TEARS OF AN ANGEL
And when it fell, little drops of tears,
She held close, those she loved so dear...
-theGirlster
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Annabeth Chase hated tears. To her, crying was a blasphemy, a telltale sign of weakness. She didn't always think that. But the dusts of time had clogged her stormy grey eyes, coated her heart until it refused to melt and transfigured the sweet seven year old into a cold beauty. Everyone she found love in deserted her... Her father, Thalia, Luke... Her world was a cracked cocoon that had long lost it's warmth.
It was only natural, that Annabeth hated tears. But lo, there's always the special one who worms their way into the hearts of people against all odds. It happened to Annabeth too...
This is the story of all the times Annabeth Chase cried for the special one...
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Annabeth looked out the window of the Big House, her grey eyes following the dance of the tree nymphs as they leapt off the branches of trees in the soft light of the day. Her heart ached from the fresh knowledge that she'd gained only a few hours ago. She didn't want to believe it. And yet, she did. She had no reason to believe the scrawny son of the sea God who had washed up in the camp just a few days ago, and yet she did. She trusted him to an extent that scared her.
Luke's betrayal hurt her, scratched at her heart. But she didn't cry. No, she didn't.
The only reason her eyes were moistened was because of him. Perseus Jackson.
For one horrible second, Annabeth had thought Percy would die. He'd been so green and saturated with scorpion poison and Annabeth had been so sure that she was going to lose the little, annoying Seaweed Brain who had somehow wiggled his way into the footholds of friendship in her heart.
Then, Annabeth cried. She hated that she cried, and cried for Percy too. But somehow it seemed right that she was scared for him.
"Annabeth?"
Annabeth jumped a little at Percy's voice and just as quickly wiped her eyes ridding it of tears. Her heart sped up in her chest as she turned with a small smile. "You're up, Seaweed Brain."
Percy managed a broad yet tired smile at her. "Looks like I am. Missed me?"
Annabeth rolled her eyes and said with much sarcasm as she could muster. "Like hell."
Her tone was sarcastic, but she meant every word of it...
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"Hey, It's okay. We're safe now, Annabeth," Percy said softly as he patted Annabeth's gold and wet head as they sat next to each other. "The sirens are long gone."
Annabeth sniffled and let herself stay in Percy's arms a little longer. His arms seemed strangely secure and his shoulders hard and comforting against her aching head. She was a little embarrassed about crying and throwing a fit but mostly, her heart just felt heavy from being reminded rather painfully of the life she had wanted so badly. She hated crying. She despised it.
And Percy had seen her too. This should have made her mad as she thought it feeble, but in a weird sort of way she felt freeing to cry in front of him.
And why not? He was her best friend now. He said nothing. Ne didn't have to. Instead he'd held her in his arms and had let her sob until her eyes were rimmed red and her throat had become sore.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry."
Percy sighed sadly. "Don't apologise Annabeth."
Annabeth didn't look up at him but knew he was watching her carefully, his sea green eyes filled with concern. "I'm glad you're here, Percy."
Percy stroked her head again, almost automatically. "I'm glad I'm here for you too."
This time, Annabeth cried a few more tears into Percy's shoulder. But it was because she was happy to have Percy by her side, as her best friend. It was when she knew for sure that Percy wasn't like Luke. That he was there to stay.
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Pain.
Searing, white hot pain raced through every fibre of Annabeth's battered body as she barely held the wait of the sky on her shoulders. Every little breath sent a burning fire rushing through her veins. Every passing second seemed to crush glass into her lungs. Annabeth wanted to give up and curl into a ball and die.
It wasn't just the physical pain, but the pain of betrayal too. It hurt to think that Luke had left her there to die.
It hurt so bad.
And when she cried this time, against her will, it was not for Luke but for she missed Percy. She ached for his presence, for his sarcastic and witty remarks, for his annoying comments. She missed Percy so much, it confused her.
And so she closed her eyes, willing herself to go on a little longer. Every cell in her body trusted Percy to come after her and save her. It was very much like Prince Charming saving Cinderella. She didn't even like Cinderella. Yet she waited for Percy to come.
It was craziness, madness to expect a teen boy to travel across the continent for his friend, but it was knowledge inscribed in Annabeth's brain. He would come.
When Annabeth opened her eyes again, she was staring into a pair of startling green eyes. Those were the same beautiful eyes that haunted her everyday. They were so intense that it was breathtaking.
Those eyes were filled with pain at having shouldered the weight of the sky and yet seemed to sparkle with some sort of happiness.
"I'm glad you're okay Wise girl."
Annabeth couldn't help it when she flung her arms around Percy. "You came for me. You came."
Percy hesitated, but wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Of course I did. I'm not letting you go."
Tears slipped down Annabeth's eyes and rolled down her cheek and into his shirt. Percy noticed the spot of wetness and shot Annabeth a panicked look. "Are you hurt Annabeth?"
Annabeth smiled but made no attempt to wipe away the tears. It wasn't a sign of weakness this time, but a sign of pure happiness. A sign that she'd been right about her Percy. Her Percy.
"Never been better, Seaweed Brain."
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Annabeth had never cried so much in her life. She was drowning in her tears, gasping for a whiff of Percy's scent to hit her like the wind. It never happened. Her body was numb and cold from the shock, her face bloated like a blowfish, her heart seemingly empty and battered.
Percy can't be dead.
Annabeth's mind ricocheted with the thought. She knew deep down that he was still alive, and yet her heart was bleeding with pain.
Annbeth closed her eyes, squeezing the tears out and remembered their kiss before Percy was taken away from her. She desperately wanted it to be their first kiss and not their last.
Oh Gods, all year she'd been confused about her feelings for him. And it could only be described as irony that she realised at a time like this that she was falling for Percy. She was falling in love with her best friend. A friend who could very well be dead.
Percy can't be dead.
Annabeth rubbed the tears from her puffy red eyes slowly.
"Percy was a good friend..." she continued in a shaky voice. Her heart was in a battle with her rib cage all the time she spoke the funeral speech for Percy.
When she really did see Percy, he seemed an illusion. But she knew he was back. She was running to him as fast her legs would carry her and she found herself in his arms in no time. She cried then, harder than ever for she was grateful to all the gods that they had given Percy back to her. He was back. He was alive and well. And he was hers.
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The breeze against Annabeth's face made her tear stained face cool as she ran away from Percy. She couldn't believe she was running away from him. But she was all the same doing it and it killed her. She couldn't for the worlds understand how things had become so complicated between them. A few months ago she had been content being his best friend. But Rachel Elizabeth Dare storming into their lives had proved that Annabeth was looking for more. Annabeth wanted Percy as more than just her best friend. It confused her, toyed with her feelings until she was a melting pot of emotions.
Jealousy burned orange, envy ran green, anger streaked red and love burned a beautiful shade of blue. She refused to believe that she could love Percy as more than just a friend. She tried to run away from the inevitable. She told herself that she couldn't fall for Percy. And for sometime she forced herself to believe it.
She was rudely proved wrong when Percy was taken away from her and her heart bled for him. It seemed everything happened to hurt her. Percy had washed up on Calypso's island and Annabeth hated it with a fire so strong. She knew Calypso's story and it scared her, knowing what could have happened. She sought comfort in the fact that Percy had still come back to her. He had and that mattered the most.
But Rachel was still there and she seemed to pry Percy away from Annabeth. It hurt. It really did.
But nothing could have hurt more than looking into Percy's eyes and telling him the fateful line of the prophecy.
And to lose a love to worse than death...
She couldn't understand what it meant. She loved Luke, but she was in love with Percy. The lines were a lie. It tore at her heart and chewed through her soul. When Percy had wheedled the line from her, she'd seen the hurt in his green eyes. It was so evident and it broke Annabeth to see Percy sad. And then she was angry for feeling guilty. Before long, tears had begun to gather at her puncta.
Annabeth found herself running away from Percy, hiding the tears that silently traced marks along her pink cheeks. Horrid noises broke free from her chest as every step took her further away from him. And she wondered how being with someone could be as painful as running away from them.
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Annabeth didn't want to cry again. She was soon getting tired of it and it bugged her that every time, her tears were shed only in the case of Percy. Either she was crying because she was happy with him or mourning him. This time around, she was crying for she was angry with him. And Rachel.
That mortal dragged herself into the battle zone again with excuses of wanting to see Percy. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Annabeth had to rescue her from an awry helicopter too.
Annabeth had been so mad that she had stormed away from Percy yet again. She hated fighting with him, but it seemed they did it frequently now.
"Annabeth?"
Thalia Grace sat by the pavement, her legs crossed and a questioning look in her eyes. She patted the concrete floor beside her, inviting Annabeth to join her. Annabeth brushed away the angry tears from her eyes and sat beside her best friend.
"Were you crying?"
Annabeth groaned loudly. "Is it that obvious, Thalia?"
Thalia nodded sympathetically. "What did Fish face do to you now?"
Annabeth hid a smile. "Why do you assume it's Percy?"
"He's the only one who can get you so worked up blondie," Thalia said rolling her eyes good naturedly.
Annabeth sighed and dropped her head on her friend's shoulder. "Rachel's here."
Annabeth felt Thalia stiffen almost immediately. "Ah, I see."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Annabeth looked up at Thalia. "It hurts Thals, to love someone who doesn't love you back."
"I know."
"I didn't think I would fall in love with him."
"It was kinda too obvious, Annie."
"I didn't think so. But now... Thalia, what am I going to do?"
Annabeth's eyes burned with a familiar sensation and soon hot tears rolled down her face and onto her lap. Thalia clasped Annabeth's hand in hers. "He loves you too. I can see it in his eyes."
"Sure you can," Annabeth snorted.
"Annabeth. Just because I'm a huntress, it doesn't mean I'm blind. Have you seen him look at you? Have you seen the fury in his eyes when someone hurts you? Or the pain when you rant about Luke? That boy travelled all the way across the continent to hold up the sky for you. He'd do anything for you. He bloody loves you just as much as you do if not more. Even Kronos can see that."
Annabeth closed her eyes, letting the stray tear drops roll away. "He loves me."
"Yes."
"Percy loves me."
"Yes, idiot."
Annabeth finally opened her eyes. The grey orbs glittered with excitement, and her lips were tugged up in a faint smile. "It's time he did."
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Annabeth couldn't have imagined a better second kiss. It was underwater too.
Wrapped in a sea bubble, Percy's lips found hers and his hands went gently around her waist. Annabeth reigned him with a hand laced in his hair, their legs tangling together. The kiss was different from their first one. This was more relaxed, brave and intense. Annabeth's lips moulded into Percy's like magic, setting her veins on fire. They finally pulled apart and Percy rested his forehead against hers. "Best kiss or what?"
"Or what," Annabeth said with a laugh.
"I'm so glad you're going to make my life hell, Annabeth."
Annabeth smiled. She found that tears had sprung uninvited in her eyes. But she didn't mind. She didn't think Percy did either as he pulled her into another deep kiss.
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A/N : Part two will be updated shortly. It contains scenes from HoO.
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