Work Text:
Piper doesn’t know if she really wants to be here.
She wants to talk to Annabeth, she really does, but she also wants to stay away from everyone else, doesn’t want to keep be reminded of Jason. But wherever she goes, he’s there and she’s fed up of not being able to see her best friend, angry at herself for putting it off for so long.
Yes, Piper is grieving but she isn’t the only one. Grief is selfish but Piper always thought she was better than that, didn’t expect things to play out the way they have. And she hurt Annabeth, she knows. Her best friend hasn’t told her everything yet but Piper has known for a long time that Annabeth fears being abandoned and she did just that.
Piper pushes the door open before she can reconsider, a quiet bell ringing above her head. It makes sense - a loud bell would certainly startle the recurring clientele.
She practically marches over to the bar, sunglasses still firmly on her face as though she’s in a movie and they’ll stop everyone from recognising her. That’s only part of the reason though, she doesn’t want to look anyone directly in the eyes, doesn’t want them to see… doesn’t want them to see what? Piper doesn’t know.
”Hot chocolate” Piper orders because she’s in need of something comforting now. She was going to order black coffee but it doesn’t feel right. Piper trusts her feelings, has had to.
The bartender, a young woman with dark hair, eyes and skin, nods. There’s something warm about her, something soothing and it’s like meeting an old friend but Piper doesn’t know her. She hopes seeing Annabeth will feel the same way.
It doesn’t.
Seeing Annabeth is painful, for so many different reasons and as the blonde slides into the seat opposite her, bearing Piper’s hot chocolate, she cannot bring herself to speak. It hurts so, so much. Piper exhales and tries her best to smile, her sunglasses suddenly bothersome. She rips them off and meets Annabeth’s eyes.
They are stormy grey, as always, and something in Piper relaxes as that, those unchanged eyes. She shouldn’t feel better, really shouldn’t because Annabeth’s eyes are haunted.
But she’s here and now the joy is coming. Piper will never be able to express how delighted she is to see her again, to be in her presence, to see the teasing grin on her face as she takes a languid sip of Piper’s hot chocolate.
That doesn’t mean that Piper knows where to start.
”So…” she tries, clearing her throat, “why here?”.
Annabeth’s eyes are sharp and quick and Piper knows that even as she responds, she’s processing the tremble in Piper’s voice, the look in her eyes, and is joining the dots. Annabeth doesn’t comment and Piper doesn’t know whether to be grateful or not.
“Well,” Annabeth says, “this is Percy’s café.”.
Piper thinks back to the sign, remembers the ‘Seastar’ on it and then remembers that Percy’s sister is called Estelle. It makes sense.
”Estelle.” she says and Annabeth nods. Piper deliberately doesn’t make it a question. She loves Percy, idiot though he may be, but now is not the time to talk about him. Her thoughts drift back to another Big Three child, out of her reach now and she shakes herself, zeroing in on the grey streak in Annabeth’s hair in an attempt to not let the overall colour drag her further away.
Annabeth follows her eyes, seemingly deliberating over something in her head before looking at Piper.
”Will it help?” she asks, vulnerable, and not for the first time, Piper feels honoured to be allowed so close to Annabeth Chase, to be allowed to see in.
”What?” she manages eloquently.
”If I tell you about it.”
Annabeth’s hand comes up robotically to try to tuck the streak away before she realises what she’s doing and freezes. Something fragile seems to hang between them, taut like a string that is about to snap and Piper wishes she could cry, could relieve this tension.
”I don’t know.” she answers honestly because they always try to be honest with each other and Piper falls back into it easily, without hesitation.
Annabeth nods and hesitates then seems to come to a decision, opening her mouth.
”It was my third quest.” she says and Piper feels off balance all over again, the way she always does when Annabeth talks about her past. She is strong and brave and Piper cannot help but think that Annabeth doesn’t need her and doesn’t want her, not when she was always so brilliant. Piper thought she’d gotten over this already.
”I was kidnapped.”
”How?” Piper asks before she can think any better of it, curious more than insecure now.
”I jumped on a Manticore’s back to distract it.”
Of all the things Piper had in mind to do today (or at least to try), laughing was not one of them but it bubbles out of her chest and she laughs and laughs and laughs under Annabeth’s bemused glare and later crossed arms.
"You-" Piper doesn’t quite know how to explain it, isn’t even sure why it’s funny but the image of a younger, just as defiant Annabeth tackling a Manticore is just so… in character.
”He took me to Atlas’ home and Luke was there, struggling and I knew he was under the sky but I had to help him so I took it instead.”
Any humour in Piper instantly dies at the mention of Luke. She doesn’t know enough about him, Annabeth rarely talks about him, even to her or Percy but she heard a few things from the other campers. Her sense of dread only grows as Annabeth mentions the sky, reaching its peak when Annabeth admits she took it.
”But how did you get out?” Piper asks, mind still reeling from the fact that Annabeth held the sky. She’s seen her friend square up to a Titan but still…
”There’s a reason Percy has the same streak.” Annabeth replies, a fond smile crossing her face and Piper cannot help but internally squeal at that besotted look.
”Yeah,” Percy chips in from behind then and Piper jumps, ”but mine is shorter because I held it for less.”.
”That’s not how it works, Seaweed Brain.” Annabeth groans, burying her head in her hands and Piper gets the impression that they’ve had this conversation before.
”It is.” Percy insists, “How else are people going to realise what an amazing girlfriend I have?”.
Piper cannot help but think that part of the reason Annabeth’s buried her head is to hide the blush on her cheeks.
”Anyway,” he says, ”here’s your brownie.”.
As Annabeth and Percy bicker in the background, Piper takes a generously sized bite out of Annabeth’s brownie.
She’ll make it up to her next time.