Fate (PIPABETH FF) ✔️

Weak Points and Strong

P I P E R

The return to my cabin was, in short, a strange one. My mind kept running wild with scenarios and afterthoughts of Annabeth and I's conversation. The way she had turned around, most likely trying to hide her red face...

Honestly, it was surprising how dense Annabeth could be sometimes. Or maybe she simply forgot that when she blushed, her ears turned red, too. With this in mind, the redness of her face was very visible to me, but, from the kindness in my heart, I decided to not point it out.

I sighed.

Instead of opening the door to enter my own cabin, I turned tail and headed towards hers. My hand raised up to knock gently at the hard, wooden door– but then I stopped short, knuckles merely centimeters from the door. I barely even knock. I just open the door and ask for Annabeth, so why...?

Before I could dwell on the topic any longer, I knocked. Three short, firm raps on the door, before I retracted my hand and waited uncomfortably.

After an awkward moment of standing in the front entrance like a fool, I began to reconsider. Maybe I should just open the door like I usually do, I thought, anxiety beginning to eat at my thoughts.

And so I shrugged and moved my hand to the door handle. Then, the door opened, revealing Annabeth– surprisingly, wearing glasses. There was a mild sort of surprise when she laid eyes on me, but it was covered up quickly with a more decisive glance. "Hey, Piper." She acknowledged me with a small nod– but it was hard to tell, since she was holding the book quite literally up to her nose. Her hair was pulled up into her signature ponytail, but it was more messy than usual. 

Naturally, she was stunning– but I couldn't help but snort at the way her face was buried into her book.

Annabeth tore her gaze from her little novel. "What's up?" she asked, genuinely confused. I shook my head. "No, it's nothing serious. Don't worry about it."

"Alright, then. I'll take your word for it."

We stood there, keeping eye contact until the silence became a little too heavy. Annabeth cleared her throat and shut her book, sticking one of her fingers inside of it as a makeshift bookmark. "Sorry. You should probaby come in," Annabeth said finally as she hurriedly gestured for me to go inside. 

With a nod, I obliged and sat down at the edge of her bed. I watched as she shut the door, stuck her index finger in her book and closed it, and walked to the bed. She sank down, leaning on the headboard.

I twiddled my thumbs, waiting for something to happen. And so the awkward silence continues... I shifted uncomfortably, and Annabeth finally sighed and took her finger from the book, slamming it shut. I jumped from the sudden loud noise, but inside, I was slightly relieved that the silence was broken. 

"Is there... anything in particular that you wanted to come here for?" Annabeth asked, voice softer than usual.

I gulped. Please don't talk like that.

"I wanted to apologize for the silence. I wasn't ignoring you, I swear, I was just... a bit absorbed in my... book." she mumbled, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. 

A 'bit' seems to be an understatement. But, on the other hand, wait just a minute...

"You... you wear glasses...?" 

Annabeth looked at me. One second passed, then two, then three. "Why?" she asked quietly. "Oh! Oh, it's nothing bad, it's just..." My voice trailed off, leaving a silence between us.

After a while, she seemed to clear her throat, but her cheeks were dusted with a light pink. "I... they're not really..."

"There's no prescription?"