The Good and The Bad ~ Percabeth

forty one

[unedited]

a.c.

I spend the next while balancing my brain thinking about Percy and camp. I take a shower, paint my toenails and watch two different Adam Sandler movies. I don't even find the first one funny, but I put on the second one. It's also not funny. Well, maybe it is, but I'm not in the mood to laugh.

I want to call Piper but I don't think I could handle another rejection like the last one. The Athena in me needs to be involved in and, more often, in charge of everything. Something is going on at camp and they aren't confiding in me. I'm worried sick. I've thrown up twice in the past while. I just want Percy to come home so I can talk to him about camp and about us and about what we need to do. We have a couple days left. We could go back to camp, or even Iris message Chiron just so we're involved. There may not be much we can tangibly do, but we can at least bounce ideas off of him and help them. We know the ins and outs of camp better than anyone and know the capabilities of our campers.

I tie my hair up in a bun and go eat a snack. I do some pushups on the floor. I find an antiseptic wipe and wash the cover of my textbook to get Wyatt's germs off of it. I sweep the floor twice. I clear out the fridge. I make the bed. I go through Percy's drawers and fold all of his clothes. I'm driving myself crazy. I walk over to my bedside table and pull out another drachma. I go through the routine of turning the misting setting on the shower head and prepare to throw it in. I stare at the water for a long time, unable to decide if it's worth calling Piper. She has a cellphone. She can text me. She has tons of drachmas at her disposal. She could call me. She would call me if I could help her. Maybe I should call Hazel. She's in California, but they're always talking between the two camps.

I rub my thumb along the grooves of the coin. I don't know what to do. Maybe I should accept the fact that not everything that happens at Camp Half Blood revolves around me. I shut the tap off, clean the toilet and put the drachma back safely into my drawer.

I grab the picture of me and Percy from his night table. I remember when this was taken. It was a Saturday night. We were at a campfire and Piper had just gotten a new iPhone. She tried taking a picture with the flash, but Jason made her laugh and she moved at the last second. It's blurry, but Percy's arm is around me and his teeth flash his blinding smile. I'm leaning against him, laughing at probably nothing. My hair is so crazy, my eyebrows are completely untouched and even through the blur, I can see a pimple on my cheek. None of that mattered then, and it shouldn't matter now. I graze my finger along the side of the frame. I can't believe I took it for granted.

I go back out to the couch and start reading a book. The quiet hum of the heater keeps me company as I curl my toes into the blanket. I'm not sure how much longer I should wait before I call him. I don't want to rush him, but...

I drop my book when I hear keys rattling the door knob. It's him. He's home.

The door opens and I fly to my feet. Percy's clothes steam with smoke. He has gashes up and down his arms. An evil combination of sweat, blood and dirt covers every inch of his distraught face. I've seen him looking worse, but never at a time like this. I stand, wanting to run to him because I'm so thankful he's back, but I can't move. I'm terrified.

"I've risked my life for you. I told myself I'd never use this against you, but now I will." His voice doesn't sound like him. It's strained and panicked. "When I was holding onto the ledge before we fell into the House of Hades, I could've pulled myself up. Not both of us. Just me."

I let out my first sob.

"I was ready to die for you, Annabeth. I loved you so fucking much that I knew life without you would be no good for anyone. I wanted to die with you more than I wanted to live alone. How can I ever meet someone else when someone like you has left that kind of mark on me? I thought Becki was pretty and she exposed a few side of me I'd been missing. Sure, that's fine. But you, baby, I was watching you fall in love with someone else."

My sobs are uncontrollable.

"We've stuck together through the good and the bad. You're my everything and I thought I was yours. This was never supposed to happen, but it did." Percy drops his head and when he lifts it again, his eyes are red and his skin glows. "So here I am, showing you just how much I love you and how much your happiness means to me. This is your out, Annabeth. I want you to be with the person who has all of you - the person who brings out the best in you. If it's not me anymore, then I'm letting you go."

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I'm kind of the worst for doing this to you guys :) Thanks for the love! Sorry to break your heart a little bit.

Hope everyone is safe and healthy.

Thank the gods for everything in your life that brings you happiness.

Love, tumblingupwards