It's a night like any other at Camp Half-Blood, but sitting in front of the campfire surrounded by her friends, Annabeth can't help but think how the stars up above look especially bright tonight. In the back of her mind, she remembers reading some time ago that being in a state of happiness makes everything about the world seem better. Maybe that explains it. Everything else about this moment feels perfect too. The pleasant heat from the campfire warms her face and arms, keeping the residual cold of winter away. The smell of roasted marshmallows lingers in the air, and she can still taste the sugar from the s'mores she ate minutes ago. Her chest hasn't felt this light in a very long time, and she relishes the feeling.
"You're zoning out again."
Percy's voice stirs her out of her reverie. She turns to face him.
"What are you thinking about this time?" he asks, the smile on his face also audible in his voice, and Annabeth finds it hard to resist one of her own.
"Oh, it's nothing..." she says, but the sincere curiosity in his expression convinces her to share what's on her mind. She smiles a little timidly when she continues, "I'm just really glad we don't have to worry about that prophecy anymore, you know?"
Gradually, Percy leans closer to her until their shoulders touch. His hand is warm on top of hers, resting on the empty space between them.
"Me too," he says softly. His green eyes gleam with the light from the campfire.
A comfortable silence settles between them then, and it gets her thinking about all the things they can do together this winter break. She hopes Percy will take her to visit his mother again. She loves being around Sally. The mere thought of getting to spend time with him makes her feel entirely warm inside, as if she just drank a full cup of hot chocolate.
Annabeth glances at him. Deep down, there's so much she'd like to tell him—how much he means to her, how long she's had feelings for him—but she knows she can't ever hope to be able to express all of it perfectly, so she'll likely never muster up the courage within herself to try. She can't imagine how she would even bring it up in conversation either.
Out of the corner of her eye, she realises Percy is looking at her. She turns her head to meet his gaze and sees that he's smiling faintly at her like he has something on his mind.
Still running on positive emotions, she smiles coyly. "You got something you wanna say to me, Seaweed Brain?"
He chuckles. There's so much gentleness and warmth in his eyes, and she hopes he'll never stop looking at her like that.
"I've just been thinking, now that the prophecy's fulfilled and the world didn't end... What are you planning to do after you graduate?"
Annabeth looks away in thought. "Well, I have some colleges in mind. My dad gave me a couple more brochures to look through too, but I haven't gotten to all of them yet. Why do you ask?"
He looks nervous, and she watches him steel himself before he speaks again.
"Assuming I manage to make it through my final year at Goode... What do you think about going to college together?"
Annabeth is so surprised that her reaction delays for a few seconds.
"I— That would be— That sounds—"
She clears her throat, blushing.
"I like that idea," she says finally. She wouldn't have been able to suppress the enormous smile that's already spread across her face if she tried. "I think that's probably the best idea you've had so far."
Her face is still warm, though it's not just because of the campfire anymore. The idea of being in college with him makes her feel like butterflies have spawned in her stomach.
Percy laughs, visibly relieved. "Well, considering winter break only just started, I'll take that as a compliment. I'm glad that you're open to spending more time with me. Fair warning though: you might start getting sick of seeing me so much if we manage to pull this off."
She squeezes his hand, still grinning at him. In her head, she thinks, I could never, ever get sick of you.
"Then you should probably work on doing less of the things that annoy me," she retorts instead.
He's smiling as he scoffs, and he doesn't try to argue.
For the rest of the campfire, they sit and enjoy the warmth from the flames, which are roaring a blazing orange tonight. The overall mood at camp has been blissfully happy and relaxed since the end of the war with Kronos, and Annabeth can definitely say the same about her own.
With the last embers of the campfire drifting away into the night sky, the air is still pleasantly warm when they head back to the cabins together, holding hands. Other campers have also started to trickle out of the amphitheater, with many new faces among the familiar—it seems the gods have been keeping their word so far. The lighthearted atmosphere sets Annabeth's mind at ease and free of troubles.
When they get to the central green, Percy gently tugs at her hand, beckoning her closer. She smiles as he leans in. His kiss is brief and sweet, and it leaves her heart racing when he pulls away.
"Goodnight," he says quietly, so close still that his breath tickles her face, faint with the scent of chocolate. To her, his grin seems slightly triumphant.
"Night," she whispers back. Her eyes linger on his. She tries to commit their precise shade of green and the happiness in them to memory. She thinks she could never get tired of admiring his eyes.
He flashes her one last smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he promises. Then he turns and walks to his own cabin.
When she steps into Cabin Six, she notices some of her siblings watching her knowingly from their bunks. That's when she realises there's a huge smile still plastered on her face. She fights to banish it as she crosses the room to her bed.
"Not a word," she mutters, avoiding eye contact.
As she gets under the covers, she thinks she can feel the faintest ghost of his kiss on her lips. Ignoring the teasing whispers from her siblings behind her who she doubts are even trying to be discreet, she buries the side of her face into her pillow and stares at the wall ahead. Percy's earlier suggestion echoes in her mind, which prompts a small smile to return to her face. It's not long before sleep finally takes over.
(And she doesn't remember having any bad dreams that night.)
-Ψ-
In the morning, Annabeth gathers up her siblings for breakfast at the dining pavilion.
Once most of the other campers have settled down at their tables, her eyes instinctively drift to Poseidon's, only for her to see that Percy's not there.
He probably slept in, she thinks, slightly amused.
With Grover still out of camp, busy with his Lord of the Wild and other regular satyr duties, she decides to take it upon herself to fetch him. She gets up from the Athena table without another moment's hesitation and starts making her way to the Poseidon cabin.
Once she's at the door, she knocks twice.
"Percy?" she calls.
No answer.
A strange feeling washes over her. She hasn't felt it in a while—more specifically, since his birthday—but the unease that's beginning to stir in her gut is one she wishes she isn't so familiar with.
"Percy, are you in there?"
She's met with silence again. Unable to ignore her growing concern, she grabs the door handle and pushes it down.
The door swings open easily, and a faint fragrance reminiscent of the ocean immediately reaches her nose. Her eyes cut straight to his bunk, and dread properly fills her this time when she sees that it's empty.
She can't help it. She takes one step inside, and before she knows it she's standing right by his bed.
There's a subtle impression on the pillow and mattress where someone recently lay. Absently, she reaches out a hand. A chill passes through her, and it's almost like the sheer emptiness of the room has transported into her soul.
Annabeth recoils.
Heart pounding, she runs out of the cabin. She doesn't even register if she closed the door on her way out.
It's not a minute later when she stops in front of Chiron and Mr D's table. Not wanting to waste time, she doesn't try to catch her breath before starting to speak, and somehow there's no doubt in her mind about the words that spill out of her mouth.
"He's gone."
-Ψ-
It's been two days, eight hours and ten minutes since she last saw him when Annabeth finds herself standing at the end of the dock at the canoe lake.
The clean blue surface of the water stretches out far ahead in front of her, and beyond its merging with the Sound in the distance, the last rays of daylight bleed into the sky as the sun just starts to dip into the horizon. The view is amazing as ever, but she can't bring herself to enjoy it like she used to with the heaviness that's weighing on her heart.
She finds it cruel that her legs happened to bring her to the only place that could make her feel worse. All she wanted was to clear her mind after the stress of the past few days, during which she spent every waking moment searching the city and contacting friends scattered around the country to find any trace of him or a clue of where he could be. But all those attempts turned out to be futile, and it's only contributed to making Annabeth feel like she's right about to lose her mind out of worry and frustration.
As she looks out at the water, she has to admit that despite how the familiar, warm breeze intensifies the aching in her chest, it also gives her a sense of calm that reminds her of the way she feels whenever she's with Percy.
Slowly, it's as if whatever is left of her energy is draining out of her. The water looks more inviting with every passing second. She doesn't need to think very long before making a decision.
She slips off her shoes and settles down on the edge of the dock, dipping her feet in the water. The cold brushes up her calves and spreads through the rest of her body. For a moment it soothes the mess of emotions swirling inside her, but soon enough the weight of her predicament returns to her chest.
Annabeth catches her reflection in the water. Admittedly, she looks almost as exhausted as she feels. Even from the water's surface, she can see the dark shadows that mark the skin under her eyes. She can't remember the last time she got any proper sleep, much less the last time she looked in a mirror since that morning she realised Percy was gone. With her luck, she might have even missed dinner without realising, though she hasn't been having much of an appetite anyway. Of course, she's wise enough to know she can't keep going like this forever, but it's impossible to think of sleeping or eating while not knowing where he is, if he's safe or even alive.
Is he alive?
No, I can't think like that, she chides herself. He's alive. I know it.
Annabeth tries to swallow the lump in her throat. She breathes in the warm air again, hoping it will ease some of the tension in her chest, but it only sends her back to a moment nearly four months ago, when the air was just as crisp and wonderful. She still remembers how strange it felt at first to be able to breathe underwater, before the softness of Percy's lips pressed to hers took over her focus. She can still remember how his arms felt around her as they held each other close, the rest of the world outside their bubble fading away. She didn't even care that his father could probably sense them then. All that mattered was that she was with him.
Before she knows it, tears have sprung to her eyes. She shuts them in an attempt to rid the stinging sensation, but instead it's like the dam of emotions that was built up inside her finally breaks.
She brings a hand up to her mouth to stifle the sobs that come pouring out. Annabeth has never been one to be comfortable with crying in the open, but even though she's sitting alone on the docks, she feels unsettlingly exposed. Distantly, she wonders if her mother is watching her.
She knows Athena's opinion of him hasn't improved much, but she's starting to feel desperate now. He's only been missing two days, but after everything they've been through in the past year, she can't help the anxiety that's been steadily growing inside her. Deep down, a tired and bitter part of her wonders why this is even happening. They were fully expecting to be able to relax this winter. Why can't the universe just let them be? Haven't they done enough for the gods? Percy already disappeared once. How long will it be before he comes back this time? (Annabeth doesn't let herself consider that he might not come back at all.)
Despite her indignation, she knows she shouldn't forego this chance to ask for help. And if there's any Olympian she'll pray to, it's her mother.
Please, please let me see him again, she says in her mind.
At her neck, strung on her camp necklace, she clutches the red coral pendant Percy gave her months ago between three fingers. She pictures the smile he wore when we placed it in her open palm, and her heart thuds painfully in her chest.
Please Mom, he means so much to me.
(And I can't have missed my chance to tell him that.)
When she finally grows aware of her surroundings again, most of the sky has turned a light shade of purple. She feels a pang in her gut when she realises the campfire will start soon, and her mind is already made up before she even fully stands.
The moment she gets back on dry land, she heads straight for Cabin Six. She's sure Chiron and her siblings will understand.
For the first time since the night he disappeared, Annabeth falls asleep almost as soon as her head touches the pillow.
The next thing she registers is the queen of the gods standing before her in her dream.
-END-
I don't know if I got all the small details right from canon, but I'll definitely come back and correct any errors after I reread the books ^^