Too long to go in my drabbles story

after the HoO series, a little angst with Percy, Annabeth and Sally

[cover image by viria on tumblr]

After they returned from Rome, damaged and tired and slightly broken, all Percy had wanted was to go home. And so he and Annabeth (he refused to go anywhere without her) went to his apartment, where Sally was waiting for them. As she always would be. They both slept in Percy's bed – Sally didn't have the heart to separate them, and they had solemnly promised that they would be sleeping. They kept each other safe in the dark, which never really went away, no matter how brightly the light shone around them.

A week after they showed up on the doorstep Annabeth wriggled out of bed, unable to sleep and not wanting to disturb Percy - who had been struggling to sleep through the night. She crept into the kitchen, looking for a glass of water when the light blinked on and Sally was standing there in her pyjamas.

'Annabeth sweetheart, what are you doing up? it's 3am.'

Annabeth rubbed her eyes. 'Couldn't sleep.'

Sally nodded, watching her with a frown. 'Do you want a drink?' she asked after a moment, 'I can make some hot chocolate?'

The offer was just too enticing. 'Sure.'

Annabeth slid into a chair at the table as Sally made them both drinks. The sounds of clinking mugs and cupboards being opened and closed with muted thuds became fuzzy background noise as Annabeth stared at the wooden table before her. The lines became swirling patterns before her eyes, twisting themselves like spinning ballet dancers, turning faster and faster—

'Here you go,' Sally murmured, setting a steaming mug in front of her. The quiet thud shattered the strange humming which had been battering around inside Annabeth's head.

'Thanks.'

She wrapped her hands around the mug, curling her fingers until they burned from the hot ceramic.

'So, are you going to talk to me now?'

Annabeth looked up to find her-almost-mother-in-law watching her with narrowed eyes. She and Percy had not filled Sally in on much of the details of the quest, and Annabeth felt a sudden surge of guilt at how they had left her in the dark so much – she deserved to know, a least part of the truth.

'I—' She sighed. 'It's a long story.'

Sally's eyes were sympathetic, she reached out and took Annabeth's hand, prying it away from the mug and holding it firmly in her own.

'You don't have to tell me the whole story, I just—' her voice faltered. 'Percy…he's changed, something has changed him and I don't know what. But you do and I—'

Annabeth nodded. 'I'm worried about him,' she admitted and Sally's eyes closed for a moment before she re-opened them and met Annabeth's.

'It's like he's lost that hope he used to have, that brilliant light that used to just shine out of him and make you feel better for just being near him, it's faded. And he's…angry.'

'Angry at what?' Sally asked quietly.

'Everything.' She shrugged. 'At what happened to us, at the Romans for attacking Camp…at the gods. When he talks about them sometimes…sometimes it's like I'm seeing Luke talking. He has that same resentment growing in him and it's eating away at him, I can see it. And I just…I can't lose him like I lost Luke.' Her voice trembled as she admitted the thoughts which had been growing ever more prominent in her mind ever since she and Percy had returned from the quest.

'Oh sweetheart.' Sally moved closer and embraced her, stroking her hair soothingly as Annabeth began to sob into her shoulder. And she began to let go, to release all of her own pent up anger and grief and desperation, like a wave bursting free of a dam, fierce and unstoppable. And all the while, Sally sat and stroked her hair, murmuring quiet words of consonance. She would not lose Percy, she would never be alone. They would help him get better, they would help him get his light back.

Eventually, the tears ran out and Annabeth pulled away, scrubbing her face clean of them and muttering apologies at her state.

'Don't be ridiculous.' Sally smiled – they had shared times of worrying together when Percy had gone missing the previous year, and were used to seeing each other cry.

'I think I'll go back to bed.' Annabeth said, standing up, 'thank you for the drink and…'

Sally smiled. 'Any time Annabeth.' And she planted a kiss to her forehead before leaving her alone in the kitchen.

She stood there for another minute before flicking the light off and creeping back into Percy's room and climbing back into bed. He sleepily pulled her against him, snaking and arm around her waist and kissing her forehead as Sally had done a few moments earlier.

'You're awake?'

'Mm,' he hummed. 'I love you.'

His voice was tight; and it felt to her like he was holding something back. She reached a hand up to smooth her thumb over his eyebrows; a habit she had picked up when they were in Tartarus and could not see each other, but could only feel and hear each other's expressions.

'You heard?' she realised out loud.

He stiffened before nodding.

'How much?'

'Enough.'

'Percy,' she breathed, regretting her confession to Sally now.

'Annabeth you're not going to lose me,' he said determinedly. 'I know I'm…different now, but I can get better, I can be who I used to be. I can get better—'

'Stop. I don't need you to just get better for me – I love you, and that will never change, no matter how angry or tired or sad you are – you will always be my Percy. And we can get better together okay?'

He pressed his forehead to hers, exhaling slowly. 'Okay.'

It would be painful and difficult, but they would drag themselves free of the heavy darkness which enveloped them greedily. They would find their hope again, their happiness, their light. And they would never let it go again.

So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
'Cause oh they gave me such a fright
And I will hold on with all of my might
Just promise me that we'll be alright

But the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view
And we'll live a long life