Never Be (Percabeth AU)✔️

>18<

Annabeth's POV

Screaming.

I was woken up by screaming at about 3 a.m.

I quickly realized that it was coming from my room—where Percy was sleeping. I literally jumped off the couch, flying up the stairs and into my bedroom. I flipped on my lamp and ran to Percy's side.

"Percy! Percy, wake up! It's just a dream! Percy!" I shook him by the shoulders. He suddenly sat up, opening his eyes abruptly. His breathing was ragged and heavy. His face was streaked with tears. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were disheveled due to how he had been thrashing. He looked at me, and completely broke down.

I sat next to him on the bed and pulled him into a tight hug. His entire body shook with sobs, and his tears soaked my t-shirt. Though, I didn't really care—the only thing that mattered was calming Percy down. I rubbed his back in an attempt to soothe him, and it worked, at least a little bit.

"He— And the—" He struggled to speak between sobs.

"Shhh." I stroked his messy hair, running my fingers through it occasionally.

I didn't know how long we sat there, but eventually Percy was sleeping again. I sighed, laying him back down. I was about to go back to the couch when Percy grabbed my hand. He looked up at me with puffy green eyes, an almost scared look on his face.

"Stay?" He whispered.

I looked at him for a moment before I responded. "Okay." I whispered back, nodding. I turned off the lamp, and got under the covers, sitting up a bit by leaning on my headboard. I put an arm around Percy, and he wrapped his arms around my torso, his head on my chest. My fingers traced circles on his shoulder. I quietly hummed a song, The Night We Met, by Lord Huron.

(A/N: I actually love this song so much)

I felt Percy's heartbeat slow down to a regular pace against my side. His breathing evened out, and the quietest snores followed. I hummed the song all the way through before sighing.

This had reminded me of one time when Matthew had a bad nightmare. Much like tonight, I heard yelling, and I immediately knew that something was wrong with Bobby or Matthew.

I ran into their room to find Matthew screaming and crying, and a very concerned Bobby trying to wake him up. I ran to Matthew and quickly shook him awake, holding him close when he woke crying. I sat on one side of Matthew, and Bobby sat on the other. We both hugged him until he fell asleep, Bobby following in suit. I had hummed that same song.

A few minutes later, I saw my dad at the doorway, watching us with a smile. It was a rare occasion that Helen was away, and my father was home. God, what a perfect week that was.

The twins didn't notice my dad, but I did. He winked at me, and I smiled back before he turned and walked away.

Matthew had been so scared, and it felt horrible. I wanted to scoop him up and lock him away from anything and everything bad in the world. Bobby too. That must be how a mother feels. God, if that's true, I'm never having kids.

That protectiveness that I had felt over the twins that night was exactly what I was feeling now over Percy, and it scared me. I shouldn't care this much. I couldn't. Because that can lead to developing feelings, and then letting people in, and—