percabeth one shots :)

an unexpected friend

timeline: when Percy is missing, Annabeth goes to Sally's apartment to giver her updates and just be there with her and such. I would think Annabeth would tell Sally before everyone went on the Argo to go on the quest and all that jazz so this is kind of that interpretation of it. 

ALSO I would think that she wouldn't go alone. So, I decided that if someone was going to go with her, it would be Leo. (It might not make sense right now but by the end of this it will) I really seeing them being good friends. 

Leo's POV 

Leo hadn't really been to Manhattan before. Sure, he had been in the outskirts, but not in the city like he was now. Why was he in Manhattan, you may ask? Annabeth surprisingly asked him to join her to go see Percy's mother before they left Camp Half-blood. He had heard loads of amazing things about Percy and his mother, but he felt weird just showing up to his house without ever meeting the guy. 

But Annabeth wanted him to come. 

She didn't go into a lot of detail about it, but she said she didn't want to go alone. Annabeth told him while they were in Argus's strawberry van that she wanted to introduce Leo to Sally, for reasons she didn't really dive into. But being the person he was, Leo obliged. Besides, he had never been to Manhattan before. And Sally was known for making really good food. 

Stepping out of the van, Leo looked around him, seeing tall, rusty buildings and people shouting at each. The smell of burnt wood and fast food in the air, and other stuff he was not in the mood to figure out. He was in New York, alright. Annabeth motioned for Leo to follow her, where she led him up to the front door of an older looking apartment building. Sighing, she gave a small wave to the doorman, who gave her a weird look- probably because some random boy with a tool belt around his waist was following behind her. 

The two silently got into a tight elevator, and Leo leaned up against the wall, shoving his hands in his pockets. Annabeth had a depressed look on her face, as if she was reliving memories of this place. He heard Annabeth talk a lot about Percy, about how funny and kind he was, about how much he made her smile. Every time she mentioned him, she was so happy. But, like a flick of a switch, her eyes would become somber, and she would get teary again. 

"Thank you for coming, Leo," She muttered, glancing over at him and giving him a sad smile. Leo nodded, trying to cheer her up. 

"Of course." She didn't respond, just stared blankly at the elevator. Suddenly, the doors opened, and the pair stepped out and walked down a dimly lit hallway. Leo's curiosity was getting the best of him. Out of everyone she could have asked, she asked Leo. He honestly thought that she didn't like him. That she found him annoying. 

She always seemed to avoid him, only asking questions about progress on the Argo Two and about details from their quest. Annabeth didn't seem like an awkward person, but whenever he entered a room, she would always turn away from his gaze. It was like he made her uncomfortable or something. But it wasn't until she came into Bunker Nine one night, with tears in her eyes, asking him to come with her to Manhattan. 

"Can I ask you a question?" 

Annabeth nodded. "Go for it." 

"Why- why did you want me to come with you?" He asked, walking beside her, trying to lighten her mood. She sighed, looking up at him puzzled. 

"Because you're my friend." She replied, standing in front of a doorway with the number '3' engraved in it. 

'Well, yeah. I am your friend and all. But I thought you didn't like me." 

That stopped her in her tracks. Right before she knocked on the door, she turned to him. It looked like a thousand circuits were spinning in her brain. She smiled, placing a hand on his arm. "Of course I like you. You just-" She took a breath, screwing her eyes shut. "You remind me of him, that's all."