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It was a slow Sunday in Brooklyn.
The sound of cabs moving, the soft music playing from across the dorm hall, the thumping of her heartbeat as she laid on the floor. Annabeth stared at the ceiling fan. It’s half broken, and she had been counting the rotations. 42 times in one minute, 35 times the next.
She doesn’t know how long she’s been lying there. It must have been since the early hours of the morning. She remembers the moon still bright and shining as she curled up on her school assigned rug. The fibers of the rug brushed her hair harshly, making the braids and soft curls tangle around each other.
It’s been awhile since Annabeth has had her braids redone. The goddess braids Thalia had done were now grown out, but she doesn’t have the energy to find a hairstylist in the city. The Aphrodite cabin would help her, she knew that, but her heart sank to her stomach at the thought of going back to camp.
So here she lies, braids twisted and an oversized hoodie draped across her body. The fabric went past her hands, too long for her arms, so she had curled the sleeves tightly in her fist. It was one of his, stolen off the edge of his bed in the Poseidon cabin. She remembered the way he tossed his head back and laughed when she pulled it over her body on one of camp’s coldest nights, his blonde curls shaking slightly at the movement. Annabeth had grinned widely, eyes bright as she looked only at him-
Annabeth shut her eyes before the tears that brimmed her bottom lashes threatened to fall.
She missed him.
He didn’t know she was back in the city, that her dad had cancelled her move to San Francisco before she even began to pack her meager belongings into her torn bag. Annabeth didn’t know what to tell him. Being at camp without him there hurt, and there weren’t many year long campers there anymore. Thalia had found her new family within the Hunters, Grover was off doing satyr things, and Percy, well, he was in New York too.
She hadn’t spoken to him in months, but in the small moment before their last call turned into an argument, he had been doing well. He was at Goode now, and thriving on their swim team. He made a few new friends, and went to school events and sports games with them. She remembers staring at the school colors underneath his eyes, the jersey with the mascot on the front of his chest.
He had looked good, healthy even. The Iris message had flickered, but even through the foggy mist Annabeth could see the way his muscles had flexed as he ran his fingers through his messy curls. His chest suddenly filled out his plain blue undershirt, and Annabeth’s breath had caught in her throat.
“What is Sally feeding you?” Annabeth asked, eyes roaming over his tall frame.
“Blue cheeseburgers. Mom started to dye the dough blue and ever since then I swear they started tasting way bet- wait,” He paused, then started grinning in that small way she loved, his smile lines curving gently around his mouth, “was that a compliment, wise girl?”
“Of course not.” She scoffed, then rolled her eyes at the way he flexed his bicep, the muscle straining against the thin jersey.
“Yes it was! Aw, come on, don’t be jealous Beth, you’ll hit your growth spurt soon. You’ll reach my shoulder in no time.” Percy had teased, his blue eyes gleaming playfully.
That was the last good moment they had, before Annabeth casually asked who he was going with, and he mentioned picking up Rachel on the way. It had stung. Her stomach had twisted painfully, an ugly crack splintered throughout her chest.
Her words had become bland and short. He frowned at her cold expression and downcast eyes, unable to meet his gaze. The call didn’t last much longer after that.
Annabeth quietly pushed herself off the floor, and glanced at her wall mirror.
Her hair was tangled, and her skin was dry. Her collarbones were more pronounced due to her cheap meal plan only allowing students free meals on weekdays.
She rolled her shoulders back, and shook her head gently. Annabeth was not going to waste another day secluded in this room.
She wants to go to the Met.
The Met had opened an architectural exhibit last month, specifically on Greek and Roman temples, and Annabeth had been dying to see it.
Except, she doesn’t know how to get there.
Demigods don’t really use phones, and she hadn’t renewed her library card that expired last semester to go do any research. Percy had once promised to show her how to use the subway, but that was before he left camp and before Annabeth had swiped through their last call, the image of him going hazy before disappearing completely.
Annabeth had never felt so alone.
She was stuck in this unfamiliar city with no way of knowing where she was going, and only herself to trust. She didn’t have anyone to guide her, to show her the ropes of this new environment so she could find her footing. Athena wouldn’t be much help, considering she stripped the power from Annabeth’s cap, the only safety net she’s ever known. How cruel it was to no longer be able to hide, when all she wanted to do was be invisible.
She feels homeless. Lost. Everyone else seemed to have found a home of their own, or a place to belong.
It seems as though there’s no place left for Annabeth.
Her chest ached.
She pressed her palms to her eyes and deeply inhaled, stars of white floating around her vision. The dorm had felt way too empty, too bare. There were no decorations, no accent pillows thrown across her bed. Annabeth desperately wished she had more for herself, she really does. But between the four grey walls of her mandatory school dorm, and her Yankees cap that is no longer blessed, she feels as though being alone was always part of the plan. No matter how hard she tried, Annabeth felt unwanted. Within her family, at camp, even by Percy.
The room suddenly felt too small, too cold. Annabeth decided quickly, she would pull herself together. She would gently wash and untangle her knotted braids. She would figure out the labyrinth New Yorkers somehow called a train system. And then she would go to the Met.
—--
The station was much louder than Annabeth expected.
She pulled the oversized school sweatshirt closer to her body, arms crossing her ribcage as if she could protect her heart and lungs from swelling with fear. The intercoms were too loud, and there were too many people filling such a small space. Annabeth had always wished she had been taller, although it seems her brain took all the maturity her height never quite got. She could not see over the bodies of people, stuck between furry coats and fake designer hand bags that bumped into her with every step she took.
She was way out of her league.
Annabeth stood frozen near the entrance. She held her bag tightly against her body, and glanced down at the map in her hands for the hundredth time.
Take the 4 train. Transfer to 86th street. Simple.
Uptown, Downtown, Express, Local. All the words began to blend together, twisting in a way where a small headache started to form behind her eyes if she stared at them for too long.
Annabeth jumped from the roar of the train. The light grey blur came to a screeching halt in front of her. The metal doors opened and a rush of people surged forward, pushing her the extra steps it took to cross the double lined entrance.
The doors slid shut behind her, and suddenly she was stuck. She quickly glanced around at the seats that were all taken, not fully understanding why the people around her were moving quickly to hold onto the steel poles and hanging grips.
The train jolted forward and Annabeth stumbled slightly before catching herself.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, an unstable rhythm as she tried to calm the breaths that were coming out too rushed. Each inhale was too short, each exhale too small, as if her lungs refused to work properly. She glanced down at her hands that gripped her bag tightly, a faint tremor running throughout. Annabeth swallowed hard.
Gods get a grip. It’s just a stupid train. You’ve fought monsters, this should be nothing.
The subway car lurched violently around a curve. Her stomach dropped as she blindly reached for the nearest pole. The car felt too small, the fluorescent lights above too bright. She couldn’t breathe. The maps colored lines twisted together into nonsense, she wasn’t even sure if she had gotten onto the right train.
The train jerked again. Hard.
A startled gasp escaped her as her balance vanished completely and she pitched forward into the crowd. Her shoulder knocked into the glass of the door, barely missing the person leaning against it. The brakes of the train screeched, and another intense shift of the cart sent her crashing into the stranger’s tall frame.
“Oh, are you alright?” A deep voice asked.
A pair of strong hands caught her before she hit the floor.
Familiar hands. For a second she believed she had imagined it. Then the gentle voice spoke again,
“Annabeth?”
Her head snapped up, and there he was.
Percy Jackson.
His blonde curls were shorter than she remembered. His shoulders were much broader. He stood tall, so tall that Annabeth was unable to glance past his shoulder as they stood close. His blue eyes were wide with shock.
For a moment neither of them spoke. All Annabeth could do was stare, her dark eyes looking deeply into the ocean blue of his. He was here. Standing in front of her for the first time in months. Alive and healthy. Her lips quivered.
His expression shifted from surprise to concern in an instant.
“Woah, hey.” Percy spoke gently, as if he were talking to a frightened animal.
Annabeth hadn’t realized tears were gathering until one had escaped.
Percy’s face immediately softened, his hands rubbing gently across the length of her arms. The train rocked beneath them. Instinctively, he pulled her closer to steady her, or maybe to steady himself, Annabeth couldn’t tell. He wrapped his arms around her body so she could turn her face into his chest. He smelled of the ocean and the sweet off-brand laundry detergent Sally preferred to buy. Home.
She hated just how quickly she folded. The second his arms were wrapped tightly around her back, something inside of her cracked. Her fingers twisted gently into the fabric of his light blue shirt, face pressed deeply into the soft cotton, her forehead pressed close enough to hear the thumping of his heart.
The subway doors opened and another wave of passengers shoved their way inside. Annabeth flinched and without thinking, Percy shifted.
He stepped between Annabeth and the crowd, his broad shoulders and tall stature creating a barrier around her. He was much taller than she remembered, towering over her by over a foot.
Percy’s hand settled gently against the curve of her waist.
“Annabeth,” he murmured.
She shook her head. Because if she looked at him right now she was going to completely lose it. Percy seemed to understand.
“I’ve got you,” Percy said softly. Three words.
That was all it took. A shaky breath escaped her as she buried her head against his chest, her arms stretching across the length of his back to hold him close. She breathed in deeply.
Gods, she missed this, being held by him. But mostly, she just missed him.
—-
The train rattled onward. Annabeth’s breathing had finally steadied, but she had yet to pull away from his tight embrace.
Percy’s arm remained around her shoulder, keeping her tucked safely against his side while the crowd shifted around them. Every so often someone bumped into Percy. Never her. He absorbed every movement without even seeming to notice.
The silence stretched between them, neither of them willing to break the fragile softness after months of not speaking.
Finally, Percy spoke.
“Hey, wise girl.”
“Hi.” Annabeth whispered faintly.
“Where were you trying to go?”
Annabeth stared at the floor, eyes unable to meet his gaze.
She sighed. “The Met.”
“The Met?” He glanced down at her.
“There is a new Roman architectural exhibit.”
Percy’s smile was gentle as he stared at her, his eyes soft with amusement.
“Of course there was.”
Normally, Annabeth would have rolled her eyes, but the stress and small panic attack seemed to have sucked the energy out of her. Instead, she nodded.
He nodded back. “Okay.”
Another stretch of silence settled between them.
Then, “Why were you by yourself?”
The question was gentle, that somehow made it worse. Annabeth swallowed.
“I don’t know.” She answered timidly.
Percy frowned, “what do you mean you don’t know?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I just wanted to go.”
She was sixteen years old, a daughter of Athena, and one of the smartest people Percy knew. And she had gotten lost trying to navigate a subway system. Heat crawled up her neck. She glanced down at the floor in shame.
“I don’t really have anyone to go with.” Annabeth whispered.
The words slipped out before she could stop them, and immediately she regretted it.
Percy stared down at her, eyes tracing her small figure. His arm tightened around her shoulders. Annabeth stared harder at the floor. The overhead lights flashed briefly as they entered a tunnel.
“Annabeth.” His voice was quiet. Careful. Questioning.
“I just..” Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, “I don’t know where anything is.”
Percy didn’t interrupt, just nodded at her as if he was encouraging her to continue speaking.
The confession felt humiliating.
“I don’t know where I'm going half the time.” Her laugh came out weak and hollow, “I got on this train and wasn’t even completely sure it was the right one.” For a second all she could hear was the rumble of the tracks beneath them.
Percy dipped his head down, lips close to her ears.
“You could have called me.” His words hit like a punch.
“You were busy.” Annabeth looked away. He was busy though. With his new school, his new friends, Rachel..
“Annabeth, I would never be too busy for you, especially if you needed me.”
She didn’t respond. Percy was quiet for another moment.
“Wait.”
She felt him straighten slightly.
“Why are you here? I mean, in New York. I thought you were moving back to San Francisco after camp this summer.”
Of course he did. That had been the plan after all. San Francisco, a fresh start. A place with her dad. A school with new friends. A room of her own. A place she was supposed to belong. Percy’s brow furrowed.
“You never told me you were back in New York.”
Annabeth’s face burned. Painfully.
She wished the floor would open up beneath her and swallow her whole, rather than stand her and have to admit such an embarrassing truth to him. That she was no longer wanted.
“Beth?”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Because it didn’t work out.”
Percy stared.
“What didn’t work out?”
She hated this. Gods, she hated this. Knowing she was alone, without anyone to rely on, felt different than actually having to admit the words out loud.
“My dad,” The words caught in her throat, “I.. He didn’t want me there.”
Percy’s entire body went still. Annabeth shook her head softly.
“He was worried, I guess. About the monsters. He and his wife thought it would be better if I just stayed at school.”
The explanation sounded weak even to her ears. She glanced up and watched Percy’s jaw tighten as he clenched his teeth, his blue eyes darkening. She watched the strong lines of his throat move as he swallowed, even upset he mesmerized her.
She blinked, then weakly laughed.
“So I came back. I went back to boarding school, but after Thalia joined the Hunters, I was put into a single dorm in a near empty hallway. It's kind of hard to make friends when you’re the only one on your floor.”
The worst part wasn’t even the silence of her dorm, or having to eat her meals alone. She barely paid half a mind to the girls who would talk and laugh with their own friends, ignoring the way she lingered just around their close knit circles.
It was the feeling of being forgotten, of being left behind.
She had been struggling this whole time. She didn’t say the word, she didn’t need to. Percy had heard it anyway. He pulled her closer, hand moving beneath her jaw to tilt her face up gently, ocean eyes meeting amber.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Percy asked.
“I was embarrassed.” The admission hurt most of all. She had spent months imagining how different her life could be. How maybe she would finally get the time to bond with her dad, to be a big sister to her twin brothers. To be a part of a family.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Percy knowing. She closed her eyes.
“Annabeth. Look at me.”
His thumb swept smoothly against her cheek. Reluctantly, she met his gaze. The pity she had expected wasn’t there. Percy looked heartbroken.
“I should’ve reached out. I.. I wanted to. So badly. I don’t know why I didn’t. I’m sorry you have had to be in New York by yourself.”
Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, to tell him it was fine. That she was fine.
But Percy shook his head, and the words died in her throat.
“You shouldn’t have had to do everything alone, wise girl.”
Something inside of her chest broke. A tear escaped. Then another.
Percy didn’t say anything else. He simply pulled her back against his chest, his hand gently untucking the braids that had gotten caught in between them. His arms wrapped securely around her. Strong and steady.
For the first time in months, Annabeth allowed herself to lean into someone. Allowed him to carry some of the weight that had been pressing down onto her shoulders. Percy was here. He was real, and he was holding her.
The train continued towards Manhattan.
—-
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Annabeth remained tucked against Percy’s side. She listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat as he swayed with each rock of the train. He grounded her, the panic she had felt when she first stepped on the platform was nearly gone.
The train began to slow as the brakes screeched against the rails. A robotic voice announced the next stop. Percy looked towards the bright LED screen and gently tapped her shoulder.
“This is us.”
Annabeth blinked.
“What?”
He smiled sweetly.
“The Met. You still wanted to go right?”
For a second she just stared at him. He spoke so casually, like it had always been obvious he was taking her.
“Oh. Um.. yes?” She stammered.
Percy’s expression softened.
“Well then. Let’s get going.” Percy nodded to the opening doors.
People began pouring out quickly, some rushing to make it to their next stop. Annabeth instinctively tensed. Percy noticed, of course he did.
Without saying a word, he offered his hand. She glanced up at him, then slowly slipped her hand around his. Her other hand moved before she realized, grabbing ahold of the top of his forearm. Percy’s fingers closed around hers instantly.
Together they stepped off of the platform.
The station was busy, but every time someone came too close, Percy subtly adjusted their path. Every time the crowd thickened he moved slightly ahead of her to create space. As if he wasn’t even thinking about it.
They climbed a flight of stairs towards the street level. The bright afternoon sunlight made Annabeth squint. For the first time today, she actually took a second to look around her. New York stretched out before them.
Towering buildings and endless traffic. People moving in every direction.
Earlier it had felt overwhelming. Now it just felt big.
Percy nodded down towards her.
“You okay?”
She nodded twice.
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
They started to walk. Annabeth found herself matching her pace to his, or maybe he was matching his pace to her. She wasn’t sure.
Eventually the museum came into view, the familiar stone facade rose above the street.
It was massive. Beautiful. Annabeth stopped walking.
Her breath caught. She had spent the entire morning trying to get here. She had been alone, lost, and completely second guessing herself.
And now she was standing in front of the Met. With Percy. A warm feeling spread throughout her chest. Percy followed her gaze.
A small grin tugged at his mouth as he leaned down to speak into her ear.
“Ah, there it is.”
“There it is.” Annabeth agreed.
The thought still didn’t feel entirely real.
“So,” Percy started, rocking back and forth onto his heels, “What’s first?”
Annabeth raised an eyebrow, “First?”
His grin widened.
“Yeah, first. I assume you’ve got some meticulously planned route to get through the museum. You know, to make sure you get to see everything.”
“I do not.”
“You absolutely do.”
“I don’t.”
“Annabeth.”
She bit her lip as she fought a smile.
Percy dramatically pressed a hand against his heart and stepped away from her, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“The Annabeth I know has printed maps of the Met’s layout.”
Annabeth rolled her eyes then sighed.
“I have maps.”
Percy's body shook with excitement, the joy evident on his face.
“I knew it!”
Annabeth laughed. A real laugh. One she didn’t have to force and actually sounded quite nice to her ears. She shook her head at his antics, her curly braids brushing her ribs. The movement had Percy glancing down, his eyes stuck to the familiar logo of the hoodie she wore. His eyes narrowed, as if taking in her appearance more thoroughly.
A slow grin spread across his face.
“No way.”
Annabeth’s stomach dropped.
“What?”
His grin only grew wider.
“Wise girl.”
“Oh, gods.”
“Is that-”
“Percy.”
“-my hoodie?”
Heat rushed to her face as she stepped away from him.
“Nope.”
“Annabeth.”
“No.”
“You’re literally wearing my hoodie.”
She crossed her arms.
“This is not your hoodie, Seaweed Brain.”
He stepped closer to her, as if hearing her say the familiar nickname pulled him forward.
“Oh really? I didn’t realize you grew three sizes.” Percy’s gaze swept over her body, as if acknowledging her small stature compared to his own.
“I like my hoodies oversized, is that a crime?”
“No, but stealing is,” He grabbed the fabric on her wrist and pulled out the inside tag, and turned it to face her. His initials were written on the tag in plain sight with dark blue marker.
Damn it. She completely forgot about the faded letters. She quietly cursed him and his habit for losing things, forcing Sally to write on nearly every piece of clothing he owned.
Percy bursted out laughing.
“Oh my gods, you stole my hoodie.”
“I did not! You left it at camp.”
“And then you took it.”
Annabeth crossed her arms playfully. And then turned around towards the museum's entrance and started walking.
Percy’s laughter followed.
“Thief!”
“I was keeping it safe!”
“Sure you were, Beth.”
For the first time in awhile, Annabeth found herself smiling. A happy, genuine smile. She looked back towards Percy and stared at him. His windswept blond curls, the joy in his blue eyes as he smiled back at her. His tall frame that had protected her during their intense train ride. He was here. With her.
Maybe New York wouldn’t feel so big anymore. Or maybe it would.
But standing beside Percy, in front of the Met and the city stretched out wide in front of them, it felt a little less lonely.
And for now, that was enough.