Annabeth's hands were slick with sweat as she gripped onto the side of the ship, her knuckles turning a white color. She toppled sideways as the ship lurched to the left, but her death grip on the metal pole bounced her right back to a standing position. She scowled.
"Percy better be in that ship." She muttered. "That stupid idiot."
At the thought of Percy, Annabeth's stomach turned and she groaned as she slid down until she was sitting on the deck of the ship. The warm sun beat down on her and the fluffy white clouds floated cheerfully in the sky. Even the weather was against her, showing it's own little happy images while Annabeth was feeling the exact opposite. She was not happy at all. In fact, now that she thought about it, she really wanted to punch someone. Preferably that stupid old satyr Gleeson Hedge, who wouldn't stop screaming 'DIE!' in the most inappropriate moments.
"Hey, Annabeth." Piper entered the front deck, the sound of her sneakers slapping on the wooden floorboards breaking Annabeth's long train of violent thoughts. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Annabeth grouched, glaring at the ground. "Is everything set up? Flags? The 'we come in peace' poster that Leo insisted on making? Are they all there?"
"Yeah." Piper said. She stood, leaning on the edge of the ship while enjoying the breeze blowing through her hair. "Calm down. That's the seventh time you've asked me the exact same thing."
"Calm down." Annabeth repeated. She scowled. "Yeah, I'm calm. I'm very calm. Do I not look calm to you?"
Piper laughed slightly, sitting down next to Annabeth and stretching her legs out. Annabeth turned away from her, huffing. Piper shrugged to herself and waited for Annabeth to say something.
"Don't you ever get scared?" Annabeth finally asked. She turned to look at Piper out of the corner of her eyes. "That maybe Jason would leave you for the Romans?"
Piper paused, her legs tensing as she tucked them in so that they were no longer taking up the stretched space. "Yeah." She said after a while, a slight edge in her voice. "Yeah, I do."
"Thought so." Annabeth murmured, sighing. She leaned her head back and glanced at Piper. "Jason really likes you, you know that right?"
Piper blushed, her cheeks turning into a color equivalent to that of a tomato. She coughed awkwardly, deciding to change the topic. "I'm sure Percy likes you too."
"You're not good at changing topics." Annabeth said as her slightly sympathetic look turned to a scowl. "And it's easy for you to say. I don't even know if Percy remembers me."
"I've experienced that before." Piper reminded her when Annabeth's mood darkened. "When Jason forgot me, remember?"
Annabeth glare at her. "And how did that feel?"
There was a split silence. Piper shuffled awkwardly, swallowing. "It sucked." She finally stated.
"I knew it." Annabeth said. She groaned. "It sucked. It still sucks. Must everything be against me today? You know that Percy can control water so he can easily crash our ship, right?"
Piper gulped. "Yeah." She said. "I know."
"Stupid. Idiot. Jackson." Annabeth ground out. "I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You."
She could just imagine it, the satisfacation of showing him what he deserved. Ten punches. Maybe even a slap. No, two slaps. Three.
"Annabeth?" Piper asked. "Annabeth. Stop it. You can't space out. We're almost there."
"What?" Annabeth sat up from her hunched position. We're almost there. The words rang in her mind. "Oh gods." She muttered. "Styx. Hades. We're almost there. Almost here. Almost-"
"Annabeth." Piper said firmly. She placed a hand on Annabeth's shaking shoulders. "Calm down."
"Calm down?" Annabeth asked incredulously. "You ask me to calm down when that- that stupid idiotic guy- that idiot- is in that-"
"Annabeth!" Piper yelled. Annabeth started, then shuddered.
"Right." She said, straightening and taking in a deep breath which she then let out in a puff. "Right. Right, yes. I'm calm."
"That's a good Annabeth." Piper said, grinning, but it dropped when Annabeth glared at her. "Now, just remember, don't freak out when you see him."
"Yeah." Annabeth said. "Yeah. I won't freak out."
"Good." Piper nodded. "That's good. Now, I'll just go and ask Leo how long it is until we arrive." she stood up slowly and walked off the deck, leaving Annabeth still sitting on the floor and nodding to herself.
Yeah. Annabeth thought. That idiotic Jackson... Stupid seaweed brain. He is so getting it. Never piss off a child of Athena.
Then the insecurities came flooding back. "Oh gods." Annabeth muttered. "What if Percy doesn't remember me? Or if he does, what if he doesn't like me anymore? What if he found a new girlfriend? What if he decides I wasn't worth his time? What if he wants to stay with the Romans? What-"
"What if I punch your face in so you can stop talking to yourself?" Annabeth glanced up to find Clarisse La Rue, the daughter of Ares glaring at her. She had come in so quietly Annabeth didn't hear her, or maybe she was just spacing out. She seemed to be doing that a lot ever since Percy went missing. It was what she did to pass the time when she wasn't busy trying to find that seaweed brain. "You're turning to be as bad as Nathaniel, that guy in our cabin that wouldn't stop muttering."
Annabeth coughed and scowled, taking out her dagger and twirling it in her hands. It didn't faze the other girl, who was currently smirking at Annabeth. "What is it, Clarisse?"
"What do you think it is?" Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Where have your brains gone? We're here, dummy. We've arrived."
It seemed that Annabeth had not noticed the stopping of the ship in the midst of her panicked musings either. "We're- we're what? We're here? Meaning the Roman camp?"
"Gods." Clarisse said. "I knew it. I knew someday the brains of the Children of Athena would run out. Ha! Miranda, I win the bet!"
"Shut up." Annabeth said. "Shut it. Shut up. We're here."
"Yes." Clarisse said with exaggerated slowness, holding out a hand which Annabeth used to heft herself up. "We're here."
Annabeth nodded slightly and with a blank stare walked with unsteady steps towards the exit deck. Piper saw her and gave her a thumbs up, but she barely noticed. Her searching eyes were on the mop of black hair directing the romans to stay back. Was it Percy?
"Turn around, you idiot." She hissed to herself. The guy gestured something and raised his hands above his head, then as if on cue, turned around to face the ship. Annabeth's dagger slowly dropped from her hand and clattered to the floor as she was faced with the face of someone painstakingly familiar.
"Percy." The name fell from her lips in a whisper. She felt an arm brush against hers and gripped onto it with all her might, holding on. "Percy. He's here."
Percy blinked as he looked at the ship. The sun shone in his eyes, blinding him, and he shielded his face with his hands. "Annabeth?" He called. "Annabeth? Are you up there?"
Annabeth gasped, stumbling. He remembers me.
A cloud passed over the sun. The sea green orbs locked with Annabeth and Percy's eyes widened as he sucked in a breath sharply. Messy blond hair tied hastily in a ponytail, a dirt smeared face, and the grey eyes. The stormy grey eyes that always appeared in his dreams.
Annabeth was looking at him with the expression of a duck forgetting how to quack. Percy had never seen her like this before.
"You're Annabeth?" He asked. "Right?" Annabeth was gaping at him, her mouth slightly opened.
"Percy..." She said, her voice soft. So quiet Percy almost didn't hear her. "You're here. You're really... here."
Percy stared at her. Annabeth stared back at him. They were locked in a staring match, a compelling force allowing no one to look away. Stormy grey and sea green. The owl and the sea. Annabeth and Percy.
"DIE!" Gleeson Hedge screamed.
Annabeth started. She stumbled, breaking eye contact, and the spell was broken. Percy looked anywhere but her, and Annabeth was glaring at Hedge as an excuse to look elsewhere.
The camps were silent. Or that was what it felt like. There was a ringing in Annabeth's ears that blocked out all other sounds.
Or not.
"Go." Clarisse hissed, poking her on the shoulder. Annabeth stopped glaring at Hedge to look at her. "Get reunited with Prissy, dummy. What are you waiting for?"
Annabeth jumped. Right. Yes. Percy. She glanced backwards, almost wishing she never came on this ship. Then she shook her head and started walking down the steps.
Percy also took a few steps forward, still not looking at Annabeth out of pure embarrassment, and almost slammed into her. He jumped away, startled, and Annabeth scowled, the storm back in her eyes.
"You! Watch it!" She jabbed a finger at Percy's chest. Percy's eyes widened as he looked at himself questioningly.
"You! You disappeared! Do you know how worried I was? Huh? HUH? You ungrateful piece of seaweed. You're an idiot, Jackson. Idiot. You're an idiot!"
Percy gaped, not knowing what to do. "Uh." He said intelligently, looking around for help but not receiving anything against the raging daughter of Athena.
Annabeth's hand twitched. Oh, she was so going to slap him. "Idiot. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to rip you to tiny little pieces. Tiny, tiny pieces."
Percy gulped.
"Idiot. Jackson. Seaweed brain. You have a bundle of seaweed replacing your brain. That's why you went missing. You don't have a brain." Annabeth's hand raised.
"Annabeth..."
"And you say my name! You remember me! You remembered me. And did you call? No! Not one tinsy little call! I was crying, you know that? Do I ever cry? Huh?"
Annabeth's hand raised higher. Just one punch. One slap. She could feel the anticipation boiling in her veins...
"Annabeth..." Percy said. Annabeth glared at him as her hand thrusted forward, intending for a slap. However, her wrist directed itself off the path and went to his hair instead. She pulled her hand back sharply, but her fingers got caught in his tangy black strands of hair and the motion brought Percy's head forwards along with it.
And lips collided with hers. Warm, familiar, Percy lips. The little awkward seaweed brain lips. Annabeth tilted her head on instinct, her violent thoughts fading. She was floating on a cloud without a care in the world. It was strange how just a pair of lips could make her feel so free, and she briefly worried about others using this against her before the deepening of the kiss sent her thoughts flying off to never-never land.
"Percy." She mumbled. "I don't think I want to slap you anymore."
Even while kissing, she could feel the smile that formed on his lips.
Oh, he was good.
