heaven and hell and back again (heaven is you)

heaven

Annabeth lay in her bed aboard the Argo II, staring up at the little slanted space between the ceiling and the wall where a glass panel let in sunlight during the day. Now she could see the stars through it, little specks of light twinkling off in the distance. She couldn't believe she and Percy had actually gotten in trouble for wanting to talk alone together after months of being apart. Those months away from him had been pure hell, and now, despite the quest, despite the usual impending doom, all she wanted to do was lie down next to him again, run her fingers through his hair, and kiss him, just to remind herself he was with her once more.

A knock came at the door. Expecting Piper for a late-night girls' chat like they'd sometimes done back at camp, or maybe Leo come to update her on the flight, she groaned, rolled out of bed, and made her way over to the door, stepping over a couple discarded pieces of clothing and armor.

"Hey."

She should have expected Percy. His hair was messy, like he too had just rolled out of bed, but his eyes were wide awake, that brilliant shade of sea green that she sometimes saw in the waves near camp, the one that always made her heart flip.

"Hey," she replied softly.

"Can I come in?" he whispered. "Coach is going to see me out here, and I don't want to get grounded again."

Annabeth smiled and opened the door wider. When he stepped through, she closed the door with a soft click behind him and reached up to thread her fingers together behind his neck. His hands slipped easily to her waist, and they held each other for a moment. Annabeth knew he was reassuring himself of her presence, just like she was. Then he bent down to kiss her, gently, softly, sweetly.

"Is something wrong?" she asked then. Percy wasn't exactly one to break the rules, despite his skater hobby and current rebel look. Fondly, she remembered the time he'd been told he couldn't go on the quest to rescue her from Luke. He'd come anyway. He always would.

He shook his head. "Just wanted to see you. We don't get a lot of time alone."

"No," she agreed. "We don't." She let go of him mostly, but her hand found his. It had been a long day, and Annabeth didn't want to stand anymore. She led him further into her room, tugging him over to her bed, and she seated herself on the end. He still stood over her, feet placed outside of hers, hands holding hers, and eyes looking down into hers.

Then, with a slightly mischievous smile, Annabeth pulled, and Percy, eyes widening, came falling down onto her. He took it in stride, laughing quietly and pressing a kiss to her cheek then lips. He rolled off of her, and they lay side by side on her bed, watching the stars sparkling outside through her window.

Percy let out a sigh, nuzzling his face into the space between her shoulder and her head. "You know my idea about New Rome?"

Annabeth watched him shift, making himself comfortable, pressing himself against her body. She very vividly remembered when he'd told her his plan the last time they'd done this. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing he'd ever said. She didn't say all that, though, just whispered, "Yes."

"We haven't burned that bridge. Not yet. There's a chance," he told her.

His eyes were closed. She could feel his eyelashes against her arm.

"Percy..." she started doubtfully, but he hugged her close as an interruption.

"We're going to come up with a plan, Annabeth," he told her. "Even if New Rome doesn't work out — and I really think it might — we'll find somewhere to go. Together."

"I want to, so badly, Percy, but—"

"No, Annabeth." Percy sat up. "Together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

Annabeth smiled, and tears pooled in her eyes. Noticing, Percy just smiled and laid back down, holding her close again.

"Promise me? Together?"

"Together," he promised. "For the rest of our lives."

Annabeth's breath caught. Percy didn't seem to have a reaction to what he'd just said, but her heart was racing faster than it ever had. The rest of their lives? Sure, she'd thought about something like that. What teenage girl with a serious boyfriend hadn't? For that matter, what girl hadn't? She'd never heard a thought like that come from him, though. The rest of their lives. They were only sixteen, but they were demigods. That could be a very long time, or it could end tomorrow. Regardless, she wasn't arguing with him. She wanted to spend every moment she had left with him.

"Rest of our lives, Percy?" she asked quietly.

"Mmhmm," he mumbled sleepily.

She smiled. "You can't stay here tonight. We'll get grounded again, remember? Coach's rules are—"

"Screw Coach and his rules," Percy said. "I want to hug my girlfriend."

Laughing, she replied, "You have to let me go eventually."

"No, I don't." His tone was serious. "I said forever, didn't I?"

So he'd been fully aware of what he was saying. It hadn't been a careless, trite remark. He'd said forever, and he meant it.

"I love you," she said silently, mouthing the words against his head. Then, aloud, she said, "Forever it is. You're never getting rid of me."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Annabeth smiled again. "You better not," she teased. "I don't take well to broken promises."

"I know," he said, and his tone was lighter now, but there were memories loaded in it.

Family, Luke. You promised.

Annabeth had had her heart broken before. The boy she'd counted as her brother had turned against her, and she'd lost him. She'd lost more of her oldest friends, too, and she felt each death shatteringly in her soul. But she'd had her heart mended, too. The boy she'd once dismissed had become her closest friend and then something more. Now he was fully hers, and she was fully his. With every promise they made each other — whether it was something like the promise of four years together in college or something like the rest of their lives — she grew to love and trust him more.

Annabeth touched Percy's chin, and he glanced up at her. She kissed him, pouring her love into the kiss, then rested her forehead against his. She didn't say anything, and he didn't either. They didn't need to; they knew each other well enough to hear the unspoken words. When he cuddled closer to her, she wrapped her arms tighter around him, and they watched a shooting star blaze through the dark.

As Annabeth's eyes fluttered closed, she smiled to herself. The last several months had been hell. Now, here with Percy at last, together again, everything was perfect. It was heaven.