Some Percico One Shots

Learning How To Let Go

Had Annabeth known what her trip would have resulted in, she would have never gone.

They needed space, or at least Annabeth had thought. Or had they? Could their relationship have lasted if Annabeth had not mentioned the trip and stayed with Percy?

~ ~ ~

The moment she had set foot back at Camp, she had expected Percy to welcome her with warm arms. Instead, Percy had jogged up to her, awkwardly offered to carry her bags and asked how her trip went. It didn't bother Annabeth, it just felt odd. She assumed it was due to the tension from their last conversation and hoped it would quickly dissipate. But this awkward air around them, particularly Percy, lasted for a whole week.

They beat around the bush for a while. He never asked if her return meant they were back together and neither did she. She didn't ask how he did while she was in New Rome and he never asked if her trip had served any benefit. In a way, she supposed she was thankful. The truth was, the break they took and her stay in New Rome for almost a month didn't do much to clear her mind. She didn't want to admit it, but many times, she considered returning to Camp Half-Blood. But they had agreed, or she had insisted, that they would have no contact with each other for a month to help mend their relationship and have some time apart, especially after the war.

She wondered if he was angry at her. Rightfully so, she should add. But Annabeth could read Percy like a book, and judging from the way he acted around her, he seemed to be holding back. She decided to be upfront with him and asked what he was hiding before a game of capture the flag. He was definitely speechless but whispered for her to meet him after dinner near the beach.

Annabeth had begun worrying. His behavior had confirmed her suspicions, he had been hiding something from her. Something big, she expected. And she had been right.

Percy was already there by the time she arrived, gazing at the water before him. She had quietly walked up beside him and tapped him on the shoulder. He offered her a smile, but it hadn't reached his eyes.

After sitting in silence, he began addressing everything they had avoided during the past weeks: the war, how it had affected their relationship, the fights that had broken up between them, just everything prior to their break.

It hurt.

Thinking about it, Annabeth, who always had an answer to everything, couldn't pinpoint exactly where their relationship had started going downhill.

But Percy talked about it all.

He talked about their arguments. He talked about the stress on their shoulders, despite winning the war, and how it had taken a toll on them. He talked about how irritated they had both become with each other, even when the other had done nothing wrong.

And most importantly, he talked about how despite it all, they had continued to pretend everything was okay.

The way he spoke about it made it seem like it was his fault, which was typical of him, always placing the blame on himself when it came to his loved ones, but Annabeth knew she was guilty as well.

They had never spoken about their problems, never tried to actually fix the situation.

And Annabeth had still insisted to get away from each other, when what they most needed was to speak about their feelings and work through it together.

Then he talked about what he did during her absence.

He mentioned Nico's name. She didn't know what the son of Hades had to do with Percy, but let him continue. He talked about how unwanted he felt and how Nico had caught him crying. He spoke about the small pats on the back, the reassuring words, little things that Nico did to comfort him. As he continued talking about Nico, everything started to piece together in Annabeth's mind. It was more than clear to her. She froze. Percy loved someone else.

Percy must've noticed her sudden change in behavior, because he began apologizing for his betrayal. She swallowed and looked up at him. In his eyes, she could only see sympathy, but no regret. In a shaky voice, she told him that she understood.

She didn't.

They had gone through so much together. They were each other's anchor. They were always looking out for the other, always offering unconditional support. They were ... she was in love.

His fatal flaw was loyalty for the gods' sake. How could he leave?

Annabeth knew it was her fault. Her pride got in the way, he begged her to stay and work through it together, but she had been so sure of herself and assumed that a short break would be the best way to move forward.

Maybe it was for him. After all, his happiness now lies with Nico di Angelo. But it didn't work for Annabeth.

~ ~ ~

She reached up to touch the strands of her hair that used to be grey, one of the connections that she shared with Percy. In her mind, it represented the challenges they had faced together and it reminded her of how long Percy had been present in her life. But it was gone.

~ ~ ~

Percy had reached forward for a hug. His confession made it clear he didn't think of her romantically, but he did want to offer comfort. Annabeth knew this and for a moment, she allowed herself to relish in the feeling of being in his arms once again. However, she quickly pulled away, knowing that there was no point and it would be easier to move on if she did.

The next day, she couldn't help but have a small part of her think they could get back together. It only took a few moments to snap her back to reality.

The two had decided to keep a low profile on their relationship, but it was obvious. From an outsider's perspective, it was evident that Percy and Nico were in love. Percy never stopped smiling whenever Nico was present and Nico would become more carefree, his eyes softening when Percy was by his side.

She wants to let go. Percy is her best friend and she wants to be happy for him. Because as much as she wished it wasn't true, the chapter of her life with Percy by her side was over. She should accept it.

It will be fine.

~ ~ ~

"Hey, are you alright?" Malcolm asked.

Annabeth quickly wiped her face. "Yeah, I'm good."

"You sure?" Malcolm's voice was laced with worry.

She turned around, making sure her hair would cover her wet cheeks. "Yeah yeah, I'm okay. Just give me a moment." 

A/N There isn't a lot of percico in this, hope it was still a good read? I don't know, I think Annabeth is a very interesting character, it was nice to switch up the perspectives. OoF, I feel like I've been procrastinating so much recently, maybe I should consider a proper writing and uploading schedule to get my life organized :D  Anyways, thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed and have a lovely rest of you day! <3