Beyond the Storm: A Percabeth Collection

Campfire Confessions

It was one of those perfect summer afternoons at Camp Half-Blood, the kind where the sun cast golden streaks over the strawberry fields, and the faint scent of sea salt drifted in from the Long Island Sound. The group of demigods had gathered by the campfire pit for an impromptu round of "Truth or Dare." It had started as a harmless way to pass time while waiting for dinner but quickly spiraled into chaos when Leo Valdez took the reins.

Percy and Annabeth sat side by side on one of the logs, their knees occasionally brushing. Percy's arm rested casually behind her, just barely grazing her back. To the untrained eye, it might have seemed like they were just two friends sitting close, but everyone at Camp Half-Blood knew better.

The game was in full swing. Jason had been dared to stand on his hands while listing all the Olympian gods (he got stuck at Dionysus and toppled over). Piper had to reveal her most embarrassing moment at camp—getting caught singing karaoke in the Aphrodite cabin. And Leo? Leo had serenaded Festus with a love ballad on his ukulele, much to the dragon's confusion.

But then the attention shifted.

"Percy," Leo began, his voice dripping with mischief, "truth or dare?"

Percy leaned back, a lazy grin on his face. "Dare. Always dare."

Annabeth groaned beside him. "You're such a child."

Leo's grin widened. "Fine, Seaweed Brain. I dare you to compliment Annabeth without making it sound like a joke."

Percy blinked, caught off guard. "What kind of dare is that? That's too easy."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Let's see if you can actually pull it off."

Their friends leaned in, eagerly awaiting the show.

Percy turned to Annabeth, his expression softening in a way that always made her heart skip a beat, though she'd never admit it in front of others. "Annabeth Chase," he began dramatically, "your brilliance shines brighter than Apollo's sun chariot. Your wisdom rivals Athena herself, and your beauty—"

"Alright, stop," Annabeth interrupted, her cheeks flushing. "You sound like a bad romance novel."

"But I wasn't done!" Percy protested, a glint of amusement in his sea-green eyes. "I was going to say your beauty is enough to make Aphrodite jealous."

Groans erupted around the circle, with Clarisse loudly pretending to gag. "Gods, Jackson, we're trying to eat later. Keep it PG."

Annabeth shook her head, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "That was awful."

"I thought it was pretty good," Percy said, leaning closer to her. "Admit it. You're impressed."

She rolled her eyes but didn't move away. "Impressed you managed to cram so many clichés into one sentence? Maybe."

But before the group could move on, Leo's gaze shifted to Annabeth. Leo leaned forward, his trademark mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Annabeth, truth or dare?"

Annabeth met his gaze, her expression cool and unbothered. "Dare. Obviously."

"Alright, Wise Girl," Leo said, practically buzzing with excitement. "I dare you to tell everyone your favorite thing about Percy. And you can't say something boring like 'his loyalty' or 'his bravery.' Be real. Get specific."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "That's it? Easy."

But Leo wagged a finger. "Not so fast. You have to say it in front of all of us while looking him directly in the eyes. No bailing out."