(A/N: This fic is a little bit inspired by the song Perfect Situation by Weezer. Great song. 5/5 would recommend.)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Percy Jackson universe, but I sure wish I did.
Perfect Situation
Annabeth can't sleep. She lies awake on her bed, staring at the ceiling of her room aboard the Argo Il and thinking about what could possibly happen in the coming hours. The possibilities both scare and excite her, and she knows she should be optimistic, but some nagging feeling deep in her stomach tells her that she shouldn't get her hopes up too high. At this point, Annabeth is pretty sure that the next time she sees Hera, she's going to punch her in her perfect face. She won't even care if she gets vaporized.
Rolling over in bed, she envisions a perfect situation. In this utopia, the Romans don't destroy the Greek ship as it enters New Rome and they decide to make peace. Then, when the Greek half-bloods are descending the ladder to the ground, she sees Percy. He is so handsome, even more so than when she had last seen him, and she is so excited to see him that she nearly falls to her death. However, this is a perfect situation, so Annabeth quickly makes her way to the earth without error. Before everyone makes it down the ladder, she starts running towards Percy faster than she has in her entire life, grinning like an idiot. Annabeth Chase and idiot are never used in the same sentence-except for when it comes to that stupid Seaweed Brain.
Percy, standing with the Romans, sees Annabeth sprinting toward him and recognition flashes in his eyes. He starts for her too and when they meet halfway, he catches her in his arms and she squeezes him so tightly and neither of them can breathe. Percy lets out a breathless laugh and Annabeth does the same, and before she knows it she's looking up into his bright green eyes, smiling so big that she thinks she might just explode like a jar of Greek fire.
"Hey, Wise Girl," Percy says, grinning.
Annabeth punches him in the stomach, but she can't help but smile at Percy's use of her nickname. He remembered me. "It's been months and all I get is "hey"?"
Percy groans at the pain for a second and the force of her punch knocks him back a step. However, its so much like their normal banter that he had missed so much, and he can't get enough of it. "Nice to see you, too," he says jokingly.
Annabeth's face softens and her eyes become a little misty. "I missed you so much, Percy. I was afraid you wouldn't remember me."
"Wouldn't remember you? Gods, Annabeth. I never forgot."
Annabeth can't hold herself back any longer, and she finds herself bringing her hands to his face and before she knows it they're kissing, and gods she's missed this so much. The kiss starts out tender, and intensifies to a passionate crescendo in which Annabeth finds herself breathless again. His strong arms wrap more firmly around her waist and she never wants him to let go. She knows for a fact that she will never let him get away from her again.
"Don't ever leave me again, Seaweed Brain," she breathes into his neck.
"I won't," he responds.
The moment is so perfect and Annabeth doesn't want it to end but it does, and she's left staring at the wall, breathing heavily. She nearly cries at the fact that it was only a daydream, because it had felt so, so real and all she can hope is that their reunion is something like it.
Annabeth hates the fact that she can't do anything about Percy's memory. She tries to use all the logic she's got, but only the gods can control things like that. She hates having to rely on hope and chance because logic is dependable and factual and she always knows what her outcome will be. But chance frustrates her, now more than ever before. She's praying to the gods that he'll remember her, because that's all she can do.
Annabeth doesn't sleep at all that night, and she tries to get her mind off of her predicament with prophecy interpretation and new battle strategy. She even cracks open a book on architecture and attempts to read, but she can't even absorb the knowledge of her favorite subject. So she simply waits for the sun to come up and watches the ground below them. Leo had said that they'd reach Camp Jupiter by 8 in the morning, which means that they'll probably be arriving soon.
As the sun rises, it illuminates the landscape in a bright, orange light and Annabeth can see wide expanses of valleys. She thinks of the strawberry fields back at Camp Half-Blood and she's hit by a pang of nostalgia that leaves her blindsided. All she wants is to be back at camp with Percy, talking with him, kissing him, and just being a normal teenager. But of course, the prophecy had to happen. Annabeth mutters a few curses to the Fates.
Her head falls into her hands. Her heart physically aches so badly that she just wants to curl up into a ball and let the prophecy fulfill itself without her. Gaea has not ended the world yet, but to Annabeth, it sure feels like the apocalypse has already happened. She is so full of logicless emotion, which usually confuses her, but at this point, she's so in love with that Seaweed Brain that she doesn't even care. In fact, she feels like she's starting to understand the complexity that is love. There's nothing logical about it, and Annabeth is beginning to accept that. She just wishes she'd have understood Aphrodite sooner, when Percy was still there. But he's not, and she can't handle it. Sobs rack her body and suddenly tears are pouring into her hands and she's gasping for air. Annabeth feels like she's drowning, ironically enough. Percy isn't there to save her from the water, though, and she feels more helpless than ever before.
She stays that way for a while, just sitting with her head in her hands, tears leaving trails of wetness on her face. Then, there's someone banging on her door and she hears Coach Hedge's voice fill her ears. He's shouting, "Wake up, we're here! I'm so ready to roundhouse kick those Romans!"
Annabeth's eyes go wide. We're here. Percy is probably on the ground below them, but she has no idea if he knows who she is. Jason didn't remember anything, so logically, her chances don't look good. However, she hopes that they have a connection that transcends the powers of a Greek goddess. She almost laughs at the thought. It doesn't make any sense that emotions could trump what Hera has done to her boyfriend, but then again, love doesn't make much sense, either.
She slowly manages to get to her feet and make her way to the door. Checking for her dagger and seeing that she's got it, Annabeth has a feeling that the proceedings will not go the way she had dreamed. She takes a steadying breath and swallows. There might be some fighting, and the Romans will definitely give them a hard time entering their borders. She doesn't feel like she can think logically at all, so she hopes that the rest of the Argo II's crew can make the negotiations, and she's pretty sure that the moment she sees Percy she'll either sprint for him or stop breathing, or maybe even both. However, she seriously thinks that if she doesn't act like a diplomat, their ship will go up in flames pretty quickly. So she puts on a facade of poise and wisdom, exhales deeply, and starts for the bow of the ship. Annabeth has never felt less wise, but she can't fail everyone else. Fake it 'till you make it.
When she finds the rest of the crew, they're all speaking at once, sounding very panicky and sneaking glances at the scene on the ground below. Annabeth looks over the edge of the ship and sees that they are suspended over a beautiful city that must be New Rome. The architecture is incredible, gods, and there are gardens filled with gorgeous flowers and magnificent fountains. The Romanesque style of the buildings keeps Annabeth transfixed, until she notices the mob of demigods. They're all donning purple t-shirts, rather than orange ones, and some are wearing togas. The toga-wearing people must be their leaders, Annabeth concludes. However, her Greek comrades aren't panicking for no reason. The Romans are armed and look fierce.
Before she can register what is going on, Terminus, the Roman god of boundaries, appears on their ship. He's angry at them, shouting that weapons aren't allowed past the Pomerian Line. According to Terminus, the entire Argo II is a weapon, which is technically true. The ballistae could cause some real damage.
Annabeth isn't in the mood to argue with him, so she simply says that they'll do as he says. She comes up with the idea to leave the ship floating over New Rome, so that it isn't physically touching Camp Jupiter's grounds, and they'll use a rope ladder to get down to the ground from the air. Terminus still seems murderous, but after Piper uses some charmspeak on him, he is a little more manageable. Annabeth unsheathes her dagger, lays it on a nearby table, and heads for the ladder.
She hasn't seen Percy yet. Oh gods, she thinks, and her brain goes into overdrive. He's down there somewhere, in the mass of Romans, but the scary thing is that she has no idea if he makes the connection as the horde watches her descend the ladder. Her breathing quickens, and remembering that she doesn't have her dagger, she feels vulnerable. However, if Percy remembers who she is, he won't let the Romans touch her. But this will only happen in a perfect situation.
Annabeth finally reaches the bottom of the ladder, and the moment she's anticipated for months is about to take place. Not even noticing the rest of her Greek crew, she says a little prayer, closes her eyes, and then opens them, staring into the Roman crowd.
She's scanning the crowd in front of her, seeking that familiar head of black hair she knows so well. Her search then becomes frantic, because she can't find him in the crowd, but suddenly the crowd is parting and two toga-clad demigods are stepping forward. The first, a girl with dark hair and even darker eyes, has a calculating yet confident look on her face that she knows so well-it's the look Annabeth wears every day. Definitely Reyna, the girl Jason had mentioned. Then, her eyes shift to the second demigod, and she stops breathing, just like she had thought she'd do.
He's taller than she remembers, so now, unlike their youth, he's got several extra inches on her. Gods, he's tanner and more muscular and leaner. He looks amazing. Her eyes find his face, and was he always this attractive? Annabeth can't even form a coherent thought, and when her eyes finally meet his, she tears up a little. They're the exact same shade of green that she's dreamed of for months. She thinks they're the most beautiful eyes she's ever seen.
Annabeth is so happy to see him that she can hardly speak, but she manages to choke out a squeaky, "Percy?"
She braces herself for the worst and hopes for the best at the same time, biting her lip. Praying one last time to the gods, she awaits his response. She hopes deep down that what they have really can overcome the powers of Hera, and she doesn't entirely doubt it either. They've been through too much together for him to forget about her, he can't not know who she is-
"How do you know my name?" he asks, looking genuinely confused.
Annabeth feels her heart physically break in half. She's heaving, and suddenly, she lets out a heavy sob. Piper puts an arm around her, but Annabeth doesn't do anything. She can't. Her eyes don't leave his, and she manages to speak through her sobs. "I love you, Seaweed Brain," she chokes. She's finally figured out this terribly illogical emotion, and its too late. Tears run down her face more profusely and before she knows what she's doing she's turning on her heel, breaking Piper's grasp, and running into the heart of the city.
Annabeth's never run faster in her entire life, not even when she's been running for her life from bloodthirsty monsters. She just couldn't stand the confusion on his face when she'd said his name, and the fact that he means everything to her, but she means nothing to him. She doesn't know how far she's run. Gods, she doesn't even know where she is, but she doesn't even care. Nothing matters right now, except for the fact that Percy doesn't remember her. She's still having trouble wrapping her head around it.
Eventually she stops running, because sobbing and sprinting simultaneously requires too much air that her lungs can't muster. Still heaving, she settles by a fountain. The water lapping against the stone reminds her of the beach at Camp Half-Blood, the beach that had been she and Percy's special spot. Now, all she's got is the memories and she's screaming curses at the Fates for this. She's helped save Olympus; hasn't she done enough for the gods? Why did Hera have to go and do this to her, after all she and Percy had been through?
The most crushing part of it all is that Annabeth had thought she and Percy could withstand anything. Hell, they'd beaten Kronos, so she'd felt like they were invincible together. But she realizes that this isn't true, that love is truly illogical and stupid and that she should just give up already. He's not going to remember her, not now, not ever. Another sob wracks her body.
The pounding of footsteps on pavement make Annabeth a bit more aware of her surroundings. She turns her head to see where they are coming from and is astounded to see Percy sprinting down the street, toga and all. The next wave of despair washes through her system, making the ache in her chest intensify. She expects him to run right by her, but he doesn't, and now she's the one who's confused. He runs straight toward her. When, he gets close enough for Annabeth to see the look on his face, her heart lifts a little. He's grinning at her.
"Wise Girl," he whispers when he's finally reached her.
Annabeth's smile is so big that her face hurts, and she heaves another sob, this one of joy. She throws her arms around him as she leaps up, crying into his chest. She can't even believe how quickly her fate has changed for the better. Just seconds ago, she'd been wondering how she'd even manage to carry on with life itself, and now she's crying into Percy's chest and hugging him so tightly she's afraid she'll choke him. However, he's squeezing her just as tightly.
She looks up at him, and a stray tear runs down her face. "How?" she asks softly.
"'Seaweed Brain'. The memories hit me like a bus, and I just knew that I loved you, too." He smiles down at her.
Annabeth's heart soars. She pulls his face to hers, kissing him deeply, winding her hands in his hair. Gods, she's missed this so much. She's missed him so much.
"I swear to the gods, Kelp Head, if you get away from me again-"
"Never again, Wise Girl. I won't." His eyes sparkle, and Annabeth can't look away from them.
As Percy's lips meet hers for another kiss, she can't help but think that the dream that she had was great, but the real thing is way better. And it isn't exactly a perfect situation, the way it played out, but you know what? Annabeth thinks. It's pretty darn close.