Percabeth Oneshots

Thank You For The Understanding (TW)

She didn't throw around these pet names. They were special, more medicinal than teasing. They were just as affectionate, but they were just more...light.

I hiccuped, sniffling quietly. My breath had gotten slower and more steady, though it did hitch from time to time and wasn't quite even. It was good enough for now, though, as I felt significantly more solid, less lightheaded and floaty like before when I was hyperventilating.

"What do you need, love?" Annabeth asked softly once she saw that I had calmed down a little. I looked from her shoulders, back to her eyes before looking at the tops of my knees, letting out a pitiful whine, shrugging helplessly. I didn't want to talk right now. I just couldn't. I still felt so small and overwhelmed, like everything in the room was trying to suffocate me. I couldn't think of words or how exactly you had to move your mouth to make them. Did you press your lips together to make an M noise, or did you keep your mouth open? What does the letter K sound like, again?

I moved my mouth into various shapes, trying to figure out which one made me say I was okay. I let out another whine. How come I could do that but not talk like a normal person?

My breathing started to pick up again out of frustration before Annabeth quickly shushed me, asking me to look at her. I complied, looking into her grey eyes and seeing the wall behind her instead. Everything felt so fake, so immaterial. It was kind of scary. Where did my nerves go? Why couldn't I feel my hands? I couldn't hear Annabeth very well now. My heartbeat was too loud. What if she touches me to get my attention? I don't want to be touched, not now. Shit, what do I-

Annabeth leans forward, and my eyes widen. What is she doing?! I start to freak out more, but then she stops, her face a few inches away so that I can just barely feel her breath on my lips.

"Breathe"

She stays where she is, and I use her breath on my lips as a guide.

I blink slowly and look up at Annabeth to see she has moved back again. When did that happen?

"You don't need to talk, baby, it's okay. Can you just nod yes and no for me?" She asks, demonstrating in case I forgot.

I nod shakily, and she smiles at me as if I just won the Nobel Prize. It makes my throat close up and eyes well up with tears. She loves me so much. What did I do to deserve her?

She sees the perspiration in my eyes and frowns a little, and I feel bad for making her stop smiling. I go to say sorry but find I still can't speak and whine.

"It's okay, honey, just tell me later, okay?" Annabeth is quick to say, and I nod again. She smiles like before, and I feel my chest fill with helium. I made her smile. Just the idea makes me giddy, and she seems to notice but says nothing.

"Do you want me to touch you?" She asks instead, and I quickly shake my head no before feeling guilty. Maybe I should have said yes...

Before I can change my mind, though, Annabeth says, "That's alright, baby. Do you want me to leave you alone for a bit?" She says this cautiously as if being worried I'll start hyperventilating again. I shake my head no again, and she smiles. She wants to stay.

"Do you want to sleep now?" No.
"Do you want me to get you some food?" No.
"Are you thirsty?" No.
"Do you want to just sit quietly for a bit?" No.
"Do you want me to ramble for a little till you feel like talking if you do feel like talking tonight?" Yes.

And so Annabeth goes on and on about some guy named Frank Loyd Wright and how his architecture is "truly a masterpiece" and how she would improve it.

I chuckle when she starts talking about the improvements she would make and say, "Fatal flaw on the brain, huh?" To which she responds with a fond smile. Usually, she would punch my shoulder playfully, but this time she doesn't, and I appreciate that.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks, clearly talking about why I was so jumpy, but I play dumb, which I'm quite good at.

"Fatal flaws? Sure, mines loyalty as you may recall-"Annabeth cuts me off with a sigh.

"No, baby, you know what I mean," she says, and I think about denying it before thinking better of it. I would have to talk eventually anyway.

"It's fine. I just...had a nightmare last night about..." I trail off. Annabeth just waits patiently until I continue. "About G-Gabe a-and he was so angry, and I-I don't know what I did wrong and I just-"

"You didn't do anything wrong, baby. Gabe was an evil monster who did bad things cause he wanted to, not cause anyone deserved it," Annabeth interrupts.

She says it with such finality and confidence that I'm inclined to believe her, but I just can't. I nod anyway, but she seems to know what I'm thinking and frowns.

"I- I'm sorry-"I start before she interrupts me again. "Can I please cuddle you, baby? I want to show you how much I love you, and words, for once, just aren't enough."

I nod shakily, and she gets up from her chair and slowly walks to where I am, lying down so that I can lie on top of her and still feel like there's a way out if I want it. I appreciate that.

"I love you," she whispers, carding her hand through my hair softly after I lay down, my head on her stomach and her other hand around my back, guarding where my Achilles spot used to be with her arm.

"I love you too."