ᴾʰᵒᵇᵒᵖʰᵒᵇⁱᵃ [ᴶᵃˢᵒⁿ ᴳʳᵃᶜᵉ]

i.

"Annabeth?" The instant Aza entered the threshold, she was wrapped in a massive hug. Curly, blonde strands of hair wormed their way into her mouth, and she did her best to splutter them out as she said through strangled breaths, "Choking - Anna - you're choking me."
Annabeth released her grasp, and Aza held up a hand as she caught her breath, panting heavily, but a large smile pulled at her face - gods, she had missed her best friend so much. Of course, they had seen each other several times throughout the second semester, but to Aza it felt like any time at all away from the blonde-haired daughter of Athena was too much. She could tell her best friend felt the same way by the toothy, almost childish smile that tugged at her lips. Her grey eyes sparkled, and as Aza ruffled her best friend's hair affectionately, the blonde girl said, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Aza's voice lost its sensitive tone and she rolled her eyes, "Sorry I'm late - someone almost got us arrested." Annabeth scoffed, and her stormy grey eyes rolled as they always did when Clarisse was mentioned. She nodded nonetheless and asked, "How was life as Aza la Rue since we last talked?"
Aza made her way further into the cabin and made herself comfortable on Annabeth's bed, settling back against her plush pillows, "As always. Ms. la Rue is so sweet," she exchanged a mischievous glance with her best friend, "to me. I love seeing her smack Clarisse."
Annabeth nodded affirmatively, and she sat on the bed by Aza's legs, resting with her legs folded beneath her, "She needs a good smack sometimes."

"She needs a good smack all of the time," The two laughed, and she leaned her head back against Aza's knees, resting her back against the taller girl's calves, "I don't know how you live with her."
Aza shrugged, and she reached forward to loosely braid small strands of Annabeth's hair, "Speaking of, how was life at casa de Chase?" Annabeth hummed in reply, and she leaned further against the taller girl, "It's so weird - it's like, I feel like I should hate her for how she treated me as a kid. But now she's so... nice."

Aza laughed lightly under her breath, "I guess your step-mom really has seen the error of her ways," she glanced around the room, and it was then when Aza noticed the blueprint projected on the Smartboard of their warship. She sighed, a heavy feeling settling in her gut, "How do you feel? We leave in less than a week."
Aza felt her best friend stiffen, and she soothingly began to run her fingers through the girl's blonde curls. Annabeth sniffed slightly, and she cleared her throat as if to compose herself, "I'm fine. Just... nervous. I can't describe how I feel - it's like I've been waiting for this for so long, and now that it's almost here, I'm terrified."

Aza stroked the back of her head, and she nodded in understanding though her friend couldn't see her. "I get it," she hoped her voice was as soothing as she wanted it to be. "Everything is going to be okay, Anna – I don't know what's going to happen, or even if things are going to go our way, but everything will be okay, I promise."

Annabeth gave another sigh and she sat up, pushing her curly blonde hair back behind her ears. Aza could tell her best friend was trying to hard her down-cast look and small, sad smile behind a curtain of thick hair, but even so the daughter of Phobos could see; not only, but she could feel the fear radiate off the girl in soft, pulsing waves.
"Do you want -" She began to offer, but Annabeth instantly shook her head, and she gave her best friend a sad smile, "How will I learn to tolerate tough emotions if you take the burden away from me?"

Aza sighed, and she shrugged her shoulders. "It's just hard for me, to see you in so much pain when I know I could take it all away."
Annabeth's brows furrowed, and she nodded slowly in understanding. She reached forward and squeezed Aza's left hand tightly, an action which she quickly reciprocated. The two girls smiled at each other, and Annabeth bit her lip softly, "I appreciate it, Aza. But some things you just have to push through."