Runaway Bride (Percabeth AU)

The Arch

Ah, good old St.Louis, almost halfway to our destination. We had decided to chose the Arch, it was supposed to amazing. We could even go to the very top on an elevator. Sounds perfect, right?
Not to Percy.
See, Percy had told me he had a deathly fear of heights. He refused to even step foot in the elevator.
"Percy, come on!" I begged.
He shook his head. "Nothing you say will make me-"
I cut him off effectively by kissing him.
"Now?" I said, trying to be cute. It worked.
"I'm closing my eyes." He compromised.
I squealed. "Yay! Now, let's go on!" I dragged him and like he said, squeezed his eyes shut. I held his hand, and since we were alone, I asked him the question.
"Percy, what was your ex-wife like?" I asked. He took a deep breath.
"Her name was Rachel," he began.
"She was an artist. Not too famous, but well known. She had green eyes, and frizzy red hair. Firey red. She was a cheater, too. Some loser named Octivian. That was one of the reasons." He finished. I opened my mouth to say more, but he smiled, the whole closing eye things over.
"Nope. My turn." He teased.
"Well? What do you want to know?" I asked.
"What were your parents like?" He asked. I was taken aback. I thought he would ask about my love life again.
"Well, my mother had me, decided she didn't want me, and dumped me with my father. He was a complete workaholic. Never had time for me. He remarried when I was 1, to a monster called Helen. Claimed I was a troublemaker. Always causing this and that. When I was seven, they had a pair of twins, and she wanted me out of the picture. Completely. She sent me to this foster home in Sacramento, where I met Leo, and they decided they had too many kids. So, before they could send me away to a different home, I ran away. I met my best friend, Thalia, on the streets. We ran for a while, until we found this year round sleep away camp. When I was nineteen, I met Luke, and three years later, I'm here." I explained. Percy looked at me with sorrowful eyes.
"I'm sorry." He said. I shook my head.
"It's not your fault. It's my stupid mother and my stupid stepmothers and Luke's and.." before I could go on, I burst into tears. Percy hugged me close and rubbed my back.
"Annabeth, I will never, ever, ever, push you away. I swear." He whispered. I looked up at him.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Maybe really will be our okay." I murmured.
"Really." Percy said, grinning.
LATER
PERCYS POV
Annabeth and I decided to crash at a hotel in St. Louis. We stopped at a place, and Annabeth took a shower. I was laying in bed, and a soft chirp! Came from Annabeth's phone. Now, this next part might sound stalkerish, but I had to answer it when it wouldn't stop buzzing. I picked it up and ran out to the hallway.
I answered it.
"Annie?" A mans voice asked. I double checked the caller ID.
Luke.
I responded.
"No, this is her friend. Can I help you?" I asked.
"Looks like Annie got herself a new guy already. That cheatin-"
"Hey! We're just friends!" I exclaimed.
"Whatever. Where is she?" Luke asked.
"Not in California. We're going on a road trip." I said.
He snorted. "Has she told you?" He said.
"What?"
"Well, her stepmother was very rude. She just snapped and hit her stepmom."
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, her punishment was even worse. She was sent and locked into a closet for ten days. No food nor water."
"How does this affect her?"
"She has major PTSD. Put four guys in the hospital when she was out drinking again-"
"Listen, I don't care what she did, she's still my g-friend." I stopped myself before I could say girlfriend.
"I'm just saying, she will do the same to you. Now, where is she?"
"Florida." I lied, and hung up. He called back, and I blocked his number.
I darted back into our room, and luckily, she was still in the shower.
When she came out in her pajamas, I started another game.
"What is your plan for New York?" I asked her. Her eyes seemed to light up at the mention of the city.
"Well, I want to go to Columbia college, graduate, and become an architect." She said. "You?"
"I want to go and study Marine Biology."
"Percy, are we still going to be together, when we get there?" She said abruptly.
"I mean, I love you, Annabeth. I want to be with you, if that's what you mean." I responded simply.
"That's what I mean." She said dreamily. We talked more about our sightseeing, our plans, our future.
We talked some more, about mindless chatter, and we fell asleep, her resting in my my arms.
Half asleep, she said,
"I love you."
I kissed her temple.
"I love you more." I promised, and drifted off into the future.