Invisible

With a flick of her wrist, she slips her cap on. She sets off, walking to the lake. It's dark and she hopes none of the harpies finds her because she's not supposed to be out this late.

She just wanted to clear her head but instead she finds him. He's sitting near the lake, huddled up in a blanket. He stares into the moonlight as tears roll down his cheeks. Her chest tightens and she hates that stupid prophecy. How can the fates slam the world onto the shoulders of someone so young? Why is he supposed to stop Kronos? It's not fair.

Despite all the wisdom her mother grants her, she's not good with people. She knows she isn't. She gets angry and snaps when she's hurt. When she's being illogical she lets people down. When she lets herself feel those feelings that sweep her up like a wave every time she looks into these green eyes in front of her, she has trouble thinking. Why does she have to be so jealous of that mortal?

She hears him sniffle and she does something illogical. She takes the cap off and sits beside him.

"Percy?" She asks.

He jumps. "Annabeth?" He asks in a scratchy voice, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Annabeth asks, feeling awkward.

"Talk about what?" Percy asks, looking at everything except Annabeth.

This was a mistake. She should've just left him alone.

"Whatever it is that's bothering you." She says before she can stop herself. She thinks she already knows what's bothering him, but she doesn't know the specifics.

Percy looks at her. His obsidian hair flops into his eyes as the wind blows around them. A shiver shakes Percy and he covers his face with his hands. His shoulders are shaking and Annabeth pulls him into a hug.

"Percy?" She asks, shocked because she can't remember seeing her friend cry before.

"Demigod dreams always come true; right?" He chokes out.

"No, not always." Annabeth tells him, not sure if this will hurt or reassure him as hot droplets soak into her shirt. "What did you see?"

"You died and I failed." His voice cracks as sobs burst out.

"I'm too stubborn to die and you won't fail." She says.

"How do you know?" He jerks away from her, staring at her with wide, bloodshot green eyes.

"Because I know you Percy. You're the kind of person who faced Ares and lived to tell the tale when he was twelve. You've held up the world. You saved Thalia with the Fleece. You survived the Labyrinth." She reminds him.

"You were always there with me." Percy sniffles.

Annabeth smiles even though the sight of his tearstained face hurts. "Exactly Seaweed Brain. I'll be right there with you in this fight too. I'm not going to leave you. You're not alone Percy. You've got me but you also have the whole rest of the camp to help you." She says.

Percy smiles. "Thanks Wise Girl."

He hugs her and she feels warm inside. When she's around him, she doesn't feel invisible.

"Hey, you kids!" A harpy yells to their right.

"Run!" Annabeth hisses.

Percy trips as he tries to gather his blanket. Annabeth grabs the blanket in one hand and pulls him up with the other. They race through the darkness, hand in hand, as Percy laughs and curses about his blue blanket being dragged through lava and Pegasus droppings.