I didn't feel up to homework, and I wrote this. Be Warned: AU, Typos, OOCness. So. . . Enjoy!
The leaves fell in the most beautiful way. In groups, they seemed to leave their tree sanctuaries. The reds and golds flew throughout the air before gently swaying to the ground, only to be tromped on by the unwatchful eyes.
The water in the lake glistened in the setting sun, and the slight warmth given off by the heavens was enough for her. The air was freezing, so she pulled her scarf around her neck tighter. She walked along the sidewalk in quick scurrying steps, trying desperately to not step on crack or leaves.
Annabeth wiped at her face viciously. You will not cry, she commanded.
You. Will. Not. Cry.
The tears seemed to be out of her control. They pooled behind her eyelids when she blinked and leaked out of the corners. She drew in a shuddering breath that caused her entire body to spasm. Annabeth shivered then uncontrollably and put her hand out to support herself on the closest thing.
Her fingertips touched the trunk of a tree, and then the whole right side of her body did.
She didn't want to remember him, but she did. She wanted to erase all of her memories and to live a simple life, not to have every single thing remind her of him. He'd loved to take long walks through the park, holding her hand and talking to her, chatting restlessly about the weather and how they were destined to be together.
Annabeth didn't believe in fate or destiny, because both had turned around to use and abuse her like a toy. That's it; she was a toy. Nothing more and nothing less. She was merely played with and poked at like a foreign species. It was as if a doctor had locked her in a cell to study her emotions.
He had brought out the best emotions in Annabeth.
He'd shown her happiness and joy, made her feel these things she thought only poems could show. Adjectives that she didn't even know of had filled her, but love had burned through her being. Love was just as beautiful as the swirling leaves, but could be destroyed too. Stomped on and squished like a bug.
She missed the feeling of love.
Righting herself, Annabeth pushed away from the cold, rough bark and hurried along the path. The little kids laughed but were leaving now because their parents didn't want them to catch colds. An elderly couple shuffled along, holding hands. They used to hold hands too.
He'd liked the sky too, even though he'd had a fear of airplanes. Annabeth always laughed at that, because he'd been such a thrill seeker. This evening, the sky was dotted with thin, wispy clouds, but the sky mimicked the color of the leaves. It was like blood, even though that was very morbid.
When she thought of him, she thought of those long night underneath the stars, snuggling close together for the warmth of the other. Those perfect nights, when their lips were warm and soft but cold too, more cold now than ever before.
You. Will. Not. Cry.
Annabeth passed by the lake. It was his favorite. He loved the water. She couldn't even go to the ocean anymore, because the salty air was like cyanide. The waves would hit her now like the lashes of a whip. And the twinkling surface was like the color of his eyes, the rich sea green that was unlike anything else she'd ever seen before.
The tears built up again at the sight of this lake. It was so small but vast too. One night, he'd jumped in there and pulled her in too, gripping her hand tightly. That was so long ago it seemed to be another lifetime.
The water wouldn't have the same effect now. If she stuck one finger in there she knew that she would freeze up and fall in, drown from the remembrance of him.
She couldn't say his name without the waves coming up over her head.
Annabeth reached out and closed her eyes.
Are you there? She wondered. You said that you would always be with me.
Are you there now?
She let her hand drop, because it was useless. When she turned around, all of the people had left. The path was cleared and the sky was turning into a deep blue. She looked at the water and the sky and the trees and the still beautiful leaves falling down to the ground.
She was always falling. She reached out again, waiting for someone to catch her.
No one took her hand, but someone took her waist.
She knew those hands. They were calloused from work but forever warm. The fingers were long and deft. They would be attached to muscular arms and then the broad shoulders, to that neck that she'd used to kiss, to the face that was forever tan with the green eyes and raven hair.
"Percy, what are you doing here?" she asked as he buried his head into her shoulder. He trailed kisses everywhere and she melted in her shoes. Her insides warmed up and that love that had shriveled now was vibrant and burned her.
"You mean you don't want to see me?" he asked jokingly as he whirled Annabeth around so that they were face to face.
She leaned forward on her tiptoes and kissed him on the nose. "You know that's not it, Percy."
He shrugged. "Annabeth, I am always here. I promise you that long ago. You may not see me but I am always here for you, through the good and the bad." He kissed her then, quickly and quietly. "I am in every vein of your body, ready to guide you through all hardships. Don't ever doubt that for a second."
"Then why do I never see you?"
"You know that too, Annabeth. I can't see you all the time. This is the last time I'll be able to see you face to face, because after this time right here, right now, it will be impossible. I'm going into that Great Perhaps, the infinity and beyond. You're keeping me here emotionally and you need to let me go."
"But when you aren't here, it's as if I am falling."
"Then I'll be your parachute. Don't fall for me. You already did that, and now, you need to move on. Be strong and be brave."
"I only am when you're here."
"And like I said, I will always be with you. Even after you have moved on and found a new man that sweeps you off of your feet and kisses you goodnight, I will be there."
"There will never be another person. Percy, you're it for me." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips, pouring every emotion he'd ever given her into their liplock, silently pleaded with him to stay forever. Maybe then she'd visit the beach again. She needed him.
He pulled away and looked at the lake. "I love this lake. I love this park. The trees were always so beautiful," he said softly, his lips tipping up into a weak smile that even touched his eyes, but only just. "But you must move on Annabeth. You can't let me hold you back. I will stay with you, but that means you won't be able to see me. Don't be scared. You'll have memories and pictures."
"I can't think about those things. They'll remind me of you."
"And that's okay, but don't let it overpower you. Memories are great to have, and I hope to always be if yours. But I want you to forget about me. Feel the ocean again and embrace what we had, and find someone else that will always love, just as I do.
"Oh, I love you Percy," she cried. Those tears from earlier were now spilling everywhere, making a mess.
Percy picked up a leaf off of the ground and stepped back from Annabeth. "Promise me that you'll move on and find someone else that loved you just as much as I do."
"Percy," she whispered in despair. He said that he would stay with her forever, but she would never see him again except in the memories that she'd locked away. She didn't to feel sadness, and she only felt the opposite when she was with Percy. Was it possible that she'd be okay without him?
"Promise me," Percy said, his face completely serious. She found it strangely endearing, though when she reached out to caress his slightly red cheek, she found herself to be just out of distance, and the more she moved to get closer, the farther away her love seemed to be.
"I promise," she said finally. "I promise, I promise! I promise Percy—"
But Percy was gone now. He had dissolved into the falling leaves, the pieces to be scattered by the wind, and then trampled underneath the forgetful feet.
. . .