Seaweed and Wise - Never letting go

Grey

The grey streak of hair had long grew out, though Annabeth just chopped the rest since her hair was thick enough and covered it anyways, it got lost in the mess of her curls. Still, she sometimes looked in the mirror and expected it would still be there... Not because it made her feel self conscious... It made her heart ache in a way she only described to Thalia and Percy, and to Grover. Because they knew how painful it was.

Annabeth just woke up from yet another nightmare. She walked the few steps through the dark and turned the dim mirror light on in their bathroom, splashing cold water over her face, voices still ringing in her mind. Annabeth felt like screaming and punching the mirror... but she wouldn't do that, not when-
Percy came through the door and hugged her, his warm body shielding hers from all wrong. She wiped the water and tears from her face and pushed a sob in, wanting nothing but for her cold fingers to be touched by his. "I'm sorry for waking you up."
"You know a kick is all it takes and I'm here for you twenty four seven." Percy smiled into the mirror so she'd see, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Bad dreams again?" He asked.
Annabeth confirmed that, she had been going through a lot of those lately. Night after night her mind found new ways to hurt her. She was not only so physically tired by now but oh so mentally. Maybe the stress from school finals triggered it, maybe it was just another funny twist of her lifetime. She despised feeling like that and being a sort of burden on Percy and Victoria because they just knew whenever something was off.
"You're shaking Annabeth."
"Am not."
"Really?" Percy asked, turning her slowly.
"Okay, maybe I am..." She smiled.
"You're impossible." Percy laughed. "Come on, bed or hot shower, pick one. You'll only get sick standing here."
Annabeth wanted to point out how he had always repeated himself with his past sayings, how he always made her feel better in under a few seconds. She took Percy's hand and strode back to their bed. She sat on the sheets and Percy put their blanket over her as if he couldn't get cold himself. She just crawled under and lay close to him, an arm over his chest, then she found his hand. Annabeth resolved to tapping her fingers to his, focusing on that tedious task. 
"I dreamt about Luke, he got me to hold the sky again and I felt so incredibly stupid the whole time. Like- I knew I shouldn't have listened to those sweet little lies but I did it anyway. It was just-"
"He was your family Annabeth. And damn, you were a kid. He was just... An evil shit honestly, don't get me wrong but he screwed you, us all really, over as much as he could. One stupid theft and he broke all hell loose."
"The worst is that I still wonder if I could have saved him from all the evil he's done. Sometimes I do, it just crosses my mind. And then I get angry, every single time. And the hatred takes over and I can't breathe for a little bit, as if the air around me turns to poison. But he's dead and I shouldn't curse him so much."
"You're allowed to feel that way." Percy stated.
"I am, I know. It still doesn't make it any easier."
Percy thought about that for a hot minute. "But it does... I remember a time you just wanted to forget all the bad things. This- you showing true emotions- that's how you get it out. Your words..."
"Yeah well don't trust much I say these days. I'm pretty sure my brain's operating on it's last 3 brain cells." Annabeth laughed.
She had been exhausted even by the idea of finals, let alone studying for them.
"That's still good, my last 2 brain cells fought over dinner suggestions and died fighting. Drowned in blue syrup."
"Seaweed brain..." Annabeth knew he was making her laugh on purpose. He just couldn't stand the idea of her being sad. "Thank you." She rolled her eyes and slowly relaxed. Good sleep mattered when you needed to study.
Percy traced his had over hers to stop the anxious tapping of hers... And soon Annabeth fell asleep again.