The darkness was gone, but Annabeth knew she preferred it to the sight of the broken boy in front of her. She scrambled to where he sat hunched over on the ground and grabbed his shoulders, trying to get him to look at her. "What's wrong with him?" He was dying. That's what was wrong. It was a fact that she couldn't avoid. She cradled his body in her arms, crying into his hair. He had taken too many curses, all to protect her.
She woke up, gasping, her body rigid with fear that had once been all too real. But, it didn't have to be real, she tried to rationalize. She wasn't in that place anymore; she was here on the Argo II in her boyfriend's bed and his arm was wrapped tightly around her.
It had only been a few days since they'd survived Tartarus and everyone seemed to have come to an unspoken agreement not to discuss what had happened. Even she and Percy had been dancing around the subject, instead busying themselves with strategizing for the upcoming battle. Still, once the time for sleeping came, it was hard to ignore the nightmares that plagued them. No one had said anything about Annabeth all but moving into Percy's room, and not even Buford the table bothered them about it. They hadn't even bothered to try to sleep apart, the anxiety of not knowing where the other was being too much to handle. Annabeth knew eventually they would have to address it, but for now it was perfectly ok with her to spend every waking (and sleeping) moment with him. So what if they were codependent?
Anxiety ran ice-cold through her veins. Her attempts at calming herself were not working. Even the weight of Percy's arm became too much for her as guilt began to consume her. Annabeth sat up abruptly, sobs ripping through her chest. She tried to breathe, to remind herself that it was over. They weren't there anymore. Percy wasn't dead. He was alive. He was right next to her, now awake and slightly panicked as he tried to comfort her.
"Hey, hey it's okay. It was just a nightmare," he said, moving to wrap his arms around her.
Annabeth moved out of his reach, too lost in her own tears to notice the flicker of hurt that passed over his face. It wasn't just a nightmare; it had been real. They had been stuck in that awful place and it was her fault. Her hubris had very nearly gotten Percy killed and here he was trying to comfort her. It never should have happened. It was her fatal flaw, it wasn't supposed to have caused anyone's downfall but her own. And yet, Percy had fallen into the pit with her.
The tears streaming down her face increased tenfold as the weight of her thoughts settled upon her. She briefly registered that she should be embarrassed, even if it was Percy who was witnessing this mental breakdown, but not even her pride could surmount the guilt she felt. She slid off of the bed and made her way across the small cabin, pausing at the door. She couldn't be here right now, not when she could feel the concern for her radiating off of him. It was making her feel worse, as irrational as it was, because she didn't deserve his comfort right now.
"Annabeth, please don't go. It's okay if you need space, just please stay." There was something in his voice that was so alarmed it brought her back to reality. The last thing she wanted was to make him upset, to make him even more worried than she knew he was. She paused for a second, then nodded and sank down to the floor, her back pressed against the door. Annabeth felt like her chest was caving in, like all of the pain, all of the guilt was suffocating her. She wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to hold herself together. "I'm so sorry, Percy. It's all my fault," she repeated over and over.
"Beth, what are you talking about? It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong," Percy insisted.
"No! You took all of those curses to protect me. You fell in there with me, Percy. You could have died! You-" she choked on her words, not wanting to once again relive that terrible moment when she thought all hope was lost.
"Annabeth, I-"
She cut him off, knowing before he even spoke what he would say. "No, stop being so nice to me. I don't deserve it," she said through her tears.
An adorably confused look graced his face; she would have laughed if it didn't make her feel so much worse. Of course, he would never blame her for what happened. But he should. Didn't he see that none of this would have happened if she hadn't taunted Arachne? She had, once again, let her pride get the best of her and now there were so many scars, both physical and emotional, that may never heal.
He approached her slowly— like she was a frightened animal he was trying not to spook. Sitting down, Percy tentatively wrapped his arms around her once again. This time she let him, sinking into his chest as she drowned in her tears.
"Annabeth, none of this was your fault. Please tell me you know that" he said it so softly she almost didn't hear it. But still, there is an unmistakable firmness in his voice that leaves her no room to argue. What could she say? She didn't want to lie to him; and although she would prefer if he didn't hold it against her, she needs him to at the very least acknowledge her mistake. A mistake that almost got them both killed. How can he not understand this?
"But it was. How can you not blame me for this?"
"Because I love you. I never would have let you fall alone," he said, squeezing her closer to him.
His words were so true— like there simply was no other option. And she knew, deep down, that she would have done the exact same things if the roles had been reversed. Some part of her heart fluttered at those three little words, but a larger part filled with dread. This was his fatal flaw. His unwavering loyalty to her had caused him to let go of the ledge, to take all of the Arai's curses so she wouldn't have to. Tears well up again before she can stop them. "Your fatal flaw, Percy. I can't- I couldn't live with myself if you got yourself killed because of me."
He shifts so that he's sitting in front of her, moving his arms from around her torso to cup her face in his hands. Percy moves until his forehead is resting on hers. He looks her in the eyes from beneath his eyelashes, his voice steady as he says. "What happened wasn't your fault, Annabeth. I could never think that and you shouldn't either. None of this should be happening to us, okay."
She draws in a shaky breath as his words wash over her. He's right, she knows he is. All of this was because of the Gods and their pride, not hers. But still, there's a small part of her that can't let go of the guilt that easily.
He must feel her lingering uncertainty because he says, "Tell me it's not your fault, Beth."
She's quiet for a moment, taking deep breaths as her tears finally begin to subside. The words still feel too heavy to say, like she isn't quite ready to be free of the weight of her shame, but she knows that Percy is almost as stubborn as she is; he's not letting her get out of this. She sucks in a mouthful of air, bracing herself before saying, "It wasn't my fault."
The doubt she knows must still be present in her eyes is not reflected back to her. Percy looks at her with so much pride that all of the air leaves her lungs. Annabeth relishes how light she feels; for the first time since they fell, the burden is lifted from her shoulders. It's a little overwhelming, how relieved she feels, and her eyes fill with tears once more.
They stay sitting on the floor, foreheads pressed together until her breathing returns to normal. She shifts, uncrossing her legs so she can crawl fully into his lap. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she mumbles the words "I love you" into his skin. He holds her tighter in response.
"I know things are bad right now, and if we make it through the next few days they might get worse, but we'll be just fine. As long as we're together, remember?"
She pulls back to look at him, a small smile gracing her face. "When did you get so wise?" she asks.
"You must be rubbing off on me, then," he tells her, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.
He considers it a win that her face lights up. Percy stands and offers Annabeth a hand, pulling her to her feet. Before she can go anywhere, he wraps her in a tight hug, burying his face in her golden hair. He feels her sigh into his embrace, and together they waddle back over to the bed, laughing as they fall onto the mattress. They lie there for a while all tangled up in each other, relishing their little bubble of peace.