Sudden bout of inspiration for this piece. It has been a long while since I've written anything, and an even longer while since I've caught up with the PJO universe (I still haven't read TOA). Hopefully, this story was a nice short read and I hope you guys have a good day! Stay safe xoxo
"Love…" Percy chuckled as her arms reached out to intertwine themselves around his neck before he could even take one step out the door. His hand touched hers gently as he turned around to face her, green eyes sparkling. "I have to go, or I'm gonna be late."
Annabeth pouted. It wasn't something she liked doing in front of anyone, but she knew it would make him laugh, and it did. He dropped his duffel bag beside their feet – it landed on the brown carpeted floor outside their apartment in New Rome with a soft thud. Then he wrapped her arms around her torso and lifted her towards him, gently pressing her lips against hers.
Oh gods.
Her hands felt clammy as she ran them through his hair. A part of her was still amazed at how he could lift her so easily now. She knew it was due to the weight training he started on when they returned from the Giant War, and she knew exactly why he was doing it. There might not be any falls to Tartarus soon (or there had better not be), but he wasn't taking any chances to not be strong enough again. It was just like him to always put the blame on himself.
But the soft touch of his lips and his intoxicating smell melted those thoughts and her brain through her body. She focused on enjoying the kiss while she could, knowing it would be her last for at least the next few days. She couldn't help her disappointment when he pulled away gently and set her down on her feet again, keeping his arms around her waist.
It must have been obvious on her face because he chuckled again. He pressed his lips to her forehead lightly. "I'll be back in just a week," he murmured. The low sound set her heart sprinting. "You won't even have time to miss me."
Annabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes. When would he realise how wrong he usually was? She missed him already and he hasn't even gone yet. But she kept her mouth shut as he pressed his face into her hair.
Then he slowly untangled his arms from around her and picked up the duffel on the floor. When she wouldn't look up, he hesitantly took her hand. His thumb stroked the thin band on her finger until she sighed and met his gaze.
"Good luck," she said with a small smile. It was all she could do. "I love you."
His answering smile was brilliant.
"I love you too," he said softly. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it before gently letting go. Then she watched as he turned and headed down the hallway.
Annabeth stood motionlessly at the door, staring down the now empty hallway. Then she sighed. She turned to close the door behind her and stared at the empty apartment. It seemed so much bigger now, like it always did when Percy went on these trips. It wasn't often and they were usually no more than a week long, but Annabeth missed him terribly whenever he was away.
It was just part of his job description of being in Poseidon's court.
After Percy had finished his degree at New Rome University, his father had offered him a position somewhat close to a lieutenant, but promising that it wouldn't be terribly wrecked with danger as all his previous quests were. Mostly, his duties were to help keep order in the sea god's domain, with occasional errands to run on his father's behalf. With his love for the ocean and the lack of oceanography related jobs he could do in New Rome (especially given the Romans' dislike of the sea), Percy had accepted.
However, Annabeth knew there was another reason that he wasn't as forthright about. In his court, Poseidon was quite – well, generous when it came to payrolls. She knew Percy secretly worried about their finances and their future. It was sweet knowing he thought of these things, considering he was never the planner in their relationship. She had done her best to let him know that even if he didn't take Poseidon's high paying job, they would still be fine. As stubborn as he was, Percy said he wanted to be able to take care of her and gave her a life she deserved. It was the most Seaweed-Brained thing she had ever heard, but it warmed her heart intensely.
Annabeth had since let it go, but only because she knew Percy actually did like the job – being out at sea, helping marine creatures in need, even coordinating efforts to reduce pollution to several water bodies all over the world. It made him happy, and that was good enough for her. The money was only a bonus. She had never been a materialistic person anyway, considering how she ran away as a kid then spent most her life at camp. She already had the things she needed and didn't want anything else money could buy.
The occasional trips were the only thing she didn't particularly like. This time, Poseidon had sent him to check in on some old sea gods, some who existed even before the Olympians' time. Because of their obscure locations, tracking them down would take some time. There shouldn't be any trouble in the now calm underwater empire, but of course Annabeth worried.
She took a deep breath and leaned back on the door.
Percy had told her to relax, so she would. Besides, she had a lot of work to do for her architecture course – which spanned over 4 years instead of Percy's 3, and her finals were coming up. And, if she was really that pathetically lonely to be without him for a few days, she could always call Piper to come over.
Then come Sunday, he would be home. She would survive.
"I'm surprised you waited 3 days this time," Piper grinned at her as she dumped her bag on the opposite side of where Annabeth sat at the coffee table.
Annabeth just grumbled wordlessly under her breath. She felt so tired and cranky.
She had gotten through the first few days slowly, going through the motions of what she needed to do unhappily. She did her studying till the wee hours until she was done and had nothing to do, then forced herself to go to bed.
Even the food seemed blander, though that could be more to do with her cooking. Over the last few years, Percy had become quite the chef, seemingly finding cooking an enjoyable and relaxing task. He whipped up amazing dishes again and again, and now Annabeth was starting to realised she had been spoiled.
Then last night, she woke up screaming after her nightmare dredged up one of her worst memories in the fiery pits of Tartarus. Percy's lifeless body on the floor – his eyes rolled into his head, and yellow steam coming off his skin. She hadn't been able to take another step. It was as if an invisible wall stood between them. She pleaded and pleaded and could only watch as the gorgon's blood slowly burned his life away.
She had gotten up and ran to the corner of their bedroom where Percy had placed an indoor water fountain that he made himself. It was a pretty little thing – the steps where the water pooled were made of light marble, the rocks at the bottom were a smooth dark grey. In the silence of the night, the trickling water ebbed a calming effect, just as he meant for it to do when either of them had nightmares.
It also had another specific function.
Annabeth lightly tapped a concealed button at its base. A small ray of light reflected over the fountain's ripples of water, forming a kaleidoscope of colours. Then she quickly threw her drachma in and waited to see his face.
He had been sleeping of course. The circles under his eyes were a clear indication of his exhaustion. His jet-black hair swayed lightly in the current as he snored quietly. He had crossed his arms, but she was surprised to see a photo in his hand. It was the one he always kept in his wallet – their first Christmas Day in New Rome after getting their apartment together.
In true corny couple fashion, they had gotten matching reindeer sweaters. He had set the self-timer to take burst shots, and she had turned to kiss his cheek just as the last timer ended. He had decided that was his favourite shot.
She had smiled lightly, sitting there quietly for another few minutes. She didn't want to wake him; she just wanted to know if he was alright, and her nightmare had stayed a nightmare. When she was finally convinced and decided she could go back to sleep, she slashed her hand through the message begrudgingly, but spent the rest of the night awake anyway. Knowing she wouldn't make it through another day alone, she had fired off a text to Piper.
"When you said he left Sunday, I honestly thought the next message was to ask me to come over," Piper joked as she shook the snow off her cap. Annabeth nibbled her lip quietly, but it was still raw from her anxious gnawing the night before. She could taste the blood from it. Piper finally turned around to look at her. She saw the red eyes and lips and the shivering hands.
"Oh." She crossed the room and quickly wrapped her arms around Annabeth, pressing a cheek to the top of her head. She didn't say anymore, and Annabeth was grateful. Piper was the closest to a sister as Annabeth could have, even if they didn't share the same godly parent. They were alike in many other ways, and were often telepathic (not literally) to each other's thoughts. Annabeth knew Piper didn't think she was just a replacement for when Percy was gone – they've called and met each other many times even without him. And Piper knew when Annabeth was plagued with nightmares and couldn't talk about them – that she just wanted some company to forget them.
"Tell you what," She said softly from the top of Annabeth's head. "I'll make some hot cocoa, and we can get started with work. Then for dinner, we could head down to the Plaza and get some Chinese?"
"Percy left some casserole in the fridge," Annabeth mumbled.
"Ooh casserole! Yea, that sounds good too." She squeezed her friend's shoulders tightly and got up. "I'll get the cocoa ready."
Inviting Piper over had been a good idea.
Annabeth hadn't been ready to talk for a while when she first arrived, but the hours stretched as they did their work together – from sitting at the coffee table to lounging out on the couch to getting their cocoa fixes – and eventually Piper got her talking again.
"We should go back to New York before Christmas," Piper was saying as she laid down on the sofa, crossing and uncrossing her ankles in the air. "Join the campers. Sing some songs. Get Chiron a party hat."
The girls laughed at the image of Chiron looking like one of his cousins.
"And I know Sally would love to throw a little Christmas party too." Annabeth smiled to herself. Sally and Paul always got excited when it came to meeting Percy's friends, no matter how many times they've already met. It was one of those things that made the 22-year-old embarrassed.
"If it's not too many people, maybe you and Jason could come too."
Piper's face soured. "I don't know, Beth. We kinda had a bad summer."
"Well," Annabeth took another sip of cocoa. "Maybe you'll have a better winter." She smiled.
Piper laughed. "Maybe."
And Piper kept her happy all day that way. They talked more about what they missed about Camp Half-Blood, and how Piper was really enjoying her new media and communication classes, and how Annabeth was excited to take extra classes at UC Berkeley her following semester as part of a programme with New Rome University.
When they were done with dinner, an unspoken question hung in the air. Piper smiled when she saw Annabeth's hesitation.
"Is it alright if I sleep here tonight?"
Annabeth nodded sheepishly. She really was pathetic enough to have her friend stay.
But it did help her sleep without nightmares that night. With Piper close by, and Percy's pillow as her bolster - and the warm, clean scent of its owner wafting into her nose, the Thursday was already so much better than the other days she spent alone.
Only 3 more days to go.
"I'm finished," Annabeth announced glumly on Friday afternoon.
Piper looked up from her notes with the tip of her pen in her mouth, and stared at her.
"What do you mean you're finished?"
"I'm finished studying. I covered all my material like 5 times over." Annabeth grumbled as she closed the open book in front of her.
Piper continued to stare.
"No one finishes studying," she deadpanned.
"Well, I did," Annabeth crossed her arms indignantly. "And I don't know what to do now." She sulked in her chair.
She knew she was acting childish but she didn't care. There was anything else to cover for her revision, and she was back to wallowing about how much she missed Percy. What a sap for a daughter of Athena. Has it really only been 5 days since he left?
Piper tapped her pen to her chin. "Maybe you should take a nap then. You still look really tired."
She was right. Annabeth felt exhausted despite the dreamless night she had before. The first few nights of late-night cramming and dreams really had taken its toll, and she hadn't recovered from it.
Piper smiled. "And its still early. If you nap through dinner, I'll just call and order takeout."
Annabeth thought for a while.
"Okay," she finally agreed. "Maybe just a short one."
She got up and made her way to the bedroom, reaching out to pat Piper's head as she passed. She hadn't realised how tired she was until Piper had pointed it out. The second that her head hit his pillow, unconsciousness had swallowed her.
Of course, she wouldn't have been so lucky to avoid bad dreams two sleeps in a row without him.
She was running – where to and why, she wasn't sure. A vast open field spread out in front of her as she sprinted ahead. There was nothing in the distance in all directions.
Yet she kept running. She had been running for miles.
"Percy?" She had called out. The grass under her feet rustled with the strong wind, but there was no response. She felt the panic rise. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was supposed to be here, but he wasn't. There was nothing for miles. He wasn't here.
"Why did you leave me?" A sob broke through her chest before she could stop it. Her legs gave way and she felt her knees hit the untamed grass.
Then, a warm feeling started from the top of her head. It spread slowly through her body, reaching even the tip of her toes. The vast field began to disappear, and the howling wind slowed to a stop.
It took her a while to realise her dream had ended. She forced her heavy lids to open. When her vision focused, doubt returned. Was she still dreaming?
The raven-haired boy had his face inches from hers, a crooked smile across his mouth. His eyes were shining playfully with joy. He had a hand resting lightly on her head, gently stroking the top of her curls.
She blinked a few times more – maybe a bit too comically. He laughed quietly and pressed his lips to her forehead. The warm feeling flooded her body again. He was staring at her quietly, his green eyes boring into her grey ones, with a small smile on his lips. His intense gaze was turning her brain to mush. So of course, she said something really smart.
"You're not supposed to be home yet."
Percy chuckled.
"Yea, well. I missed you." He said simply.
She let her eyes wander over his face. His undereyes were still lined with dark circles, and there was a cut near the top of his left cheekbone. He had probably healed himself before returning home, but he looked otherwise unharmed. Her eyes returned to his.
"I missed you so much." She whispered. Her body leaned forward without her command, her hand reaching out to his neck.
He responded immediately, pulling himself closer and pressing his lips to hers. His arm curled around her waist and her hand moved to tousle his hair. Her lips were moving in sync with his; his breath making her head swim.
Seaweed Brain, she thought giddily.
When they finally pulled away, he leaned his forehead on hers as they both panted softly to catch their breath.
"I never liked you being gone on these trips," she said, cupping her hand at his cheek with a frown. "But this was the worst."
He gave her an amused expression. "That's what you say every trip," he said teasingly.
"But this really was the worst," she grumbled, her hand drifting down his chest.
"Well, you don't have to worry anymore," Percy caught her hand before it could go any lower. "This was the last."
She looked at him abruptly, then sat up. He had a serene look on his face, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly.
"What?"
"This was the last trip," he said. Then he licked his lips and started to stammer. "I – uh, told my dad. I didn't wanna be away from you for so long again." He grew sheepish. "I told him I'll still do everything he needs me to, but I wanna come back to you every night."
Annabeth stared at him in silence as he began to flush in embarrassment. There was a ball of pure joy that was starting deep in her chest, but she tried to keep the smile that was threatening to blow up on her face.
"And he was okay with that?" She asked softly.
"Well," his face got redder if that were possible. "He laughed," Percy rolled his eyes despite his embarrassment, "then said something about how a daughter of Athena could get me so smitten." He gave her another sheepish look. "But yea, he was okay with that."
Annabeth let the full-blown smile explode on her face before reaching out to kiss him again. Percy jerked in surprise from her enthusiasm, before chuckling against her lips and pressing himself softly against her.
She started to tug on his shirt, wanting him to be next to her on the bed. Thankfully, he got the hint; slowly getting up to lay himself down on the bed next to her. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and drew her closer to him. He was kissing her just as intently as she was to him, and when they pulled apart, both breathing heavily, he leaned his forehead against her, softly caressing her nose with his and kissing her closed eyelids.
"I love you," he said softly.
"Mm. I love you," Annabeth pressed her face against his chest and breathed in his warm scent. She took her time to indulge in the fact that she wouldn't have to spend another night without him again. The happiness she felt then was hard to contain, but it made her insides warm and fuzzy. Without another word, she snuggled up against his chest and let herself drift off.
And the last thing she felt was a soft kiss to her temple.