Percy ran his finger across the thin, white scar on Annabeth's stomach. "What's this one from?" he asked.
They were doing something they did quite often since escaping Tartarus, looking at their scars and telling the stories behind them. It helped to share with someone else. To share the burden of the pain and the reason for it with someone who understood.
Annabeth frowned at the memory the scar recalled to her mind. "That was from the empousai in Tartarus."
"Oh, I remember that one," Percy said, his face contorted with guilt. "I couldn't get there quickly enough, and he was hurting you, and gods, Annabeth, I just wish we could go back before any of this happened," he finished, lacing his fingers with hers and looking into her eyes.
Annabeth bit her lip and looked down, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to flow out of her beautiful gray eyes. "What's this one from?" she asked softly, pointing to a long, snaking scar on his arm.
"Gorgon in New York," Percy responded, and then Annabeth, despite herself, started crying.
Percy hugged her tightly to him, not knowing what else to do, but knowing he had to do something because seeing Ananbeth cry made his heart ache.
Annabeth pulled herself out of Percy's arms, steeling herself to say what had been on her chest ever since they'd returned from Tartarus. "Percy, it's all my fault that you had to go through that. I let you fall with me, and…" Another tear rolled down her cheek as she finished, "It was so selfish to drag you through hell with me."
Percy tilted her chin up until he was looking into her eyes, using his thumb to wipe away her tears. "Annabeth, you can't blame yourself for that. You know I'd rather die with you than live without you. Plus, I can't even think of all the times you've saved my life. You took a knife for me! If anything, it's your fault I'm not already dead." He pulled her back into his arms and whispered softly, "You're everything to me, Annie. I would give up anything just to have you in my arms," he said, kissing her forehead gently.
She pulled away again and looked at him. "I just -" His finger on her lips stopped her words.
"Don't," he said softly. "We can't focus on the past. We have a future together, and I plan on spending it with you."
Annabeth smiled through the tears and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him. A future with Percy was everything she wanted.