A/N: Hey guys! Formally Forever-Fangirl-PJO here! (I've changed my username to match my AO3 and tumblr)
I'm back with the last update of the year, it's a long one so strap in, hope you like it!
Percy's eyes map out the bumpy texture of his popcorn ceiling, the events of the past few weeks on repeat in his mind, specifically the one week that started it all.
How could one week change his entire life?
A draft seeps in from somewhere, the wind blowing hard enough to rattle the barren tree branches outside his window.
Pulling the blankets tighter around him, he can't help but miss the warmth of her. Though he knows he shouldn't, knows he ultimately doesn't because the moment she walked out the door is ingrained in his memory.
And so is returning back from work the next day to find all traces of her gone, as if she was never there at all.
His mind returns to the familiar question. Could he have seen the cracks if he wasn't so busy trying to keep his job, pay his half of rent, to just…keep going?
It was all for naught too. After the long hours that he's been accused of using to cheat, his boss had still fired him, despite the work, despite the overtime.
Now he doesn't have a job, or rent, or girlfriend.
His gaze wanders to the letter on his nightstand. Even from his side angle he can still make out the bolded red letters.
Maybe he should've seen it coming when she came up short for rent last month. Or maybe when they picked a more expensive brownstone apartment, one with more drafts and creaks than the others.
Maybe he should've have seen it coming when he moved here with her, with no friends and no family.
Because now he's here alone, in a small apartment that suddenly feels big and empty, staring up at his popcorn ceiling and trying not to drown in hopelessness.
And to top it off, his stomach starts to grumble, as if he needs another reminder of everything he's lacking.
It's only seven PM, but it looks like midnight outside and December's short days and long cold nights do nothing to lift his spirits.
Trying to ignore his stomach, he closes his eyes, forcing himself into a fitful sleep.
-.-
He wakes up to complete darkness, disoriented and starving.
Fumbling around his nightstand he manages to find his phone, the screen lighting up like a sun burning his eyes, revealing a blurry 12:35.
It actually is midnight, and his hunger has grown enough to prevent him from going back to sleep. So he pads to the kitchen, half-expecting to find something different than the normal nothing.
(It's as barren as before.)
If he was stronger, he'd fight the hunger or make do with whatever he might be able to dig up if he looked harder through the cabinets.
But he's not. So he shrugs on a jacket and starts his trudge towards a nearby grocery store.
He can technically afford groceries, but he's got bills that are already going to push him into a bit of credit card debt as it is. Especially if he can't find a job.
And the past two weeks have yielded nothing.
The wind has died down from before, but the cold is in full force. The walk to the store is quick, but the walk back is slow, trodden with a few grocery bags.
His hand is starting to go numb but it's hard to increase his pace, so he just switches hands.
Rolling his shoulders back, he cranes his head to night sky as he pauses his walk for a second.
It's clear enough to make out the few stars littering the sky. They twinkle prettily at him, and for a second, he just stares.
He's never really been a superstitious person, but he did grow up watching Disney movies. He'll blame the fact that it's midnight, he's hungry and desperate to explain his attempt at doing something he hasn't done since he was probably seven.
"Um…this is stupid, but uh…" he mutters to the sky, focusing his attention on the brightest star. "I uh…wish…"
He stops himself, looking around the empty street to see if anyone else is witnessing his stupidity.
"I could use some help," he ends lamely, once again glancing at the sky.
And then he puts his head down and speed walks the rest of the way home.
His mind, inadvertently, drifts to her. She would find making a wish upon a star childish and walk away out of embarrassment from him. She always called him childish.
Well, he's got adult problems now.
His apartment provides some warmth from the cold and he's thankful that at least he has a home. (Granted, not for long since he can't really make rent, but at least he has a home for now.)
He fixes himself a sandwich because he deserves some good after the past few weeks.
Sleep comes easier now that he's fed and he falls asleep dreaming about Tinkerbell and eviction notices.
-.-
It used to feel weird waking up on a workday and not having work to do, but his two weeks of unemployment have really sunk in. It's a testament to how badly he needs a break. (Just not this kind.)
And it would be joyful if all his problems didn't rush back to him the moment he wakes up.
"Well…" he says to thin air, more evidence that he really is alone if the only person he has to talk to is himself.
He doesn't finish the thought, just gets up, gets dressed and fixes himself the same sandwich as last night. And then he grabs his coat and heads out, because what could he possibly accomplish sitting in his empty apartment other than remembering all that he used to have?
He's walking relatively aimlessly, hands in pockets, wondering if any of the businesses two streets down might be hiring, when the sound of his name causes him to freeze.
"Percy?"
He whips around to meet the voice of the person that had seemingly recognized him and holy shit, she is pretty.
Curly blonde hair tucked into a winter cap with a poof on the end, eyes a sparkling grey and she's smiling at him.
"Um…hi?"
She's talking to him.
"Do you remember me?" she asks. And just as he's about to say he doesn't (because he'd definitely remember someone like her), she continues.
"We went to high school together, Goode High?" she prompts.
Oh god, high school is something he hasn't thought about in a long time.
"Oh right, yeah…uh…" he manages to stutter out, failing and not sounding awkward. He just hopes she'll introduce herself because it's clear she remembered his name but he does not remember hers.
"Annabeth, we had history together," she prompts again.
"Right, yes, it's coming back to me now. Sorry about that," he stutters out. "You've um…changed."
(He does not remember history, but this girl must've looked different back then).
Annabeth smiles. "I hope in a good way," she jokes. "You've changed too, I almost didn't recognize you, but those eyes..."
She trails off for a second, looking into his eyes and he finds himself helplessly doing the same to hers.
"So, how have you been?" she asks, switching the conversation and causing him to snap out of it.
Getting dumped, getting fired and getting almost evicted, but that's not the kind of answer you give when an old high school classmate asks how you've been.
Luckily, before he has to scramble for a response, she continues.
"Actually, you know what? Are you free right now? We can talk over coffee."
"Uh, yeah," he finds himself agreeing, though he really shouldn't be spending money on things he doesn't need…like coffee.
But she's smiling at him, and it feels good to be wanted, even if it's just for a catch-up over coffee. And he's never had the luck of a pretty girl asking to spend time with him.
Luckily, there's a coffee shop just a few doors down and they slip inside, the warmth hitting them hard after the cold of the outside.
Annabeth turns to him. "That's better."
He can't help but agree. The place emanates warmth, both in temperature to the lights and décor. The bittersweet smell of coffee just adds to the charm.
She leads them to a table by the window and they shrug off their coats to sit comfortably.
"What do you want?" she asks, looking towards the menu hanging above the counter.
"Uh, not sure…" He scans it, trying to find the cheapest thing. "I, um, don't really know about these kinds of drinks."
He's a straightforward black coffee kinda guy, and there seems to be every holiday themed coffee pun drink under the sun on the meu.
Annabeth turns her attention to him. "You trust me?"
"Uh…yeah."
He's not sure what she's asking or what she means but he finds himself wanting to trust her.
She shoots him a soft smile. "Cool, be right back."
And then she's off, already standing in line before he even realizes what's going on. And then it dawns on him that she's buying his drink.
"You don't need…" but there's no point in saying the words when she's already at the register and not going to hear them. How does she move so fast?
He slumps back, both overwhelmed by the fact that he can't remember the last time someone offered to pay for him and guilty about the fact that she's doing that. He reaches for his wallet, trying to figure out if he has enough cash on hand to pay her back.
"I hope you like it," a voice says from his right and a red and green colored cup gets placed in front of him.
"What is it?" he finds himself asking, immediately intrigued, before quickly remembering his manners. "Also, you didn't need to buy that, let me pay you back."
Annabeth waves it off, seating herself across from him. "It's just a few bucks, no big deal."
"But…"
"It's a small price compared to catching up with you, so tell me, how have you been?"
And there is that question he doesn't know how to answer. So instead, he picks up the drink and takes a sip to buy himself some more time.
The hot, sweet liquid hits his tongue and holy shit! Is this why everyone loves lattes and macchiatos and stuff? He didn't know coffee could be this…flavorful. Didn't know if could be enjoyed beyond just providing him energy when he needs it.
"You like it?" Annabeth asks, looking over the top of her own drink.
"Yeah, what is it?" he replies, holing out the drink in amazement.
Annabeth smiles. "Magic."
He could believe it. But then she lets out a little chuckle. "It's their 'latte taste of heaven'"
"Thank you." He hopes she can hear the sincerity in his voice because this, sitting here with her and drinking coffee, is the best thing to happen to him in the past few weeks.
"Of course." She smiles back. "I hope I haven't deterred you from any plans."
He shakes his head. "Nope, no plans."
A little of his bitterness must slip through his tone though because her face softens and she leans forward.
"How are you doing, Percy?"
He's about to lie. But give that she's afforded him her time and energy (and coffee) he can't help but speak the truth.
"Not great, honestly…but it's fine."
"What happened?" she asks, leaning back as if she's got all the time in the world to listen to his problems. He glances at her face, both startled and drawn in by the sincerity behind her eyes.
"I…I lost my job, so I'm on the hunt as they say."
"What kind of thing are you looking for?"
"Whatever can help pay the rent, honestly…I um, can't afford to be picky."
She nods. "I understand. If you could be though, what would you choose?"
He doesn't remember the last time someone asked him about his dreams, doesn't remember the last time he even thought about them.
"Um…I guess I'd like to be a stay-at-home dad. I'm…," He sighs. "I'm tired of working. I'd rather spend time with my kids."
"Do you have kids?"
He shakes his head. "Oh no, definitely not. I'm…" he trails off, realizing the person he once thought he'd have kids with, left.
"I'm pretty far away from that happening," he finishes. Maybe not ever, at this rate.
Annabeth doesn't say anything, giving him the space to continue and for some reason, he does.
"My girlfriend broke up with me a few days ago…so…" He sighs, running his hands over his face. "Probably for the best, but it's just a lot to happen in a week."
He looks up and meets Annabeth's sympathetic gaze, the grey heavier than before.
"Sorry!" he exclaims, getting his wits about him. "I didn't mean to just dump all that on you. It's fine, honestly. I'll figure it out. Please, tell me about how you're doing!"
Annabeth shakes her head, a soft smile on her face. "You don't need to apologize, I asked. And I want to thank you for your honesty."
"Well," he says, fidgeting a little in his seat under her gaze. "Your turn, how have you been?"
There's a spark of surprise at his words that flit across her face for a second.
"Oh me, I'm uh…" It's the first time he's seen her hesitate. He follows her example and leans back, taking a sip of his drink and giving her some space.
"I'm…tired, I guess."
As she says the words, a weariness reveals itself in her posture and tone that had been masked by her earlier cheeriness.
"I need a break," she jokes, taking a sip of her drink. "I've had assignment after assignment lately."
"I'm guessing they've been rough?" he asks, trying to prompt her the way she had with him.
Again, that same spark of surprise flits across her face.
"Yeah, my last one was particularly hard. It's…" she trails off.
"Demoralizing?" he asks. He understands the sentiment all too well.
"Yes, it is." Her tone is curious and she regards him as such too, studying his eyes once again. And just like before he finds himself doing the same, drawing closer to her.
"But!" she continues, snapping him out of it. "It's fine, I like my job and can't really complain."
He frowns at that. "Well, you're allowed to need something even if things are otherwise okay."
Annabeth's brows furrow but a slow smile spreads on her face. "You're…"
But she doesn't finish the sentence, just shakes her head and sips her drink.
A part of him wants to ask her what she was about to say, but there's something that tells him she wouldn't say it even if he asked.
Instead, he switches the conversation.
"Thank you, again, for this. It's been the highlight of my week."
Annabeth chuckles. "Something tells me that's not a high bar."
He smiles back. "Fair, but this…"
He doesn't know how to say it. Not just the warmth and the coffee, but to have another person listen and care…it means more to him than he can ever put in words.
Annabeth seems to understand because she nods. "I'm happy to hear that."
"Ten minutes to close!" An employee yells from the counter. The other patrons start to gather their things and Percy and Annabeth follow suit. He tries to hide his disappointment, wishing he could stay here with her for a little bit longer.
"We should do this again," Annabeth says as she shrugs on her coat.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," he agrees, holding open the door for her.
They step out into the cold, and he stays by her side, following her lead as they walk.
"My bus stop is a few blocks away," she says in explanation.
"I'll walk you, I'm headed that way too."
She doesn't stop him, or ask questions, which he's glad for because this is the exact opposite of the way he needs to go. An area he actually doesn't frequent that much at all.
But he doesn't care because he gets to talk to her more and they even end up exchanging numbers.
They arrive at the bus stop just as the bus pulls up.
"Perfect timing," Percy marvels. Annabeth smiles and waves to him as she gets on the bus.
"See you!"
He waves back as the bus drives away. And then he's left all alone again, but somehow it doesn't feel as bad this time.
Shoving his hands into his pockets again, he looks around, taking in the relatively unfamiliar surroundings, though he knows which way to go to head home.
There's a few shops, a dry cleaners and a grocery story at the corner by the stop itself. He's about to walk past it when a yellow sign in the window of Jo's Groceries catches his eyes and stops him in his tracks.
HELP WANTED.
Well….
What does he have to lose?
He goes in.
-.-
Percy wakes up two days later with a sense of hope he hasn't felt in weeks.
After two full days at his new job, there's a sense of stability that's now settled in. Sure, the pay isn't huge, but it's something. And though he still needs to be careful and save, he'll at least be able to pay off bills.
The wind is blowing harder today then before and he doesn't feel up to walking to work, so he gets in his car for the first time in a while. It's not that far and it shouldn't eat the gas, he's been trying to save.
Plus is just feel nice to drive to work.
The owner, Jo, a nice young woman, greets him with a smile as he heads to the back to grab the new inventory he needs to shelve.
His day goes by pretty quickly and it's almost dark by the time he leaves. He slides into his car in the tiny back parking lot, satisfied.
After a few weeks of absolute shit, things are finally starting to look up.
He turns the engine key.
His car rumbles but doesn't start. The smile slips off his face as he tries again. And again.
Until it's clear it's not going to start.
Leaning his head back against the seat, he groans in frustration, heart sinking once again.
Why.
Why now? When he finally had hope again?
Dejected, he slowly trudges his way back to the front of the store, wondering what on Earth he's supposed to do now. He doesn't have the money to pay to fix whatever is wrong with his car and—
"Percy?"
This time he recognizes the sweet, angelic voice.
"Annabeth."
She's standing over by the bus stop again, but leaves it to walk towards him.
"Didn't realize I'd run into you so soon!" she says cheerfully.
"Yeah…" he's distracted both by his car troubles and the red lipstick she has on. (Can she get any more attractive?)
"What? Not excited to see me?" she teases lightly but he immediately rushes to explain.
"No, I mean yes, I am! Sorry, I'm just…my car broke down."
"Oh…"
She pauses and he realizes that once again, he's being rude by dragging her into his problems.
"It's fine though, I'll figure it out."
"I have a friend who's a mechanic," she says instead of dropping it. "I'm sure he could help. Come on, show me what's going on."
And he has no choice but to lead her to the tiny, almost-empty, parking lot.
"Annabeth, it's okay—"
But she's already dialing her friend and explaining the problem.
So much has happened, so quickly, that he still hasn't processed everything until Annabeth is tugging at his arm.
"Leo's on the way, he'll be here in fifteen."
"Thank you, Annabeth," he repeats, feeling both useless and grateful.
Annabeth shakes her head with a smile. "Leo is the one you should be thanking."
"Yeah, but you helped me get to him. Thank you."
Annabeth tugs on his sleeve. "Stop thanking me Percy and get in the car, it's cold."
So, they get in, just to have some shelter from the wind. Annabeth slides in the passenger seat and it's nice to see her there, by his side like that.
"What's this?" Annabeth asks, reaching for something on the floor of the passenger's seat and holding it up.
It's a bottle of nail polish.
"The only thing she forgot to take…" He trails off, staring at the deep red bottle.
He remembers the day it entered the car, on their way to a party they were running late for, and the way she'd flipped out on him when he'd made a remark about the overpowering smell.
"Do you miss her?" Annabeth asks, jolting him out of the memory. Her brows are creased as she looks at him.
"No."
The answer surprises him, but the more he thinks about it the stronger he feels that it's true.
"I think…I just miss not being alone."
The truth comes out in a whisper, a soft puff of warm breath against the cold. The biggest truth of his life right now.
Annabeth drops the nail polish into the cup holder. The thud it makes feels loud in the silence of the car.
"But I…" he starts, unable to finish his sentence. To speak the second truth that he feels so much less alone when she's here.
She stares into his eyes, clearly waiting for him to finish and as always, he sinks deeper.
Fortunately, there's a honk that makes them both look up.
"Leo!" Annabeth quickly gets out of the car, and he follows her lead.
Leo ends up being the nicest, goofiest person he's ever met. The first thing he suggests is jump starting the car. He pulls the cables out of the back of his car and within five minutes, Percy's car is running again.
"It happens in the winter when it gets really cold and you don't drive it often," Leo explains with a smile.
"Thank you so much Leo, I really appreciate it!"
Leo waves it off. "No biggie, just glad it wasn't anything major. I need to get groceries anyway, my girlfriend gave me a list."
"How is Cali?" Annabeth pipes up.
"Great! Just a little stressed about the apartment thing, but other than that, great."
He knows it's probably not his place to ask, but something compels him to speak up.
"What's the apartment thing?"
Leo sighs. "We're moving in together, but my lease isn't up for another six months so I'm trying to find someone to sublease it."
He tries not to keep the astonishment out of his voice. "Oh, how…uh…how much would rent be for that?"
Leo turns to him. "Are you looking for a place?"
"Kinda, I…um…I can't afford my current place ever since my…roommate bailed."
"Oh shit, that sucks. But I mean if you're looking, I'd love to sublease it to you!"
He can't believe his luck.
By the time Leo actually leaves to start his grocery shopping, he has another contact in his phone and plans to see the place in the next few days.
Annabeth turns to him once Leo is gone, smiling brightly. "Well, that worked out well!"
Better than he could have ever even dreamed of. Almost too well. He can't wrap—hasn't wrapped his head around it yet.
"All thanks to you, Annabeth."
She just shakes her head, waving it off as usual. But this time he's insistent.
"Let me give you a ride, where do you need to go?"
"You don't have to—" she starts, but he needs to do something for her in return.
"Please, tell me."
"Union."
It's only a few blocks from his apartment and she insists that she walk the rest of the way.
"You found a good parking spot here! It's okay, I'll walk," she asserts.
"Well, let me walk with you then."
"There is really no need Percy." The words come out almost rushed. As if she doesn't want him to come.
He backs off, a little hurt and wondering what he did to garner such a response. Seeing this, her face softens.
"I don't want to trouble you Percy, don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Okay."
She lays a hand on his arm. "I really appreciate the ride, thank you."
"Do you want to come in for…" he trails off, not really sure what he can offer her.
There's a sadness in her eyes as she responds. "I wish, but I have to go."
"Okay," he replies.
"I'll see you later," she promises.
"I'll hold you to that," he responds.
She laughs. "Good." And then with another smile and wave she's off, disappearing down the street as the wind blows and a fog rolls in.
-.-
His stomach rumbling is what wakes him up from his nap. Having officially exhausted all of his food options, he's left wondering what he should do.
He still needs to pay his bills, and his first paycheck comes in tomorrow.
Basically, he can wait a day. There's probably some ramen left anyway…
But of course, his mind drifts to all the amazing kinds of foods he can't have. Even something as simple as takeout noodles sounds really good right now.
He walks to his kitchen to stare desolately at the ramen when a knock on his door interrupts his wallowing.
Who could that be at this hour?
He opens the door to reveal the person all his thoughts have been focused on.
"Percy! Hey, sorry if I'm bothering you. I was just in the area and it started snowing so—"
He interrupts her. "No problem, come on in."
"Thank you."
She comes in, stomping the snow off her boots on the mat.
"Of course, you're welcome to stay."
"Oh good! Do you mind if I change my food delivery to here? I was trying to beat it home but I'm sure even the delivery person is slowed down by the snow."
Her words further his conviction yet he's still taken back by them. "Yeah…sure."
"Great!" She gets out her phone and starts typing.
He needs to confirm his hunch, the thoughts building in his head for the past three days. He considered texting her, but the radio silence on her end almost seemed intentional. Plus, this is something that needs to be done in person, and now that she's here, he needs to say it.
Because the thing is, Percy is never this lucky.
And yet, in the past week alone, he's gotten a job, a place to live and a friend.
"You can have some too, of course," Annabeth is saying. "You're hosting me after all, and I always end up ordering too much."
"Thanks, have a seat."
She complies, sitting down on his couch as he sits on the armchair.
"This is nice," she says, looking around. Is it just him or does she sound a little…anxious?
"Thanks, but I won't be here much longer," he replies, watching her.
"You're taking Leo's place?"
"Yep, I saw it yesterday."
"That's great!"
There's a brief silence that follows her words that hasn't been there in the past. Something is just slightly off.
"Annabeth," he starts before she can open her mouth again. "Tell me, who are you?"
Annabeth shoots him a confused look. "What do you mean? I'm Annabeth Chase."
Percy sighs. "And who is that?"
"What are you talking about?" The confusion in her voice sounds real and makes him question is already crazy theory even more.
He needs to stick with it. So before she can unintentionally talk him out of it, he needs to lay it out.
"You show up in my life out of nowhere, and then while I'm with you I happen to find the first job opening in weeks and then actually get it? My car breaks down and you show up with a mechanic who also has an apartment!" He tries to keep his voice from getting higher.
"And just now, I was wishing for take out and then here you are! At my door. With an order for takeout."
On cue, the bell rings and Annabeth shoots him a pained look. "That has nothing to do with me."
She gets up and takes the delivery from the guy, setting it on the coffee table and turning to look at him. He's almost bouncing in his seat, his heart beating a mile a minute as he watches her.
"Percy—"
"There was no Annabeth at my high school."
Silence fills the room.
Annabeth's pained expression morphs into tiredness, the same weariness he saw at the coffee shop. Her shoulders slump as she flops down on the couch, not saying anything.
"Who are you?" he whispers, staring at what seems to be her admittance of defeat. "How did you find me?"
A chill runs through his body as he realizes that everything about her posture is telling him that his crazy theory is actually right.
"You wished for help," she replies softly.
What is she talkin—
Realization for what she might be referring to dawns on him. She must see it in his eyes because she just shrugs.
"I'm help."
It's his turn to slump back in his chair, mind reeling as she tries to take everything in. Try to process what she's just implied.
Annabeth reaches for a takeout container and opens it up. She hands it him after sticking a fork in.
He just stares at it.
She rolls her eyes. "You might as well eat."
That's a fair point, so he takes the food and watches as she takes the first bite of hers and lets out a small groan.
"This is so good!"
His stomach remembers he's hungry at the sight of the food, so he follows suit, taking his own first bite. Immediately, he agrees with her assessment.
Within five minutes he's finished his portion, and Annabeth isn't that far behind.
He leans back with a sigh, feeling full and content before his mind reminds him of the conversation at hand.
"What does that mean?" he asks, referencing her last comment from five minutes ago. "What do you mean by you're 'help'?"
Annabeth sighs, putting down her fork. "I help people—well, more like guide people to help themselves."
"But how did you know I needed help?" he insists because that feels like an important part of this puzzle.
"Because you wished for it."
"On a star? What is this, a Disney movie? Who are you, my fairy godmother?"
Annabeth wrinkles her nose. "I'm not that old! How about…Tinkerbell or something?"
"You're a fairy?"
"Well, no, but it's better than godmother!" She shudders and takes another bite of her food.
Percy frowns. "Annabeth! Come on, be serious!"
She shrugs. "I don't know! I don't normally have to explain myself like this. I guess I'm kinda like…." She pauses to think about it. "Your guardian angel of sorts."
"This is crazy, I'm crazy." Though he had been the one to start this whole thing, it's getting much crazier than he had anticipated.
Annabeth smiles softly. "Do you want to go back five minutes ago and pretend we never had this conversation?"
"No," he replies. "No, I want to know more. Who sent you?"
Annabeth shrugs again. "Listen, I don't have the answers you're looking for. I just work here, and I go where the assignment tells me to. I shouldn't really be telling you this at all, but…"
"But?"
Annabeth sighs, the mirth leaving her tone.
"I should've stopped after the car thing. I was supposed to, my job is done."
He remembers the sadness in her eyes that night. It was real. She was actually about to leave and he would never see her again. That thought alone is painful. (More than it should be for someone who he met not along ago).
"I just…" Annabeth is saying. "I couldn't help it. I wanted…" She stops to look up at him. "I wanted to see you again."
Something in her eyes spells out exactly what his heart is feeling and damn does it feel so…raw.
"I'm…I'm glad you didn't leave," he manages to get out.
Annabeth smiles that sad smile again, the one that makes his heart hurt to see. "You're going to get me in trouble."
And he wants nothing more than to make her happy. So he stands up and reaches out his hand for her to grab. "Well, might as well do it properly. Come on!"
He's grabbing their coats and pulling her out the door before she has a chance to respond.
His life is insane. He has a guardian angel by his side making him the luckiest person in the world and giving him entirely too much hope.
Why the fuck not?
"Percy, where are we going?" Annabeth yelps, following behind him as he drags her along.
"You spend a lot of time around here?"
"In this city or on Earth?"
"Either or."
"Well, not too much in this city but a fair amount of time on Earth."
"And no one's ever found you out?"
"I once told a child who needed a lot of help."
He pauses, realizing that if she is who she says she is, she's seen a lot of hardship. Slowing down his pace, he squeezes her hand.
"It must be hard, seeing people struggling."
Annabeth sighs. "Yeah, it gets to me sometimes, all the hardships and pain in the world. How do humans do it?"
Percy shrugs. "We have no choice but to. There's always some good to work towards."
"It seems impossible to find sometimes."
He wants so badly to wrap her in his arms and hold her there, away from the hardships she's seen. Instead, he just pulls her closer.
"Was that why you said your last assignment was bad?"
She turns to look at him, as if surprised he remembered that. "No actually. My last assignment was too stubborn and arrogant to follow my guidance."
"He sounds terrible."
"I never said it was a he."
Percy shoots her a look. "Lucky guess."
Annabeth laughs at that and it's the best sound he's ever heard. With higher spirits, he pulls her the rest of the way to his car.
He'll blame his close proximity to a magical being for the cause of his insanity.
"You never told me where we're going," she says as she gets into the passenger seat.
"I'm gonna show you around."
He shouldn't be wasting gas, but it's worth it to see the excitement on her face as he starts to drive.
He drives towards the lake, ultimately merging to drive along the coast with the water on one side and the glimmering city on the other. Turning up this music, he starts to sing along loudly as Annabeth watches in horrid fascination of his off-key "singing".
(But a few minutes in she's learned the chorus enough to attempt to sing along).
He parks by the lake, even though the public park is closed and motions for her to get out.
"Percy!" she whispers, yelling as he starts to jog across the lawn and towards the rocks at the edge of the water. "What are you doing?"
He pulls to a stop at the edge of the water and turns to her with a smile. "Watch this."
Picking up a rock, he chucks it so far away into the water that they can just barely see the ripples from where it hit.
"That was for your shitty last assignment, now your turn. No cheating."
Annabeth smiles and follows his lead, her rock coming close to his.
"Not bad."
"I'm holding back."
"Magic doesn't count."
And they manage to get a few more in before a crunching of gravel and a flashlight has them hightailing back to the car.
They manage to drive off just before anyone notices. It's suspiciously lucky and he shoots Annabeth a curious look but she just shoots him a wink.
They drive around, stopping at fast food places (courtesy of Annabeth), until almost 4 AM. His voice is sore from scream-singing music, his stomach is full of fries and milkshakes and his heart is content with the angel by his side.
But the adrenaline is wearing down by the time they get back and he offers her his bed before crashing on the couch.
"Thank you, Percy." He manages to catch Annabeth's whisper, right before he falls asleep. "For showing me life can be good too."
-.-
He wakes up with the sun already out and well into the day. Checking his phone results in a jolt of panic as he realizes he has work in fifteen minutes.
All he manages to do is charge into his empty bedroom, locate his work polo and change into it before rushing to his car and hoping there's enough gas.
He's got a full tank. There's no way…
Annabeth.
And then it hits him that his room was empty. She hasn't been there.
He makes it work just barely on time, no doubt looking pretty rough. Jo teases him about a "wild night" and he chuckles awkwardly, unable to get his mind off of Annabeth.
But of course, it's a busy day and he barely has time to do anything but work and grab a snack.
He leaves just before close, starving and still tired.
There's probably some ramen left at least, he thinks as he trudges tiredly to his kitchen as soon as he gets home. But opening the cabinet reveals a decently stocked kitchen.
Annabeth.
He pulls out his phone. He's got no messages, which isn't unusual, but he thought he would've heard from her by now.
Deciding to be the one to send the text, he asks her how she's doing and thanks her for the gas and food.
He doesn't get a response, but then again, maybe she just hasn't seen it yet. But there's a level of anxiety that doesn't leave him as he makes and eats dinner. It just continues as he sits on his couch afterwards, checking his phone.
Nothing.
After an hour of aimless TV and circulating through the fifteen free channels (cable is too expensive) he gives up his wait and calls her.
Ring.
Ring.
"The number you are trying to reach is no longer valid—"
He cuts off the robotic voice, fear running through him now. Because the fear that's been steadily building all day is staring him in the face, he can't ignore it any longer.
She's gone.
And somehow that's the worst thing to ever happen to him.
His stomach sinks as he tries not to cry, once again overwhelmed by not only the loss of her, but the feeling of being all alone. Again.
This is worse.
He runs outside, not even bothering with a coat as a hot tear rolls down his cheek. He stares up at the night sky, still as clear as it was that night a week ago.
"This is worse!" He yells to the stars. "This is worse, you hear me!"
Now that he knows how good it could be, what he could have, it hurts so much mote to lose it than before he knew how amazing, how fantastic life could be.
"WHY!" He yells. "Why did you come only to leave? I wish…I wish you hadn't bothered at all!"
As soon as the words leave his lips, he wants to take them back. He doesn't mean them. He just…
"Please," he whispers. "Please come back. That's all I want."
The slow walk back to his apartment door is worse, his body numb and cold and the bed somehow even colder.
Heart clenching more painfully than it ever did with her, or the job, or the eviction notice, he sinks into his pillow, worn out and falling into a fitful sleep.
-.-
The first thing that registers is the warmth.
He's warmer than he's ever been.
Blinking his eyes open to face the barely-there morning light, he moves to turn around, only to hit something solid.
Immediately, he sits up and looks over to see the potential of everything to come, by his side.
Her hair is splayed out and messier than he's ever seen it, there are slight bags under her eyes, but the only thing that matters is that she's here. By his side.
He doesn't know what this means, he only knows what the blossoming hope he's feeling means.
Slowly, her eyes flutter open, the somehow-darker grey meeting his.
"Good morning, angel."
A/N: And there you have it! What did you think? Wanted to write something a bit more magical for Annabeth this time around! Thought it'd be a nice thing to end on for the year :)
As for the ending, you can interpret it how you want, but in my head she turns into a human to be with him. (Also, anyone catch the song title reference?)
Once again! I did change my username to match my tumblr and ao3!
Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
And as always, thanks for reading!
See ya! :)