I haven't written them as teenagers in a while, and I SHOREly do miss it. 

Set after the Battle of Manhattan. 

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It's morning, or afternoon, Percy isn't really sure. All he knows is the sun is up in the blue sky and he hasn't left his bed unless he's using the restroom. The blankets that cover his scar littered body from previous quests are wrapped around him tightly, holding him back from so much as going to eat, and the trickling of the water fountain is so peaceful he doesn't want to leave. More like he can't leave. 

There's something, an off feeling in his stomach, holding him back from doing everything he loves; canoe and chariot racing, sparring with Annabeth, climbing the rock wall with Travis Stoll, arts and crafts with Malcolm, strawberry picking with Katie Gardener, and just running around with Grover all day.  It's like a swirling pit of grief had settled in his stomach, and no matter how hard he tries, Percy can't stop the painful ache in his heart.

The feeling's new, something he's only felt once before when the Minotaur had captured his mother in the dead of night after a spontaneous visit from his best friend, Grover. The only difference is he's not motivated to do anything about it. Mostly because he can't. Because they're already gone, unlike his mother had been. 

The battle of Manhattan had occurred a week ago and the adrenaline rush of fighting and defeating the Titan lord Kronos had long since faded, sorrow slowly filling in the vacant spot, along with guilt. 

Oh gods, the guilt. 

It's eating him up bit by bit. Percy can almost physically feel the parts of his heart being torn off one by one as the sinking sensation worsens in his stomach. And maybe the awful feeling would just go away if he could shut his brain off for one second, but he can't stop thinking about them. 

They weren't meant to die, heroes or not. 

No one was supposed to day but him. Yet, so many had sacrificed themselves. 

With a quiet groan as his heart lurches painfully, Percy buries his face deeper into his pillow, and pulls the blankets tightly around him which barely helps as he furiously blinks back the tears that are threatening to fall. He's not allowing himself to break down. 

The room is filled with sounds of the trickling fountain, the only peaceful thing he's been able to find since that fateful night back in sixth grade, and Percy's hitched breathing as he tries to keep himself together. For them. 

There's a few seconds in which Percy just lays there, eyes closed, heart heavy, as his brain runs wild, wincing when images of their faces flash through his mind. Fortunately, the mental slideshow is put on hold as someone knocks on the opposite end of the door, but he doesn't even lift his head in their direction. And he can't bring himself to speak. But he remembers he'd left the doors unlocked so if the person on the other side genuinely needs him, they can walk right on in. 

A couple moments later, he hears the door open and close seconds later, but Percy knows the person hadn't peeked inside and left. Percy opens his eyes, only to see nothing. Once he figures out why, his eyelids flutter close, a wave of comfort surpassing him. 

"You should really go eat something."

Her tone isn't hard and demanding like usual, but soft and caring. 

Blinking his eyes open, he finds Annabeth leaning against the door with her arms crossed across her chest, Yankees cap dangling from her fingers. She's wearing her usual camp tee and jean shorts, sneakers adorning her feet. Her blonde hair is let out of it's usual ponytail and falls around her shoulders in perfect, natural ringlets. She looks beautiful. 

"Percy." 

He snaps back to reality and meets her eyes. Annabeth's staring at him in concern and he hates it. He doesn't deserve to be looked at like that. Not after what he's done to them. "I'm not hungry," is all he says.

Annabeth sighs. "You haven't eaten in two days." 

"I'm not," Percy says.

"You have to be somewhat hungry," Annabeth presses, pushing herself off the door and walking to the center of the room, watching him carefully as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed, swaying slightly until the temporary dizziness passes. 

"But I'm not," he repeats, toying with the hem of his blue hoodie. 

In all honesty, Percy is really hungry and craving a good cheeseburger, but he can't eat. Not when they won't even have another meal to look forward to. It wouldn't be fair for him to sit down and have a nice meal when they can't. 

"Why won't you eat?" she asks, not demanding in any way, just genuine curiosity, and he doesn't blame her for asking. If the roles were reversed, he'd be asking her the same thing. When he doesn't answer she continues, "Why won't you come out of your cabin? Why won't you talking to anyone? Why won't you talk to me?" 

During her small interrogation, Percy starts to tremble, overtaken by grief, so he stands and saunters over to her, and wraps his arms around his frame. Annabeth returns the embrace instantly, circling her arms around his middle, making sure to cover the small of his back, and Percy feels the safest he's been in a long time. There, in her arms. As she breathes slowly, her warm breath brushing against his neck, Percy wonders if she'd been wanting to hold him just as bad as he's been needing to hold her. 

And as she squeezes him when the first tear escapes, he understands she does and that this is what it feels to be loved. For a few short moments, he lets himself go. Lets her hold him tight as he lets out every negative emotion he's been holding back. 

"I'm sorry," Percy cries softly against her shoulder, and his brain doesn't even register when his knees give out as he weeps and they slide to the ground, and Annabeth never loosens her grip on him. 

She's running her hand through his raven hair comfortingly as she whimpers out, "It's okay." 

But she doesn't understand. It's not okay. He shakes his head and pulls away, cheeks blotchy and eyes rimmed with red. "No! No, it's not okay. It's definitely not okay!" He starts crying again, tears falling onto their legs between them, and the cabin is filled with the sound of his heartbreaking sobs. 

"Hey, hey," Annabeth whispers and grabs his face in her hands, wiping away the ongoing tears with the pads of her thumbs. "Calm down. It's okay." 

Percy swallows thickly, breath hitching in his chest. "It's not okay," he mutters and meets her grey eyes, reflecting the brokenness his show. "They died. They're gone. And I'm still here, and I'm the one who-who shouldn't-" 

Annabeth interrupts him. "Who's they?" 

"Selina, Beckendorf, Michael," Percy whimpers, becoming hysteric again as their faces flow through his toxic mind again and a fist squeezes over his heart as he practically shouts out the last name, "Luke!" 

"Oh, Percy, no," she whispers and pulls him into another hug and he melts into her. "It's not your fault." 

"But it is!" he cries, "I was supposed to die and they were supposed to live! They were supposed to live! Not me." 

"Hey," her voice takes on a stern tone. "Did you know they were going to die?" 

Percy ignores her. "I-I should have died and ended the whole thing before anyone had gotten hurt." 

Annabeth sighs sadly. "Percy, don't think like that." 

Pulling away so he could see her face, Percy glares at her harshly, and the guilt swarms within him as she flinches back at his fierce gaze. He lets out a long breath and casts his stare to the floor between them. "How can I not?" he asks as calmly as he can, "I wasn't supposed to live past sixteen. Everyone knows that. I knew that. They were supposed to live, but they're gone, and I'm still here." 

"You can't blame yourself, Percy," Annabeth tells him softly and grabs his hand, rubbing his knuckles with her thumb. 

"But I do." Percy rubs his swollen eyes- he hasn't been sleeping much- with the hand that isn't holding onto hers like it's his lifeline, which it kind of is. "And I can't help but feel it's my fault. The guilt- it's been eating me up, Annabeth!" 

Her eyes soften as she leans over to look into his sea green ones. "It's not your fault, Percy. You have to believe me when I tell you that." 

"Help me believe you," Percy whispers brokenly. 

Annabeth sets her unoccupied hand against his cheek and strokes the skin of his cheekbone with her thumbs as he leans into her touch. "Well, think about it this way: you saved more people than we lost." 

Percy hesitantly meets her gaze. "But I could have saved them too." 

She shakes her head. "No, Percy. We were battling. Did you really think everyone was going to come out alive and uninjured?" 

He thinks about it and remembers her scream of pain as she falls to the ground, holding onto her shoulder, blood seeping through her shirt. "I almost lost you too because I hadn't been looking." 

"Don't think about that right now. I'm here and not going anywhere," Annabeth says, "The point is, you can't beat yourself up for something you had no control over. Their deaths were not your fault, okay?" 

"Okay," he whispers. 

Annabeth smiles and leans over to press her lips against his chapped ones, and his eyelids close as he returns the kiss. She pulls away seconds later with a small frown, and he's about to ask what's wrong when she answers his question, "You're dehydrated." 

Percy watches as she stands and he follows suit, but when she announces she's going to go grab him a bottle of water, his hand shoots out and wraps around hers, keeping her in place. He doesn't want to be alone. Not now when his mind is finally quiet and the fist over his heart had finally loosened its grip slightly. "No, stay," he says, a pleading look in his eyes. 

Pressing her lips together, she stares at him for a couple seconds and Percy can almost see the gears turning in her Athenian brain as she thinks about. Finally, Annabeth relents, nodding her head, and allows him to pull her over to the bed after kicking her tennis shoes off. 

They lay beside each other. Percy intertwines their legs, laying on his side as she stays on her back, and he wraps his arms around her waist as he lays his head on her shoulder. Annabeth settles one hand on his arm across her abdomen while the other slowly rakes through the dark strands atop his head. 

They've only been dating for one week and haven't done much cuddling. Percy doesn't count him laying his head in her lap, napping, while she reads as cuddling. But for the short amount of time they've been together and their first time cuddling right now, Percy doesn't think anything has ever felt so right. 

"You'll be okay," she tells him. 

"I'll be alright," he confirms for her. 

With her fingers in his hair, the trickling of the water fountain, and the extra warmth of the girl he loves- though he thinks it's too soon to tell her that- Percy allows himself to fully relax and let the exhaustion take over. I'll be alright, as long as I have her, were his last thoughts before drifting off into a dreamless sleep. 

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 Even when it's rough, you know I'll be there. 

When times are getting tough, you know I'm right here.

 When life is not enough, you know I'll be there next to you, next to you. 

-I'll Be Alright

By: Christopher Bensinger 

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I hope you liked this one shot!