I've had this idea in my head for so long, I had to write it down. So here's the story, enjoy!
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Never Let Me Go (I might not be there when you come back.) Or 3 times Percy and Annabeth are paranoid and the one time they are rightfully so.
You don't know when it happened. When your feelings for him began getting so intense it hurt you to be even an inch away from him. When if he wasn't connected to you, you felt like something in you heart was missing.
After the second Giant War you spend every available waking moment together. At first it's normal (well as normal as it can be from coming back from a war and actual hell.) There are so many things to do, so many distractions. Repairing the camp, traveling to New Rome, working out peace negotiations. You are constantly busy, there is no time to think about everything you and him have been through. No time for the visions to haunt you, to take ahold of your mind and never let go. Right now you are somewhat at peace. But only if you are at his side.
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i.
After a few months it starts to set in. Chiron forces you to teach a battle strategy class at Camp. Unfortunately Percy cannot be with you, he's teaching a sword fighting class in the arena. As hesitant you are to be away from him, you think it's probably a good idea to learn how to function on your own. After all, he can't be next to you for everything (can he?)
You are in the Athena cabin talking about the importance of a good defence when inexplicably your mind goes blank. You don't know how it starts, all you know is that suddenly you're back in the dark and you can't see and he's nowhere to be found and you're searching for him, reaching out into the void... and then nothing.
"Annabeth? Annabeth! ANNABETH!"
You blink and you hear a blood curdling scream and it takes you a second to figure out it's yours. You're lying on the bed in Cabin 3 and Percy's face is above you, his sea green eyes swirling with concern and it's enough to make you cry even more. You clutch his arms, tears streaming down you face and his and ask if he's real. And he brings you into a hug and you can feel his desperation as he assures you that, yes he's real, he will always be with you, and you're are safe.
You look up at him with your tear stricken eyes and say something that will haunt him in his nightmares, his dreams.
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
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ii.
The second time you're separated he's the one who has the problem. After the first incident you and him were attached at the hip for weeks. After a month you are getting better, more able to be alone without breaking down, which is good because school is starting and you're sure you and Percy won't have all of the same classes.
You are embarrassed that you are the only one having the major problems so far. He hasn't had any visions, nightmares, flashbacks.
Whenever you ask him about it he just responds with a wink and a, "Maybe I'm just stronger than you WiseGirl, ever think about that?" His tone is joking, but his eyes are begging you to stop talking and you're never one to take orders but you do this time. Something tells you not to push him, he'll tell you when he's ready. So life continues and pretty soon you have to go back to school.
You're sitting in your advanced math class, just trying to stay awake because as a daughter of Athena you pretty much learned this stuff in kindergarten. (Ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but that doesn't make the class any less boring.) You are contemplating whether or not you should correct the problem on the board when you're cellphone (The one you begged Chiron to let you have) starts blaring in your bag. The teacher glares at you and tells you to turn it off and you're about to until you see who's calling.
It's Piper.
Part of you is relieved that maybe you'll be able to get out of this class. The other part is pushing down your rising panic because you know that Piper wouldn't call you in the middle of class if it wasn't an emergency. Ignoring your teacher's death glare (yours is better anyway) you accept the call and press the phone to your ear.
Immediately you hear a scream and a calm voice telling the screamer to calm down. "Piper, Piper!" You have to shout to be heard above the racket.
"Annabeth, oh thank gods!" She sounds breathless and panicked and you instinctively reach for the knife hidden in your belt.
"Piper, what's going on?!" You hold your breath for her answer, although a part of you already knows what's coming next.
"It's Percy. We were in Science and he just started freaking out. Hurry, meet me in the janitor's closet on the second floor!" A loud bang cuts off the call and you just sit there for a second letting the panic rise and overwhelme you.
Its your teacher's snappy voice that breaks you out of your spell. You ignore her threats and quickly pack up your things, not paying attention to the stares and whispers of your classmates. You exit the classroom and jog down the hallway and run up the stairs, cursing the gods who decided to have the math classroom on the first floor and the science classroom on the second.
You make it to the closet, yank the door open, and step inside. It's a mess. Different cleaner brands are scattered on the shelves and on the floor. A mop is lying discarded in the corner. You're eyes shoot to Percy, sitting on a bench with a blank stare, like he's been brainwashed. You rush over to him, tripping on a broom, and sit besides him.
"Percy?" You snap your fingers in front of his face and he doesn't respond. You look into his eyes say his name again. Nothing.
Even so you put your arms around him and turn towards the brown haired Cheroke girl who is standing in the opposite corner looking out of place. "What happened?" You ask.
Her kaleidoscopic eyes meet your grey ones and she tells you about how in science he just suddenly froze and started screaming your name. She tells you about how she got them out of class with her charmspeak and how he threw a fit trying to find her. She explains how she tried to calm him down and when she couldn't she called you and he went numb.
While she explains this you rub his back and whisper in his ear about how you are ok and he is ok and you both are together. When she finishes you pull away from him and smash your lips to his. He is cold at first, frozen and you wonder if this was the right thing to do and are about to pull away when you feel him kiss back. You sigh with relief and pull away. He looks at you for the first time since you entered the closet.
"I couldn't get to you in time. You, you fell and I couldn't reach you and..."
You take in his glossy eyes and pale face. It's enough for you to take him in your arms again and run your hands through his unruly black hair. He cries on your shoulder and you turn to thank Piper for calling you.
She's already gone. And when Percy gets back to normal and you go to Sally's apartment to eat blue cookies and milk, the detention you get for cutting class is so worth it.
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iii.
The third time you are alone you come to a understanding and you learn that you're instincts aren't always correct.
You bite your lip as you pace in Cabin 6. You know this is driving Malcom crazy, but you can't get yourself to stop. You've just had your first big fight with Percy since you got back from Tartarus. Sure, you fight a lot, but this fight was bigger than any of the ones before. This one had the potential to end your relationship and as mad as you are at Percy right now, you know you can't live without him.
It has been tense ever since his break down. He has been closed off and as much as you try to reconnect with him you aren't able to. It scares you, it terrifies you because you are weak without him and you care about him and why wouldn't he just talk to you goddammit!
You don't even remember what you started fighting about only that it became about you accusing him of not trusting you and him saying that if you think that maybe he should just leave. And in your blind fury you told him to go. And he glared at you in a way that was very un-Percy and stormed out of your cabin. And now he is gone.
An hour before you had come to your senses and started looking for him. You checked the arena, Cabin 3, the mess hall, the infirmary, and even the great lawn and you still couldn't find him.
Now you are annoying Malcom with your theories as to what might have happened to him.
"He could've been mauled by a hellhound,"
"Annabeth."
"Or caught by a sea monster,"
"Annabeth."
"Or, oh gods, if Hera took him again, I swear-"
"Annabeth!" Malcom grabs your arms to get you to stop pacing. "I'm sure he's fine. He's the hero of Olympus, I'm sure he can handle anything. Besides he's probably just visiting Grover or something."
You take a deep breath to calm yourself. You have this feeling, this nagging feeling that he's in danger. No one else understands the connection you have with him. You know he's in danger, you just know it.
You storm out of your cabin and run down to the beach. You are about to call to Poesidon and ask him if he knows where Percy is when you see a lone figure sitting on the sand. Without a doubt, you know it's him and you breathe a sigh of relief knowing he's ok. You become nervous again, what on earth should you say?
After a moments contemplation you walk over to him and delicately fold yourself into the sand besides him. If he hears you, he doesn't react. You sit there for a while, holding your breath. Despite everything you can't bring yourself to speak. You are about to give up and walk away when you hear his voice, low and quite.
"I'm sorry."
You wait for more, but nothing else comes. So you turn towards him and tilt his head to yours.
"I am too. I never wanted you to leave, I just said that because I was angry. You were shutting me out and I didn't know what to do because I can't live without you and-"
You cut yourself off when you find him looking at you with a remorseful expression.
"I never meant to shut you out, Annabeth. I just needed some time to think things through, ya know? After...after Tartarus things have been weird. I just...needed some alone time."
You nod and turn away so he can't see the tears building in your eyes. You understand, you really do, that he needs his space. The words still sting. But most of all you are scared. All of your life you have kept everyone at a distance, scared that you would depend too much on someone and then they would disappear. And that is the exact thing that happened to you. You depended too much on Percy, and now he was breaking away and you didn't know what to do without him. You stifle a sob and hope he doesn't hear. Of course he does.
"Annabeth?" He turns towards you and sees the tears twinkling in your eyes. His tone immediately softens. "Wise Girl, what's the matter?"
"Nothing." You paste a smile on your face. One glance at him and you know he isn't buying it. And because he's Percy and you're Annabeth you find yourself spilling out your heart to him, telling him everything that has been on your mind.
When you finish he's silent. You find yourself panicking. What will he do? It's a surprise, even to you, when he cups your face with one hand and brushes back a strand of your hair with another. An unreadable emotion is flickering in his eyes as he stares at you intensely.
"I'm so, so sorry. I never meant to make you feel like that. And now I guess I owe you the truth."
You hold your breath for whatever he is going to say next. You can't imagine what it will be.
"Annabeth, promise you won't hate me."
You look at him with surprise. "I could never," is on your lips before you know it and you lean back on your elbows in anticipation.
He runs a hand through his unruly hair. "This has been all my fault. I should've tried harder to pull you back up, I should've insisted on staying with you on that stupid quest, I should've-" His breath is coming in in pants now, "I should've saved us from this all. You don't deserve this."
You blink in surprise. Surely he couldn't be blaming himself for this! You look in his eyes and then see the guilt in them, the heavy waves rolling across his iris.
"Percy," You start slowly, "None of this was ever your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself for this, ok? I'm just as much to blame as you are. I was the one who didn't cut the string. And everything worked out in the end, Seaweed Brain. We are all ok. Alright?"
You will him to believe you.
So nothing makes you feel better then when he cracks a small smile and says, "Yeah, ok, what would I do without you Wise Girl," and kisses you atop the head.
In return you smack him upside the head. "Now, what in the name of Zeus were you thinking when you disappeared like that! I was worried sick! I was sure something had happened to you and I nearly killed Malcom by ranting to him about everything that could have happened to you!"
He just laughs and answers, "Obviously I don't think, something you have told me many times before."
You have to chuckle at that as you cuddle up next to him and he puts an arm around you. You don't know how long you stay there only that you wake up in the morning to the beautiful sun rise and your Seaweed Brain next to you, drooling in his sleep.
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iv.
You find yourself in a familiar position, waiting outside the pool for Percy who is twelve minutes late. You are scheduled to catch a movie and if he doesn't get his butt out here soon you guys are going to miss it, something you do not appreciate.
Thankfully, after your talk a few weeks ago things have gotten better. Percy has become more open with his feelings and you have tryed to become more understanding. There are still rough nights, when you both wake up screaming and days when tension is high and you feel like shouting, but because you're you and he's him, you get through it together.
You sigh as you brush a curl behind your ear and glance at your watch. Thirteen minutes now. You take a deep breathe, trying to push down the nagging feeling that something is definitely wrong. Even if Piper did teach you how to absorb your emotions doesn't mean you aren't freaking out right now. But it's fine, you tell yourself. Nothing's wrong. Your instincts were wrong last time, you have to remind yourself. Nothing happened. Percy just forgot about the time or he's talking to his Coach, everything's fine. Right?
After another five minutes of pacing and arguing with yourself (so what if a bird stared at you like you're crazy) you finally decide to walk into the building.
The first thing you notice is how quiet the aquatic center is. Too quiet, eerily quiet. There should be kids splashing in the background and the instructions of the water aroubic class and the chirping of the perky front desk girl that you almost punched in the jaw because she hit on Percy. (You totally would have destroyed her if Percy hadn't held you back.)
The panicky feeling rises again in you chest as you creep through the center. But this time you don't push it down, you let it wash over you and you harness the anticipation lacing through your veins. You're ready for a fight. But even so, nothing can prepare you for what you see.
Percy is suspended above the pool, using the water to make a whirlpool. Underneath him is a giant orange sea monster that even you don't have a word for, growling (can sea monsters growl?) and launching spikes at your boyfriend. He must've already got some good hits in, it's bleeding golden ichor, but it sure isn't dead yet. It takes you a moment to get over your shock, but when you do you unsheath the dagger from your boot and run to the side of the pool.
You trip. Yes you, daughter of Athena, two time hero of Olymous, survivor of Tartarus, slip on the tiled pool deck. Your head makes a loud thump as it hits, and Percy abruptly turns towards you his eyes wide and mouths you name. Which gives the giant sea monster thing an opening.
You see it a second before it happens. You see Percy's guard drop, for only a millisecond, but it's enough for the sea monster (let's call it George) to stick his head through Percy's water shield and bite down.
The next thing you see is Percy falling through the air. The next thing you hear is a scream. You're not sure if it's his or yours, but it's enough to get you up from the deck and lunging towards the pool.
You hit the water and fight through the waves to get to the surface. There's water if your eyes and you can't see well so you reach out blindly with your dagger and try to locate George. After the third try you hit something that you think is the monster. There's a disgusting shlick sound of your weapon hitting it's target and suddenly it disappears. You scramble to find the ladder and climb out of the pool. Your blond hair is hanging in your face and it takes you a minute to blindly search for a hair tie before finding one it in your pocket and putting you hair up. You blink the water out of your eyes and look around.
Nearly everything is destroyed. You know the cleaner person isn't going to be happy. There are broken pipes littered around the pool deck and smashed tiles and dirt smudges all around. But what scares you the most is the sight of you boyfriend, lying in the pool, his eyes closed.
You're heart misses a beat and you jump back into the water, pulling Percy with you back to the edge of the deck. You drag him up and lie him on the deck and frantically slap his face, trying to get him to wake up. When he doesn't you let out an anguished cry and start checking his body for injuries. It occurs to you that Percy is the son of Poseiden and he should be healed by the water. You rack your brain for everything Chiron has taught you. You remember somethings. You start. Poison. He must have poison in his wound.
You quickly rip off the remaining shreds of his T-shirt and scan his chest. You fight the urge to gag.
You've been at camp since you were seven, but this injury is by far the worst you have ever seen. There is one long slash across Percy's chest, and it's oozing with green slime you guess is the poison. You rummage through your pocket and find a piece of ambrosia and stick it in his mouth while you grab a bottle of nectar and pour it over the gash.
Nothing happens. Tears are starting to stream down your face as you shake him and cry because god damnit you guys made it through actual hell together, he is not leaving you now.
Color slowly starts to seep back into his skin and his wound slowly starts to close. He slowly blinks his eyes open and sits up with a confused look on his face. He has your name on his lips but before he gets a chance to say anything you launch youself into his arms. You're crying and laughing at the same time and you can't do anything other than grip him tight and listen to the beat of his heart and thank all the gods, even Hera, that he's alright because you can't live without him and he's a part of you and-.
Percy slowly pulls you off him and looks you in the eyes. He brushes away your tears and smiles.
"You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you Wisegirl?"
You let out a breathy laugh and help him stand, before embracing him again. He runs his fingers through your curls and you'd be content just standing there for the rest of eternity.
But you have to go and report the attack to Chiron and on your cab ride there Percy tells you about how he was just getting put of the pool when George appeared and how he got everyone out safely before fighting. You fill him in about what happened afterward and after you're finished you both snuggle up next to each other and Percy makes sure the cab drivers not looking and magically dries you off.
You sit there, with Percy's arm around you and think about how you and him have recovered and wonder if you will ever have a normal life. But then you glance out the window and see a young girl melt out of a tree and wink at you and you smile. You wouldn't give up this life for anything.
Percy tilts your head towards his and asks, "Hey, what are you grinning about?"
Your heart expands with love for him and you answer, "Oh, just thinking about how lucky I am."
And the kiss you get in return makes the whole day's events totally worth it.
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AN: This is my second story here, and my first PJ fanfic! I absolutely love all of Rick Riordan's book! Please review and let me know what you thought, if you have any suggestions please let me know! I need some new prompts to right about, so if you have any just shoot me a PM. Thanks for reading!