Why We Fell

❧ O N E

PERCY HADN'T FELT that safe in what seemed like centuries, honestly. Half his life basically consisted of being hunted down by crazed mythological beings and taking part in prophecies that usually ended in someone's death; he was never really sure whether his body would join the pile of fallen demigods or not.

With his arm was draped over Annabeth's shoulders, the view of the strawberry fields spread out in front of them, and the small silver-and-turquoise ring on her finger, he could not have wished for anything else. He was finally, genuinely, happy. He had actually thanked the gods that day. But when everything seemed to be going the way he wished for it to be, the immortal beings naturally just had to screw it all up.

It's been around a week since Percy finally 'manned up' and proposed to her (with the consent of Athena, of course) and they have been planning for their future plans together ever since: how they would continue collage in New Rome, rent out a small apartment that they've already checked out, then they would get married in Camp Half-Blood, before finally settling down and living the life that they deserved.

Inscribed inside the celestial bronze ring were the words 'as long as we're together' in Ancient Greek. It was Piper who had suggested that small romantic gesture, and though Percy would never admit it aloud, he was thankful.

"I love you, Wise Girl." Percy muttered lovingly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Always,"

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain." she whispered back, cuddling closer to him. "Until the very end,"

He snickered at her unintentional cliché response, earning a playful slap from the blonde demigod. Percy only kissed the top of her head.

Percy and Annabeth remained sitting on top of hollow wooden boxes as they plucked some strawberries nearby. They were bickering like an old married couple as if armageddon hadn't ended just the month before. True, they were still healing from the mental wounds that their experience from Tartarus had given them, but on that day, nothing could seem to dampen their spirits.

The cool summer air and the sweet aroma wafting from the fields below them made the couple slightly drowsy, but they were both alive and they were with each other. That was always what mattered most in the end to them, anyways.

They were planning on heading to New Rome the next day, so the two decided to take a walk around their home for what seemed like forever before deciding what to pack for their trip to the Roman camp. Though, unbeknownst to Percy, it would be his last in a long time.

So, obviously, they ended up in the beach.

Annabeth sat on the cold, slightly damp yet white sand, watching her fiancé dive into the clear blue waters.

The daughter of Athena was used to Percy disappearing under any surface of water from time to time, the longest being an hour, so she wasn't really worried when he hasn't come back after nearly forty minutes.

She grabbed a small, broken branch, and slowly dragged it across the sand.

'Together' was written in Latin. Below it, this time in English, was 'until the very end'. The blonde had added their initials under it, just because she can.

She thought back to the time where Percy had been hanging off a ledge, with no one else but her pulling him down. Annabeth was reminiscing how fear had been gnawing at her insides. She hadn't wanted him to drop her, but it was either him or her; she'd rather that she fell instead of him, even if the thought terrified her greatly. She closed her eyes briefly, remembering the words he had said to her: We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again.