Title: Afterglow
Genre: Percabeth Songfic AU
Song: Afterglow by All Time Low
Word Count: 18,410

Author's Note: SOMEONE STOP ME FROM WRITING ANY MORE 18,000 WORD ONESHOTS WHAT THE FUCK. I've been writing this since March. And YES BITCH THIS IS A SEQUEL. I never do sequels but I wanted to give y'all a little treat because you really wanted this one so :) but please keep in mind that I've never been to any of the places they travel to so its probably inaccurate and I'm sorry. but I hope that you like it because I don't :')

PART ONE: CHAPTER FOUR (No Idea)

WARNING: there is some suggestive language and a smut scene in this one shot. Read at your own risk.

--<O>--

I took a deep breath as I packed up the last of my things. I was really gonna do this. It was hard to believe that I had even asked Percy if I could go with him. To be quite honest, I was surprised with myself. I mean, my life was pretty much perfect; I was valedictorian, I was going to my dream college with a great scholarship. I've never had to struggle a day in my life.

But still, there was something missing. My parents were always so strict, rarely ever letting me stay out past curfew or go to a lot of parties, and, of course, never letting my grades drop below an A.  And, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for that; it gave me all of these great accomplishments and opportunities that I have now, and I was still allowed to have a social life. But I feel this sense of... oppression. That might sound dramatic, but there was a feeling of adventure missing from my life. And I didn't know that that was what had been missing until it was staring me in the face. Until Percy  was staring me in the face.

My fingers buzzed. I had to remind myself that this was what I wanted. I had already paced around my room a million times thinking about every consequence that could come from this. But I couldn't think about that. For once in my life, I just wanted to do without thinking. Annabeth Chase, not thinking. It was funny. 

I was all ready to go. The last thing I needed to do was leave a note. I hadn't told my parents I was going. If I did, they would try to stop me, and never once in my life have I won an argument against them. It was a losing battle, and I needed to do this. Besides, I tell them everything else. For once, I need to be reckless.
I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper.

Mom and Dad
    Please don't freak out. I know that I'm not here and that you're probably thinking of a million ways to punish me. But I am coming back in a few days, I promise. I just need to get away for a little while. Both of you have always done everything you can to understand me, and I've trusted that you'll do the same thing now. Let me have one last fun summer as a teenager before I go off to college. I love you guys and I promise I am okay.
                                            -Annabeth

It was currently 5 a.m., and neither of them got up until 7 a.m., so they'd see it long after I was off.

I took one last look around my room, scanning for anything I might have missed. Then I saw my Polaroid camera and grabbed it off my shelf. I tucked it in my bag and walked out of my room, carefully closing the door behind me. I went down a mental list: phone, check. Wallet, check. Keys, check.

I crept down the stairs as quietly as I could with my bags on my shoulders. I had always loved packing for trips, and I had become quite an expert over the years. I was able to fit a month's worth of essentials in one bookbag and a large duffle bag.

Walking out the front door, I closed it behind me. Seeing the Uber waiting in front of my house, I got in the car and took a deep breath.
I was on my way to spend the start of my summer adventuring with Percy. Percy. I got this strange tingly feeling in my fingers. But then I felt queasy; I had never had a conversation that lasted for more than five minutes with this kid. What if we were completely non-compatible? What if this trip ended up being awful?

But then I remembered; you sort of have a crush on him, dumbass.

Yeah. I know, you'd assume I'd be into the captain of the football team, but Luke Castellan was everything I didn't want. He was so caught up in his image, being around him gave me a headache. Percy just seemed so... real. We had gone to school together for a long time, and even as the most popular girl in school, I never told him how I felt. People are constantly telling me that I could have anyone I want, but it's so much more complicated than that. The one that I do want probably doesn't want me.

Percy is too smart to get caught up in all of the popular kid drama, let alone have feelings for one of them. He wouldn't want anything to do with me and my popularity; he was content with not being in the spotlight. Maybe that was why I liked him so much. He didn't care about what people thought of him. And with the people I was surrounded with, that was incredibly refreshing.

But this was just a fun, friendly, summer adventure with the kid I had a crush on. This was going to be—

"Miss?" her driver asked. "We're here."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized, paying him. "Thank you."

I got out of the car in front of a house. It was tiny and a little run-down looking, but it seemed cozy. Not everyone could live in a sprawling estate like myself. That was another reason I enjoyed Percy. We were from two different worlds; he could show me an entirely different side to life. And that was exactly what I needed.

I walked up the path with my bags and knocked on the door. About a minute passed when I considered knocking again. But just as I was about to, the door swung open to a very disheveled-looking Percy.

"Annabeth," he said, swallowing. He was in nothing but a pair of sweatpants, showing off his surprisingly muscled shoulders. I tried my best not to look at his abs, but I found that to be rather difficult. Percy turned bright red when we both realized I was staring, and I caught myself. My cheeks went almost as red as his.

"Sorry, am I too early?" I asked, feeling really awkward. I looked at my watch; it was 6:15 am—exactly the time we had agreed on.

"Uh..." Percy glanced back inside the house and, while he wasn't paying attention, I snuck a tiny glance at his abs. I know that I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help myself. It's hard being a teenage girl, especially when your crush was standing in front of you half naked. "Nope, you're on time. This is my bad, you wanna come inside?"

"Yeah, sure, thank you." Percy opened the door and I walked into the house. I placed my bag on a chair in the living room and looked around. The place was as small on the inside as it looked on the outside, but it was neat and cozy. I liked it.

"The place is clean for once because my step father isn't home," Percy said, putting a mug from the kitchen counter in the sink. He turned to face me again and leaned against the counter. I pulled my eyes up to his; I really needed to stop trying to stare at his abs. He was just so hot.

Woah.

Yep. It was official. I had a crush on Percy. The next few days were gonna be pretty fun.

"No it's nice," I complimented and I meant it. It was nice to be around something different; something simple.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked. "Water or... water?"

I laughed. I had always known he had a sense of humor. "No, I'm okay, thank you." There was a pause, a silence settling between us. "So... are you all packed, or...?"

"Oh, um I have a few things I need to finish getting together but I'm pretty much set." He started walking down a hallway off the living room and I followed him. He opened a door and we walked into what I assumed was his bedroom.

It was small, with only a bed, a desk, a dresser and then a door which I assumed was his closet. The bed was unmade, but that was probably because I had woken him up. I felt a little guilty about that, but this was the time we agreed on. He grabbed a shirt out of a drawer and pulled it on over his muscular shoulders—I really needed to stop. Part of me wanted to tell him to just go shirtless; I didn't mind. I stopped myself from thinking like that; I couldn't. It was stupid to think he would have a crush on me.

"I have a few other things I need to pack up, but other than that, it's all in there." Percy pointed to a suitcase on his desk filled with clothes folded a little haphazardly. Just the sight of that made me want to repack the entire thing.

"Do you need any help?" I asked. I figured it was the nicest way to imply that he did.

"Oh, no that's okay," he politely declined, waving his hand.

"Can I help you? I mean, you did a great job but there's a lot more you can fit in here," I said. He seemed to take the hint.

"Yeah sure," he laughed. "Sorry that my packing is—"

"Oh, god, don't apologize. I'm just a neat freak, and I figure why waste space, right?" I started unpacking his suitcase, repacking everything the way I did. You'd think it would be awkward to pack his underwear but it wasn't so bad—Percy didn't seem to mind.

When I was finished, he walked up next to me. "Holy shit," he muttered. I laughed. "How did you...?"

"Magic," I joked. "Now you can fit way more in here."

"Thank you," Percy said, smiling at me. We packed up the rest of his things and he got dressed. We had breakfast, which was one of my favorite things; cereal. By that point, Percy's friend Grover came and helped us pack up everything else, loading it all into the car. It was 8:30 a.m. when we were completely ready to go.

"Alright," Grover said. "You're all packed up." I watched him and Percy just look at each other for a while. I knew how close they were—we had gone to school together a long time, and when I became a part of the student council I did my best to know everyone. Of course, I had had eyes on Percy for a little while before that.
This was inevitable for the two, but that didn't make it any easier; it's always hard to say goodbye to a friend, even if it's not for forever. That made me think of the people I was leaving behind.

Out of the people I hung out with at school, I only had one true best friend; Hazel Levesque.
She was probably the gentlest and most soft-spoken person I know. She was like Percy in the sense that she wasn't so caught up in what people thought of her and, although she was in it, she didn't care for the spotlight. That was part of the reason I liked her. She wasn't focused on popularity, so she was one of the few people who really understood me and who I could connect with. Aside from that, she was hilarious and wise beyond her years once you got to know her—she was pretty shy. And, the icing on the cake, Hazel was a genius. She was going to UCSF to become a doctor.

That was also part of the reason I was going on this trip. Hazel already had plans to move out to California right after graduation. I had actually been at the airport when she left—we both had been bawling our eyes out, obviously. But I drilled it into her head that she could call me any time, and she had done the same.

"Annabeth?" Percy asked, pulling me from my thoughts. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," I said. "Sorry."

"It's fine... you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah I'm okay." I gave him a smile for reassurance, and he returned it with a playfully skeptical glance followed by a grin. Butterflies danced up my spine when he looked at me like that. Dear lord, how was I supposed to get through this trip without kissing him?

"Alright buddy," Grover said, hugging Percy one last time. Then we got in the car.

Percy put his key in the ignition but didn't turn it. "Are you ready to begin the rest of our lives?"

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. "Yeah," I said, practically buzzing with excitement. He turned the key.

And so began the rest of our lives.

--<O>--

"Oh, here's an awful one," I said, laughing. "Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?"

"Hm..." Percy pretended to think for a second. "Why?" He wore a huge grin and I couldn't help but admire how perfect his smile was.

For context, I had started looking up the worst corny jokes and telling them to Percy for entertainment. It sounds stupid, but we were both cherry red from laughing so hard. We had been driving for about nine hours already and were currently in West Virginia. It was strange to think that we had gotten so far in only one day, but we left pretty early.

"Because he got a whole in one," I chuckled, waiting for Percy's reaction; that was the real entertainment.

"That's so dumb," he laughed. I bursted out laughing too, losing my breath. Percy seemed to laugh harder when he looked at me and we were both just delirious. I was so happy to be in that car with him. Seeing his face made any doubts that I had just disappear.

After both of us had caught our breaths, I stared at Percy for a little while. Well, when I say a little while, I mean as long as I could before he noticed. I just loved being around him. Never once did the butterflies in my stomach go away.

"I'm kinda hungry," I said.

"Thank god you said that because I am starving," he said, smiling over at me and making me chuckle. He pulled off the next exit.

"Welcome to Charles Town," I read from the sign. "Look out, West Virginia," I joked. Percy laughed. I liked making him laugh.

We drove around for a short while. The small town was... picturesque. It was the kind of place that I loved. That classic town in old movies where kids rode bikes everywhere and everyone went to the local high school and they had rivalry football games with cheering crowds of teens.

"Part of me has always wanted to live in a small town like this," I started. "I mean, you can't beat living so close to the Big Apple, but—"

"You still want a different experience," Percy finished for me. We locked eyes.

"Yeah," I said quietly, slowly nodding. In that moment, I was sucked into his eyes. The beautiful shades of green were flecked with blue, and even gold in the light of the setting sun. It was mesmerizing; I could have stayed like that forever.

The person behind us, however, could not. They honked and we jumped, Percy looking back to the road and driving.

Soon enough, we found somewhere easy to eat.
"Nothing says 'fun summer road trip' like fast food," I said, looking at the restaurant.

Percy grinned over at me. "Glad we're on the same page." He pulled into the parking lot.

--<O>--

"Ugh," I sighed, plopping down in the passenger seat and closing the door. "That was good,"

"It definitely was," Percy agreed. At first, I was a little afraid to eat in front of Percy; it's stupid, but I didn't really like people watching me eat, especially my crush. But my hunger quickly outweighed that and I realized I felt comfortable with him. And so, we had a really good meal. Well, the food may not have been the best for us, but it was a good time.

"I say we go to one of those tiny motels that you see people get in movies," Percy suggested, making me smile.

"Sounds like a plan." We started our drive. It was dark out now, but even at 9:30 at night the small town still felt safe. Soon enough, it started to rain. I had smelled it in the air when we had gotten in the car. We quickly put up the windows but it wasn't long before we found the place we were looking for.

Percy pulled into the parking lot of a tiny motel, just like the ones you saw in movies. Even if we didn't want to stay there, it was the best we could do; I hadn't seen any other places to stay. We got out and quickly ran into the building out front.

"Well, it really must be raining cats and dogs out there, huh?" There was an older woman behind the desk, a warm smile on her face. "Welcome to the Maple Motel. What can I help you with?"

I sighed, trying to shake some of the rain drops off my clothes. "We need a room, two beds please. " I returned the woman's smile. It was good to be nice to people.

She checked a big book on her desk. "Oh, you got the last one. Room 3A." She marked something down. "How many nights?"I looked to Percy.

"One is okay?" he asked me. I nodded. "Yeah, just one." Then he pulled out his wallet.

"No, no I'm paying," I insisted, getting my wallet out.

"No you're not," he protested.

"Yes I am, you paid for dinner and this is really not that much," I fought back. "Percy my parents are rich, save your money." Now, let me explain that. I had been saving up and rarely used the allowance money I used to get as a kid. A majority of this was my own money, but it wasn't like I didn't have some support behind me. Percy didn't have that, and he was on a much bigger adventure than I was. He needed to save a lot more than me. I quickly handed the lady my card.

Percy sighed. "I'm getting you back," he promised.

"Okay, Jackson." I just smiled at him. He wasn't paying me back anything—I wouldn't let him.

"Here are your keys." She handed us a key each and directed us to the room.

We got back in the car—it was still raining pretty hard—and pulled into a spot in front of our room. Then, after a count of three, we got out of the car with our bags and ran into the room.

Percy closed the door behind him. I put my bags down on the table. He went to place his things on the bed but I stopped him.

"Wait!" He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me skeptically. "I have to check the mattress. Put your stuff down over here," I explained. The first thing I always had to do before I touched any fabric in a hotel room was check for bedbugs.

"Right," he agreed. I quickly checked the corners and edges of the mattresses to find that they were clean.

"You're good to go." I smiled and he returned it. I must have seemed like a total freak to him. Luckily, he decided not to dwell on it.

"They really set us up here," Percy joked, looking at the few things on the table. "Guess how many plastic cups they gave us."

"Two?" I guessed, trying not to laugh.

"Three. We got three whole cups, Chase," he said. We laughed. He plopped himself down on his bed, making as much noise as possible, including an over dramatic sigh of relief, which I found quite funny. "You wanna see what's on t.v. at 10 o'clock at night in Charles Town, West Virginia?" he grabbed the remote and clicked on the t.v.

"Do I ever," I joked.

We flipped through a few channels, making fun of the movies and shows that were on. Finally, Percy stopped on a channel.

"Oh, here's a classic," he said, turning up the volume. It was Titanic. I laughed. "Do you have the snacks we got on the road?"

"Yeah,"

"Do we still have fruit snacks?"

"Yep." I pulled them out of the bag and tossed them to him. He caught them easily, opening the pack and eating a few. I had no idea why, but watching him chew the fruit snacks... maybe it was his jaw? His jawline was so sharp it was almost ridiculous. I pulled myself from those thoughts. I was in no place for my mind to be in the gutter. I needed to pull it together.

"'I want you to paint me like one of your French girls,'" Percy quoted, striking a pose. I let out a loud laugh, grinning and shaking my head. He smiled back at me. I then looked at the screen and realized that scene was about to come up, which meant I'd be watching it with Percy. I sat on my bed and tried to brace myself. This isn't going to be awkward, just calm down.

The scene came up and I did everything I could not to look at Percy. We were both completely silent.

"I still think I could do a way better job than her," Percy finally muttered, popping a gummy into his mouth.

I chuckled, thanking god for his ability to ease the tension. "Definitely," I agreed, nodding. Percy really was something else.

--<0>--

"Annabeth?" I asked into the darkness.

"Yeah?" she replied. I was glad to hear that she was still awake. Even after driving all day, it seemed that neither of us could sleep. I looked out the window. It was still raining, although not as hard.

Suddenly, I had an idea. I didn't know what had happened to me between graduation and the beginning of this trip, but clearly something had because I wasn't an awkward mess. And what I was about to do could either get me punched or hugged. I hoped for the latter, but I honestly wasn't sure. When did I become such a risk taker?

"Come here," I said, getting up and pulling on my shoes.

"What?"

"Come here," I insisted, nodding her over.

"Percy, it's 12 a.m., what are you doing?" she asked, getting up. We spoke quietly; I wasn't exactly sure why, but it just felt right.

"Come on," I insisted again.

She smirked and shook her head, lacing up her Converse. "What are we doing?" she asked as I led her to the parking lot outside our room. "Percy, it's raining." I stepped out from the cover of the awning.

"I know," I said, spreading my arms and letting the rain cover me. Annabeth laughed at me and I smiled. She looked gorgeous in the moonlight. Shaking her head one last time, she walked out into the rain. She looked up, closed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue. I laughed, making her as well.

"Dance with me?" I asked.

"There's no music," she said, shrugging.

"Doesn't matter," I said, still holding out my hand. She finally took it, walking up close to me. I looked down at her as she wrapped her arms around my neck and I placed my hands on her waist. I hoped she couldn't hear how ridiculously fast my heart was thumping, although she probably could. We began to sway to nothing but the sound of the rain. I admired Annabeth  and how beautiful she looked with little rain drops in her hair.

After a few more silent moments, she started humming. Her voice was so gentle and smooth, I could listen to it forever. It took me a second to remember what song it was, but then I got it. She looked up and smiled at me, and I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

She started singing the lyrics, and by that point, I couldn't help it—I joined her.

"Tell me, did you sail across the sun?
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated?
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?
One without a permanent scar and did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?"

She smiled at me when we finished the chorus. She continued to hum the song, laying her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and breathed in the lemony scent of her hair. I burned this moment into my memory; I knew that I would never be able to forget dancing in the rain with the most beautiful girl I've ever known.

We continued to sway, Annabeth humming gently, the rain barely even registering to us. We were soaked by that point, but it didn't matter; I was holding her in my arms. That was all that mattered.

Step outside in the midnight rain
King and queen of the streets again
Got young blood running through our veins
And it keeps us numb like Novocaine

--<0>--

I yawned, stretching in my bed. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking over to Percy.
Percy. That boy was just... Last night was so perfect. Dancing in the rain was something you only saw in movies. But here I was, dancing in the rain with the boy of my dreams. I looked over and watched him sleep, his breathing deep and even.

I noticed drool on his pillow and scrunched my nose. He was so adorable his drool didn't even gross me out. I really must have it bad.

Suddenly, he stirred. He stretched and sat up, looking over at me with squinty eyes. "Goodmorning," he said with a small smile. His voice was deep and a bit raspy from sleep. I loved it.

"'Morning," I replied, yawning again. "Do you mind if I shower first?" I asked.

"Yeah, no that's fine." Percy's hair was a complete mess and he looked adorable. I couldn't help it when I cracked a smile. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head and trying to hide my smile. I got up and grabbed my things, heading into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and turned on the shower. It was a tiny bathroom, but the shower was big enough. I stripped down and got in.

It was a little strange to think that I was naked and that Percy was on the other side of that door. Maybe you should invite him in... I thought. I smirked in spite of myself—like I would really do that. I washed my hair as quickly as possible, keeping in mind that Percy was still waiting.

When I was finished, I turned off the water and got out. I got dressed and quickly brushed and braided my hair. I stepped out of the bathroom when I was finished.

"It's all yours," I said.

"Thank you," Percy said with a small smile, walking into the bathroom and closing the door. My mind wandered... to what it would like if I were in that shower with him. I really needed to stop, my god.

--<0>--

"You ready?" Percy asked. It was late now; after we showered, we had gotten breakfast and walked around Charles Town. It was a cute little place and we had had a nice time. But it was time that our trip continued. We had all of our stuff packed up and in the car.

"Yep." I nodded. Percy went to return our keys. He came back a few minutes later. "I'm driving," I insisted.

"You sure? You don't have to, you know,"  he offered.

"No, no, you drove for so long yesterday, let me today," I said.

"If you insist. But please don't crash my car," he smirked at her, tossing me the keys.

"I'm not gonna crash the car," I muttered, getting in.

I crashed the car.

I'm just kidding—I am an excellent driver. My parents drilled it into my head that I always had to be safe, especially when someone else was in the car. So, I was.

We had been driving for about an hour and it was late—about 10:00 p.m. But I felt like I could go all night long. I loved long drives; good music, the open road. It was peaceful. And now, it was more fun than ever with Percy in the passenger seat. We belted out old Panic! At The Disco and Fallout Boy songs, although most of it was laughing.

I was pretty sure that I would never be bored with Percy. And that was good, because we would be driving well into the night. Our next move was Myrtle Beach. I had been a few times, but Percy never had, so I figured, why not show him a good time? Of course, that was 6 and a half hours away, though. But I was okay with that.

"So, truth or dare, Chase?" he asked. Oh yeah—we were playing truth or dare to pass the time.

"Truth," I said.

"Wuss," he teased.

"Shut up," I chuckled, swatting his shoulder.

"What's the worst thing you've ever done to someone?" he asked.

"What? Why is that the question you choose to ask?" I laughed.

"Well, Annabeth, it's a very psychologically revealing game," he explained, matter-of-factly.

I laughed again. "Alright, um..." I had to think for a second. Then I remembered. "It was probably when I pushed Richard Dickson off the slide in second grade. He broke his arm, and he wasn't even really bothering me that much. I never meant to hurt him that badly, but... oops," I explained, shrugging.

"Aw, poor Richard. Yeah, that kid was doomed from the start with a name like that," Percy muttered and we laughed.

"It's my turn," I announced. "Okay... What's the craziest place you've ever had sex?" I knew it was a bold question, but I was bored, and my hormones really were getting the best of me.

"Oh, so we're going there now, huh?" He laughed.

"I mean, if you don't mind," I chuckled, shrugging.

"No I don't," he said, his gaze lingering on me. I looked back to the road and prayed my cheeks weren't too red. "This is actually kind of embarrassing," he chuckled. "I'm a virgin."

"Really?" It left my mouth before I could stop it.

"I can't decide whether to be flattered or humiliated that you're surprised," he said, grinning.

I laughed. "No, I just thought, I don't know..." I struggled for words. There was a long pause. "Flattered," I said finally, quickly glancing over at him.

A look of relief passed over him before his cheeks went bright red. He looked down into his lap and I pulled my eyes back to the road.
"Thanks," he said. I simply smiled in reply, exhaling through my nose. "But what about you? What's the craziest place you've ever done it?"

"What makes you think I've done it in a crazy place?"

"There's a simple philosophy when it comes to asking questions. Part of you wants to know the answer to that question and, depending on what you ask, you want that question to be asked back," he explained. I found that there was truth to that.

I wore an impressed look on my face. "And here I was thinking you're a Seaweed Brain," I teased. Oh my god, I did not just say that. Seaweed Brain?  What are we, twelve?

"Well you're not the only smart one, Wise Girl," he retorted without skipping a beat. I suddenly felt relieved. He didn't seem to mind that stupid nickname, and Wise Girl... it was kind of dorky, but it made the butterflies in my stomach do flips. I liked it. "So?"

"Well..." I started. "A Denny's bathroom."

He blinked. "What?"

"I'm just kidding!" I laughed. "Oh, my god the look on your face was priceless."

"I hate you," he laughed.

When I finally caught my breath, I answered. "No, um, the shower. But he slipped," I admitted. I had only ever been intimate with one person, and it was only a couple times before we broke up.

"Oh, that's fun," Percy joked. "I'm trying to think who you dated..."

"You're not gonna know," I insisted, shaking my head.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. We kept it a secret for that exact reason. And he didn't even go to Goode, so you don't know him," I said. I wasn't quite ready to share Charlie with anyone just yet. I still liked having him as my little secret. Even though it was brief, it was passionate. And it was love. I liked having him to myself.

"Alright, alright," he relented. "It's your turn to ask." It seemed that we had just been going back and forth with questions by this point—it's not like we had a lot of 'dare' options.

"Right, um..." I trailed off, trying to think of something to ask. "Have you ever been in love?"

He stayed silent for a second. "Yeah, I think I have," he said with a thoughtful look on his face, nodding, although it seemed more to himself than to me. I bit my lip and stopped my mind from wandering; he was not talking about you—that would be insane.

"Who?"

"That's two questions, Chase," he said, grinning.

"Oh, come on," I complained.

"Nope, it's my turn," he said. I realized I wasn't going to get an answer and I let it go. "What's your biggest physical turn on?"

"So we're going there now, are we?" I mocked him.

Percy laughed. "If that's alright with you."

"I'd have to say... a good set of shoulders." I shrugged and bit my lip. Just thinking about that—it sent my mind to all kinds of places.

"Really?" he asked almost timidly.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No reason."

"Sure, Jackson, sure," I teased. Then we both started laughing. We went back and forth for a long time, asking and answering questions, but mostly laughing.

Alright
We can go all night
'Cause we got a whole lot of fight in us
And I see a long road
That we gotta follow
Before tomorrow catches up

--<0>--

"This seems safe enough," I said, pulling into a spot. It was next to this open field, which seemed to be public property. It was 2 a.m.—we had been driving for four hours and needed a break. We decided to sleep for a few hours before we had to drive the last two to Myrtle Beach. I was too tired to remember where we were.

"I think we'll be fine," Percy agreed. I cut the engine and sighed, leaning forward. "We need some sleep."

"Definitely." I pulled the lever on the side of my seat and it reclined all the way down. Percy did the same. "Mmm," I hummed. "It feels good to close my eyes." We chuckled.

I didn't know how I knew, but something told me Percy was staring at me. I tried not to blush and decided to let him. Was that... selfish? I don't know, but I didn't really care.

"Goodnight, Wise Girl,"

Hearing that nickname made my heart flutter. "'Night, Seaweed Brain."

It wasn't long before my eyelids got heavy and I fell asleep.

I woke up and checked my phone. 7:34 a.m. I blinked a few times at the sunlight streaming into the car. I looked over to see Percy sleeping peacefully, his long eyelashes resting carefully over his eyes. He looked so adorable, I decided to wait for him to wake up. I liked watching him sleep. It was comforting to know that he could sleep soundly.

I had thought about New York a couple times—I had thought about what Percy was leaving. His step-father was... not good to him. I didn't know all the details, but I knew it was pretty bad. I wasn't stupid; I had noticed the bruises Percy would come to school with sometimes. In fact, that nagged at me; there were so many times I wanted to talk to him, to reach out. Why didn't I? It was so stupid of me. I was just glad he was getting away from that now.

Suddenly, he began to stir. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, sighing deeply.

"'Morning, Sunshine," I teased.

Percy smiled sleepily. Oh my god, he was so cute. "Good morning." I think I've already gone over his sexy-sleepy voice, haven't I? "How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long," I said. "I say we get some breakfast."

"Breakfast sounds incredible," he agreed. I smiled and we went to get breakfast.

--<0>--

"Sweet home, Alabama!" We called out, shouting the lyrics over the song playing from the radio. We were continuing our drive, and were screaming the lyrics of all the classics, of course.

"Hey, maybe that's where we should go," I suggested, a goofy grin on my face.

"Alabama?" Percy asked, chuckling. "Isn't there, like, that whole thing with incest down there?"

"Oh, yeah," I realized. "How about..." I thought for a second. "Mississippi?"

"I'd go to Mississippi," he agreed, shrugging. We laughed. "But I say we get to Myrtle Beach first."

"Deal," I said. We planned on going there, getting a room in the cheapest hotel we could find, spending a day or two on the beach... It would be fun. I was excited.

I stuck my hand out the window as Percy drove, letting it catch in the wind. "So where's Grover going?"

"Ah, he's going to University of North Carolina for environmental science," he replied.

"Oh wow. Good for him," I said.

"You're going somewhere out in California, right?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, Berkeley." I nodded. I thought about school. I thought about how this would be over soon enough, and I'd be on my own. I would have to return to reality and be an adult. But I didn't want to think about that; I shouldn't have been. I just needed to be in the moment, and enjoy it for everything that it was. That's what this whole trip was about. I never wanted to forget this feeling; this freedom, this openness. It was amazing, and I wanted to remember it. I had to remember it.

"Maybe I'll go out in Cali," he joked, and we laughed. That got me thinking; what if he did? But no—we weren't even together and I was already thinking about moving somewhere together? Oh my god, I needed to get a grip.

Oh, just take it easy
Hold onto this feeling
All our friends are leaving
And we ain't got nowhere to go
Caught up in the afterglow

"So what are you running from exactly, Jackson?" I asked, only half joking.

"Eh, you don't wanna know," he said, changing lanes. He was staring straight out at the road.

"Really?" I asked, trying to see just how far I could go without tipping it. I didn't want to intrude, but the curiosity was eating at me.

"New York is great and all," he started. "There's just too much shit there and no matter how hard I try, it follows me. So maybe, if I leave, it'll get off my back. I don't know, it's kind of dumb," he finsihed, shrugging.

"No, I... I get that." I nodded.

"You know, after my mom died I was left with my step dad, and he used to beat the shit out of me. Not so much anymore but... sometimes it gets bad. I just needed to get away from that," he explained.

"Oh my god." I didn't know what to say. Domestic abuse was an awful thing to have to deal with. "I'm really sorry about that."

"Ah, don't be. It is what it is and it's not like he cares enough to track me down, so," he paused, taking a breath. "Free at last,"

I chuckled and Percy grinned over at me. "Well, you seem to have handled it well," I offered, trying to follow his optimism. "You don't look too bad," I joked.

He laughed and it was nice to hear. "Thanks, Chase." There was a pause and I found that I was smiling. "That's nice coming from someone who looks like they belong on the big screen," he muttered. I noticed the nervousness surrounding him and tried not to blush. I bit my lip.

Can't stay here but ya can't go home
Did you hear that line somewhere before?
And you look just fine on your own
But we look better in the afterglow

"How much further?" Percy asked.

I checked the GPS on my phone. "Uh, only about 30 minutes."

"It feels like I'm a kid again, getting all excited," He laughed.

I chuckled too. "I know right. We're gonna have so much fun." I looked out at the road and smiled. The trees were green and lush, flying by and blending all together.  Sitting back in my seat, I sighed. I couldn't help it. I just felt so happy.

Alright
We can go all night
'Cause we got a whole lot of fight in us
And I see a long road
That we gotta follow
Before tomorrow catches up

"Ugh, that was so fun!" I laughed. It was about 12:30 a.m. and Percy and I were just coming back to our hotel room. We both took a small nap after we got in, and then we hit the park. We played games and went on rides and Percy almost threw up funnel cake which hadn't been so fun. But after some water and a quick rest at a table, he was good to go. Everything about the night had been perfect. He had even won me this cute owl.

"I can't believe you spent $15 to get me this owl," I laughed, holding it up. It had took him a couple tries to win it... okay, maybe more than a couple. But it was really sweet of him.

Percy laughed, putting his things on the table and plopping on his bed. "How could I not? Your face when you saw it," he insisted.

I laughed again after pulling off my shoes. I sat on my bed. " Well thank you,"

"Don't mention it, Chase," he winked at me and clicked his tongue. I smirked at him, trying to fight down my blush. "Thanks for taking me here, though."

"Well, you drove most of the way—" I insisted.

"But I wouldn't have come here without you." He looked over at me and we locked eyes.

I paused for a moment, getting sucked into his gaze. "Don't mention it," I said, deciding to mimic him. He smirked. "Do you wanna shower?"

"Oh, no I'm just gonna do it in the morning. I am beat." He opened up his bag and pulled some things out, throwing them on the bed.

"Alright. I'm gonna get in then. You'll probably be asleep by the time I get out so, goodnight, I guess," I chuckled.

Percy looked at me and smiled. "Goodnight, Wise Girl."

With one last smile, I grabbed my bag and walked into the bathroom. I pressed myself against the door and let out a heavy but quiet sigh. Oh, the way he had just looked at me. I was gonna be doing more than wash my hair in the shower tonight.

God, I'm a mess.

--<0>--

"Hey," Percy said suddenly. We had just got back to the room after some sightseeing and souvenir shopping.

"Yeah?" I asked.

He paused for a second and I looked over at him. "You wanna go somewhere a little fancy for dinner?"

I was surprised. "Okay, sure." I nodded, smiling.

"Okay," he said, nodding back. "I'll set it up."

"Alright, Jackson." We laughed and continued walking. A fancy dinner? I prayed that meant what I thought it meant, but I also knew I was probably just grasping at straws. But still, I smiled to myself as we walked into the room, and I couldn't seem to stop.

--<0>--

I looked at myself in the mirror, fixing my lipstick a little bit. I was wearing the fanciest thing I had brought with me, and a little bit of makeup, as well as some jewelry. My dress was a periwinkle color with short sleeves and it came to my mid-thigh. The neckline was low but not too low, which was perfect. I was suddenly really glad I brought the dress—I had almost left it home. My heels made me probably the same height as Percy, and I was just glad I wouldn't be taller. I didn't have anything against short guys, it's just a little awkward for me.

Checking one last time, I knew I was ready to go. I felt like I had already made Percy wait forever. I opened the bathroom door and walked out to find Percy sitting on the bed, in a button down shirt and khaki pants. He looked so cute, my heart did a flip. I grinned at the sight of him.

"Sorry for taking so long," I said.

Percy suddenly looked up and his mouth hung open in an 'o'. He gulped and tried to say something.

I laughed, blushing. I hoped he thought it was just my makeup. "Thanks," I chuckled. "You look really nice."

"Y-yeah, t-thanks," he stuttered. He stood up from the bed and cleared his throat. "You wanna start over there?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I grabbed my small purse, putting in my phone, wallet, and keycard. "You ready to go?"

"Yep," Percy said, nodding. We left the room, butterflies booming in my stomach and my pulse pounding in my fingertips. I took a quiet deep breath, excited for the night ahead of me.

--<0>--

"I still can't believe you were so mean to that kid!" Percy laughed, taking another bite of his ice cream.

I laughed. We were walking down the boardwalk, enjoying our ice cream and laughing. Dinner had been great and the night only seemed to get better. "It's not my fault he was being a little shit," I insisted.

Percy laughed harder. "Ah, that was so good," he sighed.

I leaned slightly into him as I ate more ice cream, still laughing. Now we were walking side by side, perfectly in step. "What did you get again?" I asked, nodding to his ice cream.

"Chocolate cotton candy swirl," he explained, grinning.

I laughed. "You're the worst kind of person, you know that?" I teased.

"Oh really? Says the person who got pistachio," he retorted.

"Pistachio is a classic!" I protested. "Here, try it." I got a spoonful and held it to Percy. He gave me a look before I fed him the ice cream. He made a face of disgust as me and I laughed.
"You know it's good," I said, rolling my eyes.

"You were so mean. Don't knock it 'til you try it, Chase," he insisted, offering me a spoonful of his. I ate it and tasted the odd combination. It wasn't bad—I just preferred something less... chaotic. But it was funny, because that was a very 'Percy' thing to order.

"Hm?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "It's good, right?"

"Eh," I said, shaking my hand for emphasis.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes, but he wore a grin. "So sad that you don't understand the beauty of what I'm eating right now."

"Shut up," I laughed, making Percy as well. I looked around and saw a bench, quieter than the rest of the boardwalk. It faced out at the beach. "Come on," I said, grabbing Percy's hand. I led him to the bench and we sat down.

"This is nice," he said, nodding.

"It is," I agreed. I scooted slightly closer to him. I leaned my head on his shoulder and looked out at the waves. I finished my ice cream, placing it next to me on the bench. Then, after a few more moments, I sat up and looked at Percy. He stared back at me. "This was really nice, Percy."

"It was," he agreed, nodding. We were so close, I could just lean in and kiss him. His lips looked so soft and warm. I wanted to pull him close to me and just—

"AHHHHH!" A scream ripped through the air, making us both jump apart. I looked behind us and noticed a few feet over from our bench, a woman was standing with her hands over her face as a guy kneeled in front of her—he was proposing.

Sure, it's an exciting moment, but screaming like that? That was completely over the top. You're not the only person having a moment, lady! I wanted to yell. But I knew it was ruined. I shouldn't kiss Percy anyways. Maybe it was for the best.

"That's... that's great," he said, sounding a little disappointed. Everyone on the boardwalk clapped when the couple kissed, including us.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"We should start heading back," Percy said.
I nodded in agreement—if I spoke it would come out too sad. I tried to wear a grin as we began our walk back.

--<0>--

"Great way to end the night, huh?" I said as we walked into the room.

Percy chuckled. "Yeah."

"I had a lot of fun." I smiled at him and he grinned back at me. That sent tingles up my spine.

"Me too. We should do it again some time," he said, laughing.

I chuckled. "Definitely."

We both got ready for bed and slept peacefully for our last night in Myrtle Beach. I was really happy with how the night had gone, and I dreamed of what it would have been like if we hadn't been interrupted. Maybe I'd get there soon enough...

Oh, just take it easy
Hold onto this feeling
All our friends are leaving
But we ain't got nowhere to go
Caught up in the afterglow
We ain't got nowhere to go
Caught up in the afterglow

--<0>--

"You know, I was thinking about Mississippi," I said, helping Percy load our bags into the car. "But I think there's somewhere way more fun we could go."

"What'd you have in mind?" he asked, shutting the trunk.

"Memphis."

Percy seemed to consider it as we got into the car. "Memphis sounds cool."

"Yeah?" I asked. He nodded and smiled at me. "Alright then." I grinned. "Memphis, here we come."

I wondered what it was like for him. After so many years of having nowhere to go, we could suddenly go almost anywhere we wanted. I had been on a lot of vacations in my life so far, and I knew that a lot of people didn't have that and of course I was grateful to be able to do so. But this was so much better than any time I had stayed in a five star hotel on white sand beaches. It felt so much more real and worthwhile. I felt free. And I would remember this for the rest of my life.

Not a chance that I would forget. I couldn't.

And I was so lucky.

--<0>--

"You want food? I kinda want food," Percy said. We were roughly 8 hours into the 11 ½ hour drive to Memphis, so it was around 9 p.m. We had been driving most of the day, of course, making some stops here and there. Percy even made me stop the car so that we could look at some ducks on the side of the road. He was being too adorable for me to be annoyed, and that was what this road trip was all about.

"Food sounds really good. When's the next exit?" I asked. Percy was manning the GPS because I was driving.

"It says in two miles we can get off at Jasper, Alabama," he explained. "There's a rest stop that we can stop at."

"Sweet Home Alabama," I started to hum as a joke. Percy laughed and I grinned at him. I inhaled deeply and then sighed. I raised my shoulders and sat straight up, stretching a bit.
Percy chuckled at me. "What are you doing?"

"Stretching," I said like it was obvious, because it was. "You should try it. You breathe in, raise your shoulders all the way and let them drop back as you breathe out." Percy followed my instructions as I said them. "You feel better, don't you?"

"What? No," he protested in that way that's always very obviously a lie.

"Yeah you do," I teased, smirking at him.

"I do actually," he admitted, more serious now. "The exit is right up there," he reminded me.

I signaled and switched lanes, getting off at the exit.  We pulled into a rest stop and I parked the car.

We got out, stepping into a warm, humid night in Alabama. I breathed in and we both started stretching more. It felt good to be out of the car. We closed the doors and walked into the building.

"We should get matching hats. Oh, look at those, how stylish," I commented, pointing to a rack in the window of one of the small shops. It had a huge fish on the front and was very... southern and tourist-y, of course.

Percy laughed. "Definitely. Oh, and how could you forget the matching shirt?" I laughed harder, seeing the t-shirt with a much bigger, but matching fish. It might have been one of the ugliest things I had ever seen.

We walked to the food court and considered our options. Percy got something from PF Changs and I ordered something from the Chipotle. We sat with our food and drinks. The rest stop didn't seem very busy and it was more on the quiet side, but that was nice.

"Food courts are great because you have so many options," Percy said, sipping his soda. I nodded, chuckling a little bit. "What?" he asked, noticing my chuckling.

"Nothing," I insisted, shaking my head.

"No, what?" he asked again.

I laughed with a hand in front of my mouth. "You just make me laugh sometimes."
Percy was silent for a second. "You know, that really hurt—"
"No, no! Not in a bad way," I laughed. "No, you're just so... you. And I love that." I sipped my water before grinning at him, trying not to laugh again.

Now he chuckled, "Thank you. I try, I really do," he joked, making me laugh harder.

There was a long pause of the both of us just smiling and chuckling. "These food courts are pretty great though," I said finally.

"Right? Thank you!" Percy nodded and we were back to laughing.

--<0>--

"What are you doing?" Percy asked.
I pulled the car over. We had started our drive out of Jasper, but I noticed something. There looked to be a pond off the road we were driving on. It looked pretty and scenic, so I thought why not take a look.

"Come on." I beckoned for Percy to get out of the car. We stepped out into the hot, humid southern morning. He followed me to the pond through some bushes and found a dock.

"This is kinda awesome," he chuckled.

I decided to be a little bold. "Up for a morning swim?"

He stared at me for a second, clearly caught off guard. I stifled a laugh. "But we don't have bathing suits on."

"So?" I shrugged. Then I pulled off my shirt and threw it on the dock. "A little skinny dipping never hurt anyone." I was left in my black bra, which, thankfully, did me some favors. It was strange because I didn't feel nervous. It was like adrenaline was coursing through me and all of a sudden I could be as smooth as ever.

Percy laughed, and I noticed his cheeks were a little red. I blamed it on the humidity. "I guess it didn't."

We both stripped down to our underwear and stood at the end of the dock. I had to force my eyes away from his abs. I tried to ignore the thoughts of what I wanted him to do to me.

"You think it's gonna be cold?" Percy asked.

"I think you should find out." Then I pushed him in.

He broke the surface and whipped his hair out of his eyes, looking at me open-mouthed, and shocked. I was laughing so hard I almost fell in myself.

"You're so gonna get it," he said. He climbed back onto the dock and I tried to run, but I was laughing too hard. Percy threw his arms around me and I squealed. His skin was cold against my own, which was warm from the sun. I could feel his muscled stomach against my back and I bit my lip, still laughing.

"No, no, no!" I screamed as he threw me into the water. It was freezing cold, but still refreshing in the hot, sticky weather. Percy jumped in and came up next to me. "I am gonna kill you,"

"Oh no. I'm so scared," he said, mocking me.

"You should be!" I splashed him as much as I could, swimming closer to him.

Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Good." I stopped splashing him and we locked eyes. He grinned at me with that sexy little smirk and I laughed. We were both a little breathless. I just stared at him for a long time. The pond was pretty secluded, so we were alone. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss him so badly. And we were so close. But I didn't. I just kept treading water, staring into his eyes.

Then he swatted a tiny bit of water at me. "Payback."

"Did you not learn your lesson?" I asked incredulously. He laughed. "You're lucky I'm still catching my breath." I playfully glared at him.

He started back stroking further out into the water.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know," he said. I decided to follow him. The swimming lessons I had when I was eight were gonna have to do me some justice now. It was hard to keep up with him, but I didn't rush it. We still stayed pretty close.

"How are you so good at swimming?"

"I did a camp for a while. Up until sophomore year," he explained, still stroking.

"Why'd you stop?"

"'Cause my stepdad was beating the shit out of me and I couldn't tell anyone. But people were starting to get suspicious."

"Oh, right." I said.

"That was a total downer," he said and I laughed. "Thanks for pushing me into the water, Wise Girl." He stopped stroking and grinned at me.

"Thanks for taking me on this trip, Seaweed Brain."

"I was gonna say 'thanks for coming along' but then I realized that that's too many 'thank's," he replied, making me laugh.

"Seriously though. I don't think I actually told you how grateful I am you let me come with you," I said seriously. I really was thankful that Percy gave me this escape. He completely didn't have to do that, but he did.

"You've made this way better than it would have been by myself. When you asked to come, I couldn't believe it," he laughed. "But you have no idea how happy I was."

"I'm glad." I grinned at him and he smiled back. There was a moment of silence.

"Race you back?" he offered.

"That's totally not fair, you've, like, practiced swimming—" I started but then I turned and started swimming as fast I could back to the dock.

Percy followed close behind me, but passed me after my few seconds of glory. He got to the dock first and hoisted himself up. He smirked down at me. I found that my eyes were lingering on his abdomen, his skin speckled with drops of water. His boxer clung to him and I tried hard not to stare.

"I let you win," I said, coming in at a close second, which was technically also last place.

Percy grabbed my hands and helped me up out of the water. "I'm sure you did," he teased.
I shook my head as we walked back to the car.

This boy was really stealing my heart.

--<0>--

"This is amazing," I said, looking around at everything. Percy and I were walking down the streets of Memphis. After spending the night in Jasper, we got back on the road and arrived in Memphis by 6 p.m. We were both exhausted and decided to save the site-seeing for today.

After some exploring this morning, we decided to go out to dinner and walk around the city some more. It was like a different world at night. The sun was just setting, but the streets were alive. I had never been to Memphis, and I was so glad I got to see it now, especially with Percy.

He liked to play this game where we pick someone out of the crowd and make crazy assumptions about their life. "There's a couple sitting at a table," he said casually. "2 o'clock. They're definitely fighting."

I chuckled. "Way to be optimistic," I scoffed. "Maybe she just got the wrong order."

"No, look at her face and look at his face. He looks pretty disgruntled."

"You're right. She's mad at him for wearing that awful shirt," I joked. It was a Hawaiian shirt but the colors contrasted in a bad way. Percy laughed. "I mean, sometimes those shirts are nice, but that one is just..."

"Yeah that's pretty bad," he agreed and we continued walking.

After walking all the way down to the water, we stood and looked out over the waves. Percy leaned on the railing, the wind rippling through his hair. I watched him, not being able to look away. He was so beautiful, inside and out. This entire trip I had a smile on my face, and I thought that maybe it was just because I was doing something a little reckless for once but no. It was him. It was always Percy.

He suddenly realized that I was staring and stood up straight, our gazes locking. I stepped slightly closer to him, not exactly sure what I was doing. I bit my lip and glanced down at his. We were closer now than we had ever been. Slowly, I leaned in and then finally, placed my lips on his.

In that moment I could have melted right through the dock and let the waves carry me away. His lips were soft and warm. I leaned into him, placing a hand on his cheek. I felt his hands on my waist and never wanted him to let go. But I pulled away.

We stared at each other for a moment, and I could count every thick black eyelash framing his gorgeous green eyes. I could have stayed that way forever.

"Is that okay?" I asked finally.

Percy laughed. "That is so much more than okay."

I grinned and bit my lip, my cheeks feeling hot. "Can I do it again?"

"Please do," he said, kissing me once more. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and ran my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. He pulled me closer, his arms around my waist. I opened my mouth and gradually introduced some tongue. I didn't know exactly what to expect from him, but he was a really good kisser.

I wonder what else that mouth can do... the thought ran through my head and shoved it away.

He's a virgin, idiot! Not that it matters. Could I for once just focus on the moment and only that? I kissed him a little more passionately and he kissed back. We could only hold our breaths for so long, so we pulled away, chuckling and smiling. I loved the feeling of his arms around me.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," I admitted. I didn't know why, it just slipped.

Percy laughed. "I've waited way longer, trust me on that one."

"Oh really?" I teased. We began walking back down to the hotel, but this time we held hands, swinging our arms back and forth. "How long, huh?"

"A long time," he said, and I laughed.

"Fine," I relented. "I'm just glad that we got here,"

"Me too," he grinned over at me. I walked a little closer to him, hanging on his arm. I grinned and kissed his shoulder and he planted one on my head.

"So I have a question, though."

"Shoot,"

"Are we together now? I know that's kind of forward but I just want to be up front, because there's always so much drama with that, which is so stupid. It's like everything is always such a big deal, and there's ten thousand different bases, and I don't know if we're supposed to go on more dates but I just really like you," I ranted.

"I know right?" he agreed. "I could never keep up with all of that." He paused. "Do you want to be together?"

"I do if you do,"

"Then I guess we're together." He grinned at me and gave him a quick kiss. I couldn't help it. My heart was doing loop-de-loops and the butterflies in my stomach were throwing a party.

"We're so cliche it hurts," I laughed.

Percy chuckled. "I know. But it's nice. For once in my fucked-up life something is normal," he said, half joking.

"Yeah. It is nice."

It really was.

--<0>--

"How is everything?" the waitress asked.

"It's great," I said, and Percy agreed.

"Are we gonna do dessert?"

"Yeah, why not?" Percy said, looking to me for approval. I nodded. We looked at our menus. "I'm gonna do the apple pie a la mode."

"I'll take the strawberry shortcake, please."

"Awesome. I'll have that out to you in a few minutes," she said, scribbling it down and waking off.

"We're totally sharing," I said.

"I don't know, Chase. Strawberry shortcake?" He shook his head disappointedly.

"Hey!" I protested. "Strawberry shortcake is a delicious classic. And I wasn't gonna get the same thing as you, which is why we're sharing. Never withhold food from the girlfriend, ever."

Percy chuckled. "I guess I'm legally obligated then."

"Yes, yes you are." We laughed.

When our desserts came out, we shared of course, and both dishes were pretty good. After that, we paid the check and walked around the city. There was still a lot we hadn't seen. So far everything was great, and with Percy's hand in mine, it only got better. We stopped in some shops and listened to the music playing from this band. It seemed to be like one big block party with food and dancing.

"Come dance with me," I said, pulling Percy along.

"Oh no, no, no. I don't dance," he protested.

"Everyone dances!" I insisted, a huge grin on my face. "Come on, Jackson. Show me what you got!" I grabbed his hands and began swaying to the song. It was country, and I don't really listen to country music, but if I could dance to it, it wasn't so bad. Percy stood there awkwardly for a second before he started to get into it.

He spun me and I laughed, placing a hand on my chest. He grinned down at me as we continued to dance. I even got him to do some dorky moves for me, which was possibly the funniest and cutest thing I had ever seen. When the song ended, everyone clapped and cheered for the band.

I chuckled as I caught my breath, Percy grinning as well. A slow song started playing and we locked eyes.

"Who should I ask?" he joked, looking around at the crowd.

"Me, Seaweed Brain," I said, playfully glaring at him. He smirked and put his hands around my waist while I wrapped my arms around his neck. "You're lucky I know that was a joke."

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. When he pulled away, he looked at me and I rolled my eyes. Then I kissed him properly, smiling against his lips. I laid my head on his shoulder as we swayed back and forth. I didn't think I knew the song, but something about it was vaguely familiar.

I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine

As I listened to the lyrics, I realized how cheesy but pretty they were. I smiled against Percy's shoulder and I knew that I would never forget this. Not in a million years would I go a day without thinking about slow dancing in the street in Memphis, and slow dancing in the rain in West Virginia.

"This is familiar, huh?" Percy asked, seemingly reading my mind.

"Yeah, just a little drier," I joked. He laughed. We swayed until the song ended. When it did, I kissed Percy, long and passionately. "You wanna head back?" I asked.

"Yeah," he agreed, nodded.

--<0>--

We stumbled into the room, shutting the door behind us. I kissed Percy, pushing him against the wall. His hands moved up and down my sides as mine buried in his hair. We separated for a second, breathing heavily and staring at each other.

Percy seemed to be a little more surprised than I was. Or maybe surprised wasn't the right word—I didn't know. What I did know was that we hadn't kissed like this before. This was feverish and desperate—desperate for the feel of each other's skin.

"Hey, Percy?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna lose your virginity?"

He blinked, and the look on his face was priceless. "Yeah." He nodded and tried to hold back a smile.

I laughed. "You're sure, though, because we don't have to do this if you don't want to." It was important to make sure that this was what he wanted, because, after all, this was his night. It didn't matter how badly I wanted it—it was about him.

"I know. I'm really sure, though. I wanna do it," he assured me, nodding.

I grinned. "Okay." I kissed him again. I led him to my bed and he sat down. I straddled his hips and positioned myself over him. "Is this okay?" He just nodded. I watched his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. I knew that I was getting wetter by the second.

We kissed again and Percy's hands made their way under my shirt. I quickly pulled it off and felt butterflies erupt in my stomach. He pressed his lips to my collarbone and I could feel his tongue on my skin. My breathing got heavier and with one hand on his shoulder, I ran the other through his hair.

I felt a bulge growing in his pants and grinded down into his lap. He groaned in my ear and I swiveled my hips. I reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it off, running my hands over his broad shoulders and slowing down my rhythm a bit. I moaned and pressed my body to his. I pushed him so he laid flat on the bed and I propped myself up over him. Kissing him again, I began trailing my lips along his jaw and down his neck. I continued to move down his stomach, feeling his abs flex under my fingers.

Before I reached the hem of his underwear, I stood up and took off my pants, throwing them aside. Then I repositioned back over him. He looked down at me, his pupils almost completely dilated.

"Is this okay?" I asked. I was just above his belly button.

He nodded, breathing heavily. "Yeah," he breathed.

I unbuttoned his pants and pulled them off. I followed that line of hair down from his belly button to his underwear. I had no idea why, but that little line of hair really turned me on. Maybe because it was a sign of... maturity? I really didn't know, but it was hot.

The bulge in his boxers was pretty prominent and I felt myself getting more excited. I really didn't think that this would happen but here I was, about to take my crush's virginity. I pulled off his boxers, leaving him exposed. Percy's dick was... bigger than I thought it would be. It wasn't like monster-ish, but it was the perfect size. Of course, my boyfriend has a perfect dick and perfect personality. I thought a guy like that didn't exist.

I started rubbing him and watched his reaction. He shut his eyes and his jaw tightened.

"Is this okay?"

"Yeah," he choked out. "Sorry."

"For what?" I asked, continuing to stroke him, but it was kind of subconsciously.

"I just... I'm kind of awkward," he struggled out between breaths.

"It's always awkward your first time, and trust me, you're doing just fine," I reassured him, smirking and biting my lip. He chuckled, letting out a high-pitched whine when I went back to the tip. "Don't be afraid to moan," I said. "It's hot."

Then I took him in my mouth and started going up and down. I didn't give blow jobs very often; I had only ever been sexally active with one other person, and it wasn't for a very long time. Still, it was enough experience for me to know what I was doing.

"Fuck," Percy groaned, putting a hand in my hair. I continued going up and down, fitting in as much as I could. I did the best that I could and used the techniques I knew to be good. I wanted to make him feel good.

"Shit, I'm gonna come," he breathed. I pulled off slowly and started using my hand again, going faster until he came with a groan. He hunched his shoulders a bit before dropping them back down. He was out of breath almost as much as I was. I crawled back up over him and reached for a tissue from the box on the nightstand. I cleaned off my hand and stared down at Percy, who still seemed a little out of sorts.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He swallowed before answering. "Yeah. You're just really good at that."

I laughed. "I'm glad it was good." I kissed him, our tongues dancing back and forth. "Shit," I said, suddenly realizing something.

"What?"

"Do you have a condom?"

"I think I do, actually." Percy furrowed his eyebrows in thought. I climbed off of him so he could get it. After a little bit of searching, we found them. "I don't want you to think that I expected this to happen—"

"No, no of course not," I chuckled. "It's just better to be prepared, as I always say,"

Percy chuckled. "Yeah." There was a pause as we went back to the bed. "Hey, you know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"You're still wearing too much." He looked at me with that sexy little smirk.

I bit my lip and nodded slowly. "Real sly, Jackson," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. When he grinned, I started laughing. Then I kissed him again. I loved kissing him. "You wanna see my sex move?"

"Of course." I grinned at that, almost chuckling.

I reached behind me with one hand, holding up the other, and unhooked my bra. I let it slide down my arms and to the floor.

"Wow," Percy said, swallowing. He stared at me and I could feel my face getting hot. I was comfortable with him, but there was always that feeling of being naked in front of someone else. Then I slowly pulled my underwear down over my hips and let them fall to the floor. I let Percy's eyes wander over me and I bit my lip.

"You're beautiful," he breathed, looking directly into my eyes. He shook his head slightly for emphasis. I felt goosebumps rise on my skin. It had been a while since someone complimented me like that.

"Thank you," I said, not being able to help my smile. "Okay. Lay down." Percy did as I said. I crawled on top of him, straddling his hips but leaning over him so that we locked eyes. I reached over and grabbed the condom, opening it with one hand and my teeth. I felt his eyes on me the whole time. He took it out of the wrapping and put it on. "Are you ready?"

"I am." Our gazes locked and I kissed him one last time. Then, I sat up and put him at my entrance. Grinding down into him, I moaned as he slid into me. I went slowly at first, getting us both used to the feeling, which was pretty incredible. Then, I evened out my pace and went a little faster.

"Fuck, Annabeth," Percy groaned. I felt myself tighten around him when he said my name. My breathing got quicker with my pace and I leaned my head back, moaning. I swiveled my hips, bucking them down. I felt him go deeper inside me and moaned on impact.

It was hard to describe exactly how I was feeling. Fireworks exploded up my spine, and Percy's touch sent sparks across my skin. He gripped my waist as I continued to grind on him, and one hand made its way up to my breast, palming it and rubbing my nipple.

"Is that okay?" he breathed.

"Yeah," I moaned. I gripped the sheets in fistfulls. I continued with the pace, a small wave of pleasure rippling through me. "Oh, Percy." My breathing was heavy. "I'm close."

"Fuck, me too," he moaned. I really did love the sound of Percy's moans. I liked the vulnerability that it showed. I quickened my pace and pushed harder, Percy hitting a spot that made my eyes roll back in my head.

Percy came a second before I did. I nearly yelled as the wave of pleasure crashed over me. I didn't stop my pace until I had fully ridden out the orgasm. Then I stopped, out of breath and sensitive. I didn't move off of Percy right away. We took a second to catch our breaths, his hands still on my waist. I placed a hand on his chest, feeling my own pulse in my fingers, as well as his.

"Holy shit," he breathed.

"I know right?" I laughed, making him chuckle as well. I pulled off and laid down next to him, sighing. After a second we both got up and went to the bathroom. Percy got rid of the condom and washed his hands. Then I sat down to pee and he waited for me, looking in the mirror.

"So," I prompted. "What do you think?"

"About what?"

"About that fact that you just lost your virginity." I stood up and flushed, washing my hands.

"Oh right, that," he said, pretending to have forgotten. I rolled my eyes at him, but my smile matched his. "That was way better than I ever thought it would be."

I nodded. "Well I'm glad that I'm the one you chose to give it to."

"Thanks for taking it," he almost whispered with a small smile. I kissed him, soft and slow.

"I'm gonna get in the shower, and some company would be nice," I hummed.

Percy wrapped his arms around my waist and my hands were on his chest. "Well, I wouldn't want you to be lonely," he started. "I guess I have no choice but to join you."

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed. Then my face split into a grin and he laughed. I turned on the shower and let the water run warm.

This was by far the best night of the trip.

--<0>--

"Hey, Jackson," I said, looking over at Percy. "We're in Jackson." I pointed to the sign that read,

Welcome to Jackson, Illinois!

Percy laughed and shook his head at me. We continued driving into town. It was around 3 a.m., and we had been driving pretty much all day. That basically just means we were exhausted. Finally getting into the hotel, we checked in and sluggishly made it up to the room. It was much easier now that we could just share a bed. It was also a lot more fun, if you know what I mean.

I had only technically been in a relationship with Percy for three days, but it was great. You probably think we're moving a little fast, but we had known each other for a while, and there was just this connection between us. It was hard to explain.

We threw our stuff down and I somehow mustered the energy to check the sheets while Percy was in the bathroom. When I saw it was all clear, I pulled off my jeans, unhooked my bra from under my shirt and got under the covers. I sighed as my head hit the pillow.

Percy came out of the bathroom in his boxers and crawled in next to me. I put my head on his chest as his arms draped over my waist. I finally couldn't keep my eyes open, falling asleep against his warm skin.

--<0>--

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. I carefully reached over and silenced it. But when I saw who was calling I picked it up again.

My parents had tried to call me nonstop throughout the beginning of the trip. I didn't pick up when my mom called, but once late at night when my dad did. I felt bad, but my mom was just going to scream at me to 'come home right this instant!' My dad was a lot more understanding. I told him that I just needed to get away for a little while. He didn't really like the fact that I was with a boy, but he understood needing to get out.

I was usually too distracted by Percy and just the excitement of this trip to remember my guilt, but sometimes it resurfaced. I knew that I had probably scared my parents, especially my mother, but I needed to do this. And it wasn't like I was never coming home. I would be back soon and then I'd go to college on the other side of the country and probably never get the chance to do something like this again. I was scared for what was awaiting me when I got home, but I tried not to focus on that.

I looked at the last text I had gotten from my mom. It was at 8 a.m., about three hours ago.

I love you Annabeth.

I decided to text back. I needed her to know that I still loved her, of course, and that I wasn't angry at them.

I love you too mom.

And then I shut off my phone. I was trying to limit my contact with my parents, just while I was on this trip. I'd be home soon anyways. I placed it back on the nightstand and rested my head back on Percy's chest.

He still hadn't woken up—this kid could sleep like a rock—and I didn't want to wake him. I watched him as he slept, his breathing even and his eyes laying shut easily. He looked so peaceful. I ran a finger along his jaw gently, feeling the light stubble rising. He was like a painting; so beautiful and still, yet so alive and colorful. Just looking at him gave me this feeling in my chest; little ripples of a tingling sensation that ran through my body and made me smile. I really liked him.

I hoped he felt the same about me.

--<0>--

"Oh my gosh, look at that dog," Percy said, trying not to make it obvious that he was looking at a lady's dog. It was a beautiful golden retriever—the dog that I wanted when I had a house in the future.

We were walking down the streets of Chicago—Percy had never been and I wanted to show him around. Current-day-me appreciated the city much more than my eight-year-old self who had been dragged here for her parent's business trip.

I laughed at his attempts to be nonchalant and walked up to the woman sitting on the bench. There was no indication that it was a service dog, so I took my chances.

"Hi," I said. "I'm sorry to bother you but you have a beautiful dog," I complimented, smiling.

"Oh, thank you!" she replied, grinning back. "You can pet her if you want. Her name's Stella."

We crouched down and pet the dog. She was so soft and she wore that adorable puppy smile. Percy scratched behind her ears—he was certainly a dog lover, and more excited than I was, which made me laugh.

"She really is gorgeous," he said, standing up.

"Thank you,"

"Thanks for letting us pet her," I chuckled. "Have a good day!"

"You too!"

We continued walking down the sidewalk.

"See? All you had to do was ask. People are nice sometimes, believe it or not," I teased.
Percy rolled his eyes at me, but a smile crept up to his lips. "Yeah I don't really have that experience too often. I mean, the relationship I'm in right now is borderline abusive," he joked.

I scoffed at him, and when he saw the facetious offended look on my face, he grinned. "Wow. Rude," I retorted, nodding my head.

"You know I'm only kidding." He tried to kiss me but I looked the other way and he barely got my cheek. I wore a smug/offended look on my face and stared out, trying not to smile. "Oh, my gosh look over there!" He said, pointing to his left. I looked and he pecked me on the lips after I turned my head. I tried to glare at him, but the grin I struggled to fight down didn't really make me look as menacing as I would have liked. He laughed.

"I'm gonna beat you up," I threatened.

"Abuse!" he said, pointing at me.

"I'll give you abuse," I teased, poking him in the side. He flinched and then I kissed him—properly this time. He laughed and we continued walking.

--<0>--

I had driven us to the top of a parking garage with our food. Luckily for us, it was pretty empty. We were on our way to Indianapolis to see a monument in Mile Square, but we had stopped in a small town for the night. Deciding to just get fast food, I had suddenly had an idea.

I parked in a spot facing the sunset. "Pretty romantic, huh?" I asked, half joking. It was romantic in that non-fancy way, but I liked it a lot.

"Eating McDonald's in my Toyota Prius at the top of a public parking garage? Extremely," he teased, making me laugh. "But no, this is nice," he said seriously. He opened the bag and handed me my food before taking out his own.

We started eating, and didn't say much—we were both pretty hungry after driving for a couple hours.

"You think we could get away with having sex in here?" Percy wondered aloud.

"Definitely. It's public parking and there's, like, no security, or other people for that matter," I replied, explaining. Then I looked into the back seat. "We could probably fit back there. We're both pretty tall people but I mean, if we really wanted to make it happen..." I said, shrugging.

Percy finally laughed at that, leaning forward to the dashboard. I looked over and started laughing too. "I mean it's romantic," I kept going. Percy laughed even harder. I decided to stop so that he could breathe.

When he finally caught his breath, he drank some water. "You are really something else, Wise Girl."

I grinned at him, chuckling. "Why, thank you, Seaweed Brain."

We finished eating, wiping our hands and throwing the garbage back in the bag. I looked out at the sunset, the beautiful colors duller now as the light vanished behind the horizon. I looked over at Percy.

"I really like you." I just said it. It came out of my mouth before I even knew it was in my head.

"I really like you too," he said, smiling at me.

"But I feel like, oh my god this is gonna sound grossly cliche," I warned, and he chuckled. "I feel like there's this really strong connection between us. And I don't know, I just feel like that's rare after such a short time. Maybe it's just me overthinking everything," I added quickly.

"No, no," he insisted. "I know what you mean. I think it's because I've liked you for a really long time, and never once in my life did I think that I would get to be with you," he said a little sheepishly. His words were quick and he kept glancing away from my gaze. He was so cute when he was nervous.

I beamed, trying to stop it by biting my lip, but I couldn't help it. "Well, whatever it is, I'm really happy." We locked eyes now, my gaze softening.

He smiled at me and nodded. "Me too." He leaned over and kissed me, his hand on my chin, guiding my lips to his. I tried not to smile and break the kiss. Then, with a hand on his jaw, I melted into the kiss. It became more passionate. Percy broke the kiss for a second, both of us breathing a little irregularly. "I think we should test your theory."

"Me too," I agreed, chuckling.

And as it turned out, I was right; we fit just perfectly.

--<0>--

"Smile!" I said, grinning. I was making Percy take pictures with me in front of the road sign:

Columbus, Ohio - Welcome

He grinned at the camera and I took the pictures. I had done that at a lot of the city signs—not all of them, but the important ones. We weren't going to stay in Columbus—it was way too expensive—but the city was beautiful so we decided to just drive around and appreciate it. We got back into the car and he pulled back onto the road.

I stared at the skyline—the display of the buildings against the bright blue sky was gorgeous on its own. As a future architect, I was quite excited for this. We finally drove into the city and I couldn't stop grinning.

"The architectural design is incredible," I gushed. "Ugh, those arches. I'm a sucker for good arches." I shook my head. Percy probably thought I was ridiculous, but instead of seeing a look on his face like what the hell did I get myself into?, he was grinning.

"You know, I kinda thought that all cities just looked similar, but this is pretty different from New York," he noticed.

"Yeah, but I don't think anything will ever live up to New York. If I can get the power to do so, there's a lot of redesigning I want to do for that city," I explained, not being able to take my eyes from the windows.

"My girlfriend; future architect of New York City. I, Percy Jackson, am dating the most brilliant woman in the entire world," he thought aloud. I laughed, trying to hide my blush. "Sorry, I just had to make sure it was real." 

"I think you need a little more assuring," I said. While we were stopped at a red light, I kissed Percy, cupping his cheek and pulling away at just the right time. I seemed to leave him a little dazed with that one. I laughed again.

--<0>--

Percy plopped down next to me on the bed. I sighed, still trying to catch my breath. "How'd I do?" he asked. It was the first time he had given me oral and it wasn't bad for a virgin. There were some things he could work on, but overall he was good. Incredibly gentle too—I had to remind him that as long as he didn't bite, he wouldn't hurt me.

"Good, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah," I chuckled. I turned onto my side and faced him. "Better than I thought, honestly."

"Well, I'm basically a sex god," he joked.

"Yeah, the patron of virgins," I teased.

"Hey!" he protested, making me laugh. He knew I was only kidding. Suddenly needing to pee, I got up and walked into the bathroom, grabbing Percy's t-shirt on the way. After I used the bathroom, I pulled on the shirt, the hem falling just low enough. I walked back out, seeing Percy standing in his boxers. He seemed to be looking for something.

"Hey, Anna, have you seen my t-shi..." He turned and saw it on me, trailing off. "Found it." The look on his face made me blush.

"I can give it back if you want," I offered.

"No, no. Keep it. Forever. It looks way better on you," he said, smiling slightly at me.

I sauntered up to him. "If you insist," I said, draping my arms over his shoulders. He put his hands on my waist and I kissed him. He kissed back, moving one hand to the back of my head. Even now, his kisses gave me butterflies. I didn't think I'd ever get past that feeling.

We were staying in the small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania. It was one of the cutest places I had ever seen. We decided to stay here for a few days; the weather was nice and the shops were cute. Plus the hotel was cheap. But we were trying to stretch out the last few days of the trip. We were getting closer and closer to home. I didn't really feel ready to leave Percy yet. I could've stayed out on the road the entire summer. But I knew I needed to go home; my parents probably missed me, and wanted to spend time with me before I go away to college in August. I think that my biggest problem was leaving Percy.

Part of my mind kept wandering to one thought; ask him to come to California. But I ignored it; that was a crazy thing to ask of someone, especially the boy I've only been with for a week. I had to keep reminding myself that that was still a little ways away. I had time to stop myself from making a horrible decision. But right now, I just wanted to enjoy the time I had left.

--<0>--

"We're officially back in New York," I announced, unnecessarily.

"Yep," Percy sighed.

"I'm just gonna say it. I don't wanna go home yet," I blurted.

He looked over at me, smiling a little sadly. "I know. But you have to, Wise Girl."

"Do I really, though?" I narrowed my eyes in question.

He chuckled. "Yes. You're gonna be glad that you got to spend time with your parents when you're away in California."

"But I've spent the last 18 years with them," I replied, followed with a heavy exhale. "I know I sound ungrateful, I just..." I trailed off, not exactly knowing what I 'just...'

"I know," Percy said, nodding. He put his hand on my thigh and I placed my own over it. 

"I'm gonna miss you, Jackson," I said seriously.

"Hey," he spoke gently, "just because you have to go home doesn't mean we're over. You're not getting away that easy," he joked.

I tried for a chuckle. "I know, it's just gonna be weird because I've been around you this entire time and then I'm barely even gonna be able to see you," I explained.

"I'll be back," he offered. "Terminator," he mumbled afterwards.

I couldn't help my small laugh at that. "I know."

"And we've still got at least one more stop on this trip," he insisted. I nodded when he looked over at me. I was still a little sad, but I tried to put that out of my mind. "And even better—these amazing tunes. Look at that." He turned up the radio and started belting it out. "She acts like summer and walks like rain, reminds me that there's time to change, ayaya,"

I chuckled at his off-key singing. Since this was kind of our song, I had to join in. "Tell me, did you sail across the sun? Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded, and that heaven is overrated?"

Belting it out at the top of lungs, we rolled the windows all the way down and sang into the wind. There was a huge smile on my face, and I felt better. I really was going to miss him and this. But I still had time. And you better believe that I made the most of it.

Oh, just take it easy
Hold onto this feeling
No, we don't need a reason
'Cause we ain't got nowhere to go
Caught up in the afterglow

--<0>--

"When are you gonna come and visit me?" I asked through the phone. Percy and I were on FaceTime. He had decided to drive up to Maine after I made it back home, which wasn't as much of a fiasco as I thought it would be.

My parents at first were grateful to see me, and my mother wasn't as mad as I thought she would be. I guess my dad had been able to talk to her. She said that she was angry at me, but that she understood wanting to have fun. She did force me to stay home for the whole week after that, saying that I needed to 'make up for lost time.' I guessed it was fair, although it was summertime.

"I'll be back down soon, I promise," Percy said through the phone. It was late, and my parents were probably asleep.

"It's like you're up in the clouds, living it up and I'm shackled to earth, where I'm forced to do puzzles with my mother," I complained.

He laughed. "It can't be that bad. I thought you liked puzzles,"

"I do. Just not when there are other way more fun things I could be doing," I explained. "You need to come save me,"

"Yeah, I don't think your parents are too fond of me. Afterall, I am the guy who took their daughter on a four-week road trip without their permission," he replied.

"Ugh," I groaned. "I actually think that if they got to know you, they'd like you a lot,"

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah. You'll have to meet formally soon," I said. "But in other news, I really miss having sex with you."

This time it wasn't a quiet chuckle; it was a full, hearty laugh that made me grin. "Trust me, I miss it way more than you do."

"Mhm," I hummed. I was trying to keep my eyes open. It was late and I was tired but I didn't want to hang up.

"Hey, Wise Girl?"

"Mhm?"

"You're falling asleep, love," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

I suddenly perked up, opening my eyes as much as I could. "No I'm not."

He chuckled again. "Yeah you are. You want me to wait until you're asleep?"

"You don't have to do that," I yawned.

"I like watching you sleep. It's the closest I'll get to being there with you," he explained quietly. I laid down and propped the phone up so he could see me. "Goodnight, Wise Girl."

"'Night, Seaweed Brain."

--<0>--

I heard a car pull up outside and in a second I knew who it was. Hearing the door close, I walked outside. I was smiling so wide it almost hurt.

"I'm sorry, I don't know the neighborhood very well. I think I got the wrong house," he joked, pretending not to know me. I disregarded it and ran up to him, throwing my arms around his neck. I buried my face in his shoulder. "Hey, Wise Girl," he chuckled, hugging me back.

"You're an idiot," I said, pulling away.

"Missed you too," he teased. But then I kissed him, long and passionate.

We were suddenly interrupted by my mother, of course. "I see Percy's arrived." I pulled away and Percy cleared his throat.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Chase," he said, smiling a little bit. The tension hung in the air like thick fog on a rainy morning. My mother glared at Percy and my dad looked fairly indifferent. She was more disapproving than he was.

"Hi, Percy," my dad said finally. He shook his hand.

"Mom, be nice," I said. "Please."

Her glare relented ever so slightly. "I suppose I should invite you inside," she said begrudgingly. I sighed and walked into the house, my parents in front of me and Percy behind me. How on earth were we supposed to get through dinner?

"Mom, dad, why don't you go in the kitchen?" I offered. "I'm gonna give Percy a tour,"

"Sure thing, Pumpkin," my dad said. "Athena?" He looked to my mother with raised eyebrows.

"No closed doors," she said, giving me a warning look.

I tried not to turn bright red—Percy was blushing enough for the both of us. "Let's start with the basement,"

I led Percy from room to room, showing him around and occasionally telling funny stories. Once we made it up to my room, I took a second to talk to him. "I'm sorry about my mom,"

"You know, I thought I was gonna be scared of your dad, but your mom? She's kinda way more terrifying," he said, nodding his head.

"Yeah," I sighed. "She's just... protective. And I guess it's worse because I'm an only child," I explained.

"Oh no, I get it. I mean I did kinda steal you away from them for a little while," he reasoned, chuckling.

"But I asked to go with you. I already explained that to them, and my dad was understanding. Maybe she'll ease up when she realizes how amazing you are." I walked closer to him and put my hands on his shoulders.

Percy chuckled, wrapping his hands around my waist. "I am pretty charming," he joked.

I laughed. "You certainly are. We should probably get down there before she comes up here with her kitchen knives."

"Definitely," he agreed.

We walked back downstairs and into the kitchen. Dinner was ready and on the table. We sat down with my parents and started eating.

"So Percy," my mom began.

"Here we go," I muttered.

"What's your plan for your life? Do you have any solid idea of what you want?" she asked, being incredibly passive aggressive.

"Well right now, I'm doing some traveling. I want to find the best place for me, and then rent an apartment for a little while, get a job. Eventually save up enough for a house, start a family," he explained.

"That's nice—" my dad started, but my mother quickly interrupted.

"So you're not going to college?" The look on her face was utter shock. Schooling in the household was, obviously, very important. Both my parents went to college and got degrees, so that of course was something that was instilled in me from when I was young. But don't get me wrong—my parents weren't forcing me into doing something I didn't want to do—they raised me to develop a love for learning and architecture was something I'd dreamed of for a long time.

"I'm not," Percy said, and I could tell that he was struggling—it was scary being on the receiving end of my mother. "But that was just because I realized I didn't really know what I wanted to do, and that was an expense that my family couldn't really afford," he explained carefully. He didn't get defensive, or angry. He was calm, although I could tell he didn't want to speak further on that.

"College isn't for everyone," I stepped in. "But that's okay because plenty of people are still successful without it,"

My mother seemed to soften ever so slightly. "I know," she said, eating another brussel sprout.

"That's a good plan, Percy," my father said. "Is there anything you're particularly interested in for a job?"

"Well I thought that I could start out with something simple, just to have some income and really get my feet on the ground. Once I'm comfortable, I wanna start looking into criminal investigation, maybe," he answered.

"Really?" I asked, looking over at him. I had no idea.

"Yeah." He nodded, smiling a little.

"Hm." I ate another bite of my food. Thinking of Percy as a detective... I know that that was not at all the point of that, but it was hot. And I was proud of him for looking further into something. He was certainly smart enough to qualify.

"That's great," my dad commented.

"Yes," my mother agreed. "So where exactly did you two go on your little trip?" she asked, sipping her wine.

"We kind of made an oval around the eastern states," I explained. "Um, where did we go?" I asked Percy, trying to think.

"We went to West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania," he rattled off, thinking as well. "Right?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

"All that in almost four weeks," she said, raising her eyebrows.

My dad swallowed his food and looked over at her. "It's like that road trip we took way back when, remember?"

"Okay, how could you yell at me for going on a road trip when you did that exact same thing?" I asked, raising my hands.

"It was not the same thing. I didn't sneak out and leave nothing but a note," she explained, and I could tell she was still a bit angry.

"Fair enough," I mumbled, sitting back in my seat.

"Annabeth, you mentioned that you went to Memphis?" my dad asked.

God, Memphis. "Yeah," I answered. "Memphis was great," I said, smiling. Percy was smirking and sipping his water, trying not to laugh. I bit my lip discreetly, trying not to laugh as well. "We also went to Chicago,"

"We used to have to take you there when you were little," my mom recalled. "Your father and I would have business and I didn't want to leave you with Gramma."

I laughed. My mom didn't really like my gramma. It wasn't very surprising—people almost never got along with their mother-in-laws. "Yeah I remember that. I appreciated it a lot more now, though,"

"It was a lot of fun," Percy agreed. There was a short pause filled with nothing but the sound of our forks clinking against our plates. "I just want to say that I'm sorry for any disruption I caused."

"But it's not his fault. I asked to go with him. This is on me," I insisted.

"But I just wanted you both to know that I didn't mean any harm. And I just want to say thank you for letting me into your home. It's been a while since I've had a home-cooked meal, and this is really good. So thank you," he said, a little timidly. Oh my god, I found the most perfect boy. How did I get so lucky?

"You're welcome. And I suppose we can't blame you for our daughter's reckless actions, although you were complicit," she mumbled that last part.

"We're glad that you're here, Percy," my dad said. That made all the tension boiling in my gut dissipate. They were getting along—that was all that I wanted.

When the lights go down
Come find me in the afterglow
Waiting to be found
I'll meet you in the afterglow

--<0>--

We had just finished cleaning up after dinner and Percy and I were walking around the backyard. "So," I said. "I'm leaving for California in two days," I started. It was a conversation I was dreading but we needed to have it.

"Yeah," Percy sighed. "I know. What do you wanna do?" he asked.

I stopped walking and looked at him. "I don't want to end this. This is one of the best things that's ever happened to me," I said, looking into his beautiful eyes. The sun was just setting, the light making his skin look golden.

"Me too," he agreed. I hugged him tight, kissing him gently. We pulled away and there was a little smile on his face that made me ever so curious about what was going on in that gorgeous head of his.

"What?"

"This is gonna sound crazy,"

"What?" I asked again, chuckling.

"Take me with you," he said. Suddenly, I understood, and smiled so wide.

"Okay."

When the lights go down
Come find me in the afterglow
Waiting to be found
I'll meet you in the afterglow

--<0>--