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Although Annabeth Chase hated admitting it, she was a hopeless romantic.
It was just so easy to be that. Especially when Percy Jackson, her boyfriend, her partner, her soulmate , was literally the definition of what a hopeless romantic should fall for. He was sarcastic, funny, smart, and handsome (so fucking handsome). It killed Annabeth nearly everytime that she looked at him and half the time whenever she met his eyes that were seagreen she swears up and down her breath feels like it’s stolen right out of her lungs. He was perfect, so perfect.
And she missed him so much.
Annabeth could barely keep her eyes open as she sat on the beach near Camp Half-Blood. She was exhausted. All she wanted was a second alone to clear her head but for the past four months the only thing that she could bring herself to focus on was trying not to forget his voice, his smile, his laugh. The ocean waves were the closest she would get to remembering him because he always smelled like the ocean and if Annabeth closed her eyes and was exhausted enough, she could swear she could almost feel him sitting right beside her and wrapping his arms around her.
Annabeth didn’t realize her eyes were fluttering closed until she opened them and saw Piper McLean kneeled in front of her, her choppy brown hair falling around her face and her kaleidoscope eyes being stupidly mesmerizing as usual.
“Hey,” Piper said softly. There was a soothing nature to her voice and Annabeth knew she was using her charmspeak abilities only subtly and Annabeth couldn’t even complain because it felt nice to be washed over with her voice. It distracted her. “Come on, let's get you to bed.”
Camp was bathed in golden light from the late afternoon sun. It was the time of day when everything at camp had slowed down and it was quiet. It was the time of day that she could always find Percy just relaxing by the water, knowing Annabeth would find him in some way or another. It was the reason she found herself near the water so often now, she hoped that maybe one day he’ll just appear again and the roles would be reversed and he would find her near the water instead.
At the entrance to her cabin, Annabeth stopped abruptly, making Piper nearly trip.
“Annie?” Piper asked.
“I don’t want to go to bed,” Annabeth mumbled and she rubbed her eyes. “And don’t charmspeak me into doing it.”
She heard Piper inhale.
Annabeth sat herself down on the steps of cabin six and lowered her head into her hands, resting against her knees. She could hear the creak of the steps as Piper moved to sit beside her, resting her head against Annabeth in that comforting way she always did whenever Annabeth got like this.
Annabeth didn’t realize she was crying until she sniffled. Piper gently hugged Annabeth’s arm when she heard that but she said nothing. She had already comforted her so many times but no words truly comforted Annabeth. No, she wouldn’t be okay until she saw him again and knew he was okay.
That boat couldn’t be finished fast enough.
“I’m so scared,” Annabeth finally whispered, her voice broken. “I miss him.”
Piper moved her head, pressing her lips against the blonde girl’s shoulder. “I know,” she mumbled. “I know you do.”
Annabeth picked up her head, the cool April wind that was blowing through camp making her wet face feel cold for a second. She felt Piper pick her head up and she felt her gaze fall onto her as Annabeth stared out at the campgrounds. Some demigods were out and about still, girls in their cliques giggling and gossiping and boys… being boys.
“You’re gonna like him,” Annabeth said as she gently wiped her tears away. It wasn’t the first time she’s told Piper that and sometimes Annabeth wonders if she’s hyping up her boyfriend too much but no… no, that wasn’t even possible.
“I better,” Piper said lightly and it made Annabeth smile just a bit. “We’re doing all this for him so if I hate him I’m gonna be pissed.”
“You can hate him too if you want,” Annabeth said and rested her head against Piper’s shoulder, the daughter of Aphrodite wrapping her arm around Annabeth, again, in that comforting way that Annabeth had grown fond of. “I think I’m gonna kick his butt when I see him again. How dare he get kidnapped.”
Piper laughed. “I’ll pay to be first in line to see that.”
“I’ll give you a best friend discount,” Annabeth mumbled as she let her eyes flutter closed now, Piper’s arm around her and her voice enough to soothe the daughter of Athena. “You must be sick of me talking about him.”
“I think I’m far worse about Jason,” Piper sighed.
“Nah,” Annabeth smiled softly. “I like hearing you talk about him. That’s what best friends are for anyway. Talking about boys and stuff.”
She could hear the smile in Piper’s voice when she asked. “Best friends? I’m your best friend?”
“Don’t let it get to your head,” Annabeth whispered. She was falling asleep. This also wasn’t the first time. “You always take care of me.”
Annabeth felt Piper gently brush the blonde hair that had fallen out of Annabeth’s ponytail and into her face behind her ear as Annabeth fully drifted off now, Piper’s soft whisper of “That’s what best friends are for” being the last thing she heard before she fell into another dreamless sleep with a heavy heart.