If we are to struggle anyways, why do it alone?

It's slow, this progression, she doesn't know how or when she lets it in. But in the middle of her morning in between meetings and emails, she sits staring out the window with a fresh coffee in hand and thinks that it's nice to take a break.

Nice to stay in her place as he hands her a coffee right as he's about to head out the door.

"Thank you," she says, accepting the cup.

He simply kisses the top of her head and tells her to have a good day before walking out.

It's easier, she realizes, to accept the love he gives. Could she make her own coffee? Or fix the lightbulb in the bathroom, or destress on her own after a hard day?

Of course.

She's spent most of her life doing those things by herself.

But he lights up brighter than the bulb that he replaces when she asks him. He smiles when she cuddles into him on the couch after that long day. He wants to be there, wants to help.

And it's so much easier to let him.

Maybe it's too poignant of a thought to be having right before her 10 AM meeting, but it's hard not be swept away in the feeling of belonging.

"Annabeth, good morning!" her boss says when she joins the video call.

"Good morning," she replies, her voice sounding a little far away to her own ears.

"How was your weekend?" her boss asks.

Does he really want to know?

Does it matter? He asked.

"Good but tiring, we visited family and didn't get back till very late."

"Oh, I know all about that," her boss jokes. "Let me know if you need more bandwidth on the bluebird project. Our deadline is on Thursday."

"I think I'm good—actually…" she stops herself. "It would help if Hazel could edit the presentation, I'd like another set of eyes on it."

"You got it!" her boss replies. "I'll let her know to expect that from you."

"Thank you," she replies, feeling that same dazed feeling from earlier.

It's easier.

He comes back around six and she's got food on the table. His eyes say thanks before his mouth does but she reads the way his shoulders relax at the thought of having dinner ready.

He's the better cook but she's just made life a lot easier for him.

"I'm starving, thank you," he says, grabbing a plate.

She just kisses him on the cheek and asks about his day.

"Actually pretty good, it was busy but everything wrapped up nicely. What about you?"

"I asked Hazel to go over that presentation so I'm feeling a lot better about it."

His eyebrows raise at her comment, and she can't help but ask why.

"Nothing it's just, you don't ask for help that often so I'm really proud that you did."

She doesn't? Has she been that stubborn?

Why, she asks her younger self, why did you think you needed to do it all on your own?

To prove that I can, she hears her own pride reply. To show that I don't need anyone to do anything for me.

No, she agrees, you don't need it. But isn't it nice to get it anyway?

"What are you thinking?" Percy interrupts her thoughts, and she realizes she's been quiet for too long.

"Just, it's not a bad thing to rely on others," she says slowly, forming the words as she speaks.

"It's not," he agrees, looking at her curiously.

"I mean just cause I can do everything myself doesn't mean I need to."

"Right."

She probably sounds weird, looks insane with her forkful of pasta she hasn't eaten yet.

"Sorry, just something I've been thinking about today."

Percy shakes his head. "No need to apologize. I'm glad. I like it when you open up, I like it when you let me in and let me love you."

"Has it been hard?" she asks.

"To what? Love you?"

She nods, suddenly worried for the answer.

"No, of course not. You've just made it easier recently and I appreciate that."

It is easier, she thinks, easier to let others in, easier to have help from the people she loves.

It's the way the world works, the natural order. The flowers need butterflies to spread, and the butterflies need flowers to live, everything is dependent on something else, and we're all connected in this big, crazy world.

So, if we have to struggle anyways, why do it alone?

A/N: This has been a concept in my mind for a little while now and as I've mentioned this series is where I tend to express my thoughts through writing the most and this is something I've really adopted into my own life recently. Just letting myself rely on others, and not viewing it as a bad or weak thing, just how the world is. We're all meant to support each other and I often think about how nature does things as a reference for how I as a human should love my life.

Anyway, I hope you liked this little concept fic!

Please Review, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!