Will whenever one of the campers did something really dumb that he specifically told them not to do and they got hurt: I diagnose you with a severe case of dumb. There's no cure.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapter 14:Â I Update My Top Ten List of Worst Conversations Ever
Summary: The Roman emperors and Python have been defeated, the oracles reclaimed, and Apollo restored to godhood. Heâs having somewhat of a hard time adjusting to being back among the gods, which is understandable after his six-month grow-a-conscience speedrun. But something else is rotten in the state of Olympus, and before it can really feel like home, itâs going to require some serious renovation.
Annabeth knows heâs right behind her, but she refuses to stop walking. She has a smile on her face, and sheâs sure it sounds in her voice when she replies, âJackson!â
She laughs quietly when she hears him jogging to keep up. He slows his pace to match hers a few seconds later, and she can feel his eyes on her. She still decides to wait a few seconds before turning to look at him innocently.
âAre you going to keep walking?â
âYes,â Annabeth says. âIâm mad at you.â
Percy grins. âMe? Why would you ever be mad at me?â
âYou rigged the contest.â
âYou have no evidence.â
Annabeth rolls her eyes, but sheâd be lying if she said she wasnât also a bit fond of him. She only stops walking when he tugs at her elbow, and when she turns to face him, she finds him looking her up and down. He looks at her face again with a teasing smile.
âIâve been looking for that.â
Annabeth sniffs, indignant. âLooking for what?â
âIf you wanted my jacket, you couldâve just asked,â Percy says. âI wouldâve been happy to give it to you.â
âOh.â She looks down at the jacket that is definitely his and thumbs the edge of the fabric. âThis old thing? I had no idea it was yours.â
âRight.â
âI saw it lying around, and I figured someone could use it.â
Percy laughs.
âReally, you can have it back,â Annabeth says. âI wouldnât want to get an infection from it.â
âThatâs just hurtful.â
Annabeth cracks a grin.
âWhy did you steal it?â
âYou stole my title,â Annabeth explains. âSo I stole your jacket. It seems like a fair deal, donât you think?â
Percy leans against the wall to let one of the freshmen walking down the hallway pass by. âHave you considered that maybe I didnât steal the title? Maybe I just did a better job decorating.â
âMaybe,â Annabeth gives him. âDoesnât mean you didnât cheat.â
âI was bound to cheat at some point,â Percy says. âYouâve won the decorating contest five years in a row. You really should have expected this.â
Annabeth bites her lower lip in a smile. âSo you did cheat.â
âAgain, I canât confirm, butââ
âIâm going to report you to the principal,â Annabeth says. âAnd the police. Youâre going to jail. I will make sure of it myself.â
âKiss ass.â
âCheater,â Annabeth spits back.
He shoves her shoulder lightly. He doesnât say anything else, and she doesnât either. They just stare at each other, and Percyâs eyes keep darting down to his sweater she has on. She hadnât given it much thought as to how it would look to other people. She had just wanted to get a rise out of him, and it had. It just wasnât necessarily the one she expected.
âIâm going to need you to explain it again,â Percy says suddenly. His hand grabs hers for a moment before moving to the sleeves that fall below her fingers. âHow exactly does me beating you in the decoration contest correlate to you wearing my jacket around the school?â
Annabeth blinks. âUm.â
âBecause Iâm starting to think that it doesnât correlate at all, and you just wanted to wear my jacket.â
âWhy would I ever do that?â
âBecause it smells like me. I thought you liked that smell.â
Annabeth groans. âThat was not what I said.â
âIt is quite literally what you said.â Percy laughs in her face when she rolls her eyes. âIs that why youâre wearing my jacket?â
âNo.â She runs her hands over the front of it, feeling the bumps of the printed reindeer. âI just liked the picture so I stole it. It looks better on me, anyway.â
âIt definitely does.â
Annabeth pauses to look at him. He doesnât seem to be ashamed or embarrassed by his words. Instead, he looks like heâs taunting her, with that troublemaker smile and his sparkling eyes. Heâs waiting to see how sheâll react, she thinks.
âWhat did you just say?â
âI said it looks better on you than it does on me.â
âI donât know what Iâm supposed to say to that.â
âYouâre not supposed to say anything,â Percy tells her. âYouâre supposed to drag me to the nearest mistletoe and make out with me. Itâs the rule.â
âItâs a rule if youâre already standing under mistletoe, which we are not.â
âLet me show you my classroom,â Percy says. âI think I put some mistletoe up in there somewhere.â
âOh, really?â Annabeth muses. âDid you put it up there, or did Piper?â
Percyâs face falls. âShe told you?!â
âOf course she did! I havenât lost this contest in five years, and suddenly youâre stealing first place? She let up the second I questioned her.â
âOkay, but what exactly did she say?â
Annabeth eyes him, a mix of disappointment and amusement. âUsing the rich kid to decorate your classroom is a new low for you, Jackson.â
âIt never said in the rules that I couldnât.â
âThey probably thought it was common sense not to exploit your students.â
âBut technically, I didnât cheat. I used my resources wisely, according to Piper.â
âAccording to Piper,â Annabeth mocks. âAnd you used my favorite student to cheat. Iâve been betrayed by both of you.â
âPiper will do anything you say, unless it comes to the two of us getting together,â Percy says. âShe was adamant about that. There is mistletoe in every possible spot of the room just in case you walked in. Thatâs what she said, anyway.â
âHm. Iâm going to have a chat with her.â
âAnd the principal?â
Annabeth sighs. âI suppose not with the principal. Youâd get fired, and then youâd never be able to see how hard Iâm going to kick your ass next year.â
Percy grabs her hand now, and Annabeth focuses on how normal it feels for the two of them. His hand is warm, and she never wants to let go. âCome on. After you get over your anger of not winningââ
ââOf you cheatingââ
ââYouâll be really impressed by my room.â
Annabeth doesnât want to give in out of pure spite, but another part of her wants to take his hand and never look back. She gives in.
âIâll look at your room.â
Percy grins.
âBut I will not kiss you under the mistletoe. Thatâs embarrassing.â
Percy gasps playfully. âI think that itâs adorable, but fine. You can always give me that kiss now, though. A little congratulations for winning?â
Annabeth rolls her eyes but steps onto her toes to give him a quick kiss. Heâs ready for it, his hands sliding behind her back, and it makes her smile into it.
When she pulls away, heâs looking at her in adoration. His voice is cute and excited when he says again, âLet me show you my room.â
And so she lets him pull her down the hall with a smile plastered to her face.
He turns to look at her over his shoulder and says, âI still expect those mistletoe kisses, though.â
Maybe itâs not the worst thing, she decides. Still, she laughs and gives him a bright smile. âWeâll see.â
âWeâll try, Ms. Jackson,â Annabeth said. âKeeping your son safe is a big job, though.â She folded her arms and glared out the kitchen window. I picked at my napkin and tried not to say anything.
My mom frowned. âWhatâs going on with you two? Have you been fighting?â
- The Battle of The Labyrinth
Nah Sally, Annabeth hereâs just jealous coz the plan was to bring Rachel along.
I literally cracked up at the part where Annabeth broke the cookie in half which probably made Percy anxious for his life. Hereâs the full piece of that 14 yr old percy illust i posted!
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It took me forever to finish this comic but I really had to do this scene. When I read it I SWEAR I havenât been able to sleep or doing anything for hours.