Annabeth blew a curl from her face. The exact curl that likes to rest right on her nose and annoy the absolute living sh*t out of her anytime she pulls her hair back into a ponytail these days, she has the one straggler.
The lone curl.
Percy will push the same curl from her face because he knows how much she hates it. Unfortunately, it also sits in a spot where were she to cut it; it would make her face look weird.
However…It is not the curl making her feel this way.
She has enough cognitive awareness for that.
She also knows that the very same man who will push the curl away will also be the one to wreak havoc on the apartment. She also knows that it’s not really his fault. But she also knows that he could try harder to be more aware of where he’s going—it’s not like she’s one of those girlfriends who is constantly rearranging furniture. She knows what she likes. He has no reason to be walking into things and making a mess.
“Hey.” Percy tapped her butt with his foot. She was bent over, wiping down the coffee table he had his feet on as ate and watched TV. Annabeth really didn’t have it in her to hear a joke or stupid remark right now. She needed time to think, and cleaning was a way for her to get some alone time to do just that. So, she opted for a simple noise as her response. “Is something wrong, Beth?”
She could only sigh.
Silently, Percy guided her to sit beside him and try to relax. When Percy acts soft and caring like this, it’s hard to remember why he annoys her in the first place.
“Would you eat over your bowl–??”
“Sorry–” He sighed petulantly as if she were asking the world of him.
“Unless you want to clean up after you?” Even the emphasis in her words didn’t shake him from his arrogant haze.
“I don’t know what’s up your ass today, Beth, but there’s no need to take that sh*t out on me.” Percy stood to face her.
“What ‘sh*t’ exactly?”
“Your attitude. Nobody told you that you had to clean in here, right now, did they?” Without letting her answer, he continued. “No, I didn’t think so. I just had a really sh*t day at work and I can’t stand it when you act like a child!”
“When I act like a child, Percy? You’re the one who’s giggling on the couch, making a mess of the apartment, not watching where you’re going– for f*ck’s sake, Percy, the furniture has been in the same place since we moved in!” She couldn’t help the exasperation in her voice. A desperate call to him that something was, in fact, wrong but not unfixable.
Not helping her to clean the apartment isn’t something she would break up with anyone over. At least not someone who she’s known for her entire adult life.
Not to mention the love they share.
Stemming back to being twelve years old, confusing things were happening all over the place and in their weird little bodies. She had him there to go through it all.
Percy stepped closer.
“Yes.” He was annoyingly stoic.
“Cleanup after yourself then.” Annabeth threw the spray bottle at him, and stormed into the bedroom.
“Fine.” He chuckled maliciously.
Annabeth could only slam the bedroom door closed.
Percy wasn’t sure what had just happened. But now, he was free to lounge unbothered. Or so he had thought. Mere minutes later, Annabeth is back in the kitchen, cleaning as if nothing happened between them.
“I don’t know why you do that.” Annabeth scoffed as she started to load the dishwasher and rearrange dishes already in it.
“Do what?” Percy couldn’t stop himself from responding.
“You instigate and then act all calm so I seem like I’m set off by nothing–?”
“I don’t do that.”
“You’re doing it right now.” The plates made a loud clang in the sink with her words.
“Hey, calm down.” Percy placed a hand on her lower back.
Annabeth shrugged him off. “Not in the mood, Percy.” She sighed, blowing that same f*cking curl away.
“Listen.” He turned her to face him. He brushed the curl away again, teasing at the knot that had begun forming in her stomach. “I’ll leave, give you some space, and come back later, okay?” Percy kissed her forehead.
“Yeah.” She mumbled, her arms crossed as she processed what his words really meant; ‘I don’t want to be near you.’
Percy left her with the empty shameful feelings. She knows he doesn’t do it intentionally or is probably even aware that he can still make her feel that way.
Annabeth finished cleaning up the living room by nine, and the kitchen by ten. Percy still wasn’t back by the time she wanted to go to bed.
~
The following morning she awoke to a cold mattress, solidifying the emptiness that was looming before.
Yawning as she made coffee and checked her news sources for the morning, her missed notifications from overnight came rolling in.
A text from Piper. Then a missed call. Annabeth can call her later. Wasn’t there a new episode of Grey’s Anatomy last night so she was probably just calling to get her thoughts.
As soon as Annabeth started going about her morning routine, the rest of the notifications seemed to have kamikaze'd their way into her phone.
Within the span of time it took her to shmear her bagel, Annabeth had NBC on, recounting the events of the night prior. Piper was calling for a ninth time.
“Pipes, hello?”
“Beth! What happened last night?”
“Nothing– why?”
“Well.”
“Pipes, why does it feel like you’re about to tell me someone died?”
“Let me take you out to breakfast?”
“Just tell me, Pipes.” Annabeth could feel her coffee rising in her throat.
“Okay so– Basically, last night, Percy….”
Thirty minutes and five years of what she thought was a once in a lifetime fairy tail love story destroyed later…
“You’re lying.” That was her first thought. It’s April, so it’s probably a joke–
“I’m so sorry. What can I do?”
Annabeth could only hangup.
Why would Piper– unless she wasn’t.
What if what Piper had just told her were to be true?
Annabeth didn’t realize time had even passed by the time Piper got to her.
“Beth?” Piper knocked on the door before using the spare key to get inside. “Beth?”
“Why would you lie about something like this? You have me genuinely doubting Percy right now. Do you realize how insane we sound?”
“Jason saw him, Beth. He saw Percy, drunk out of his mind, get in an elevator and kiss a woman as the doors shut.” Piper played with Annabeth’s hair as she told her.
It wasn’t an empty gesture. At least until Percy clears his name. (right?)
