Never Be (Percabeth AU)✔️

>16<

Percy's POV

I chucked another stone across the pond, enjoying the sheer silence and serenity of being alone at night. I didn't feel like I was in danger—at this point I didn't care. Considering what just happened, I should be in the hospital right now.

I had cuts all over my arms and my torso, my abdomen was bruised, almost entirely purple, I had a black eye along with other cuts on my face, and I'm fairly sure that my hand is broken.

I smiled at my potentially broken hand. You're definitely thinking, Smiling at a broken hand? Yep. He's definitely lost it.

But it's not that fact that it's broken, it's how I broke it. I was able to punch Gabe square in the face, and I'm pretty sure I broke his nose.

I heard something behind me, like rustling in the bushes. I didn't bother turning, because I was in such an 'I don't give a shit' mood that I couldn't care less if a coyote came and attacked me right now.

"You're kidding me." I decided to turn after hearing this voice. This specific voice. Of course she was here, and of course I was shirtless—displaying all of my wounds.

And there she stood—Black shorts, grey shirt, black hat, red flannel (when didn't she have that thing on), skateboard and all. And she looked good.

Wait what?

Aw shit. I really do have a crush on her.

"What happened to you? You look like you were hit by a bus." She nodded to, I'm assuming, my wounded abdomen and arms. She walked up to the dock, and my eyes followed her.

"I look that bad, huh?" I looked up at her before she sat down next to me, closer than the last time.

"Yup." She placed her board down on the dock to her right. "But what happened?" Her grey eyes bore straight through me.

"I..." I felt nervous under her gaze—it was so intense. "I was riding my bike and I fell off."

"You don't get bruises and cuts like those," she pointed to my injuries. "From falling off a bike that you probably don't own."

Shit. I could tell that this time, she wasn't going to let it go. I had thanked the gods that she didn't push me about my home life. She had always let it go. But this wasn't one of those times. I didn't blame her that she was curious—I would be, had I been in her position. I was just a little annoyed; I wished I could postpone this until much, much later.

Like, never.

But it seemed like everything I wished for never came true. I sighed.

"Percy, tell me what happened. This isn't the first time I've seen you like this, and I'm sick of this dodging game that we're playing. You're scaring me, Percy." Annabeth whispered that last part. She used my real name, and we locked eyes; grey on green. Her grey eyes were pleading for the truth, I could tell she was worried. She was dead serious. She grabbed my left hand, thank god—the one that wasn't fucked up. A thousand volts of electricity surged up my arm and exploded in my hand. All because of her touch. I really was falling hard.

Normally, I would tell her to fuck off. But for some odd reason, I felt like I could trust her. And that means a lot, coming from me. After Gabe, I developed major trust issues; never too quick to let someone in. Put your walls up immediately and never let your guard down. But with Annabeth, I didn't put up the barricades—I couldn't. So in that moment, staring into her eyes, holding her hand, I'd made up my mind. 

I could trust Annabeth Chase.

I sighed and looked out at the pond. Here goes nothing.

"So." I started reluctantly. "I have a step-father, Gabe. My mom got remarried to him when I was eight. That was two years after my dad died in battle—I was six then. Two years after they got married, when I was ten, the abuse started. It was more so verbal abuse, than physical when I was younger. It got worse, and more physical as I got older. My mom wasn't home during the day—she was always working to support me. That's the whole reason she married Gabe. He brought in money that we needed to pay for a lot of things. And he did, but, not without abusing me. I never told my mom because she'd be crushed. She'd think it was her fault when it's really mine—"