Title: Through the Years
Genre: Percabeth AU
Word Count: 18,300

Author's Note: okay WOW. let me tell you this is a very important one shot. I've been working on this since JANUARY. FIVE FUCKING MONTHS. 18 THOUSAND FUCKING WORDS. this is where my motivation has been in case you were wondering. The end it got kinda choppy and cliche and I don't really like that but I'm too lazy to change it. But I really hope you guys like this because I worked hard on it and I really like it so enjoy ! Love you <3

~o~

Third Grade

"Loser!" he laughed. All of the other kids stared down at her, laughing and pointing. Annabeth felt tears in her eyes. Their voices all blended into muffled noise, like she was sinking underwater.

"Hey! Stop!" But then, someone pulling her back through the surface. Everyone's voices subsided as the crowd fell away. "Are you okay?" A boy Annabeth had never talked to before offered her a hand. He had bright green eyes and messy black hair. She blinked the tears out of her eyes as he helped her up. He handed her her book.

"What happened?"

"I was just reading my book when Matthew came up and pushed me off the bench," Annabeth explained. She sniffled and blinked, fixing her crooked glasses. "He said I was a loser because I like books and that my glasses are stupid."

The green-eyed boy scrunched his nose in distaste. "Matthew is a meanie," he said defiantly. "I like your glasses," he said, smiling at her. His front tooth was missing, so his smile was a little wonky, but Annabeth didn't mind.

She smiled back. "Thanks."

"I'm Percy."

"I'm Annabeth."

"Wanna be friends?"

"Yeah," Annabeth smiled.

"Cool." Percy grinned back.

"Best friends forever," she said.

"Best friends forever," he agreed. They began walking back to the classroom off of the playground, Mrs. O'Connell calling them back inside.

~o~

Sixth Grade

"Lameass!" Matthew called after Annabeth.
Percy turned, looking behind them.

"It's not worth it," she said to him, but before she could stop him he was walking towards the boy.

"Percy." Annabeth had no choice but to follow him.

"What did you call her?" he asked furiously. Annabeth felt like she was going to be sick.

"Hey, Annabeth," Matthew said, ignoring Percy. He wore the most smug look on his face. He had been teasing Annabeth for years, and she always ignored him. Percy had a harder time with that, though. "What's your bra size now? I bet it's not even an—"

Percy punched him right in the face.

Annabeth's jaw dropped. She quickly got over her shock and grabbed Percy, pulling him away from Matthew, who was now clutching his face, blood dripping through his fingers.

"What is going on!" Mr. Hadley came marching down the hallway. "What happened to you?" he asked Matthew. Then he noticed Percy and Annabeth. "You three in the principal's office, now!"

Annabeth looked at Percy, who didn't look sorry or scared at all. She, on the other hand, was feeling a million things. Firstly, Percy had just punched someone for her. She had to admit, she had had a crush on Percy for a little while, and when he stuck up for her... it certainly didn't make it go away. Secondly, he was going to get in trouble for defending her. Her mouth became dry with guilt, and it felt like she was trying to swallow a quarter. Thirdly, Matthew had talked about... her. The one thing she was certain she was feeling was embarrassment. Annabeth's cheeks turned red with shame just thinking about it. She didn't like to talk about her body, or anything that was happening to her, despite how much some of their teachers brought it up. Everyone else seemed to be... maturing, but Annabeth was a little late to that party. She felt like a little kid compared to all the other girls.

She clutched the book tucked under her arm tightly as Mr. Hadley marched the three of them down to Mr. Darien's office. She stood between Matthew and Percy to keep them from killing each other, not that Percy wasn't smart enough to know better in front of a teacher, but he acted impulsively about 99.9% of the time. She thought it better to take caution, keeping her head dipped and staring at the floor.

------

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Annabeth said, breaking the silence between them. They were sitting on the bench, waiting for their parents to come and pick them up. Percy had gotten a week's suspension, but so had Matthew. She felt awful that Percy had gotten a suspension because of her. He was only protecting her.

"I know, but Matthew was being an asshole," he said, looking over at Annabeth. She usually reminded him about his language, but now wasn't the time. His hand was on his thigh with an ice pack resting on it. That looked like it hurt, but Matthew had it way worse, and the slight smirk on Percy's face told her he'd be okay.

"Thank you," she said, pushing her glasses up her nose. They were always falling.

"What are friends for?" He gave her that troublemaker smile he'd had ever since they became friends in the third grade.

"Best friends forever," she chuckled, quoting their eight-year-old selves.

"Best friends forever." He smiled.

~o~

Eighth Grade

"Annabeth," Percy whined.

"What?" she asked absentmindedly as she wrote down another answer.

Percy was sitting at her desk. "I don't know how this works," he said. Then he started balancing his pencil on his lip, leaning his head back.

Annabeth watched him, laughing. "You're such a dumbass," she chuckled.

"That is a very mean word, Annabeth Chase," Percy fake-scolded her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, would you prefer... Seaweed Brain?" she asked. "You're such a Seaweed Brain," she decided.

"Oh really?" he asked in fake offense, sitting up straight. "Well you're a... " he paused, thinking for a second. "...Wise Girl!" he retorted, but there was no malice behind it. They laughed.

"Wise Girl?" Annabeth asked. "You really are a Seaweed Brain," she laughed.

"Well, not everyone is a genius, Wise Girl," he retorted, giving her his signature smile. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. She pushed the feeling away, hoping her cheeks weren't red. She had had a crush on Percy for nearly two years now, but had never gotten the courage to do anything about it. Besides, the last thing she would want to do was risk their friendship over some stupid feelings. It was just impractical, and it didn't make sense.

"Clearly," she teased, smiling back.

"Help me," he whined. "Please?" He gave her those big puppy dog eyes that she could never resist.

"What don't you get?" she asked, getting up from the bed and standing behind him. Looking over his shoulder, she had this ridiculous urge to just wrap her arms around his shoulders. But she stopped herself as Percy began explaining.

"Well, you see..." he started off in that way he did when he was about to say something stupid. Annabeth braced herself. She loved the kid, but he could be completely and utterly oblivious (obviously). "Kind of all of it...?" He gave her a blameless grin. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"I know it looks complicated, but it's pretty simple, actually." She sat leaned down next to him and began explaining basic algebra. It had pretty much always been this way; if Percy didn't understand something (which happened a lot) he went to Annabeth. But she liked it; it felt good that he needed her, and that she liked that she could help him.

"Ah, okay," he said when she finished explaining it to him. "Now, I understand."

Annabeth faced the same problems Percy did; dyslexia and ADHD. But that made it so she could explain it in a way that she knew he'd understand, so, in an odd sense, she knew how his brain worked and could basically form specific lessons to adjust to his needs. "It's simple when you break it down like that," she said.

"Yeah that's way easier," he agreed.

Then, Annabeth sat back on her bed, but instead of doing her work, she watched Percy as nonchalantly as she could as he focused. His eyebrow cocked and his lips pursed and she couldn't help but think how cute he looked. She shook her head, realizing her staring was becoming blatant.

Annabeth went back to her work; she couldn't get distracted.

They had been working for about fifteen minutes when Percy cleared his throat, effectively interrupting their silence. Annabeth looked up from her work and caught Percy's eyes.

"So..." he started. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion; she wondered where this was going. "The Winter Dance is coming up." And of course it went there.

"Oh, yeah," Annabeth said a little awkwardly. She was sort of hoping that Percy would ask her, although she knew every girl in their grade was hoping for the same thing.

Over the past summer, puberty had started to hit Percy, and hard. He got a little taller—not a lot, but enough to finally surpass Annabeth after last year. His face also matured slightly; with a defined jawline and more prominent features, he didn't look like a little kid anymore. And of course, all of this wasn't helping Annabeth get rid of her crush. But on top of that, she felt jealous. The other girls at school flirted with him all the time, and, although she hated to admit it, she couldn't stand it. Of course, Percy never gave into it; he was too awkward for that, and he didn't know what he was doing. Also, as previously mentioned, he could be hopelessly oblivious. But that was currently working in her favor, so she couldn't complain.

"Do you... did anyone ask you yet?" he asked, a slight blush creeping up his neck.

"N-no," she admitted, tripping over her words. When one of them fell apart, the other just had to follow. And now of all times.

"Well..." Percy started, swallowing dryly. He really looked like he was struggling, and Annabeth got her hopes up as to why he was. She reminded herself that that wouldn't happen. Percy wasn't going to ask her, it just didn't make sense. "Cathy asked me, two days ago, and I was thinking I'd go with her," he said nervously.

Ouch. Annabeth tried not to frown, holding back her scowl. Of course Cathy had asked him. The prettiest girl and the most attractive boy in their grade, going to the dance together... it was just perfect, she thought bitterly. "Yeah," she agreed. "That's... Cathy's nice." She tried to keep her voice from wavering.

"You don't... mind, do you?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, no," she tried for a chuckle. "It's cool. We're still gonna see each other there, Seaweed Brain."

Percy gave her a little smile. "Yeah, right," he agreed.

Annabeth tried to grin back before looking down at her work, hoping Percy couldn't see the disappointment on her face. She knew that it was impractical; he was never going to ask her.

But that didn't mean her heart didn't ache a little bit.

~o~

10th Grade

Annabeth clenched her jaw as she continued writing. She upped the volume of her music, but it still wasn't enough to drown out the sounds of her parents' fighting. She tried her best to ignore it, to focus on her work, but she couldn't. She hadn't realized how hard she had been pressing on her pencil until the tip snapped, leaving a dark mark on the paper.

She exhaled through her nose in an attempt to calm her boiling nerves. But in that split second, any bit of ignorance she had gained to her parents' arguing was gone.

"Well I didn't ask for any of this!" Her mother's voice was muffled through the walls.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you said yes to marriage, Athena!" Annabeth had never heard her father yell like that before, not up until a few months ago.

"You regret all of this, our family, don't you?"

"Of course I don't regret any of this family, Frederick. It's not my fault—"

"That's bullshit! You knew what you were doing! You knew what you were doing this time, and the last time!"

"Did you ever think why? Huh? Maybe it's because I feel trapped in this house with you! You don't even pay attention to me anymore, and you're starting to do the same to Annabeth!" Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of her name.

All she could think was what her mother could have possibly done. She had an idea, but she didn't want to admit it might be the truth.

"How dare you! I love her more than anything, I could never—"

"Oh, you don't care about anything but your work anymore!" her mother yelled.

"If you felt that way, you should have told me! But of course, you go off and do this instead. What happened to talking things out and being honest with each other? And that doesn't justify the fact that you slept with someone else!"

And there it was.

Annabeth shut her eyes, the rest of their conversation becoming static. She didn't even know what she felt. Her mind went blank. Instead of processing what she had just heard, Annabeth shut down. She didn't know how to feel. But one thing was for sure: she needed out of that house.

She stood from her desk and began packing a bag. Her hands seemed to move on their own and she went on auto pilot. She grabbed some clothes, toiletry essentials, her wallet, her phone and stuffed it in her bag. She opened her window, looking out at the warm night sprawled beneath her. The distance from her bedroom to the ground seemed a lot farther knowing she would have to climb down. Suddenly her second floor window felt like it was six stories up.

She looked back at her room, making sure she had everything. She looked at her desk. She debated leaving a note, but then decided against it. Her anger pulled her mind from the thought of her worried parents. Maybe they deserved it after making her feel so... confused. Angry. Hopeless.

Taking a deep breath, she looked out her window. Shouldering her backpack, she climbed out onto the gutter.

------

Annabeth took a deep breath, knocking on his door.

A few seconds later, Percy opened the door. "Hey," he said casually. By this far in their friendship, it was normal for either of them to just show up at the other's house. She probably should have called, but what good was that idea doing her now? He must have noticed the fuming look on her face. "Come in."

She walked inside and put her bag on the chair in the living room. Her presence in the Jackson residence wasn't anything new. Of course, in being friends since they were eight years old, but more recently, Sally had been letting Annabeth stay there because of her parents' arguing.

"Is it your parents again?" Percy asked carefully. He knew that it was a touchy subject for her, but she was never afraid to tell Percy about it.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. She turned around from facing the window and looked at him. He wore grey sweatpants and an old band t-shirt and his jet black hair was messy as always. Annabeth's first thought would have been that he looked cute if she hadn't been so angry.

"What happened?"

"Is anyone else home?" she asked, looking around the room.

"No. Mom and dad are out on a date," he replied.

"Okay, good. I might get a little loud and it's awkward when they can hear it," she mumbled more so to herself than Percy.

"Yeah I know. But the house is all ours. Yell if you want, although, I'm not sure if I'll know exactly how to handle it," he explained, shrugging.

Annabeth just started talking. "I mean, I'm just trying to do my homework to distract myself but nothing is working. And it's the same old shit, too: my mom screaming how my dad doesn't care and then him yelling about communication and then, they drop the bomb. I mean, I knew it was coming but I just," her voice broke, "I wasn't ready to face it. I knew that my mom was cheating but I didn't want to think about it because through my entire life she's been my hero. I idolize my mother, and then she does such a shitty thing and it's like everything I've ever known is crashing down around me and there's nothing I can do to stop it." By this point, tears were streaking her face. "And I'm just so mad. I'm so angry at her—at both of them, because it's like they didn't even try. They didn't even try to put the pieces back together. And after so many years they could just let it fall apart? It's not fair. It feels like I'm the only one who cares about what happens to this family. But I don't have a say in anything and there's nothing that I can do." Annabeth sighed and briskly wiped the tears off of her face.

She didn't usually cry like this, but this time was different. She looked at Percy and the sympathetic look on his face. She realized how she was unloading all of this onto him. She hadn't even thought of the stress that this might put on him. Of course, he had reassured her thousands of times that he was fine and it didn't matter how he felt; she needed a friend and that's what he was there for.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice breathy, almost whispering. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed. She tried to stop herself from crying, but she was already worked up and her breathing was heavy and irregular.

Percy said nothing. Instead, he stood from where he had been sitting on the couch and pulled Annabeth into a hug. By this point, he was taller than her, although in seventh grade she had a few inches on him. Yeah, that was an awkward year.

But now, it was perfect. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and she hugged his waist. Her head rested in exactly the right place against his shoulder. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to melt into the warmth of his arms. Suddenly, she felt exhausted.

"Don't ever apologize for this," he whispered into her hair. "It's not your fault, Annie. Okay?" He rarely called her Annie.

"Okay," she mumbled into his shirt. Despite how backwards everything felt at the moment, Annabeth felt such an incredible feeling of content. After all these years, Percy was still there for her. After all they had been through—and they had been through a lot—she still had him, and he still had her. Being with him, right in that moment, Annabeth felt a sense of... home. Percy was home. And that was exactly what she had needed.

Of course she still had a crush on him, but there was no way she would risk this for some stupid butterflies in her stomach. It wasn't worth it.

------

Percy had just finished brushing his teeth. He checked one last time in the mirror, making sure he was clear of anything. He felt like Annabeth had the most perfect smile that anything less than his best was embarrassing in front of her. He had given her some time to change in his room before she went to sleep in the guest room.

He knocked on the door. "Annabeth?" There was no answer. He knocked again and still nothing. A lump of worry formed in his throat. He opened the door, and what he found was one of the cutest things he had ever seen.

It looked like Annabeth had changed and then passed out on his bed. He didn't blame her—she had had a rough day. Seeing her break down like that was hard for Percy. It hurt to know that someone he cared about so much was hurting so badly and that he couldn't fix it. He remembered the look of hopelessness in her eyes. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he had just hugged her. He hugged her and hoped that the desperation had maybe disappeared from her face.

Now, she looked so peaceful. Percy had to admit, it made him feel fuzzy in the head seeing Annabeth laying in his bed. They really weren't allowed to do that; of course, they were just friends and, sadly, would probably never be anything more. But their parents insisted they were still teenagers. And getting that talk wasn't awkward at all. Note the sarcasm.

Percy walked to the side of the bed where Annabeth laid. He looked at her beautiful face as her chest rose and fell with even breaths. He couldn't help his smile at the sight of her. He'd usually be careful around a sleeping Annabeth—there had been plenty of times when she caught him doing some pretty embarrassing things, and, of course, she never let him live them down. But now, he knew she was out cold.

He looked at Annabeth one last time, debating something with himself. He decided to risk it. He placed one tiny, gentle kiss on her forehead. Then he turned off the lamp and hurried out of the room before she woke up and kicked his ass for doing that. Once the door was closed, he remembered to breathe again. His lips felt tingly. Part of him felt guilty; he hadn't asked Annabeth if he could kiss her forehead, and if he had, she'd say no and proceed to beat him up. But at the same time his brain was like mush.

I kissed her, he thought giddily.

"Percy?"

"Mom!" Percy jumped.

"What are you doing? It's late."

"Well, uh, A-Annabeth's here," he stumbled over his words. Get it together. "Her parents were fighting again."

"I know," Sally sighed. "Frederick just texted me. He asked if Annabeth was here, because she had disappeared and her bedroom window was open." Sally and Frederick had been good friends from the very start of Percy and Annabeth's friendship, but even before that; they had known each other in college. Of course, when their kids became best friends, they got closer after losing contact all those years. "Is she alright?"

"She was pretty worked up, but she's Annabeth—she could survive anything." She really was one of the strongest people Percy knew.

"Yeah, that poor girl," Sally sighed sadly. "Alright. Annabeth is in your room?"

"Yeah she passed out. I'm going to the guest room," he said.

"You better." Sally smirked and kissed him goodnight before she went to her room and Percy went to the guest room.

He laid on the bed, wishing he could go to his room and lay next to Annabeth. But he'd just make it awkward for them, and that was the last thing he wanted.

So he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but most of his night was occupied with thoughts of her.

~o~

12th Grade

"You ready?" Annabeth asked. It was finally graduation day.

"Yeah," Percy said, grinning at her. She stared at him in his cap and gown. He looked so... mature. They had both grown up, obviously, but now... they were graduating. And that was exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Annabeth still had a crush on Percy, and she was still trying desperately to get rid of it. She had started dating Luke to try and distract herself. Luke was great; he was good to her and treated her right and she did really like him. But Percy was still there, lingering in her head. Which was stupid, because Percy started dating Rachel. They were both in their own relationships, and yet she was thinking about him. "You look really good,"

"Thank you." She smiled, trying not to blush. Her makeup was light and her hair was curled. The burgundy dress she was wearing under her gown came just below her knee and was off the shoulder, fitted to her curves. She knew that Percy was wearing a suit underneath his gown and... she had a thing for Percy in suits. You could only imagine what had gone on at prom. Obviously, she didn't do anything, but as she looked at Luke—who looked amazing himself—all she could think about was Percy.

"Look at you two!" Sally cooed.

"Remember when they were just eight years old?" Frederick asked.

"Now they're all grown up," Athena said. Since sophomore year, Annabeth's parents had gotten divorced. It was a little messy, and she spent a lot of time at Percy's house. But in the end, her mom got custody and her dad moved out. He didn't move far, because they had agreed that no matter what, they'd come together for Annabeth. Athena's new boyfriend was a little hard for both Annabeth and Frederick to cope with, though.

"Get together for a picture," Sally insisted.

"Mom," Percy protested.

"This is non-negotiable. Smile!" Athena insisted, both women pulling out their phones.
Annabeth stood closer to Percy and his hand rested on her waist. She smiled widely for the camera, and it was a genuine smile. They had posed together a million times—they had gone through a lot of milestones in the past 10 years. But this milestone was a really big one. Percy's hand lingered on her waist after they stopped taking pictures. Her heart fluttered before he pulled away. She missed the feeling.

The parents then went back into the kitchen to talk some more before they had to go.

"I wanna talk to you," Annabeth said.

"Okay," Percy agreed. They walked outside onto the porch. "What's up?"

"I know that we don't do sappy stuff, but I just want to tell you that..." she sighed, trying not to get too emotional. "I know that we're both going to different colleges that are really far away, and I know that we've talked about this, but I just wanna tell you that we are keeping in touch," she demanded. She was having a little bit of trouble getting the words out. "We haven't even graduated yet, and I'm already about to start crying." They laughed and Percy hugged her.

"We will keep in touch, I promise," he said, staring down into her eyes.

She nodded. "I just want to tell you that you're the best person that I know and I could not imagine my life without you. And I'm really gonna miss you and our stupid jokes and being able to give each other looks in class when someone does something dumb and fooling around in front of Mrs. Defrayo and staying up until 4 a.m. talking," she laughed, making Percy chuckle as well. She sniffled. "I got you something,"

"Annabeth we said no gifts," he protested.

"No, no it's fine. I really wanted to." She pulled out the little box and handed it to Percy.

He opened it, shaking her head at her. Then he saw the necklace. It was a simple chain with a tiny rectangular plaque that had P&A engraved in it. "Annabeth..."

"I know I know, it's a necklace, but it is for guys, I swear," she insisted.

"No, no. It's awesome." He laughed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Here, I'll help you put it on." She took it from the box and opened the clasp. She reached around Percy's neck, trying to connect it. In the few seconds it took her, he stared at her. She wanted to reach up and kiss him so badly, but she didn't. "There."

"I love it," he chuckled, holding it in his hand. "Also, I know we said no gifts but..."

Annabeth playfully rolled her eyes. "I knew you were gonna do that, you pull this bullshit every time we say no gifts," she laughed.

"I know, but you gave me a gift first, Wise Girl. Here," he said, handing her a small velvet box.

"Oh god," she chuckled. She opened it and her jaw dropped. "Percy this is gorgeous," she breathed. "Is this coral from—"

"That beach in Montauk we used to go to?" he finished for her. "Yeah. I had it made a little while ago, and I thought this was the perfect time to give it to you."

"Well thanks for totally showing me up," she joked. Percy laughed. "I love it, it's beautiful. Thank you."

"Here," he offered to put it on. She moved her hair and he did the clasp. She fixed her hair and adjusted the pendant. "And for the record... I don't know how I got so lucky to have a best friend like you." Annabeth hugged Percy tight and tried not to start crying again.

"You kids ready to go?" Poseidon asked.

"Yeah, Dad."

They all got into their cars and began the drive to their graduation.

------

"Hey, babe," Luke said, walking up to Annabeth.

"Hi, Luke." She smiled and kissed him hello. Luke said hi to everyone else, shaking Frederick, Sally, and Posiedon's hands and kissing Athena hello. "This is really happening," Annabeth said when Luke turned back to her.

"I know. You look incredible, by the way," he complimented.

"Thank you," she smiled, "You look great."

"Thanks, babe."

Just then, Percy walked back over to them; he had been saying hello to Rachel and she was with him now. "Hey, Luke," Percy greeted.

"Hey man," he replied. They nodded to each other. Percy and Luke got along, but... there was a tension between them, which Annabeth wasn't too stupid to figure out the origin of. She just ignored it as best she could. As long as nobody was punching anyone else, they were good.

"Hi, Rachel," Annabeth said, hugging the red-head hello.

"Hey, Annabeth. You look amazing!" she greeted.

Annabeth laughed. "You're the real stunner,"

"Wow, Chase, you trying to steal my girl?" Percy joked. They all laughed and Rachel winked at Annabeth as a joke. They were friends, but Annabeth had to admit—she didn't like the red-head at first. The only reason for that being that she was with Percy. Annabeth had been jealous, and even more so because Rachel was such a good person. But then she realized that if she couldn't be with Percy, Rachel was the best person to take good care of that troublemaker. Annabeth actually started dating Luke before Percy got with Rachel, so that also made her feel guilty. But, she was over all of that now... or she just got better at ignoring it.

"We should go sit down," Luke said. "I think the ceremony is starting soon."

Annabeth kissed her parents goodbye and then went with her friends to take her seat. Poor Percy was sat a couple rows behind them—Annabeth was C, Luke was C, and Rachel was D... and then there was Percy, who was J.
She looked back at him, making a fake-sad face. I miss you, she mouthed. He pouted his lip and got big eyes—that look could've taken Annabeth out. She chuckled and he laughed too. Soon, she couldn't see him because other students had filled the rows. And before they knew it, the ceremony began.

Their principle gave a long speech before they began announcing the names. Of their friends, Luke was the first up.

"Luke Castellan,"

Annabeth cupped her hands around her mouth and whooped while everyone clapped. She blew him a kiss and he grinned out at her. That grin made her feel warm inside. He walked off the stage and she felt proud of him.

She was next.

"Annabeth Chase,"

Annabeth walked up the stage, took her diploma and shook the Dean's hand. Walking up there was nerve racking, but she was so happy and felt satisfied with that paper in her hand. She looked out at the crowd and saw Luke grinning at her—she smiled back. But then she noticed Percy. He was standing and whooping so loud, it was almost embarrassing. She tried not to laugh, rolling her eyes at him playfully. He just grinned that mischievous grin of his. She walked off the stage and sat back down.

They called some more names before they got to Rachel.

"Rachel Dare,"

Annabeth clapped and grinned at her friend as she got her diploma. She looked out at the crowd and raised her fists in the air. They laughed and cheered—that was a perfectly fitting thing for Rachel to do.

It was a little bit of a wait before they got to Percy, but when they did, Annabeth couldn't stop smiling. She watched her best friend walk up the stage and shake the Dean's hand, taking his diploma. He pumped a fist in the air and Annabeth was on her feet, whooping louder than anyone else and on the verge of laughing hysterically. Percy saw her and grinned, laughing. She felt so proud of Percy. As she watched him walk off that stage, her heart ached because she knew that this was the end of an era, and they were growing up, but she knew that nothing could take these memories from her.

They finally got through all the names and announced the valedictorian, George Osmond. He got up and gave a quick speech. He only beat Annabeth out by a few points—she was salutatorian, which was still a great accomplishment.

"And now, our salutatorian, Annabeth Chase," the principle announced. The crowd clapped as Annabeth made her way to the stage.

"Hi," she said into the microphone. Her hands were shaking; she was good at public speaking, but now she was nervous. "I have to say that I am incredibly honored to stand before you today and I'm grateful for this accomplishment," she started. She searched the crowd, looking for a safe point. Then she locked eyes with Percy. Suddenly, she was steady and it was easy to talk. "The past four years have been some of the most unforgettable times of my life. I laughed, I cried," she put emphasis on 'cried' and everyone laughed. "And there were a lot of times when I was discouraged, or sad, but in the end, I look back and I realize all the fun I had. I remember pep rallies with my friends, every dance, and prom, and even just eating lunch in the cafeteria every day. High school is a hard time for everyone, in one way or another, but I have to say... I was happy. Goode High has given me some of the most amazing and important memories of my life. I want to thank all of you, because without you, this experience would be not nearly as great as it was." She found that she was speaking to one person in particular, and she hoped he knew who he was.

"I want to thank my parents," she searched the crowd and smiled at her family—including Sally and Posiedon. "For their endless support and love, and for always pushing me to be my best. I want to thank my teachers, especially Mr. Brunner, for always doing your best to educate us." That last part was bullshit except for Mr. Brunner—he was a great teacher. Annabeth was just obligated to thank her teachers. "And I want to thank you, Mrs. Williams, for doing a great job running Goode High. Now that I've bored everyone," Annabeth joked and everyone laughed. "I just want to say thank you, class of 2017!" Everyone clapped and cheered and she was beaming. It seemed that there was nothing that could ruin that moment for her. She locked eyes with Percy, who was grinning ear to ear, and suddenly, the moment was absolutely perfect.

------

"Class of 2017, you are officially graduated!"

"WHOO!" Everyone cheered and through their caps into the air. Annabeth laughed as she watched. It was kind of incredible to see. She grabbed her cap as it fell back down and immediately went to run to Percy. He met her in the aisle and grabbed her in a hug. He lifted her up and spun her around as she laughed.

"We graduated, Seaweed Brain!" she exclaimed.

"Free at last, free at last!" he shouted and Annabeth laughed.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around her from behind and she knew it was Luke. She giggled, turning and facing him. He kissed her, an arm around her waist. She smiled against his lips.

"I love you," he whispered to her.

"I love you too," she said, before he kissed her again. She pulled away, laughing. They turned to see Percy and Rachel hugging and kissing. Annabeth's heart clenched for a second but then she remembered Luke's arm around her waist.

"Annabeth, we did it!" Rachel called out, hugging the blonde. She returned the hug, laughing.

"I know!" she laughed.

Nothing could wipe the smile off her face.

------

"Okay," Annabeth sighed. "This is it."

"Yeah," Percy agreed, his voice sad. They were at the airport; he was about to leave for college and they had to say goodbye. Percy was going to University of California in Berkeley, California and Annabeth was going to Yale University in New York. He wanted to study biomedical engineering and she wanted to study architecture. Annabeth was so sad, she just wanted to bawl like a baby again. She really didn't know how she was going to live without Percy.

Sally, Posiedon, and Frederick were all standing together a few feet away; they were letting the two say their goodbyes. Athena couldn't make it, but Annabeth was glad to have her father there.

"Okay," she said again. "Call me when you get in." That seemed to be the extent of her conversation skills without starting to cry.

"I will." Percy didn't walk away just yet; it seemed that neither of them were ready for that.

Annabeth tried to give him a small smile, but when she looked in his eyes she fell apart. She shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she chuckled through her tears.

Percy pulled her in close, slowly, and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay," he mumbled into her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and just let herself sink into his warmth. She didn't know when she'd get the chance to do that again. She savored every second of that hug. They finally, reluctantly, pulled away.

"Flight 104 to Berkeley California leaving in five minutes," a voice announced over the speaker.

"Alright, Wise Girl," Percy started, but then he paused. "I don't really wanna say goodbye," he chuckled sadly.

Annabeth got an idea. "So, we won't say goodbye. We'll say... blueberry," she decided.

"Blueberry?" Percy laughed.

"Yeah," she laughed too, nodding. Then things were suddenly sad again as they locked eyes.

"Blueberry, Seaweed Brain," she said quietly, trying to steady her voice.

Percy sniffled and blinked a couple times. "Blueberry, Wise Girl."

They hugged one last time before Percy turned and started walking towards where his flight was boarding. Annabeth fingered the coral pendant around her neck as she watched him walk away, her eyes misty from tears. He glanced back one more time and gave a sad, sideways smile. She tried her best to grin back.

Her heart nearly broke in half when she watched him step through that door. Her best friend was gone.

~o~

College: Freshman Year

"I miss you," Luke said through the phone. He was on FaceTime with Annabeth.

Luke had gone to University of Florida because he had been offered a nice football scholarship. They were trying to make a long distance relationship work, but Annabeth had to be honest... it wasn't easy, and it got more difficult every day.

"I miss you too," she replied. It was about three a.m., and Annabeth had 8 a.m. class tomorrow, but it was the only time they could talk; they were completely swamped with work every other time. She was exhausted, and she could hear the fatigue in Luke's voice. "I'm gonna try to visit next weekend," she said, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Next weekend? I have a lot of stuff going on, it might not be a good time," Luke said.

"Well, that was the only time I had free. My schedule is jam-packed and that was the only room I could make," she explained.

He sighed. "You can't move anything around?"

"No, I can't," she snapped.

"Well, jeez, I'm sorry," he retorted.

"Are you really, though? It's like you're not even trying, Luke. I'm always the one visiting, or trying to make plans, and most of the time, it's me calling you."

"It's not my fault that I have a lot going on, Annabeth, I can't just drop everything the second you want to talk to me," he argued.

"I never asked you to drop everything! I didn't think it was so much work just to send me a quick text every once in a while!" Annabeth's voice was getting a little louder than it should've been. Her roommate, Piper, was sleeping just across the room. Lucky for Annabeth, that girl slept like a rock.

"I'm sorry," he said angrily.

Annabeth sighed, realizing that she had just used the last bit of energy she had. "I'm sorry, I'm exhausted,"

"Me too," Luke agreed, and he sounded like it. "Alright, goodnight."

"Goodnight," she replied before hanging up.

Neither of them had said 'I love you.' She shut off her phone and put it on her nightstand. Then she laid down, curling her knees to her chest under her blanket and letting her tears fall.

It was the beginning of the second semester, and Yale was great; Annabeth loved her classes, even if it was overwhelming. She knew she'd get her footing soon—she just needed to get used to it. It was still a little bit new to her, but she was a fast learner.

Aside from that, everything else was shit. She missed Percy more than anything; that was her biggest problem. They tried to call and they texted as much as they could, but time zones were not helpful. On top of that, her relationship was falling apart. It wasn't as strong as she thought it was, and she had a feeling that she needed to stop putting herself through this torture. She loved Luke, but maybe it was their time. That only made her cry more.

Coming back to school after winter break was hard; Annabeth didn't know homesick until she had come back to her dorm. And it didn't help that Piper was pretty messy. Annabeth was a neat freak, and her roommate's messy habits drove her insane. But it was hard to stay mad at the brown-haired girl—she was really sweet, and Annabeth had found that they were becoming quite good friends.

Despite her new friendship, everything else was falling apart. And so, like she did many other nights, Annabeth cried herself to sleep.

------

Annabeth took a deep breath, knocking on Luke's door. A few minutes later, a brown-haired boy swung the door open. It was Ethan, Luke's roommate. He was a sweet kid, although Annabeth didn't know him very well. They talked a little bit in the past times that she had visited. Now, she knew it was the last time she'd be seeing that little smile of his.

"Hi, Annabeth," he greeted.

"Hi, Ethan," she replied, returning his small grin as best she could. He let her inside and walked over to the kitchen. "Luke!" he called. "There's someone here for you."

"What?" he asked, opening the door to his room and walking out. His sandy hair was a mess and his sweatpants were cattywampus, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Annabeth?" he asked, surprised. His face lit up. "Hey."

"Hi, Luke," she said, a sharp sadness digging its way through her heart. She hated what she was about to do. He walked over to her, kissing her hello.

"I'll be in my room," Ethan said, retreating to his bedroom with a bowl of cereal. He closed the door behind him. Annabeth was thankful for that.

"I need to talk to you," she said.

"What's up?" Luke asked.

"I love you, Luke," she started.

"I love you too, Annabeth..." he trailed off, confused.

"But we can't be together anymore," she said, ripping off the bandaid.

Luke halted. "What?"

Annabeth shook her head, a frown finding its way to her face. "Long distance is too much for us. It's exhausting and it's pulling the best out of us and leaving us with the worst. And I'm so sorry that we couldn't make this work,"

"No, Annabeth... I..." Luke faltered. He struggled for words for a second, but then the look on his face told Annabeth that he realized she was right.

Tears stung her eyes and tried to continue. "I don't want to leave off badly, because it doesn't have to be that way. I love you, Luke, and I'm really grateful that I got to be with you," she whispered.

"I was just lucky enough to date Annabeth Chase, probably the most amazing girl I'll ever know," he whispered back sadly. "I love you."
He wrapped his arms around her and she embraced him back. She sighed sadly into his shoulder. She really was going to miss him.

"Goodbye, Luke," she said sadly.

"Bye, Anna," he sighed. Then she showed herself out of the apartment, leaving Luke in his living room. She only made it to the elevator before she started crying. The hot tears streaked her cheeks and dripped off her chin, plummeting to the ground.

------

"What happened to you?" Piper asked as Annabeth walked into their room, throwing her things on her bed. Piper must have noticed her puffy face because she was suddenly serious. "Annabeth, what happened?" she put down her laptop and walked to Annabeth.

She looked into her kaleidoscope eyes and found that she couldn't speak. She broke down and started sobbing. Piper just held her as her shoulders shook and tears dampened her shirt. She rubbed Annabeth's back and just let her cry.

Annabeth was finally able to gain her bearings enough to speak. She sniffled. "I broke up with Luke."

"Oh, babe," Piper said sadly. She knew better than anyone how Annabeth had been struggling with that. "You did the right thing,"

"I know," Annabeth cried, "but I miss him."

"I know, I know," Piper soothed, stroking Annabeth's hair. "You're gonna be okay, Anna," Piper looked into her eyes, "I promise."
Annabeth just sighed. "I'm gonna order pizza and we can watch stupid movies and stuff our faces, okay?" Piper offered.

Annabeth just nodded, collapsing into her bed. That sounded like exactly what she needed at the moment. Piper really was a good friend.

------

"Hi, mom," Annabeth greeted her mother, kissing her hello.

"Oh, I am so happy you're home," her mother said, giving her a good squeeze. "Here, come sit down, I made lunch." She ushered Annabeth to the kitchen table, putting her bags by the stairs.

There were sandwiches and chips and carrot sticks and celery all laid out on the table. After the drive, Annabeth was hungry. She sat down with her mother and started to dig in.

Annabeth had called her mom everyday; it was a requirement, and she was okay with that, because she missed her mother. She told her all about Luke; she hadn't had the chance to really explain it well, so she took the time now. They caught up on things, like how Athena was doing with Howard—that was her boyfriend. Annabeth still hadn't had the chance to meet him, and to be perfectly honest, she wanted to keep it that way. It wasn't that she didn't want her mother to be happy, she just didn't want to meet the guy that pretty much ruined her parent's marriage.

When they were finished with lunch, Athena smiled. "I have a surprise for you," she said.

"What is it?" Annabeth asked.

"Come outside with me." She followed her mother outside and what she saw in front of her made her feel a million things at once. But that troublemaker grin made her feel the same way it always did; happy. His hair was windswept and his eyes were still as beautiful as ever. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, wearing that slightly worn, brown leather jacket she loved seeing him in. His skin was sun-kissed, a nice California tan making him look even better. He looked older and more mature than she remembered, and as her heart boomed in her chest, she was reminded of how smitten she was with the person in front of her.

"Miss me, Wise Girl?"

Annabeth ran up to Percy, throwing her arms around his neck. He picked her up and spun her around. She laughed before he put her down. Percy had only been able to come home for three days over winter break; Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the day after. But now, here he was, in front of her. Seeing her best friend sent a million bunnies running through her stomach, their little feet making her feel jittery.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked in disbelief.

"How could I not come home after you told me about what happened?" he asked rhetorically. Annabeth had been on FaceTime with Percy a few nights ago and she told him about how she broke up with Luke. Percy and Rachel had ended things before they went away to college, which was the smart thing to do. She had gone to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for graphic design. If only Annabeth had done the same then. But he understood more than most.

"I missed you so much, you big idiot," she said with facetious anger. "You should just never leave again. You could go to Columbia and then I could see you all the time," she suggested, walking to the door with Percy, hanging onto his arm. It was like now that she had him, she never wanted to let him go.

Percy laughed. God, how she loved the sound. "Nice try, Wise Girl, but it's not that easy."

"Ugh," she groaned. "I know." Percy hugged Athena hello and they walked inside.

"I made some lunch if you want to eat, Percy," she offered.

He grinned, saying a thank you as he picked up a sandwich and some carrot sticks. That kid was always hungry, it made Annabeth laugh. They sat down together at the table.

"So, Percy, how's Berkeley?" Athena asked.

"It's really good, actually. The work is a little overwhelming, but it's always gonna be hard your first year. My roommate Leo has ADHD worse than I do," he chuckled.

"Wow, I didn't think that was possible," Annabeth teased, eating a celery stick.

Percy gave her a playful glare before continuing. "My classes are good, and I've somehow managed to maintain a social life." Annabeth was happy for him—how couldn't she be?—but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous; Percy was having a great time out in California, probably with new people that were better than her and here she was, heart broken and emotionally distraught.

"The only reason I have one is because Piper drags me out to parties," she said.

"Well, I'm glad you're getting out, Wise Girl. People should know how great you are—you need to show them," he explained. She tried not to blush when she laughed.

"Thanks, Seaweed Brain," she scoffed.

"I'm glad to hear that things are good." Athena nodded. "Alright, I'll stop bothering you two and let you catch up," she said, walking away.

"So, are you okay?" Percy asked, turning to her with concern on his face.

"Yeah," Annabeth started. "I mean, it was rough for a little while, but I'm better now. Piper helped a lot. I realized that this was the right decision for us and, I don't know, I feel kind of... relieved?"

Percy nodded in understanding. "So you're happier than you were? And you're okay?"

"Yes," she chuckled. He was always so concerned about her, which was stupid considering he had to move to the other side of the country and she had to move only a few hours away. But it still made her heart feel warm.

"And, what I was telling your mom was just a shortened, much happier version of things in California. You know that I'm actually struggling pretty bad without you over there," he reassured her, chuckling a little bit.

Annabeth nodded. "I see that you've learned how to read my mind," she joked.

"Well, I only had the best teacher," he said, nodding to her. They laughed.

"So, how long are you here for?" she asked, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

"I could only get today and tomorrow. I have to leave Sunday morning, 6:00 a.m.," he explained. Annabeth just nodded, trying not to look too disappointed. "But, we have a lot of time until then, so we're gonna talk about everything and watch some shitty movies tonight, but before we do that, we're gonna drive around and remind ourselves that this strange place was once home," he joked, and they laughed.

"That's actually pretty sad when you think about it," Annabeth noted.

Percy paused. "It is, but we're not gonna think about it," he said. "Grab your coat, we're going for a drive. Mom and dad will be happy to see you,"

Annabeth laughed and they got up, pulling on their jackets. "Mom! We're going for a drive!" she called. "We'll be back soon, love you!"

"Alright, love you!" Athena called back.

"This is gonna be fun," Percy assured her, his sea-green irises dancing with excitement. It felt so good to be with Percy, the feeling was almost strange. It made her sad to think that it had been that long. But she was happy to be with him now, and she wasn't going to waste a minute of it.

------

Percy watched the screen, his arm around Annabeth's shoulders. She was leaning into him, and he was almost sure she was asleep. Her breathing was even and her head was resting on his shoulder. He carefully looked over, realizing she was out cold. Her sleeping face was so gentle, so at ease. He smiled; he was happy to see that she could be peaceful, that there were times when a million different thoughts weren't running through that beautiful head.

Suddenly, she snuggled further into him, and his heart jumped. Percy had liked Annabeth for years, but he was too scared to tell her the truth. He tried dating Rachel to distract himself, but he should've known that he would never be able to stop thinking about her; her gorgeous smile, her tan skin, her incredible grey eyes. He had missed her so much in California. He told her he missed her, but he didn't tell her exactly how much. He couldn't, not without telling her that he was in love with her. The beginning was the hardest; he barely slept or ate. He missed home; he missed Annabeth. But it was stupid of him to have a crush on her; she was way out of his league, and not to mention, his best friend. The last thing he was going to do was risk the most important friendship in his life on his stupid feelings.

But he was doing better, and he called her as often as he could. And getting to see her today... it was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time, and one he loved more than anything. Watching her walk out of the house, her blonde hair turning golden in the sunlight, her cheeks rosy and her perfect white smile gleaming... his heart nearly beat its way out of his chest. And now, here they were, lounging on her bed, snuggled close together.

He remembered that night, back in sophomore year, when she had come over after that one really big fight her parents had had. She fell asleep in his bed, and he kissed her forehead.

That was probably the scariest and most adrenaline-filled moment of his entire life. That sounded funny, but he seriously was afraid that she was going to kick his ass, because she totally would have. Now, he turned ever so slightly, and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head.

This time, he wasn't scared (okay, he was a little scared—she was still very capable of kicking his ass), but he felt those same butterflies. He found that he was grinning stupidly to himself as Annabeth's chest continued to rise and fall with even breaths.

It was nice to be with her again.

~o~

College: Senior Year

"Hey," Annabeth started, talking to Percy through the phone. "I got something quite interesting in the mail today." She held up the letter she got, showing Percy.

"Yeah, I got one too," he said, holding up his. "Who would've thought that Rachel Dare would be inviting us to her wedding?"

"Who would've thought that Rachel Dare would be having a wedding?" she joked. Percy laughed, agreeing. "If I'm being completely honest, I really didn't think she was the fancy-wedding-type."

"I mean, she certainly wasn't back in high school, but who knows?" He shrugged.

"I guess. Are you going?" she asked.

"Yep," he answered. "Are you?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, examining the invitation. "I would have to wear something that I don't freeze my ass off in," she considered. The date was set for November 30th, and November 30th in Chicago was going to be a winter wonderland.

"You know, I don't really have anyone to take to this wedding with me," Percy said. In a split second, Annabeth froze, realizing what he was saying. It had been more years than Annabeth could think of that she had had feelings for Percy, and she had been hiding them for the same amount of time. After she broke up with Luke—which felt like forever ago—she slept around a little bit. Not a lot, but just a few times to distract herself from the fact that she was in love with her best friend, and heartbroken. It didn't work, of course, because, as she's come to learn, sex does not hold the answers to everything. Her problems were much too great to be solved by smashing a cute guy she met at one of Piper's sorority parties.

"Well, then I think you're gonna have to find someone," she teased, shrugging.

"Wow, okay," he said, faking offense. "Be that way, Wise Girl, be that way."

She laughed. "I mean, if you really want me to go with you, I'll go, but only because I pity you, Jackson," Annabeth joked.

"Well thank you for your pity, because unlike you, I don't have a line of people who'd kill to be my date," he said.

"What makes you think there's a line of people who'd kill to be my date?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

Percy scoffed. "Because. You're Annabeth Chase," he said, deciding not to say anything further. Butterflies erupted in Annabeth's stomach. Did Percy...? No. No, that was insane.
She laughed, brushing it off. "I guess I'll see you on November 28th."

"I guess you will," Percy agreed, nodding.

Just then, Piper came running into the room, out of breath and a little sweaty, throwing down a few grocery bags. She slammed the door behind her.

"Oh my god, what did you do now?" she asked.
Piper tried to talk between her heaving breaths. "I might have... maybe... possibly... gotten into a fight with that annoying girl down the hall... Dina," she struggled to explain. "And she... might be coming for me..."

"Oh my god, Percy, I have to go," she said quickly. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't worry about it," he insisted. "Bye, Annabeth,"

"Bye," she said, ending the call. "Well where is she?" Annabeth asked Piper. Then she heard yelling in the hallway.

"Pretty close apparently." Piper shrugged.

"Well what did you do?"

"I was trying to get up here with some groceries and she was on the phone in the hallway, yelling while I was checking the mail. So, before I could stop myself, I turned around and asked her if she would kindly shut the fuck up," she explained. "And then it got a little worse."

"Oh, Piper," Annabeth sighed.

"You know how annoying she is! And this isn't the first time we've had a problem with her. Don't act like you didn't fight with her back in August," the brown-haired girl insisted. It was true—they had had previous run-ins with Dina.

"Alright, open the door, I'll deal with it," Annabeth said tiredly. Piper moved away from the door and she opened it.

"You!" Dina screeched at Annabeth. "Where's your skanky little friend, huh?" She marched up to Annabeth. Being 5'9, she towered over the probably 5'0 girl.

"Excuse me?" Piper asked, getting offended and trying to go at Dina. Annabeth stopped her.

"Okay, let's just take a deep breath and calm down," she tried to defuse the situation. By this point, the other tenants were now standing in their doorways, watching the show.

"Don't tell me to calm down! I want to talk to her." She pointed past Annabeth to Piper. Piper looked like she was ready to step on Dina.

"I don't think there's gonna be much talking if you come in here," she threatened, cracking her knuckles.

"Here's what's gonna happen," Annabeth announced, still holding Piper back. "You're gonna stop talking so loudly on the phone in the hallway, because I think we can all agree it's incredibly inconsiderate. You can do that in your dorm, without disturbing the rest of us. Piper," Annabeth continued, looking at her friend. "Apologize to Dina."

"WHAT?!" Piper yelled, clearly outraged. "She's the one at fault here, I—"

"You were rude to her," Annabeth cut her off, giving her a look: Please just apologize so we can end this. Piper looked disgruntled, but did it anyway.

"Sorry, Dina," she spat.

"Okay. Dina, apologize to Piper, and the rest of the people in this hallway." Annabeth felt entirely too old to be dealing with nonsense like this, but here she was.

"I—" she was about to protest, but Annabeth cut her off with a single warning look. Dina sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Great. Now we can all go back to living our lives. Thank you," Annabeth said bluntly. Then she turned back inside and shut the door. She sighed and leaned against the door, closing her eyes for a minute.

"You're awesome, you know that, Chase?" Piper said.

"I try," she sighed.

"Sorry," Piper said, looking a little guilty.

"Don't worry about it, Pipes. Dina's a bitch anyways," she chuckled.

"I know, right?"

------

"Hi, how can I help you?" The woman at the front desk turned to Annabeth with a smile.

"Hi, I'm checking in. Annabeth Chase, in the Stoll/Dare block of rooms?" she explained.

The woman clacked her fingers on the keyboard and stared at the computer intently. Annabeth waited quietly for a second while she looked. "Ah, yes!" she said. "Room 204, floor 3. Here's your keycard and let us know if you need anything else," she said with a grin, handing Annabeth her card.

"Thank you." She took the card and walked to the elevators, pulling her luggage behind her. Pressing for floor three, she sighed. The flight there hadn't been too long, but there was a little boy sitting behind Annabeth who kicked her seat the entire time. Her head throbbed and she needed a nap... or a drink. Maybe both. Stepping off the plane, she had found that it was as cold as she thought it would be. For once, she wanted to be wrong about something, and of course, she wasn't.

She walked through the elevator doors as they slid open, making the walk down to her room. But that was when she saw who was walking into the room next to hers. Just seeing him standing there, the air was gone from her lungs. Percy was tan, tall and muscular—he was such a... man. She had to admit, that gave her butterflies in more places than her stomach. But she couldn't think like that; they were just friends. Still, she grinned just seeing him.

He must have heard her coming because he looked up, and they locked eyes. His sea-green irises shined. His mouth quirked up into that perfect little smirk that drove her insane sometimes. "Oh, great—maintenance! I was just about to ask, I think I'm having a problem with my keycard," he joked.

"You're a dick, you know that?" she said, but a small smile played on her lips.

Percy chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Wise Girl." Then she walked up, hugging him tight. She really did miss his stupid, beautiful face. It felt good to hug him. She could feel his muscles even through his jacket... no. She pulled away before she got any ideas.

"How've you been? Honestly, I'm surprised to see that you're still standing on two feet; I'd assume you'd get into more trouble without me around," she teased, shrugging.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Almost, actually. Leo almost burned down the building one time, trying to fix our toaster. So now we call him 'Repair Boy,'" he explained, making Annabeth laugh.

"Naturally," she joked. "You wanna get settled and then go down to the bar? God knows I could use a drink," she sighed.

"Yeah, of course," he agreed.

"Also, you were putting your card in the wrong way, Seaweed Brain," she explained, showing him the correct way.

He nodded and pursed his lips. "Right, right. I totally knew that."

"Yeah that's why you've been standing here for ten minutes trying to get into your room," she teased, shrugging.

"Okay, Chase," he retorted, walking into his room. Annabeth laughed and walked into her room. She had really missed him.

------

"Annabeth!"

Annabeth turned to see Rachel walking toward her, a bright smile on her face. "Hi, Rachel."

"I'm so glad you could make it,"

"Oh, thank you so much for inviting me," she thanked the redhead.

"Of course! It's good to see you after all those years."

"It really is," she agreed. And she found that she was actually happy to see Rachel. Maybe it was because she was getting married and it wasn't to Percy. They started talking, just catching up. Annabeth saw Rachel's ring and she wanted to know this man that she was marrying because—she had to say it—the rock on Rachel's finger was almost the size of a quarter. The hotel was gorgeous, but that ring? That was something else. And sure, Rachel's family was fairly wealthy—her father was the head of Dare Enterprises—but still. It was a lot.

It was kind of strange, though, being at Rachel's wedding; Annabeth didn't exactly know why, but she felt... jealous? Of course, she was still young, and to be honest, she didn't really want to get married soon. But she still had this feeling... Maybe it was because ever since high school, Annabeth had had this impulse to prove that she was better than Rachel. It was completely because she was jealous and protective of Percy, which she realizes isn't exactly how she should have been processing that, but it was too late now. None of that mattered now; she was just going to have a good time and be happy for Rachel.

"So," Rachel started. "How long have you and Percy been together?"

"What?" Annabeth nearly spit out her drink.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I—"

"No, no, don't worry about it. It's okay," she said.

"I just thought because you two seem so close, ever since high school. College wasn't the only reason I broke up with Percy..." she said, shrugging at Annabeth.

She swallowed. What is happening?!?! "Oh," she tried to laugh.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to overstep, or make things weird," Rachel apologized.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, it's alright you didn't make anything weird." There was a pause and she was desperate for a topic change. "How did you and Connor meet?"

"Oh, it's actually kind of a funny story..." Rachel started her story and Annabeth tried to stop thinking about what she said. College wasn't the only reason I broke up with Percy. What did that mean? And the look she gave her? Was Percy...? No, no he wasn't.

Pay attention to Rachel, stupid! She yelled at herself. Right. Forget about Percy.

------

That night, after the rehearsal dinner, a lot of people stayed out at the bar, drinking and getting to know each other. Percy and Annabeth finished whatever catching up they had needed to do, and she was just so happy to spend time with him. They exchanged funny stories, and the drinks made Annabeth even more giggly. Luckily, she knew how to hold her alcohol and didn't get too shit-faced.

They danced for a little while and then Annabeth went to get a drink. "You want anything?" she asked Percy over the music.

"No, I'm okay, thank you," he replied. Then she turned and made her way to the bar. She ordered her usual and waited quietly.

Unfortunately, the man sitting in the chair next to her decided to make conversation. He had to be at least 55 and couldn't have been more than 5'2. He smelled like scotch, cigarette smoke, and cheap cologne.

"Hey, gorgeous." His voice was scratchy and it sounded like he needed to clear his throat. Annabeth simply nodded, trying not to be rude but she also didn't feel like dealing with that at the moment.

"Where is that guy with my drink?" she mumbled to herself, peering over the bar. She tried to ignore the man next to her, but he started scooting closer.

"Come sit on my lap, huh?"

"Sir, I really—"

"Hey babe," Percy announced, strutting up to her. The guy sitting in the chair suddenly looked a little deflated. Percy stood next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and planting a kiss on her cheek. She prayed he didn't notice how red her face must have been. That was... her heart was beating out of her chest. Not even the creepy old man could ruin the tingly feeling in her face. "Everything alright here?"

"Yeah," she said, trying to come out of her daze.

"Would you mind if I sat with my girlfriend, sir?" Percy asked politely, insinuating that he should scram.

"Fine." He stood up with a grunt and Annabeth found that she had been right about his height. It was a little funny, considering Percy was 6'1 and Annabeth was almost 6'0 in the heels she was wearing. They both looked down at him before he walked away. Percy sat across from her and she missed the feeling of his arm around her waist. She tried to forget about that as they laughed.

"Thanks for saving me," she chuckled.
"What are friends for?" He grinned at her. Oh dear god, it wasn't even funny how badly she wanted to kiss that smile as he was giving it to her—

Woah.

She decided to blame it on the alcohol. As long as she didn't say that out loud, she was all good. She really hoped that she could get through this weekend.

"Best friends forever, right?" He grinned at her, holding up his glass. Annabeth had almost forgotten.

"Best friends forever," she agreed, laughing and they clinked their glasses.

They continued to drink and dance, and they had a lot of fun. They met another group of people from the wedding and danced and talked with them. She was having a good time, but she was beat, and if she didn't want to look like the undead tomorrow, she needed to sleep. Annabeth ended up turning in a little earlier than Percy did. She knew this because when Percy returned to his room, it wasn't alone.

That's right.

Annabeth had to listen to her best friend and life-long crush have sex with someone else. That was almost as mortifying as it sounds. She really only heard the girl he was with.
Annabeth understood getting loud during sex, and she could imagine the urge with Percy, but this was just overdramatic. A thought that popped into her head that she wasn't very proud of: my moans are prettier than that. It was stupid of her to think, but she believed it to be true. She didn't really hear Percy very much, or even at all really. Part of her hoped that meant he wasn't enjoying it. The other part of her told her she needed to go to bed.

She was somehow able to finally fall asleep, a pillow over her head to drown out the high pitched moans of whoever was with Percy next door.

------

Annabeth woke up and showered. The wedding was at 3:00 p.m. and she was luckily up at 10:00 a.m. Her hangover wasn't horrible, but that didn't mean her head still wasn't pounding. She took some aspirin to help, and she hoped it would kick in soon.

She had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock on her door. She straightened out her shirt and opened it to a very disheveled-looking Percy. Luckily he was fully clothed, but he still looked like a little bit of a mess. Part of her was mad that he looked good even when he was hungover.

"Do you have aspirin?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Wow, not even a 'goodmorning'?" she teased, letting him into her room.

"Sorry," he apologized.

She grabbed her aspirin and a water bottle, handing them to Percy. "I'm just pulling your leg."

He eagerly took the aspirin and gulped down the water. "Thank you. You're a lifesaver," he thanked.

"No problem," she replied, smiling. There was a small moment of silence. "So you had fun last night, huh?" She decided to bring it up. Sure, it hurt a little bit, but to be perfectly honest, she really wanted to tease him about it.

Percy looked confused for a minute before his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Fuck." He swallowed dryly. His mouth hung open for a second, like he was trying to say something. Annabeth savored his reaction; it was the best part. "I am so sorry."

She laughed. "It's alright." Another pause, but this time she was smirking at him.

"She called me Perry the whole night, if that makes you feel any better," he mumbled a little sheepishly.

Annabeth laughed again. "That makes this so much better." Percy chuckled, sighing. "Well, I'd invite you to breakfast, but it looks like you need to take some time to yourself, clean up a bit..." she trailed off.

"Who are you going with?"

"Um, that girl that we talked to last night, Hazel? She invited me and I like her, so," Annabeth explained shrugging.

"Ah, yeah, she seemed sweet," he agreed. "Well have fun, Chase."

"Thank you, Jackson." She smiled and they walked out of her room, Annabeth grabbing her things. She walked to the elevators and Percy walked back into his room.

------

After a really nice breakfast with her new friend, Annabeth went back to her room to start getting ready. Piper had helped her pick out a dress. It was light pink satin; something Annabeth would have never in a million years looked at, but when she tried it on, she felt good. Piper really was a miracle worker. She also lent Annabeth her faux fur wrap. It was soft and white and went perfectly with the dress.

Annabeth did her makeup. It wasn't anything heavy; she liked to keep her looks light, but it was still glam enough for the wedding. She was really happy with how she looked. Her hair was down and in curls—not her natural ones, though. She had used a curling iron. Of course, when she sent the pictures to Piper, she freaked out and FaceTimed her in a second, squealing with excitement.

"I really am just in awe of the beauty before me right now," Piper said through the phone.

Annabeth laughed. "None of this would be possible if it wasn't for you, Pipes, so thank you."

"Oh, I'm just so proud of you. If Percy doesn't bang you after seeing you like this, I might. I'm not even kidding it might happen, Annabeth. Be careful when you come back," she warned, jokingly.

She laughed at her friend. "Oh my god, last night was just... "

"Wait, what happened last night?!" Piper practically yelled. "TELL ME Y'ALL FUCKED," she shouted.

"No, no!" Annabeth insisted, lowering the volume on her phone. "I mean, Percy did. Our rooms are right next to each other, and there was a girl in his last night, and she was moaning so loud. Like remember Amber from 4C that one time?"

"Oh, babe," Piper said, wincing. "That must have been hard."

"I mean, it wasn't so bad. It didn't exactly sound like he was enjoying it, and she called him Perry the whole night," Annabeth explained, chuckling.

"Yikes," Piper agreed, laughing.

"But what was worse was that I was kind of imagining that it was—"

A knock on the door interrupted her conversation. She turned and saw Percy standing at the door, stifling a yelp. Oh my god, how long had he been standing there?! She hung up the phone, making a mental note to apologize to Piper later.

"Hey, sorry—woah..." His eyes locked on her as she turned around. She tried to hide her blush as Percy's gaze traveled over her. Her look had had exactly the effect she was hoping for. "You look... " he trailed off, shaking his head. "You look incredible."

"Thank you," she accepted the compliment, trying to keep her cool. "You look good too," she said. It's already been established that Annabeth has a thing for Percy in suits, so now... He looked so clean cut and mature, all she wanted to do was rip off his clothes. They could skip the wedding—the weren't that important to Rachel anyways.

No. She reminded herself. This was her best friend. She really needed to let go of her fantasies. They served her no good.

"Thanks," he accepted. "I actually need a little help with my tie," he said, holding up the smooth fabric.

"Of course you do," she laughed. He handed it to her and she helped him put it on. When she did the top button of his shirt, she realized there was a chain around his neck. Not being able to help herself, she pulled it out and found that it was the graduation gift she had given him. "You're wearing the necklace," she noticed.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Do you ever take it off?" she asked almost absentmindedly, running her thumb over the little engravings.

"Almost never," he answered. "And you wear the pendant all the time?" Percy asked, gently tapping the charm lying on her chest. She was lucky that it went with her outfit.

"I do," she said. She really did rarely take it off. In that small moment of silence, she was suddenly aware of how close they were. She tucked the chain back into his shirt, finishing with the tie. She ran her hands over the lapels of his jacket, wanting to slip it off so badly. But she stopped herself, clearing her throat.
She stepped back, needing to put some space between them. If they stayed so close any longer, her heart might have burst out of her chest.

"Thanks, Annie," he thanked her, giving a small smile. He didn't really call her 'Annie' that often, but he was the only person she'd really let do it. "And uh... you told Piper?"

She bit her lip and looked at the floor a little embarrassedly. She guessed she was about to find out how much of that conversation he had heard. "She's my best friend, and I'm sorry but the look on your face was kinda priceless," she insisted, shrugging.

Percy nodded, rocking on his heels with his hands in his pockets. "Nah, I get it." There was a pause. "But what were you imagining?"

"What?" She tried to hide her shock. That the one part she hoped he didn't really catch, but of course.

"You said what was worse was that you were imagining... something else. What were you thinking about, Chase?" His voice was low and he leaned in closer to her, squinting his eyes.

Oh, how that ignited a fire between her thighs. She tried to look as little like a deer in headlights as she could. Oh, ya know, I was just imagining it was you pounding into me, casual stuff. That wasn't gonna happen.

"Nothing," she said. "It just reminded me of this one time back in New York, at our building. One of our neighbors was really loud and..." she trailed off, realizing her stupid story needed to end.

"Ah, okay," he replied, nodding, but she could tell he was mocking her. "Sure, Annie." That sent shivers up her spine. His voice was still low and incredibly sexy, making it hard for her not to melt on the spot.

"Shut it, Jackson," she scoffed and nudged him, trying to ease the tension. He laughed and looked down at his feet. He checked his watch.

"We should probably start heading over there."

"Yeah," she agreed. "You can go, I'll meet you in the lobby,"

"Sure. I'll get us a cab." Then he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Once he was out of the room, Annabeth remembered to breathe. She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror.

"You will not sleep with him. He's your best friend and you will not sleep together," she demanded, pointing at her reflection. That was it. She had officially gone insane.

Annabeth grabbed her purse and checked to make sure that she had everything she needed. Then, after slipping on her long, warm coat, she walked out of her room and met Percy down in the lobby. He was waiting by the entrance, looking down at his phone. His jawline was so sharp it could cut diamonds. He looked up when he heard her coming, smiling. She grinned back. "Our cab is outside,"

"Great." She followed him out to the cab and they got in.

------

The wedding was so much fun. Percy and Annabeth danced with their new friends and Rachel and they all had a really good time. Everyone loved Annabeth's dress, which was a relief, but she couldn't get over how amazing Rachel looked. Her hair was still a little wild, keeping true to her personality, but it was styled perfectly. Her dress... it was one of the most beautiful wedding dresses Annabeth had ever seen. The lace on it was intricate and stitched perfectly. It must have cost a fortune, but that part wasn't surprising.

Aside from that, everyone talked, laughed, drank, danced and just had an awesome time. Annabeth was able to make it through the trip without ruining her friendship, so that was a win for her brain, but not for her heart. Or her vagina. But it didn't matter, because Percy would always be her friend. They'd always just be friends. And Annabeth just had to teach herself to be okay with that. But she was a fast learner, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

------

College: Senior Year: Graduation

Percy looked at himself in the mirror. His family was flying out today; Sally, Poseidon, Frederick, Athena, and Annabeth. They were coming for his graduation. They were lucky enough that his and Annabeth's didn't fall on the same day. Hers was four days after his. Annabeth didn't fly out very often; it was usually him going back to New York, because that just made more sense. But he was excited to show her—and everyone else—around. Of course, they had been before, but he was still excited.

Leo, of course, wanted to see Annabeth again; they had this odd bond. It wasn't romantic, thank god, but they shared the common interest of teasing Percy. He didn't really mind though; it was all in good fun. Annabeth's flight was a little later than their parent's, so he wasn't going to get to see her until tonight, but he still couldn't wait. They hadn't been able to see each other since the wedding.

Rachel's wedding was a lot of fun. But when he realized that Annabeth had heard him that night, he wanted to melt right through the floor. It was mainly because he had been thinking about her the whole time. Was that bad? Absolutely. Could he help it? No matter how hard he tried, no. She was just so... perfect. She was everything he could've wanted. But they were just friends. There was no way that she felt the same way.

Although, he did hear some of her conversation that day when she was on the phone with Piper. It almost seemed like she was going to say that she was imagining it was them. But that was ridiculous. It was stupid of him to get his hopes up.

Either way, they were still friends, and he was really thankful for that. In fact, he had the perfect graduation gift. Not only was it the best item, but he had something to tell her as well. He was keeping it a secret so he could surprise her, and he had a feeling she was really going to like it.

For now, he needed to get to the airport.

------

"Oh, look at our boy," Sally gushed, her eyes glassy.

"I'm really proud of you, son," Posiedon said, pride in his eyes.

Percy nodded in appreciation and hugged his parents. "Thank you guys."

"I remember like it was yesterday when you and Annabeth were playing in the dirt," his mother reminisced.

"Oh, when they found a mouse and tried to bring it inside," Athena added, tapping Sally's arm, who agreed, laughing.

"Remember Cheese?" Annabeth asked, a bright smile on her face.

Percy laughed, remembering the stray cat they used to visit in fifth grade at the park. 'Cheese' was Percy's idea of a good name. It had them laughing so hard, they decided to keep it. "How could I forget?"

Annabeth looked beautiful. She wore a neat light blue dress that looked perfect on her. Percy was certain she would look good in anything... or in nothing—no. He couldn't think about her like that.

"Percy?" Poseidon asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

He turned red, clearing his throat. He noticed the concerned look on Annabeth's face. Oh, god what if she could read his mind? She was such a genius that it wouldn't be a surprise if she had figured out how.

She can't read your mind, dumbass! He reminded himself. "Sorry, what?"

"Are you ready for this?" Frederick asked, a smile on his face. Athena and Frederick, for as unfortunate as their divorce was, they were still like second parents to Percy. He had a feeling that Annabeth was definitely closer to his parents, but he was still pretty close with her parents as well. It's hard to know someone for 14 years and not form some sort of bond.

"Yeah," Percy replied, smiling. "I'm really excited."

"We have a few minutes, but we should get going soon," Athena said, looking at her watch.

"I actually wanna talk to Percy for a second," Annabeth said, leading him away from their parents. His head got a little fuzzy—it usually did when she wanted to talk to him alone. His hands got a little sweaty. It kind of annoyed him how she could make him, a 21-year-old, grown man, feel like his awkward sweaty teenage self again, but he couldn't help it around her, and it wasn't her fault. "I got you something."

"We said no gifts,"

"We always say no gifts." She gave him a look and he shrugged. It was true. "It's two things—"

"Aw come on," he complained. "You one-up me every time,"

She laughed. "When you see the gifts, it'll make sense." She presented a graduation-themed gift bag, handing it to him.

"You really didn't have to do this," he said, pulling out the first gift. It was a book; Biomedicine For Dummies. He laughed and she smirked at him, biting her lip. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her right then.

"I saw it and I couldn't help myself," she explained, shrugging.

"You know what, forget grad school, this is all I need," he joked, making her laugh. Then he reached for the other gift. It was a framed picture of them from the wedding. He stared at it for a second, just taking it in. Annabeth looked so incredible that night. She was like this shining star; a breathtaking phenomenon. The smiles on their faces were composed, but genuine. She made him so insurmountably happy, it was hard to capture. But this picture was it. He couldn't help but notice how much it looked like they were a couple... Percy knew he needed to stop thinking like that, but it was hard for him to do. He couldn't just stop thinking about the girl he's in love with. Wasn't that the point?

"Check the back," she said. He flipped the frame and read the tiny words written in Annabeth's neat handwriting.

To the best dancer in the room ;)

Percy laughed. That was a joke that she had made when he was showing off his dorky dance moves. "I totally was the best dancer," he joked.

"You were," she agreed teasingly, laughing as well.

"Thanks, Wise Girl," he said, grinning at her.

"I'm really proud of you Percy," she said, giving him a tight hug. He loved hugging Annabeth. He could just melt right into her arms and never want anything else. Just her and her warmth. But they pulled away.

"Alright, you two—it's time to go!" Poseidon said, and everyone got ready to leave.

Percy was going to graduate.

------

"Laura Intasiano," they announced. The girl sitting next to Percy stood up and walked up to the stage, taking her diploma. Percy was next.

"Perseus Jackson,"

Everyone clapped as he stood up and walked to the stage, taking his diploma. As he shook the Dean's hand, he looked out at the crowd to his family smiling and clapping. He laughed as Annabeth cupped her hands around her mouth and whooped as loudly as she could. Leo also grinned up at him, throwing a fit. That made him laugh. The look on his parents face was so happy and proud and he felt so... complete. He walked off the stage, the applause fading.

They went through the rest of the names and a couple speeches before he finally heard those glorious words.

"Class of 2021, you are officially graduated!"

"WHOOHOO!" Everyone cheered and threw their hats into the air. Percy laughed and cheered with his friends and classmates. He didn't even know the girl sitting next to him—Laura—but they high-fived and cheered together.

Percy's face almost hurt from smiling so much.

------

"I'll see you tomorrow," Percy said, hugging his parents goodbye. They were going back to New York. Annabeth's graduation was in three days and Percy still had a bit of packing to do, so his flight was later that night and he'd arrive in New York tomorrow morning. They walked to the gate. Now he was saying goodbye to Annabeth.

"I'm really proud of you, Seaweed Brain. Never did I think you'd make it this far," she teased.

"Okay, Wise Girl," he said sarcastically. They laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," she agreed. They hugged one last time, nice and tight, before separating.
Kiss her, his mind said. They stared at each other for a second. Percy actually debated it. No. He couldn't. Not here. That wasn't the moment.

It might sound stupid, but Percy believed that everything had it's perfect moment. Things didn't always happen exactly when they were supposed to, or in their perfect moment, but if he was going to kiss Annabeth, he wanted it to be in the perfect moment. He didn't know when that would be, but he knew he'd get a feeling, and that would be it. And right now, in the airport, wasn't their perfect moment.

"Bye, Percy." Annabeth gave one last smile before walking to the others, leaving him there.

------

Percy looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was as neat as he could get it, his shirt was tucked in and his pants weren't wrinkled—thanks to Sally, of course. He was ready for Annabeth's graduation. He was buzzing with excitement. He couldn't wait to give her her gift, and tell her his news.

His family got in the car and drove to Yale, where the graduation was. It was like he was a kid again. Here he was, a 21 year old, riding in the back seat of his parents car. He felt a little ridiculous, but it was... nostalgic. It reminded him of all those times he and Annabeth would silently fool around with each other in the back seat while one of their parents drove. He would poke her arm and she would punch him back. Those road trips were the best.

------

"Annabeth Chase," they announced. Annabeth stood and walked up to the stage, excitement buzzing in her fingers. She was so excited. She took her diploma and shook the Dean's hand.

Looking out at the crowd, she saw Piper cheering and throwing her hands in the air. Percy was doing pretty much the same thing. The look on her parents' faces was one of the most rewarding things she had ever experienced. It was true pride. She grinned out at everyone before walking off stage and returning to her seat. She felt so content, and yet so liberated at the same time. But most of all, she just felt so proud.

------

"So," Annabeth started. "What do you want to talk about?" Percy had asked to speak to her privately, so she took him to this little courtyard that not many people knew about. She said it was like her small sanctuary. It was beautiful, and the perfect spot for what he was about to tell her.

"I wanted to give you your gift," he said. They sat down on a bench, facing each other. He handed her the small box and she unwrapped it, carefully opening it. Percy had picked out the watch a long time ago. The band was brown leather and the face was white. It was classic, and not very dressy, but he thought Annabeth would like it. She always talked about loving the way watches looked, and this was the nicest one he could find that fit her personality perfectly. That being said, it wasn't cheap, but that didn't matter.

"Oh my god," she sighed.

"Do you like it?"

"It's perfect," she said.

Percy smiled. That was the best thing she could have said. She didn't say 'it's beautiful', or 'it works', she said that it was perfect. And that was exactly what he had hoped for. "Really?"

"Of course," she reassured him, smiling.

"You always talked about wanting a watch because you liked that they were practical and traditional," he explained a little sheepishly.

She grinned and shook her head. "You remembered that?" she asked incredulously.

How could he forget it? "Yeah,"

"I love it." She carefully took it out of the box and put it on. It really did look great on her. Percy smiled, not being able to help it. "Now what did you want to tell me?" she asked.

Percy looked into her eyes. The sunlight made it so the little flecks of gold shined and her irises lit up. Her complexion was tan and almost glowing. Her hair was in golden princess curls, falling over her shoulder. He stared at the person in front of him and realized how horribly, terribly, and utterly he was in love with her.

"Percy?"

He decided to do it. It could ruin everything that they've built in the last 14 years, or it could make the rest of their lives. Percy was always one to take risks. He felt like this was their perfect moment, and he had to do it. He leaned closer, glancing down at her lips, and he kissed her.

It was gentle, and her lips were soft and warm. After a few seconds, Percy pulled away. He stared down at her, waiting for her reaction. She looked stunned, and she didn't say anything. Oh no.

"Fuck," he said. "Did I just—"

Then she kissed him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his lips to hers. One hand moved to cup his cheek as his arms went around her waist. They deepened the kiss, their tongues dancing back and forth. Percy could barely believe it. It felt like his brain was melting right through his body. Her fingers on his face and in his hair made him feel hot—the 75 degree weather could be to blame, but that was all Annabeth. He never wanted it to end, but they could only hold their breath for so long.

They pulled away, breathing heavily and a little dazed. Annabeth laughed and it was like music to his ears.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he said, grinning at her.

"No, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," she corrected.

Percy cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Almost ten years," she admitted, shrugging.

"Holy shit, Annabeth," Percy said in disbelief. "You've really liked me for almost a decade?"

She shrugged. "Pretty embarrassing, huh,"

"No, no," Percy chuckled, taking her hands. "It's just kind of funny because you've always worked for what you wanted and you got it. You never held back your ideas," he explained.

"Well," she started, glancing at the ground. "I was scared. I didn't wanna mess us up because I didn't think that you felt the same."

Percy laughed. "Trust me, don't worry about that. I've pretty much been head over heels since ninth grade," he admitted reluctantly.

"Wow," she whispered, raising her eyebrows. They laughed. Then a look of realization passed over her face. "Oh, my god. When we were at the wedding, I was talking to Rachel and she asked how long you and I have been together, and—obviously we weren't—but she said, 'college wasn't the only reason I broke up with Percy.'"

He nodded, and suddenly that conversation flooded his brain. Right before she went away, they split up and Rachel told him that she knew she wasn't it for him. She said she noticed that every time she walked into a room, or laughed with him, his eyes lit up in this way and Annabeth was the only person who could bring that out of him.

Yeah, that had hit him pretty hard. But he knew that it was true.

"Yeah. I liked Rachel, but... it was always you, Wise Girl," he said.

She stared at him for a second, a touched smile on her face. "You're the worst," she chuckled.

"What?" he asked, his voice getting high pitched as he furrowed his eyebrows.

Annabeth laughed harder, making Percy laugh as well. "We're so cliche, it hurts."

He nodded his head as she leaned into him. "Yeah," he sighed. "But you have to admit; we're pretty perfect, huh?"

The smile that spread across her face told him she agreed. They kissed again, slow and sweet. "God, I love doing that," she hummed against his lips.

"I love you," he mumbled.

Annabeth pulled away. "What?"

Percy realized what he had just done. "Oh no."

"You love me?" She blinked.

"Well— I, uh..." he tried to explain, but his throat was dry. The look on Annabeth's face wasn't exactly happy or sad; just surprised and colored with anticipation. He gave up. "Yeah," he said. "I love you, Annabeth."

She didn't say anything for a second, and that look that she got when she was sucked into her own thoughts occupied her beautiful face. "I love you too," she said.

"Really?"

"I do," she said. Then she looked at him, their eyes locked. She smiled. "I love you," she laughed.

Percy's face split into the widest grin he had ever worn in his life. He laughed and kissed her again, cupping her cheek and pulling her closer. They pulled away after a few long, peaceful moments. "You know it just got even more cliche, right?"

"I thought it was perfect," she said, mocking him.

"It is. It's both," he decided. They chuckled. They stood from the bench, deciding they should head back to their families. They walked hand in hand out of the courtyard. That was when Percy remembered what he had actually wanted to tell her. "Oh, Annabeth," he started, and they stopped walking.

"Yeah?" she asked, facing him.

"That wasn't the thing I wanted to tell you, actually," he chuckled.

She furrowed her eyebrows with curiosity. "Oh?"

"Yeah, um..." he paused. "I'm doing grad school at Yale."

"Oh my god, really?" she asked, her beautiful eyes wide. Percy nodded. "That's amazing!" She grinned from ear to ear, her perfect smile beaming. She threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist. They hugged each other tight, Annabeth slightly chuckling. Percy smiled into her hair and kissed her head. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think this is the best day of my life," she said seriously, nodding.

Percy laughed. "I think there's a lot more from where this came from, Wise Girl."

She grinned at him. "There definitely is."

And there so was. Everyday that Percy spent with Annabeth would be the best day of his life, all because she was his and he was hers. In that moment, everything was perfect, and Percy knew that he had gotten this exactly right.

And he couldn't stop smiling.

------

They were all sitting together at dinner, talking and enjoying the company and the great food. It was her family, Percy's family, and Piper and her mom all eating together.

"So, I think we should get something out there," Annabeth started, getting everyone's attention. "Percy and I are together now." It felt so good to say that. That entire day, Annabeth was just so elated. It was one amazing thing after the next. To think that she really got to be with the person she had wanted more than anything for so long... It was like a fairytale. But it was real, and she couldn't stop smiling.

"Finally!" Sally, Piper and Athena all said in unison.

"I told you that you were gonna get together!" Piper said, nudging Annabeth.

She and Percy laughed. "It was really that obvious, huh?"

"You two were meant to be together since you were nine years old," Frederick added. "And, I wouldn't want anyone else to be with my daughter," he said, giving Percy a proud look. Percy nodded and said a thank you. That was like the icing on the cake.

"You have no idea how long your mother has been talking my ear off about the both of you," Poseidon joked, and Sally swatted his arm. He chuckled. "Congratulations, you two."

They both thanked him.

"I haven't known you all for very long, but I sensed a connection between you too," Piper's mom said. "I usually have an eye for these things."

"Yeah, it's scarily accurate," Piper said, nodding and raising her eyebrows. "But I'm so happy for you guys. And finally I don't have to hear Annabeth complain, 'Percy this,' 'Percy that,'"

"Hey!" Annabeth protested, nudging her friend. "I do not complain."

"You talked about me, Wise Girl?" Percy teased.

"Shut it, you," she snipped, but there was no real malice behind it.

They all laughed. Something about that day... it seemed like the universe was finally giving her a break.

~o~

27 years old

"Hi," Annabeth greeted Percy and took his coat as he slipped off his shoes. He kissed her hello. "I have something I need to tell you," she said.

Percy looked at his wife. "What's up?"

"Um, maybe you want to sit down?" She looked a little nervous.

"Annabeth, what's going on?" he asked, concern on his face.

She didn't say anything as he sat down at the kitchen island. She turned around and then placed something in front of him. It was a pregnancy test in a little plastic bag. He picked it up and saw two lines—it was positive. He held it in his hands for a second. They had only been married for a few months, but there was never a doubt in his mind that he wanted to raise children with Annabeth.

He looked at her and smiled. Her face was covered with her hands, like she was scared of his reaction. "T-this is real?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Oh my god," he breathed, his grin spreading wider. "You're pregnant."

She nodded again and didn't say anything, but she took her hands from her face.

"We're gonna have a baby," he chuckled, tears welling in his eyes.

Annabeth looked up at him, her eyes glassy but a smile on her gorgeous lips. "We're gonna have a baby," she agreed, her voice sounding like she was about to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, kissing her hair and breathing in her lemony scent.

"I love you so much," he chuckled.

"I love you too," she laughed. They pulled away. "Wow,"

"I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" he whooped, making Annabeth laugh again. "Sorry—just had to do that."

She kissed him again, smiling against his lips. "This is gonna be amazing."

"This is going to be so incredible," he agreed.
He was becoming a parent with his best friend and the love of his life. How did he get so lucky?

~o~

33 years old

"Charlie, be nice to your brother!" Annabeth called. "These kids are gonna turn my hair grey," she said. She rested one hand on her belly. Baby number three was on its way and little Cade Jackson was going to be there very soon.

"That's kinda what we signed up for, though, right?" Percy said, shrugging. "How you doing?"

"I'm alright. My ankles are better than they were yesterday," she explained.

Percy kissed her gently. "That's good." They were sitting in their backyard while Charlie and Ollie played in the grass. "He always wants everything she has," Percy noted.

"That's how kids are." Charlie was getting into a bit of a diva phase; she turned six and all of a sudden everything needed to be pink and sparkly. Annabeth didn't mind that; it was actually pretty adorable. But her little attitude sometimes was not as appreciated. They knew she would grow out of it soon, but certainly not soon enough.

Ollie, on the other hand, was a very curious little three-year-old. He was obsessed with bugs, which was really fun because that meant he liked finding little creatures outside and no matter many times mommy told him that bugs need to live outside, he didn't seem to understand and insisted that they were his friends.

"You know what I think about a lot?" Annabeth said, pressing herself into Percy's side.

"Please don't ask me to guess, because I don't call you Wise Girl for nothing—there's a million thoughts running through that beautiful head of yours," he said.

She laughed. "I think about how lucky we are. It took us a long time to get together, but everything is still perfect. I got to marry my best friend, and we have two beautiful children, and one more on the way," she said blissfully, looking out at Charlie and Ollie.

Percy rubbed a hand over her belly, and Annabeth smiled as she felt Cade kicking around in there. "We really are lucky," he agreed. "It still baffles me that I'm married to the most beautiful and incredible woman in the world," he hummed into her hair, kissing the side of her head.

She chuckled and then kissed his lips. "Thank you," she whispered.

They had been through a lot; parenting wasn't easy, and that path certainly wasn't straight or smooth. But no matter what happened, they always had love for each other. At the end of the day, they appreciated each other and that was something Annabeth promised she'd never take for granted.

Percy was just such an incredible father, and there was so much love between them. No matter what, they'd be best friends forever.

Never did she imagine that she'd be living a life as wonderful as she was.

And that was so much more than she could ever ask for.

~o~