Multifandom Oneshots

percy jackson ~ up on that mountain (fluff & hurt/comfort) ~ percy/annabeth

A/N : Takes place post book 3, pre book 4

Night came, and Percy found himself taking the familiar path back to Poseidon's cabin, still trying to process everything with Nico and the alleged return of Pan. Annabeth did the same, following him instead of going back to Athena's cabin. She found that she didn't want to deal with her siblings at that moment, and instead just wanted to be with Percy. After all, while she had held up the sky for much longer than he did, he still got a taste of the torture she had been through, and they both had the streaks of silver hair to prove it.

Normally, Chiron or Dionysus would have given the girl some minor punishment for being in a different cabin past curfew, but Chiron understood that the two probably needed each other at that moment, and the wine god was too tired to care either way. So, Annabeth entered the low, grey cabin and took in the interior.

There was a small hot tub in the corner that, if she wasn't so exhausted, she would've checked out more in depth to figure out how it was hooked up (if at all). She also noticed the battered shield up on the wall and frowned slightly, realizing that Percy's shield had likely gotten jacked up back when they first fought with the Manticore. The only other things in the room were a bunk bed in the corner and a small table next to it, littered with a bunch of different things including the small Hades statue that Nico had thrown at Percy.

"Are you wanting to sleep in here for the night?" Percy asked her, no malice or accusation in his tone. He just wanted to know what she wanted. For her, sharing her wants was a lot easier said than done, but she managed a small nod as she avoided his gaze. "Okay" Percy said with a small smile before getting into the bottom bunk and curling up under the blanket. "I think there's a blanket and pillow up there, unless you want to stay in the bottom one with me"

"And you'd be okay with that?" Annabeth asked, her heart going a mile a minute, both because she was maybe about to get what she wanted (which was to be close with Percy) and also because she was horribly afraid of getting told to buzz off. Being told that no, he didn't actually want her there and that she should go back to the Athena cabin. But, instead, she got a quiet "Yeah. I mean, it's up to you, but I don't mind either way and I could..." he trailed off with a deep breath. "I could use the company"

Annabeth took a deep breath before nodding and crawling into the bed next to him.

She curled against him, leaning her head against his chest. Percy cautiously reached up and put a hand in her hair, running his fingers through the silver streak with a small frown. Annabeth had really only let Luke and Thalia touch her hair before, but she found that she actually didn't mind as he did this. If anything, she found it slightly comforting. She had grown very touch starved over her years of existence. The only time when she had experienced constant physical affections was when she first ran away with Luke and Thalia, because the three were inseparable and would often have to huddle for warmth when it got too cold... But that was roughly 7 years ago now.

"You know my entire body still kind of aches" Annabeth said quietly with a humorless chuckle. Percy nodded. He felt the same, though he wasn't sure that his experience of holding up the sky would even be remotely comparable to the absolute torture that Annabeth had endured for Titan knows how long. "It's honestly a miracle that I didn't get crushed" she continued. "Artemis was so kind, saving me from that..."

"I'm just glad that it's Atlas again" Percy mumbled, trying not to be too tense as to not alarm the girl in his arms. "I held up the sky- Not nearly for as long as you, but still... That was the worst pain I've ever felt" he continued. Annabeth listened attentively as he recalled his own experience. "It felt like my bones were gonna snap, melt, and shatter all at the same time. My arms are still sore... I'm honestly not sure if I- If we will ever fully recover from it"

"It was so scary, Percy" Annabeth muttered, her voice breaking slightly as Percy tightened his hold around her. "I know" Percy responded solemnly. "And I'm sorry we didn't get to you sooner, but you're safe now" he reassured her. "We're safe now"

"But we're not" Annabeth objected. "Luke is still out there. Kronos is still reforming. For all we know, Nico could be raising a skeleton army to kill us at any moment. The prophecy is still a thing that exists, I don't..." she trailed off, feeling a pain in her chest as her anxieties grew. "It's okay" Percy soothed. "That stuff is all true, yes. But, right here and now, we're both safe, okay?"

Annabeth took a deep breath and nodded, looking up into the boy's eyes briefly before once again burying her head in his chest. "Thank you, Percy" she finally muttered after a moment of calming herself down. "I don't say it nearly enough, but you're a really good friend and I'm lucky to have you in my life"

"Yeah" Percy replied with a tired smile. "You too"