Chapter Ten

It was only noon, but they stopped in Nebraska. Percy was being overly cautious, but didn't want to overextend Blackjack, especially as the winds had been less than kind. He guessed that Zeus was in a bad mood, but Percy didn't mind as long as he was not being blamed for it.

Blackjack was thankful for the break. He took another sugar cube and flew up to the hotel roof to sleep. Percy hoped it was a long nap because he planned to make it all the way to California the next day. He had been away from Nico long enough, the distance painful.

Annabeth ordered them a room while he went straight to the outdoor pool. It was not a huge one, the deep end only five feet, but it would have to make due. Clothes on, he sunk himself at the bottom where he sat, allowing jeans and shirt to soak.

The water was colder than it should have been, more chlorine than he would have preferred, but that wasn't what bothered him. It was the way that the water would heal any physical wounds he obtained through quests or sparring but it did nothing for emotional ones. If Nico didn't accept his apology, if he turned his back to him again, those wounds would only deepen, salt into his bloodstream. Percy, was once again, being an idiot. He realized he was going to the wrong way about everything.

He peered up, through the ripples his movements caused he saw Annabeth above him, the light of the streetlamps illuminating her. Reluctantly, he swam up, climbing on the edge. She sat beside him and took his hand into her lap.

Percy looked over to his childhood friend and he memorized her - really memorized her. The way her eyes became far-off when she dreamt up structures for grand buildings and sights, her eyes the color of steel; the way her blond hair curled, the freckle by her left eye, the way she wrote on Percy's hand when it was between hers. She was brave and smart, and kind... Everything about Annabeth was beautiful.

"I'm leaving." Percy hadn't realized he said that out loud, but it was true. He knew the answer to fix the entire problem. It wouldn't get Nico back, but it wasn't about that anymore. He simply had to set things right, and there was only one way to do that.

"What," Annabeth asked, suddenly looking back at him.

"I'm going to leave."

"You sound like him: Running away when things get tough."

He shrugged, "I can't stay here. I need a fresh start."

"Percy," she said, his name on her tongue frightful and careful, "this doesn't sound like you."

"I kinda made the decision now."

"That's dumb."

"Thanks for sparing my feelings," he said sarcastically, his favorite brand of speech.

"You can't just leave. What about your mother?"

"I'm not a kid anymore. She's fine, she's married now. She's happy."

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere," he lied. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters, Percy."

He smiled at her, squeezing her hand. "Look, maybe a little running away is what I need right now. It's not like I get vacations."

"You're a demigod, this is the life we lead."

He kissed her forehead. "I'll miss you."

Tears welled up, blurring the now-stormy eyes. "I'll miss you, too."

He balled her curls in his fist and brought her to his shoulder. The knife that had been embedded in his chest since the last Iris message dug in to the hilt, making it hard to breathe.

"This is stupid of you," she spat.

He grinned. "What's one more person I love mad at me?"

"Shut up, Percy," she sniffed.

Pressing his lips to the top of her head, he lingered, inhaling the the scent of her cherry blossom shampoo. He would miss her most of all.

When Annabeth had cried all the tears she could shed, she pushed him back into the pool. His knees skinned, but healed so quickly he hadn't taken notice. He swam to the top, laughing at her stomping away from him.

He lifted himself out, following her through ugly floral hallways up to their second story room. He paused when they stepped through. The door slammed behind him, the click of the lock finalized his confusion and terror.

"Um, Annabeth, why is there one bed?"

"It was all they had left," she said, kicking off her tennis shoes.

"There isn't a couch, you know."

"You can sleep in the same bed with me, it's not a big deal."

Percy begged to differ, but Annabeth had shut the bathroom door, the faucet of the bathtub kicking on. Percy stared at the bed in horror, but at the same time he didn't want to sleep on the floor. So he stripped his clothing, keeping on his boxers. He paused only once more in his uncertainty before he got in bed.

Minutes later, Percy felt the covers move off of him. Having had fallen asleep, he almost forgot where he was and who he was with. Roughly he yanked the covers back to him, rolling over to the other side, where he came face to face with Annabeth.

"I'll take the top cover if you take the bottom."

"Annabeth," he sighed, realizing how close their faces were. He stared at her pink lips. "There's something you should know..."

"What is it?"

"I'm not gay."

"Does Nico know," she smirked.

He rolled his eyes. "I mean -"

"I know what you mean, Percy. In ancient Greece -"

"Not a history lesson," he groaned.

Annabeth playfully slapped his shoulder, stinging the skin. "Fine, now you'll never know."

Percy's hand rested in the space between them. He was a short distance from her, he could feel her heat, the fresh scent of her hair and skin.

She touched his lips, her visage going distant again as she thought a million things at once. This time, she didn't say a word.

"I don't think we should be doing this," he mumbled, half-hoping that she didn't hear him.

Annabeth lunged forward, her fevered lips planting themselves on his, her hand placing itself on his chest. She moved her body until it was flushed against his, and he could feel her thin t-shirt, her bare and smooth legs. His brain froze until it snapped and melted to fog.

Whatever was right or wrong about it, he wanted contact, he wanted to forget. He was going to leave and maybe he wanted something on him that wasn't Nico, to erase the death, for prints to cover his. He already had guilt and shame, what was a little more? Maybe he wanted to self-destruct.

Percy's hand snaked its way to her waist, pulling her even closer, screwing his eyes even tighter shut as he moved her leg over his, feeling the elastic of the underwear she wore, moving up until he was under her shirt, over her bare back, his fingers running down her spine, then up, grabbing a hold of her shoulder like a life line as his tongue gained access to her mouth, warm and soft.

She moaned when he moved her under him, pressing their hips together, making her feel what she was doing to him, looking down at her and her hair that was splayed about the pillows like a halo. Like an angel. But not his angel.

"Percy..." Her fingers grazed his cheeks. "What is it?"

"I loved you," he said breathlessly. He didn't know where it came from, why he was ruining what he wanted so desperately. He did want her.

Annabeth held his face. "I know."

"Then why can't we start over? It wasn't all Aphrodite, was it?"

Her hands fell. "Aphrodite?"

"I had a dream. She told me she was the cause of the two of us."

"I'm sure she was," she growled.

Percy rolled off of her. "She doesn't have to have the last word. It could be right between us. Couldn't it?"

"It would be easy. Maybe it would feel like we had never broke up, and if I didn't know that you love Nico more than you could ever love me, I'd let it happen. But it doesn't change anything."

He turned over on his side toward her. "I can't go back to New Rome."

Her eyes became wide. "What happened was not a big deal. Percy, you have to find him."

"No, I don't. This isn't what Nico wants, I'm again doing what I want. I'm being selfish. He was right about me."

"I know you, Percy. You're following your heart like you always do. That's not a bad thing."

"You can fly Blackjack the rest of the way."

"What are you going to do here?"

"I'll figure something out."

Annabeth opened her mouth, but Percy shook his head. "Don't. I'll be fine. Let's go to sleep." He turned his back to her, and shut his eyes, although he felt like he was far from sleep.