Not a dollar or a crowd could ever keep me here

[yearrounder]

Who; yearrounder and whoever wants to comfort a crying teenage girl.
What; Minor breakdown. It’s been building up for a while.
Where; The library
When; Tuesday, afternoon/evening
Rating; G-PG
Status; OPEN; ongoing

Comments

[youallneedme]

Garrett didn't often visit the library- but once in awhile, he did have the inkling. He'd tried combing through it for information once or twice, but everything on what he'd been looking for (specifically this place, and the history of the Gods behind it) seemed to have been removed. Still, there was hope that someday he might find something that he was looking for- which was what brought him there today

[yearrounder]

She didn't even try to hide it from him--he wouldn't leave her alone until she said something, and he wouldn't let her tell him that it was nothing. Because it wasn't "nothing." She just didn't want to say it out loud. If you said it, it came true.

It would have to be him, too. She couldn't help staring up at him for a moment, not even bothering to wipe the tears off of her face, or change her expression. After a few moments, though, she sighed and looked away.

"A lot of things are wrong."

[youallneedme]

"Oh Annabeth..." the sympathy in his voice was obvious, and Garrett moved before she could stop him. Moved to sit next to her, caught her by the shoulders and gently pulled her into his arms.

"I know," he pulled brushed a thumb against her cheek, gently wiping away some of her tears, but certainly not telling her to stop. Sometimes, this was the sort of thing a person needed- he certainly knew it well enough. Had a sister of his own, had his own moments where it seemed like too much.

[yearrounder]

Her first reaction was to pull away from him--words like "self-sufficient" and "independent" running circles in her head--but all she could manage to do was freeze before she finally just gave up and sobbed into his shoulder. She really couldn't help herself. Not when he was being so obliging. Her hands hurt from clinging to his clothing, but she barely noticed.

It took a few moments for her to calm herself down, but she managed it eventually, pulling back a little and taking a deep breath or two before she spoke in a voice that even sounded tiny to her. "S-sorry...I'll be fine, I promise."

[youallneedme]

He held her all while she sobbed, rubbed her back gently with the palm of his hand, and rocked her as he once had Bethany. It felt like so long ago, now. Especially after everything that had happened here. He considered Annabeth family, the least he could do was be there for her in her times of need. He would wait as long as she needed, would hold her until she asked to be let go

[yearrounder]

She didn't really feel like talking, but accepted the handkercheif and wiped at her eyes with it, sticking to silence for the time being. She wasn't exactly certain she trusted her voice anyway after all...that. For now, she'd just settle for taking deep breaths and trying not to embarrass herself again. Suddenly, she was morbidly glad that Percy wasn't around to see this and in the next instant she felt bad for even thinking that. That was half of what had put her here in the first place.

It took a while before she finally said anything else, and it wasn't much, but she really couldn't think of anything else she could say. She'd run out of words a long time ago--no matter how many she used, nothing was going to get better. She'd still be just as stuck and still be just as on her own as far as people from home went.

"...thanks."

[youallneedme]

He was fine with not talking. He'd said his piece, anyway. Anything more would just seem to him like he was trying to force her into feeling better, and Garrett knew that it simply didn't work that way.

"Any time," he gave her a quick, small smile, "You need me, and I'm there,"