AN: This will not have your "OMG THEY ENDED UP TOGETHER SQUEE" happy ending, but it will not have a "HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO DEPRESSING" ending either. I was bored and didn't want to write a happy ending crack pairing or one of my stories, so yeah. This came into existence.
Her laptop is set on the table in front of her and her earphones are plugged into her ears. She is listening to a pop song that is strangely calming, even though it does not exactly fit her usual taste of classical music. She is on a computer program, trying to design a building for her college class. She knows that the library does not allow food, but she sneaks a cup of coffee anyway. It is the only thing keeping her tired mind and body awake.
Her eyes are glued to the screen—every one of her movements has to be precise, so that she will not mess up the design. She looks around the library. Percy still has not shown up. She cannot say that she is very surprised—what does that say about her relationship with him?
He has been late for the past few days anyway. She has gotten used to it.
She turns back to her work and stays fixated on the screen for about another thirty minutes, when there is a tap on her shoulder. She looks up to see Percy standing next to her, his hair disheveled and with an expression that shows his obvious discomfort at being here. Libraries are not his kind of place.
But then, this may just be his general discomfort that he always seems to get when he is around her. She has gotten used to this too.
"Hi," she greets him. He nods back in response.
There is an awkward silence, and Annabeth can almost taste the tension in the air.
"How's college going?" Percy asks.
"Fine," she replies quickly. "Let me pack up my stuff and we can go to dinner." She can't meet his eyes.
"All right," Percy agrees. Percy and Annabeth have been dating on-and-off for two years now. Annabeth always imagined her first relationship to be one where she can share all of her hopes, dreams, and aspirations with her boyfriend, and her dating Percy was the complete opposite. Before, when they were friends, she talked to him more than she does now.
And they are supposed to be even closer than before.
She pulls her bag into her shoulder and stands from the chair. "Where do you want to go?"
"I dunno. Where do you want to go?" Percy mumbles.
Annabeth lets out a frustrated sigh.
"Percy—" she begins.
"Annabeth, wait," he interrupts. Annabeth looks at him in surprise. He is looking at his shoes to avoid eye contact with her. She can tell that something is awfully wrong.
"What?" she asks.
Percy finally looks up and decides to focus in on her gray eyes. He brushes her hair away from her face and says the words that she has been dreading to hear.
"I think we're better off as friends."
Seven words.
A lot more than seven stabs of pain.
Annabeth is in shock. She never thought he would actually say this, even though it has been on both of their minds since about a month into the relationship, when problems began to arise.
"Are you breaking up with me?" she managed to get out past the obstruction in her throat. Her voice is strangely calm.
"We can still stay friends," Percy says hastily. "I prefer it that way."
Annabeth looks at him in horror. This is a change in her perfectly structured world. She likes everything to be put in their separate slots, and Percy has fallen into the slot of "boyfriend" for two years. Now she doesn't know exactly what he is. She doesn't like that.
"And I think you would prefer it too," Percy adds quietly. He looks at her hopefully.
Does she prefer it?
Does she prefer being just friends with Percy?
End all the awkwardness?
End the fucking charade?
Does she prefer it?
Heck yes.
But even she knows being just friends is impossible with this relationship ending.
Annabeth has made many more friends since leaving camp, and she has seen them try to get over their breakups. They cried and their boyfriends' empty words of, "Maybe we can still be friends," were absolutely no help. Because everyone knows that being "just friends" when coming out of a relationship is difficult.
We're coming out of this on good terms though, Annabeth tells herself. She wants to believe it. They are best friends, and she wants it to stay that way. But she isn't one who will delude herself just for happiness.
And she knows that "just friends" is just out of reach.
"Okay," Annabeth says, numb.
Percy looks happier than he has ever looked before, and Annabeth does not know whether she is supposed to be wounded or not.
Percy comes in to give her a hug goodbye, but she holds out her hand for him to shake instead. She tries to keep the distance between them, and even Percy notices it. He shakes her hand tentatively. He seems to be afraid of pressing into her hand too hard and angering her.
When his hand leaves hers, she feels that she has lost something, and the warmth of his hand in hers is the least of it all.
"Bye, Annabeth. See ya around." Percy turns to leave, and Annabeth feels like she has to do something. Maybe she should grab him and tell him that breaking up is a mistake. Maybe she should kiss him. Maybe they should get back together like they have done every time they fought before. Maybe they should keep up their shaky up-and-down, on-and-off relationship and pretend that this is not the right decision.
But that is a lie.
Annabeth sees Percy place his hand on the glass doors, ready to push them open and go out into the night. She makes a quick decision.
"Percy, wait!" she yells. Heads turn to look at the girl who has dared to defy the tranquil atmosphere of the library. She doesn't care. All she cares about is the boy near the library's half-open doors, looking at her with a quizzical expression on his face. She runs toward him as quickly as she possibly can, so that when finally makes it in front of him, her face is red and she is panting.
All eyes in the library turn toward her now. They expect a happy ending, one they can witness then turn back to what they were doing before, knowing that there is still some love in the world.
Annabeth is about to give them that happy ending.
Percy raises his eyebrows, further enhancing his green eyes. Annabeth reaches into her bag and pulls out a crumpled picture. It is of Percy and Annabeth at an amusement park, standing next to each other eating cotton candy. It is one of the few occasions where they did not fight or find themselves in an uncomfortable silence. It is one of Annabeth's few cherished memories from a relationship that was destined for failure from the beginning.
She tries to smooth the photograph out on her shirt but gives up after a few tries, when the paper goes back to its original shape. Frustrated, she is about to throw it onto the ground and stomp on it until it stays flat when she realizes how many people are watching her.
She hands the photo to Percy, who takes it confusedly.
"Do you remember this?" Annabeth asks. Percy nods dumbly. "It was one of our few happy days together." She pauses to look at Percy's puzzled expression. "Keep it," she says firmly.
"But I already have pictures from that day," says Percy. He takes the photo but holds it away from his body warily.
"Keep it," Annabeth says again. This time, there is a faint smile on her face. Percy puts the photo into his pocket reluctantly and opens his mouth to speak again—probably to ask her if she has momentarily gone insane—when Annabeth places a kiss on his cheek.
It tastes of strawberry lip gloss.
It tastes of a brisk winter day.
It tastes like the coffee she drank.
It tastes like goodbye.
"Bye, Percy." The words feel comfortable flowing out of her mouth, so much more comfortable than any forced conversation between the two. Percy's mouth is still imitating that of a goldfish, and Annabeth smirks. "Go, before I have to kiss you again to make you leave, Seaweed Brain" she teases.
"I really meant what I said about us staying friends, you know," Percy insists. He has his arms crossed across his chest and he looks adamant.
Annabeth contemplates this for a moment. "We'll see."
"I guess that's as good an answer as I'm getting from you?"
"That's right." She nods.
Percy gives Annabeth one last searching look, then turns around to leave. Annabeth watches him go into the cold night and stands stock-still, as if any sudden movements can ruin this. She keeps an eye on him until he is just a speck in the night air, joining the millions of other specks. She then gives a satisfied, yet forlorn little smile and turns back to the main area of the library.
This is her version of a happy ending.
AN: Hm, I don't know what to think of this.
Review?