Nightmares, Tears and Cuddles (Percabeth)

I - Percy x Annabeth

Annabeth tried to shuffle backwards but her leg stepped on a weak section of flooring and she slipped. She pushed her weight onto her other leg, hoping to steady herself but fell to the floor. She muttered a curse-word in greek, forgetting her leg had yet to heal from it's earlier break. She tried to stand up but before she could steady herself, a shooting pain shot up her leg again and she fell to the ground.

Desperately, she clawed at the ground, trying to push herself away or grab something to use as a weapon. Her dagger was god knows where, she'd lost it half way through the fight and - assuming Arachne had told the truth - it had probably fell straight into tartarus.

She found a sharp chunk of bone with a pointy end and clutched it to her chest. Hopelessly, she slashed at the monster. The tip of a spider leg fell lifeless at her feet and she couldn't help the scream that erupted from her mouth as she kicked it away. Another shooting pain scrambled up her leg and into her hips. 

It was getting worse. Why was it getting worse?

She'd had some nectar, drank the last of it, and she'd eaten as many ambrosia squares as she could without burning up and making herself feel worse. It should be helping, not making it worse.

She shuffled back further but within seconds, her hand his the wall; Annabeth felt the last remaining threads of hope leave her mind. Arachne laughed, kicking her 'weapon' from her hand and using a hairy spider leg to pin the girl to the wall. "There's nowhere to go now," she laughed. She lunged forward and Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut, giving one last prayer to the gods; "Tell Percy I love him."

The blow never came. She shot up from her bed, shaking violently. She realised it had just been a nightmare and she began to sob. She felt relief and fear and confusion and utter despair and it became to overwhelming so she allowed herself this. She finally accepted the waves of emotion she'd been bottling up for weeks, months, years even, and she allowed the tears to flow freely.

Taking a shaky breathe, Annabeth stood up slowly and made her way to the bedroom door. She attempted to ground herself, reassuring her swarming mind that she was safe on the Argo II. She made her way down the corridor until she found the door with a small green-ish-blue trident and the name 'Percy' in golden, elegant lettering. She knocked softly, hoping the boy was awake. He probably wasn't. It was pitch black outside. She waited another moment before knocking again, a little louder this time. She felt unsteady, using a hand to prop herself against the wall as her other clutched at her chest. 

She couldn't breathe. She was crying too much. She knocked once more and this time, a disheveled looking Percy opened the door. Within seconds, he'd pulled her into a hug and carried her to the single bed pushed against his wall. He closed the door before climbing into bed beside Annabeth. They had to squeeze together so that Percy didn't fall of the edge but neither minded much. 

Percy cuddled Annabeth tightly, smiling softly as she buried her face into his neck. He placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Want to talk about it, love?" 

It wasn't often they used endearing nicknames but when they did, it was always important. Percy figured this was important. He'd only ever seen Annabeth cry on a few select occasions. 

Annabeth snuggled as close to Percy as she could, her tears beginning to calm a little every time he tightened his grip a little to let her know he wasn't leaving. It took a moment to register what he'd asked but she nodded her head against him.

"I... I w-was with Arachne again. S-she got me, Perce. She got me."

Nothing more needed to be said. Nothing more could be said as she gasped and hiccuped throughout her words. Percy placed a hand around her waist, his other going to the back of his head as he pulled her close again. He stroked her hair softly and littered her forehead with small kisses.

"It's okay, darling. You're safe here. I won't let anyone hurt you. I'll never leave you, I promised didn't I? When have I ever broken a promise?" he whispered softly to her, trying to calm her down and assure her she was safe.

Then it was said. Three  words. Eight letters. A sentence so powerful. A sentence the two had shared between each other many times, never truly understanding the full extent of what they were saying. But she said it, this time with her whole heart, and she fully understood it for everything it meant. 

"I love you." she mumbled into his chest. 

Everything they'd been through. All the monsters they'd killed. All the quests they'd been on. All the friends they'd lost and made and lost anyways. Percy turning town immortality. Percy falling into tartarus just so she wouldn't ever have to live another second without him. All the wars they'd fought in. Every prophecy they'd been apart of. How he only remembered her when he'd lost literally everything, including his memories. He had never left her. Luke had. Thalia did eventually. Nico never stayed. She barely knew Hazel, Piper, Jason, Frank, Leo and Reyna. Sure, they were cool but everything in her life always wound back to Percy. 

That's when she knew. She loved him. Not just in her head. She loved him with her entire heart. With her entire soul. She loved him with her entire being. With everything she had. She loved him with everything she had to give.

And he loved her back. Just as strongly. Maybe more. They'd given up everything to be together, and the fates had allowed it.

She loved him, fully and truly and forever. She would never stop loving him. She couldn't stop loving him, even if she wanted to, which she didn't.

"I love you so much." she said again, this time much louder and clearer, much more sure of what she was saying. She pulled away a little to look at Percy who smiled brightly, she could see his grin even in the pitch black of his bedroom. 

"I love you too. So much."

He placed a lasting kiss, a kiss full of love and longing, to her lips, a smile tugging at his lips as he did. He pulled away and kissed the tip of her nose happily. "I'm never leaving you again."

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