(Post Blood of Olympus)
Annabeth's POV~
"Annabeth?" Percy yawned sleepily, scratching his head as he entered the living room.
She turned, her smile gentle and eyes soft. "Yes, Percy?"
He pouted and came closer to the couch where Annabeth was sitting, busily typing away on her laptop. "I couldn't sleep."
"Aww." Annabeth looked up concerned, her work momentarily forgotten. "What's wrong Seaweed Brain?"
"You didn't come to bed," he mumbled sleepily and joined her on the sofa.
Annabeth smiled patiently as she sat back, her laptop hummed in the background in front of them. "I promise I'll come soon okay? Just five more minutes."
Percy made a noise that sounded somewhere between a whine and reluctant agreement.
She shook her head in disapproval, but couldn't hide her grin. Sometimes, she swore the only difference between Percy and a puppy was that her boyfriend could breathe underwater.
Annabeth shivered when his bare chest touched her skin, as he rested his head on her shoulder. He stared at the screen. "What are you doing anyway?"
She sighed, "Athena's got me designing another statue for Ares, apparently the last one didn't have enough guns."
"What a surprise," Percy rolled his eyes. "I can't believe we save the world a second time, and you still have to do this."
Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows, "what do you mean? I like doing this."
"Yeah..." He trailed off, "but wouldn't you like a break?"
She frowned again. "This isn't work for me."
"But I mean," he continued, "aren't you busy enough? I mean we just started school again and now-"
"I don't know Percy." Annabeth groaned, "can you just keep quiet and let me finish this?"
Percy seemed a bit taken aback by her tone. "Sorry."
She turned to look at him, feeling bad. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just tired."
"I know you are, it's alright." He paused and then smiled. "Actually if I were you, I would have gone crazy by now having to design Ares' statue."
She couldn't help but giggle as Percy got up. He kissed her on the cheek gently. His lips were warm and soft.
Percy seemed a bit taken aback by her tone. "Sorry."
She turned to look at him, feeling bad. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just tired."
"I know you are, it's alright." He paused and then smiled. "Actually if I were you, I would have gone crazy by now having to design Ares' statue."
She couldn't help but giggle as Percy got up. He kissed her on the cheek gently. His lips were warm and soft.
And Annabeth was dying to just curl up under the covers, nice and warm with her Seaweed Brain.
———
It was not to be, unfortunately.
Not long after, the air in front of the couch shimmered and Annabeth looked up from her laptop, to find herself face to face with Piper.
"Piper?" Annabeth raised her eyebrows in alarm, usually, they wouldn't Iris Message past midnight.
"Hey girl!" Piper forced a smile, "listen, we need your help."
Annabeth frowned, peering into the background behind the daughter of Aphrodite, she was at camp, and there appeared to be trouble.
"Um, so basically, small, small problem," Piper shouted over the commotion, "a ton of basilisks broke out of their cage in the arena, and now they're-"
"Duck!" A voice shouted in the background.
Piper immediately fell to the ground and off-screen, as a column of flames burst into view.
There was a stabbing sound shortly after, and Piper got up, dusting herself off as she carried on talking, as if nothing had happened.
"Yeah so..." she clasped her hands together, smiling sweetly, "We could definitely use all the help we can get."
Annabeth moaned, "don't we have like a hundred campers now? Why do you need us?"
"I know, we should have lots. But summer's over and almost everyone has gone back to school." Piper's face was sympathetic, "look, I know you and Percy are really busy with school and all..."
Annabeth made a face, rolling her eyes. "Urghhh."
"Please?" Piper pleaded, trying her best to look cute (she was good at it, to be honest). "We wouldn't have called unless we really needed you."
"Fine." She sighed, already sure it was going to be a long night. The thought of it made her shoulders ache.
"Yay!" Piper cheered, "we have so much to catch up on."
"Well I better go wake Percy," Annabeth said as she moved off the couch.
"Oh, and Annabeth?" Piper called.
"What?" She turned.
"Don't look so glum hon', I could have charmspoke you into coming." Piper winked.
Annabeth went for her best death glare. "You wouldn't dare-"
"Bye!" She yelled, waving her hand through the screen, just as another column of fire came into view.
———
"Well, this is fun," Percy remarked sarcastically, giving Annabeth a lopsided smile.
She sighed, "let's just get through this Percy and we can go home."
They were in the woods at camp, the leaves crunching under their feet. She could barely make out Percy's face in the dim moonlight, as he reached over and grabbed her hand.
"I just want to get back to bed, where it's warm and comfy. Is that too much to ask?" She complained half-heartedly, but she said it so softly she wasn't even sure he heard.
"I know," Percy agreed. "But we've got to kill those stupid snakes, Piper said the last three should be somewhere around here." He was still smiling as he said it, which she didn't understand.
Annabeth groaned, she was tired and grumpy now. After a long day of classes and then meetings on Olympus, all she wanted was some sleep. Was that so hard?
They carried on trekking through the dark, before Percy snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Look," he nudged her, pointing towards Zeus' fist. At the base, the final three basilisks glided peacefully amongst the rocks, completely oblivious to the two demigods several meters away.
"Just three slimy reptiles," Percy grinned as he uncapped Riptide, " slithering between us and sleep."
Annabeth barely heard him, she just charged.
Wielding her drakon bone sword, she impaled the first straightaway. Driving the tip of her sword through its skull until she felt it reach the ground. Annabeth grinned, satisfied, as she dislodged her sword and the basilisk crumbled to dust.
No, she wasn't crazy. It'd just been a long day.
A second basilisk breathed out white-hot flames right at her face, but Annabeth sidestepped easily and brought her sword down in one smooth arc, slicing it in half. Too easy.
She breathed out, at ease. "Time to bed."
"Ann-Annabeth," Percy called.
She turned to her boyfriend, and the smile melted off her face instantly.
There was Percy covered in the dust of the final basilisk. He'd killed it, but not before it had managed to come into contact with his skin, enough to deliver a deadly dose of poison.
"Percy?" She ran over to the son of Poseidon as he dropped to his knees. Riptide slipped out of his hands.
Annabeth crouched down, holding his face in her hands. He had gone pale, even in the dark, she could tell it was bad. "G-got poisoned," he gasped, breathing raggedly. "Need water."
Annabeth's eyes were wide with fear. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't drag him to the lake, it'd take too long.
"Um," she stormed her brain for ideas, come on Annabeth. "Can you whistle for Mrs. O'Leary?"
Percy stammered, "I can... try-" But then his eyes rolled up to the back of his head and he slumped forward into her arms, out cold.
Annabeth cursed under her breath. Percy needed help quickly, but there was no way to get it. Nobody was close enough, there was no water nearby...
She was stumped. No way to get help quick enough. Was this it? Percy would die from basilisk poisoning because they hadn't gone to bed early enough?
Well, there is one way, she thought. She hated her idea already but Percy's breathing was getting weaker by the second, she could barely see his chest move.
Annabeth breathed out, she only had one shot at this, she had to make it count.
So she laid Percy carefully on the ground and stayed kneeling. She closed her eyes and prayed.
Mom, please. If you can hear me, please, help me save Percy. I need him and I can't do it myself.
Annabeth sighed and opened her eyes. She waited, looking around them, at the trees and above. Nothing had changed. There was no water.
She turned her attention to him: Percy's face was chalk white, and it didn't look like he was breathing.
She felt a lump form in her throat as her eyes welled with tears.
She had failed.
Percy was going to die here in the woods. Athena hadn't answered her prayer.
"I'm so sorry," she said, as her tears slid down her face. She picked him up and hugged him, sniffling into his neck.
Why was everything so difficult?
She just wanted a nice quiet life with Percy. It didn't look like that was happening anymore. She couldn't live without him, not again. Not permanently.
Annabeth closed her eyes, breathing in his ocean scent.
Then, she heard a rustle high up in the trees. Annabeth looked up and breathed in sharply.
There, perched on one of the branches, was an owl. It bore bright brown feathers, and solid silver eyes, which stared directly at them.
"Hello?" Annabeth called out. "Are you from my mom?"
The owl opened its beaked mouth, but no sound came out. Then, it raised its wings and swooped down, headed straight at them.
Annabeth raised her arms to shield herself and Percy, but the owl never attacked. She moved her arms out of the way, and it was gone. In its place, stood a tall grey amphora, decorated with owls and olive trees. Symbols of her mom.
Annabeth let go of Percy, his body crumpling to the ground, and scrambled over. She looked inside the amphora was filled to the brim with some sort of liquid.
Water.
Annabeth hauled herself to her feet and dragged the amphora towards Percy. She grunted as she lifted it, trying her best not to drop it on top of her boyfriend, and poured it all over him before setting it back down.
She bent down and stared into his handsome face, his eyes were still closed.
He was her world now, she loved their life in New York, spending every day together. They had just saved the world again, didn't they deserve some peace?
"Come on," Annabeth begged, looking for any sign of movement, "please work."
Slowly, Percy's chest began to rise and fall again. His eyelids fluttered. Relief washed over Annabeth's body, and she smiled, grateful. Thanks, mom.
Percy came to a couple of minutes later, but the amphora had disappeared, just as the owl had, so Annabeth had a hard time explaining what happened as they walked back to the cabins.
"Wait," he paused her, confused. "Are you saying we came here- to camp, to kill escaped basilisks, but one of them got me?"
She nodded. "Pretty much."
"Why am I not dead then?" Percy's eyebrows scrunched in disbelief.
Annabeth shrugged as they trudged back. He was not going to believe her, she decided. "Basically, I prayed to my mom and she saved you."
He rubbed the sides of his head. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would your mom save me?"
She kissed him on the cheek. "I don't know, but I'm glad she did."
"The logic is making my brain hurt," he complained, making Annabeth laugh.
"Don't think about it Seaweed Brain," she grabbed his hand, they were back in the cabin area now. The sun was shining, it was morning- which meant that they had been up all night.
Annabeth doubted she'd be able to stay awake much longer.
Apparently, Percy had been thinking the same thing. He looked over at her, his sea-green eyes twinkling cheekily. "Just another regular school night huh? I'm not sure I can handle school today Wise Girl."
She grinned, and they kissed one more time. "Come on, let's go home. We're overdue some sleep."
