Fallen Guardian

Chapter Seven - Day Forty-Three

"Percy?"

"Mm?"

Percy and Annabeth sat at the end of the dock, dragging their feet through the water in a contented silence. 

"I seriously want to apologize for... For everything."

Percy leaned back on his hands, staring at the sky. "I'm not sure what you're apologizing for. Everything you did was out of love of me and your friends. It was a bit brash, but... I wasn't going to propose to you for your timid-ness, that's for sure."

Annabeth bit her bottom lip, shaking her head. "Still, it was extremely wrong of me to intrude. I spent the last eleven years of my life regretting it, and I-"

"Annabeth," Percy cut her off, looking over at her. Her hair still held its honey glow, golden curls, her gray eyes still glinted like sharpened steel, her freckles still subtle and yet striking in the most enchanting of ways. "I forgive you. The last thing I want to do is stir up the past."

She let out a deep breath. "I don't know how you can possibly forgive me, but thank you."

"I did try to choke you out," Percy offered with a nervous grin.

"In any other circumstance, it would've been hot," Annabeth grinned back, pushing his shoulder lightly. He flushed a bright red, shaking his head vigorously. 

"Nope. Nope. Not- Nope. So many things wrong with that, Annabeth."

She tossed her head back, letting out a loud laugh, grinning brightly. "C'mon, you can't tell me it wouldn't be."

"Nope," Percy covered his ears, bringing his knees up so he could burry his face in them. "Absolutely not. Your putrid thoughts will never penetrate this."

Annabeth laughed again, shaking her head. "You haven't changed a bit. So innocent."

"Oh my god, Annie-" Percy turned to face her, looking around as if scared other people would overhear, before loudly whispering "I had sex with a guy!"

Annabeth gasped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth, slapping him in the chest. "No way! Who?!"

"Oh I have no idea, it was like 3 years after I left and I was way too drunk to really remember a face, but it was... Insane."

"Were you a top or bottom?"

Percy opened his mouth, his face flaming red as he shut it again, looking away. She gasped again. "You're a bottom!"

"Shut up! What if Nico hears you?! He'd never let me live it down!"

Annabeth cackled, rocking back in forth with laughter. "Well you don't really know until you try both- Or so I hear." Percy flushed an even darker red and Annabeth gasped. "You sucked at being a top?!"

"I kinda went on a sex rampage for like... Okay, well, basically until last year, but only with men, and I only tried topping twice." Percy flushed and Annabeth only laughed harder. 

"Goodness, I'm so telling Nico."

"Telling me what?"

Percy buried his face in his hands, groaning loudly. "No!"

"Just kidding, it's Leo, but what were you gonna tell Nico?"

"Leo's worse! He'll tell the whole camp-!"

"Revenge for choking me," Annabeth said cheekily before turning to Leo, grinning madly. "Did you know Percy is a raging bottom?"

Leo's jaw dropped while Percy groaned. 

"Like, with- With men? Like he liked it up-"

"Okay we get the memo!" Percy shouted, laughing nervously, his face flushed a bright vermillion red. "I just liked to be taken care of, okay? It's not that deep."

Leo failed to stifle a laugh, covering his mouth in attempt to hide a smile. "It's- It's not that what, Percy?"

Percy pursed his lips. "I hate you. So much."

Leo cackled, turning tail and running towards the camp. "I am SO telling Nico! NICO! GUESS WHAT!"

Despite everything, Percy found himself laughing, gazing up at the sky. "Y'know, I never thought I'd get this life back."

"I'm glad you did, Percy. Genuinely." Annabeth took his hand, squeezing gently and looking over at him with a small smile. "Say... You wouldn't happen to be dating any of those men, would you?"

Percy tilted his head like a lost puppy. "Mm? No, why?"

Annabeth was quiet for a while, contemplating before giving in with a groan, rolling on top of Percy and pressing her lips against his, squeezing her eyes shut. He looked startled for a moment before smiling lightly, melting into the kiss and placing his hands on her waist, holding her close.

"Of everyone I fucked- Err, was fucked by, nothing compares to a single kiss from you," Percy murmured, smiling lightly- then paused. "Well, there was this one guy-"

Annabeth smacked him and they both dissolved into laughter, staring at the sky and holding each other's hand, smiling just like they'd do eleven years prior. 

Maybe it wasn't exactly a brand new start, but it was close enough for Percy's liking. He smiled up at the sky, letting out one final breath of stress, feeling his chest lighten noticeably. 

Yeah. This was it. 

His Elysium.