Percabeth (It was worth the wait)

Age 9

Annabeth's laugh cuts through the air as she runs away from Percy's outstretched arms.

"You can't catch me Seaweed Brain! I'm too fast for you," she screeches as she winds between other students in the playground and the play equipment.

"I'm never going to stop chasing you," he calls back, but he's laughing as well which is detrimental to his speed.

He can hear Grover cheering him on, mixed with Thalia's cries at Annabeth to run faster, faster . Percy's legs burn with exertion but he keeps going, keeping his eyes firmly trained on Annabeth's bright hair as she runs further and further away from him.

Another voice joins the two and Percy feels his feet stutter.

"Come on Annabeth, you can beat him!" Luke shouts. Annabeth turns back for a moment, giving a wide smile to their new friend who moved to their school at the beginning of this year. Percy uses this to try and gain some ground on her, but she's still just out of his reach.

She ducks below a low hanging branch laughs as leaves catch Percy in the face.

He pauses, catching his breath and tries to not get annoyed when Luke's laughter joins Annabeth's in teasing him.

"Come on Seaweed Brain. You should be able to catch her, she's just a girl," Luke says and clamps a firm hand on Percy's shoulder. He shrugs it off and looks around the playground for Annabeth's familiar golden head.

"Thalia and Annabeth are both faster than you," Grover points out and Percy holds back a laugh while trying to catch his breath when Luke's face goes pink.

"Shut up Grover," he answers and gives Grover a light push. Percy rolls his eyes and finally catches sight of Annabeth at the edge of his vision.

He takes off again without saying anything to either of his friends and manages to get within a couple of feet of Annabeth before she sees him coming and disappears again into the crowd.

She has a knack for becoming practically invisible during hide-and-seek tips, and Percy secretly hates it when he's it and has to go against her.

Regardless, he pushes forward until his lungs are heaving. He leans against a brick wall and looks around, he knows she's close, but he can't see her, it's like she's disappeared into thin air. Fighting back an annoyed sigh he sits himself down and closes his eyes to rest.

"Okay Annabeth you win, I'm tired. I give up." He says, raising his voice so he can be heard amongst the other students playing around them. No one pays him any attention but he sees movement in the corner of his eyes and watches as Annabeth jumps from a low branch of a tree. He rolls his eyes at her hiding spot and watches as she slowly claps while she walks to him.

He closes his eyes as he rests, not wanting to see her smug smile, but he hears when Annabeth joins him in sitting down.

"One of these days you'll catch me, don't worry," she reassures him, with a soft nudge against his shoulder.

"One day," he replies with a smile. He can't stay annoyed with her for too long. She's his best friend after all (after Grover of course).

"Just not today."

Percy laughs and leans his head on her shoulder as they watch other students play in the playground. He expects her to push him off but she doesn't and he stays there for a moment, finding comfort in her existence. He's still catching his breath, but Annabeth seems hardly puffed out. "I can let you catch me tomorrow so that Luke stops laughing at you," Annabeth says softly.