Diners, Kisses, and Monster Dust

Oneshot

The air was suffused with a hint of rose as the sunlit meadow around us whispered with the breeze-

Okay, no. Actually we were sitting in a dingy diner, the sort of place that makes you wonder if health inspectors actually exist. And if they buy more grease than actual food. I picked at a stain on the table, ignoring the (predictably greasy) pancakes I'd gotten from the all-day breakfast menu. My nails were lined with dirt and someone's blood, plus a glittering golden accent of dead monster. Come to think of it, I probably had glitter in the color Very Dead Gorgon and Beheaded Hellhound all over me.

A fashion statement, I'm sure.

Percy had his size hundreds propped up on my bench seat, the tired and frayed laces flopping sadly. In the dim diner lighting, I couldn't really tell whether they were stained with blood or dirt, though knowing Percy syrup was probably involved at some point.

"Feet off the seat," I mumbled halfheartedly, too tired to really do anything about it. The buzz of a dying lightbulb was giving me a headache. "Let's go. I'd like to sleep tonight."

Percy smiled cheekily. "Sorry I wrecked your goal then, seeing as it's one twenty nine AM." I groaned, tipping my head back against the cracked vinyl.

"I'll sleep here and you'll have to carry me home," I threatened. I felt extraordinarily threatening, that was for sure, with exactly no sleep and my hair looking like I just got out of Hades' Hair Salon: For that singed, tangled look.

Percy's shoes disappeared from my seat and landed on the floor with a thump, leaving me to sink further into the red cushion. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he stood up from his side of the table and slid onto my seat, squishing me against the wall even though he had plenty of room.

"Perrccyy," I moaned. "Move."

He shifted so his hip pressed into mine, pushing me against the cold window.

"Percy, you're a pain," I snapped.

"Percy the Pain," he repeated, grinning with that infectious smile and those stupid good looks. Even coated in dirt and grass, he looked good. "I like that."

It was not fair.

"Stop it," I complained, shoving him over. "Percy, seriously, move." He cocked an eyebrow and gave me about a quarter inch more space.

"Alright, grumpy."

"The window is cold," I grumbled by way of justification. "So I'm cold." Immediately, he wrapped his arms around me. I must admit, some of the nastier curses aimed towards him disappeared from the tip of my tongue.

"Better?" Sweet concern etched the lines of his face as he pulled me into him until I was practically in his lap. Under the hoodie printed with AHS SWIM TEAM, I could feel his heartbeat. The tangible reminder that he was alive was nice. Soothing, despite the fact that we were sitting in a diner dozens of miles from Camp, the same camp that was only slightly destroyed. No way to get there and it was one thirty four in the morning. There was a monster somewhere on our tail but we'd given up on chasing it in circles. Percy still smelled of oil and ocean from his battle at Camp and I hadn't slept since the day before, seeing as I'd been too busy fighting my way from Boston to the city, but here we were. Leaning on each other for the first time in weeks.

"You know I love you, right?" he whispered, ducking down to make up for his five inch height advantage.

I turned away, just enough so he couldn't reach my lips. "I don't know, I think you need to prove it."

Percy immediately put on a ridiculously pompous British accent. "Alright, Princess. May I have the honor of this kiss with my dearly beloved Annabeth?" I pursed my lips and shook my head, trying to stifle my laughter. I was just lucky that the rest of the restaurant was completely empty except for our waiter in the corner on her phone.

"Nope, too creepy."

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the moment in which Percy's girlfriend lets him kiss her for the first time in weeks?"

I snorted ungracefully, nearly knocking over my coffee. "What, am I dead or something?"

"I mean, I was going for wedding-esque, but whatever floats your boat, my dearest darlingest delightful-est love."

"I'll send you to English school. No kissing allowed."

"Kissing is a language of love, so how 'bout a conversation?" Percy wiggled his eyebrows furiously and attempted some sort of "I'm staring into your soul" gaze, only he looked like a stalker that was definitely not going to stare into my soul, but certainly in the vague direction of my heart, if you get my meaning.

"If I bit my lip, would you kiss it better?" he tried hopefully at my lack of response to the last attempt.

"Percy, if I kissed you better every time you got hurt then we'd be constantly making out."

The gleam in his eye let me know I'd just given him a terrible idea. "That sounds fantastic, actually."

I shook my head and groaned. "Not good enough, dearest-darlingest-annoyingest."

"If-" he started again.

"Oh, shut up and kiss me already."

Short and sweet in honor of the something-somethingest anniversary of Percy and Annabeth! I hope you enjoyed and if you're new to my writing, please go check out Liberty and Death, my other Percabeth-centric story! I'd greatly appreciate a favorite or even a review,, if you can spare a moment.

Thanks!

-Dreams