superposition - percabeth

superposition

                 

I

She's bringing flowers to her stepmother's grave like she does every Tuesday after school when her gaze lands on a freshly dug grave.

Perseus Jackson

1999-2015

Beloved son and friend

Her breath hitches in her throat even though she doesn't recognize the name. He was her age when he died, and she had a feeling she would have liked him. Fingers trembling slightly, she places a single flower on the dirt by the headstone.

II

He's going around Disneyland dressed as Prince Charming with his partner as Cinderella. He loves his job – loves the smiles on the children's faces every time he waves at them. A young girl with bright blue eyes and a toothy grin comes up to him and pleads with him to kiss Cinderella.

When he tries to avoid the subject, her face crumples and he caves. Going up to the woman who has just signed "Cinderella" in beautiful cursive writing, he whispers, "trust me," and he can't help but notice how her stray curls resembled an actual princess's.

He leans in and his lips touch hers. Her eyes widen and she stiffens in surprise but relaxes into the kiss before pulling away, cheeks blazing as the kids surrounding them cheer and giggle.

She yells at him later for embarrassing her but he has a feeling she secretly enjoyed it and asks her out.

This universe has a happy ending.

III

The last words of your soul mate would appear on your wrist in this universe. In cursive the word "don't" covers his wrist and her own name is written on hers. They're fighting side by side when she notices an enemy demigod aim a dagger at his back. She knows he's invincible but there's something so wrong that she instinctively jumps in front of the blade.

She gasps when it tears the flesh and tissue near her heart.

"Annabeth!"

His eyes widen as he turns and kneels next to his best friend. She's fading fast and they both know it. The other demigods form a defensive circle around them, protecting them from any incoming monsters.

He digs around his pockets for ambrosia and she puts a weak hand over his,

"I'm dying, seaweed brain. There's nothing you can do about it."

He shakes his head in denial, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. It suddenly felt as thought he couldn't speak, all his words were stuck in his throat.

"Don't." She says gently and her eyes go glassy.

They never even got to say 'I love you'

IV

She's walking around, inhaling the midnight air when she hears footsteps close behind her. As they quicken, she does the natural thing and judo flips him.

Her arm is against her potential attacker's neck and his mouth is agape in shock. Her cheeks blaze when she realizes that this is a guy from her school and she mumbles an apology before running off.

They meet again around midnight in the park after she gets over her embarrassment and kiss a couple of months later under the polluted sky of Manhattan.

V

One thing she hated about her position as head of Oncology was watching her patients' lives slip away as they battled the cancer through countless treatments.