Disclaimer: I only own the plot, not the characters.
The trees fly by in a blur as I take the familiar road to camp. The worn yellow taxi comes to a soft stop just off the road, a few hundred feet from the camp entrance.
"Are you sure, Miss? I don't think there's anything out there." The driver says in his squeaky voice.
"I'm sure. My friends are just beyond here at the campsite." I say getting out. I walk around to the back of the taxi to the trunk and help the small little man unload my two suitcases and faded red duffle bag. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a few crinkled $100 bills and hand them over.
"Oh, miss, this is too much. " he says handing two of them back. I close his hands with mine and push them back to him.
"Think of it as tip for being so polite, Marcel." I smile sweetly. Hesitantly, he puts the money in his shirt pocket.
"If you need help or need a ride, holler at me, I'll be here as quick as I can." He says handing me a business card with the name of his taxi service. I nod a thank you, shoulder what few bags I have, and head off into the woods.
The forest is it's usual green and alive self, humming, hissing, and chirping in a tranquil world of it's own. It's not long before I find the worn path and stone archway, following it into the borders, stopping. Something's missing...it's calm...too calm. I haven't been attacked yet. That never happens.
I hike on, following the worn dirt trail up to the clearing, stopping, and breathing in a sigh of relief. I didn't think I'd get here quick enough. Open, clean air, people who actually are nice. I'd been stuck in the city with my family, the smog, pavement, and rude people choking me, compressing me.
I head down to my family's cabin, flinging my self onto my bed, my stuff dropping to the few of my siblings smile at me others give me welcoming slaps on the back and pets on the head. Man have I missed these kids.
"Has anyone seen Percy?" I ask sitting up to start unpacking. Little Lulabelle answers behind me.
"He's in his cabin, I think."
I bop her on the head playfully and she smiles, a few teeth missing.
Outside, the wet grass squishes under my feet. The closer I get to his cabin, the more I smile and the more my heart races. It's been nearly ten months since I saw him last, ten months since we beat Gaea, and ten months since I've been here. I knock on his cabin door and wait for an answer. Nothing. Maybe he's not in his cabin. I walk around the side and see a familiar figure laying on the deck. He's shirtless and toned. Did he have a six-pack last time? His eyes are closed so I sneak to his side, and press my lips to his. He chuckles and pulls me down, rolling on top. He pulls away. His sea green eyes taking my breath away.
"Hi" he says. He brushes some hair out of my eyes and leans in to plant a quick kiss before helping me up. As soon as I straighten up, I crush him in a hug which he returns. He cups my face kissing me like he hasn't kissed me in ages. Small, light, longing presses of his lips, down my neck."I missed you so much." He says between kisses.
"Okay you two," A voice breaks the silence. "I know you missed each other but quit sucking face for like two seconds so we can talk." I pull away, my face red.
Piper stands on the ground next to the cabin, Jason by her side. I run my fingers through my hair and smooth it down.
"Come on, we need a strategy for capture the flag!" Jason says. "Annabeth knows the field better than anyone." The conch lets out a shrill sound.
"Food. " Percy's heads for the door.
"Ahem." I say looking at him. I look at a shirt over in the corner and back at him. "I'm the only one that gets to look at you shirtless. I claim your abs."
"You claim my abs?"
"Yes, I claim your abs." I say walking out of his cabin. He slips his hand to mine and our fingers intertwine.
Over dinner, I plan out a fool proof battle plan. After we eat, we head out to the fields for some fun. I spill my plan, grouping off three groups, picking one person from each to form a mini-group. Percy's heads the first fleet, which is made up of Athenians and Aresians, as the group directly engaging the enemy. They head off silently to the clearing where we know the flag is. Clarisse leads the second group in from the right flank, catching the enemy off guard, leaving the entire left side undefended. Frank and Hazel lead their group from right side behind Clarisse's to stay the attention from the left side where the three of us sneak in. I walk straight up to the flag, grabbing and lifting it over my head shouting with the others. The others hang their head in shame, dropping their weapons. I look over to Percy who's smiling bigger than I pave ever seen.
He walks me back to my cabin while I go on about the teams. "That wasn't even my most intricate plan and the Ares kids weren't even following. I thought they were supposed to the ones good with battle tactics." I vent. "Why did we even get paired with them? They can't work with others, it's always kill this, stab that, kick them. I mean that's all they do, they have no organization!"
Percy chuckles. "That's because they're not you, Annabeth."
"Damn right, they aren't!"
"See, they're not as fun as you."
"As fun as me?" I give him a look.
"Or as gorgeous, or beautiful, or smart."
I slap his arm." Now you're just trying to butter me up."
"Maybe." He shrugs. We stop at my door, shadows dancing across his face. There's a moment of intense silence. His hands slips into the curve of my back, closing the gap between us, his other hand tracing down my arm in intricate, teasing patterns. His sea green eyes stare into mine and I see the stars dancing in his eyes, a million different colors blending into the most beautiful blue. I wish he would kiss me already and stop playing. I make the move, grabbing the front of his shirt and smashing my lips into his. Each kiss making me want more as I run my fingers through his hair, a soft quiet moan escaping his lips. He leads me to the side of the cabin, my back pressing into the side, our fingers intertwined. I balance on it, wrapping my legs around him. Fire fills my veins and I have a good intention to keep going, but I can't. I pull away.
"Percy." I say sternly. He looks at me like he just killed my dog.
"Annabeth, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go that far. I didn't." I laugh as my feet touch the ground again.
"It's fine. Trust me. It was more than fine." I kiss him lightly."Maybe when we're older." I say, teasingly.
I open the door to the cabin and pause." Night." I say and slip inside. Ten minutes later I'm ready for bed. I pull out my white, spaghetti strapped nightgown and slip it on, snuggling down into my bed. It feels so good just to lay here. It's not long before I feel the edges of sleep pulling me down.
'Percy?' I shout through the darkness. 'Percy, where are you?' I stumble over the jagged rocks, cutting my hands every time I slip.
'Annabeth?' I here him shout out.' I can't see you?'
'Im over here!' I shout back. And then I see him. Dirty, thin, and bleeding from a open wound on his shoulder, he tries to run to me. My legs melt to the ground, as I try to get to him. He's a few feet away and then he's gone.
'Annabeth!' I hear him shout.
I look to my left and I see him battling a hydra and he's not winning. Then everything begins to slow and I see Percy lying at my feet...dead. I tear my feet from the stickiness and fall to him, taking his head in my lap. 'Percy?' I whisper. 'Please, Percy, you can't leave me. You have to come back. I love you, Percy please...please.'
I sit upright in my bed, my body shaking. It wasn't real. None of it was real. I look at the clock on my dresser. One in the morning. There's no way I can go back to sleep. Not without Percy.
I've never snuck out before. This is so wrong. I pull my sweater tight as I walk down his to his cabin. Knocking lightly, I wait for the sound of movement. He shuffles around a bit before throwing the door open and pulling me into him.
"Gods, I had the worst dream. " he says.
"Me too." I say as he lets me go. "Percy I can't sleep without you." I say wiping my tears away. He nods and closes the door behind us, leading me to his bed. Before he can suggest him sleeping anywhere, I lay down and pull him with me. He chuckles, landing on top of me, not moving or rolling off. We stay locked, looking in each others eyes for awhile before I lean up to kiss him. His hands drop to my waist, pulling me closer. I find the hem of his shirt and tug it off, exposing his perfectly chiseled abs. I laugh as he growls in my ear, nipping at it before kissing my neck. His hands find their way up past my stomach. It's so wrong, but so right. And this time we don't stop.