Together || Percabeth Oneshots

Love You Always

inspired by JJ Heller

"I will love you for you," he whispered, smiling at the girl in front of her. Her blonde hair was being messed up by the wind and flying into her grey eyes, and she was hugging her knees and staring at the ocean in front of them.
"Not for what you have done," she answered, turning her head to look at him. He gave her a goofy grin and she scooched closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Or who we'll become," he finished. She smiled up at him.
"I love you, Percy."
"I love you too, Annabeth." She looked back out at the ocean but he found her so much prettier than the sight before him. It had been a long road to this, but the two of them were finally starting to feel happy again. Nightmares of Tartarus still plagued them at night, flashbacks still happened when they were fighting monsters, they still mourned their lost friends every day, but recovery happened in small steps and they had laughed today for the first time in months.
Percy had made an off-the-top-of-his-head joke about dolphins that he couldn't remember anymore and Annabeth had tried to hold it in instead of giving him the satisfaction of a corny joke working on her, but she had found it genuinely funny and she burst out laughing. Her laughter made Percy laugh and soon, they had been rolling on the sand, finding it funnier than they should have.
They finally stopped and just laid there, staring at each other.
"It wasn't that funny," Annabeth said.
"It wasn't," Percy agreed. "Want to spend some time here?"
There were few places that never triggered flashbacks for either of them, but the beach was one of those places. So he gave her his hoodie because she looked cute in the oversized blue and they watched the ocean together. He could have sworn Poseidon sent the dolphin show just for them.
If they skipped dinner, nobody mentioned it to them. It was like a silent agreement between all the other campers to leave them alone on the beach. The sun set and Percy was in awe of how the light fell on Annabeth's hair and made her glow warmly.
"Are we visiting Sally and Estelle tomorrow?" She asked once it was dark and the stars were starting to come out.
"Course," Percy grinned. He could still kind of see her and her smile when he agreed.
"I think we're making cupcakes with her."
"I hope so. Es is gonna be as good a baker as mom."
Annabeth chuckled and stood up. "We should get some sleep, though." She didn't want to and she knew Percy didn't either but unfortunately, even demigods needed it. He hummed noncommittally and looked up at the sky.
"Bob says hello," he whispered to one constellation and Annabeth choked a little- hearing it never got easier. The reminders never got easier.
"My cabin," he said after a moment of silence. "Your bunk is still there."