Loverboy (PERCABETH AU)

Chapter 41

Percy POV
The airport buzzed around me, a river of rolling suitcases, clipped voices, and the shrill announcements echoing off the high ceilings. I walked alongside Jason and Piper, or at least I was physically beside them. Mentally, I was somewhere else—somewhere far away, where the ocean was quiet, the sun was low, and Annabeth's hand had been holding mine.

I shifted the strap of my bag on my shoulder and tried to focus on the path to our gate. "Hey, Percy—" Jason said, nudging me with his elbow. "You're awfully quiet. You okay?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah... just tired."

Piper raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Tired or lost in thoughts about someone back home?" Her teasing tone hit me like a gentle shove.

I didn't answer. I couldn't. My mind was already wandering, replaying the last few days like a movie I didn't want to end.

I remembered the morning she gave me the trident keychain. We were at that little coffee shop near her apartment, the one with the tiny patio that always smelled of roasted beans and cinnamon. She had this way of looking at me—half-annoyed, half-soft—and I remember her saying, "Here. Keep it. For... reasons."

I'd laughed, brushing off the moment, not realizing then what that little trinket would come to mean. It wasn't just a keychain. It was a piece of her, a reminder of the quiet strength she carried, a symbol of all the times she'd believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself.

As we walked, the memory lingered. My fingers absently reached into the pocket where I usually kept it—and froze. Empty.

"Percy?" Piper's voice pulled me back.

I blinked and tried to push down the panic. "Huh? Yeah. Just... thinking."

Jason leaned closer. "You okay, man? You've been zoning out for like ten minutes."

"I'm fine," I lied, but my chest tightened. My heart thumped like a drum in my ears. The keychain—it wasn't there. How could I have forgotten it? It wasn't just a trinket; it was her. Every memory of her, every laugh, every annoyed glare she'd thrown at me—it was tied to that little piece of metal shaped like a trident.

I tried to calm myself, taking a deep breath, the hum of the terminal grounding me a little. We passed a coffee stand, the smell of espresso rich and inviting, and my mind went back to that morning again. Annabeth had been there, waiting, impatient as I fiddled with my bag. "Percy," she said, exasperated but smiling. "You're holding it all wrong." She had pushed the keychain into my hand, and I had laughed, a little embarrassed, a little charmed.

Now, that simple act felt monumental. Losing it felt like losing a piece of her again.

I stopped walking, staring at my empty pocket, and the realization hit me fully: I couldn't leave without it. Not yet. Not like this.

Jason and Piper noticed my pause immediately.

"Yo, seaweed brain—wait, I mean Percy—what's up?" Jason said, giving me a concerned look.

I shook my head, trying to collect myself. "I... I forgot something. Something important."

Piper tilted her head, suspicious. "Important? What do you mean?"

I shook my head again. "Can't say. I just... I have to go back."

Jason groaned. "Percy, we're about to board."

"I know," I said, my voice tight but calm. "But I can't leave without it. I'll be right back."

I started walking briskly toward the coffee shop again, weaving through the crowd, eyes scanning the floor, the tables, the small patio outside. Each step felt heavier, the anticipation and fear building. Memories played relentlessly in my mind, flashes of every shared moment with Annabeth—her laughing when I tripped over my own feet, her scolding me gently for being reckless, her soft, almost imperceptible smiles when I made her proud.

I reached the coffee shop, heart pounding. It was eerily quiet compared to the terminal. My bag slid from my shoulder as I crouched near the edge of the patio, scanning the ground.

And there it was.

The trident keychain, glinting in the morning sunlight, half-hidden under a chair leg. My breath caught. Slowly, carefully, I reached down and picked it up, holding it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

It felt like holding her hand again, like I could hear her laugh, see the determination in her gray eyes. I twisted it between my fingers, the metal cold but familiar, grounding me in the reality of what I felt.

I sank into a nearby chair, my mind a jumble of relief, nostalgia, and an ache that wasn't pain but longing. How had I been ready to leave without it? How had I convinced myself that walking away was enough?

Jason and Piper appeared behind me, following my trail. Piper's hand landed gently on my shoulder. "Found what you were looking for?"

I didn't answer immediately. I held the keychain, turning it in my hand. "Yeah," I said finally. "Yeah, I found it."

Jason leaned over, looking at the little trident. "That's... that's hers, isn't it?"

I nodded. "It is. She gave it to me months ago. I wasn't paying attention. I didn't realize how much it mattered until now. And I... I couldn't leave without it."

Piper's lips pressed together in a small smile. "That's nice of you Percy, but don't let it be reminder of her, I know my best friend, she might come around soon though."

I looked at them both, feeling gratitude, determination, and a flicker of hope. "I won't."

I slipped the keychain back into my pocket, close to my heart, and stood. My chest was lighter somehow, the weight of leaving behind what mattered alleviated just a little. Each step back toward the gate felt like the memories were fading.