People Meet Percabeth/Percabeth One-Shots

Love (One-Shot)

*Third Person's POV*

(This isn't really a one-shot story fo Percabeth. More a little mini-story with a bit of fluff for a few relationships.)

Annabeth had never understood why people believed in love so much.

Yes. She had love.
She found love in someone who made her feel a way no one has ever made her feel.
She knew love was real.
She knew what love felt like.
She believed in love.
But not as much as some others did.

Some of her friends from school had been ranting about Helen of Troy and her 'beautiful' love story. They thought their love was so powerful. So, beautiful.
Annabeth just didn't understand.

She had asked them what was so beautiful about the story.
It was tragic.
So many people died because two people made a stupid, reckless decision for themselves.

Sure, it was an important part of history for Demigods, but saying that the travesties that happened then were overruled and cast aside simply because a couple got together is idiotic.
Love will never overrule the fact that thousands of people died.

~

"So, I threw it at him." Piper shrugged, tossing the heavy bag of hay onto the stable floor.
"Why would you throw a slice of pizza at his head?" Annabeth asked, opening the bag of hay.
"Because he called me a brat!" Her friend defended.
"First of all, he was definitely joking. Second of all, you had called him a whiny baby three seconds before."  
"Yeah, well, Leo deserved it." Piper sang, running out of the stables after a bird.
"You're crazy, Pipes." 
"I may be crazy, Annabeth, but you're smart. So when we're together, we're crazy smart and unstoppable!"
Annabeth grabbed the wrist of her friend, stopping the hand from slapping her in the face.
"Sorry." Piper apologized.
"Come on, let's go." Annabeth and Piper walked toward the big ring of cabins, no actual destination in mind, just on a little adventure, you know?

"So, how's school?" Piper turned around to face her friend, walking backward with impeccable skill.
"Eh." Was her reply.
"Eh? Eh?! Annabeth Chase does not 'eh' school! What's wrong with you!? Have you gone mental?!" Piper stopped walking to shake her friend's shoulders.
She sighed.
"I don't know, it's just something my friends were ranting about. Its nothing. Nevermind." Annabeth waved off her friend, trekking in the direction of the lake.
"Hey! It's not nothing. What's up Annabeth?" Piper stopped her friend, a frown was plastered on both of their faces.
"What do you think of Helen and Paris?" Annabeth replied.
"That's - sudden. Uh, I mean, they were a good love story. But they started a war, didn't they? I don't really remember it that well."
Annabeth let out a breath.
"My friends were ranting about her beautiful love story and I couldn't let go of it. What kind of people would think it's beautiful for others to risk the lives of thousands just to get together with someone?" Annabeth rambled, plopping onto the wet grass.
Piper sat next to her and sighed.
"People do stupid things for love. It's a powerful thing. People just, love love." She tried to explain.
"I understand that. I know people do things for the people they love, even if they're stupid. What I don't understand is why people think it's so beautiful. Why do people insist that Helen and Paris were so amazing?! I know it's a cool love story or whatever, but thousands of people died because of them! No one wants to address that, do they? It's like saying Romeo and Juliet were perfect. Like they didn't die in the end. Like two lives weren't lost because of some tragic love. I just, don't understand."
"Well, think about it this way. Love is powerful, you know that. Wouldn't you do anything for Percy?" Piper tried to reason.
"Of course I would, Piper, you know that. But that's not what I mean. I never meant there was anything wrong with being driven by love. There's nothing wrong with doing something to be with or save someone you love. I just personally find it insulting how people care so much about the love aspect and seem to completely ignore that people died. Honestly, people die all the time, but everyone who looks at these stories can't seem to realize that, sure, people fell in love and had happy stories for a bit, but people died. They died. And the fact that people only pay attention to the love aspect of the story shows that they care more about love than those who died and all those related or affected by their death. It's like they're validating the actions of Helen or Paris. I would do anything for Percy, just like you would for Jason. But I would know that if people died because of those actions, it would have been my fault. I wouldn't validate my actions because they were done in the act of love. That doesn't validate the fact that I caused people to die. It just doesn't sit right with me." Annabeth shook her head and banged it against her knees.
Piper rubbed her back in sympathy.
"I know. But again. Love is so powerful, it not only causes people to do stupid things, but it also causes people to ignore the obvious. The important. Love is more important to people. More important than sympathy or kindness." 
"I get that. But love isn't as powerful as people think."
Piper never got a chance to ask what she meant as the Conch Horn blew.
"Come on, Pipes, let's get to dinner."

Annabeth ran off before Piper could respond.
'Cut off twice in thirty seconds.' She thought to herself.

~

"You know, Annabeth has some pretty interesting views on Helen and Paris," Piper spoke up, the room quieting when they realized she was talking to everyone.
"You do?" Rachel asked in surprise, not really sure where this conversation was heading.
"What kind of views?" Leo questioned, wiggling his eyebrows in the light of the campfire.
Annabeth sighed and stared at the fire-lit faces of her closest friends.
"It was just something my school friends were saying. It's nothing, really." She waved it off.
"Nuh-uh, missy. I'm intrigued. I want tea. Spill." Thalia demanded from across the fire.
"It's not even important. Piper's just bored."
"Come on, Annabeth! They'll be interested!" Piper pouted.
"No, Piper." Annabeth shook her head in aggravation.
"Please," Piper whined, crawling over the sand to pout in her face.
"Not impressed." Was her only reply.
"Ugh! Fine. I'll tell them, then." Piper stood and pushed Percy away from his girlfriend.
After plopping on the lap of her friend, with much protest, she started the story.

"Well, we were walking back from the stables after replacing some missing hay as a punishment for something so stupid. I mean, does Mr. D get off on punishing us for nothing at all!? Anyways, I was talking to this wonderful woman," At this, Piper leaned back into Annabeth and leaned her head against her shoulder. "When she said school was 'Eh', so I asked her what was wrong and she asked me what I thought of Helen and Paris. I was so confused. That's such a random conversation topic to bring up when we're having a serious one. Anyways, again, I told her what I thought, which honestly wasn't much cause I was still confused, and she went on to rant about her friends and their opinion on the love story and we had a whole conversation about Annabeth's idea of love. It was weird, honestly. I mean, I love love, but, weird. Really weird, this one." Piper finished by pinching Annabeth's cheek with a cheeky smile.
"What opinion?" Will asked, intrigued.
"I just, what's the big deal with love? Every time our teacher mentions something from history that had a love story, everyone only remembers that. It's like, what's the big deal?" Annabeth asked.
"Well, love is love. People just love it." Will told her.
"I know that. Piper said the same thing." Annabeth sighed again and rested her forehead on Piper's shoulder. "I don't know." She mumbled quietly.
"Explain it to them." Piper insisted.
Annabeth looked up and leaned back, resting her's and Piper's wight on her elbows as Piper leaned back too.
(So uncomfortable.)
"Well, they were ranting about Helen and Paris. Their beautiful love story and how amazing their love for each other was. I just don't understand it. I'm trying to, it's - it's just hard." 
"What's so bad about that? They had a kinda cool love story." Leo spoke before Annabeth could continue.
 "That's not my point. It's not that I don't understand the reason behind liking the love story. I know people like love. It's not that hard to understand. I just don't understand why they think it's more important or mentionable than the tragedy they caused." Annabeth pushed Piper off and crawled over to Percy.
Piper grumbled in anger before crawling over to her boyfriend and hugging him for support, who in turn started dusting the sand off of her legs.
"Well, love is powerful. It not only causes people to do stupid things, but it also blinds their vision of more important matters." Jason tells her, still dusting the sand off Piper's legs. She smiles bitterly at the irony since Piper had said almost the same thing.
"Well, they need to learn that love isn't actually as powerful as they think," Annabeth growled lightly. She stood to head up to the bathroom, pausing as Piper spoke.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked in confusion. Annabeth hadn't explained it earlier.
"I would do anything for Percy, as I said earlier, Piper. Love is a prominent thing. I know it is. It makes stupid decisions and you follow them. But love can't bring people back to life. Powerful is being able to do the impossible. Love can't do that. Helen and Paris' love won't bring back the people that were killed in the war they caused. Their love won't fix the broken hearts of their family and friends. And no amount of love, no matter how large, will ever fix the pain, heartache, and destruction caused in the war they started. And that's prominent, but it is not power." Annabeth turned around and started to walk away before they could see her tears fall.

Piper sat there, dumbfounded along with the rest of her friends.

'And that's prominent, but it is not powerful.'

"Wow," Piper whispered.

"Yeah. Wow." Percy whispered, staring after his girlfriend.

And Annabeth Chase still couldn't understand it even though she tried.