Chapter Seventeen: Affectus tempora oblivione

Disclaimer: My army of lawyers are telling me that I can claim that I am Rick Riordan and that I can claim to own PJO and HoO. Oh wait what? You're not saying that? Huh. Well guess what army of lawyers. You're all fired. Dam, and I thought I could get away with it this time :(

Author's Note: Sigh. Another apology. Well, how about I just remind you how awesome last chapter was? And to pacify you all for the late updates, I'm gonna make this chapter extra fluffy. Also, nice things are coming yay!

Also, WE HAVE CROSSED 100 REVIEWS YAY! THANKS ALL OF YOU! LOVE YOU LOTS! WHOOP WHOOP!

1234 Booklover – Yep, I wanted to twist the story to suit my plot. Glad you liked it!

CalRedEss – Welp Cal, this is my apology for springing Lukabeth and Perachel together in my other fic. Figured you could use some good news. And nope, the Jason talk is coming. Also, you kidding? I love reading your fic!

Lovebooks 10886 – Thanks a lot! It was because of you that I was able to correct my mistake!

Merendinoemiliano – I agree, Octavian getting his ass handed to him is always fun.

CaptainMcShizzl – He wasn't awake, but don't worry, Percabeth Express has arrived. Also, you're my 100th reviewer! Thanks dude!

GodZeus – Awwww thanks! I try :)

Callum Runchman - *nods* yep, PM's would be muy appreciated. Hehe.

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

Percy's POV:

"Dam" I thought, "Note to self – summoning huge ass, Poseidon level, butt kicking storms is a bad idea."

I felt as if someone had run over my head with a tractor and was now systematically turning my brain to mush. I had a pounding headache, disorientation and dizziness.

A groan escaped my mouth and I immediately heard a rustling noise. It was at this point that I noticed that there was someone else in the room with me.

"Hey Seaweed brain, you okay?"

My heart skipped, like, 10 beats. It was Annabeth. And unless I had somehow magically summoned her here with my groan, she had stayed here with me.

It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling, the fact that she had cared enough to not only bring me to my room, but to stay with me.

I looked at her properly. Her hair was in a messy bun, and her clothes looked a little rumpled. Her eyes were a little bloodshot, and slightly puffy.

I sat up in alarm thinking she had been crying.

"Oh stop worrying Kelp Head – I fell asleep that's all. You woke me up."

The tension left my shoulders and then I realized what she had said.

"You slept over here?"

Her cheeks reddened, and the tips of her ears were burning red.

"No you idiot, I fell asleep. There's a difference."

I smirked, "Yeah sure."

"Oh shush." She said as she fed me some ambrosia and some nectar. It tasted just like my mom's cookies, and I loved it.

My brain started catching up with all that had happened today now that my head did not feel like it would explode.

I knew Annabeth caught the way my shoulders tightened suddenly, the way the ship started rocking a little. Even now, I couldn't help but obsess over everything that could have gone wrong.

I mean, it was as if the gods were giving me the cosmic middle finger – Oh yeah buddy, you like Annabeth? Too bad, her memories are gone. She's warming up to you? Let's add Jason into the mix. You finally have a lead about where to go? Let's set Roman demigods on your tail so that you have to fight to dam near death to escape. Oh and just for kicks, let's put Annabeth in danger repeatedly without backup or help and have her almost get captured by a scrawny looking pipsqueak who's apparently intent on killing all Greeks.

"Calm down Percy. We're okay….I'm okay."

"But you almost weren't. Do you have any idea how terrifying it was? Seeing that dagger that hasn't left your side since you were 7 sinking in the Charleston Harbor? I knew you would never give it up without a fight, and before I came rushing out, there was this horrible moment of uncertainty where I wasn't sure if you were alright, and I had no clue if something really bad had happened."

I was panting a little now, the sensations, the fighting, the raw terror of seeing that blade sinking into the water was coming back to me, and I was trembling a little.

I felt Annabeth's touch on my shoulder, and I almost groaned at the delicious warmth that shot through me from that simple contact. She rubbed her hand in light circles and slowly, I calmed down. She could always do that – bring me back to myself with barely any effort. When I had destroyed that bridge during the Titan War, and I was sure I had been responsible for Michael's death, it had been her who had finally gotten through to me. It was as if we connected at a level far beyond words because that's what it felt like. Describing what she was to me felt impossible, because defining it was almost a sacrilege. Anything I said, anything I expressed would not be enough.

"I'm sorry Percy. I did not mean to scare you, we were backed into a corner and in the moment, I just…knew that I could rely on you. I knew that even if no one else heard me, you would be there."

She smiled a small smile and continued

"And I was right. I had barely thrown in the dagger when the water exploded. And then you were there."

"Of course I was Wise Girl. I'm never going to be so far away from you as to not hear you ask for help." I said.

She looked at me with shining eyes, and while those grey eyes had always been intimidating as a brewing storm and hard as steel, now her gaze was feather soft, and it did something to me. I wanted to draw her in and keep her close. It was as if everything I had told myself I wasn't going to feel had built up and was now cascading down on me.

I cleared my throat.

"So…..how's Jason?" I asked, and winced. Goddamit now was not the time.

Her eyes went up in surprise and she laughed a little.

Let me just say, not the reaction I was expecting.

"You idiot, you really think there was something between me and Jason?"

"I mean, he was in your room. At 10:00 pm. Both those things don't mean anything of course, but you were looking at each other and smiling and…yeah."

Now that I was saying it out loud, I realized how shaky that logic was, but then we only see what we want to see, and I had no clue how else to interpret what had happened in Annabeth's room.

"First – had you come to my room half an hour earlier, you would've seen Frank there. Second – Jason and I were talking about him and Piper. Well…..not only about Piper, but that was what we were talking about when you came in. That's why he was smiling. He likes her you fool."

I had held the weight of the sky, and the relief I felt right now was sweeter than when I had finally relinquished that burden. I suddenly felt a lot lighter.

"Besides" she said, her voice filled with nervousness now, "Did I not tell you I love you?"

"I…..uhhhhh…..uhmmmmm, I thought you said that as a spur of the moment kind of thing. I had just saved your life after all." I stammered out.

"It's cute how you think I'd jump into the arms of the first person to get me out of trouble." She teased, but there was an underlying warning in her tone.

"I mean don't get me wrong, I know you could have gotten free on your own, I'm just uhhhh sorry?" I said, knowing that she would take immediate offense if I ever insinuated she needed to be saved by someone because she was helpless.

She was not. I knew firsthand that she could probably find and execute the fastest and most efficient plan to take down any opponent, in fact, she had probably analysed the situation and had determined that the fastest way to get out of this mess would be to throw her dagger in an attempt to signal me.

"Good" she said simply.

"So…..you really love me?" I asked, because so help me god if she said no and walked away, I would walk up to Olympus and find a way to murder Aphrodite. I don't care how, but I would do it.

She looked down a little, drew in a breath, as if steeling herself before she said

"I probably started falling for you all over again when we spent that night on the pegasi stable doors. I just wasn't sure if you liked the old me – the one with the memories, the one who did not cause you so much pain, or me as I am now. When I saw you look at me after you came out of the harbor…..I guess I just wanted to tell you then."

I was dumbfounded. How could she think I wouldn't like her just because she didn't have her memories back yet?

I did not know what to say. I had never been the best at being sincere. It was as if my reflex action to any situation was sarcasm. And that wouldn't help here. Whatever was happening now, whatever was happening here was as new and as fragile as freshly blown glass and the last thing I wanted to do was break it.

So I abruptly leaned forward and kissed her. I tried to convey everything I wanted to say but couldn't with the kiss. She tensed at first, surprised, before she wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned into me.

We broke away after a minute, gasping for breath.

"That was…."

"I don't…."

"Boyfriend?"

"Girlfriend."

"I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
Oh, 'cause I need you to see
That you are the reason"

Author's Note – Aaaaannnnddd that's a wrap. I know this was a little less on the action and a little heavy on the whole Percabeth, but I felt like it was necessary. I want to point out that Annabeth still doesn't have all of her memories and the reason she pushed Percy away a little or was a little scared was because she just didn't know if Percy liked her for who she was. I thought it was an understandable and relatable fear. Also, I tried not to make Annabeth too OOC since she's not the kind of person who's going to go all "Percy I would hang up the moon for you and if you don't like me then my life has no meaning ."

I hope I did her justice. That was also the reason I did not have Percy say anything since anything I wrote was either too cringe-y or too sarcastic for the mood I had created. There's gonna be loads of action and adventure in the future due to the whole MoA thing so this was a sort of last hurrah I guess.

Hope you liked it!

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