Reading is Fundamental

XIII - Annabeth - Time After Time

Warning: Depiction of gore (on an adult). Brief PTSD flashback. Crass language

Annabeth knew a lot. She knew a lot about math, an impressive amount about Greek 'Mythology', and enough architecture styles and statistics to fill several books. But there was nothing she knew more about than Percy Jackson. She loved him with her whole heart, and therefore with her mind as well.

So of course she recognized when he threw together some messed up hell-scape to force his younger self out of his comfort zone.

Percy was the one calling himself Ryan, that much was unquestionable. She had her suspicions from the beginning, but Nico's words confirmed it. The son of Hades didn't open up to anyone without knowing them for years. That and Ryan's obsession and personal investment in Percy's life made it clear. The question was who had the power to create this world in the first place. Either someone else had built it, then handed Percy the reins, or it was created entirely by her boyfriend. She really hoped it was the former.

Percy Jackson was a very intricate man. No matter how open and honest he appeared, there was always much more going on underneath the surface. He was an enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in the most lovable person in the world. Typically, Annabeth resented puzzles that she couldn't solve; this one, she'd fallen in love with. At very least, nothing was boring with him in her life.

Underneath all of his confidence, bravado, and beauty was an underbelly of deep rooted trauma and anger. He was generally open with his emotions and beliefs, but that was only skin deep.

She'd only seen a few glimpses of that darkness. When she asked, he deflected. If she pushed, he shut down. He retreated into himself with an apathy and coldness that never failed to chill her to her core.

Percy trusted easily, but not deeply.

As far as she could tell, her boyfriend had four layers.

Layer one: The exterior that strangers saw. Confident of himself, but surprisingly quiet. Socially oblivious, especially when it comes to the nuances of flirting. Doesn't care much about authority. Has a short attention span.

Layer two: What their friends see. Incredibly capable. Deeply strategic. One of the best problem solvers and out of the box thinkers she'd ever met. Resourceful. Kind, empathetic, and loyal to a fault. Habitually self-sacrificing.

Layer three: His 'core'. Very world worn, but still kind. Honest. Some trauma that he was willing to share with those he trusted. Cares about those he loves more than just about anything else.

Layer four: Brutal. Cruel. Manipulative. Incredibly powerful and not afraid to inflict that force on others. Scarred beyond repair. This was the part of him that didn't blink at the sight of a child, even his former self, beaten and bloody. She had a feeling that her Percy didn't realize this part of him existed.

The man that stood before her was clearly far more aware and in touch with that final layer.

Something happened in the future, something big. As far as she could tell, she and at least a few of their friends had died and Percy blamed the Olympians. That would have caused the argument and subsequent estrangement Percy mentioned earlier. The only reason he would have taken people out of their time like this was if he couldn't do it for his modern day. Either all of his friends had turned against him- which was impossible- or they weren't around at all.

Annabeth wasn't afraid of death. She had many close scrapes and made her peace with the inevitable long ago. The thought of Percy's death however, still kept her up at night. Her friends were incredibly close and she loved them like Hades, but Percy was her other half. He was vital, essential, and completely irreplaceable. Without him, she didn't know what she would do. His life was in danger almost every day but she still couldn't even imagine a future where he wasn't by her side. And, if her assumption was right, she wouldn't have to.