Percabeth Dirty One Shots and Drabbles

WIRKYIWK 3

GreenConverses ao3

Despite the fact that Annabeth couldn't have spent more than a half an hour upstairs in her office, the reporters were gone by the time she stepped outside again, her spine straight with furious determination. She blinked as harsh sunlight hit her eyes, faltering just bit as she took in the empty sidewalk before her. She'd been fully prepared to run the media gauntlet again - maybe even answer a few questions and set the record straight if it got them to leave her alone - but she'd never dreamed they'd just be gone when she got downstairs.

Annabeth knew the press and the threat of the Eastman & Ellis legal team wouldn't have been enough to make them go totally away; if that was the case, there'd still be a bank of cameras blinking at her from across the street where they couldn't get in trouble. Maybe they'd be called to some other breaking news event? She could only hope it was something dramatic like monster attack in the suburbs. That would definitely kick any coverage of that stupid fight off the news networks for good.

She advanced a few cautious steps and then realized that the sidewalk wasn't as empty as she'd thought.

A man with dark, wavy hair stood a few feet away, one elbow propped on a parking meter, staring up at the third floor windows where the Eastman & Ellis logo was etched in gold. The clatter of her heels on the pavement and the slam of the door behind her caught his attention. His glass green eyes swung her way and her heart skipped a beat.

Percy.

Sweet Athena. The Fates were not being kind to her today.

After last night, it was almost surreal to see him just hanging out like he was a normal guy instead of the most feared man in New Rome. Anyone who gave him a second glance wouldn't be fooled, however. He cut just as impressive of a figure in a dark blue sweater and tailored jeans as he did in his armor, and his air of authority was no less powerful off the battlefield.

Finding the devil of New Rome lurking outside her place of work should've frightened her. Instead, it just pissed her off. Percy Jackson had already done enough to ruin her carefully built life in the last 24 hours. For all she knew, he'd had been the one to leak that video of their fight. If he'd just gotten off the field when she told him to; if he hadn't been such an asshole and insulted Annabeth and her mother; if the people in this city weren't so fucking determined to be terrified of his every move. If... if...

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, striding over to him. It occurred to her, belatedly, that he might've come for revenge, as both Jason and Eastman had all but promised he would. He'd be in for a surprise if he was. "If you want a re-match, you picked the wrong day for it, buddy."

Percy straightened as she approached. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, baring his tan forearms in that effortlessly attractive way men got away with all the time. She noticed that under his sweater, he wore a striped dress shirt and slim black tie - a fucking tie! Annabeth didn't give a shit what Jason had to say; no one wore a tie when they came calling for revenge.

"Maybe in a few days, once the bruises you gave me have healed up," he said, offering her a small smirk. "How are your ribs, by the way?"

Annabeth growled. That was a classic power move, reminding her that she had taken the most serious injuries - both to her body and pride. If anyone should be asking for a rematch, it should be her.

"Better than ever," she spat. "Too bad you didn't get here earlier - there was a whole pack of reporters that would've been happy to air your gloating."

Percy's brow furrowed slightly at her antagonistic tone. He couldn't have expected her to play nice after how this whole thing had blown up, could he?

"If I was here to gloat, I wouldn't have cleared the cameras off for you."