Chapter One: Books and Freaking Out
Percy didn't knew how a simple, stupid fight escalated so quickly. He was tired from all the studying he had been doing that day, and when Annabeth came to visit him at his mother's apartment, all he wanted to do was cuddle up with her while the watched a movie and fall asleep on top of her.
It had been five years since the second Titanomachy, and Annabeth had decided to take architecture as her major in Columbia. He wasn't ready to leave his mother when she had just got him back (though he had already looked through some apartments with Annabeth), so he still lived in her and Paul's apartment, studying in Columbia a degree in English literature. Annabeth managed to interlock her studies with her home, so she usually stayed in Camp Half-Blood most of the time, but when she was too tired to make the trip she went to Sally's apartment to be with the Jackson-Blofis.
It was tiring, all the constant movement, but it was easier than moving out and leaving their teenage years behind, even if they were two years from finishin their careers and becoming real adults. They needed some place to settle down, that was obvious, but they couldn't do it just yet.
Once they were done with college, Percy always said, everything would be better.
Or so he thought.
He was laying on the couch, constantly changing channel, bored out of his mind. There was a knock on the door, and Sally quickly opened it.
"Annabeth, dear," Percy automatically smiled, sitting up. Annabeth had a key to the house that Sally gave her ages ago, but she always knocked on the door to not overstep their welcoming, whatever that meant. "Come in. You don't have to knock, you already know."
From his place on the couch, Percy could heard his girlfriend laughing softly. "Sorry, some fixations just never leave," her voice was soft, but still carried the same tiredness that Percy felt in his bones.
"Percy is on the living room," he heard his mother whisper with a playful tone. There was a sound of a kiss and a few seconds later Annabeth was appearing through the door.
"Hey, you," she said, dropping her bag in one of the armchairs and pushing him by his shoulders, so they were both laying on the couch, Annabeth on top of him.
"Hello, madam," he said, smiling against her hair. She had probably taken a shower a few hours ago, because her hair smelled of her lemon-scented shampoo strongly. That, and her natural vanilla scent, were his favourite smells on the world. Not even the salty air of the sea could top Annabeth's freshly washed air.
"Don't call me that," she whispered, pinching him on the arm. He faked pain, but he knew Annabeth wasn't buying it. "How are you?"
"Tired," he said, closing his eyes. That was his favourite moments in life. His day might have been the shittiest ever, but it all got better when he had Annabeth in his arms. "Everytime I close my eyes I just see quotes floating around."
Annabeth laughed, pushing her head up to look into his eyes. She leaned in and kissed him for a few, good minutes, and then caressed his cheek. "You want me to help you?"
It was stupid for him to get angry at that, and he knew it. Annabeth had helped him study hundreds of times before, and she just wanted him to do good so he could have a great future, and they could both get a good job once they graduated from college. He knew all that, but the exhaustion added to his classical studies' teacher words earlier ("you need to start studying if you want to get a B in this class, Jackson") just made him get on defense mode immediately.
"I don't need your help," he said, feeling stupid the moment he said them, but he couldn't take them back. His mood had changed drastically, his teacher's voice and the laughs of his schoolmates each time he got an exercise or read the words wrong on the board kept replaying in his head. He suddenly dropped his hands from around Annabeth and pushed her by the hips so he could get up. The blonde was in a moment up, arms crossed and staring down at him. He sat up and rubbed his forehead, suddenly suffering from a headache.
"What's your problem?"
"Nothing," he said, not looking up to meet her eyes. He could see her feet in front of him. "I just don't need your help."
"You could have said it other way," he could feel her eyes burning through him. "I'm just trying to help."
"Well, I don't need your help, okay?" he said louder than what he intended. "I don't want you bragging your intelligence over me all the goddamn time, that's all."
"I don't brag about my intelligence," she was walking away from him now, clearly angry. "Just because Athena is my mother doesn't mean I pass all my tests without opening a single book. I work hard to get good grades."
"Yeah, I bet being Athena's daughter sucks," he said ironically. The sky sounded with thunder, and Percy knew probably all the Olympians were watching them, which only made him angrier.
"What does that supposed to mean?" he finally looked up, and her gray stare made him cower a little. He got up, though, ready to keep fighting for something that he knew was useless. He just needed to let some of the tension go, but that was definitely not the way; he knew, but he couldn't help it.
"That being a son of the big three is worst that being really intelligent. It hasn't affected you the way it had affected my life."
Within a few seconds, he was standing alone. Annabeth had grabed her bag and was closing the front door, without even saying goodbye to his mother.
He stood there, finally understanding what he had said. How could he had said something so stupid? Of course it had affected her, probably more than it had him. She ran away from her house at the age of seven because she was the daughter of a deity and she felt like her family didn't wanted her there. And then, she lost the two people how acted like parents to her shortly after she found them.
Gods, he was so stupid.
Outside, it was raining. Thunders kept sounding, each getting closer. He wished one of them could just hit him, but then he realised Zeus would be eager to fullfit his wish.
"Percy," his mother's voice sounded close to him, but it didn't have the warm she usually saved for him and Annabeth. She sounded slightly disappointed, which only made him feel worse. "What is wrong?"
"I don't know," he fell back into the couch. "I just... College is hard and I don't understand half of it, and I'm scared I might not be able to keep up with all my classes this year and- What if Annabeth does and she graduates and forgets about me?"
Sally sat down next to him, hands caressing his arm. "You know Annabeth, she would never do such thing. She's more than willing to help you study, but if you don't manage to make it this year you can always try next year. And the next one, and the following one. You don't have to hurry, no one should stress over school, especially not you."
Percy felt a little better, but he just groaned. "Gods, I was awful to her. She probably hates me."
"She doesn't," Sally bumped his shoulder, and Percy finally managed a smile. "Tomorrow we're waking up early, Paul is going to help you pick up that new book she keeps talking about and we're going to take you to camp so you can apology to her."
Percy nodded, a wave of calmness washing over him. "Thanks, mom. I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one you need to tell that, honey" she kissed his cheek, and pushed him up. "Come on, go to sleep. You look tired."
•
The next morning he got up even before Apollo. He went to his bathroom and took a long, hot shower before dressing up with a nice blue shirt and Annabeth's favourite black pants (she always said his butt looked really cute on them and something else, but he'd never get to hear that part because she was usually unbuttoning them as she said it).
He walked to the kitchen and made breakfast for everyone. He constantly looked behind him, waiting to see a mane of unravel, blonde hair walk up to him and cuddle into his back. Had he not been so stupid, he could probably be getting that.
After his parents got up and had breakfast, he went to the bookshop Paul and Annabeth usually visited when they hung out together. Paul showed him a few books she had lately mentioned and Percy took and paid for all of them, even including a book of greek and roman architecture that he knew Annabeth would love, even if it took her focus out of him. Paul offered to pay for them, but Percy didn't let him. He was the one who messed up, he was the one who'd pay for it, figuratively and literally.
After that, Sally and Paul took him to camp. He quickly passed Thalia's tree and ran to the Athena cabin. When he got there, he stood in front of the door after knocking with a regretful smile on his face. It was pretty early, but he knew Annabeth tended to get up as the sun raised to start working on whatever project that was running through her mind.
After a couple of minutes, he knocked again, his smiled replaced by a frown. Malcolm, who was the head counselor of the Athena cabin now Annabeth wasn't living there all the time, was the one who opened the door. He was still on his pyjamas, but he looked like he had been up for a while, probably in bed reading a book.
"Percy? What are you doing here?" he looked around him, searching for Annabeth. Since Percy was doing the same inside the cabin, he didn't noticed.
"I'm searching for Annabeth," he said, changing the books from one hand to the other. For being only four books, they were quiet heavy.
"Annabeth? She hasn't been here since last week. I was actually wondering when she was coming, I have to ask her about-"
"What do you mean, she's not here?" he straightened his back. "Where is she?" he searched inside the cabin again, but her bed was empty and made.
"I don't know. I thought she was with you," understanding crossed over his face. He got outside and closed the door. "Are you telling me you don't know where Annabeth is? Like, at all?"
He nodded "I haven't seen her since last night," he said, getting tense. Where the hell was Annabeth?
"Okay, I'm going to get dressed. Go ask Chiron, maybe she went there so she wouldn't wake us up. She has done that sometimes."
Percy didn't have to be told twice. He gave Malcolm the books so he could rest them in Annabeth's bed and he ran to the big house, not even bothering to knock.
"Chiron, have you seen Annabeth?" he called once he was inside. The centaur walked out, looking at the boy for a few seconds before shaking his head.
"She came over last week," he answered, his posture quickly tense. "Why?"
He didn't answer. He ran back to Thalia's tree and back to his parents, who were waiting to see Annabeth and say hello before going back home. He heard Chiron behind him, and Malcolm calling his name, but all he could think of was his mother. She always fixed everything, she'd fix this too.
"Mom! Dad!" he screamed, making them both get out of the car quickly. Sally was smiling, but the smile dropped when she saw he was alone. "Annabeth. I- I think she's missing."