This might be a really bad idea to post this, but here we are. An itty bitty tidbit of a story I have in mind.

I might take this down and repost it as a complete oneshot when its done. I don't know yet.

Papercuts

"Why didn't anyone tell me that divorces suck." Annabeth groaned exasperatedly while gripping her skull. Curls threaded between her splayed fingers and tumbling lusciously down like a waterfall. A file of papers spread threateningly out in front of her. Binding black letters glaring up at her evilly.

"Common courtesy?" Percy offered with a shrug while he set her usual out in front of her. A steaming crimson mug of black coffee, one cream with a plain old fashioned powdered sugar donut sitting on a simple white china plate.

He'd made the batch of donuts fresh that morning anticipating her arrival and her desperate need for something sweet. The coffee was already a given thanks to Annabeth's incurable addiction to caffeine.

"Nobody wants to tell you about divorce when you're in a rocky marriage." Percy added as Annabeth accepted the food with a that grateful smile she always seemed to have on hand. The usual warmth blossoming in his chest followed as he rubbed his neck trying to cease the feeling. "Not that everyone knew your marriage was rocky… it just didn't seem… uh… "

Sending him a pursed smile, Annabeth looked back to her papers with that mellow look still in her eyes. He wanted that look gone, he wanted her to sparkle like she used to.

"It's okay." she sighed. Her figure and angelic face complimented by the morning sunshine streaming in through the window. "I'm not going to pretend things were fine. I know people saw this coming. I just wish I did. I was so sure I could fix this. I was so ready to at least."

Percy felt his heart hiccup a little. The lost longing in her face and the quiet grievance in her shoulders was still there from last week when she'd called him up bawling and sobbing about how she'd found her husband in bed with another woman. The way her shoulders trembled when he held her made him feel useless and awful. How she'd been reduced to a crumpled flower by the one supposed to keep her strong made him feel like he wasn't there for her enough. It also made him want to bash in Daniel's face, but he decided to save that for later.

Daniel had been Annabeth's husband after all. Even if he was a filthy clot of crap usually found blocking drains, he was the one she picked to live her forever with and Percy only wanted her happy. Even if the bastard filled her head with empty promises, even if he never made any sacrifices for her while she made them all, and even if he always kept her from seeing her friends he was still Annabeth's husband.

And it killed Percy. Not because Annabeth never had even thought of him romantically, or that she'd picked a scum bag to marry. Oh no. It was because after all Daniel did to her, Annabeth was still willing to try and make their marriage work. She set up an appointment with a counselor, she called their friends to help draw in support, she dropped meetings and work time to help sort things out with Daniel because she had made a promise at an altar, and Annabeth never gave up on a promise. She was faithful.

How did he repay her?

Divorce papers. A confession of years of disloyalty and an indifference to any guilt he should've been feeling.

By the time Annabeth had called him two days ago, she hadn't even been crying. She was past crying. She just talked in an exhausted weighted voice about everything that was happening, and everything that was going to happen. She was deflated and bent out and had been tossed aside like a used tissue or cigarette bud.

"Beth… do you still… do you still love him?" Percy shot a wary glance around his bakery to insure they were the only ones. Being still too early for morning traffic, the rest of the booths and coffee tables were clean of customers giving them full privacy.

Annabeth stared at the seat across from hers before her eyes shifted to gaze at the window box of blue flowers. Nibbling at her lip as she turned this over in her mind.

Overstepped. A red alarm went off in Percy's head. Back away. Give her space.

"It's a dumb question. I- I shouldn't of-"

"I think I loved the security." Annabeth deadpanned. Her eyes looking up to reach Percy's with a startling boldness in her thunderstorm eyes. Percy's throat pinched. "Or at least I loved the security more." she continued as an afterthought.

Percy's brows met. "Explain," he muttered curiously while pulling the other seat back squeakily and taking it with a thump. Alison was handling the baking and there were no customers yet anyways, so he had a bit of time.

"Well, yes. I loved Daniel. Love, I guess. But not as much as when we were first married. Even as we were growing apart I still loved that he was there. It was insurance that I wasn't going to die alone. I loved that I had a person, I had secured a person in my life that would never leave me- gosh I sound like an idiot."

Percy scoffed, and reached across to grab her hand tentatively. He just wanted her to know that he was there, he would always be there. But how could he get that message through?

"You don't sound like an idiot." he tried to meet her eyes but she continued to stare at her papers.

"I had a fish on my line, and I wanted to keep it there." Annabeth's tone suddenly turned sour. She leaned back and pushed the golden curls away from her face with a bitter sigh. "Only an idiot would make as many sacrifices for that reason."

Okay yes, granted Annabeth was a little bit of an idiot for that. Percy couldn't deny it.

It had driven Percy mad hearing all the little things Daniel was unable to give up for her. Nights out, or even a day with the car. He would never sacrifice anything for her. Percy would ask himself for days; Is he blind? Is he stupid? Does he not see what's right in front of his nose? Everyday, Annabeth would come in with a new reason she should dump him. Everyday, she'd come into the bakery as usual, order a coffee and sometimes some toasted raisin bread or a danish and she'd tell Percy exactly what Daniel had been up to and how she thought she could fix it.

"Okay, so maybe a bit idiotic." Percy relented with an apologetic smile. "But hey, life was never supposed to be a candy land in the first place. So you had a bad marriage, the bright side is that's it's over."

"Ya it's over." Annabeth grumbled while taking a delicate sip from her mug. "It's over and I wasted five years of my life, and now I'm twenty seven and I'll never find love again."

The familiar fizzle tickled Percy's gut again. A sense of dread and excitement shot through his veins like a bittersweet burst of energy at the sensation. It was the plague and a million dollars at the same time. It was a feeling that made him tingle, but one he didn't want.

He was hoping again.

He made a promise to himself that he'd never hope again. Not after Annabeth's wedding when she looked stunning and gorgeous and smiling like the sun and dancing with another man while he watched drunk and miserable. His eyes following the future he'd pined for since high school as she twirled in that brilliant white dress, her eyes shining and laughing with Daniel. As she kissed him when the dancing got slow.

He'd never be that guy. He knew that then, he knew it now. But there was still the stubborn hope that wouldn't leave him alone.

He'd been able to stifle and choke the hope out when she called him about the divorce, and every moment afterward until now.

Now she was talking about never finding love. Now she was convinced that she was never going to marry again.

But I'm here. Percy wanted to say. I love you already.

Instead he snorted. "Yes you will. Don't sell yourself short. You're just being dramatic."

"I'm not being dramatic." Annabeth huffed while putting her nose in the air defiantly. "I'm old, and a divorcee and I'm never going to get that perfect urban family. My only hope of substantial happiness is to start collecting cats now so that when I'm decrepit and fragile I'll have an army of feline friends to scare away unwanted house guests."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Do you really think you're never going to get married again?" he asked with a serious undertone. Locking gazes with her.

Annabeth paused. Thoughts passing through her eyes silently before she looked to her lap. "I don't want to be an Elizabeth Taylor." she muttered.

"And that means?" Percy pressed lightly. So used to Annabeth and her vague celebrity references. In all honesty it was part of her charm.

"She married eight times. If I made a mistake in getting married once then how many times before…" she trailed off. Genuine fear throbbing through her eyes like an old sore as she looked to him for help. Her eyebrows pinching up.

It was in moments like these that Percy forgot to breath.

"Don't be ridiculous." Percy cleared his throat. Again shoving down the feeling he got from her. "You're Annabeth. Sure you're not perfect but the one of the things about you that is amazing is that you learn from your mistakes. Next time you marry, should that happen you'll find yourself in a fairytale."

Annabeth sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. Her eyes falling again to the papers.

"How can you be so confident that'll happen?" she asked. Doubt lacing her voice in a web of uncertainty.

"Because I know you." Percy shot her an encouraging smile. "You're not one to make the same mistake twice."

"And if I do?"

"Impossible." Percy scoffed while waving his hand. "This chapter of unhappy marriage is over. You don't just revisit chapters."

Annabeth smiled timidly. "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it." she gleamed.

Percy opened his mouth to say something stupid when a pleasant little 'ding' met his ears followed by the trodding footsteps of couple peering around his bakery. Their eyes hungry and their noses picking up the fresh warm smell of sweet icing glazed donuts and warm risen bread.

"Gotta get back to work." he gave her a winning smile. "Tell me if you need anything else, and I'll be over here in a heartbeat."

Annabeth chuckled. Then added. "Of course. You're the best."

The Best isn't enough to walk you down an aisle.

Tell me what you think. Should I continue it?