Tired
Annabeth tried—she really tried—to focus on the blueprints spread out before her but she couldn't help her mind from wandering. It was bouncing between thoughts of betrayal, of her future, of what this all meant. And every once in a while, even those chaotic thoughts were interrupted by Piper's twinkling giggles coming from the other room.
Every time she received a text or felt even the hint of vibration coming from her phone she grabbed it, fearing it was her mother with another ultimatum or command. Every time, Percy would glance at her computer or take her mouse, her anxiety would spike and her chest would constrict as she desperately hoped he wouldn't change the tab. Every time, he stood up she would stare at his phone. He would just leave it on the table, wholly trusting her not to—not to—just trusting her.
Annabeth finally found some kind of relief when Piper came bouncing into the room looking for her.
"Come to the bathroom with me," she smiled sweetly, knowing Annabeth wouldn't refuse her.
"Fine," Annabeth agreed begrudgingly, secretly relieved to remove herself from the situation. She didn't want to feel like she was choosing between her mother and Percy, between her future and Percy.
"What up?" the blonde said once they were in the bathroom.
"Nothing," Piper shrugged. "Just wanted company and thought you looked oddly stressed—and you normally look stressed so—"
"Is that it? Annabeth cut her off, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Wow, grumpy much?" her roommate responded with a raised eyebrow. "We just haven't had much time to talk since your trip," she began. "You're always running in and out of the apartment or coming home at ten o'clock. I miss the old days, when I felt like I had a roommate."
Annabeth slid her tongue across the flat of her teeth, her eyes flicking guiltily.
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Piper smiled, tilting her head slightly as she stared at her friend. "You look exhausted and have been acting weird for weeks."
"I'm okay," Annabeth explained slowly, weighing her words. "Things have been a little hard with my mom. That's all."
"Oh," Piper nodded. She stared down at her nails, picking at the cuticles. "You know that I know that you're not telling me something, right?"
"I assumed," the blonde breathed, biting the inside of her cheeks. Piper knew her better than anyone, the good and the bad. She wouldn't have expected anything less.
"Well," Piper looked at her meaningfully, placing a warm hand on her arm in a display of compassion. She was one of the only people who could truly comfort Annabeth. "I'm always here for when you want to talk."
Outside of the closed, surprisingly soundproof bathroom, there was a very different conversation occurring.
"I don't know. She's been weird ever since we got back," Percy tried to describe.
"Did something happen on the trip?" Jason inquired, his arms folded across his chest.
"Yes," Percy reasoned. "I just don't know what it was."
They both stood in silence. Jason's gaze traced the straight lines of the hardwood floor, his mouth slightly ajar as he considered what to say.
"Do you—Well, how do you feel about her?" he said finally, his bright blue eyes flicking up to meet Percy's.
"I—I—" Percy's head fell, his dark strands of hair brushing the kitchen counter separating them. "That's the hardest part—you know?" he laughed, sounding exasperated. "One day she's the most amazing person I've ever met, and then the next she's cold—and—and condescending—and mean. I don't know what to make of her—what to make of how I feel."
"That sounds... confusing," Jason gathered.
"You think?" Percy chuckled. There was a weighted pause, neither of them able to find words to appropriately address the moment. "I like her," Percy stated finally, his voice dull, his brows furrowed, his eyes lost. "And I have no idea what to do about it."
"Are you going to tell her?" Jason asked simply, knowing this wasn't a matter to push.
"No."
"Why not?" he requested delicately, glancing quickly towards the bathroom to ensure Piper and Annabeth were still occupied.
"We agreed it wasn't like that," Percy explained. His voice lacked the easy-going cadence Jason knew so well.
"Who agreed?" Jason clarified, beginning to worry.
"Annabeth and I," Percy expounded, turning to meet his friend's eyes. "We agreed it wouldn't get serious—it wouldn't get like—like this."
-00000000000000000000-
The next week at work was just like the old days. Annabeth waltzed into the office early in the morning and sat down at her desk. She looked out onto the pile of work and turned on her computer. She checked her emails, got a cup of coffee, and got to work.
She wasn't interrupted.
She wasn't distracted.
She wasn't—she wasn't happy.
Something had happened. Over the last few weeks, Annabeth had lost her love for work. She used to walk into work with determination and sit down and work with a smile on her face.
She couldn't quite pinpoint where her passion for architecture had gone but she had a feeling she'd lost it somewhere among the fourth or fifth questionable favor her mother had asked of her. Or had she forgotten it in the conference room where she and Percy had given their first pitch meeting to her mother's fiance?
Did it matter where she'd lost it? It was gone, and Annabeth had no idea how to get it back.
Even when Percy joined her for lunch—a surprise she would have normally welcomed—Her mood remained unchanged. She was stuck. Even Percy noticed.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking up from his salad. "Do you not like it?" he gestured to the pita bowl he'd brought for her.
"No, it's good," she replied, shaking her head. She used her fork to weakly stab at some spinach.
"What's wrong then?" Percy repeated. "You're clearly in a bad mood."
"No," Annabeth breathed, still staring down at her food. "I'm not."
"Yes, you are," Percy reasoned lightly. His voice had a playful lilt to it but Annabeth wasn't in the mood to hear it, despite her claims otherwise. "You're not talking, your posture is all stiff, and you've barely touched your food—"
"I'm fine, Percy!" Annabeth snapped, cutting him off. "Just drop it."
The room was silent. Percy looking up with concerned eyes, waiting for the blonde to meet his eyes. Annabeth blinked, feeling guilty for her outburst. She pursed her lips, waiting for him to say something.
"Okay..." he said finally and resumed eating. "You don't want to talk about it. That's fine. I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do—"
"No," Annabeth uttered. "There's nothing for you to fix, Percy."
More silence.
"Are you mad at me or something?" he furrowed his brows, thoroughly perplexed.
"No," Annabeth replied softly with a bob of her head.
"So what's—"
"I don't know, Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed, finally matching his gaze. "Something is wrong, and I don't know what it is. I don't like this," she tried to explain, waving her arms around wildly. "I don't like any of this!"
Annabeth dropped her utensils in frustration, raking her fingers through the base of her tight bun, dismantling it. She took a deep breath, relishing in the feeling of her nails scraping against her scalp. She could feel Percy's piercing green orbs. This wasn't his fault. It was his father's and her mother's. It wasn't fair to take it out on him.
"I think I'm just overwhelmed," Annabeth stated decidedly, trying to paint a confident smile on her face. "I've been really tired since our trip."
"Is it work?" Percy inquired, careful to keep his tone calm. His eyes could help but catch on the way her fingers twitched every few seconds. "Because I can help out, take over more responsibilities for Zeus—"
"No!" Annabeth interjected. "No, it's okay," she reassured, "I can handle it."
"Are you sure?" Percy asked, raising a brow. "It's really not a big deal."
The blonde could barely maintain eye contact. His gaze was so full of care and concern it made her want to scream—to cry—to laugh—she wasn't sure what it made her want to do, but it something drastic.
"I don't have that much work to do anyway—nepotism and all that," he chuckled hollowly. She didn't laugh but her lips twitched so he counted it as a win.
"No," Annabeth persisted, "thank you but I can't do that."
"If you insist," Percy shrugged, figuring it was better not to push. He glanced at her fingers, still twitching for her customer files. "Okay," he sighed. "I'm going to give you some space, then."
Annabeth's face remained blank. He was unsure what to make of it but picked up his lunch and bag anyway.
"Let me know if you need anything," Percy smiled, standing up to leave.
She nodded in reply, careful to keep her mouth shut. She didn't want to say anything that might make him worry.
"Okay..." Percy hummed awkwardly, opening the door to her office and lingering at the entrance. "Bye," he bid eventually with a wave before exiting.
The minute the door closed Annabeth felt her chest relax. Her ribs no longer felt like they were attempting to strangle her. She breathed and, while she wasn't wholly peaceful by any standard, she felt a little better. And at this point, a little better was better than nothing.
She sat back in her chair and turned to stare out the window. She observed as people trekked along the street far below her, all returning from their lunch breaks. The city was always moving, always changing and adapting. It was something she had always admired.
Annabeth was always caught in habit, reliving the same day over and over again. She had always wanted to break out of the—well, the habit. She had always wanted to break the habit of getting stuck in habits. How was she supposed to predict that the minute she'd start breaking those habits, she'd lose her passion?
The blonde train of thought was broken by a familiar ping on her computer. She breathed once, twice, three times before swiveling in her share to check her email. She was surprised to see it was from Percy.
To: Annabeth Chase
From: Percy Jackson
Subject: Still Giving You Space, I Promise
It's okay to ask for help every once in a while :)
- Percy
Annabeth simply stared, her eyes glued to the computer screen. She read the email four times before she registered what it was. Attached at the bottom was the updated budget and investor presentation for the Olympus Project.
She considered the informal language that would have irritated her just a few weeks ago. Now, as she gawked at it, her chest filling with something she'd never felt before, she just cried. And for once, she didn't care how unprofessional or unethical her behavior was, she just cried.
a/n: hey yall. I know this is shorter than usual, but I just wanted to get it out and thought it was a good place to end the chapter. Writing kind of slow bc I just got new acrylics, but see ya soon!
iCiao!
p.s. sorry I was gone for so long. No excuse, but if you want my attempt at one check my LoS a/n.
p.p.s. stay safe out there, my friends. listen to the CDC and consider the impact you have on others when making unnecessary travel :) srsly tho
