"Okay, guys. This is serious." Leo said, flopping down onto the couch in the recreation room with a sigh. His friends looked over, each having a look of confusion on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked hesitantly. If Leo said something was serious, something was probably about to blow up.

Leo jerked his thumb upwards from where he had just escaped. Where Percy and Annabeth were currently on guard duty. Well, Annabeth was watching the controls and Percy was fighting off sea monsters so that they were on opposite sides of the Argo II. They'd been fighting like cats and dogs lately.

"Those two are getting annoying!" Leo groaned, throwing his head back, "Constant fighting and flirting, then more fighting." Everyone's expressions turned clear from confusion.

"Ah." Jason moved a checker from his side towards Piper's. They were sitting cross-legged on the floor, and currently Jason was winning against Piper. Then, she stole one of his checkers with a grin, "Gods dang it..."

"Watch your moves, Sparky. I'm coming back." Piper warned playfully.

"Guys, this is important!" Leo straightened up, "We need to figure out how to get those two to admit their feelings. And fast."

"And how should we do that?" Frank asked, leaning back on the armchair with Hazel perched on the arm beside him. She was doodling in a notepad she'd received for her birthday from The Seven. She even had a little magic marker from Hecate that could turn any shade of her desire.

"I say we start Project: Get-Percy-To-Just-Freaking-Kiss-The-Girl." Leo announced, rubbing his hands together.

"Really? That name?" Hazel looked up, raising her eyebrows, "How about something shorter?"

Leo huffed, "Fine. How about... Project:  Make-Percy-And-Annabeth-Make-Out?"

"Leo!" Jason sighed, leaning his head against the arm chair behind him. He glanced over, "Something simple."

"How about Project Percabeth?" Piper suggested, beckoning Jason to king her.

"Perfect!" Leo exclaimed, then winced and looked towards the stairs, hoping that Percy (who was the closest to them) hadn't heard. If he had, he'd probably be embarrassed. And mad. Mostly mad.

"How are we going to put Project Percabeth into action, though?" Hazel asked, folding up her art pad. She looked up, her golden eyes glowing, "It's not like we can just force them to date."

"No," Leo agreed, waving his finger back and forth, "But we can force them to kiss." He slapped his hands together in front of him, either miming pushing Percy and Annabeth to each other or squashing them.

"Leo, we might just have to let things play out..." Piper said, "Love can't be rushed. We aren't even sure that Percy and Annabeth like each other that much. They've known each other so long, it could be natural for them."

"But Percabeth." Leo pointed out like that was a valid argument.

"But they might need some incentive." Jason turned around, grinning. Leo pointed at him.

"Finally, someone with sense!" He leaned back on the couch.

"We could make one of them jealous." Frank suggested, scooting over so Hazel could sit beside him.

"How?" Piper looked over.

"Maybe get you to hit on Percy?" Frank tried feebly. Jason turned around, raising his eyebrows.

"No." He vetoed it.

"Well then who?" Leo asked, spreading his hands. Everyone looked over with bright faces, "Huh? Me?! No! I'm not hitting on Percy!" There was a consecutive eye-roll.

"By Juno... We want you to merely flirt a little with Annabeth." Hazel said, looking over. Leo suddenly went pale.

"Been there, done that, and it was not enjoyable. I don't know who's wrath was worse, Annabeth's or Percy's." Leo shuddered.

"Think about it, Leo! You're the only one here that's single-"

"Hey!"

"So you can hit on anyone you want without someone there to get mad." Piper finished.

"I guess that's true... But I don't have a death wish!" Leo groaned, falling onto his side on the couch.

"Annabeth being mad will be nothing compared to the jealousy Percy will feel." Jason rubbed his hands together, "They'll finally admit..."

"Yeah! Maybe it could happen during dinner one day?" Frank leaned over so he could meet eyes with the son of Jupiter.

"That'd be good. That way, we can keep Leo from being too badly injured!" Piper teased, laughing as Leo started to turn pale again.

"Guys, I don't think this is a good idea..." Leo said quietly, feebly arguing.

"Leo, you're the Super-Sized McShizzle!" Jason pointed out, "You're great at flirting! It'd be even better if you could leave Annabeth oblivious to it."

"Annabeth is too smart for that..." Frank reminded him.

"Yeah, but she's oblivious to Percy being head-over-heels for her."  Jason replied.

"Guys..." Leo shook his head, deeming the argument lost. The rest of the crew buzzed with ideas, all energetic at the idea of their two friends finally getting together.

///

Dinner came too slowly for Percy's taste.

He was starving by the time he walked into the room, smelling the beautiful aroma of pizza already on his plate at the table. He sat on the right side of the table, Annabeth beside him. Which would be a slight drawback. He had said something stupid earlier and she was mad at him now, which was never a good thing.

He sat down, watching as Jason and Piper practically sprinted in and sat down. He raised his eyebrows at their glittering gazes.

"Excited to get to Greece." Jason excused. They were currently heading to Greece since they didn't get to really tour it at all. They were kind of on a deadline.

Annabeth came in next and you could practically feel the weight of her glare towards Percy. He must've done something really stupid this time, Percy looked down at his pizza.

Finally, Hazel and Frank showed up and dug in to their dishes. Frank started spooning up some type of Campbell's soup, and Hazel ate the spicy stuff from New Orleans that Percy couldn't think of the name of.

Leo was the last to show up, shuffling in kind of nervously. He took his seat next to Piper, slowly beginning to pick at his tofu taco. Everyone watched with bated breath.

"So," Leo started, his voice cracking slightly, he cleared his throat, "Nice day, huh?" He winced as Piper apparently kicked him from under the table. Percy looked up, confused as to what was happening. Annabeth had stopped feeling so angry, and instead she looked on with studious eyes as the awkward conversation unfolded.

Finally, Leo sighed and a grin began building on his face. He turned to Annabeth, "So, how was the controls today?" Piper sent him a cautious look.

"Fine. Nothing too major happened." Annabeth replied.

"Ah. It gets pretty hot up there, doesn't it?" He brushed dust off of his shoulders. Frank visibly sighed.

"Um..." Annabeth looked at a loss for words, for once in her life, "I suppose."

"Yeah, it'd be worse if both you and me were up there." Leo leaned back in his chair, "The hotness levels would be sky-high."

Percy slowly looked up, ignoring Jason's sudden grin. Annabeth looked shocked.

"Excuse me?" She blinked.

"Ah, Y'know, you can't have two beings of such levels of hotness working together." Leo shrugged, then grinned, "Things could get a little steamy."

Piper had to hold back a laugh as Percy mouthed 'What the Hades?' And 'You have got to be kidding me...' To himself.

Annabeth looked like she hadn't expected him to reply like that, so she glanced at Piper for help. The girl was no help, instead giving her friend a wink and putting her finger on the table and making a sizzling noise.

"Um..." Annabeth slowly looked back. Meanwhile, Percy looked like he was about to slap Leo out of his seat. His eyes screamed: "THAT WAS A NO-NO, REPAIR BOY."

"Yeah. It'd be pretty criminal." Leo put his hands on the back of his head and winked, "I mean, if you want, we could go to the control room and I could show you some of my mechanic tricks-"

Jason's water bottle shook violently and Leo took that as a cue to shut his mouth. Hazel slowly looked to where Percy was red in the face. Annabeth still looked shocked, if not slightly angry.

"Annabeth, come with me." Piper stood, meaning to guide the girl away from her defenseless friend. She had to admit, even if Leo had succeeded in making Percy jealous, he'd gone a bit far.

Annabeth stood reluctantly, exiting the room with Piper who turned back and wiggled her eyebrows at Percy. He didn't notice, his mouth was in a thin line as he watched Leo closely.

"Hey, Perce!" Leo exclaimed, "You seem a little... Mad?"

"Of course I'm-" Percy cursed here, causing Leo's eyes to widen, he'd really gotten the boy upset, "mad. Why would I not be? You were making advances on Annabeth!" He slammed his palm on the table.

"Why are you mad, bro?" Jason asked innocently, "You two are only friends, after all." Percy paused at this.

"Well, that's just it. She's my best friend, I'm upset that some ja-" Everyone leaned back slightly as Percy brought out another cuss word. Hazel fanned herself, "Is thinking of her that way."

"You can't keep her single forever, Perce." Leo said honestly, "She's hot. Guys notice that immediately, and want to get with her." Leo shrugged.

"Don't call her 'hot'!" Percy fired back. Jason's water bottle started to shake as if there was an earthquake. Even though they were currently in the air.

"Whoa, man! That's what I mean! You think you're the only guy that thinks of her as hot, and that's definitely not true." Leo put his hands up, "Lots of guys have probably thought of her as a babe and-"

"Stop!" Percy stood, his rage heading to a maximum, "Don't talk about her like that! That's downgrading her by a ton! She is more than just 'hot'!" Percy practically yelled. The water bottle exploded, shooting  into Leo's unsuspecting face.

Leo's chair was pushed backwards at the force, and his skinny little legs flailed in the air after he hit the ground. Everyone was looking at Percy with wide eyes.

"Percy, settle down." Frank stood, actually concerned for the little elf's safety.

"No! Not until he realizes what a mistake he's made." Percy growled, looking back over at Leo, who's mop of soggy brown hair was in the way of his frightened eyes.

"If I ever hear you saying such sexist things about her again, Valdez; If I have the slightest inkling that you're thinking what I think you're thinking; And if you ever try to make a move on Annabeth, I will make you wish you had never been born. Understand?"

Leo nodded frantically, standing up and practically sprinting towards the door. He felt like he'd die of fright as he slammed the door open just to see Piper's smirk and Annabeth's wide eyes.

"Uh, hi, girls! Bye, girls!" And he bolted.

///

"What was..." Annabeth and Piper made their way to the cabins, not wanting the others to know that they'd spied on the conversation, "Why..." Annabeth tried to talk, but the levels of surprise had risen above what she could handle. She shut her mouth instead, quietly walking alongside Piper, who was still smirking.

"You two are so oblivious." Piper laughed, looking over at Annabeth's slightly offended look, "Well, at least with romantic stuff."

"Romantic.... Uh, no." Annabeth glanced over at her friend, "It's not like that-"

"My gods, Annabeth. Did you hear all of that just now? Percy is freaking head-over-heels for you!" Piper opened the door to Annabeth's room, walking in. It was an organized mess. Papers were all over the desk, broken pencils and ruined blueprints in the metal trashcan, but her bed was perfectly made. The closet door was open to reveal an array of jeans and a few orange shirts. There was a picture of a young Percy and Annabeth on the wall, they looked to be about twelve, and they sat on the front steps of the Big House beside each other.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Annabeth looked away, going to sit at her desk. She brushed pencil shavings off of her papers.

"Yeah, you do. You just don't realize it." Piper flopped down on her friend's bed, looking up at the maps pasted to the ceiling, "It's kind of adorable, you know. It may seem natural after all these years, but it's clear you two want to be more than friends-"

"Who said that?" Annabeth scoffed, taking out a protractor.

"Your actions. Percy's actions. Don't deny it, Annabeth. You've seen the way he looks at you." Piper held herself up on her elbows, raising an eyebrow.

"Piper... C'mon, I've never been good at relationship things. The only couples I've really ever met was you guys, and then Silena and Beckandorf. But I just don't think it's that healthy to completely focus on a relationship."

"It isn't, Annabeth. That's the thing. You have to keep things balanced, or else someone will tip off the end and boom relationship ruined." Piper explained patiently. Annabeth turned slightly to glare at the girl over her shoulder.

"Piper, I just don't have time to do that. With being the Architect of Olympus and going back to school this fall...." She pushed her forehead against her hand, shutting her eyes like she had a headache.

"Whatever, Annabeth. Don't come to me when you realize any prospect of you two being together has gone down the drain." Piper raised her hands.

"Piper..." Annabeth sighed, "If Percy gets the guts to talk to me about this, maybe something will change. But I doubt it." She looked over.

"Really? Yes!" Piper took that as permission to go force Percy to talk to her, "Great! I'll see you tomorrow, Annabeth." She made her way to the door, then paused, looking back, "You should get some sleep, too. You look beat." And she left quickly, leaving behind an exhausted, and slightly confused, Annabeth in her wake.