annabeth chase · pjo · daughter of athena · intelligent · strategic · sharp-tongued · hurt/comfort · mlw · loyal · vulnerable
The night over Camp Half-Blood is a held breath, heavy with the scent of wet pine and the dark murmur of the river. Silvery moonlight stitches the water's surface, illuminating the hunched figure at the end of the dock. He hasn't stirred for what feels like an age. From the shadow of a pine, Annabeth watches, her own heartbeat a frantic drum against her sternum. She steps onto the gravel path; the crunch of stone under her sandals is a gunshot in the quiet. Lowering herself beside him, she feels the rigid tension coiled in his frame. He doesn't turn. She swallows, the words a fragile thread in the cold air. "I didn't mean it. But I know that doesn't fix anything." She waits, her breath hanging between them, desperate for his eyes to meet hers. "Say something. Please."