Natural (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Nellie, Ohio

Piper turned the radio up. Annabeth turned it down. Piper turned it up. Annabeth glared at her, turning it down for the fourth time within thirty seconds.

"We're in a traffic jam, Piper."

"And?" Piper demanded, turning the radio up again. "I'm bored, and you refuse to talk to me."

"It's not that I refuse," she said, turning the music down, "it's just that I don't exactly know what to talk about." Asking Piper to go was one thing, actually being social was another. "I'm sorry... I invited you on this trip, but I'm sure it's boring with someone like me for company."

"No," Piper said, her eyes widening as she shifted in the passenger's seat to face Annabeth, "of course not. I wouldn't have agreed to go if I found you boring. I wouldn't be your friend at all if you were boring." Annabeth raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Piper before resting her gaze back on the road. "I mean, I really like being around you, but it's just frustrating sometimes because I want to talk to you, but I don't know how."

Annabeth chewed her lip, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. She wouldn't look at Piper now because she was afraid Piper would see through her completely and realize the crush that had been growing consistently for weeks now, so she kept her eyes on the road, even though the sight was no where near as interesting as Piper. "I don't know what that's supposed to mean."

She gave a short laugh, rubbing her face tiredly. "That's exactly what I mean. You're quiet and say pretty much the bare minimum, like you would prefer if you were alone all the time."

"That's not-"

"I know. But I get scared that you don't want to be near me and that I'm being a bother." Instead of answering, Annabeth took a hand off the steering wheel and rested it on Piper's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze before retracting it. The traffic was letting up slightly, and it actually gave her an excuse to focus on the road. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Not true," Annabeth responded instantaneously, surprising Piper a bit. "Listen, Piper, I'm not-" She sighed, running a hand through her hair and glancing over at Piper with a slightly flustered look on her face. "I'm not the best with words. I know how I should act, but I can't really act that way, you know? I don't talk a lot because I'm afraid I'll say something wrong."

Piper was quiet for a moment, staring straight ahead. "I won't leave you just because you say something wrong." They sat in silence, and neither felt the need to turn the radio up because the silence was comfortable and nice.

~

It was dusk by the time they stopped for gas. Annabeth got out of the van, stretching her legs, gently shaking Piper awake once she'd finished gassing up. "Hey, are you hungry?"

Piper blinked, smacking her lips and rubbing her eyes. "Starving," she croaked, and she could tell Annabeth was suppressing a laugh from her ridiculous sleepy voice. "Where are we?"

"Nellie, Ohio," Annabeth answered, looking around for a second, then leaning against the side of the van. "I think I saw a small diner a couple minutes back, and it shouldn't be too hard to find a motel we can stay at for the night. Unless you just want to get fast food and keep driving?" Piper looked at Annabeth, examining the dark circles under her eyes and the way her eyelids were dropping a bit. Annabeth needed rest, and, given the crick in Piper's neck and the fact that she'd have no idea where to go, sleeping in the car wasn't an option.

"No, a motel and diner sound nice."

Annabeth sighed in relief, but not in an exaggerated manner, like she thought Piper couldn't see the fact that she was exhausted. "Great."