Chapter Text
One more day, one more day, one more day the voice in Annabeth’s head chanted.
One more day until they arrived in Camp Jupiter, one more day until she saw Percy again, one more day until the quest to Greece started. Just a couple more hours until she could stop living in the misery of wondering about what if’s and focus on the what’s next.
The most recent couple weeks were the worst, now that she didn’t have school to throw herself into, each day passed in a sledge of anxiety, her friends unable to distract her, feeling like she wasn’t doing anything to further along the Argo II.
Percy’s scent had faded from the last of his sweatshirts, and she felt so pathetic when she cried at the realization. But now much of his clothes were packed about the ship, having decorated his room to be reminiscent of his cabin at camp, with photos tacked on the wall in case he didn’t remember her (he has to, he has to, he has to).
That night, she stared at the ceiling in her bunk, sleeping at home for the last time for the next few months. She wondered if she would ever return to her bed, to her cabin, if she would see her family again.
Annabeth was terrified of saying goodbye to her family, but maybe even more scared of what it meant to call people family. Grover, Thalia, Malcolm and Ms. Jackson, who had become a mother-figure to her, could only guess when she would see them again. Her first family abandoned her, her second fell apart at Luke’s hands, she was scared that with this family, these people she loves so dearly, she will be the one abandoning them this time.
Her mother’s coin felt like a weight on her chest. A quest so deadly that none of her siblings had come back alive from it. She had spent time not preparing for the trip, or with her friends and family, or worrying about the future on Daedalus’ laptop, trying to find anything she could on her personal quest. She could barely believe that only four years ago she was begging to go on a quest, while now all she wanted was a calm, quiet life with Percy (and no, she was not going to unpack what that meant right now). Of course she wouldn’t be able to have a future at all if she didn’t complete the quest. So she did what she did best and soldiered on, finally falling into a fitful, but thankfully dreamless, sleep.
He remembers me, he remembers me, he remembers me. Yes they possibly just started a war with the Romans, yes they were heading on a deadly quest to Greece, yes the Argo II was damaged and had to be repaired. But…Percy remembered her. He never forgot her, even when Hera (Juno, whoever, she was annoying in either form) erased his memories.
Her, Percy, and Frank had just defeated a ton of gross little tar monsters, her and Percy were attached at the hip and showing a lot of affection with one another. Perhaps too much, (sorry Frank). But her worst fears were baseless, and she was reunited with her boyfriend, her best friend.
It felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest, even if there was a lot of tension between Percy and Leo (and Percy and Jason, and Leo and Frank).
As she later watched Percy, Jason, and Piper head out to meet Bacchus/Dionysus, Annabeth finally had the opportunity to get to know Hazel and Frank better, and she understood why Percy was protective over them and grew close with the couple so quickly. They were just about the nicest people she had ever met. Despite all the pressures weighing upon them and the underlying fear, she had a good team, and her partner by her side.
Of course as soon as she thought that, a frantic Piper appeared with an injured Percy with a horse shoe sized dent in the back of his head. At least with the knowledge of the eidolons, Leo was absolved for firing on New Rome and some of the tension amongst the group dropped. That was until dinner when Piper realized they were still among them.
His eyes were gold.
Percy’s eyes were gold and she was suddenly fifteen and seeing the boy man she once loved host the body of Kronos. She saw the sneer of contempt towards her on Percy’s face and imagined it was Luke’s. Annabeth tried to tamp down her fear; she couldn't do this again, she couldn’t watch someone she loved be used and twisted in such a way.
Percy’s golden eyes pierced her like a dagger (she still had the dagger that changed Luke’s eyes from gold back to blue) and she closed her own and looked away from him, guilt swirling within her, she wasn’t strong enough to save him. Not last time, not this time, and she couldn’t watch.
“We are dead.” The eidolons eerily chorused, and the boys collapsed.
Annabeth ran towards her boyfriend, his face covered in pizza grease, but she didn’t care, she held his face in her hands and looked into his beautiful sea-green eyes, kissing him soundly.
“Hey.” Percy said, still dazed, whether from the kiss or the possession she was unsure.
She hugged him and relaxed into his arms, laughing in relief.
Dinner resumed awkwardly, which is what happens when you have to mush together two groups of teenagers and thrust them into life-endangering scenarios. With a combination of ice-breakers and telling of the stories they didn’t have the chance to do in New Rome, the group began warming up to one another, and by the time everyone was heading to their cabins the group was closer.
Being able to rest for what seemed like the first time in days, Annabeth still couldn’t sleep. The image of Percy possessed and the nagging fear that he would disappear kept wiggling into her mind everytime she closed her eyes. Restless, she tossed and turned for hours before giving up and doing the only thing that would ease her mind: seeing Percy.
Knowing that Coach Hedge would not hesitate to ground her if she was caught and her invisibility cap was broken, she channeled everything she had learned from the Stolls about sneaking around to slip into Percy’s cabin, cursing the fact her invisibility cap no longer worked.
Percy, too, was restless, and she approached his bed with caution, knowing that his reflexes could easily kick in. She whispered his name gently, and he woke up, blearily blinking at her in confusion, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was there.
After he’d brushed his teeth, she guided him to her favorite part of the ship, the glass bottom of the ship located in the stables.
With a blanket around the two of them they talked about every godly activity that had been happening. She was going to suggest that he just hold her and just exist together when she remembered one of the reasons she woke him up in the first place. She snuggled into his embrace and looked in his eyes, taking comfort in him, his presence, his warmth, his scent, his loving gaze.
“I was so scared earlier, with the eidolons.” she said in a low voice, as if she could summon them by name.
Percy’s arm around her tightened in a comforting way, not saying anything knowing she wasn’t done talking.
“Your eyes were gold.”
He breathed in sharply and turned to her properly, his hand moving to cup her chin, “Annabeth….”
“I know it’s irrational, but I just kept thinking about Luke, and I was so scared that I got you back only to lose you.” she said in a ramble.
“You’re not gonna lose me, not if I can help it,” he replied, wiping a tear at the corner of her eye with a pained expression on his face.
“I know.”
“I never want to be Luke, I never want to scare you. No matter what happens we’re getting out of this quest together.”
Annabeth nodded, exhaling and pressing a kiss to his nose, placing her own hand over top of his holding her face, “I missed you. Gods, I missed you so much.” she said.
“I missed you too,” Percy said, voice wavering.
She leaned into him, foreheads touching as they just basked in the fact they were here, they were together. It didn’t matter that she was days away from a solo quest that could kill her, that Gaea wanted to capture and sacrifice them. She had back the person that would always understand her, always make her feel safe in a world that terrified them at every turn.
“Sometimes,” Annabeth started, leaning back to see him properly, “I get Luke. Not overthrowing the gods, not supporting the Titans. But they always abandon us, that they don’t care. It was Queen Cow herself that took you, and I’m just…tired.”
Percy nodded, “I hate what Luke did, I truly do. But I know why he felt that way, why every demigod that defected did. I hate how the gods use and discard us like nothing, how many demigods die before they reach adulthood, that the gods constantly ignore us” He reached out for her hand, “I guess one thing that happened when I drank the gorgon’s blood is that I remembered everything. Stuff that I forgot about. That Luke knew that mortals would be killed if the Titans took over, that he trained his army to kill demigods. He didn’t want the gods gone because of them being bad parents, I mean maybe he did at first, but by the time he freed Atlas I don’t think he cared about wanting to be recognized so much as he wanted them to be destroyed, and the world along with them. And even after everything, we’re still fighting wars for the gods.
“But what I learned in New Rome is that it doesn’t have to be that way. Demigods can live in peace, have families. The promise that they made last summer,”
“That you forced them to make.” Annabeth corrected with a smile.
He chuckled, “Yes, that. It’s not the only thing that we can do. We won’t let them forget, we won’t let other demigods be abandoned.” His expression was fierce, it was something he knew in his blood he wanted to do.
He was right. He’d always seemed the one more jaded to the gods out of the two of them, but New Rome had given him hope. Of course the boy that refused to release elpis last summer would find it in enemy territory, would hold on to the hope for the future the same way he held on to his family, his friends. The same way he always held on for her, even thousands of miles away, barely knowing his own name.
“Yeah, we won’t let it.” she said, “I’ve been bitter and angry over them taking you that I guess I forgot.”
“I’m so mad at the gods. I’m furious that they closed Olympus, that Hera set this whole thing in motion, that I had six months stolen from me. But we sacrificed too much.” Percy said, bringing her closer.
“Look at you being all wise, you’re not always full of kelp.” she joked, nudging his shoulder with her.
He rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless, slinging an arm around her and pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek, “You can call me Wise Boy then.”
The tense atmosphere their conversation brought dissipated as they fell into laughter, full of relief.
Percy sighed, “We should probably go back to our rooms.”
Annabeth shook her head, “We still have a couple hours before everyone wakes up, we can stay here a little longer.”
“That works!” he said quickly.
“Gods, you’re so easy.”
“Hey!”
She snorted, “I say it with love.”
“I know.” Percy replied, laying down on his side. Annabeth curled into his open arms, his chest to her back.
“Just hold me for a while.”
In response, he kissed the top of her head and adjusted the blankets around them. Calm settled on the two of them as Annabeth was able to quiet her restless mind, listening to the soft breathing of her boyfriend as they drifted into sleep.