Work Text:
(1)
Annabeth Chase never had to worry about her height. She's always been slender, athletic, and quick. Never clumsy, her height has always worked in her favor.
Until she hit around 15.
It seemed like everyone around her had grown up, even Grover seemed to have sprouted a bit, and he's pushing 27. With Percy, things were even more of a struggle. At 13, he shot up like he had a growth spurt, gaining about 15 centimeters in 9 months. By the time he hit almost 15, he was one of the tallest at camp, even towering over Luke if she could recall his height right.
Truth be told, Annabeth wasn't that short, but standing next to her Athena cabin sisters and the warriors she trained with, there was an obvious difference. Walking with Percy just highlighted that.
Once, in all her gutsiness, she stepped up to defend Percy from an Ares kid. Of course, hearing a "or what? you'll kick my shin?" from the teenage rival didn't do much for her self-control. She didn't even know why she was so mad, but being put down in front of Percy made her react in a way that, before she knew it, her knee and his face were on the ground, and the boy's hands were twisted up behind his back in some judo move.
After that, Annabeth tried not to be bothered by her height difference compared to Percy, but there were moments that constantly reminded her of that, and she seemed to hate every single one of them, even though not all of them could be classified as "hateable", if she thought about it clearly.
Once, Annabeth wanted to reach a sword that Malcolm had set aside for her to use in training, and, of course, her brother had put the darn thing on the highest shelf of the Athena cabin bookcase. Annabeth huffed loudly once she realized, the noise echoing through the empty cabin.
"Annabeth?" She heard Percy's voice from outside. They had agreed to head to the field together for some training.
"Just a sec!" She called back as she stretched to grab the damn sword's hilt.
She didn't want Percy to see her in such a humiliating situation, but of course the son of Poseidon wouldn't wait outside and enter the cabin without her permission.
"Oh. Need a hand?" He cautiously offered when he saw her reaching for the weapon.
"No. I got this."
The scene got even funnier with Annabeth doing these little hops.
"All good." Percy chuckled before walking over to her.
That was one of those moments when the height difference hit Annabeth really hard. She felt him right behind her, her head and back gently brushing against his chest as he reached up for the sword. Annabeth tensed up.
Since they met, she was used to Percy not quite grasping the concept of personal space. He always got too close for anything, and it had become a normal thing in their relationship. But at that moment, right then, Annabeth felt nervous with his warm breath on the top of her braids.
"Here you go." Percy handed her the sword, smirking like he was proud of himself for lending a hand.
"I-I..." Annabeth stuttered, realizing how close their bodies were. Percy's blue eyes were locked onto her with anticipation, not helping her nerves. "Whatever, I could've handled it!" She shook it off, stepping away with her cheeks on fire, storming out of the cabin like she'd been electrocuted, with her buddy trailing behind.
(2)
Annabeth's plan for Capture the Flag was flawless. That is, until some of her fellow blue team members got delayed in a skirmish with the red team, and now she and Percy needed to hustle if they still wanted a shot at winning.
And of course, they were in a hurry. But not enough to run. Yet there she was, running. Not because of the rush, but because of a clueless teammate who didn't realize that she had long legs and that her steps were much bigger than hers.
"You're missing the train, Seaweed Brain?" she questioned, abruptly stopping, catching her breath.
"What?" Percy frowned in confusion, stopping immediately when he realized she wasn't beside him.
"Why the hell are you running?" Annabeth approached him, brows furrowed in slight irritation. With the proximity, the height difference became even more obvious.
"But I'm not... oh." He began saying, and as he felt his neck bend to talk to her, Percy immediately understood her complaint. "Ah..."
He was well aware of the height difference between them, but he knew that was a touchy subject with Annabeth. It became even clearer when the daughter of Athena crossed her arms and shifted her weight to the right side of her hip. Percy swallowed as he observed her body movements. Sue him for being a teenager with eyes. He was well aware of the changes happening in both their bodies besides the height difference and sometimes, being a teenager with a fertile mind was embarrassing and torturous.
"I don't know if you noticed, but at the pace you're walking, I take twice as many steps as you. It's not a race. Walk slowly, Seaweed Brain."
"It's not my fault your legs are short, Wise Girl," he defended, leaning slightly in her direction. His neck complained about the bend he had to make.
Annabeth seemed pretty offended. "Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow challengingly, and Percy automatically remembered the Ares kid on the ground with his wrist about to be twisted.
"Um... Actually, you look tired!" Percy smiled, thinking quickly, dodging the subject in a confusing way. "Looks like you need a break before you start kicking red team butts." He turned his back to Annabeth and bent as much as he could. "Put your hands on my shoulders."
"What?"
"Put your hands on my shoulders!"
"Are you crazy, Seaweed Brain?"
"Annabeth!"
"Fine, fine! Okay!"
Annabeth hesitated as she placed her hands on Percy's shoulders, but once she did, Percy grabbed her thighs, fitting her onto his back before lifting her. "PERCY! What the heck?" Annabeth hugged his neck for security, the distance from her body to the ground noticeably considerable. So, this was the world seen through Percy's eyes?
"Walking-problem solved!" He gave a little hop to adjust her, making Annabeth release a sound and cling even tighter to him. She was light and surprisingly pleasant to carry.
"You're an idiot. You could've just walked slower." Annabeth grumbled, rolling her eyes as Percy started walking.
"And where's the fun in that?"
It felt humiliating to have the guy over 20 centimeters taller than her carrying her like a utility backpack strapped to his back, but deep down, she didn't entirely mind; on the contrary, she liked the attention. But not even under threat from Hades would she admit that. Having Percy Jackson carry her was mortifying. End of discussion.
(3)
Since she was 12, Annabeth got used to being between Percy and Grover, and they all had relatively similar heights, with her maintaining a respectable presence (for a 12-year-old girl). Today, almost at 16, both of them were noticeably taller than her.
The guys were in an animated discussion about aquariums and zoos, walking towards Poseidon's cabin, with Percy in the middle of Annabeth and Grover.
The daughter of wisdom wanted to get involved in the conversation, but something felt off. They were speaking too quietly among themselves, and she couldn't catch the subject.
Was it the damn height difference? Twenty-five measly centimeters kept her from participating in the conversation simply because of the distance?
She wasn't going to ask them to speak a bit louder; that would only highlight how short she was, and she didn't want to draw attention to herself.
"What do you think, Annabeth?" She heard Grover's distant voice, as he was farther away.
"Hm... What?" The girl leaned forward as she walked to see the satyr. "Sorry, didn't hear that."
Grover looked at her confused. Annabeth never missed a topic, especially when she could give her opinion. "Didn't you hear? Is everything okay?"
Annabeth positioned herself in front of them, making them stop. She looked at Grover, and her proximity to the boys made things clear. "Why wouldn't it be?" She said with a challenging tone, as if daring one of them to mention her height.
"Oh, looks like you're not hearing us, and you always hear us, and..." Grover explained until his friend understood what was going on.
"And nothing!" Percy exclaimed, with the memory of the Ares kid on the ground still fresh in his mind. Annabeth wouldn't hurt Grover, but he could hurt her feelings or wound her self-esteem, even if unintentionally. Percy had to intervene. "It's nothing, I guess she's like this because of air pressure." Percy scratched his neck.
"Air pressure?!" Grover tilted his head, clearly confused. "But the air seems..."
"I'll update you properly, Wise Girl!" Percy interrupted again, turning to the girl with braids.
Nothing could have prepared Annabeth and her truly teenage body for what happened next: Percy was bending towards her, his face just inches from hers, his breath mixing with hers, when he simply took his lips to her ear and spoke in a calm and gentle voice what he and Grover were talking about.
Percy had always been oblivious to personal space, but that? That was insane. Unnecessary at the same time that it was vital to have him exactly like that.
His voice was no longer that of a child, the sweet voice of childhood. Now it was firm, warm, hoarse, and tempestuous like the open sea. His smell was of the sea breeze, and Percy radiated warmth.
Annabeth didn't hear a word he said, and seconds later, when he pulled away, Annabeth felt her face burning and her body in a lethargic state with numbness.
Grover seemed equally shocked by what he had just witnessed. He knew it was only a matter of time before his two best friends would start a romantic relationship, but he couldn't believe that both interacted in this way and didn't see what was in front of their eyes.
"So? What do you think?" Percy smiled innocently, straightening up still standing next to her.
"Ahem." The girl coughed a bit dizzy after the disorienting experience. "I... I... I need..." She looked in every corner of the clearing, except at Percy. She didn't know when she would have the courage to face him again. "I need to go to the coliseum... I... I forgot something, and..." Annabeth started walking backward, trying not to stagger or, worse, trip. She needed to process. She needed to breathe fresh air until she forgot Percy's sea breeze smell. "I'll get that thing and... I'll meet you in five minutes!" And Annabeth disappeared as she ran in the opposite direction of the boys.
Percy and Grover seemed surprised, both for different reasons.
"What got into her? Did the treatment of orcas at the municipal aquarium shock her?" Percy shook his head, looking at his best friend for answers. Grover stared at him with eyes wide open.
"Percy, I know I never told you this, and I want you to know that I would never say this if it weren't an extreme situation, so here it goes..." Percy looked at Grover expectantly. Grover gestured and said, "Percy Jackson, you're an idiot."
(4)
"Percy, what happened in..." Annabeth cut herself off upon entering Poseidon's cabin, finding her friend covered in leaves, soot, and bruises. Percy was trying to remove some twigs from his blond curly hair.
"Mrs. O'Leary and the Stroll brothers. Involved a bit of fire," he explained, huffing a bit as he tried to tidy up to look presentable. "How the hell is a hellhound afraid of fire?!" He complained to himself.
Annabeth held back a laugh seeing Percy like that. He looked adorable, even with hair scarier than a Fury. "You look horrible." She approached him, helping him get rid of the dirt on his orange shirt.
"Thanks, Wise Girl. I feel much better," Percy ironized, and Annabeth had another urge to laugh. "I'm as sore as I could be after getting thrown into a tree by a hellhound, I smell like dog slobber, and gods, my hair..." Poseidon's son groaned slightly, unable to get the small pieces of dried leaves that were tangled in his blond hair.
Annabeth lifted her chin, assessing the situation. She had taught Percy how to take care of his curls (something Sally Jackson would always be grateful for) and how to ditch the 3-in-1 shampoo, but this seemed like a situation that Percy's limited knowledge wouldn't be able to handle. There was dried hellhound saliva, small twigs, some leaves, and his hair looked like straw. "Alright, go take a shower while I get nectar and... Well, hair products."
Percy's blue eyes lit up. He loved it when Annabeth touched his hair, and the last time she had done that seriously, they were only 12 when she taught him to keep his curls tamed. "Really?" Percy almost mentally thanked Mrs. O'Leary for the confusion.
"Yes, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth agreed with a small smile, watching Percy's uncontrolled excitement. "And don't touch the hair until I get back; it's bad enough as it is."
20 minutes later, Annabeth was with a bag she got from the daughters of Aphrodite full of hair products and a bit of Nectar for Percy's body pain, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom.
"Now it looks worse!" Percy groaned coming out of the bathroom; the moisture from the shower seemed to have given his hair a sandy look, like wet sandpaper. He was wearing pajama pants and an old band shirt, and Annabeth tried to ignore the fact that everything seemed too intimate, even though she had been on quests with him and shared dubious sleeping places beside him. Still, this was... Different, somehow.
"Let's fix this." Annabeth comforted him. "First, I'll get rid of the bigger twigs." She approached, and then came the problem: it would be difficult for her to stand on her tiptoes with her arms raised to undo the knots in his hair. "Um... I..." Percy seemed to realize the problem.
"Oh yes, right." He bent down a bit, and then came the twinge in his body. Unconsciously, he groaned in complaint. Shit..."
"Your back." Annabeth said in understanding, helping him straighten up. "Okay, can you sit on the toilet?" Percy nodded. "Alright, sit. I'll get the Nectar to ease the pain, and then we'll deal with your hair."
Percy could call himself strong. For everything he went through in childhood, from studying in boarding schools, bullying, smelly Gabe to Camp Half-Blood, Luke's betrayal, Kronos... But nothing would have prepared him to have Annabeth standing, in between his legs, tenderly touching his hair. Was the numbness in his body from her or from the Nectar? Percy wouldn't know how to answer. He was so off guard and satisfyingly comfortable in that position that he could almost purr.
Annabeth's scent was comforting, her body was dangerously close to him, chest and neck at Percy's eye level.
Trying not to close his eyes because of her touches, he focused on her hair flowing over her shoulders. Annabeth had braids in a different style, he didn't know the name, but it was very pretty. The braids were a bit thin and went halfway or 3/4 of the length of her hair, and then came the curls. Her hair color was still deep ebony but now accompanied by some gray strands due to their adventure involving the weight of the sky. She had always been beautiful, but at that moment Percy couldn't find her more beautiful. His heart trembled with that thought.
She was just Annabeth. Since the moment he met her, he always knew she was beautiful, even when he swore they would never be friends, he knew she was beautiful. What's the problem now?
"Alright, Seaweed Brain, we need to wash and get rid of this dried hellhound goo." Annabeth stepped back a bit to throw away all the leaves and twigs she had taken from his hair. Percy just kept looking at her. She seemed to have such a powerful presence (even measuring less than 1.60m). "Percy?" She snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"Yeah?" He blushed as if he had been caught doing something wrong.
"Is the water clean?" Annabeth repeated the question he hadn't heard.
"Uh... yeah." Percy nodded.
"Great, I'll wash your hair in the fountain, then."
It took Annabeth a whole two hours to get rid of all of Mrs. O'Leary's saliva, restore Percy's hair to its normal state, wash and hydrate the curls, and use the diffuser to bring the curls back to normal.
At some point, Percy couldn't hide the satisfaction of Annabeth's hands taking care of his hair. He could swear that even in the most complicated knots, Annabeth was gentle not to hurt him, making the experience almost like a cuddle.
"All done!" Athena's daughter turned off the diffuser and used both hands to define Percy's strands better, letting the small waves loose before handing him a mirror.
"Wow, you're multi-talented for sure..." He murmured, touching his own hair, seeing the shine of the blond and grayish strands he shared with Annabeth. "Thanks, Wise Girl. It looks amazing!" Percy handed her the mirror back. "I can pass for a child of Aphrodite now." He stood up and started helping his friend collect the hair products to put away.
"Even with gooey hair and a face full of dirt, you could still pass for a child of Aphrodite." Annabeth commented automatically, wise words leaving her mouth without her permission.
Percy stopped and stared at her. "What did you say?"
Annabeth widened her eyes a bit, realizing she had said it out loud and not just thought it. "Nothing." She walked away toward the bathroom. Maybe she forgot some cream in there?
"Hey!" Percy followed her, stopping at the door, blocking her way. "I heard!"
"Percy. Move." Annabeth said threateningly, even though it seemed ridiculous seeing him two heads taller than her. However, that wouldn't be a problem; the son of Ares was tall too.
"Do you think I'm handsome?" He asked with a lazy smile on his lips, reaching up to his eyes.
"I didn't say that." Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Now move."
"Aphrodite's kids are pretty. Comparing me to them means you think I'm handsome!" He argued as if the question were dazzling to him.
"It's obvious that you're handsome. You wouldn't be so stupid to think otherwise, right? What's new here?" She got slightly annoyed. Was Percy so oblivious? He was the hero of the camp, and everyone knew about his looks. He was tall, building muscles, had a pleasant face, and was kind and firm. There was even a stupid rumor among the younger girls that Percy could be Apollo in disguise. How oblivious could he be?
"You think I'm handsome..." He softened, saying more to himself than to her.
Annabeth huffed, pushing him away, getting him out of her way. Percy was still in shock, as if he had received the biggest news of his life.
"Hey! Wait! Hold on!" Percy snapped out of his trance when he saw Annabeth ready to go down the stairs at the entrance of Poseidon's cabin.
"See you at dinner, Seaweed Brain!" She said, putting the bag on her shoulder.
"Wait, Wise Girl! I..." He ran in front of her, stopping on the last step of the stairs, preventing her from leaving. Since she was two steps above him, the height difference was significantly smaller. "I want you to know that I also find you quite beautiful."
Annabeth had blushed in some situations before, but her cheeks boiled when Percy said those words. "What?" She almost whispered, her mind confused by the hurried words she had heard.
"And, uh... I find you quite beautiful. Well, everyone knows you're beautiful, but I find you... Uh... Quite beautiful." Percy stumbled a bit, scratching his neck and feeling his own cheeks turn red.
Silence fell between them.
"Sorry... Uh... I shouldn't have said that. I know beauty is subjective, and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable in any way. It's just that I..." Percy started his monologue of apologies but couldn't finish. Annabeth descended one more step, placed her left hand on Percy's shoulder, and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. A tender kiss, similar to the one from the adventure in the Sea of Monsters, but different, more mature.
She stepped back and adjusted the curly bangs on his forehead before looking into the blue eyes, which at that moment had the color swallowed by dilated pupils.
"See you at dinner, Percy." She smiled shyly, before avoiding the immobile son of the sea, following her path.
And Percy stood there at the entrance of the cabin for a good three minutes before someone shouted his name and asked if he was okay.
(5)
The height difference never bothered Percy. Never.
Despite Annabeth seeming to dislike being so short compared to him, Percy always thought that was one of the characteristics that made her undeniably beautiful. Annabeth had dark skin, full rosy lips, bright brown eyes, impressive hair, and was under 5'3. And she was gorgeous. It wasn't up for debate.
But in that moment, he wished she were taller.
In the heat of battle, on the bridge, Annabeth protected him from certain death, being stabbed by him. Shielding his vulnerable point, putting herself in front without hesitation.
Percy would always trust his back to Annabeth, but seeing her scream in pain and fall helplessly to the ground made him wish she were locked in the Athena cabin, even if it meant his death or the ruin of the world. It was the most selfish thought he'd ever had, and Percy was not ashamed at all.
He wished she were taller. Maybe she would be less quick and wouldn't be able to get in front of him. Maybe the cut would be towards her chest, waist, or superficially on the side of her rib, where she would raise her guard and surely protect herself before being stabbed. But no, the cut had been on her arm, probably when she raised it to protect him. "Nobody touches her!" Percy's voice had sounded powerful when he used his strength to shout, stopping an entire war because Annabeth was on the ground with a pool of blood forming on her shoulder.
Percy hadn't even cared if he had hurt the Apollo kid when he pulled him by the shirt and put him on the moving motorcycle to go after Annabeth. He didn't care about anything; nothing mattered but her.
The blade was poisoned, obviously. And Will Solace did his best to save the life of the daughter of Athena, succeeding in doing so.
And now, Percy stared at the scar on Annabeth's right arm because of the sports top she wore to swim with him.
The war had already passed, things were surprisingly good despite the new prophecy of the seven, and Percy and Annabeth couldn't be happier in their relationship.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Seaweed Brain?" She asked, holding his hand.
Percy sighed, avoiding her gaze at the scar. "I wish you were a little taller."
Annabeth widened her eyes, thinking she had heard wrong. "Excuse me?" She frowned in confusion.
"I wish you were a little taller." Percy repeated, and Annabeth would have let go of his hand, stood up, and left if he hadn't said the next words: "Or that I were a bit shorter..."
What kind of illogical thought was that?
"If you were taller, maybe you wouldn't have taken that stab for me. Maybe the blade would have aimed at your torso, and you could have defended yourself before it could hit you. Maybe if I were shorter, the blade would have targeted the middle of my spine and not my..." He didn't want to say it out loud, but she quickly understood. "I didn't want you to carry a scar because of me."
Annabeth waited before speaking. She approached, still holding his hand, and with the other, touched Percy's cheek.
"I doesn't matter my height, Percy. If I were taller, he could have hit my waist, my chest. Or if I were shorter, he would have hit my neck... Or the demigod who hit me could have caught a cold and stayed home, so he wouldn't have tried to hit you. Anything could have prevented me from having this scar, just as anything could have killed me." She said, looking into Percy's eyes with great seriousness. "What couldn't have happened is the fact that I didn't protect your back. Anything could have happened, except that. I would have put myself between you and that blade in every possibility. Being taller or not wouldn't have made any difference." Annabeth realized Percy would protest. "No. We've had this conversation before. You would have done the same for me. That's what we do, we protect each other."
"I'm selfish. I don't want you to protect me; I want you to be safe." Percy admitted, feeling his eyes welling up. "If something more serious had happened..."
"I have bad news, Percy Jackson: I'm selfish too. I also don't want you to protect me; I want you to be safe." She breathed. "I'm fine. If the blade had hit you, I would still be here, and you wouldn't. This scar reminds us that you're still here, and I'm here too. That we're together."
Percy saw Annabeth's brown eyes welling up too, and he sniffled, leaning into her touch, nodding slightly over time.
"Do you understand that there's nothing worse than being apart?" Annabeth asked with a weakened voice.
"We're together." He nodded.
"Yes, Percy. We're together."
Annabeth rested her forehead against his, feeling the warmth radiating from Percy's body, before he closed the space between them in a kiss, as if sealing a promise: They would always be together, even if they had to accumulate scars for it.
(+1)
Annabeth Chase arrived at her apartment exhausted. College had definitely sucked the soul out of her at unhealthy levels for a Friday, and the monster she had encountered on the way home hadn't helped at all.
"Rough day?" Percy greeted her at the door, taking the bag off her shoulder and planting a welcoming kiss on her forehead.
"Mhmm," she nodded, pouting. Percy grinned goofily as Annabeth just leaned her head against his chest.
"I've got a hot bath waiting for you." He ran his hands down her back, soothing her. Annabeth muffled a groan, raising her arms to wrap them around his blonde neck. "Oh, right!" He got the message, squatting down to lift Annabeth up. She wrapped her legs around his torso like a koala, letting her boyfriend carry her to the bathroom.
She understood why little kids loved being carried by their parents. "Okay?" Percy adjusted her slightly in his arms, one hand holding the underside of her right thigh and the other on her hip.
"Bath, please," Annabeth murmured wearily, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Got it."
And he carried her through the apartment.
Annabeth definitely loved the height difference between them.