Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Percy Jackson, a truly sad fact of life indeed. I don't own the image, either. Hmph.

Rating: T

Bodyguard

"This is not vacation."

I sighed, snapping my laptop shut. My boyfriend stared down at me from the couch, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "I told you it wasn't going to be," I said, standing up from the couch and stretching my arms. "I'm meeting with a businesswoman who could probably give me a contract. That's the only reason that I'm even in Miami. This place is riddled with monsters."

Percy Jackson spluttered. "So I'm… what? Your bodyguard?" His expression was incredulous, but I grinned, standing up and planting a kiss on his cheek. Though his features relaxed marginally, he was still very clearly not happy. "I'm nobody's bodyguard," he grumbled, turning his back to me. His shoulder blades stuck out in the back of his t-shirt as he poured a cup of coffee. The hotel room that we were staying in was tiny- as an educated, smart, twenty-year old woman, I was still surprised at the tiny size of it. It was a main room and a tiny, claustrophobic bedroom. Percy had very nearly offered to take the couch for me, but I had declined.

"Calm down," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Sighing, I sat back down on the couch. "You're not a bodyguard. You have a mind of your own, you know. I'm not keeping you in this tiny hotel room. I just have a few things to take care of before I go meet her tomorrow. I swear, we've got a whole forty-eight hours to ourselves in the dangerous world of Miami."

"Yeah, right. I'm not going to leave you to yourself here. You'll never make it out the front door. I'll come back at ten pm, and you'll still be here, typing away on your little laptop. Annabeth. Look up here. See my eyes?" My sight had strayed down to the laptop to where it lay on the coffee table. "Annabeth. You could at least pretend that you're paying attention to me."

I looked back up at him and winced. Percy was pissed; I could tell. His arms were crossed in a warrior stance, and his eyes were bright and alert. He needed to get out of the hotel room before he lost it. "You're not my bodyguard, Perce," I said softly. "I promise. I just need to get some work done." I ran a hand through my hair. "I might be a demigod, but mortals use American money, and right now, I'm pretty short on that." I tried for a weak smile, but I only managed a grimace. "This is stressing me out. I need this job, and this woman could give it to me. She has connections." My gaze was pleading. "Please."

He stared at me, his expression unreadable, and then plopped down on the couch. Percy wrapped an arm around me, and I leaned back into him, breathing in the scent of cookies and salt water- two things that should have been impossible together, but made a scent uniquely Percy. "You know," he said, his voice soft, "if you were worried about work, you should have just told me, Wise Girl. I could lend you some money, or-"

"That's the thing, though. Percy- it might be tough for you to understand this, but I have to do this myself. I need to be independent, all on my own." I broke from his hug, staring into his eyes. Even nearly five years after we had started dating, the green in his eyes still sent shivers down my back.

"I understand. I know." The words were tentative and soft with their meaning. He grinned lopsidedly. "Though, you know, you're not really all that independent." His teeth flashed in the light.

I smacked him on the arm. "Seaweed Brain, this is important to me! Can't you stop with the wisecracks for one minute?" I paused. "Though, really. How am I not independent?" My thoughts wandered, but I couldn't think of one way that I wasn't independent. I had an apartment, though I hardly stayed at it, I paid for my own groceries, clothes, amenities… I was very proud of how strong and independent I was. Percy was treading on thin ice here.

"Well," Percy said, a smirk on his face, "you do have a bodyguard."

I decided to let him take the couch after all.

A/N: These one-shots will probably be around this length. I hope that you liked this one.

Please review! Let me know what you thought!