" Hey, Annabeth, what'd you call be here for?" Percy ran up to the hill where Annabeth was currently sitting on a blanket, a cup of coffee in her hands, and another beside her. She was looking rather worriedly at the sunset, as though there was going to be some monster leaping out. She didn't respond to Percy even as he walked up beside her. Silence. " Annabeth?" Percy tried, testing out the name.

Annabeth didn't look at him, merely kept her eyes trained at the dawn. " You didn't tell me about the quest." She said, finally, softly. Percy frowned, rather confused and worried. Why was Annabeth calling him out on this? Hesitantly, he sat down and took his own cup into his hands. It was still warm, although rather bitter.

" I didn't want to worry you." He said, earning him a small laugh. Annabeth shook her blonde hair and looked over at Percy.

" Did you really that I'd get worried over that quest?" She demanded. Percy tried to respond, only to be interrupted. Annabeth smiled slightly and held a hand to his lips.

" It's fine. I know it isn't your fault, and I should probably take it out on Hermes for making you do some stupid quest like that, but it's just... you got hurt, Percy. You nearly died and you know what Solace said? All you ribs were broken, you broke both your arms, blood loss...And I wasn't there to help you. I didn't know what you did, or why you were in the infirmy. I just knew that you got hurt and I wasn't there to help prevent it."

Percy stared at her, swallowing. An odd pile of guilt built up in his stomach, even as his throat clogged with everything to say, but no way to put into words. He tried to move his lips, but they wouldn't. He settled for watching and waiting for Annabeth to continue, looking at the sand-gold of her hair, brighter and sharper in the sunlight. Her face looked tinted orange. It was only when Annabeth turned to him again, expectantly, that he spoke.

" I'm sorry." He whispered finally. " I knew it was dangerous, I knew that I might've died, but...I guess that I... I didn't want to involve you," He wavered on the last words, unsure of how to continue. " I mean, I thought, hey, if this goes wrong then I could feel okay knowing that you're not going to get pulled down with me. You could keep on living your life without me." I guess that I didn't want to involve you, and I'm sorry for thinking that you were too weak to handle it, he went unsaid.

Annabeth looked at him rather curiously, though she didn't speak immediately, leaving Percy with his own thoughts. Sure, the quest went wrong and he should have informed Annabeth, but he had apologized. Was it clceared up? Why exactly did Annabeth call him here? He searched for the answer, chasing his thoughts around his head, piecing barely seeable pieces into a masterpiece. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for his next words.

"Are you saying… you want someone else?" he hazarded. His stomach gave an awful, sudden drop at hearing the words out loud.

Annabeth blinked, startled. "No." she said, almost sounding angry with him. "Where did you get that?"

Percy winced and tried to apologise. " I'm sorry! I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." Annabeth gave a shrill laugh.

" No! It-it's fine, Percy. I know, I guess I can see how you came to that conclusion." Suddenly she turned around, somewhat amused and imposing. " Unless, of course, you want to be..."

"I'm staying with you," Percy replied firmly. "For as long as you want me. Even after all your teeth have fallen out."

"Gross," she said, wrinkling her nose. Percy watched her for a moment before speaking.

" So what's your point of this conversation?" He questioned. " Getting out of camp this early is breaking the rules you know. I really don't think this is just to scold me on the quest." He tried to ignore the anxiety and fear building inside him.

" Maybe I just like breaking rules."

" Do you?" Percy mused, skeptical. " Why do you always insist on doing chores by the clock and not breaking camp rules without a permit?"

" That's different. Those are guidelines meant to help us. And yes, rules should be followed, and I do follow them. I just think that sometimes rules need to be broke if they're harming people."

" Bookworm." He muttered affectionately.

" Kelphead." Annabeth retorted.

" Headstrong."

"Better headstrong than thick-headed,"

" Hey! There's nothing wrong with a tough skull," Percy replied playfully." In fact, if you ever fall out a tree, then there's nothing more helpful."

" I did that. Maybe you're right, Seaweed Brain. Maybe being a bit thick-headed is okay sometimes." They sat there in silence for a moment before Annabeth spoke up, voice abrupty cutting through the air.

" I'm breaking up with you." She said, so fast and sharp that Percy could barely comprehend what she had said. His mind whirled and twisted, throat clamped, and the entire world spun. He had hardly heard what Annabeth had said. He could hardly believe it. It was so sudden and came so fast. He didn't want to believe it.

" I what?" I asked dumbly, mind still woozy and in denile. It felt as if the whole world was crashing in on him all of a sudden.

Annabeth hesitated, and for a second, Percy could almost fool himself into thinking that he had misheard. But then Annabeth spoke up, more stronger and clearer than before. " I want to break up with you." She said. Percy could hardly speak as she continued. " It's not because of anything you did, Percy, and it's alright. You don't need to apologize, and well, I've kind of been thinking of this a while now." She stared down into her coffee and closed her grey eyes, taking a deep breath.

" It's just... it's me, Percy. I can't deal with this anymore. The quest of yours. You nearly died and I was so worried. And that wasn't the first time. Everytime you went and did things by yourself, you would get hurt and I... I always felt guilty for not being there to protect you. I don't want that Percy. I don't want to be worried all the time, if you know what I mean." She took a deep shruddering breath, and then looked at Percy with sorrowful eyes.

" I don't know, Percy. I'm tired. I... I'm just sick and tired of this Hero crap. And, well, I know it isn't your fault, but I don't want any part in it. I don't want it to be my responsibility to worry about you- even though I should. It's selfish, I know, but sometimes... I just need a break, you know that?"

Percy did, in fact, know that. He knew more than anyone about the difficulties of Heroism. Both as the hero, and those who were connected to him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He knew Annabeth was being selfish, and every cell in his body was trying to get him to say something, to get her to re-evaluate her previous statement, but he didn't. He couldn't. He wanted Annabeth to be by his side, but were he to try and convince her to stay... wouldn't he be selfish as well? Who was he to try and control Annabeth's choices, even if they were dating? Who was he to try and and persuade her to do anything.

He didn't have any jurisdiction over Annabeth. The least he could do was accept her choices and hope that maybe, someday, in the far future, they could get back together.

" I know." He said finally, because he figured that he would never be able to put everything he thought into words. He tried to smile and found his lips couldn't move. " We'll still be friends, right?"

A smile. Percy tried not to let his heart leap.

" Sure thing, Seaweed Brain. Sure thing."