Heartache

Hey! Another change of category! So I'm trying Pjato, and I hope you like it! :D I think the summary about covers it.

Disclaimer: Everyone knows who Rick is, and I'm not even the same gender, so there's no possibility of fraud there.

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Heartache. That was the only word he could use to describe it. He couldn't stand being to far from her, but he also could not bear to be in her company, so instead, he watched the blond from afar.

All he needed at that moment was a friend, to comfort him through the agonising burden he held alone on his shoulders. And Grover was there, of course, but that just didn't satisfy his needs, and he didn't know what would. Two years ago the goddess of love had promised him that he would have stacks of indecision, but at the time, he hadn't imagined he would feel a quarter of the pain he experienced now, day and night, light and dark.

It was dinner, and the blonde one picked half-heartedly at her plate, simulating listening to a younger brother of hers about architecture; she didn't look particularly happy either. She glanced up, and saw him staring, as he mouthed a hello. That's when she cracked, with a stern and resentful glare before she stormed off. Now all eyes were on him, and he miserably turned around, trying his best to ignore the piercing glares from the rest of the Athena table. After the rest of the painfully embarrassing dinner, he went to the beach, only to be confronted with what he had pleaded to escape from: Annabeth.

He looked upwards, muttering about how things always happened to him as he joined her, taking her off guard.

"Hey," He told her sheepishly, receiving no response.

"You know, I-"

"Don't think I haven't noticed seaweed brain." She turned to him, but even that made his insides feel better, as he hadn't heard from her in a long time.

"Noticed what?"

"You gawking at me like a fish all day…No pun intended." She resisted the urge to smile, as he allowed himself to.

"I can't help it. We've barely talked since this summer. Why have you been ignoring me, Annabeth?"

"Because." She stated flatly, refusing to meet his gaze as she wiped her eyes.

"Have you been…Crying?"

"So what if I have?" She snapped angrily at him, making him loose his temper.

"What is your problem? What have I done so terrible that you ignore me and send me evil looks whenever we see each other!?" He grasped her shoulders and turned them around, only to see a shaking and crying friend. He let out a small gasp and commenced to embrace her, and she welcomingly sobbed into his shoulder. He tried many times to describe the feeling in his stomach, and failed. It was as if someone had released a flock of birds in his gut, and they flew freely within his insides.

"Its…Its okay," He tried to comfort her, while she shook her head.

"No it's not! The final battle is this year! Nobody knows what is going to happen! Maybe not even the spirit of delphi!! If I loose you, then..."She sobbed harder, her firm grip changing into a rib cracking hold on him. Maybe was the time to tell her, what he had wanted to say to her since their last encounter, but then again, she was in such a fragile state and-

'Oh yes you will.' A voice not of his own told his mind. He had a good idea who it was. He inhaled a last time before realising that Annabeth had stopped crying and was murmuring about how she had been a bad friend.

"Its fine and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He told her, rubbing her back for reassurance.

She smiled at him gratefully and loosened him slightly.

"You know, I never did find out what you wanted to tell me before Argus called you away last year,"

"Oh...About that…" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck and avoided contact with her storm grey eyes.

"It's-"

"I didn't want to be so distant from you, like we have been lately…And," he stopped himself, closing his eyes tight and mentally cursing himself. His tongue had betrayed him again. He knew this could well be his last chance, when he watched Annabeth absently fiddle with a pebble with her hands. And he couldn't stand it any longer, as he used all his courage to blurt out: "I love you!" He instinctively covered his mouth, when he saw hers gaping wide open. She faced him with a scarlet blush, although his was more of a beet-red.

"I'm-I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I'm sorry Percy, I've been a terrible friend, but, knowing that you have the patience to wait for our reconciliation, has opened my eyes to what I like you." She smiled as he gazed at her. Did she mean like like? He pondered, before she gave him a peck on the lips, also brushing the sand off of her trousers and heading for her cabin.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked him. He mutely nodded in return.

After she left, long after, he cheered with joy, also heading to his cabin, unaware of all the problems there could be with everything that had just occurred.

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There will be another chapter. Lol I'm so glad I did this! Review to receive a pack of Oreos in your e-mail!