(no subject)

[architekt]

Keeping Scorpius a secret from everyone back home has been difficult.

He's awesome, and really, really cute; and Annabeth is glad (and a little relieved) to have someone else to talk to about the Titan War who doesn't get it the way she does. He can hear her out without being a part of it. She can detach herself from everything happening around her like it's just a story to tell when she's around him. And sometimes (well, most times, now) she doesn't even have to talk about it at all.

When she gets to go back to his world, to Hogwarts, it's a blessed escape. She thanks the gods she ever bumped into Scorpius Malfoy at the Milliways prom.

But lately, it hasn't felt right.

(It hasn't gone according to any sort of plan.)

She doesn't want to constantly be in danger while she is in a relationship with anyone else; she's always going to be part of the frontlines and there's a pretty huge chance that she might never come back.

She feels stupid when she thinks about how important it is that everyone stay focused; because here she is, escaping to Milliways every chance she gets so she can stop thinking about the gods and the Titans and the fate of Camp, her family, her friends, and the world. She's sort of gotten a little addicted to the ability to escape.

(It's not like her.)

She doesn't want to have to keep her relationship a secret - that yes, she is dating someone, and he's great, a wizard from another world completely, and so sweet to her. (And no one's ever been sweet to her before.)

And, finally, she can't keep dating Scorpius and still hope in her heart, like a foolish daughter of Aphrodite, that maybe, maybe whatever Percy and Rachel have isn't real, or it isn't going to last, and that he might actually realize she's right there, if he'd only use that seaweed brain of his and see.

(Of course, Aphrodite does like to torture teenagers most of all, doesn't she, and Annabeth is obviously no exception.)

Every time she looks at Scorpius, she thinks of Percy. And every time she looks at Percy, she thinks of Scorpius.

It's not fair to either of them.

And it's so not fair that she should be feeling like this at all.

She's fifteen.

(But she's stubborn, and loyal, and when she has her heart on something, it's practically impossible to change her mind.)

This is the worst time to think about boys. She's in a war. Every day is kind of a threat.

So, here they are.

Comments

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius feels awful. He's felt miserable since Albus left him on the bridge and now -



Annabeth.

Scorpius sees her, and he feels quite sick. (He looks it too. Paler and an unkempt appearance more so than usual.) He's been a right jerk. An idiot. Waiting for Albus while carrying on with her as he has.

He hadn't meant to deceive her. It was never his intention to, anyway. He likes Annabeth, has enjoyed their dates and jogs, and he doesn't want to hurt her.


And maybe - ? Maybe he wouldn't have to?

Maybe now, with Albus gone and out of the picture, it could work?

He allows himself the fantasy as he makes his approach, greeting her with a kiss to the cheek.

"Hullo, you."

He attempts a smile, and feels worse than he had a few moments ago.

[architekt]

"Hi Scorpius," she returns, not hesitating to wrap her arms around his middle.

She just needs to hug him.

Just for a moment.

Before she says what she has to say.

[alsoagreengrass]

He can practically feel the guilt making its way to the middle of his throat and lodging itself there when she hugs him.

"Hi," he croaks, squeezing her in return.

This -



It won't work, will it? He already knows it won't. He likes Annabeth, but it's different to how he feels about Albus. He's known that too.

"Are you, uhm - Are you busy?"

They need to talk.

[architekt]

They do need to talk.

She releases him, straightening on her feet.

"No," she says. "I'm not."

She bites her bottom lip.

"Actually, I need to tell you something."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Oh?"

He wonders if he should stop her and confess before anything else is said. But -



No. He'll let her speak.

"What's, er - What's that?"

[architekt]

Oh, gods.

She's never had to do this before - break up with someone.

(Mostly because she never got to the point where you could break up with anyone.)

What do girls usually do in situations like these? (It's nothing like fighting a monster, or five. Or being ambushed by harpies. Or defeating a Hydra. Or -

Okay, quit stalling, Annabeth.)


"Do you want to sit down, maybe?"

So much for not stalling.

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius shrugs shyly, afraid he'll blurt everything if he opens his mouth again.

And she seems like she's serious about whatever she needs to say.

He grabs her hand, lacing his fingers through hers and feeling awful and awkward for doing so, and heads for an out-of-the-way booth.

"Here?" he asks, allowing the one, brief word past the lump in his throat.

[architekt]

She nods, following him.

Her fingers tighten around his for just a moment. Then by the time they get to the booth, she lets go to take her seat.

She keeps her hands to herself and lets out a breath.


Oh, Athena help her.

(Not that her mom really can. Or would.)

"Scorpius," she starts. "I - I don't think we should do this anymore."

Gods.

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius stares at her hands for quite a long moment, merely blinking and not sure he heard her right.

This ...he had not been expecting.

He's not sure what she was going to say, actually. Having been caught up in his own feelings of guilt, he's a little surprised.

"Wha - Really?"

[architekt]

Annabeth really would rather have a starving chimera come after her right now.

It's got to be easier than this.

She swallows the lump in her throat.

Oh, gods. If she's going to cry, she'll really be pissed at herself.

"Scorpius, I'm so sorry," she says. "I think you're really - really awesome and I like you so much, but it's just ... there's so much going on back home, and I can't -"

[alsoagreengrass]

"Wait, Annabeth, you don't have to apologize," he interrupts her, grimacing with guilt. "I was - I've been thinking the same thing. But, for me, it's not that there's a lot going on back home, I - "

He swallows heavily, and looks any where but at her.

"I - I don't know where to start. There's a boy in my year, Albus, and I - I fancy him. Have fancied him for quite awhile, actually, and - Merlin, I'm not saying this right at all."

Because it's so much more than that.

[architekt]

"Oh?"

Annabeth's not sure why (well, okay, she kind of knows), but there's an irrational twinge of jealousy that hits her before she reminds herself that her situation really isn't that different where it concerns Percy.

She's sort of liked him for a while now, too.

"Oh."

She nods.

"I guess, somehow, we both knew it wasn't going to last, huh?"

It was only a matter of time.

[alsoagreengrass]

"I wanted it to?"

His voice sounds weak to his own ear, and he shakes his head.

"I'm really sorry. I do like you, a lot."

[architekt]

"I know," Annabeth says, averting her eyes to the table of their booth.

She's glad he chose this one, really. It's out of the way from everything else, ensuring they'll be able to talk in private.

The last thing either of them needs is someone they know approaching for conversation.

"I like you too. And everything we did, I had a lot of fun. None of that was insincere."

[alsoagreengrass]

"None of it was for me either."

And he'd have hated himself all the more if she had thought that.

"We could - We could still have fun? I don't want to lose you as a friend."

He's already lost Albus and he doesn't want to lose Annabeth too.

[architekt]

"Yeah," Annabeth says. "I don't want to lose you as a friend either."

She means that, too.

"So ... this guy. Are you -" She suddenly looks a little red. "I mean, do you usually like boys?"

It's not unusual, given that Greeks have been pretty open about that stuff for ages.

But she's curious anyway.

[alsoagreengrass]

"I - I guess, but it's mostly, only Albus right now."

Who, he's not sure he can talk about right now. Just thinking about Albus -

Well. It hurts.


Scorpius takes a deep breath, and pushes any thoughts of the other boy aside.

He reaches across the table for Annabeth's hand, relieved that the friendship is still there. Even if it might be prove to be awkward for awhile.

He's worried about her too. About how she said there was so much going on at home.

"How are you?"

[architekt]

The question is so absurd, so unexpected, given what they're talking about right now - given the fact that they're supposed to be breaking up and shouting or yelling, or something -




- that Annabeth laughs a little.

She quickly presses her lips together and shakes her head, squeezing his hand.

"I'm okay," she says. "Weirdly enough, I don't feel like being completely melodramatic, or whatever we're supposed to do when we break up."

She lets go of his hand and leans back in her seat.

Still, it might be a little too soon for friendly gestures like that for a while.

[alsoagreengrass]

Funnily enough, their breaking up only hits him - really hits him - when she pulls her hand away from his. And he drops his hands into his lap with a frown.

"Right."

He sighs, suddenly, and incredibly, exhausted.

"And things at home - ?"

[architekt]

"- same as usual," Annabeth finishes. "It's not any worse, but it's not any better. Which is why - there's always going to be a chance that I won't come back here."

She shrugs, matter-of-factly.

She'd always accepted this, and was fine with it, until Scorpius.

"And it's not fair to you that we continue like this if I might suddenly disappear, you know? Not that it matters now, I guess." She smiles wryly, before the smile fades completely.

"And ... maybe, it's not just that."

[alsoagreengrass]

He's still can't quite understand what life is like for her outside of Milliways. He goes to school and classes and has a neat, daily routine. A war - like the one his father's generation fought in - seems like something he'd read in a History book.

Regardless. He knows, dating or not, he'll not worry any less if she suddenly disappears.

He might need to send her those colour-changing notes, thinking on it. Hoping she'll reply, just to know she's still around, if he won't be seeing her all the time. And when the notes stop -

Well. He won't think about that yet.


"There's more?"

[architekt]

"Do you remember that night when I came into the bar, completely ticked off at my friend Percy?"

The night he asked her out.

She's certain he hasn't forgotten that.

[alsoagreengrass]

"'Course I do."

That night would be rather hard to forget.

"He'd been stuck on an island, right?"

[architekt]

Annabeth nods.

"I thought -"

She frowns.

"That island is called Ogygia, and the girl who lives there - her name's Calypso. In the old legends, she kept Odysseus on her island for like, seven years. She wanted to make him her immortal husband. It was my mom, Athena, and Zeus who finally freed him.

"But that's the legend. I don't really know what Calypso is like except for what little Percy told us the night he came back. The sort of far-off look he had, it was like he -"

She rubs her face.

"You're not the only one who was hung up over someone during our relationship. So ... please don't feel rotten or anything. I'm just as horrible. Maybe even more so, because I ... I didn't exactly treat Percy or Rachel really nicely either."

[alsoagreengrass]

"And Rachel is...?"

He suddenly wonders how many girls this Percy has, and if he's even allowed to be protective of Annabeth as he's suddenly feeling.

[architekt]

"Rachel's this girl Percy met a while ago and only recently reconnected with when he was enrolling into this new school," Annabeth explains. "I met her briefly, when Percy ... helped blow up part of the school.

"... that's another long story.

"Anyway, it's so obvious she likes him, and I feel like ... ugh. Maybe Percy kind of likes her too."

Which just sucks for her.

[alsoagreengrass]

Weird or not, given the situation, he wishes he could offer her some encouraging words. If only he wasn't so pessimistic about a lot of things right now.

"Oh," he murmurs, nodding slowly.

Then, he laughs. So suddenly, and with a touch of frustration.

Because it's just so ridiculous.

"Merlin, why can't this just work? Why - ?"

Why are they hung up on these other boys? He shakes his head with a sigh.

"Sorry. I don't know about Percy and what he thinks about you, but I must be a touch mad to think Albus Potter and I - That he'd fancy me."

[architekt]

She laughs a little, too.

His frustration is definitely relatable.

Aphrodite can be a really, really mean bitch sometimes.

"Yeah? Why do you think that?"

[alsoagreengrass]

"Because - "

Scorpius takes a deep breath, a heavy weight on his chest.

"I'm not his sort. He thinks I'm 'cool'. And he 'likes me, but' - But, only as a friend."

Which was not exactly what Albus had said, but Scorpius thinks it to be true now.

[architekt]

"Oh."

Annabeth looks sympathetic.

She's honestly not too sure how Percy feels about her, so in that way, she can understand.

There's a moment's pause, when she takes into consideration what they're talking about and why.

Then: "This is the weirdest breakup in the history of breakups, isn't it?"

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius shrugs sheepishly. "I'm not very experienced with breakups, but maybe. Honestly, I'd rather it be like this than the worst to have happened."

Or like something that had happened with Albus.

[architekt]

"Yeah," Annabeth agrees.

She's not sure she can take another fight, honestly.

"So ... we're still friends, right?"

[alsoagreengrass]

He'd smile, if he wasn't so tired.

"Yea- Yes. If you still want to be."

[architekt]

"I don't see why we can't be," she says.

Given how they're ... ending things.

"You don't hate me, right?"

[alsoagreengrass]

"No. Merlin, no. What's there to hate?"

Really, Annabeth. That's not likely.

"You don't hate me, do you?"

[architekt]

Well, it's possible.


"Of course not," Annabeth says.

And she means it.

"I guess we just ... wanted to try it, despite everything else. But it just wasn't meant to be."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Right," he agrees, nodding.

Olivia was like that too. And now Rigel and her are practically on the verge of marrying.

"Anyway, uhm. I think I, er, might head back to Hogwarts and try to get some sleep. We've got a match against Gryffindor, and I could use the rest."

Because he hasn't been sleeping very well at all. But now, knowing that Annabeth doesn't hate him, he might get a few good hours in.

(Maybe, anyway. Ravenclaw Tower is not somewhere he wants to be lately. He's looking forward to the summer and being as far away from Albus Potter as possible.)

[architekt]

Annabeth nods.

Honestly, she isn't too sorry about this fact.

She thinks she'd rather do a little bit of training by herself for a while; it'll take her mind off things and vent her frustrations out in a less harmful way. No, she doesn't hate Scorpius, but a breakup is a breakup.

And she still feels like crap.

(Not that any of this shows.)

"Well, good luck in that match," she says. "I'll see you around?"

[alsoagreengrass]

"'Course."

All they've got to do is survive this awkward phase, and they'll be good friends.

(He'll set aside his pessimistic thoughts long enough to think they can do that.)