Percy Jackson One Shots and Short Stories

#77 - Etched On Skin (AU) (Part II)

"It looks like a murder scene," Percy said with a shudder, slowly moving to sit up. His hand pressed against his temple as he winced, and Annabeth guessed that he was experiencing the same feelings she was.

"It almost was," she said grimly.

Annabeth's gaze flickered to Percy, and this time he caught it.

He mumbled, "I don't understand how..."

Annabeth swallowed. "I think it's to do with—with the fact that we're—" She broke off, studying his expression warily.

"Soulmates," Percy finished, paling. "You can say it. I figured as much when you were..." He waved dismissively, but grimaced. Percy's brow furrowed. "You had a stab wound. The same one as mine."

"Soulmates are bonded, remember?" Annabeth recalled. Percy her cut Beckendorf and Silena had bled. "Luke's spell."

Percy's tongue darted out as he slowly wet his lips. "Wait, so Luke...Luke isn't your soulmate?"

Annabeth glared at him. "Seeing as I almost just bled to death for you, no, I don't think Luke is my soulmate." Her exasperation felt familiar, gave her something to keep her grounded in the midst of all this chaos.

"Hey, you can't blame me for thinking it," Percy said indignantly. "You told me you had a crush on him."

"When I was 12," Annabeth emphasised.

"The line in the prophecy," Percy argued. "He was your 'love'."

"What about you and Rachel then?" Annabeth fired back, scowling.

Percy's face twisted incredulously. "Is that why you didn't get along?"

"How can one person be so blind?" Annabeth muttered, mostly to herself.

Percy looked at her. "Look," he sighed, "You never had anything to worry about," he hesitated. "It was always you."

Annabeth's jaw clenched unconsciously. "You shouldn't be allowed to say things like that."

Percy glanced at her. "Why not?"

"Because it makes me want to kiss you," Annabeth said loudly. "And I need to focus right now because I still have no idea how we're alive."

Percy fell silent.

Annabeth looked down at her lap. This was too much for her. This was too much for any one person. She was alive. She had survived a very fatal stab wound with barely a scratch to show for it. And she had just found that her soulmate wasn't as much of a stranger as she'd thought.

So much for...not meeting the person you'll spend the rest of your life with at 15 and how illogical the concept was and statistics and all that crap.

Of course, Aphrodite was just typical like that. Probably showed them on Hephaestus TV. The dramatic reveal must've made for great daytime television.

"I didn't know," Annabeth said steadily, staring at a spot on the horizon. "I didn't know if the prophecy was talking about you or Luke. I didn't..." Her right hand curled into a fist. "For the longest time, I thought he was always going to be the one for me. And then you just..." She gestured unintelligibly.

"I just, what?" Percy repeated softly.

"I don't know," Annabeth said shortly. "You were all...Percy. And then I thought you were going to die, so I thought — what the hell? — and I kissed you, and I thought I'd messed everything up." She sneaked a glance in his direction. Percy was still sprawled on the ground, limbs spread-eagles as he listened to her, his temple knotted, deep in thought. "And then we never mentioned it..." Annabeth trailed off and swallowed.