A Soul To Suffer

Chapter Nine: Who Chose To Suffer

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Annabeth couldn't sleep.

Staring up at the ceiling, curled up in the Poseidon cabin, she didn't move, she didn't want to. Moving meant acknowledging that she was living in this nightmare.

Had she really made a mistake?

Annabeth knew her Percy in and out, to the ends of the Earth, not a detail missing. But maybe this really wasn't her Percy.

Maybe she'd been so focused on the fact that it wasn't her Percy, that she had begun to believe that it wasn't Percy at all.

But he was, wasn't he? Even that anger, that stone cold killer, that was Percy, she'd seen it in the past during his low moments. Those were the hints of the more serious, mature Percy.

Her paranoia had gotten the best of her, hadn't it? She had been clinging to the fresh memory of a Percy that was goofy and childish, while the Percy that had become a man, had been standing in front of her.

Annabeth loved both versions, she knew she did. She'd even pictured once upon a time, watching him with a slight beard, his stoic expression broken into a smile as he whisked their children into his arms.

She was fully capable of loving the man Percy had become, but she had been blinded by worry, by overwhelming attachment to what he had been. Almost as if she loved him so much so, that she had ruined it all.

Gods, she fucked up. Probably more than she ever had. Now he was labeled a massive threat to the gods, they couldn't have their lives back even if he would forgive her.

But what if he could forgive her, and they could escape from the west, where the gods couldn't touch them.

Annabeth would be content leaving everything behind, if it meant Percy.

She sighed depressively, barely in control enough to handle her sobs.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the cabin door.

It was beyond dusk, a time where no camper would dare be up at. But Annabeth hadn't been able to sleep, so she got up, reaching for the edge of the covers pulling them aside.

Slipping on one of Percy's oversized sweaters, she almost broke into tears again. The clothing hugged her like he used to, and smelled so intoxicating like he would, if he were here.

Moving out of his bed and towards the door, she finally reached it after a few moments.

Opening the door, her eyes widened. The last person she ever expected to see, stood far too calmly in front of her.

"Percy..." She breathed.

Despite everything telling her that he wouldn't accept it, she rushed into his arms. She wrapped her slender arms around his torso, squeezing him for all he was worth.

"Hey, Beth." He whispered, his strong arms augmented by his tight shirt found their way to her waist.

"You always looked a little too good in my clothes." He chuckled.

It was one of his high school sweaters. Despite getting kicked out all of the time, he managed to stay long enough to become the swim team captain, and earn himself a sweater.

His last name was bolded loudly across the back of it, allowing her to feel like she was still his, even if that wasn't reality.

"I-I'm so-"

Percy cut her off by lifting her chin with his index finger, pressing his delicious lips to hers in a soft, passionate show of affection.

"Shh. It's okay." He assured, his hands slipped around her thighs, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.