Fatally Flawed - Percabeth (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Chapter one.

Love can be a fatal flaw. Annabeth had figured that out quite quickly around two years ago. She had learned that she had two fatal flaws. The first was her pride: which provoked a never-ending need to be right. Her second oh-so-fatal flaw was the love of her demigod life, Percy Jackson.

Annabeth didn't admit it to many people, including Percy, but she knew that if anything ever happened to Percy, her life would go straight to Tartarus. She didn't have a life without him—she didn't want life without him. Much to her dismay, he was her entire life, now. Her life revolved around him, and when he was gone, part of her went with him. It scared her more than a little to think that a boy, who could easily break up with her, controlled her. Percy was gone—missing—and here she was, walking around Camp Half-Blood like a mindless zombie. It had been twelve days since she'd last seen her boyfriend. He'd kissed her forehead, and swore on the River Styx that he'd make it back home for her birthday. But here she was, freshly eighteen, and there was no sight of her boyfriend. She was reasonably worried. If he didn't make it, not only would he let Annabeth down, but he'd be cursed to suffer a great deal of unthinkable punishment in the depths of Tartarus.

She was still thinking about Percy when she entered the Big House. As she flipped on the light switch, a loud echo screamed, "Happy Birthday!" She was caught by surprise, and braced herself for an attack, but a wave of relief flooded her body when she registered her surroundings.  She unclenched her hand from around her knife, and let out a sigh. It was only her friends. She scanned the room, feeling hopeful, but she didn't see Percy's face anywhere in the crowd, only campers and counselors that she'd come to know over the last eleven years at camp.

The night proceeded uneventfully, and by eleven thirty, she'd been told, "Happy eighteenth!" about eighteen thousand times. Things had started slowing down, and Annabeth snuck out. Surprisingly, no one noticed her disappearing act—except Jason Grace.

"You know, everyone worked really hard on this surprise for you. It's a little rude to skip out so early," he called after her. She was already by the beach, staring out into the lake. Jason wasn't a terrible guy, but for some reason, he always made Annabeth's skin crawl. When Percy took charge, there was resentment Jason harbored toward him. He was younger than Percy, by probably seven months to a year—she'd never found it necessary to know. "You think Percy will make it back in time?" The way Jason asked, it was almost as if he was hoping Percy would never make it back.

The way Jason was looking at her made her palms sweat, and her heart race. He was scaring her. She made it a habit to never be alone with a boy that wasn't her boyfriend, because it made situations awkward. Jason kept walking closer to Annabeth, and she didn't like it at all. "Yeah, well, you could go back up there and tell them my stomach hurt. I'd appreciate some time alone."

"We are alone," he said.

Annabeth fumbled to get her knife out of its hitch on the side of her hip, and when she finally had it unleashed, it jumped out of her hands, straight into the lake below. She cursed herself mentally.

The roar of the lake became louder with every step Jason took. He didn't seem to notice. His hand made its way to Annabeth's face, and she froze. Not like wow, I'm so stunned that I can't function. It was Jason. He was using the elements to restrain her. But she knew one element he couldn't control—water. The lake shot up, and a wall of water brushed right past Annabeth, and slammed into Jason.

Percy appeared when the water dissipated, looking more furious than Annabeth had ever seen him in the past six years. "You dropped this," he said, handing Annabeth her now-dripping-wet knife. He was trying to control his anger as he spoke. When he met her eyes, though, he couldn't even pretend to be mad anymore. He smiled, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "By the way, I love you, too."

Annabeth's heart soared. It had been two years since she'd told Percy she loved him, and she never got an answer. When she had brought it up that he didn't reply, he looked solemn and said, "Love is a powerful thing, Annabeth. I know how I feel for you, and I think you know, as well. But when something is said, it's spoken into existence, and others will use that as a weakness."

Before she could kiss him, a figure groaned behind him, and Percy turned. His facial expression turned to stone. His eyes locked on Jason, who was coughing up water by the gallon. Percy stomped to where he laid on the beach, and before Jason had time to recover, he decked him square in the face. Jason fell limp, knocked out cold. "Don't ever touch my girlfriend, ever again," he growled.

Chrion made a toast to Percy that night, when he showed up to the Big House. He had made it home safely, once again, saving Olympus. Percy shook it off like it wasn't a big deal, and Annabeth smiled. She loved his humble spirit, she loved his mission to protect his friends, and she loved him.

When Percy showed up at the infirmary with Jason over his shoulder, with a swollen eye, nonetheless, he wasn't questioned. No one questioned Percy's intentions anymore. He was held on a different standard than the others, including Annabeth. If Percy saw it fit to streak through camp, Annabeth was pretty sure an army of naked demigods would follow his lead.

The only one who was concerned for Jason was Piper. Although they had split a month back, it was obvious she still cared for him. Jason had changed since Piper had called it quits with him. He was mean, dark and..well, he seemed almost evil. As far as Annabeth was concerned, he needed Piper in his life. She wondered if Percy needed her in the same way.

They took a walk together around seven the next morning. Neither of them were much of morning people, but they couldn't be apart for much longer. "I thought you said love was a weakness," Annabeth said. She was staring out at the horizon. "What changed your mind?"

"I never said love was a weakness," Percy protested. "My mind only reflects my heart, Annabeth. You know I've loved you since we were twelve. I only feel the need to tell you now, because it seems that you might've gotten a little bored with me." Percy's expression was pained.

"What?" Annabeth asked. It took her a minute to realize he was referring to her and Jason's encounter on the beach, just before Percy erupted out of the water. "Percy, no—"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Annabeth. I'm here now, and I'll be here until we reach our end." But Annabeth could tell how hurt he was by what he had seen on the beach...or what he thought he'd seen.

"You're talking so different," she noted. "You sound so much older, so much more mature."

"I've seen a lot these past few days. I guess being around the gods has rubbed off on me." He wasn't meeting her eyes, and his hand had slipped away from hers. Anger built up inside of her toward Jason. He was making Percy withdraw from her.

"So, how was it?" she asked. "Fighting among the gods, was it as thrilling as you thought it would be?"

"No more thrilling than being here with you, Annabeth. You were the only thing I was thinking about while I was away. You were in every dream. I saw a lot of what I was missing at camp in my dreams," he said. He was hesitating. He met her eyes, drew in a breath, and monotonously said, "Including the kiss."