A lone half-blood sat on the edge of a pier looking out on the Long Island Sound. It was early morning and the fog was thick and heavy around him. His legs dangled off into the icy waters, but Percy didn't feel the bite of the cold.
On the opposite side of the country, another demigod couldn't sleep. Silent as an owl, she crept out of her dorm, closing the door behind her as to not awaken the Oracle sleeping in the bottom bunk. She made her way down the stairs and into the empty, night air. For a city, it was amazingly silent at night, and she began to wander the streets undisturbed.
It had been three years since the fall of Gaia and the unification of two civilizations long at arms with each other. Their friends had moved on, beginning their lives in New Rome, a machine shop on the outskirts of New York, or completing high school in a boarding school in San Francisco. Annabeth remained with them, but Percy had returned to Camp Halfblood.
"You need to stop depending on me for your future Percy! I can't give you whatever you're looking for. Go and make your own life and stop trying to find it through me!" Annabeth's last words rang through their heads to the echoing and refusing to cease their clattering.
They should have seen it coming. Their love, built in the bad times, had begun to depend on those times to keep them together. When there was finally no more wars, the raging spark subsided and couldn't sustain itself. It had taken them two years to finally admit out loud that they couldn't stay together. Annabeth couldn't admit it because she didn't want to give up. She thought that she could keep them together, she needed to prove their love could outdo the predictions of a god. Percy didn't want to hurt her by leaving. Their fatal flaws kept them together almost too long to salvage a friendship from the wreckage.
Annabeth was wandering the streets of New Rome in the florescent light of the street lamps, trying not to be confused.
"Hey."
Annabeth jumped. She wasn't one to startle easily, the exception evidently a former Praetor.
Annabeth grinned and shook her head. "Gods Reyna! What are you doing up?"
Reyna was dressed in a heavy purple jacket, grey sweatpants and black boots. Her braid had fuzzy bits of hair sticking out, and her bangs stuck up at various acute angles.
"I could ask you the same question," Reyna laughed. She shrugged, still smiling. "I used to walk around camp when I couldn't sleep. I didn't think I'd catch any campers out past curfew like I used to, but here you are!"
Annabeth couldn't help but smile even wider. "Really? What are you going to do? Report me?"
"I'll let you get off this time graecus."
"What about next time?" Annabeth asked and turned to continue down the street. Reyna followed alongside her.
"Next time? I'll knock you out to make you go to sleep."
"You think you can knock me out? You're hilarious." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"I would be able to do it with my hands bound behind my back." Reyna proclaimed to the night air.
Annabeth snorted. "You'd have your dogs do it for you then."
"I'm insulted that you think I wouldn't be able to do it alone."
"Then how would you do it?"
"Stay in Camp Jupiter long enough Chase, maybe I'll tell you."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Reyna grinned, and Annabeth turned her head to hide her smile.
They strolled in silence, both Annabeth and Reyna choosing their turns at random.
"So why are you wandering the streets of New Rome at 3 am?" Reyna finally asked.
Annabeth sighed and a puff of heat hit the cold night air, making her breath steam. She looked up at the stars as she walked, not caring is she crashed into a fire hydrant or tripped over a crack. "I haven't slept well in years. Sometimes it's dreams, but I'm mostly just too confused or too preoccupied with thinking to sleep."
Reyna nodded. "About Percy?"
Annabeth looked back down. "No. Well, partially. Percy and I are over. But yes, he can make it confusing at times. Mostly I'm confused about a dream I had... Years ago."
"Anything I can help with?" Reyna asked, nudging Annabeth's shoulder, and Annabeth tried to hide her smile spreading across her lips again.
"Of course." Mom will hate a Roman child of Bellona more than she ever hated a child of Poseidon. "Maybe if you stick around long enough RamÃrez-Arellano-"
Reyna rolled her eyes at Annabeth's use of her full hyphenated name.
"-I'll tell you."
Months later...
"I... I like you Percy."
Percy didn't say anything. Just kept his eyes locked on the swaying grass of Half Blood hill.
"I... More than like you."
"Nico..."
"No. Percy listen, please. I'm not telling you so you can tell me you're straight, or whatever. I'm telling you for me. I'm telling you because if I don't, I can't admit who I am and move on. I just needed you to hear me. Okay?"
Percy's eyes didn't move from their place on the grass. You're such an idiot sometimes. Beautiful brown eyes stared into him, but Percy didn't move his gaze from the grass, refusing to look at the son of Hades' eyes.
"Okay, Nico."
Percy had been sitting on the edge of the pier for hours, his calves dangling in the salty ocean water, just staring at the horizon line and waiting for the sun.
He wasn't tired, his mind was working and running through the past three years, the last month, and the dream. He went through every detail like he did every morning, reran every word Annabeth had ever said, he had said, Nico ever said.
Percy didn't know what to do. He could go to college in New Rome, but Annabeth was there, and Nico, and everyone else. He was the only one left at Camp Halfblood. Everyone had moved on.
Annabeth was still going to college in New Rome. Jason, Piper, Frank, Rachel and even Reyna were attending with her. Apparently Hazel and Nico would be applying or something. He wasn't sure. His mind had begun to wander as soon as soon as Nico's name was mentioned.
Percy was confused. He was trying to find something to hold onto at Camp Halfblood, but even Chiron was slowly inching him out, telling him he couldn't find what he was looking for with teenagers.
"Hey Seaweed Brain."
Percy looked up at Annabeth standing next to him in a big purple jacket, jeans and sneakers. Her blonde hair braided down her shoulder. He hadn't heard her come up the creaky pier.
"Hi Annabeth. What are you doing here?"
"Chiron."
"Oh."
Percy looked back out over the ocean, and Annabeth sat down next to him with her legs crossed.
"Percy, what are you still doing here?" she asked. "What are you waiting for?"
"I don't know."
"Percy."
"I don't know Annabeth. Really."
Annabeth sighed. "You really don't."
"I really don't," Percy huffed and tried to grin.
"Are you waiting for the person in your dream? Your second half?"
"Maybe." Percy shrugged. "I don't know."
"Gods, you should start thinking about that Seaweed Brain."
"I am."
They sat in silence for awhile, as the waves lapped Percy's calves and Annabeth sat huddled in the purple jacket.
"I need to tell you something," Annabeth finally said as the clouds began to turn a lighter shade of black.
"Shoot." Percy wiggled his toes under the water.
"I saw Reyna."
Percy looked at her.
"In my dream, on the Argo II, I saw Reyna. It was strange. I barely knew her, Jason told me her name, you introduced us and we were in the Argo II for little awhile, but I had a dream telling me we were destined to complete each other. It was... Confusing and frustrating. I didn't know if I really wanted to be with her. But since we've been attending college together, I... She's... Amazing. She's beautiful and intelligent, and she just, she understands. Not that you didn't, it's just different.
"She asked me to dinner," she finished carefully.
Percy turned back to the water.
"I said yes. I'm so happy Percy, I can't fully explain it. I know we're going to be together forever, and it's not just what some imbecile god said, it's just us. I don't know what's going to happen, just that we'll be together. I'm happy." Annabeth had a such a broad, dreamy smile on that Percy couldn't help but grin a bit.
"I'm happy for you two." Percy said.
"Really?" Annabeth stared at him.
"Really." And of course he meant it.
"Good." Annabeth moved her leg and began to untie her shoes. "So why are you still here Percy?"
"I-"
"Guess if you don't know." She set her left sneaker behind them and rolled up her jeans.
"I..." Percy hesitated. "I don't want to go to college with everyone."
And for once, Percy managed to surprise Annabeth. "Why?"
"I don't-"
"Shut up Percy," Annabeth snapped and dropped her left foot in the water. "Stop trying to spare my feelings. Why don't you want to go to school with us?"
"I... I don't want to be 'Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.' I just want to be 'Percy Jackson.' I don't want to be stuck with the same people for the rest of my life just because people feel like they need to treat me differently, or they can't be my friend."
Annabeth snorted as she dropped her second foot into the water. "Look at the sudden ego on you."
"I- I didn't mean it-"
"I'm joking, and I get it. I hate it when people just think of me as your girlfriend, even when we're not together anymore. It's been nice, not being around you - not for the reasons you think - but, I'm 'Annabeth Chase, One of the Seven' or 'Architect of Olympus' now, and not 'Annabeth Chase, Girlfriend of Percy Jackson.' I didn't realize it, but I hated being just an appendage of you to everyone.
"You feel like that with all of us, I can't be offended if that's how I feel as well. And it's nice to see you being honest about what you want for once." Annabeth splashed Percy's leg, and he smiled.
"Yeah."
"So what do you want Percy? What's making you stay here with kids who see you as 'a big damn hero?'"
"I..."
"And if you say 'I don't know,' I'm pushing you in," Annabeth threatened.
"That's just it, Annabeth, I don't want to know! But it's like my life is put out in front of me."
Annabeth frowned. "How?"
"I don't know-!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes and shoved him off the pier.
Percy came up spluttering, even though he was, of course, dry. "What the hell Annabeth?"
"I warned you." Annabeth gathered her shoes and socks and started walking down the pier. "Stop pretending like you're an idiot Percy, because we both know you're not!"
"Annabeth-! Wait!" Percy grabbed the edge of the pier and hoisted himself up.
She stopped halfway down the pier. "What?"
"I- I need to tell you something."
"If you push me off the pier, Percy, I swear to gods-"
"I'm not! Annabeth! Just listen to me for once!" Percy shouted.
Annabeth stopped speaking, and walked back to sit on the edge of the dock next to Percy.
"I... I saw Nico," he admitted. "...In the dream and... I don't get it."
Annabeth tried to keep down her smile. She knew it. "Because you don't love him?"
"Because I'm not gay!"
"I think you'd change your mind if you saw Nico now..." Annabeth muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing, sorry."
"It's just, I don't want to be with Nico."
"Obviously," Annabeth nodded.
"And it's not because he's- Wait what?"
"Percy. You're not ready, you may never be ready to be with Nico. You need to forget whatever you saw and just 't worry about ever being Nico's boyfriend. You don't even love him. Get a hobby, get a job, get a girlfriend, get a boyfriend if you want. But don't force yourself to fall in love with anyone. That wouldn't be good."
"Why?"
"Because then my readers will think I forced a straight character to be gay."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Ignore the god's existence for once in your life. Live for you Percy, not for whatever messed up reason you made up. If you don't want to be with us, go to college in New York, or Greece or L.A. or France. Forget us Percy, - well, not completely, come back for Christmas - but do what you want instead of what you think we want you to."
The sky over the Sound was turning to a soft lavender and pastel pink. The clouds had a yellow tinge.
"Thanks Annabeth," Percy sighed and grinned at her.
"Anytime Seaweed Brain." she said, punching his arm and standing up. "Come on, lets go raid the kitchen, I need to eat something."
"Okay." Percy stood up. "So how's everyone in Camp Jupiter?" he asked as they walked down the pier.
"We're fine. Rachel is having her art shown in a coffee shop on Main Street, which is big for her."
"Mm-Hmm," Percy hummed, not really paying attention since they were nearing the sand.
"And Piper changed her major back to psychology again, this time with a minor in-"
Percy pushed Annabeth off the pier and into the shallow waters of the sea.
"Percy!" she shouted. She was up to her knees in cold, getting her jeans salty and wet. Percy just laughed and ran down the rest of the dock. Annabeth threw her shoe at him, but it fell short a couple feet.
"Payback!" he yelled over his shoulder. Annabeth ran after him, scooping up her thrown shoe as she pursued.
"You can't get wet!"
"Doesn't mean it wasn't cold!" Percy laughed as she tried to chase him in the sand.
"You better run Percy!" Annabeth threw her other shoe at him again, and this time it caught him in the back.
Percy fell to the sand like he'd been shot, groaning. "You got me."
"You bet I did," she panted, slowing down next to him.
Percy laughed.
"Come on," she said, offering him a hand. "I really am hungry. And now I need a towel."
"Okay." Percy accepted her hand and she hoisted him up. "So what did Piper change her minor to?"