Into the Clouds | Percabeth| Mortal AU

Chapter Nineteen

Annabeth didn't know what to do so she spent the day avoiding Percy.

Until Geography class when the teacher said today was a work day to catch up on research so she had to work with Percy.

The first thing he said when she walked over to his desk was, "Did I do something wrong?"

Annabeth sighed and pulled up a chair. "No. You did everything right, I just... I didn't know how to handle..."

"Me kissing you?" Percy finished helpfully.

Annabeth nodded. "Exactly, I mean... I just... don't really know how to do... this."

Percy frowned. "Do what?"

"I don't know what the protocol is when you kiss someone. I've never done it," she mumbled.

"And you think I do?"

Annabeth looked up from her book. "Wait..."

"Annabeth, I've never kissed anyone before you."

"Then why do you act like a whore?" she asked honestly.

Percy stifled a laugh. "I--"

The teacher interrupted Percy. "Annabeth, your father is in the office. There is something important he needs to tell you," she said, clearly annoyed that someone interrupted her class time.

"I'm coming with you," Percy said.

Annabeth and Percy hurries down to the office. Her dad was pacing back and forth outside the front of the school and Annabeth went out to see him. "What is this all about?" she asked. "I'm in class and you're not--"

Annabeth was cut off when her dad shoved a phone in her face with a photo. "Someone thought I should know I was being lied to by my whore daughter."

It was a clear photo of her over Percy at the park, kissing him. That must have been the noise they heard last night.

He grabs Annabeth's arm and she felt his fingers digging into her flesh and she yelped in pain.

Percy pushed him off of her and stood in front of Annabeth. "Do you have no shame?" he spat at her dad. "You are a sorry excuse for a father and if there was not a lady around I would have some not-so-pretty words for you. Why don't you just leave. You're not getting her or her brothers ever."

“Fine, I’ll leave. But don’t expect any more payments for the house or anything, for that matter," he said as he walked towards his car.

Percy turned around and faced Annabeth. Bruises were already showing up on her arm from her dad. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Can we just get out of here for a bit?" Annabeth asked, trying to hide her tears, but they showed in her voice.

"Yeah, of course."

;;;

Percy pulled up in front of some apartment buildings and put the car in park. "I hope you're okay I brought you here, I think my mom will be home and she'll probably ask."

"This is perfect," Annabeth said. "Anywhere but that school is perfect."

Inside the little apartment, it smelled like cookies. When Percy and Annabeth walked inside, a woman with brown hair came around the corner wearing an apron. "Percy," she said. "Why are you home early?" she paused and looked at Annabeth. "Oh, you must be Annabeth!" she exclaimed, giving her a hug. "I've heard so much about you."

Annabeth glanced at Percy who was staring at the floor with red creeping across his cheeks.

"Good things I hope?" Annabeth said with a smile.

The woman glanced at Percy and smiled. "Oh yeah, definitely good things."

Percy cleared his throat. "Anyway, we had a situation at school that wasn't the best, so we decided to ditch for the rest of the day."

Sally looked at the bruises that Annabeth was trying to hide and nodded. "That's perfectly fine. Why don't you guys watch some TV or something?" She glanced at her watch. "Oh, I need to get Estelle from daycare. I trust you two can behave yourselves?"

"I think we can manage," Percy said.

Annabeth quickly texted Thalia that she went home with Percy and wouldn't need a ride after school, to which Thalia replied with a winking face.

Percy led Annabeth to the living room and sat down on the couch. Annabeth left a few inches of space between her and Percy, who was turning on Frozen. "Do you like this movie?"

Annabeth chuckled. "I'll settle for any movie that's not Tinkerbell, I've seen them all hundreds of times."

She did her best to keep space but halfway through the movie she leaned against Percy and he put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

He smelled like that ocean body wash you got when you couldn't afford anything else, which for some reason made Annabeth smile to herself. She loved the scent of it. It made her feel safe.

It had been a long time since she felt like that.