together."

"I do my lord's bidding--"

"You can still do it. If you want to. But whatever happens... stays only between us. I'll stay with you until I change your mind. And I'll bring you back to camp."

"I would never do anything to ruin your trust in me." He knelt down. It was kinda awkward but hey... "I need you."

Worry not hero. We shall stay.

"Please..."

We'll meet again. Wait for us, we shall join you soon. Now leave.

I had no idea what happened since when I came to Luke was gone and there was no sign of him anywhere. How were we going to st---

We will meet him once we leave. Now go as our hero needs us.

I suddenly remembered Percy's state that Luke had told me about. So I ran. I ran to the Big House

***

Percy finally opened his eyes. He was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, his right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Annabeth and I sat next to Percy, I was holding his nectar glass and she was dabbing a washcloth on his forehead.

"Here we are again," Percy said. "You idiot," Annabeth said, "You were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing..." "Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit." He was sitting near the foot of the bed in human form. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved." "Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened." Between sips of nectar, he told them the story.

I bit my lip trying to keep what happened between Luke and I private. It was a risky move that would not be approved by anyone after all. The room was quiet for a long time. "I can't believe that Luke..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him.... He was never the same after his quest."

Percy was looking at me as if checking what was my reaction to his story. "This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once." "Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him." Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—" "Won't even talk about Kronos," Percy snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!" "Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready." "Chiron... your prophecy from the Oracle... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? Y/N? And Annabeth?" Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—" "You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?" His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..." Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows. "All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!" He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing." "We can't just sit back and do nothing," He said. "We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come." "Assuming I live that long." Chiron put his hand on Percy's ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice...." I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me. "But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision." "I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you." He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear... whenever you're ready, they're here." "Who's here?" Percy asked. Nobody answered. Chiron rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time. Annabeth studied the floor. "What's wrong?" Percy asked her. "Nothing. I ... just took your advice about something. You ... um ... need anything?" "Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside." "Percy, that isn't a good idea." Percy slid his legs out of bed. Annabeth and I caught him before he could crumple to the floor.

I said, "I told you ..." "I'm fine," He insisted.

He managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on me. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance. By the time we reached the porch, his face was beaded with sweat. But we had managed to make it all the way to the railing. It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun. "What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked us. "I don't know." Percy replied. "I got the feeling Chiron wanted me to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but I'm not sure that's what I want. I also don't want to leave you both with Clarisse only." Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy." He stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?" She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver. "I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided... we'd give it another try." "That took guts." She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least ... not without sending me an Iris-message? Both of you?" Percy managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."

"You already know my plans."

"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?" "Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."

She held out her hand. Percy shook it. She gave me a hug. "Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told Percy. "Keep your eyes open."

"You too, Wise Girl."

Then turned to me, "Good luck on your own quest Droopy."

"Of course Peabody." We watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world. "I made my decision." Percy said. "What's yours?"

"I'll be leaving camp... I'm going to look for my parent..." He looked at me in shock. "I'll be back next summer," I promised him. "I'll survive until then."

"Alone?"

I smiled at him.

"Don't you want to stay with us? Mom said---"

"I want to find my parent. I need to. I'll be fine Percy."

I helped Percy to his cabin so he could pack and went to mine. To my surprise I see a middle-aged man with an athletic figure slim and fit with salt-and-pepper hair, and a very familiar sly grin. He had bags at his foot.

"Delivery for Y/N L/N."

"Uhm..."

"Hermes." He said.

I froze and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Personally packed. As a thank you for what you're about to do." He smiled softly and handed me the bags.

"H-Huh...?"

"For helping Luke."

"I..."

Don't forget her mail!

Ooh! And tell her to bring us snacks next time we meet since it'll be often now!

No it wouldn't be often! She'll be with Luke!

"Both of you keep quiet." Pulling out a mail he handed it to me. "Luke... prayed to me telling me about your plan. He asked me to help you. I don't know what or why he did it. But I know he'll change thanks to you. So do guide him."

"Sorry you lost me at the talking air..." I blinked.

Hermes laughed and showed a caduceus. "It's just George and Martha."

"Hi?"

Hello!

"I just wanted to let you know. No god or goddess could see you. No matter how hard they tried. So your secrets.. are really secrets. Good luck on your travel."

Next time we meet you should have snacks.

Then he vanished.

Staring at the letter on my hand, I was stunned seeing it was from... my mom and dad.

Sweetie,

You've made quite a friend here.

-Mom and Dad.

I immediately knew where to look. I hurriedly took my bags not bothering to check the contents. I ran to Percy's cabin and helped him out so we could leave.

Percy got a cab and looked at me worriedly.

"I'll write you. Stay safe Arthur Curry." I ruffled his hair and watched him go.

I didn't know where to go so I just went to the first secluded area I saw.

"You have more stuffs than when you arrived." I heard someone behind me.

"You prayed to your dad. I hope he knows how to pack." I sighed turning to him. Turning around I barely made out Luke from the few days I last saw him. "You okay?"

"Do you know where to look first?"

Call upon our hound.

I whistled, I don't know why. But when I did, D/N came out of the blue. Luke looked at me and my dear dog, who was probably bigger than the hound he'd summon back then. "How do feel about L.A?" I said riding on D/N and making space behind me for Luke.

~~~END OF BOOK 1~~~

Previous | Book 1 Masterlist | Series Masterlist

END OF BOOK ONE!!! THANK YOU FOR READING YLATHB I HOPE YOU ENJOY!! I'LL PUBLISH BOOK 2 WHEN I'M DONE OR EVEN AT LEAST HAVE WRITTEN 5 CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK 2 ;))

I HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!!

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@gayer-than-the-gayest-gay @the-natureofme @booknerd-3000 @katara720 @ynfics

#percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson x y/n #percy jackson x reader #percy jackson #y/n l/n #x y/n #x reader #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan #Book 1 #Chapter 22 #Ending of book 1 #completed #y/n l/n and the halfblood #lightning thief #fanfictions #fanfiction #pjo

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annonymouslyblonde · 3 years

Text

The Monster Was Mortal

Fandom: PJO/HOO

Pairing: Percy x Annabeth

Genre: hurt/comfort, fluff

Trigger warning: Descriptions of child abuse

Rating: T for language and description of child abuse

Summary: Set about two months after TLO. Instead of going back to camp or California for a long holiday weekend, Annabeth stays at the Jackson/Blofish apartment and ends up learning something new about Percy.

A scream filled the small apartment, waking Annabeth at a quarter till three in the morning. It was a scream that she knew well and still sent her heart plummeting to her toes. Percy. She snatched her knife from the bedside table, prepared to single-handedly take down whatever monster was tormenting him. The door hit the wall with a thud as Annabeth dropped into a fighting stance. But there was nothing there for her to slash at. In the dark, it took a moment for her to see Percy huddled in the corner of his room. With no monster to fight, she sheathed the dagger setting it on his desk.

"Percy," she asked, frightened by the way he stared straight through her. She dropped to her knees in front of him and tried to take grab his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" He shouted and pushed her hand away, curling further into his corner. "Don't hurt me."

Annabeth recoiled, hurt and scared. Why would he think she'd hurt him? She was at a loss for what to do. Sally quietly came into the room having also been woken up with the screaming. Waking up to her son's nightmares was unfortunately not a new occurrence. Annabeth slid back to sit against his bed giving Sally space. Numb, she watched the woman gently cradle Percy's face turning his gaze toward her. The vacant look in his eyes made Annabeth queasy.

“Sweetheart,” Sally gently called as if she were speaking to a cornered animal. “You're okay. He isn't here anymore. He's gone and he'll never hurt you again. We won't hurt you okay? Annabeth isn't going to hurt you.”

“Annabeth?” he asked finally seeing her clearly. She sank to her knees beside Sally and reached a hand out hoping he didn't smack it away this time. He clutched her to him, shaking and crying.

Annabeth thought it must have been a quest vision, a bad one, but Sally knew the differences in her son's nightmares. After a light kiss to the top of his head, she stepped out of the room knowing the conversation the pair needed to have. Percy told her weeks ago of his intention to tell Annabeth about Gabe one day, but the relationship was still new despite all the things they had faced together, despite knowing each other for four years. He was still a little afraid and embarrassed by what happened to him no matter how many times Sally assured him it wasn't his fault. It broke her heart her baby had to do this at all.

His sobs slowed to sniffles against her shoulder. Realizing he must have woken up half the building, his cheeks flushed.

“I'm sorry I woke you up,” he mumbled, trying to pull away. Her fingers laced through his dark hair in a soothing gesture, keeping him close to her.

“No, Percy, you don't have to apologize. But why did you think I'd hurt you?” She tried to keep her voice even, but the pain and desperation still seeped in. “I would never hurt you, not on purpose. You know that right?”

Percy of course did know that. There were plenty of bruises and scrapes from sparing practice, but neither would ever intentionally inflict pain on the other. His grip tightened around the fabric of her shirt, painfully aware there would be no walking this back.

“It wasn't you I thought would hurt me.” Silence permeated the space as the couple clung to each other. After another calming breath, he admitted “I thought Gabe was still here.”

“Gabe? Smelly Gabe?” she asked not understanding why Percy would have a nightmare about him. He nodded mutely against her collar.

Suddenly, Annabeth realized she didn't know much about his former stepfather. She knew the nickname Smelly Gabe and that he was no longer in the picture, but nothing more. Her mind was turning, processing the information that Percy was afraid, deathly afraid of this man.

“You thought that Gabe was here and gonna hurt you.” It came out as a statement instead of a question. The pieces all clicked together in Annabeth's mind. Her sweet, kind, wonderful Percy had been abused as a child.

“He used to hit me.” He confirmed needing to finally tell someone. For years, he tried masking the trauma through sarcasm and jokes. Letting Annabeth see this side would be a big step, one he didn't know how she'd react to. The carefully crafted persona he had hidden behind for years would never fit again around her.

“A lot,” he continued. “If something didn't go his way it was my fault somehow. He lost his poker game or get fired from a job. So he'd take his anger out on me. With his fists or a belt. Sometimes beer bottles.”

Annabeth's vision blurred into swirls of red. Blood red. Gabe's vile red blood spilled for even touching her boyfriend. She had heard of the metaphor of seeing red but had never experienced that type of all-consuming rage before. Her whole body tensed looking for the threat, ready to cut it down. Instead, she clutched Percy closer assuring herself that he was safe in her arms. She would make sure he was safe.

“My nightmare was about him. He came back and had me down on the ground kicking me. And suddenly it was like I was six again and couldn't do anything but try and protect my head.”

Bile rose in her throat as she clinched the back of his shirt trying to control her rage. Six. Percy remembered being kicked by a full-grown man at six years old. Annabeth had faced a lot of monsters in her sixteen years, but nothing as vile as this despicable mortal. If he was willing to kick a six-year-old, she couldn't bear to speculate what he may have done to Percy as he got older and more willful. She wasn't sure if mortals could end up in Tartarus, but she prayed to Hades this one did.

“It's kinda funny,” he laughed slightly manic against her neck. Annabeth couldn't see anything funny relating to this situation, but she didn't interrupt choosing instead to place an encouraging kiss on his temple. “I can't even remember which monsters gave me what scars, but I remember every mark Gabe ever gave me.”

She wanted to scream and lash out at whoever let this happen to him but instead decided to redirect the anger into comfort. Subconsciously, her fingers found a scar that ran the length of his bicep, gently tracing the puckered skin.

“Monster,” he murmured, and she knew this would be how she could get him to open up and tell her the details.

“He's a monster too,” she insisted. The beast of a man was more monster than the ones they fought with celestial bronze in her opinion. Monsters were born to hunt and kill demigods. This man chose violence and pain.

“Fine, Greek,” he conceded too tired to argue, especially not when he agreed.

She nodded approving of the term. Her fingers drifted down to a cluster of small circular marks on his forearm. The muscle stiffened under her touch, but he told her how the scars came to be.

“Cigarette,” he said, confirming her suspicions. “I didn't dump his ashtray the night before so he said I'd be his new ash tray.”

“How old were you?” As soon as she asked, Annabeth wished she hadn't. It didn't matter how old he was. Putting a lit cigarette out on someone of any age was horrendous.

“Four,” he whispered, burying his face into her shoulder. She very well almost stopped there unsure if she was strong enough to hear this. But then Percy shuddered and fisted the fabric at her back. He needed her then, and she wouldn't back down. He needed to unburden himself, and he was choosing to confide in her. So she continued, her fingers dancing across his skin until she came to a scar. They spent an hour like that until all the visible scars were cataloged.

Her hand trailed timidly down to the hem of his shirt. She had seen scars on his back and chest before at camp, chalking it up to monster attacks, but now she questioned everything she knew. When he gave her the smallest nod pressing his head down into her shoulder, she slid her hands under his shirt. At first, she simply pressed her palms to his Achilles heel hoping to lend some strength and comfort. After a long moment, his grip on her shirt lessened, and she continued her search across his back.

As he opened up at each gentle touch, the flood gate widened, rushing to purge his soul of the poison he had bottled up for years. Just as she thought there wasn't room for any more scars, he guided her hand back to a set of slash marks across his ribs that she had missed, where the broken edges of a beer bottle had cut into the skin.

Once the last scar was accounted for, they continued sitting on the floor of his room wrapped in each other's embrace. Her hands lay clasped at the small of his back as he continued telling her about the abuse, about the incidents that didn't leave a visible mark on him. He told her about the time Gabe knocked him unconscious after tossing him too hard into a wall. And the time the man broke his nose by throwing a book Percy had left on the kitchen table before a poker night. The words flowed from his lips like a spring rushing to leave as quickly as possible. Stories he had long forgotten came to the surface, ones he hadn't even told his mom about. The way her fingers gently kneaded into his lower back and the frequent kisses she pressed into his hair comforted him in a way he hadn't felt before. Once he finished telling her about what he knew Gabe would do to him for wrecking his car, Percy didn't quite know what else to say.

“Annabeth,” he asked, quiet and meek. The brokenness of his voice pierced her heart. “Please. Say something,” he begged.

“I'm gonna murder him,” Annabeth confessed with the confidence of a girl who had stared down Titans and won. “I'm gonna kill him for ever laying a hand on you.”

“You aren't ashamed of me? Hero of Olympus and I let some mortal bast-”

Her lips fell on his silencing him. He clutched her to him, kissing her with a desperation he hadn't felt since Silena had called telling him to bring a healer for her during the Titan War. His hand gripped her pulling her tightly against him and pressing into her own lower back, the same spot as his Achilles heel. The warmth of his hand against her exposed skin was the most comforting gesture she'd ever experienced making her wonder if that was the feeling she gave him every time her hand touched his back. Slowly, she backed out of the kiss stroking his cheek, her intense gaze penetrating his soul.

“You didn’t let him do anything. You were a kid, Percy. He was an adult, a parent figure in your life, someone you should have been able to trust and feel safe with. And, gods, you were just a kid. My stepmother never liked me, but I never felt unsafe with her. I can't even imagine.”

She pulled Percy back to her, clinging to him. Someone had hurt her precious seaweed brain when he was defenseless, and it made her sick that she hadn't been able to protect him. Anger couldn't quite cover the feeling boiling in her blood. Nine years of combat training and she wanted nothing more than to use every bit of it on this scum.

“I know you have questions,” he sighed reluctantly pulling away to look at her. Her face was flushed from anger, and tears swelled in her eyes. He hated being the one to put that look of mixed concern and anger on her beautiful face. “It's okay. I owe you answers.”

For once, and she would never admit it aloud, Annabeth wasn't sure she wanted answers. Her mouth worked up and down, searching for questions that wouldn't come.

“You don't owe me anything. You don't have to say anything you don't want to.”

“I want to,” he assured her, taking her hands in his. “I mean, I want you to ask whatever you want to know.”

“Why did you never tell me?” she whispered, asking the question that hurt the most. It wasn't that she thought he owed her anything, but after opening up to him, to only him, about her own family life, it stung to think he hadn't trusted her with this. As soon as she thought it, she swallowed the idea guiltily. It was selfish to think she was entitled to know that part of him just because she had opened up to him about her own trauma. She did think now, however, he would have been comfortable enough with her to tell her.

“How do you even start a conversation like that? 'Hey Annabeth, it's been a month since I survived my death date, wanna hear about my bastard ex-stepfather that used to beat the shit out of me? I think it's a good second date conversation.' Doesn't exactly pair well with dinner and movie, does it?”

“Percy-”

“I know,” he sighed wearily giving her hands an apologetic squeeze. “I know. I should have- I just. I never knew how. I almost told you in the zoo truck but then we stopped by the time I got the courage. And when I got back again, well he was gone. It was over. I wasn't trying to keep it from you, I swear. It just never came up until now.”

Another thought, a worry, suddenly made her stomach drop. She dropped one of his hands to traced his cheek.

“When I've punched you or teased, I wasn't. I mean I hope I didn't-”

“Annabeth I know you were just messing with me. I never took it as anything but that, promise. So don't you dare stop calling me Seaweed Brain now, Wise Girl.” He gave her a smile that melted her worries. Of course, he would be trying to make her feel better in a time like this.

“Well, in that case, Seaweed brain, we should probably get off the floor,” she suggested.

Until she mentioned it, Percy hadn't registered they had been sitting on the floor of his room the entire time. Somehow, it felt like an appropriate place for the early morning confession, oddly intimate and undisturbed. But, his back didn't necessarily agree, stiff from sitting cross-legged on the floor for however long had passed. And if he was stiff even in his invincible skin, he knew it must be worse for Annabeth.

She slowly pushed herself up before offering a hand to him pulling him up with her. After urging him into his bed, she crawled in beside him and pulled him back into her arms, not quite ready to let go. Her fingers raked through his smooth locks almost habitually. It truly amazed her how easily things came with Percy. The repetitive motion satisfied her ADHD enough to let her mind kick into overdrive and process the last few hours.

Percy had been through more than she could even imagine, more than ever should have been asked of him. Being the key component in a Titan war couldn't be enough for the Fates. Suffering through four years of non-stop quests wasn't bad enough. Her sweet, caring boyfriend had to go through such a harsh mortal childhood to add to the already crushing pressures of being a demigod. Suddenly, her fingers stilled as another question came unbarring to mind. He called her name, nervous at how suddenly she tensed.

The girl spared a nervous glance to the hall before asking, “Did your mom know?”

“I think she suspected a time or two, but I never told her. Gabe said he'd kill her if I ever told anyone. I wasn't taking that chance.”

“I don't understand why she would let him stay if she even thought he might be hurting you,” she murmured, glancing nervously again toward the door.

Nothing about it made sense. Annabeth loved Sally, even wishing to have her as a mother or stepmother instead, and she knew the woman adored her son. Allowing Gabe to stay when he was hurting her son was something Annabeth couldn't rationalize with the Sally that made cookies whenever she came by and fussed over them both after every quest.

“She was protecting me from monsters,” Percy quietly explained. “Gabe, his smell-”

“Repelled monsters. It hid your scent,” she finished for him. “I've read about that. Some mortals are so monstrous themselves, their scent can actually repel monsters. That's how you stayed hidden for so long even as a big three kid.” The confused anger morphed into marvel at Sally's brilliance, protecting her son how she could. Even as terrible as it was, the abuse was likely the only thing that kept Percy alive all those years.

“He would hit her too,” he said in defense of his mom. “Broke her wrist once that I know of not that she'd tell me it was him. I only know of a few times, but I'm sure she got it worse since she had to always be here with him. I tried to get him to stop, but there wasn't much I could do when I was at boarding school. And once I knew I was a half-blood, knew how to defend myself. Well, she turned him into stone. Remember Medusa's head? Dad apparently returned to sender. ”

Suddenly Annabeth had a deeper appreciation for her boyfriend's mother. She always knew the woman was strong, but this was a different level of strength. Annabeth hoped one day to be half the woman Sally Jackson was.

As his breathing evened out, she pressed a kiss to his head and tried to detangled herself to go back to bed. As she slid her legs over the side of the bed, his arms wrapped around her painfully tight pulling her back.

“Stay with me” he whispered timidly. She hesitated though.

“Percy that was your mom's only rule for me,” she protested, but the sad, broken look undid her completely. And it would be well worth the lecture just for that bright smile he flashed her when she told him to move over. His head nestled into the hollow of her shoulder as she continued stroking his dark hair. He was asleep in no time with his arms wrapped around Annabeth securing him to this better time.

And when Sally found Annabeth curled protectively around her son the next morning, she didn't have the heart to scold them at breakfast for breaking her single house rule. After the events of the previous night, she was glad Percy had found someone so fiercely protective as his girlfriend. She didn't have to worry about her baby boy when Annabeth had his back.

Now, of course, that didn't stop Sally from teasing the pair when they emerged from his room later that morning holding hands.

A/N: So this story has two pieces of art that helped inspire parts of it, one by WindByFire and the other by burgy so shout out to them for producing such amazing art!

If you'd like to see the pieces, they are posted on my IG by the same username (mainly because I am new on tumblr and don't know how to properly post and credit art here yet). Definitely go check out all of their artwork!

#percy x annabeth #percy jackson #percy and annabeth #annabeth chase #percabeth #percabeth fluff #pjo fanfic #pjo fandom #pjo stuff #writing #fanfic

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stanning-reyna · 3 years

Text

BOTL One-shot

“I know someone who can help,” Percy had said. Help isn’t exactly the word Annabeth would use to describe what Rachel had done so far. She had led the trio right into Luke’s forces in the arena of Antaeus, which they had narrowly escaped from. Sure, she could see some sort of path through the maze, but how could Annabeth even know that it would lead them to Daedalus’ workshop?

She thought all this over as she kept watch for monsters while Percy and Rachel slept on the hard ground of the labyrinth. Though it was the middle of the night, she was wide awake. Her mind was too busy going on about recent events to be tired.

On top of the practical issues, Rachel gave Annabeth a sour feeling. After years of training, Annabeth had finally received a quest. She had Percy by her side, alive. But then here comes some mortal who’s put no effort in whatsoever, and she gets to lead the quest? Annabeth and Percy had always gone on quests together, it was what they did. This random girl isn’t a part of that. Some part of the situation sent a pang of sadness through Annabeth’s heart, but she decided to ignore that feeling. She couldn’t, however, ignore the tears now rolling down her cheeks.

Out of the silence, she heard footsteps coming from down a dark tunnel to her left. Annabeth’s right hand flew to her dagger as she readied herself to face a monster, her other hand wiping the tears from her face. Out of the blackness walked a figure. As it came into the light, she saw that it was none other than Percy. Annabeth whipped her head around to check the spot he had been sleeping in only moments ago. He still lay there, his body moving softly as he breathed in his sleep.

Annabeth quickly turned her attention back to the person in front of her. He looked like Percy- curly, unruly hair fell against his forehead and he wore a dirty Camp-Half Blood shirt.

“Come on,” he said. He sounded like Percy too. “We gotta go.”

She took a moment to look between the two boys again. Sure enough, there were two Percys. Annabeth immediately began racking her brain for any myths involving doppelgangers, clones, or anything of the sort, but came up empty. Maybe it was the shock of seeing two of the same person in front of her that stunted her brain from thinking properly. Or maybe it was the fact that Percy was holding his hand out to her and with his eyebrows scrunched together like that he looked so cute- yep, that was definitely distracting her.

“Annabeth, let’s go,” he said, his voice more insistent than before. Annabeth found herself taking his hand and pulling herself up to her feet. Something about this isn’t right, a part of her brain pointed out. She didn’t listen. It felt like something was calling her to leave with Percy.

He motioned towards one of the tunnels and she snatched her backpack up off the ground before following him. In silence, they walked down the dark, curving path. A few minutes passed and Annabeth spoke up, asking, “Where exactly are we going?”

“To find Daedalus’ workshop. That’s our goal, right?” he responded casually. Annabeth looked at him to see if he was joking. They both know just how well it had gone the last time the two of them went searching alone. But he seemed to be completely serious about it, as if he had forgotten about nearly dying in a volcanic explosion.

“Find his workshop, get Ariadne’s string, and bring it back to camp.” Annabeth recited the steps like she had for weeks. It will go better this time, she decided. What are the chances that they would end up in a volcano twice anyways?

The tunnel they were walking in took a steep slope downward. It seemed to go down forever in front of them, reaching into the deep darkness of the underground. Something about it seemed more ominous than the other tunnels in the maze.

“I don’t think we should be going this way,” Annabeth whispered, stopping in her tracks. She didn’t speak too loud for fear that something horrible would break out of the eerie silence.

“This direction is as good as any,” Percy said as he grabbed her arm, tugging her forward. Her feet stayed rooted in the ground. He didn’t usually dismiss her thoughts so easily, and she wasn’t about to let him start.

“There’s something about this that isn’t right. Let’s go back before it’s too late,” she said firmly. She may not be an expert on navigating the labyrinth, but she had the common sense to avoid whatever was down that tunnel. Her words didn’t seem to make Percy budge.

“Don’t you trust me, Wise Girl?” he replied softly.

She did. She really did. He’d had her back countless times before on quests, never once failing her. She felt the same feeling from before calling her to follow Percy. After a few moments of hesitation, she did. How bad could this tunnel really be? Surely the two of them had faced worse before.

They began their decline into the earth. The little lights that had lined the path were dimming as the air began to rest heavier on Annabeth’s skin, making her feel sluggish.

Percy grabbed her elbow and motioned to a narrow entrance to their left. His warm hand sent sparks rippling across her skin. She walked towards the opening, feeling lightheaded and tingly.

She thought she heard a noise in the distance, like a person yelling, but couldn’t quite make it out. Percy pressed his hand to her back, soft and supportive, nudging her forward, and she stepped into the even darker side tunnel.

“Annabeth!” a voice cut through the air from somewhere far away. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

“We need to hurry,” Percy whispered into her ear. Annabeth felt her feet moving forward, automatically obeying the command. The sneaking suspicion that something wasn’t right entered her head again. Something about that distant voice made her question if she should keep walking, but the growing fuzziness in her brain quickly pushed it away.

“Annabeth!” they called again, this time close enough for her to hear their footsteps. Before she knew it, Percy was practically dragging her down the tunnel as they ran from the voice. Her head was spinning now and she felt herself stumble. Percy pushed her through a door to their right before her legs buckled, landing her on the floor.

The voice was louder than ever before, possibly just down the path from them. Annabeth’s vision was slightly blurred, but she could make out Percy standing above her. She must have been imagining things because it looked like his figure was changing, growing long and gaunt, almost skeletal.

He pressed his hands into her shoulders and she felt a sharp pain like claws digging into her skin. She tried to writhe out of his grip, but his hold tightened. Everything around her was spinning now as her brain seemed to fill with cotton.

Suddenly an image sparked in her mind, though she had no clue why it had appeared. It was a memory of a hot summer’s day, paddling in a canoe on the camp lake. Percy was next to her in the boat, splashing her with water as she tried to navigate. Annabeth remembered how close she had felt to him that day. There was no quest to complete, no monsters to worry about, just her and Percy spending time together.

She found herself giggling despite the still stinging pain in her shoulders. Sure, her vision was thoroughly blurred and she couldn’t focus her mind on anything other than the memory, but that was alright. It was a happy memory, and she felt happy. Whatever was going on around her could wait.

“ANNABETH!” the voice screamed again, now so loud it hurt her ears. Something pulled her up to her feet as a loud screeching sound filled the space around her. She knew that sound- it was a monster dying.

After a few more moments of detachment, Annabeth noticed her vision was coming back into focus. She could feel her hand pressed against the cold stone wall, holding her upright. In front of her stood Rachel, a distressed look on her face.

“You alright?” the redhead asked. Annabeth nodded slowly, still dizzy.

Percy came into her view, covered in monster dust. “You know, when we said ‘watch for monsters while we sleep’, we didn’t mean for you to follow one back into the maze,” he said.

Annabeth blinked and looked at the ground. Right where the distorted Percy had been only moments ago was a pile of dust. He had been a monster. Annabeth had seen cyclops that could change their voices, but she had never encountered something that could change its appearance like that. It sent a shiver down her spine to think that just minutes ago she had taken the hand of a monster that intended to kill her.

Rachel cleared her throat and Annabeth looked back up at the two. The bewilderment on both of their faces told her that she was the only one who had seen it as Percy. This will be a long explanation, she thought. She just hoped that they never ran into whatever that was again.

AN: So for some reason I’m obsessed with the idea of a monster that takes the shape of your loved ones and lures you to your own death. And I finally finished writing about it! I hope you enjoy

#annabeth chase #percy jackson #rachel elizabeth dare #botl #battle of the labyrinth #percy jackson fanfiction #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #pjo fanfic #pjo fanfiction #annabeth chase fanfic #annabeth chase fanfiction #percabeth fanfic #percabeth fanfiction #annabeth angst

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depressedacadamia · 3 years

Text

I’m scared of the dark!

Summary: Annabeth notices someone running behind her as she walks back to her dorm at 1 in the morning. She does the only thing she can think of- Run

Warnings: This is quite a creepy piece and has dark descriptions of the reality of walking alone in the dark- It does end happily though, if thats any use.

A/N: My exams are over!! Since I didn’t post a fic last week, here’s one today!! For this, I really wanted to explore a more creepy and gothic writing style so if that isn’t your thing, feel free to pass! <3 from me!!

Read on A03

Don’t look behind you, just keep walking. Ignore those footsteps, you’re being paranoid, Just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking.

The words repeated themselves in Annabeth’s mind like a mantra as she walked back to her dorm, clutching her books to her chest as if her life depended on it. It was almost 1 in the morning and she had accidentally fallen asleep in the library.

She had told herself that it would only be a 5 minute nap.

5 minute nap my ass she thought as she pushed the muscles in her legs to move as fast as they possibly could without drawing any attention to herself. She could feel another presence. Everytime she passed a lamp post, she would pause, take a frantic glance around trying to find the source of the ominous sound.

Tap, tap, tap.

Her head spun around, searching for the sound. Was that a racoon? Stray cat? Do stray cats show up here? She could see her breath in the air, misty and cloudy- just like her surroundings. She was surrounded by the cold that seeped into the shadows, like a vampire draining the victim of its life.

That very well may be my life being drained if I don’t get back quickly.

Her thoughts were only exacerbating her fear and paranoia of the situation. She felt as if she was watching a horror film and any second now, the killer would jump out and the unknowing victim would be nothing but another corpse left behind for the campus to find when it was all too late.

Tap tap tap.

Her legs moved faster, she was almost breaking into a run. The transparent doors of her apartment complex were almost visible. The light was more present, she could see her surroundings.

Tap tap tap

She felt her legs take over, breaking into a run. Her head quickly turned back only to see a dark hooded figure sprinting at full speed towards her. She took no time to realise that the figure was also looking behind them as if they were being chased but instead moved so fast that she felt whiplash against her face from the cold bite of the wind.

She lunged at the double doors, stumbling past them, trying to make her way to the elevator. Her hand slapped the button, desperately pushing at it as if it could make the elevator move any faster.

“Please, please,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from the heavy breathing.

The elevator continued its slow progress as if Annabeth wasn’t about to get murdered any second now. She turned her head slightly, only to see that the hooded figure was now much closer than before and also intending on entering the same building as her.

Her body dropped into flight mode. Glancing back at the elevator, she managed to calculate that in the amount of time she had and the amount of time it would take for the elevator to arrive, the guy would have probably already murdered her.

She decided the copious amounts of stairs to her dorm were no longer as long as they had once been. She threw herself at them, skipping 2 steps at a time, her breath beating out of her with every step. Her hand slipped into her pocket, fishing for her keys.

Finally, as she arrived on her floor, she whipped her head around, checking her surroundings. The corridor was dark, only illuminated by the sliver of light that would emerge at the bottom of a door occasionally, indicating that somebody was indeed awake and therefore would hear her screams.

As to not alert anybody of her presence, she moved slowly, her foot lifting up in slow motion only to bring it back down on the carpeted floor. Her hand gripped around her keys, both for protection and to prevent the clanging sound from ricocheting across the empty corridor.

The dark was consuming each door, it was almost impossible to see which door was hers.

Shuffle shuffle shuffle.

She froze.

“W- wh-who’s th-there?” Annbeeth’s voice came out shaky, her breathing still heavy from the running. She was only answered with silence.

Tap tap tap

Her footsteps became more frequent, her worries about someone hearing her fading- someone already knew she was here, there was no point trying to hide it, she should focus on trying to get back to her apartment as fast as she could.

Her pants became quieter and quicker- just like her thoughts. They whizzed past in her mind, even too fast for even her brain to process. Her eyes were wide, darting around frantically, never finding a source of the sound.

In an odd way, she wanted to find the source, if it meant knowing what or who was there.

Ding ding ding.

Annabeth left out a shriek only muffled by her hands moving to cover her mouth and the abnormally loud opening of the elevator doors. She saw a foot step out and she felt paralysed. She couldn’t move, she wanted to run, she wanted to scream- maybe to even beg for her life, but it seemed that there was flight, fight and freeze mode; right now, unhelpfully, her body had chosen freeze mode.

Her eyes moved to the hooded figure's head and she could make out dark tufts of hair that protruded from the front of the hoodie. The hair was so dark that it blended with the night itself- the only way Annabeth could see it was due to the light from the elevator.

She watched as the doors closed, stealing the light and hope with it.

Slowly, she began to back away from the hooded figure who was staring directly back at her. Her hand tried to silently fumble with keys in her hand, ready to protect herself. As she fumbled with them in one hand, she made the mistake of letting all the keys collide and immediately the clanging sound of keys gave her away.

The figure was hooded. Hooded like Death itself. Annabeth could feel the piercing stare of the figure staring at her- She, for a brief moment, forgot about her grotesque fate and for a second, only a second, wondered what colour their eyes were- were they green, or were they piercing blue? Or maybe they were a warm brown or a dangerous black, the kind that Death would stare their victims down with.

She watched, still shuffling backwards in fear as the figure reached his arm out towards the wall. Annabeth could then make out a weird contraption underneath his other arm. It seemed to be flat but had 4 eyes- only that two were on the front and two at the back. It was flat and she could only imagine the multide of ways one could torture another with such a contreaption.

Click

If she wasn't so terrified she might have said that this was the sound of a light switch being turned on but her fear, very reasonably, was overruling her. The sound ‘click’ to her in that moment sounded like one of the worst possible things ever.

Was that a gun?

She couldn't hold in her fear anymore. She turned around, running, running for her life. Running like someone with everything to lose, running for herself and every reason she could think of for running away.

Click click click

As if she were truly in a horror film, about to meet her fate, a single light at the end of the endless corridor flickered on. For a second, Annabeth thought she was free, she thought she could see her apartment, but as she stared at the numbers on the doors, they all seemed unfamiliar.

It struck her- She was on the wrong floor.

The light flickered on and off, on and off- teasing her, luring her like a moth to a flame. Once she got to the end, she wouldn't be able to go anywhere- she’d be trapped, like a fly in a spider's web. She shivered at the thought of spiders.

“Wait!” A voice called out. “ Hey, hey!”

Annabeth did nothing of the sort. Her body was slick with sweat, the loose strands of hair around her face stuck to her face with sweat. She turned her head back, only for a second, just to see how far she was and-

-Oof!

She collided into something and her face was glued to a wall.

She pulled away from the wall, and scrambled around, trying to get off her knees.

But all was too late. As she glanced up, she was met with black hair and a hand that was offered in her face. She couldn't bring herself to take the hand- no matter what hyer fate was.

She managed to pull herself back to her feet. She turned slightly and froze- Flight, Freeze, time for Fight.

“Are you okay?” The voice asked her. The question caught her off guard. Why were they being nice? Weren’t they meant to try and kidnap her, and then mutilate her body to the point that the police couldn't recognise her?

Her voice failed her entirely. She only managed to press herself more desperately against the wall behind her. The light above her flickered again. She caught a flash of the face but it was enough to drain the life of her. It was the weirdest combination of features she had ever seen and somehow it fit.

The eyes were green, a soft green and somehow they seemed to be able to scare her, the coldness they held under the harsh flickering light in the darkness was all too similar to the brutal sea. His expression yet, seemed concerned and his mouth was set in a firm line- whether than was from concern or perhaps frustration or even anger, Annabeth was too startled to tell.

“I’m sorry, I must have scared you. I wanted to give this to you, I think you dropped it when you started running.” And surely enough, in their hands, there lay Annabeths most recently taken out book on architecture- the very book that had gotten her into this mess.

“I-'' She was about to thank him but her tone turned visceral. “Why were you chasing me?”

She could feel her stomach churning, threatening to throw up her food but she couldn't let her pride be taken away. She had run- yes, but very reasonably. Time to see his reasoning for trying to kill her. The boy looked uneasy at her question, as the light above them finally stopped flickering and finally did its job, illuminating the small space around them. Annebth looked at her perpetrator and was shocked.

“Percy?”

On recognizing that voice, Percy looked up, bewildered. “Annabeth?”

“What were you doing chasing the first girl you saw at night?” Annabeth asked, her tone very much accusative. She stood her ground with her hands resting on her hips, no longer tucking her chin into her chest and rather holding her head up.

“I-I wasn’t- I swear, I wasn't! It’s just that, that…”

“It’s just that what?”

Percy mumbled something under his breath, bringing his hood down as he ran his hand through the messy hair.

“Huh?”

I-” His ears and face tinged a light shade of pink, “I’mscaredofthedark.”

“Stop speaking so fast or I’m just going to assume you’re secretly a serial killer who stalks college girls on his Wednesdays.”

“I don’t, I swear, I’m just scared of the dark, okay!” Percy bursted out, flinging his arms in front of him. Annabeth could see that Percy seemed almost as terrified as she did, his face drained of colour, skateboard held protectively underneath his arm and hood held over his head.

“You’re…. Afraid of the dark?”

“It’s not something I pride myself on,” he mumbled, looking away.

Annabeth took a deep breath, acknowledging that she wouldn’t die because Percy couldn’t hurt a fly.

“Did I scare you?” His voice came out as a small squeak.

She rubbed the back of her head as if she was slightly embarrassed. “Uh., a bit.”

“Sorry.” he rubbed his shoe into the carpet, refusing to make eye contact with Annabeth.

“Thanks for my book...er try not to run behind girls late at night though… it can give the wrong idea…”

“I’m sorry, really really sorry. It was so dark and I was terrified and I must have imagined that it was terrifying for you as well, to just see some hooded guy in the dark just running like crazy,” Percy rambled nervously.

Annabeth let out a half hearted laugh as they walked to Percy;’s apartment door. “Yeah, when you put it like that, it’s slightly less intimidating.”

“Thanks for not killing me- I guess you were prepared though with your keys in your hand and everything.”

Annabeth raised her eyebrow and then her fist when realising she had inserted a key in between each knuckle crevice, wolverine style, in an attempt to make some sort of brass knuckle. ”Careful, I still might.”

Percy frowned when he looked at her fist. Hey reached out to key wolverine fist to readjust it.

“Hey, just a word of advice, if you actually want to do an attacker's damage, putting a key in between each knuckle won't do much. Instead, hold the biggest and sharpest key you have like a knife, and then aim somewhere like the face- it;’s more likely to destabilize them and stop them from coming after you. The key in between each knuckle thing is most likely to just slightly scratch their face when you punch it and annoy them even more.”

Annabetyh was slightly stunned. “ Uh., uh.,oh thank you, thank you.. I guess. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know this?”

Percy shrugged. “ I have a younger sister. And a few friends who have a hobby of fighting, I guess I kinda learnt how to fish them out of bad situations.”

Annabeth opened her mouth and closed it again, similar to a goldfish. They both stood outside of Percy’s apartment, as he slotted his key in and opened his door.

Percy noticed that Annabeth still looked quite shaken from what had happened earlier so he held the door a little wider.

“Do you want to come in?”

Annabeth smiled

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percabethfeelsfandom · 3 years

Text

Writing Prompt: Home

Percy stood by the bulletin board in the Big House, fingers tracing the edge of a photo of him, Annabeth and Grover. His sixteen-year-old face smiling widely at him with his arms thrown around Annabeth and Grover’s shoulders.

Seven years later, Percy still remembered taking the photo. The day before he was set to go back to Goode, his first time going to the same school two years in a row. The happiness that was in their features hadn’t lasted long. But it was nice that this moment was immortalised.

“Feeling nostalgic?”

Percy found a smile rising to his face as he saw Chiron duck his head to avoid hitting the doorframe, joining Percy to look at the other photos of campers that had accumulated over the years. Faces that Percy had grown up with, and new ones.

“Can’t help it. Every time I come here...it’s like travelling back in time.”

Percy removed his hand from the photo and let it drop to his side. Chiron gave him a small smile and looked fondly at the collage of photos. In the corner there was even a faded photograph of Chiron smiling smugly while Mr D held a goblet disapprovingly.

“Does it feel different coming back?” Chiron asked. Percy stepped away from the photos and went to stand in front of the window glancing out to look at the fields outside.

“Yeah. In a good way, but…” Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to flatten it, “I feel bad I guess. That I left. This was home for so long.” His fingers itched to move so he brought them to the necklace that still hung around his neck. All the years later he still tried to wear it every day, even sometimes underneath his work clothes. The beads had a permanent place around his place and sat perfectly in the hollow of his throat, a constant familiar presence.

“You didn’t leave, Percy,” he reassured. Percy thumbed his first camp bead, staring at the glowing trident.

“Didn’t I?”

“No. You deserve a life outside of here. It’s because of you that you have a world to go to, you deserve a chance to live in it. It’d be foolish of you not to.”

“You make it sound like I did it alone,” he gestured to the photo collage, “Each of those people played a part. Every person that steps foot into camp played a part in that. They deserve to be out there too.”

“When they know what they’re up against then they can. Until then I will train them.”

“Don’t you ever wish we could do more?”

“Every day.”

“I feel like I ran away from the fight.”

“Every hero yields in the end. And yielding is not always a bad thing.”

“So why does it feel like it?”

“Why are you so full of doubt? You seemed so sure, so happy with your decision before.” Percy thought back to when he had finally managed to graduate high school, and made the final decision to go to college and move away from New York. The sharp pain that had settled in his chest when he had watched Camp grow smaller and smaller the further they went. The pain hadn’t eased till Annabeth had gripped his hand, reassuring him that they’d be back. That this wasn’t forever.

Percy sighed deeply and reached into his pocket to press his fingers against Riptide for comfort.

“Things have changed. And I guess- I’m scared,” Percy let out a choked laugh. Things had definitely changed if he was able to admit he was scared.

“Is everything okay?”

“Annabeth’s pregnant.”

Chiron’s eyes widened before his face broke out into a smile.

“Congratulations!” He reached down and patted Percy on the shoulder. But Percy didn’t mirror his smile. Slowly Chiron retracted his hand and gave him a questioning look.

“Are you not happy?”

Percy rushed to correct him, shaking his head wildly.

“Oh gods, I’m ecstatic, don’t get me wrong. But...Annabeth and I always said we wouldn’t have kids unless we were positive we’d be bringing them into a safe world...and now that we are- I don’t know if it’ll ever be safe. Like we’re demigods for Hades’ sake.”

“Is that why you came back?” Percy nodded.

“I don’t know anywhere safer than here. It’s like I never want to let her out of my sight.” Almost to prove his point Percy looked out to the fields again, trying to get a glimpse of Annabeth who was at her cabin, catching up with family members and any of the campers they had once trained with. Though he knew exactly where she was, Percy could feel the edge of anxiety heightening his senses, hyper-aware of any possible dangers.

“And I guess, I wanted advice. I know you don’t have kids of your own, but, you have this camp. When I wasn’t with my Mom and Dad, I had you. I already asked my Mom how she did it; how she lived with the fear of having a child in our world.”

“What did she say?”

“She said she loved me too much to ever feel scared.”

“That’s all a parent can do Percy.”

“That’s not very helpful,” he huffed. Chiron laughed and gestured to the doorway, leading the two of them out of the Big House and to the centre of camp where the cabins were.

“You asked me if I wished we could do more, to help them,” he nodded in the direction of campers in their orange shirts, playing volleyball, their laughter drifting in the wind. “Each day, for the years I have been alive, I give them my knowledge about protecting themselves, I teach them our history so that they may one day learn from our mistakes. I love them and watch them grow. Sometimes they leave and sometimes they use the knowledge I’ve passed on and they create a life of their own, and save the world along the way. Sometimes they come back. Sometimes what I’ve taught them isn’t enough...and they don’t. It’s an endless cycle when you think of it, this role I chose. But what more can I do when I have dedicated my life to this. The world still needs heroes, and as long as those heroes need guidance I will give it to them. What more can I do when I’ve given them a chance?”

“You were raised by a brilliant woman, Perseus, she gave you the best chance she could by loving you. The best you can do for your own child is the exact same. And with Annabeth by your side, I have no doubt you’ll achieve that.”

“Did you have a good talk with Chiron?” Annabeth asked as she pulled the blanket over her legs. Percy helped her adjust the sheets, tucking her in and sitting next to her. They’d been given the Poseidon cabin to stay at for the meantime; Percy’s two half-siblings on a quest together.

Though they visited every summer, being back in his old cabin, even in his old bed, was giving Percy an odd sense of deja vu.

Percy nodded, but his attention was elsewhere, noting all the new scratches and the weapons hung on the wall that didn’t belong to him. His heart went out to his siblings, the call for a quest, taunting him after so many years of him wishing it would be someone else when he was younger.

“Seaweed Brain?” Annabeth said softly. Percy turned to her fully and shook his head, trying to clear it with thoughts. Annabeth’s face was etched with concern, and Percy placed his hands over hers, which laid over her stomach that was starting to show.

“I’m okay.”

“It’s weird, isn’t it? Coming back after all this time,” she said looking around the cabin as well. Percy nodded again, readjusting himself in the bed so he could hold her closer.

“We visit every summer though,” he pointed out, but Annabeth shook her head and then leaned against his shoulder.

“It’s different, we’ll be here for a while, we don’t need to leave at the end. We don’t need to always look behind our shoulders, at least not for now. It’s nice.”

“Chiron said something today...I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

“Hmm?” Idly, Percy traced circles on her shoulder as he brought his arms around her.

“Something about giving heroes a chance, that’s what it all comes down to. Doesn’t it? No matter how good you are, powers, training, knowledge, all of that goes out the door, because it’s up to the Fates isn’t it?” Annabeth sat up straighter turning to him.

“I like to think we play a part in it as well, just because the Fates have a say, doesn’t mean all choices are taken away from us. We chose to leave camp. And I don’t regret that.” She said firmly.

“How’d you know I was thinking about that?”

“Because I know you, Perseus Jackson.”

“No matter what the Fates have in store for us, Percy, I’m willing to go through it. If it means I’m by your side. I know we didn’t want to come back to Camp, but is it so bad when it ensures our safety? This was our home growing up. It’ll be a great place for our child to grow up, then we can leave when it’s safe again.”

“We left because we thought we’d be safe. Now I’m wondering if we should’ve stayed so that we could’ve avoided coming back...does that make sense?”

“Perce.”

“Yeah yeah. I know. I’m not upset about being here exactly. But after everything, I just thought we’d done enough for the Fates to believe we could get a break from this world. Let us live in ignorance for a bit. It’s selfish but maybe we deserve to be a bit selfish?”

“I know.” She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Percy’s, closing her eyes.

She pulled back and pressed a kiss to his cheek before laying down, signalling that she was finished with this conversation. The pregnancy was constantly leaving her tired, and even now, Percy could see the purple beneath her eyes despite the excessive amount of hours she was sleeping. Carrying a demigod child was taking a toll on her, and it was slowly killing Percy. He made sure he tucked her in tightly before leaving his cabin and making the familiar trek to the water where his thoughts finally began to calm.

He looked out into the deep blue of the night, and the seemingly bottomless ocean.

“I know you’re listening, Father...I don’t think I want to talk. But if you could listen? I think I just need that,” Percy paused, waiting for a reaction. When he didn’t get one, he eased himself onto the sand and rolled up his pants so that he could dip his feet into the low tide.

“After the war, it was so hard for me to leave camp. Especially after Gaea took me. I felt that every time I left I’d come back and see my home in ruins. Everything I’ve done since I found out I was your child has been to preserve this Camp. It means more to me than a location probably should, but it was always there for me to come back to. But after Jason, I needed to leave. I was so tired of coming back to a camp and seeing one less face. I know it wasn’t my fault, but it felt like I was being taunted, that I couldn’t save him...because I was somewhere else. Leaving after college was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And now coming back, I’m scared that once I leave something bad is going to happen again. It’s not just Annabeth on the line anymore, I could risk it with her because she can protect herself but if our child is at risk? What do I do then?” The words were rushing out of Percy like a dam breaking, and he was stumbling and gasping over his words as tears welled up inside his chest, demanding to be released.

“Coming back means leaving. And I don’t think my heart can take it.”

There was a soft breeze and Percy felt the water at his feet grow colder. He looked up from where he had buried his face in his arms.

“You cannot let fear rule your life. Or you will forget to live.”

Percy scoffed at his Father and shook his head, not bothering to stand up. Other gods would have been offended, but Poseidon looked down sympathetically at Percy and sat down, lowering himself to Percy’s level.

“Let me rephrase that. Fear will always be a part of your life, it will always be there because you are my son and Annabeth is Athena’s daughter, you are Heroes of Olympus, and with that title, someone or something will always be hateful-”

“Is this meant to make me feel better?” Poseidon let out a chuckle and Percy rolled his eyes.

“Let me finish. Fear will always exist. But there are things that are more powerful than that. Think of your mother, her fear of Gabe, and her fear of monsters finding you when you were young...neither ever stopped her loving you, it made her fight harder to protect you. Your own fear of your prophecy didn’t stop you from fulfilling it, because you cared too much for your city and your friends. My own fear of my brother when you were accused of stealing the bolt didn’t stop me from claiming you. The same applies here. Your fear of coming back and leaving Camp Half Blood doesn’t make it any less your home. It will always protect you.”

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