Percabeth Short Stories

Would You Rather Love Someone Else?

*Set four years after end of Giant War. Percy and Annabeth are living in New Rome together.

Percy hated not knowing what was on in his girlfriend Annabeth's mind. He had grown to understand her Athena-child programmed mind, but had lately been noticing an unusual decrease in her personality. She rarely had long conversations with him after he had come home from training new demigods, and seemed almost distant, as if they were miles apart rather than only a few inches.

So, he set out to figure out why she was acting like this, and one day after a hard day sword-fighting, he decided to ask her what was wrong.

Percy came home as usual. But instead of Annabeth sitting on the couch finishing up some plans or reading a book, she wasn't there at all! Percy went into the kitchen and grabbed an apple before heading off towards her office. There she was, sketching something on her notepad. "Hey, Wise Girl." He greeted, and she jumped, glancing back at him.

"Hey, Percy." Annabeth replied in a monotone, then went back to her work.

Percy hovered in the doorway, unsure of what to say. "Uh, how was your day?" He finally asked.

"Mmm, good." Annabeth said.

"Can I cook dinner tonight?"

"Okay."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you stressed out? Do you want me to call in sick for you tomorrow so you can have the day off?"

"Percy! I work at home!" She snapped, glaring up at him. Percy was taken aback. She never spoke to him like this, it was almost as if she were a teenage girl dodging past her parent's constant questions about her day.

"Can I have a kiss?" Percy asked hopefully.

"No," Annabeth scowled. "Now leave me alone."

Percy went into the room and snatched the notebook out of her hands.

Annabeth slowly looked up at him. "Percy." She said through gritted teeth. "Give it back."

"Wise Girl, you hardly talk to me anymore. We've been growing distant every day. I want my Annabeth back. The girl who calls me Seaweed Brain and is my anchor to the world." Percy looked at her with pleading eyes, but Annabeth's expression didn't even waver.

"Just give me my notebook back, Kelp Head."

This took Percy off guard. He gaped at her, and Annabeth managed to grab the book out from his hands. "Now leave." She said, turning away from him. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Percy turned and walked out of the room, feeling angry. Usually when he snatched her notebook away they would spend ten minutes chasing each other through the house until Annabeth had pinned him and then given him a long, passionate kiss on the lips. After that, Percy would be filled with joy and he would cook dinner and they would laugh and chat over the meal.

But now, all Percy felt was emptiness. After a dinner of spaghetti bolognaise which was greeted with silence, they sat on opposite ends of the couch to watch TV. Percy glanced over at Annabeth who was staring at the screen blankly and sighed to himself.

They went to bed and Annabeth turned away from Percy. He tried to wrap his arms around her, but she shook him off. "Not now, Percy." She grumbled.

By dawn, Percy had decided that Annabeth had changed, and that the real Annabeth wouldn't be coming back for a while.

As he went in to work at midday, Percy had the whole morning to himself. He devised a plan to get Annabeth back, and when he was certain that it would either work or go horribly wrong, he began to write a note.

Dear Annabeth,

What would you say to me if I told you that I love you? One time, I remember that I told you that, and you kissed me. Under candlelight. Loving is a serious thing, Wise Girl. Don't you understand?

You used to smile when we went on dates. Only I could see how much you loved me, but now I feel like it was all just an act. Unclear is how I feel about your feelings, and I hope you understand that.

Remember when we used to snuggle up on the couch together and cuddle and kiss? 'Always and forever' was what you said. Those times were the best, and I'll always appreciate how much fun we had. How could we fall apart so quickly, though? Everyday leading up to when you're here now, reading this letter, I've been so worried, but now I'm not, because I know that you don't love me anymore. Right now, you're only just a distant memory.

Loving you was the best sort of love I'ver ever felt. Other times, it felt almost blank, but with you, I was truly happy. Very often I would comment on your beauty and you would smile and blush. Ending this fairytale is our best bet, I'm sorry.

Sometimes I was in love with you. Other times I would feel so plain, like a blank piece of paper. Mostly though, I loved you, Wise Girl. Everyday you miss me - if you ever do - always think that. The times we shared were amazing, and I'll never forget that. Only a few times did I ever doubt that you loved me back. Never did I imagine that we would break up like this, though. Every time I think about the broken pieces of our relationship, I want to cry, because I've never loved someone as much as you, and I probably never will.

Even though this letter is coming to a close, I wish to explain to you how I truly felt in this last paragraph. Loving you was beautiful, Wise Girl, like watching a perfect romance movie, except we were the movie. Sometimes I hated you, sometimes I loved you; it was an even match. Each time I saw your face, I fell in love with you a little bit more.

Just remember that. Please. I beg you to realise that all I ever wanted was to love you forever. But it turns out that you never loved me as much as I did. So I close this letter with one final goodbye, and by the time you've read it, I'll be far away from here.

-Sincerely, Your Seaweed Brain, Percy.

(P.S: I've encrypted a coded question. If you can't figure it out or don't want to answer, then I'll understand that you've changed and that the old Wise Girl is well and truly gone.)

Done. Percy thought to himself softly. He laid the letter on their bed and grabbed a bag and stuffed some clothes into it. As he walked out the door to their home for the last time, he felt a plain sort of hollowness. Annabeth didn't even say goodbye, so he was left as a shell, protected yet hollow and blank.

Percy calmly walked up the steps to Jason and Piper's apartment. He knocked on the door three times and waited. Piper opened it, and when she saw who it was, gasped. "Percy!" She cried, giving him a quick hug. "What are you doing here? And why do you have a bag...?" She trailed off.

Percy sighed. "I decided to break it off with Annabeth. I'm requesting a room, single bed will do, and three meals a day."

Piper looked Percy in the eye. He stared back challengingly.

"Percy, Annabeth loves you, you realise that, don't you?" She asked.

"No, I don't." Percy snapped. "She never talks to me anymore. She never listens to me or acknowledges my presence. Our time as a couple is up, Piper. She doesn't love me anymore."

Percy felt a tear trickle down his cheek. He sniffed, and stared at the ground at his feet.

"Alright." Piper opened the door, but shot him a weird look.

As Percy entered the room, he flashed back to the encrypted message he had given in the letter. By tonight, he would know if she would rather love someone else.