"Can you feel me when I think about you with every breath I take?"
Annabeth would admit it: successfully breathing was painful nowadays. She even tried to explain the feeling to herself because it was so complicated.
However, the best answer she could come up with was that a lock of grief was tightly chained around her ribcage, making her wince in agony whenever she breathed a little too hard for her body's comfort.
This reaction sucked, especially when the rigorous schedule of training rolled around.
She knew that nectar, ambrosia, not even Apollo himself could heal her.
She couldn't wait to find him.
Maybe that's when the pain will fade away.
"No matter what I do, my world is an empty place."
Annabeth hated practicing alone. It made her feel like her existence in this topsy turvy world was moot.
Especially with him gone.
He was her number one person to go to; she often found herself lingering in front of his empty cabin the majority of the time as she patiently waited to see his foolish grin, and brilliant green eyes appear from behind the door, his lips calling her name in anticipation.
She always had to blink back oncoming tears when she reminded herself that he wasn't there.
And the fact that he may not be coming back at all.
She also found that she pushed that thought out of her mind, it still made its way back in, though, no matter how hard she tried.
"Don't know it it's a mirage, but I always see your face."
Annabeth woke up one morning, a drop of happiness leaking into her heart, bringing her depressingly slow heart beat up a notch. Her subconscious finally let her experience a pleasant dream about Percy. She decided it was a temporary break from all of the nightmares she was having of not being able to find her beloved boyfriend, no matter how hard she searched. These dreams were a continuous stream of endless journeys replaying in her mind every night. And she hated every second of them.
She wrapped one of his sweatshirts around herself protectively in order to shield herself of the restless anxiety that threatened to taint the tiny droplet of hope.
At this point, she discovered that her cabin mates were gone. She scurried out of bed, barely throwing on her shoes with carelessness.
The door of the Big House creaked as the girl peered in.
"Chiron?" Her call echoed around the space, receiving no answer. She decided to check in his office.
Annabeth was disappointed to find that the centaur's secluded office was empty too. She let out a sigh as her quiet steps meandered over to the wall of pictures.
Her eyes easily found the picture she eagerly looked for. It seemed like she had that spot memorized by now. It was the picture of them, the snapshot that emanated happiness, like warm sunshine on a breezy day. This usually made Annabeth smile.
Her somewhat greedy fingers picked it off of the wall. Even though she didn't need to, she studied his features in the frozen memory: the curve of his lips when he smiled like that, along with the chaotic mess that was also known as his hair.
She dropped the picture when she heard a floorboard creak behind her. The photo made a soft sound when it hit the floor.
Annabeth felt herself smile when she saw who the person was from over her shoulder. She managed to pull his sweatshirt closer to her, this movement made his slight, salty scent rise into her nostrils. She instantly drowned in the wave of calmness, as if his scent was an anesthesia, making her numb from the harsh distress and raw worry that pounded through her body daily.
"Percy," She whispered to the oncoming figure. She saw him smile accompanied with a reassuring nod, but strangely, no words left his mouth.
Her smile grew when she felt his invulnerable hands rest on her shoulders; she closed her eyes as he placed a light, but seemingly desperate kiss on her forehead.
"I've missed you, so much, Percy." She said to him, her hands reaching out to him with the same amount of desperation that he displayed earlier.
"Annabeth?" An older voice asked with concern. "What are you doing here?"
Annabeth's eyes snapped open, and to her dismay, Percy was nowhere to be found.
Was she imagining him the whole time?
