Part II: The Fall

"Here too it's masquerade, I find / As everywhere, the dance of mind / I grasped a lovely masked procession / And caught things from a horror show… / I'd gladly settle for a false impression / If it would last a little longer though"

-Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

"I didn't care who kissed you first as long as I kissed you last."

-Rachel Vail, If We Kiss

Percy V

Percy knew his mom and Paul were in the dining room writing together, and he really did not want them to see Annabeth in such a vulnerable state, so he brought her into his bedroom for almost the exact opposite reason of any other teenage boy bringing a vulnerable girl into their bedroom. At least they wouldn't have his parents spying on them in there.

"Okay, okay, what's wrong," he asked softly, trying to calm down his crying best friend. She seemed to hear him, but her tears kept coming, and an answer, unfortunately, did not. Eventually, however she did start to talk, and as she relayed the story of Jeff, the very lost pizza delivery guy, Percy could feel his anger grow.

"Why would you even do that?" Percy asked, outraged. "You barely even knew him!"

"Well maybe I just wanted someone to actually appreciate me and tell me I was pretty, because sometimes a girl needs those kind of things, and in case you haven't noticed, guys aren't exactly lining up to date me!"

"Are you telling me you need a random pizza delivery guy to tell you you're gorgeous so you can believe it? I thought you were better than that! I thought you knew how important you are…" Percy trailed off, realizing what he was going to say and stopping himself before he could regret it.

"So what if I do?" Annabeth retorted. "I'm not as perfect as everybody thinks I am! I can't live up to everybody's crazy standards. Maybe sometimes I just want someone to tell me that it's okay; I don't need to try so hard to be as great as I come off to be, and that I'm good enough just the way I am."

Percy's voice softened. "Annabeth, you're good enough just the way you are."

Annabeth's cheeks flushed pink, and she reached up one of her hands to wipe away some of the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. She started to stand up. "You know what," she started, her voice suddenly quiet and timid, "this was a bad idea. I-I should go." Annabeth reached to grab her bag and then turned towards the door of Percy's bedroom.

"Wait!" Percy grabbed her arm, not wanting her to go. This had become such a familiar pattern to them; her storming out of his apartment, leaving him only with her scent and an empty hole inside his chest. Percy was fed up with watching her walk away from him. He was done with letting her get away from him. Annabeth jumped at his touch, obviously surprised that he wanted her to stay.

"Percy," she chided, a sad tone filling her voice.

"No. I am not letting you walk out that door in tears again."

"Percy—"

"We are going to work this out here and now."

"Percy, I'm going to have to leave eventually, you know."

"Annabeth, you're my best friend…"

"Besides Grover."

"Yeah, besides Grover. Anyways, you're my best friend and I don't want to lose you, whether it's to some jerk-bag pizza delivery guy or you being angry at me. Just please, tell me why in Zeus' name you're mad at me."

Annabeth's eyes darkened. "If you don't know by now, I'm not going to tell you." She turned to leave again, but Percy kept his grip firm on her arm.

"Annabeth…" He looked up at her, staring hard into her tear-filled grey eyes.

"Fine!" She nearly shouted, obviously exasperated. "Are you dating the demon of the Aphrodite Cabin or not?"

"Who?" Percy asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Drew Tanaka." She growled in response.

"No! Why would you think that?"

"You were out late into the night together in formal wear. What was I supposed to think?"

"Well, obviously, we'd just finished doing yet another god's dirty work!"

"How was I supposed to know that? It's not like you tell me anything anymore! I wouldn't know if you did get a girlfriend or if you liked a girl or anything like that, not that I would care," she added almost as an afterthought. "To Hades with that; I would care, you Kelp Head, but you're always too preoccupied to even notice and you never tell me anything now and—"

Her voice died off when Percy kissed her. He halfway missed her lips, just his luck, but the fiery electricity he had remembered feeling from Mount Saint Helens still coursed through his body, turning his blood to lava and his brain to mush.

He felt Annabeth stiffen up, then slowly one of her hands lifted up from her side and she ran her fingers through his hair. Then, of course, being the beautiful, wonderful person she was, her other hand grabbed his head too and they repositioned so he was actually kissing her. This kiss was different, slow and sad and caring, whereas the one in the summer had been hasty and passionate. Percy was just processing that Annabeth was actually kissing him back, when she pulled away, tears still coming out of her sparkling eyes. She started to sob in to his shoulder again, and he held her close, as only the best of friends would.

Percy could feel his heartbeat against hers. He cautiously took one of his hands from off of her waist and used it to lift her chin up so their eyes once again met. "Hey, hey, it's going to be okay. I'm here for you, I—"

Her eyes glazed with something… was it anger, or fear, or worry? "Don't you say it. Don't you dare say it Percy, especially not today, not after what's happened. I won't believe you if you do, not today. Just hold me and let me cry, okay?"

Percy nodded and they continued holding each other tightly. He could still taste some of her salty tears, which had dripped into his mouth when he had kissed her. What had the kiss even meant? Percy felt like he was walking on thin ice; Any minute, it could crack and he would fall through. Was there even such a thing as a friendly kiss? Were they even friends? What did you even call a relationship like this? Aphrodite had agreed to leave him alone, and yet, he already felt more confused than ever, and it didn't help that Annabeth, who, at the moment, was still fragile and broken, wouldn't let him say what he wanted to. He didn't understand why— well actually he did – but if he could just say it, everything would be much less complicated and the thin ice wouldn't be the only thing under their feet.

Finally, she pulled away from him for real, she grabbed her bag and headed towards the door, and Percy made no move to stop her. He just made his way with her towards the small door of their apartment, making sure she did not forget anything on her way out. He didn't say any of the words that she had forbidden him to say, and it hurt him like a jackhammer to the heart.

As she was going to leave, Annabeth turned back to him, her blonde curls swinging in the air. She shakily smiled, even though her face and eyes were still red from crying. "Next time, get it right, okay Seaweed Brain?" Then she left, and Percy could hear her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Next time. There would be a next time, and he would be sure to get it right.

Percy turned to the kitchen/dining room area of their apartment, where his mother and Paul were still eating dinner and probably working on their books. Suddenly, he felt an insatiable craving for blue chocolate chip cookies.

Just please don't say you love me

'Cause I might not say it back

Doesn't mean my heart stops skipping

When you look at me like that

-Please Don't Say You Love Me by Gabrielle Aplin

This story is dedicated to Kevin R. Jefferson, unclaimed demigod, who died during the Second Titan War, trying to rescue hostages from the Titan Lord Kronos' army. He washed up on the beaches of Camp Half Blood after being killed by an Empousa, who was then later killed by daughter of Aphrodite, Lacey McMillan. He will live forever in our hearts. Rest in Peace, Kevin. May you be forever getting lost delivering pizzas in the fields of Asphodel.