Recorded Dreams (A Percabeth AU)

44

Annabeth POV-

I let out a laugh as Paul scolds Estelle. "Don't call your brother ugly," he says. "It's not nice."

"Sorry, Percy," Estelle apologizes, giving her brother a hug. "Mommy and Daddy told me honesty was a good thing, but even that was a lie." She flashes an innocent smile and I laugh so hard I think I feel tears brimming in my eyes.

"Estelle!" Sally exclaims, but I see the amusement on her face. Estelle flashes another cheeky smile towards her mother.

"I've been wounded by my own sister!" Percy exclaims, dramatically placing a hand over his heart and falling to his knees. "I think I might die. This monster has been slayed!" He collapses on the ground and promptly sticks his tongue out. Estelle taps him with her foot a couple time and then kicks him hard in the gut.

"Estelle! What was that for?" Percy asks.

"Just making sure you're dead, which by the way, you're not. Get him!" She calls. Percy jumps to his feet and takes off on a sprint. I laugh as his sister chases him but is locked out of his "evil lair."

"Percy! While you're in there, make sure to do a little cleaning, alright?" Sally calls.

Percy opens the door and kneels in front of Estelle, clasping his hands in a plea. "I may as well get this over with. Oh, Queen Estelle, have mercy on me and slay me so I don't have to go through the torture of chores!"

"Okay!" Estelle cheers. "Annabeth, can you hand me my magic wand?"

"Of course!" I hand Estelle a silver toy wand with a blue sparkle in the middle to match her princess dress. She points it at Percy. "You're dead now!" He collapses to the floor. She giggles and I see him beam at her.

"Estelle, it's bath time, sweetie. Come on," Sally says. She reaches out her hand for Estelle to cling to as she brings her to the bathroom. As the door closes, I lay down beside Percy on the wooden floor, resting my hands behind my head.

"Hey," I say. "The queen is gone now. You can now live."

"One time, I was babysitting her and we were playing this game. She went to the kitchen to get a cookie and threatened that if I wasn't in the exact same spot when she returned to kill me with her goddess powers, I would have to do push-ups and a plank."

"Oh, god forbid you do anything involving the muscles you clearly don't have," I say sarcastically while poking at his eight pack. Please don't tell me he became so fit and muscular by playing princesses with his sister. I laugh at the thought, imagining someone who doesn't knowing him asking him that question and that being his response.

"You don't understand. She sits on my back with her blocks while trying to build a tower. If I don't keep a flat back, either the blocks will fall on my head, or they'll fall on her. I don't care to much about my head, I mean, there's not much in there, but I don't want a block hitting her."

I laugh and ruffle his hair. "You're so sweet. You know that, don't you?" He smiles at me.

Paul walks by us on the way to his room. He raises an eyebrow, but doesn't question the fact that we're laying on the floor.

We wait for Estelle, and soon she emerges from the bathroom in a blue nightgown with mermaids on it.

"Oh good! You stayed in the same place!" She cheers. "Can we do karaoke now?"

"Of course," I say.

Percy sighs. "I'll sit on the couch and watch, since I'm not allowed to sing."

"Okay!" Estelle cheers. "Come on Annabeth!"

We start singing and Percy sits on the couch laughing as his sister jumps and twirls. Sally and Paul call for Estelle to go to bed because of school the next day.

"Percy, remember that you have school tomorrow too. Don't stay up too late. And go shower," Sally says.

"I don't want to go to school!" Percy whines like a child.

"Percy," Sally says, "you need to go to school. How else are you supposed to graduate, go to college, and then get a job? And don't say that Annabeth didn't go to school and she has a job-" she turns to me, "nothing against you sweetie, you're wonderful." I smile at her.

Percy huffs, "Fine. I'll go shower." He gives me a kiss on the cheek and goes to the bathroom.

"Annabeth, sweetie, are you staying here tonight? Do you need pajamas?" Sally asks.

"Is it okay for me to stay? I know Percy has school..."

"She's staying!" Percy calls from the bathroom. Sally smiles.

"You're staying. Now, do you need pajamas?"

"It's okay. I'll just steal something out of Percy's closet."

"Okay, sweetie. Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." She wraps me in a hug. "We should really just get you your own drawer for clothes. I'll get on Percy about that." I turn red.

She heads to her bedroom and I slip into Percy's room to find a hoodie and sweatpants to wear. I quickly change and then head back to the living room, laying on the couch. I hear the footfalls as Percy heads to his room to change. I give him five minutes to get dressed before I go to his room and knock on the door.

He swings the door open, now dressed in an orange t-shirt and shorts, and wraps me in a hug, pulling me with him into bed, where he cuddles me. He holds me so close to him, almost as if he thinks I'll disappear if he doesn't. He presses a gentle kiss to my cheek.

"I'm never letting you go again, Wise Girl. I hope you know that."

"As long as we're together."

He smiles lightly and gives me another kiss, a real one this time.

We lay side by side, talking about anything and everything we could think of. It has been months since I last saw him. I missed these conversations. They were lighthearted and fun. We would talk and laugh and occasionally share a quick kiss. Around eleven o'clock, my eyes finally grow tired and he lets out a yawn.

"Goodnight Wise Girl," he whispers. He turns out the light and gently kisses my forehead.

"Goodnight Seaweed Brain."

I figured I'd write a really sweet chapter considering I've recently written some that have been a little cruel.

Anyways, I thought this was just a cute one.

I hope you all enjoyed!

❤️