The Stories of Our Heroes

Career Paths

Annabeth should have been expecting it when Percy's head slammed down on the kitchen table. She'd seen his funk coming on for days, and now it was at its peak. As an attentive girlfriend, she noticed how he spent a considerably less amount of time eating and a lot more time on his school work - it was bizarre, really, how her boyfriend only did algebra to avoid the rest of his problems. On the flipside, as a bit of an austere girlfriend, she let him shut down any conversation about his bad mood with little to no retaliation.

So really, it was Annabeth's fault that Percy was concussing himself; she should have attempted an earlier intervention.

"Seaweed Brain," she mumbled, peeling his forehead off the tabletop. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know."

"I think you do."

"I'm just... a little off this week, it's no big deal." He refused to meet her eyes.

"So..." Don't be snarky, Annabeth. "What was wrong last week, then?" Oops.

Percy sent her a dirty look that was clearly meant to be translated as back off, but giving up wasn't really Annabeth's forte. She was going to get her boyfriend to open up one way or other. After all, he always got her to talk so easily. How did he do that? Probably his naturally comforting demeanor, which was not helpful to her in this moment. She'd have to try something else.

She sat on top of the table, right in front of Percy, and gently ran her fingers through his hair. He sighed softly and dropped his head onto her lap, wrapping his arms around her knees and pulling her legs tight against his chest.

Annabeth laughed gently, "You could have asked me for a real hug."

No response. Alright, she could handle a few minutes of silence. Maybe it would persuade him to say something.

Just as she was deciding that she'd miscalculated and her boyfriend was going to win this battle, Percy sniffled.

"Oh, baby," Annabeth whispered as sweetly as she could, "it'll be okay. Please tell me what's wrong, I know it's been bothering you for a while."

He lifted is head to look at her, and she wiped stray tears off his cheeks.

"Gods, this is just so embarrassing," he muttered.

"You don't have to be ashamed of crying, Percy."

"No, no, not that. Well, I mean, yes, that..." he smiled weakly at her. "But not really."

Annabeth could tell that she was close to getting it out of him, but he needed one last push.

"Well," she started, sliding down from the kitchen table and into his lap, "you never have to be embarrassed around me." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned in for a soft kiss.

"That's not true," Percy said when they pulled away. "You have everything figured out, a plan for it all. I have no idea what I'm going to do." He looked so sad, it broke her heart. She must have looked a little confused, because he decided to elaborate. "Like, for college. Annabeth, I'm just not prepared like you are."

At first, Annabeth didn't understand what he meant. He did know what he was doing - they were going to New Rome in the fall. They already had an apartment lined up. They'd been officially accepted into the university; Percy had studied so hard and passed all the tests he needed. But then it clicked.

"Lots of kids start off with an undecided major, Percy. Really, they do. You're perfectly prepared." She topped off her statement with a playful poke to his chest, which usually pulled a slight grin out of him, but he continued to look upset.