Loverboy (PERCABETH AU)

Chapter 28

Percy POV

I woke up before my alarm, which was never a good sign. Usually, I could sleep through just about anything — thunder, sirens, even Paul accidentally dropping a pan in the kitchen. But lately, my brain had been on this weird early-morning schedule where it liked to wake me up just so it could start playing the same loop of thoughts over and over.

It wasn't even a dramatic loop. Not like nightmares or flashbacks or anything. Just... this constant mental replay of the last few weeks with Annabeth. All the little moments — the cake, the movie nights, the way she'd text me first thing in the morning just to say good luck before a test. And every time I went over them, I felt two things at once: warmth, because I knew she cared, and this heavy, buzzing pressure in my chest that wouldn't go away.

I lay there staring at the ceiling, my arm flopped across my forehead, trying to convince myself it was just normal relationship stuff. That it was fine to feel a little overwhelmed. The thing was, I couldn't tell if it was a little overwhelmed or a lot.

Annabeth was all in. Always planning, always showing up, always making sure we had something to look forward to. She didn't seem to get tired of it, either — if anything, she got more excited. And me... I was trying. I really was. But there were days when the idea of another surprise, another plan, another thing we had to do together just made me want to hide in my room.

Which felt awful to even think about. Because it wasn't like I didn't want to see her. I did. I just didn't know how to explain that sometimes I needed the volume turned down.

I rubbed my eyes and checked my phone. No new messages yet — which was weird, because Annabeth usually texted before I was even awake. Maybe she was actually sleeping in for once.

The clock said 7:12. Jason had invited me over for dinner tonight. That gave me... twelve hours to either get my head straight or keep faking it.

Right now, faking it felt easier.

I sat up, feet hitting the cold floor, and stayed there for a minute. The air smelled faintly like coffee from the kitchen downstairs. I could already picture my mom humming while she read the paper, completely unaware that her son was busy overthinking himself into a corner before breakfast.

I dragged myself through my morning routine like I was wading through molasses. Shower, clothes, breakfast — all on autopilot. Mom asked if I was okay, and I gave her the same answer I'd been giving everyone lately. Yeah, just tired. It wasn't a total lie. I was tired. But it wasn't the kind of tired a nap could fix.

Paul had already left for work, and Stella was at daycare, so it was just me and Mom at the table. She slid me a plate of toast and scrambled eggs without even looking up from her book. Comfort food, Percy Jackson style.

"You've been quiet lately," she said after a while, glancing at me over her coffee. "School okay?"

"Yeah," I said, picking at my eggs. "Just a lot going on."

She gave me that mom look — the one where she doesn't push, but you know she's clocking every detail for later. "Well, you know you can talk to me if you want."

"I know." I forced a smile, then stuffed a big bite of toast in my mouth so I couldn't say anything else.

The rest of the morning was the same — schoolwork, zoning out, staring at my phone like it owed me money. Annabeth sent a couple of texts around noon asking if I wanted to meet up later, but I told her I had stuff to do. Not a lie, exactly... but also not the whole truth. The stuff I had to do was mostly "sit here and not think about how weird I feel," which didn't sound like a good enough reason.