Percabeth Oneshots

The Art Of Distraction

By me.

The sunlight filtered through the windows of the Athena cabin, casting a golden glow on the wooden floor. Annabeth sat cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by blueprints and sketches, her brows furrowed in concentration. Percy, however, was lounging beside her, his head resting on a pillow, looking anything but focused.

“Percy,” Annabeth said, not looking up from her work, “you need to pay attention.”

“I am paying attention,” Percy protested, though his eyes were more focused on her than the blueprints in front of her. “It’s just… you’re more interesting than architectural designs.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Flattery won’t help you pass this lesson. I’m serious. You said you wanted to understand some basic concepts.”

“I did,” Percy said, sitting up and leaning closer to her. “But I’m starting to think I’d rather learn about them from you rather than some boring old textbook. You make it… fun.”

Annabeth turned to face him, her gray eyes sparkling with amusement. “And how exactly do I make it fun?”

“Well,” Percy began, pretending to think hard, “for one, you’re a much better teacher than Chiron. And two… I can do this.”

Before Annabeth could react, Percy leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her cheek, his lips brushing her skin lightly. She flushed, feeling the warmth spread from where he’d kissed her.

“Percy!” she scolded, though there was no real anger in her tone. “That’s not helping you learn.”

Percy grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “You sure? I’m pretty sure it helps me remember better.”

Annabeth shook her head, laughing softly. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“That’s why you love me,” Percy said, his tone teasing.

“Maybe,” Annabeth said, turning back to her sketches, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. “But if you keep distracting me, we’re never going to get through this.”

Percy scooted closer, his shoulder brushing against hers. “Maybe that’s my plan.”

“Oh? And what exactly is your plan?” Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Distract you enough that you forget about the lesson and we can do something else. Like take a walk by the lake. Or maybe grab some blue cookies from the kitchen.”

Annabeth sighed, but there was no hiding the fondness in her expression. “You’re really something, Percy.”

Percy’s grin widened. “I try.”

Despite herself, Annabeth found it hard to stay focused on the blueprints with Percy so close, his playful energy infectious.

She knew he wasn’t particularly interested in architecture, but she appreciated that he at least tried to understand her passion.

“Alright,” she said, giving in to his charm, “let’s take a break. But you owe me a proper study session later.”

“Deal,” Percy agreed quickly, eager to escape the confines of the Athena cabin.

As they stood up, Percy grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “So, where to first, Wise Girl?”

Annabeth squeezed his hand, her heart fluttering at the familiar nickname. “How about we start with those blue cookies?”

“Excellent choice,” Percy said, pulling her towards the door.

As they walked hand in hand towards the dining pavilion, Annabeth couldn’t help but smile. She might not have gotten through her lesson with Percy, but she was reminded of why she loved him. He had a way of making everything, even the most mundane tasks, feel special.

And as for Percy, he knew he didn’t really need to learn about architecture to make Annabeth happy. All he needed was to be by her side, supporting her in every way he could—whether that meant learning about buildings or simply making her laugh.

Because in the end, that’s what they did best: they balanced each other out.