Annabeth POV
Even though I was 15, I'd never really felt like it until now.
I always imagined that being a "teenager" was essentially just making stupid decisions, like sneaking into your crush's room at midnight, or trying alcohol a couple years too early, or talking about boys with your friends and giggling like a bunch of idiots. I honestly just couldn't stand that stuff.
Nobody told me what being a teenager was actually like; and that in reality, not everyone was just some shallow husk of a man, only present to cause discomfort and chaos. Nobody ever told me what it was like being in a real relationship before; one built on trust and compromise. One that made both parties happy. Probably because most everyone I know can hardly maintain one, I remembered.
Percy and I had learned to trust each other, even if we originally hadn't wanted to. I remembered hearing the prophecy for the first time when I was a naive little girl, fantasizing about becoming a hero. Not to downplay myself, but Percy had been the real hero. He had nearly sacrificed everything just to keep me safe. She saw that now, of course; but back then, she hadn't truly grasped the gravity of their situation, or the memories and regrets that would find their way into his conscience as a result.
She respected Percy a great deal for this; and perhaps even loved him for it. Anyone who was willing to sacrifice themselves for a friend was a hero in her eyes.
My thoughts then shifted to a few days ago, when I was still a captive of Luke. All I could do was trust in Percy, and hope that he arrived in time; and he did.
I sighed. It had only happened recently, but now it felt like months had passed.
As I walked back with Percy to his cabin, holding his hand, I felt a wave of contentedness wash over me. Very few things made me genuinely happy; the payoff had been well worth the wait. Although, I was still frustrated that my original plan had been interrupted. It would have to wait for now.
As I held his hand, I could feel the other campers staring at us from behind. My face felt hot. The rest of the Athena cabin would never let me live this one down.
I tried to sound a little braver than I felt. "So, what's the plan? Got any good board games or something?"
It then occurred to me that I'd never actually been inside the Poseidon cabin before. I'd only gotten quick glances of it as I walked by. Hopefully Poseidon doesn't turn me into a dolphin.
"A couple," Percy admitted, "but they're mostly Tyson's. He has a whole collection of them." His words sounded nervous, which was unusual for him. I got a creeping suspicion that he was up to something. Guess I'll just have to wait and find out.
When we arrived at his Cabin, I couldn't help but admire the design. The roof was sea green, with giant marble pillars underneath it, acting as a support. Stone steps led to the doorway, which had a golden trident hanging above it. The texture of the marble, and the way the colors clashed… It was almost as beautiful as the Athena cabin. She could tell the architects had taken inspiration from the Washington Monument, which ironically, was also created by a child of Athena.
We walked up the steps, and Percy motioned for me to come inside. I took in my surroundings, and the first thing that came to my head was… It's… clean. There wasn't a single speck of dust, clothes or junk anywhere. I'd seen Percy's room at home before-though of course, I never told him that.
The interior of the cabin felt so much larger and open than any of the other cabins. A fireplace was centered in the front of the room, tinting the inside with an orange glow. It reminded me of my room back at home.
Still, something felt off. Suddenly, I realized something. Had he been planning this?
"Uh… you can put your stuff over here," Percy motioned to a nearby couch.
I nodded. My cheeks flushed. I hadn't seen this side of Percy before. He was painfully awkward at times, but it made her smile. After all, it only proved just how much he cared for her.
Percy glanced towards the windows nervously, before closing the blinds and locking them shut. I'd almost forgotten about the danger. I glanced behind my back out of instinct, before taking a seat on the couch. I exhaled, trying my best to relax. My fingers were restless. This was uncharted territory; I had zero experience with this kind of stuff, and no references to fall back on. All I had was the occasional romance novel.
I could tell we were both pretty tired. The first thing Percy did was prostrate down onto the couch next to me. "I just wanna sleep," he groaned, his voice muffled by the couch. I tilted my head in response, holding back a chuckle. He wasn't wrong. It had only been a single day since they'd arrived at camp, and there was already another looming monster threat.
I felt a chill go down my spine. Despite the fireplace, it was still pretty cold. I peered through the blinded windows. The fog had thickened, enveloping the entire cabin in a thick gray veil; thick enough that one would have trouble seeing a few meters in front of them.
Percy must've had the same idea. He got up and started rummaging through a drawer. He pulled out a blanket, but continued looking for something else. After a moment he sighed.
"Here." Percy handed me the blanket, and sat back down on the couch, a little bit closer towards the fireplace.
"Don't you want one too?" I asked.
"Nah, I only have one. I don't exactly have a lot of stuff up in here, me being by myself most of the time. Really just some weapons and shields and stuff." He motioned to some combat gear propped up in the corner of the room.
Usually that would be a weird thing to say, but for us it was just another weekend.
Looking at Percy shivering, I thought about how much I just wanted to snuggle up to him and wrap my blanket around him, as we simply lay there together. I went over the plan in my head. It wasn't what I'd originally wanted, but it would do.
I crept a little bit closer to Percy. I took off my hair band and shook my head, letting my hair fall down to my sides. I could tell he was holding back; he didn't want to come off too strong. As much as I respected that about him, I didn't wait any longer. We'd already done enough of that. If we wanted this to work, we had to learn to be comfortable around each other, even if we felt exposed.
Once again, I let my emotions take the wheel; except this time, I didn't fight it.
I laid my head on Percy's shoulder, with the blanket still wrapped around me. I let my shoulders relax, and the rest of my body followed, as I slowly shifted the rest of my weight onto his chest. Percy was momentarily surprised; but then we locked eyes. I'd never felt so exposed before; here I was, giving myself to someone for the first time in my life. It was scary, but exhilarating. I'd never given myself wholly to another person; it was like a void in my chest was slowly being filled.
I waited for his reaction with loving eyes; and in that moment, I could see something change in him. The fear and anxiety had disappeared, and was replaced with a look of conviction. He reached out with both his arms, holding me as I lay on his lap. I wrapped the blanket around him, pressing our bodies together. I curled up onto him, closing my eyes as my heart skipped a beat. It felt like we were in our own safe little bubble; hidden away from the harsh fog of the outside world. I could stay like this forever.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an owl perched on a tree branch right outside the window. I watched as it glared at me; and I could've sworn I saw it take a bow, before hooting and flying away, as if nothing had happened. Usually, I would've been paranoid. A coincidence? A message from my mom? A monster in disguise? None of that mattered now; because I was here now; alone, safe, warm and in the arms of the person I cared about the most.