Percy Jackson Oneshots

Sk8ter Boi

"We're gonna be okay, I promise that."

Annabeth looked down at the steep slope of the concrete beneath her. It was steeper than she'd thought.

Slowly, her eyes drifted back to her boyfriend, whose hands rested comfortably on her hips.

"How do I know that we're not gonna fall off and die?" she said, not daring to move an inch from her death grip on Percy's neck.

It was a miracle that he hadn't choked from her grasp already. She probably looked laughable—all paralyzed and wide-eyed—but she didn't care.

"Because," he said, holding her tighter. "I've got you. And I'm not letting go."

"Reassuring," she muttered but didn't argue further.

She had to do this. There was a reason why she'd practically begged Percy to teach her how to skateboard. She knew the basics now, but hanging out too much with his friends and feeling useless around them as they all took to skating around this particular park had done something to her self confidence.

However, she'd told herself that she could do this.

And yet, she had no clue why the idea of this ramp and her balancing on just a piece of wood terrified her so; she'd experienced much more frightening situations during her lifetime. Monsters weren't exactly cute and cuddly, after all. But there was just something about this slope and this skateboard that made her want to run and hide and never look back.

"Hey," Percy said softly. He'd likely sensed her thoughts, what with how well he knew her. "We don't have to do this, you know. It's okay to be scared. I was scared the first time I tried this. We can just do it another time."

"No, no—I want to try this out." Because she couldn't give up; her pride wouldn't allow it.

"It's going to be a breeze after the first time. Trust me on this."

Easy for him to say. He was the invulnerable one in the relationship.

"Just...don't let go, okay?" she said.

"I won't. Already promised that."

He tucked a stray curl behind her ear—which was partially hidden under her helmet. A helmet she'd forced her to wear, though she realized just how foolish she'd been to argue with him against it, because if she fell off, the helmet was her only salvation. His fingers swiped at some other stray hairs, and the tender feel of his fingers brushing against her skin made her heartbeat slow down its galloping pace.

"You ready?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, okay. Cool." Her arms wrapped around his neck impossibly tighter than before. "Let's do it."

"Okay," he repeated, grinning.

She saw his leg lift itself off the ground, ready for its placement on the skateboard. But still, the board barely moved an inch, as if Percy was waiting for some kind of signal.

"What are you waiting for, Seaweed Brain? Get it over wi—AAAHHHH!"

The words left her throat in a shrill screech. Clarisse would've never let her forget it if she'd been present in that moment. Luckily, it was just her and Percy and the steady roll of the small wheels beneath her feet. She closed her eyes and concentrated on what Percy had taught her. Tighten the butt and tighten the abdomen.

And most importantly, not letting go.

The moment was over as quick as the wind rushing past her face when going down the ramp. Through her screams, all she'd felt was Percy. She'd only felt his warm hands on her back keeping her in place, and when she opened her eyes, they were gliding steadily across the rest of the park.