We Didn't Even Break Up [Rewritten] (2022)

Prologue/The Day I Got Expelled

Chapter 0.

Percy was tired. After a long day at work, all he wanted to do was curl up with Annabeth and watch TV. This annoying guy, Blake, or whatever his name was, (Percy really didn't care) was on Annabeth's mind a bit too much for his liking. Blake was this guy that they had over a couple times for a couple of get-togethers with Annabeth's work friends. He would do this weird thing to Percy where he would take a hold of his shoulders from behind, pretend to give him a back massage and move him away from Annabeth. Weird shit.

Percy was at his wit's end. Annabeth came home less than an hour ago and had done nothing but point out every little thing he didn't do while she was away, or what he did wrong; he didn't put the eggs in the right place; when he changed the sheets, it was unevenly tucked on one side; he had run a load in the dishwasher but forgotten to put the glasses that stood on their bedside table in before starting. Little things that nobody but her would notice. What was the point of putting the eggs in a specific place if he was just going to make cookies with them later or making the bed properly when they were just going to bed in a couple hours?

"...are you even listening, Percy?" Annabeth stood across from him, her arms crossed, her eyes defeated.

"No," he said after a hesitant pause.

Annabeth flared her arms about her. "Then what's the point?"

"The point of what?" he cried.

"Of us owning a home together if you're going to act like it's a bachelor pad?"

Percy scoffed, indignity and anger racing through his blood, tearing through him suddenly. "Oh, believe me, I know it's not a bachelor pad."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Annabeth said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I mean, we've been a couple for so long, I don't know what it's like to be a bachelor." He shrugged and sat down on the couch, purposefully putting his feet on the coffee table, knowing how much it pissed her off.

"Do you want to be a bachelor?" she challenged, raising her chin.

"No. Of course not."

"Then why do you act like one?"

"I don't."

"You do."

"I'm not flirting with other girls, asking for numbers that I could very easily get."

Annabeth huffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Well, I'm so happy you know you can get any girl you want."

"Yeah. I can."

She closed her eyes and turned away from him."I can't look at you."

Percy felt like he was battling himself as well as her. Why would she say that? He just told her that he wasn't out philandering, that he was a good boyfriend! "What the fuck, Annabeth?"

"I said 'I can't look at you,' Percy."

"You're overreacting. And about what? The counters not being in pristine condition?" He mimicked her voice going up an octave, his hands making petite gestures next to his face, ridiculing her. "And the eggs being too far to the left?"

"If you don't like it here..." She stopped herself.

Percy stood too, now, trying to get level with her. Or, rather, trying to remain superior. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm going to sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Do not come into the bedroom tonight."

"I don't even want to," he spat.

She looked shocked for a beat, stricken. "I—"

"Night." His voice was hoarse as he turned around, though not really knowing where to go now that she had claimed the bedroom for herself. Maybe he would go for a walk. Or a drive. It seemed appealling, just to get his mind off all of this.

"Are you not even going to apologize?"

"For what?" He chuckled like an ignorant brat. Maybe like the ignorant brat that he was..

"For being an asshole," she told him defiantly, squaring her shoulders and once again crossing her arms.

"I'm the asshole?" he cried, a twinge of him wanting to grab onto her and shake some sense into her head.

"Yes!"

"If I'm such an asshole, why even keep me around."

"Because—"

"Because you like the free labour?" he cut her off—another he knew she hated.

"No, because I—"

"Save it, Annabeth. I'm out of here." He grabbed his coat and keys.

He made it into the car before realising that he didn't want to leave, nor did he have a place to go. He wanted to be back upstairs with Annabeth. God, why had he been such an idiot—again?—and lunged at her like that? So what if she liked the counters clean and the bedspreads neatly done? She was still Annabeth. And he was still Percy. They were still Percy and Annabeth... weren't they?

He reached for his phone to call her. When a guy's voice answered, he realized he had called Jason.

"Dude, you okay?" came Jason's gruff voice over the phone, rustling in the background.

"Huh, oh. Annabeth kicked me out."

The rustling stopped, leaving silence in its wake; a silence that only seemed to stretch and stretch and stretch. "What do you mean she kicked you out? Like you're homeless?"

"No, just our bedroom." He almost whimpered at the thought of her sleeping alone in there tonight, and that he, too, would fall asleep with no one in his arms. Of course, it could techincally be arranged, but he wasn't about to lose Annabeth that hard.

"Bro, that sucks. Let's get drunk." Percy couldn't help but laugh. It was a bad idea.

"I'm driving."

"Meet me at The Plaza."

"The Plaza?"

"Yeah, dude, The Plaza."

"We're getting drunk at a hotel?" Maybe one night was okay. What could one night possibly change?

"Yeah, safer that way." Percy agreed; it was totally reasonable. They wouldn't have to worry about getting home, then, either.

~insert a line~

The droning of the car as Percy drove up to the hotel was nice, soothed him. It was loud, yet also not insuferably so. The perfect level to keep his head silent from itself.

Pulling into the parking lot, Percy could only imagine Jason's rager in mind. Between his fraternity brothers and The Plaza being one of the most excellent hotels in New York, it sounded like a recipe for disaster.

Percy couldn't get the fight out of his head as he checked in. He knew she wouldn't like to choose such an expensive hotel, but he needed a night away from her—away from the concept of them as a couple.

He sat down at the bar and ordered a drink while waiting for Jason. (Jason never came, but someone else did.)
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Alright, folks. So that's about where it is. Tyloast and I are working on editing the other chapters as I try to finish up the story. As you can tell some things have changed and it isn't the same exact story as it was before. I appreciate all the support I've gotten before it's even up! I hope it lives up to your expectations! I couldn't thank you all enough!!

As always,
—Lex Feldz