A month of having her boyfriend to herself was the dream Annabeth always wanted. Percy was off crutches, though he still had pains from the impact of his curse, and some of his more severe wounds weren't healed yet, but he was way better than he was at the beginning of his recovery process.
Yet, she felt the curse had changed him somehow. Every time she mentioned her ideas of what they could do in the year, his eyes grew dark and he'd start becoming distant, always saying that he needed to go somewhere. It was like he was hiding something from her. Was he cheating?
No, Percy would never cheat. He'd never do that...
But would he?
Annabeth walked down the halls before she passed Chiron's office.
"Chiron, I don't know what to do!" Percy was inside.
She wanted to keep going, but she heard something else.
"Percy, you can't keep this a secret forever. It's already August 10th. You don't have much time."
"P-Postpone it! Stop it!"
"But you want it."
"NO! I want Annabeth!"
"But you want your dreams--"
"Chiron, my dreams and my girlfriend can't exist at once! Olympia doesn't even exist in an actual place! How do you think I'll be able to see her?!"
"Percy, this will be good for you! You have so much potential and this school can bring you to the highest of levels! You can do anything you want if you go to this school!"
"But I want to stay with my friends and my girlfriend!"
"This is such a great opportunity, Percy! I can't let you miss it!"
"Yes, you can Chiron! Find someone else to go!"
"Empeiros invited you, Percy! Not anyone else! It's either you go and they accept you, or you decline and they fill your spot with someone else. Time is ticking, my boy! You need to decide tonight or they won't accept you!"
"If we can just ask for another extension--"
"You've extended it far too long. It was due on June 29th and it's August 10th. Make up your mind, Percy. They don't wait for anyone, even if you're the most talented applicant they probably have."
Percy walked out and jumped as he saw her standing outside.
"Spill. Now."
___
"Percy..." Annabeth sat next to the pool. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Percy had tears in his eyes. "I was scared, Annabeth! I was scared you wouldn't love me because I abandoned you, which isn't true. I want to spend every second of my life with you--"
"But that would give up your dreams, Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed. "You need to go! Percy, this could change your life! And it's only four years--"
"Only?" Percy raised an eyebrow.
Annabeth was quiet as she considered his point. He was right. It was a long time to be away from her boyfriend.
"But you get to visit over the breaks!" Annabeth insisted.
"Yeah, but..." Percy trailed off before pulling her in for a kiss.
They kissed for a long time before Percy pulled away, tears shining in his eyes. "You've been the one thing I held onto for the longest time. I can't lose you, Annabeth. I just can't."
"But I want to see you achieving your dreams. I'll see you, Percy. I'll see you again and I'll be waiting back here patiently. I would wait a million years just to see you once. Just for you." Annabeth gave him a soft kiss on his lips. "You're gonna be amazing, Percy. And I need to see you become what you are inside. I need to see that fire make you the pride in my heart. Please."
Percy stared at her for a long time before nodding. "I have leave in a week, Annabeth. A week."
"Send the letters, Percy. We'll make this week the best week in the history of weeks."
___
As Percy mailed the letter back, Annabeth walked out of the bathroom, smirking as his mouth dropped open.
"What..." He stared at her.
"Percy, you didn't think I was gonna let you go for four years without a price, did you?"
"It's not even a price..." Percy trailed off, standing up. "That's a payment."
It was like putting two puzzle pieces together to form a neat figure. They were magical together. And Annabeth admitted that no one could show her love better than Percy. Not even Aphrodite. The door opened and Annabeth was pretty sure her stream was like a watergun from her surprise.
It was Nico, who had wide eyes and was staring at the scene in front of him.
"I just... uh..." Nico stuttered. "I just wanted to say congrats on Empeiros... Uh... Have... H-Have fun? Lock the door next time, though."
Annabeth wasted no time in locking the door after Nico left.
___
"Percy..." Annabeth whispered as she embraced him.
His luggage was full as the rest of his friends loaded them into the ship's storage trunk.
"Don't you dare forget to write, okay?" Piper demanded, grabbing him in a hug. "If you dare forget, I'll send Apollo to shoot you through your eye and out your ear."
"Don't have too much fun, okay?" Jason joked, giving his friend a large hug.
"If you see any hotties..." Leo wriggled his eyebrows. "You know what to do."
"I already found you a hottie," Percy said. "The caramel--"
"Callie?" Leo looked hopeful.
"Zeus agreed that she'd be freed this year."
"YES!" Leo pumped his fist in the air.
"Don't you dare forget to come home every break, okay? If you do, I'll send an arrow through the portal for you to get hurt with," Thalia growled, yanking his hair.
"Okay, okay!" Percy laughed, giving him a hug.
Stepping onto the boat, Percy gave her one last kiss. "See ya in the fall, okay, Wise Girl?"
"Yeah," Annabeth wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'll see you, Seaweed Brain."
Percy smiled before the ship took off, her boyfriend becoming a smaller and smaller blob along the horizon. Before Annabeth knew it, he was gone. Again. All was silent on the shore as they watched the sun set, the beach becoming darker as Nyx's cloak flowed over the sky.
"We should go," Hazel whispered.
But the Fates were going to do more than make them emotional. They were going to make them crumble under the pressure before finally relieving it. It was the life of a demigod and Annabeth knew she was part of their evil plots.