Percabeth Dirty One Shots and Drabbles

All Of You, All Of Me (intertwined) 27

@imaginatrixon ao3

: mystical time, cutting me open (then healing me fine)Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for .)

Chapter Textyou with your words (like knives)

Things were getting better.

But it still wasn't right

Annabeth wasn't certain what she was waiting for- likely because she didn't want to wait at all. She wanted to just do.

But "doing" would have to wait, as they were less than a month out from the end of the semester. Her supposed last year here would be after this summer- and she still wasn't certain what she was going to tell Luke about the offered extension of her employment.

Telling Percy about Luke was as if something in her flipped.

All this time, she made excuses for him- even if those excuses were only for herself, to justify what had happened between them, what their relationship had been.

But it wasn't a relationship. It was a man she trusted taking advantage of her naïveté and desperation for affection and acceptance.

Even so, it was hard to think he was all bad. Surely he didn't pursue her out of malicious intent? Maybe he was just a guy who made bad choices-

"Nope." Percy bopped her on the head with a rolled up magazine off the teacher's lounge coffee table, "I told you, you're not allowed to rationalize it."

Annabeth frowned at him, rubbing her head. The same arguments she had with herself all these years were being expressed out loud for the first time, and now there was a voice of reason stronger than the small one within her that had been beaten down over an extended period of negative self-talk.

"Not allowed?!" Her indignant huff brought a smile to Percy's face despite the subject matter.

"Nope."

"And who made you the boss of me?"

Percy opened his mouth, then clamped it shut with a mischievous grin, "I don't think you want me to answer that, Professor Chase."

"If you were about to say that I- !"

"I said you don't want the answer." He chuckled, leaning back and stretching in a way that was very distracting.

Annabeth mentally slapped herself, turning away to stop from staring.

"You okay?" Percy asked softly, and she nodded.

"Yes, of course, I... I'm just thinking."

"About?"

Annabeth wrinkled her nose, trying to figure out how to express her thoughts; "It's just... hm. I feel like I was in this stagnant state for so long, frozen in time, never moving forward... and now it feels like I'm living life with the fast forward button glued down."

She heard another laugh escape him, "I kinda get what you mean."

"Yeah?" Her head tilted to glance at him, green eyes staring back at her, a smile firmly set on his lips.

"Yeah."

The door in their office that led to the inner courtyard was open to let in the breeze and fresh air. It was a beautiful day, the rustle of leaves and the sound of teachers chatting and enjoying lunch wafting through the door.

Luke was out there. Annabeth only knew it because when Percy swaggered in and glanced outside, he'd made a disgusted face and grumbled about it.

She could hear him laughing, talking with the few professors and teachers also enjoying the weather about the end of the year. It was easy to pick his voice out.