Why? Why Do You Love Me?

Afternoon sunlight beamed warmly through an open window in Athena cabin on a typical summer day. Book cracked open on her lap; Annabeth sighed and looked up from reading about the Judgment of Paris. None of the information she was reading about was being retained. Her mind kept drifting to what Percy whispered to her last night in the Dining Hall when he snuck away from his table on his way back from burning his offerings for the gods: "Meet me by the Canoe Lake tomorrow night, midnight."

What crazy idea did he have planned? Her birthday already passed, so he couldn't have been planning a birthday surprise. August eighteenth is their two year anniversary, but that's not for another month.

"What's going through your head, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked herself, closing her book.
Annabeth leaned back against the wall beside her bed and started to let her thoughts overcome her mind.

One, four letter name came crept into her head. She clamped her mouth shut, thinking solely about that name. The one that caused her all of the distress in her life and the name that she wasted rivers of tears on. The name sat stale on her tongue. She mouthed it to herself: LUKE. He's the one that ripped her heart out of her chest, promising he'd keep it safe, and ended up letting it shatter on the ground, scattering the pieces everywhere. Percy was the only one that picked up every piece, no matter how small and put every single shard back in place and cradled her fragile heart in his hands. He clung to it so tenaciously, not allowing anyone to come and steal it away from him or bump into him, making him drop it. There was one thing Percy didn't know, though. He forgot a piece when he was reassembling Annabeth's heart. A piece belonging to Luke that vanished as her heart hit the floor. Percy placed a piece of his own heart in Luke's place. It didn't fit perfectly in the gapping whole left by Luke, but it was enough to cover it up. There's still a scar that's property of Luke around the piece of Percy, but it's fading over time. Something tells Annabeth that it won't completely disappear, and that it will always be faintly painted on her heart, but Percy's there to distract her attention from it.

Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest and thought out loud, "Percy's so . . . perfect. Does he know that he's every girl's ideal boyfriend? His height, his hair that falls perfectly even if he doesn't know it, his glistening sea green eyes, his white smile, his dimples, his muscles; he deserves better than me. Why does he love me? Why would he die for ME? Why was HE the one to pick up my broken heart?"

KNOCK, KNOCK.

"Uh, come in!" Annabeth called at the closed wooden door.

"Hi Annabeth," Percy said, walking to the center of the cabin with a wide grin on his face.

"Oh, hi Percy," Annabeth replied half-heartedly.
Percy raised an eyebrow and sat next to her, making the springs in her mattress creak under his weight, "What's the matter, baby? Why do you look so upset?"

Annabeth sighed, avoiding his eyes. In a small voice that wasn't very common for Annabeth, she asked, "Why do you love me?"

The room was silent. Percy grabbed her hands and clutched them between his, "Annabeth Chase, look at me."

Slowly, Annabeth raised her eyes from the floor and found Percy's eyes. As soon as she met them, they lassoed and yanked her in like a riptide.
"Why do I love you?" Percy mused, holding her gaze. "Where can I start? I love the way you purse your lips and narrow your eyes when you think. I love how your curls bounce when you jump or how they fly back when you run. I love your smile and how it lights up the room. I love your stunning eyes. I love how you stand tall and proud during sword fights or Capture the Flag. I love the way the younger demigods respect you and you never have to yell at them. I love how tall you are, even though when I was younger, I felt short next to you, but now you come up to my shoulder. I love how you're the only person that could look cute in Greek armor. I love how I don't even have to double check to see if you have my back in a fight, because I just know you're going to be there. I love the feeling of butterflies anxiously flying around I get when I hear your voice or just see you. Annabeth, do I need to go on? You may feel like you don't deserve me, I can see it in your eyes, but I'M the one that doesn't deserve YOU. You are, perfect, Wise Girl. Absolutely perfect."

Annabeth's throat felt tight. Her speech was obstructed by a sob. With her throat barricaded, Annabeth opened her mouth, taking short, quick breaths trying to calm herself down. Something wet dripped down her cheek as her lip quivered. Percy pulled her close to him, squishing her damp cheeks against his camp T-shirt. "He smells so good," Annabeth thought as she cried onto him, letting bottled up emotions finally free. "Axe and the ocean, I wouldn't have it any other way. I- I can't believe he said that. Me? Perfect? With my wild thoughts and mending heart? I'm far from it. But, to Percy, that doesn't seem to matter one bit."

Her sobs quickly subdued from Percy's comforting words and she was just sitting there, enveloped in his arms. After a few deep breaths, her eyelids started to droop. Her arms wrapped tenaciously around Percy's waist slowly went slack. Percy looked down and saw his girlfriend asleep on his chest at three in the afternoon. Smiling to himself, Percy laid his head down on Annabeth's pillow, fearing he'd disturb her sleep if he carried her into his cabin. Mouthing a prayer to Athena, he desperately wished that she wouldn't blast him to bits for lying down in with her daughter in her cabin.

The conch shell blew signaling dinner time. Percy gently shook Annabeth who curled her body up, her hands tucked up by her face on Percy's chest.

"Annabeth, dinner time. I'll walk you to your table."

Annabeth sleepily opened her eyes, squinting through the blinding sunset that was streaming into her face thanks to a window facing the west. She nodded and sat up, her hips between Percy's legs, looking aimlessly around the room. Percy got up, leaving Annabeth still sitting.

"Let's go Sleepy Head," he teased and grabbed her hand, leading her to the door.

On her way to the Dining Hall, Annabeth thought contently about all of the reasons she loves Percy, making a list to tell him tonight. Excitement boiled inside of her. She had a strange feeling that tonight was going to be pretty romantic.