Percabeth Oneshots

Faulty Communication

It's written by me but based on a HoO meme I read.

Percy didn't mean to do it, of course. He was just showing off, trying to impress Annabeth with his new sword move, and in typical Percy fashion, things went a little off script.

One second, Riptide was cutting through the air in a sweeping arc, and the next—whack—Annabeth's nose was met with the flat of the blade. It wasn't enough to seriously hurt her, but enough to make her stumble back, clutching her face with wide eyes.

The whole world seemed to stop. Jason and Piper, who were sparring nearby, froze mid-swing. Frank, Hazel, and Leo, sitting by the campfire, turned to see the aftermath, trying to process what just happened. Percy, meanwhile, was caught in a panic, his brain short-circuiting as Annabeth glared at him through the gaps between her fingers.

He opened his mouth, his mind racing. His brain was divided. Just tell her you’re bloody sorry? Or ask her if she's okay?

What came out was neither of those options. Instead, Percy blurted out, "Are you bloody sorry?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Annabeth's hand slowly lowered from her face, revealing a mixture of shock, indignation, and pure confusion.

"Excuse me?" she demanded, her voice confused yet filled with defense. "What did you just say?"

Percy's face turned bright red. He wanted to dive into the nearest ocean and never come up again. "I— I meant— Are you— No, I mean am I— Wait, I—" he stammered, completely losing control of his words.

By this point, Jason had dropped his sword, Piper was gripping her sides, and the entire group burst into laughter. Leo was the loudest, practically rolling on the ground, while Hazel and Frank snickered behind their hands.

Piper was wiping tears from her eyes, barely able to get words out between her fits of laughter. "Percy, what— what's wrong with you?"

Annabeth, however, did not look amused. "Are you sorry?" she repeated, narrowing her eyes.

Percy raised his hands in defense, frantically trying to explain himself. "No, I'm sorry! I swear I meant to say 'I'm sorry' or 'Are you okay?' but— but it just got mixed up and—"

Annabeth folded her arms across her chest, still glaring at him. "You're lucky I've been trained in hand-to-hand combat or I'd be the one asking if you're okay."

Percy nodded rapidly, his eyes wide with fear.  Jason stepped forward, barely keeping a straight face. "I don't know, Percy, I think you should ask her if she's sorry again."

That sent Piper into another fit of giggles, while Leo tried—and failed—to catch his breath. "Oh man, I'm never letting you live this down, Aquaman."

Percy groaned, slapping a hand over his face. "I can't believe I said that."

Annabeth sighed, shaking her head. "You're such an idiot."

But even she couldn't suppress the small smile tugging at her lips as the rest of their friends doubled over with laughter.