Fragile Heart [Completed]

13

Since Rory's nightmare, Annabeth had made it her mission, almost, to make sure that she was okay. That meant going with her to activities, yelling at Leo if he made a stupid joke; just things like that. It was also an excuse to hang out. Of course, they still hadn't told anyone; Annabeth wanted a little more time to sort what exactly her feelings for Rory were. She knew that she cared about her, and it seemed that that was enough for Rory.

That day they were walking in the woods as a break. Rory was quiet as she listened to Annabeth ramble at a hundred miles an hour about designs she had been working on. She enjoyed the distraction, and it was nice to see her so in her element. Annabeth stopped talking and gave her a suspicious look.

"What?" She asked cautiously. Rory smiled.

"It's nice. Listening to you." Annabeth looked to the floor trying to hide the blush that had spread all the way to the tips of her ears. "You're cute when you get all embarrassed." That only made her blush harder.

"That's not fair!" She whined. Rory chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. She could feel the heat from Annabeth's cheeks on her lips.

She tried to glare at Rory, but to her she looked slightly like an angry tomato, causing Rory to laugh again. In a last attempt to retaliate, Annabeth grab Rory's sides and tickled her. She didn't even know if she was ticklish, but it was her last chance to try and seem the least bit intimidating.

Rory let out a squeal of surprise before busting into a fit of laughter. She collapsed to the ground shaking and screaming with laughter.

"Pl...ease st...hop!" She cried between gasps. "I'm not..." laugh, "responsible," laugh, "for your injuries!" Annabeth didn't know what she meant until she was kicked in the leg, followed by an elbow to the stomach.

"Told you," Rory sighed when Annabeth stopped to nurse her wounds.

"I didn't think you'd actually hit me!" She exclaimed rubbing her stomach. Rory smirked.

"Like I said; told you." Annabeth went silent. She was just staring into space, not blinking.

"Beth? You're zoning out again." When Annabeth looked at her Rory could see tears in her eyes. "Hey, hey, what's on your mind?" She asked.

Annabeth let out a nervous laugh. "I want to be able to kiss you. In public. But I just...I can't figure out how I feel. I care about you, I know that. But I just don't know what to call us," she explained. Rory nodded as she took in all the information. "I don't even know where this is comming from I-"

"Look, Annabeth, I don't care. Whatever we are, whatever this is, I don't care what it's called. Okay?" Her voice shook. "I like you. If I haven't made that clear then tell me how I can. Because whatever the fuck this is, I'm gonna do everything I can to keep it." Rory was nearly crying. By this point the two of them had stood up so they could see each other better.

Annabeth stepped closer so that they were only inches apart. "Are you sure?" Rory nodded. "Good." Annabeth grabbed her face and closed the space between them. In that moment, all of their worries, all of their doubts, they disappeared. That moment was pure bliss. Everything else became meaningless, completly inconsequential. It was just them, and that was all that mattered.

But the Universe has a funny and twisted way of ruining the things we love in the way we hate the most. And that way, for Annabeth at least, was with Percy and Jason.

The two came stumbling onto the path, kissing each other and laughing. They stopped and stared. Annabeth was still holding Rory's face, and the latter was holding her waist. The four of them locked eyes, each pair waiting for the other to make the first move.