Fall Into The Sky

(a hundred moments, a single love)

7: day

The silence was killing him.

Grover sat in between his two stubborn best friends, head cradled in his hands as he tried to figure out how exactly he could rectify the situation. Annabeth sat at his left, arms folded and a petulant pout set into her mouth (not that he would ever tell her that; she'd deny any sort of childish connection and would probably hit him). Percy sat at his right hand, looking out over the strawberry fields and fuming silently. Every now and again he would huff an angry sigh; once or twice Grover thought he heard muttered words beneath the noise, but he ignored them steadfastly.

"Guys..." he said, drawing out the sound. Anything to break the silence. "Really. Come on. You could be a bit more mature about this."

"Oh, please," Annabeth said coldly. "Percy isn't capable of maturity."

Percy spoke up. "You know, Grover, I've never met anyone who's more immature than Annabeth."

"It's like he sinks to whole new levels of childishness," continued the blond girl, rolling her eyes. "Gods, it's pathetic."

"It's almost like she's five," complained Percy.

"Will you please stop ignoring each other?" begged the satyr.

"Absolutely not." Annabeth.

"Like hell." Percy.

"Please?" Grover.

Silence.

Damn, thought Grover. "Demigods!" he huffed. "Always so melodramatic!"

"Me? Melodramatic?" demanded Annabeth, brows furrowed in angry confusion. "Please! It's not my fault that some stupid Seaweed Brain can't accept the truth. It's simple fact - my mom is better than his dad."

"She's so deep in denial, Grover," mused Percy. "She should probably be drowning by now. I mean, she actually believes that her mom is better than my dad!"

"History proves my theory!" Annabeth declared to Grover, nodding conspiritorialy. Grover was having none of it.

"So? Who cares? Athena and Poseidon have never stopped your friendship before! I mean, come on, Annabeth, your mom practically threatened Percy and he still stayed your friend!"

Beside him, Percy groaned. Annabeth spun around to face him, grass stalks breaking beneath her as she turned. "She what?" she breathed.

"You didn't tell her?" Grover asked, mystified. Percy sighed, turning to face his friends.

"No, I didn't. I didn't want her to worry about upsetting her mom, and if Athena ever asked why she was still my friend she could plead innocence and get off easy."

"Percy," said Annabeth, her voice soft.

Percy bit his lip and looked back out to the strawberry fields. "Look, okay, it wasn't that big of a deal; it wasn't really a threat, I mean, it was okay..."

"But...a goddess semi-threatened you."

Percy laughed. "Did you honestly think that even a real threat could just...make me not be your friend anymore? If you don't want to be my friend, that's fine; but no one can make me stop being a friend to you."

"..." Annabeth stared at Percy for a long moment before lunging across the open space between them. She tackled him in a huge bear hug. "You are so stupid, Seaweed Brain," she mumbled into his chest. "Jeez."

Grover smiled softly as Percy gently hugged Annabeth back.

He pretended he didn't notice the lovestruck look on his friend's face.

"So," said Grover, "are we good?"

The two pulled back and looked one another over.

"Truce?" Percy asked.

"Truce," agreed Annabeth. "And Percy?"

"Yeah, Wise Girl?"

"No more of this not-talking thing."

Percy grinned. "Agreed. I couldn't stand it, not talking to you."

Grover smiled and said nothing as they walked down the hillside. Despite the arguing, despite the misunderstanding, despite everything that hung over them like the sword above Damocles head...this was a good day.