A/N: So. Freaking. Difficult. I took so long to write this, I just couldnât find the words to finish it! Well, anyway, extra long because two people asked for it. âwink, wink. For childofaphrodite and the anon who asked me for a percabeth fight that Logan would be aware of. I hope you like it! And hint, hint, I put an âGo To Bedâ reference here. I couldnât resist it. See if you can spot it. *I had typed Oblivious instead of Go To Bed, stupid me, the lovely  in-demigodishness-and-all-that pointed it out. Thank you, honey!
Annabeth hated fighting with Percy. Sure, they had their occasional spats that ended up in laughter and make up five minutes later when one of them got lost in their train of thought. Those were frequent and harmless and even amusing. But fighting, really fighting with him, that was rare and terrible and she hated every second of it. He was so much more than a boyfriend, a husband, he was her best friend, right arm, the one person she trusted with her life. She loved him, so much it was almost too much. He was everything to her and fighting him just hurt.Â
It never happened out of the blue, they started innocently, a grumbled comment here and there, a snappy remark. Then they would progress into annoyed looks and exasperated sighs. The little things that had always bothered them about each other became pounding headaches, irritating them beyond belief. The tension kept building up as the friction between them grew to angry sparks until one day a pointed comment would spontaneously turn into a full blown fight.
She didnât know what had happened this time. She remembered him picking Logan's drawing on the fridge and commenting morosely on how fast he was growing without him even noticing. She could have let it slide, she should have let it slide, but before she could hold her tongue, she had already said that maybe if he was more at home then maybe he would notice. She regretted saying it instantly. She didnât have the right to accuse him of neglecting his son. Percy was a great father, he gave Logan all the love and attention neither of them had had from their fathers, and every time he spent away from home was the strictly necessary kind. That had been unnecessary and mean and just plain hurtful. She wanted to apologize, but her pride wouldnât let her. And he noticed. And suddenly they were nose to nose, whispering furiously sharp edged words in a competition of who could cut the deepest.
His sea green eyes lost the dancing humor and the warmth she loved so much, they were filled with hurt and a look of betrayal. It made her chest tighten in a painful way because he never looked at her with anything but love. He got more and more sarcastic with every word until everything that came out of his mouth seemed like a jab to her pride. Her pride⌠It had always been somewhere in the middle of their fights. Her one sore spot, her fatal flaw, the one thing to bring her to her downfall. It scared her sometimes, to think that one day it could create such a rift between them that it could bring their downfall. She choked up. Angry tears started filling her eyes against her will. She was frustrated and so mad, mad at herself for crying in front of him, for even starting that stupid fight to begin with, mad at him for not stopping her. She wiped her tears angrily with the back of her hand, lifting her head to face him head on, trying not to damage her pride any more. But when she looked at him, his eyes had changed. They were filled with dismay and remorse. Soft again, warm again, and filled with the same love sheâd always seen in them.
âI⌠I made you cry.â he said, voice strained with emotion, face scrunching in a pained expression. She looked away, embarrassed.
âNo.â he insisted, shaking his head. âI⌠I promised. After all weâve been through⌠I promised I wouldnât be the one to make you cry.â
Her lips quivered. She wanted so badly to just step forward and walk into his arms. Fighting with him was terrible, being angry with him was tiring and draining and horrible, but the worst was being away from him. Whenever they fought, they created a distance between them, like an invisible barrier that kept them apart even if they were close. She could be right beside him and feel a million miles away. And the truth was, through it all, she missed him. She missed his sarcastic humor, his troublemaker smiles, his carefree personality. She missed his hugs and his kisses and his awkward sweetness. She just missed him, and she wanted him back so very badly it was almost physically painful.
He opened his arms. She walked right in. She buried her face in the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He was trembling, they were both trembling, with a mixture of emotion and aftershock of the fight.
âI hate fighting with you.â she whispered against his skin. He pulled her impossibly closer, nuzzling her face with his nose.
âIâm sorry.â he mumbled into her hair.
The familiar sound of feet shuffling in the wooden floor called their attention to the door. Logan was standing at the edge of the hallway, hugging Boat tight to his chest, spying them with half his face hidden in the door frame. His bottom lip jutted out, as if he was upset, but his eyes showed confusion. They sighed, wariness filling them. They had done their best to keep it quiet and not wake him up, but had he seen their fighting? Annabeth sat down on the couch and opened her arms to her son. He rushed into the living room and ran into her hug.
âWhat is it, honey?â she asked, pulling him up to sit on her lap. Percy sat beside her, eyes soft and tender.
âMommy and daddy are fighting?â he asked, looking at them with a suspicious look. They opened their mouths, hesitating on what to say.
âWell, LogueâŚâ Percy started, but Logan cut him off.
âDaddy, did you get mommyâs cereal again?â
The question was so innocent and stern that they couldnât remain serious. Smiles crept up their faces, though they tried to hide it. The residual tension of the fight slowly melted away into the humor of his statement and the memory of why Logan thought Percy was stealing cereal the last time.
âNo, honey, daddy doesnât steal cereal anymore.â Annabeth said with a chuckle.
âSharing is good.â Percy said, nodding seriously, as if he had memorized the message. Logan nodded along, looking satisfied his lesson was learned.
âMommy and daddy were just being stupid and pig-headed, Logue.â His mother said finally, smiling at him softly, pushing his hair back away from his eyes.
âBut youâre fine now.â He said, eyes wide and voice trembling. His parents sighed, regret and guilt filling them.
âWeâre fine now.â They assured him.
He settled back into his motherâs lap, leaning against her chest, playing half-heartedly with his toy ship. Annabeth leaned her head on Percyâs shoulder. She had missed him so much. It was so good to have him back. He rested his chin on top of her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.Â
âLove you.â He mumbled into her hair.
âLove you too.â She whispered back, turning her head and placing a tender kiss on his neck.
âMe!â Logan whined. They laughed.
âWe love you too, Logue.â
âAnd Boat!â he added pointedly.
âYes, we love Boat too.âÂ
It wasnât their first fight, and maybe it wouldnât be the last, but for now, it was just good to sit down, huddled up together, Logan playing between them and being content in knowing they loved each other, and no amount of fighting would ever change that.