For @redirthgin. Happy Birthday, Kyra!
Percy wiped the sweat off his brow and bent to pick his sword up off the ground. He grimaced when his fingers wrapped around the cracked leather; the sword wasn’t Riptide, and it wasn’t right.
“Remind me again why we’re doing this,” he groaned, twisting the blade in his hand.
“Demigod training,” his partner said, “Sure, you can fight with Riptide, but you need to be more versatile. Now, again.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and leveled her blade at Percy. He huffed and raised his own blade, mentally preparing himself for yet another thorough butt-kicking. He loved Annabeth, but she was driving him insane. It was hard to resent your sparring partner when she was also your girlfriend.
Annabeth took the first swing, and it was all downhill from there. Percy threw his arm forward to block her strike, but this sword was slightly heavier than Riptide and that threw him off. His block had just a bit too much momentum, which Annabeth noticed with a triumphant smirk. She stepped back and let Percy’s own clumsiness do the work. He knew what would happen a moment before it did. His blade slid against Annabeth’s and continued foreward, bringing Percy with it. He staggered, and Annabeth took her chance. She caught his blade with hers and twisted, sending the sword and her boyfriend crashing to the ground.
Before she could say anything, Percy dusted the sand off his shorts and grunted, “Water break.”
Annabeth watched him push himself to his feet and amble to the cooler at the edge of the arena. She sighed, deciding that as pouty as he was being, she should probably follow him. So she did.
He was sitting on the bench next to the cooler, absently twirling a water bottle and watching the water swish around the sides. He didn’t look up when he heard her footsteps. The cooler opened with a creak. Then Percy heard a click, and his attention snapped up. Annabeth knelt by the cooler, one hand closing what looked like a secret compartment, the other holding a can of coke. The mischievous gleam in her eyes was enough to melt the frustration in Percy’s chest.
“Connor and Travis owed me a favor,” she said, popping the tab on the can and handing it to Percy.
He grinned and took a sip. “Thanks.”
She sat down next to him, fixing him with one of her intuitive gazes that Percy loved and hated at the same time. “You’ve seemed really tense lately, Percy. I’ve never seen you get so worked up over training.”
“Yeah,” he mumbled. Man, she didn’t miss anything.
She continued, “Is everything okay?”
Percy sighed. “I can’t stop thinking about that prophecy. Seven halfbloods…I dunno. I mean, it probably won’t have anything to do with us, but–”
“Is that why you’ve been pushing yourself so hard?” He didn’t respond. “Percy, the war is over. We won. And now, you and I can spend the summer just being together, doing the things we want to do.” She nudged his shoulder, and his sparkling green eyes met her intelligent gray ones. “Canoeing, singing campfire songs…”
“Capture the flag, walks through the strawberry fields,” he added, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“And don’t forget getting beaten to the ground in the arena by your girlfriend.”
He laughed. “You might beat me at swordplay, but I can still do this.” He winked, and the water bottle, sitting discarded on the bench next to Annabeth, exploded. Every drop of water flew in the same direction, leaving a dark stain on the side of her shirt.
She looked up at him, eyes wide with shock. Then, without a word, she stood, strode to the center of the arena, and picked up her sword.
“Annabeth,” Percy warned, his hands splayed in front of him in a mock gesture of terror, “think about what you’re doing…”
“You’re dead, Seaweed Brain!” She charged him, sword raised and a smile on her face. He sprinted to the center and picked up his own sword, raising it to defend against his girlfriend’s attacks.
The two of them sparred for about twenty seconds before both collapsing to the ground, laughing uncontrollably. Yeah, it was definitely hard to resent your sparring partner when she was also your girlfriend.
