Work Text:
The war was months ago
School started up again in the fall. It’s a new one. With new people and new teachers. It’s not that bad. Just keep your head down.
Percy doesn’t talk much anymore. Neither does Annabeth.
They still love each other. Every night they call. It’s not the same though. They hang out after school. Annabeth is always invited to the Jackson- Blofis family dinners. She wishes her dad would do this.
One night when Sally and Paul are gone Annabeth sleeps over. Percy pulls two beers out of the fridge. He offers one to his girlfriend. She declines. She doesn’t like the fuzzy feeling in her brain alcohol gives her. Percy drinks both. They don’t talk about that. They don’t talk about how Percy used to hate beers. It reminded him too much of smelly Gabe.
There is a lot they don’t talk about. Annabeth still walks with a limp. Her ankle never fully healed. She tries to hide it. Percy pretends he doesn’t notice.
Both have distanced themselves from camp. It hurts too much. It doesn’t stop the nightmares though. Almost every night they wake up screaming.
Percy cries a lot now. He used to hate crying. He thought it showed weakness. Even when Gabe would beat him, he never cried. He tries to hold the tears back but there’s too much now. Sally just holds him.
When the voices gets too loud he sits on the fire escape and wonders why he is still alive.
Him. The boy who was the center of two wars. The boy who watched all his friends die.
Sometimes he feels like jumping off. He knows he won’t. He can’t do that to his family.
Annabeth goes to a fancy boarding school in the city.
She doesn’t say much to her roommate. Her roommate doesn’t say much back. She likes it that way.
Halfway through the year her roommate transfers rooms. She said Annabeth nightmares were too loud.
Annabeth pretends not to care.
Percy doesn’t ask why her roommate left. He has a good idea.
They just sit in silence most of the times. Enjoying each other’s company. Even if they both wish it was different.
They think about the what ifs a lot.
What if we never fell?
What if we lost?
What if I was never born? Would the world be a better place?
They pretend to not think these things. They pretend to be happy in the hopes that one day they will be.
Hopefully one day they will be happy.